#also the four cheese flatbread is VERY flavorful in a good way

[just-jammin]

i think i got an equivalent to 4 total cups of coffee today

anyways

s t a i r b a x

[melodious-madrigals]

“who puts pineapple on pizza and who looks on in disgust?” 

- wondertrev edition

***

“I’m sorry, we’re eating what?” asks Steve. He’s been in the twenty-first century for five whole days when one of Diana’s friends from the Justice League—Barry, who he incidentally met five days ago—stops by because he misses her, crashing in with a whirl of limbs, a lot of enthusiasm, and a hankering for ‘pizza’.

“Pizza,” repeats Barry emphatically, buzzing with even more than his normal amounts of energy. (He really likes pizza.)

“Gesundheit,” says Steve.

“Wait, you really don’t know what pizza is?” asks Barry, eyes wide.

Steve shrugs, and points to himself. “Transplant from 1918, remember?”

“Right, yeah. I’m just. Trying to comprehend a world. In which pizza doesn’t exist? And I’m not gonna lie, I’m having some trouble.”

“Okay, but what is it?”

“The most delicious thing in the world,” says Barry dreamily, as if it's been a year since he's had it and not eight days. Unfortunately, it provides Steve with no further clues.

“It is like a flatbread,” says Diana, looking up from her computer where, theoretically, she’s accessing a menu and a phone number. (The things technology can do now are astonishing.) “With herbed tomato sauce and cheese and assorted toppings. Then it is baked in an oven.”

“I’m sorry, I think I misheard,” says Steve. “You put tomato sauce and cheese on bread and then melt it?” He looks vaguely grossed out, and Barry squawks.

“No, man, it’s the best thing ever. It works, I promise!”

Steve looks entirely unconvinced. “I mean, fresh sliced tomatoes on a sandwich, sure,” he says, as Diana dials the number. “But sauce?”

“Just try it, and hold your judgement until after,” Barry encourages. Steve trusts Diana, and that’s not the only reason he’s willing to try it, but it’s the most important thing on his list.

“Hi, yes, I’d like to place an order for pick-up,” says Diana across from them. “One plain cheese pizza, one veggie supreme, one meat lover’s”—Barry makes a waving motion with his arms and when she looks over, he holds up two fingers—“sorry, two meat lover’s, and one specialty cheese pizza with pineapple.”

Steve’s head snaps up, and he glances at Barry. “Tell me she didn’t just say pineapple.”

Barry looks pained. “She definitely did. That’s how Diana orders her pizza.”

“Tomato and pineapple,” Steve says slowly, like he can’t comprehend it, mostly because he can't.  

“That’s not a combination I endorse,” Barry says, holding his hands up in deference. “Pineapple on pizza is a hot-button issue in the culinary world, and your girlfriend is on the wrong side of history.”

“I most certainly am not,” says Diana indignantly, as she hangs up the phone. (Pineapple or not, Steve finds himself strangely warm at the casual way Barry linked them as a couple, without a second thought.) “The pizza will be ready in twenty-five minutes,” she adds.

“Copy that.” Barry stretches a little. “We have enough time for an episode of The Good Place before I have to run in to get it.”

Diana already has something called Netflix pulled up, which leads Steve to believe this is an established ritual. “You’ll like this,” she says to Steve. “It’s a comedy about ethics.”

“No war, though,” Barry assures him seriously, and hits play on episode one, even though they’re meant to be in season three. Twenty-two minutes later as the credits play, Barry zips out of the apartment; he’s back within four minutes carrying five flat, stacked boxes.

Whatever Steve was imagining, a circle cut into triangles was not it. He stares at it a beat too long, and Barry sidles up to him.

“Whatever anyone else tells you, pizza is something you eat with your hands, not utensils.”

“Sure,” Steve says gamely, and watches as Barry picks up a piece, folding it mostly in half into an even thinner triangle, before shoving it into his mouth.

Steve follows suit, and takes a bite. There’s an explosion of flavor in his mouth: it’s strange, at first, but he does understand what Barry means about it working. The fatty saltiness of the cheese and the acidity of the tomato sauce complement each other.

It’s not destined to be his most favorite food, he thinks, but it’s a satisfying meal for sure.

He also tries the pizza with vegetables (it’s good; he loves onions, olives, and peppers, so he considers it an improvement even over the cheese pizza), and declines a slice of Barry’s pepperoni and sausage pizza. That’s when Diana also offers him a slice of hers.

He looks at the cooked pineapple, nestled in the melted cheese. It doesn’t look particularly appealing, but if Diana likes it, how bad can it be? After all, the other pizzas were good.

He takes a tentative bite.

It’s a mistake.

He’s only ever had pineapple fresh and cold, and he hates the texture of it cooked. The taste isn’t nearly as bad as he’d thought—the sweet tang pairs pretty well with the specialty goat cheese dollops���but it’s an experience he has no desire to repeat.

He manages to swallow, but puts the slice back on his plate and pushes it towards Diana. Next to him, Barry bursts out laughing. “Welcome to the correct side of pizzadom,” says Barry.

Diana shoots him a dirty look. “Pineapple is a perfectly acceptable topping.”

“Yeah, if you don’t have taste buds,” Barry jokes.

“It was more the texture,” Steve admits.

Diana gives him a soft look that makes Barry pretend to gag, and says, “It can be a little strange at first.”

“No way,” says Steve. “No at first. No more pineapple on pizza for me.” 

Diana studies him for a moment. “Very well. I think I can live without it, if it means getting to share a pizza with you.”

Steve can’t help but smile while Barry just blinks and then: “Goddamn it,” mutters Barry, who’s been trying to get her to admit pineapple on pizza is stupid for two years, now. “I can’t even tease her about the fact that she’s admitted there are, indeed, other ways to eat pizza, because that was adorable.”

Diana laughs; Barry sulks; and Steve thinks, privately, that he could get used to evenings like this one, pineapple pizza and all. 

***

[blarrghe]

I got tagged by @oediebees​, thanks, these are fun! and I’ll tag umm @lavellanhunter​ @serphena​ @midnightprelude​ if y’all feel like it

1. What is the color of your hairbrush?

curly hair don’t care (I don’t brush my hair I comb it in the shower sometimes...the comb is blue) 

2. A food you never eat?

Meat, dairy.... a bunch of things that hurt my tummy (except I eat them anyway oops)

3. Are you typically too warm or too cold?

I run pretty cold. Poor circulation lyfeeee

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?

Hangin with the bae learning about ancient history because we are nerds. 

5. What is your favorite candy bar?

like chocolate bar? I can’t eat chocolate and it makes me sad. I bought a vegan white chocolate bar at the health food store a while ago for like 5$ it was good but like. it was also five whole dollars. 

6. Have you ever been to a professional sporting event?

NHL game once. There was a fight on the ice and then in the stands XD

7. What was the last thing you said out loud?

“Love you, bee” yes we are very cute thank

8. What is your favorite ice cream?

Stop asking me about things I’m not allowed to eat waah. I bought vegan icecream and it made me sick also lol so literally just. let’s go with rainbow sherbert. (it used to be cookie dough ice cream stop doing this to me)

9. What was the last thing you had to drink?

Water

10. Do you like your wallet?

My best friend and I bought matching star wars wallets a couple years ago and we both still use them so yeah. it’s got the millennium falcon on it and it came with a keychain that I eventually gave to a kid at work.

11. What was the last thing you ate?

Leftover veggie stir fry with black beans! I made it yesterday and it was pretty good if I say so myself. 

12. Did you buy any new clothes last weekend?

I haven’t bought any new clothes since like, October? 

13. The last sporting event you watched?

uhhhhhhhhh does walking by a soccer game in the park count

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?

I make it with salt and nutritional yeast! and sometimes garlic too. Highly recommend. 

15. Who was the last person you sent a text message to?

Actual text? Coworker. 

16. Ever go camping?

As much as I can! Went every summer as a kid, and last summer went on a month long cross-country camping roadtrip. Probably won’t get to go again for a while though. 

17. Do you take vitamins?

I buy them and then forget does that count

18. Do you go to church every Sunday?

I can count on one hand the number of times I have gone to a church service. And if you discount funerals then I’m pretty sure it’s...2? (and if you wanna do the thing and make it synagogue then still only for the holidays and not in years and years) 

19. Do you have a tan?

Pretty sure I am actually incapable of having a tan. 

20. Do you prefer Chinese food or pizza?

I probably shouldn’t be eating either. Homemade pizza with flatbread and vegan cheese is pretty good tho. 

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw?

Not usually 

22. What color socks do you usually wear?

I just have a large collection of various cute patterened socks with like, cats and stuff on em. Current faves are the ones that make my feets look like sharks =]

23. Ever drive above the speed limit?

speed of traffic but also, I don’t have a car so. 

24. What terrifies you?

ummm the feeling you get when you’re stuck under water and think your gonna drown isn’t very fun. 

25. Look to your left what do you see?

pillows, cart thing with books on it, closet. 

26. What chore do you hate?

changing the cat litter kinda sucks 

27. What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent?

Uh. Australia, I guess? 

28. What is your favorite soda?

I’m a big fan of buying random overpriced weird flavoured drinks so probably like, the blue jones soda or something. But realistically, cream soda and gingerale. 

29. Do you go into a fast food place or just hit the drive through?

I don’t have a car so. I also don’t get fast food much tho. 

30. Who was the last person you talked to?

The boy!

31. Favorite cut of beef?

Literally no idea haven’t eaten it in over ten years 

32. Last song you listened to?

Currently listening to “If The World Was Ending” by Gracie and Rachel, I don’t even know if I like it yet it just came on my spotify release radar thing. 

...

yeah it’s aight. 

33. Last book you read?

Last book I finished was the Silmarillion. Currently working my way through Jewel’s autobiography, some book on mindfulness, and Unfinished Tales. 

34. Favorite day of the week?

Honestly I’m a big fan of Sundays. They’re my bread day.

35. Can you say the alphabet backwards?

Probably. Let’s not find out. 

36. How do you like your coffee?

Cappuccinos are my fave but usually just strong with oatmilk and a little sugar. 

37. Favorite pair of shoes?

The knee-high boots I have that lace up the back, especially since I got undue flak for em once and the spite makes it better. 

38. At what time do you usually go to bed?

Time is meaningless.

39. At what time do you normally get up?

See above. 

40. What do you prefer - sunrises or sunsets?

Both are nice!

41. How many blankets are on your bed?

Currently just two small soft throw blankets because it’s been hot af. One is a spiderweb one I bought in the halloween section and the other is star wars lmao. 

42. Describe your kitchen plates?

Like, four matching ones that we never use, two matching ones of a different pattern, one random blue one, and a bunch of takeout container things I reuse. 

43. Do you have a favorite alcoholic beverage?

Nah depends on the mood. Wine is good, ciders are good, some beers are good, and I used to bartend so making fancy cocktails is also sometimes good. 

44. Do you play cards?

Only when camping and it rains. 

45. Can you change a tire?

On my bike sure. Someone taught me how to change a car tire once but I wouldn’t test it. 

46. What is your favorite province?

Probably British Columbia.

47. Favorite job you ever had?

The one I have now! Teaching/counselling at an elementary/jr. high school :) 

48. How did you get your biggest scar?

Don’t really have any big scars. I do have a small one on my face from a kid at my old job. 

49. What did you do today that made someone happy?

Had some quality hangs earlier, watched a movie, cuddled, etc. 

[millenniumfae]

Dishonored Cooking: Rosewater Jelly

‘Razina Rosewater Jelly’ - for the distinguished gourmand looking to satisfy a sweet tooth. This food item doesn’t actually exist in-game. It’s one of the few that were conceptualized, but didn’t make it in Dishonored 2. It’s a shame, because it looks very pretty, and would be a sight for sore eyes after all those dirty cans of jellied eels and whale meat.

Dishonored has a surprisingly large amount of food lore. Which I’m very happy about. The player character can heal by vacuuming up the many foods left lying in the dirty streets, Amongst these foods include; loose fruit, canned seafood, roast rats, and bottles of various alcohols. Characters talk about regional cuisine, and express their feelings about various dishes. 

But for my ‘video game cooking’ series, it’s this jarred jelly that caught my eye. Other items seemed pretty self-explanatory, like plain flatbreads and brined fish. Not only that, but all named foods are packaged in setting-appropriate cans and tins and bottles, which implores me to replicate the packaging as well as the food. Finding a plague-tinted can for jellied eels is harder than a simple mason jar for this rosewater jelly.

Thing is - the name ‘rosewater jelly’ is also self-explanatory. For those familiar with jelly recipes, all you need is gelatin and flavoring to make a jiggly desert. Rosewater is simply water seeped with rose petals in a particular process, creating a solution with an aromatic taste. Rosewater has a huge food presence throughout West Asian history. The current western world has only recently caught onto the rosewater trend.

So if I was particularly blasé, I’d tell you to get flavorless gelatin powder, a bottle of rosewater, and mix it all together with water and sugar and pink food coloring. Boom - rosewater jelly.

But we’re here to have fun, and that means making a complicated jelly desert within a vintage-packaged mason jar! So for flavoring, we’re getting our grocery store rosewater and flavorless gelatin. We’re also going to add special ingredients inspired by Dishonored’s setting. 

Dunwall’s an obvious British Isles/Germany dupe, with its Gothic/Victorian/Art Nouveau clothing and architecture, and the name; “dun” being Old English. Serkonos (a neighboring country and the setting of Dishonored 2), on the other hand, is some weird amalgamate of south Europe (Italy, Greece, Portugal) and middle America (Cuba, the Caribbean). 

(In Dishonored 1, the mission ‘Lady Boyle’s Last Party’ features a large dinner table, piled high with food. There’s a huge fish, a boar, and various cheeses, fruits, tarts, and giant jellies.)

Some foods within the games are specifically exported from select countries. There’s the Serkonan Blood Sausage, the Tyvian Potted Whale Meat, Morley Jellied Ox Tongue, and the Pratchett branded Jellies Eels that come from Gristol’s Dunwall itself. Characters talk about how Serkonan food is too spicy, Gristol’s food being gross, and Tyvian cuisine being ornate. We can get a general idea of what each foods are supposed to emulate.

It’s not said where Razina Rosewater Jelly originated. We have four regions to chose from (Gristol, Serkonos, Tyvia, and Morley), so we gotta narrow down the possibilities. Who would export rosewater-flavored jelly deserts in pretty jars?

I think Gristol is out. Their favorite foods include fish, meat pies, and beer, which screams United Kingdom and there’s no precedent for rosewater anything throughout Great Britain history. Tyvia gets closer, being a Russian approximate and boasting fancy wines. Morley has almost no in-game lore aside from being cold and full of tall blonde people, and Serkonos probably sits too far West for our Persian-based rosewater ingredient.

The name ‘Razina’ also doesn’t provide a solid answer. Googling results in sources from Lithuania, Croatia, and a girl’s name from the Urdu dialect of Hindi - Urdu being a dialect with strong Persian influences. Well, we knew that from the rosewater thing.

(Since the jar doesn’t come with a spoon, it might not be like a pudding cup that you, like, can eat on the go. Instead, its a food you buy then serve later - like fruit jam.)

So if no in-game region emulates a West Asian influence, then Tyvia is the closest we get for implied influence - Tyvia (probably) takes its inspiration from real-life Russia, so we can extend its reach down to Kazakhstan, Georgia, Turkey, and perhaps even Iran. All we know is; Tyvia’s art is ornate, they’re known for good food, and it’s a cold country. It fits.

Therefore, our grocery list is gonna be including ingredients from these real-life cultures, to make our Razina Rosewater Jelly. 

Quick gelatin history; the squishy, translucent foodstuff can originate from many sources, such as kelp, meat, and bones. It’s hard to isolate the connective goop into any substantial amount of gelatin to craft into a dish, making it an ingredient mostly upon the tables of the privileged. Dishonored can be said to take place during an industrial revolution, sharing the real-life production history of Jell-O’s inception by using pressure cooking as a glue manufacturing byproduct. So we can claim that our Razina Rosewater Jelly is being mass-produced as a more affordable luxury. 

Me being an overachieving geek, I first considered buying beef bones and boiling it down to gelatin myself, to really make this recipe authentic. But after some research, I decided it would be way too difficult - not only does it take several days of complicated pre-pressure-cooker pressure cooking, but it will taste meaty and gross and salty. Powdered gelatin it is.

For our other ingredients, we’re going to get; red food coloring, saffron, egg whites, vanilla, and vodka. Because we’re not just gonna make jelly in a jar, that’s boring. We’re making jelly mousse in a jar. That’s more fancy and exciting, and fitting of its decadence.

Our ingredients are; 1 cup of rosewater, 2 tablespoons powder gelatin, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 egg white, a splash of vodka, and red food coloring. Along with some spices to emulate its fancy ~imported~ taste, such as saffron, vanilla, and perhaps agave nectar or mahlab.

To begin, you’ll mix together the rosewater and sugar with a small drop of red food coloring to make a pink, sugary solution. And this is also where I added a sprinkling of the spices and a drop of the vanilla. You can add more flavors to this base, such as blended fruit. The little hit of vodka is our fancy ‘Tyvian’ influence. I guess?

Then, to the watery mix you’ll add your gelatin and mix thoroughly.

Setting that aside, we’ll separate an egg to get our egg white. Taking a whisk, you’ll whip the egg whites until its completely frothy with stiff peaks. It’s not as hard as it sounds, and it’ll take you perhaps three minutes at most.

Finally, you’re going to add the watery mix to your frothy egg whites, mixing until the mixture becomes a soft mousse texture. It’s not gonna be a true mousse, its too watery for that. But the formula will have some thickness to it.

Pouring it into your jar, you’ll place that into the fridge to become a mousse jelly within one-three hours (depending on your serving sizes). 

And that’s it! Once the jelly is set, you can pull out your jar and marvel at your Dishonored 2 desert. So delicious and sweet, it was too pure for the actual game. 

[postcards-fromafar]

Portland

Dan and I decided to head to Portland for a long weekend to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary. We had been to Portland once before, but only for a day (and it had been in January so not the best weather). We were excited to get back and do more exploring, go on some hikes, drink lots of beer, and eat some delicious food. Portland definitely did not disappoint! 

Highlights

-Staying at The Nines- Dan and I decided to stay in a fancier hotel than usual for this trip since we were celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary. And it was luxurious! Lots of pretty blue accents in the room, a super comfy bed, robes, gentle music, and great housekeeping...I’ve never stayed in a hotel before where they come back a second time to make sure your blankets are turned down and slippers are waiting next to the bed for you at night! The hotel was also centrally located in downtown Portland, which made it fairly easy to get to all of the neighborhoods we wanted to check out within a 15 minute drive. 

The hotel left us some fancy chocolates and a nice note for our anniversary...

-Hiking at Council Crest Park- We got up early our first morning and hiked for a couple of hours to the top of Council Crest Park and then back down towards the Portland Zoo. Turns out the hike we did is one “T” of the 4T trail (trail, train, tram, trolley). We took the train back to our hotel at the end to get a second “T” in. It was perfect hiking weather and made for a lovely walk through the woods and up to the top, where we had a nice view of some of the mountains. 

Below is one of the fancy houses we glimpsed through the trees as we hiked. 

-Exploring different neighborhoods: Portland is definitely a city of neighborhoods, and we made it our mission to check out as many as we could in our three short days there. On Friday, we went up to the Alberta Arts District, an artsy area packed with delicious food spots, beer, coffee, tea, and fancy boutiques. On Saturday, we checked out 23rd street (Northwest Portland), where there was more shopping (some independent spots, some more mainstream). That evening, we briefly wandered down Division St and Hawthorne St (definitely need to spend more time in those areas if we go back!). On Sunday, we did a little more wandering on Hawthorne St before heading to another brewery.  

-Oregon Brewers Festival- As luck would have it, we landed in Portland just in time for a massive craft beer festival (Dan was in heaven). They had 80 beers from 80 different breweries, 2 ciders, and 4 wines. For just $20, you could get a plastic tasting mug and 13 tokens (1 3oz sample per token, or a full glass for 4 tokens). We didn’t end up using all our tokens but were able to try a bunch of delicious different beers from various breweries. I’ve recently stumbled into liking sour beers, and they had an amazing selection there! Among the ones I tried were a Framboise Rose Gose and a Belmont Street Bramble sour (sour blond ales aged in oak wine barrels with red raspberries and tangerine peel). We were also able to hang with friends (more on that to come), which always makes things more enjoyable!

-Portland Farmers Market at PSU- This is the most INSANE farmers market we have ever been to. It takes place on the campus at Portland State University and is a hodgepodge of people selling delicious food (hello, biscuit sandwiches), exquisite produce (I so badly wished we could have taken some home!), gorgeous bouquets of flowers, and things like cheese and jam. There were lots of families strolling around, including a couple with sets of twins (Portlanders seem to be a fertile bunch). 

-Finishing up the Africa video- After being inspired by Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s music video take on the classic Toto song, Dan and I filmed a lot of footage while in South Africa and Morocco on our trip last year. We decided our 5 year anniversary would be a perfect time to release the video, so we (meaning Dan- I was moral support), spent a lot of time on Saturday at a brewery finishing it up. 

-Hiking at Mount Tabor- A relatively easy but beautiful 3 mile hike. We went early in the day before it got too hot and were treated to the sight of three beautiful red-tailed hawks up close.

Bummers

-Portland was AMAZING. We could not think of any bummers other than not having enough time... we will definitely need to come back.

Eats

-Fancy brunch fare at Proud Mary- Recommended as a favorite brunch spot by my coworker, Peggy, this definitely lived up to expectations! I got fancy grilled cheese, and Dan got a yummy potato hash dish.

Reba was not a fan of the fancy juice I got at brunch. (”Like old asthma medicine!”)

-Salt & Straw- This is hands down our favorite ice cream in the whole world. While we usually visit in LA (sometimes more than once in a trip) it started in Portland and has since expanded to California (LA, San Francisco, and San Diego) and Washington (Seattle). Dan and I had a Fresh Cheese and Strawberries flavor, which tasted like strawberry cheesecake! One of our favorite flavors is an LA classic- salted, malted, chocolate chip cookie dough (to die for- but unfortunately not available in Portland). 

-Tusk- Another recommendation from Peggy that totally paid off. We went here for our anniversary dinner to get yummy middle eastern food. We ended up over ordering and stuffing ourselves, but it was so worth it! Among the highlights were chickpea fries, man’oushe (a Lebanese flatbread), Albacore tuna, and delicious greens.

-Biscuit sandwiches at the Farmers Market from Pine State Biscuits- Fresh made biscuits, fried chicken, bacon, and cheese, slathered in apple butter (me) or gravy (Dan). 

-Food trucks- So Portland is known for its food trucks, which we have experienced before, but sadly we did not get to take advantage of this time- so many awesome food spots that we never got around to. Next time!

Drinks

-Kombucha from Townshend’s Tea House- Kombucha is a fermented tea that is apparently a popular thing in Portland. The strawberry one we tried was decent, but in general kombucha is a bit funky for me. 

-So. Much. Beer. In addition to the Brewers Festival, we checked out a few different breweries: Great Notion, Cascade, Rogue Eastside Pub & Pilot Brewery, and Breakside. My personal favorite spot was Cascade- they had an extensive list of sour beers on tap, and all were delicious. Among the ones we tried were an apricot sour and an barrel-aged wild ale called Ingmeyer Bergman that Dan loved.

-Wine at Southeast Collective- We barely dipped our toe in with the Oregon wine scene but did squeeze one wine tasting in. Next time we come back, we are hoping to rent a car and drive out into wine country to do more exploring. 

People

-Dan’s aunt Reba and her friend Lisa- Reba lives just over the state border in Vancouver, Washington, and she’s known Lisa for a really long time (they used to work together). The two of them were on their way to a weekend camping trip with friends but met us for brunch in the Alberta Arts District on their way. We enjoyed a lovely brunch with good conversation and lots of laughter. 

-Larissa, Kevin, and Lauralyn- Larissa is a good friend of ours from college, and we had not seen her in about four years! She has been living in Portland for the past few years, so we met up with her, her boyfriend, Kevin, and her little sister, Lauralyn at the Brewers Festival. It was great catching up with her, and we are looking forward to her upcoming return to the Midwest!

Observations & Insights

-All of the ride share drivers seem more friendly and chatty than we are used to- it felt like we had the same conversation about the humidity in Chicago about 14 or 15 times. 

-Style is very different than back home- there are many more tattoos and more people with fun colored hair.

-There are lots of homeless people in Portland.

Tips

-Carry cash- it seems to be king around the many eateries, markets and watering holes of Portland. 

-Samples are the way to go- there are so many beers at each brewery so no sense in getting a full glass. We recommend getting flights instead so you can try more options!

-If you are able to, try to spend a week or two in Portland! There is so much to do, and we just scratched the surface. We are definitely hoping to be back sometime soon!

[archerwindsor]

4 Healthy Lunches That Aren’t Salad

healthy lunch ideas

Spring is heeeeere!! Can you feel it? I’ve been loving these late sunsets, plus the weather is getting so much warmer. It makes me so happy!

I’ll tell you what, though. When the weather is nice, I have a harder time wanting to spend very long in the kitchen. Like, I def know that putting in my meal prep is key to staying strong on my #goals. But lately, I’ve been finding myself wanting to get in and out of the kitchen as quick as possible.

That’s why I LOVE having some healthy lunch ideas at the ready. When you can throw together your midday meal, it makes a big difference. Not only does it help you get the nutrients you need to fuel the rest of your day, but it also helps you avoid that temptation to really overdo it at dinner.

And listen, ladies. Lunch doesn’t have to be rocket science! In my nutrition plans, I seriously have sooo many great, ultra-easy, healthy lunch ideas ready for you. Those meal plans are such a good way to take all the work of wondering what you’re gonna make off your plate. You just follow the plan and you’ll spend your days fueled by delicious food!

But if you haven’t grabbed a plan yet or are so rushed you don’t even have time to follow a basic recipe, no sweat. I’ve got some healthy lunch ideas. And they’re not even salad!!

Bowls

For real, I lean on bowls so much. If you prep a grain like quinoa or brown rice over the weekend, putting your bowl together can be so, so fast. 

Just layer some grains and a protein in a bowl. I love chicken if I have some already ready to go, but you could even just open a can of black beans here.

Top your bowl with some veggies and a handful of greens. Maybe squeeze some lemon or lime over the top or throw on some sriracha. Boom! You’re done.

I’m telling you, girl. A bowl can seriously be the easiest way to get a hearty lunch in. It’ll keep you full for hours, too!

If you’re looking for a little more direction or inspo, check out my meal prep bowl recipe.  

Flatbreads

One of the best things you can do to make lunch a breeze is keep some base ingredients ready in your pantry or freezer. I mentioned cans of black beans before, but another thing I really love keeping stocked is frozen cauliflower pizza crusts. Seriously, they’re so versatile!

And with those crusts on hand, you can throw together a flatbread for lunch so quickly. Most of the crusts need to bake in the oven a little bit on their own, which gives you time to prep your toppings. Slice up some protein and veggies and sprinkle them over the crust for a tasty, nutritious meal. 

Go easy on the cheese here, too. We’re making a flatbread, not a pizza, so a little sprinkle over the top should be plenty. 

I’ve got a fun spring flatbread recipe you could follow, too: spinach and strawberry flatbread. 

Burritos

I steered clear of burritos for a while because I just wasn’t ready to bring a giant flour tortilla into my life. But we’ve come a long way! Now, you can get grain-free tortilla wraps, or you can find a healthier grain-based one: just look for sprouted grain tortillas. 

I bet you can figure it out from there. Some protein and veggies, plus a little rice and maybe some hot sauce — you’re good to go! 

I love burritos because they’re great on the move, too. As long as you don’t overfill your tortilla, you could even drive and eat one of these bad boys. 

You can have fun making a burrito with whatever you’ve got on hand, but if you’re looking for some guidance, you can check out my chicken and avocado burrito recipe. 

Soup

I don’t know how soup got such a bad reputation. People think that it’s hard to make and they think it’s not filling. But neither of those things is true! 

Soups are great because you can start them in the morning and have a hot lunch waiting for you. One of my fave things to do is get some hearty soup going in the slow cooker so all of the flavors are melded by lunchtime. 

To make your soup, you just need some low-sodium broth (if you’re making your own bone broth or veggie stock, even better!). Throw in your protein, chopped veggies, and any spices and herbs you like. Cover it and cook so your lunch will be there when you want it. 

Usually, protein will take about four hours to cook through on low, or a couple of hours on high. But you’ll get to know your slow cooker as you test it out, so don’t be afraid to experiment! Just check that any meat you add is cooked all the way before you dig in. 

Here’s a white chicken chili recipe you can use to get a feel for this process. Or if you don’t have time to use a slow cooker and you’ve got an insta pot, check out this detox soup recipe. 

See? Lunch can be easy breezy. And you don’t need to follow a recipe to put together a filling, tasty meal for yourself. Get creative and adapt your lunches based on what you want that day. As long as you keep the ingredients healthy, you can’t go wrong!

The post 4 Healthy Lunches That Aren’t Salad appeared first on Love Sweat Fitness.

4 Healthy Lunches That Aren’t Salad published first on https://olimpsportnutritionuk.tumblr.com/

[igrublocal]

The Best Takeout & Delivery We Got This Week

Restaurants across the state have slowly started to reopen, and close, and reopen again over the past few months. It can be a lot to keep up with, and there’s still a large degree of uncertainty around the safety of dining out. Want to know what’s safe? Eating at home. And if you’re as bored of canned tuna as we are by now, here are a few great meals we’ve had recently that you can get for takeout or delivery.

Featured In

The Ultimate Austin Delivery & Takeout Guide

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Week Of August 24

$$$$ 6800 West Gate Blvd #112

We recently wrote about the lechon asado loaded fries from Cuba512 in our best loaded fries in Austin guide, but if you’re not feeling potato-inclined, there’s a number of other great Cuban dishes you can get here, including the classic El Cubano that we really enjoyed. It’s filled with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard - all on pressed Cuban bread. No fancy tricks or ingredients here, just a simple, classic sandwich done well. Their downtown location is currently closed, but their South Austin location off William Cannon and West Gate is open for takeout. Bring it home, make yourself a nice rum cocktail, open up all the windows, and pretend you’re on vacation somewhere tropical.

 in 

$$$$ 7800 South 1st St

As you might guess from the name, Artipasta serves fresh pasta, and it’s possibly some of the best in town. We got the tagliatelle with the house meat sauce as well as the casarecce with basil pesto. It’s located in the spacious Thicket Food Park in South Austin - it was so chill and tranquil that we sat down at one of the picnic tables and just ate our takeout there. Pair it with a San Pellegrino and pretend like you’re in Italy - it’s not like we’ll be allowed to travel there anytime soon.

$$$$ 2101 Manor Rd

Thai Thani is easy to miss. It’s a food trailer behind another food trailer behind a gas station on Manor Rd. But if you manage to find your way there, you’ll be greeted with some really great Thai food. We went with a chicken pad thai this time around, and the portion was enough to last us a couple of meals. But if you’re looking to round out your meal a little more, we also really like their pad see ew and stir-fried basil beef. And if they have their mango with sticky rice dessert, it’s the perfect closer.

,  ,   in 

$$$$ 422 W 5th St. #C

On the northwest corner of Republic Square in downtown Austin is Salt & Time Cafe, a new all-day cafe with outdoor seating from the people behind the popular East Side butcher shop and restaurant, Salt & Time. We picked up some sandwiches, including the Jambon Beurre, featuring mezcal-glazed ham, dill pickles, and a very French amount of salted butter, all on a demi-baguette. It’s enough to make you do things like wear a beret, smoke Gauloises cigarettes, and go on strike (for more sandwiches like this).

Week Of August 17

$$$$ 6519 N Lamar Blvd

Paprika opened up relatively quietly back in late 2019 and has been slinging out great tacos and tortas ever since. We enjoyed the taco de carnitas and taco de nopalitos, the latter of which comes packed full of well-seasoned prickly pear cactus and refried lentils. Every taco gets paired with a specific salsa - a really nice touch that elevates the experience a bit. The menu changes a bit depending on the time and day, so take a look at their website for the most up-to-date menu information before heading over.

$$$$ 9717 N Lamar Blvd Unit C2

Usta Kababgy opened just last year on Lamar just north of Rundberg, and the restaurant is turning out some really great Middle Eastern/Halal food. The charcoal-grilled kebabs were excellent, including the Iraqi and chicken ones. The tabbouleh was bright, and the pizza-like flatbread - we got the one that’s half zaatar, half feta cheese - was fantastic. But what stole the show was the fluffy and tender house-made bread. Order extra.

 in 

$$$$ 900 E 11th St

Ordering takeout from Franklin Barbecue is one of the absolute best things you can do for yourself and for the lucky people you like enough to share with. We can also confirm that this barbecue tastes just as good without the usual five-hour wait/tailgate. To order, you just select a day and time (lunch hours only) up to one week in advance on their site, pick your meats (in 1 lb increments, except for links of sausage), and remind yourself that spending this kind of money is worth it when you get to eat this brisket. The pick-up situation is easy, too - staffers will bring your order right to your trunk. Get it home as quickly as you can, have the lunch spread you deserve, and spend the rest of the day knowing you made excellent decisions.

$$$$ 12233 Ranch Road 620 N

The dining room at Charm BBQ Chicken in north Austin is closed, so they’re not doing barbecue at the moment. But as the name suggests, their other focus is fried chicken. And we’re happy to report that the fried chicken is exceptional, with a shatteringly crisp skin (just ask for sauce on the side so you can toss the chicken in it when you get home). The rest of the menu has classic dishes like homemade and juicy mandoo dumplings, beef bulgogi, and bibimbap that comes with instructions on how to put it together - it wouldn’t travel well otherwise.

Week Of August 10

,   in 

$$$$ 9515 N Lamar Blvd Ste 230

The North Lamar Korean restaurant Seoulju has been takeout only since the pandemic hit, and just last week they launched delivery of both food and drink. Which means that you can get dishes like Korean Fried Chicken, kimchi stew, and spicy rice cakes, alongside beer and soju delivered right to your door. We opted for two sauces on our still-crispy chicken wings: Korean Sweet & Chili and Extra Spicy Sweet & Chili. Get the extra spicy.

,  ,  ,   in 

$$$$ 2305 E 7th St

The dining room at Joe’s Bakery, the family-run East Side Tex-Mex staple, is closed. For now they’re sticking to a drive-in model (you can’t even call ahead or order online). You park, waitstaff comes out and asks if you need a menu, they take your order, and the food comes out fast. We recently got an order of breakfast tacos (migas con todo and a bacon, egg, and cheese) as well as a side order of carne guisada and a whole bunch of their fluffy homemade flour tortillas. Everything was excellent, as always. You don’t even need to ask for their spicy salsa - they’ll put so many containers in your takeout bag that you’ll have leftover salsa for days and days.

,  ,   in  , 

$$$$ 2709 Rogge Ln

The menu at Gossip Shack consists of just a few items - chicken, waffles, and waffle fries. But everything they offer, they do exceptionally well. Their wings are some of our favorite in town, due in large part to their unique offering of flavors, like jerk chicken or their signature CPR (Cajun, parmesan, ranch). And those are exactly what we got - large, perfectly fried chicken wings coated in Cajun spices, ranch seasoning, and enough parmesan to make a bowl of spaghetti jealous. Orders can take a while and they often sell out before their stated hours, so call ahead and get your order in ahead of time.

,  ,   in  ,  , 

$$$$ 3124 Manor Rd

We love a lot of things about La Fruta Feliz - their barbacoa de chivo (barbecue goat) is a favorite on tacos, and their al pastor is excellent - but if you’re looking for a really good and hearty lunch, their torta is a clear winner. Coming in at a massive 12 pounds (don’t fact check us on that), it’s packed full of meat - in this case, al pastor - and veggies for just under $5. They also have a huge fruit and veggie juice list, so go ahead and throw on a Digestivo (papaya, orange, and carrots) to help you get it all down.

Week Of August 3

,   in 

$$$$ 400 Josephine St

Carpenters Hall at the Carpenter Hotel has switched to takeout only, and they’re selling a cold fried chicken picnic for two or four. For $28, the picnic is not an insignificant amount of food, consisting of a half chicken (with a ranch dressing and spicy honey), potato salad, roasted green beans, and a cabbage slaw. Plus two very good chocolate chip cookies. You will have leftovers.

,   in 

$$$$ 9012 Research Blvd Ste C4

The Slab Slider Trio at Slab BBQ is exactly what it claims to be: three barbecue sliders. They’re mini versions of their much larger sandwiches: the Notorious P.I.G. (pulled pork, mustard coleslaw), the Texas O.G. (brisket, pickles, onions), and the Chicken W.A. (smoked chicken, coleslaw). But just because they’re smaller doesn’t mean they don’t pack the same flavor punch. And at $12, it’s a perfect lunch for those of us afraid of a singular sandwich commitment. Why have just one sandwich when you can have three, each one better than the next?

,   in 

$$$$ 2701 East Martin Luther King Jr Blvd

Lechonera El Pachango specializes in roast pork - something they’ve proven to do exceptionally well in the short month that they’ve been operating out of a seemingly-abandoned gas station on East MLK. We weren’t sure what we wanted to try when we pulled up, so we decided to just go with our nose (and a little guidance from the owner). We ended up walking out with a plate of slow-roasted pork, rice with peas, and yuca with pickled red onions. The pork was juicy and topped with a sauce made from a bit of the marinade and lime that we couldn’t get enough of. The yuca con mojo comes out in a stewed-consistency, making it fork-tender and bursting with tangy flavor. And the rice was the perfect intake-vehicle for all of it.

Week Of July 27

$$$$ 5811 Berkman Dr

We’re working on a guide to takeout Happy Hours, and the Windsor Park neighborhood restaurant Hank’s has a very solid offering. Every day from 3-6:30pm, you can get very good and very inexpensive frozen palomas, frose, and frozen margaritas - they’re $5 each. Order online, and pick up at their convenient drive thru takeout window. Instead of racing home with your frozen cocktails - drive safe - it’s perhaps better to bring a cooler.

,  ,   in 

$$$$ 2301 W Parmer Ln

Bodhi Viet is a small food truck in North Austin with a 100% vegan Vietnamese menu, offering everything from banh mi and pho, to Vietnamese coffee and boba tea. We really liked the banh mi we had here, stuffed with a spicy lemongrass seitan, and filled with fresh vegetables that they grow themselves. And the best part is that they’re only $3, so you can throw in an order of their pineapple curry that we also really enjoyed and still get away for under $10.

,   in  , 

$$$$ 2406 Manor Road

Vic & Al’s is the new Cajun restaurant from the people that brought you the ever-popular Italian food trailer, Patrizi’s. We really like the po-boys, especially the super-tender blackened catfish and the Cochon De Lait, which has a sauce that’s almost like tonkotsu broth. The vacuum-packed, pre-made cocktails are also fun, including the very good made-for-summer Orange Drink (it’s very orange, but it also has tequila). Vic & Al’s is open for both takeout and delivery.

Week Of July 20

,   in 

$$$$ 500 San Marcos St #105

Bufalina Deli isn’t technically a new restaurant - instead it’s a simple lunch-and-dinner concept operating out of Wright Bros. Brew & Brew with a variety of salads and Italian sandwiches. On a recent takeout order, we really liked the summer tomato salad and the meatball parm hoagie. And since you’re ordering from The Brew & Brew, you can also get coffee, beer, and wine. Place your order online and pick it up at The Brew & Brew.

,   in  , 

$$$$ 8023 Burnet Rd

You might have heard about Ramen 512 and their often sold out popups - yes, the ramen was that good. But now they’ve found a permanent home, inside the new “cloud kitchen” concept Kitchen United Mix. This place currently has three options: Hakata Classic (a pork tonkotsu), the BGO (the Hakata Classic with black garlic oil), and the Sunset Red (a spicy version of the Hakata Classic). We recently tried the BGO and the Sunset Red - the broth for each was super creamy and rich, as a pork tonkotsu should be, and the spice level on the Sunset Red was in fact actually spicy. You can order the ramen ready-to-eat, or you can cook the noodles at home, with very precise instructions. Takeout and delivery are available.

 in  , 

$$$$ 3842 Airport Blvd

Despite the small space - Lula Mae’s is located in a small gas station off Airport and 38 ½ St. - this place manages to put out some really great barbecue, with side dishes that are tasty enough to order on their own. We really like the brisket and the pork chop - the latter of which is served as a giant, whole chop with a smoky exterior and a juicy center. You can get all of the meats by the pound, in combo-plates, or as a sandwich.

 in  , 

$$$$ 7301 Burnet Rd

The dining room at DipDipDip Tatsu-Ya, the Japanese shabu-shabu place from the Ramen Tatsu-ya team, has been closed since the pandemic hit. But they did what people do these days, and pivoted. They transformed the restaurant into a takeout-only pop-up serving sandwiches that mash up the French dip and shabu-shabu, with excellent results. Our favorite is the beef sandwich with a wasabi ranch and the pork sandwich with kimchi and a curry cabbage slaw. For dipping, you can choose between an umami jus and a spicy miso (they recommend which dipping sauce to get for each sandwich). Make sure to get an order of the aptly named “Pow!tato” - a side dish with some of the most impossibly crispy smashed potato chunks we’ve ever had.

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Week of July 13

 in  , 

$$$$ 805 Stark St Austin

The Haitian food truck Kreyol Korner - off of North Lamar near Koenig - is usually open only on Saturdays, but it’s worth waiting for the weekend to roll around to try this place. Check their Facebook for the current menu and opening days and hours. Standouts from a recent meal include stuffed plantain cups and the super-tender stewed chicken combo. Also, make sure to ask for extra pikliz, the Haitian pickled vegetable relish.

,  ,  ,   in  , 

$$$$ 1104 W 34th St

Otherside Deli makes some of our favorite sandwiches in Austin, from cheesesteaks and meatball parm subs, to Italian subs and patty melts. But if you’re a first-timer at Otherside, chances are you’re here for the reuben - loaded up with their housemade pastrami, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and russian dressing, between two slices of grilled rye bread. Keep an eye on their Instagram for some fun specials, like the Outer Limit Fries that come loaded up with all of the typical reuben fillings, but on a bed of waffle fries. They’re currently accepting takeout orders from their shop near 34th and Lamar.

,   in 

$$$$ 1234 S Lamar Blvd

Ever since they originally opened, Ramen Tatsu-Ya has been vehemently anti-takeout. But then the pandemic hit, and they pivoted to takeout-only (and have stayed that way ever since). We recently picked up some of their ramen and it tasted just like how we remembered it at the restaurant. The toppings and noodles come in their own container (that way the noodles don’t get soggy), and the broth is packed in a deli pint container that’s thoroughly wrapped in plastic wrap to prevent in-car disasters. The instructions are clear: heat the broth, do not boil, then add the broth to the noodles and toppings. And with three locations in Austin - north, east, and south - ramen is never too far away.

Week Of July 6

$$$$ 100 12th St

Island Fork in Pflugerville specializes in Caribbean food, like jerk chicken, curry goat, and escovitch fish (fried fish topped with pickled vegetables). They also have jerk-seasoned burgers and chicken sandwiches, as well as a menu of “rasta pastas” that feature creamy, Caribbean-inspired pasta sauces served over noodles and a variety of meats, like oxtail and jerk salmon. We usually get the jerk chicken here, served with coconut rice and grilled sweet plantains. Make sure to get a Caribbean soda as well - we like the Irish Moss and Ting.

,   in 

$$$$ 1108 East 12th St

Blink and you might miss this little food trailer on East 12th street, which has some of the best Mexico City-style street tacos in Austin right now. Cuantos Tacos has a tight menu of classics like suadero and beef cheeks, as well as a few less-common options, like buche and longaniza. Everything can be made as tacos or quesadillas, and at $2 and $5, respectively, the prices are affordable enough that you can probably try a few items off the menu. We like just about everything they carry, but our favorites are probably the champiñones quesadillas and the suadero tacos.

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How to make pizza without an oven, Defence Online

Insider Picks writes about products and solutions and companies to help you navigate when purchasing on the net. Insider Inc. receives a fee from our affiliate associates when you acquire by our hyperlinks, but our reporting and tips are normally independent and aim.

source

Calphalon

Even without an oven, it is effortless to put together pizza at property, regardless of whether you are creating it from scratch or just heating up a frozen pie.

You very likely presently have all the instruments demanded to make pizza devoid of an oven suitable there in your kitchen, or you can acquire them at incredibly very low price ranges.

We advocate Calphalon’s toaster oven as an oven substitute, Lodge cast iron pans for stovetop pizza, and the Maxi Mother nature Kitchenware pizza pans for grilling.

After you have enjoyed grilled or cast iron skillet pizza, you could not go back again to oven-baked pizza even as soon as the selection presents alone.

While several kinds of flatbreads topped with cheeses, meats, veggies, and herbs have been consumed for hundreds of years by civilizations all over the globe, pizza, as we know it nowadays, has only been about for about 250 several years.

We have the poorer inhabitants of late 1700s Naples to thank for this delectable foodstuff, as pizza was the major foodstuff of the city’s doing the job class in that period. While disdained as peasant meals for nearly a century right after it turned commonplace, numerous of the pies these 18th century Neapolitans were being having intently resemble pizzas nevertheless relished today, this kind of as the Pizza Mozzarella, later on renamed the Margherita pizza in honor of Italy’s Queen Margherita a century later.

These days, most of us can have a pizza sent to our door in a issue of minutes soon after we buy around the phone or on the web. There are also a plethora of frozen pizza possibilities that prepare dinner up into surprisingly delectable dinners. And eventually, of program, there is constantly homemade pizza.

Creating pizza from scratch is essentially fairly very simple and, with a bit of apply, arguably the very best way to delight in pizza, as you can management each component of the approach, from dough consistency to cheese amount to toppings to seasoning and so on. If you’re intrigued in building your personal pizza, take into account the reserve “The Aspects of Pizza” by Ken Forkish, and check out our tutorial to almost everything you require to make pizza at house.

But regardless of whether you’re building it from scratch, cooking it from frozen, or re-heating a cold pie you requested from a restaurant, you simply cannot make pizza without having an oven. Appropriate? No. Erroneous. You can. That is what we’re conversing about these days, people.

Examine on in the slides underneath to understand how to make pizza with out an oven.

How to make pizza in a toaster oven

supply

Calphalon

So you want to bake a pizza, whether fresh new or frozen, but you do not have a common oven? Zero difficulty! The most straightforward remedy right here is to get a countertop electric powered oven AKA a toaster oven that plugs into any outlet, no fuel line relationship necessary.

A lot of countertop ovens are compact and economical and will suit the more compact house of a cramped apartment.

On the decreased conclude of the price range selection, consider the $69 Hamilton Seaside Simple Reach Toaster Oven, which can bake a pizza up to 12-inches in diameter.

At the other close of the rate spectrum, the $199.99 Calphalon Quartz Warmth Countertop Toaster Oven can also prepare dinner up 12-inch pies, and many thanks to its 11 preset cooking functions – which includes pizza, toast, bake, broil, and extra – it can cook just about nearly anything else, also. It also comes with a pizza pan.

You can test out additional toaster oven selections in our buying guideline.

Purchase the Hamilton Seashore Simple Access Toaster Oven on Amazon for $69

Get the Calphalon Quartz Heat Countertop Toaster Oven on Amazon for $199.99 (originally $249.99)

Study our whole guide to the greatest toaster ovens you can obtain

How to make pizza on the stove

source

Amazon

Though undoubtedly the least difficult way to make pizza with out a traditional oven is to basically make it with a countertop oven, which is far from the only way. Stovetop pizza can be scrumptious to take in and entertaining to make, as lengthy as you pay near attention to the cooking method.

While you can make stovetop pizza in just about any first rate pan, a seasoned solid iron skillet is the greatest alternative for even cooking and terrific flavor. I endorse a pre-seasoned $24.99 Lodge 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet. Here’s how to use it.

Drizzle two to a few tablespoons of olive, grapeseed, or avocado oil into the pan and change the burner to medium warmth.

Extend out fresh new dough to suit the diameter of the pan, and make certain your sauce, cheese, and toppings are at the all set.

Spot dough into pan and let it to prepare dinner for about 3 minutes until eventually the bottom is browning nicely.

Flip dough and speedily implement sauce, cheese, and toppings atop the cooked fifty percent.

Prepare dinner for a few to four extra minutes, covering pan if want be to make certain even and extensive melting.

And that is it! Not only is stovetop pizza quicker than baked pizza, it’s normally tastier, too, as the seasoning of the cast iron imparts a wealthy, herb and spice flavor.

Purchase the Lodge 12-inch Forged Iron Skillet on Amazon for $24.99 (initially $42.22)

Read our manual to the most effective solid iron pans you can get

How to make pizza on the grill

supply

Maxi Nature Kitchenware

Grilled pizza can be a messy affair. If your dough is as well smooth, it could possibly drip down past the grates, wasting the foods and main to the most rigorous grill cleaning session of your lifetime. It is also easy to melt away the pie and spoil it that way, also, specifically on the initially few tries.

But with tolerance and practice, grilled pizza will taste as very good as the brick oven fired stuff you get from the very best pizzeria in city. Particularly if you prepare dinner with additional wood chips or prepare dinner applying a pellet stove for that genuine wood-fired oven style!

Also, I advise a very good pizza grill pan, which can support hold the dough intact as it cooks. Professional suggestion: Get a set of two, and spot just one under the raw dough a person on top rated.

When it is time for the flip, you will have the dough sandwiched between the pair, and can then eliminate the pan left on best that’s covering the cooked dough, which is now prepared for toppings.

Warmth your gas grill to about 600 degrees Fahrenheit, or get a charcoal grill fully lit and evenly burning.

Stretch and roll your dough, then brush both of those sides with oil.

Location dough on the grill (preferably on a pan) and cook dinner for 3 minutes look at out for charring and preserve the major off the grill.

Flip the dough, then right away implement sauce, cheese, and topping.

Near the grill, and prepare dinner for an further 3 minutes prior to examining to see if the pie is all set. Which it probably will be.

Acquire a 20-pound bag of Traeger PEL319 Oak Wooden Grill Pellets on Amazon for $18.99 (at first $20.43)

Buy a 2-pack of 13-inch Maxi Nature Kitchenware Pizza Pans on Amazon for $19.90 (at first $29.90)

How to make (frozen) pizza in the microwave

source

Amazon

You can not prepare dinner decent fresh pizza in a microwave. Sorry. But you positive can re-heat pies or cook dinner frozen pizza in this now vintage equipment. And these days you can get a completely fantastic microwave for significantly less than $70. Experience no cost to check out our information to the greatest microwaves you can buy.

Invest in the Comfee Countertop Microwave Oven on Amazon for $64.99

Look at out our guideline to producing pizza at property

resource

Lodge

Delicious do-it-yourself pizza is not only more reasonably priced than buying out, but with the right equipment and strategies, it also preferences improved. We have rounded up the best pizza-making equipment to start you on your way to achieving master standing.

Whether or not you go all-out creating your dough and sauce from scratch or just want to obtain easy alternatives that allow you to throw jointly a fast pie, we have received the best of the greatest for your pizza producing needs.

In this article is all the things you need to have to make pizza at home:

Study our whole guides to the very best pizza stones, the best pizza pans you can purchase, the most effective pizza peels, the best pizza cutters, the greatest oven mitts, and the very best rolling pins.

The post How to make pizza without an oven, Defence Online appeared first on Defence Online.

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[cottage-worm]

some asks 🌿 ( by @lilflowerkiddo )

• 1. have you ever been in love? absolutely. but I don’t know about anyone being in love with me back has ever happened.

• 2. who is your favorite artist? i’m really loving me some panic at the disco rn, but also dodie clark.

• 3. what is your favorite music genre? alt and indie. also the very niche genre of (usually) white girls with a ukelele softly singing on youtube.

• 4. have you ever had a penpal? noooooo but i want one. 

• 5. are you single or in a relationship? single atm but there is someone i’m pretty into.

• 6. what color are your eyes? grey. blue if you squint real hard

• 7. what is your favorite word? quartz

• 8. do you play any instruments? i play poorly on uke and i tried to play guitar for a little while but uh, my hands are too small to really do any of the chords...

• 9. what is your favorite color? blush pink, mint, or charcoal grey

• 10. do you have any nicknames? tori is my nickname. i kinda wanna go by vee now but that’s probably really lame (plus i mean you can’t choose your own nickname lol)

• 11. what is your favorite flower? it’s a three way tie between roses, lavender, and daisys.

• 12. what qualities do you find attractive in a person? romantic, honesty, empathy, and also being a huge fucking dork lol.

• 13. do you have any pets? oh boy do i. four cats, two lizards, a dog and like 7 or 8 fish. 

• 14. have you ever traveled outside of your home country? no :( i want to go literally everywhere though.

• 15. what language(s) do you speak? dude i barely speak english more or less a second language. I want to learn french, spainish, japanese, and korean.

• 16. who was your first crush? robin from the original teen titans lmao

• 17. do you wear glasses? i’m supposed too, but i tried contacts this year, and i’m kinda too lazy to put them in every day, and my old glasses broke sooooo

• 18. what is your favorite pastry? all of them, but especially chocolate croissants and cheese danishes.

• 19. do you prefer swimming in a pool or in the ocean? pool pool pool. beaches are fun but uh kinda gross, and the salt really annoys me a lot in my throat and stuff.

• 20. bright, dark, or pastel colors? pastel!!! with some dark colors.

• 21. what is your favorite social media app? tumblrrrrrrrrr mostly because i think i follow like maybe 2 people i know irl, so it’s not always like “hey look at this cool things i did with my friends” because i don’t have friends that want to or can hang out so.

• 22. what is your sexuality? bisexual as fuck.

• 23. do you have any siblings? a younger brother who is the polar opposite of me in every way and we have a strained relationship because of how he has bullied me to cope with my mom mental issues.

• 24. what is your favorite scent? lavender, but also sage and any beachy smell.

• 25. where do you want to travel to? everywhere but like russia? in partiular I’d love to visit japan.

• 26. what is your favorite film? i can’t answer this.

• 27. who do people say you look like? (celebrity/family member) i look like my mom. just with blonde hair and blue/grey eyes.

• 28. who is your best friend? neither of them have a tumblr so i won’t mention them by name.

• 29. what is your dream job? atm it’s political journalist but it’ll change next week.

• 30. do you know how to drive? yes but i don’t have a license because i don’t have the money for it. it’s been three years.

• 31. who is/was your favorite teacher? her name was mrs ludden and she was the kindest and supported me when I was in the mental hospital after my suicide attempt.

• 32. are you a feminist? see my bio lol

• 33. what is your zodiac sign? gemini

• 34. do you enjoy reading? YES

• 35. do you have any hidden talents? no i’m bad at literally everything

• 36. have you ever dyed your hair? all i CAN do is dye my hair

• 37. what is your favorite thing in your bedroom? oof this question has a long list of possible answers. 

• 38. what is your biggest fear? being truely alone, or being betrayed by all my friends. but both have happened so i got nothing to be afraid of anymore i guess.

• 39. can you whistle? badly

• 40. do you make your bed every day? on good days i do.

• 41. do you have any tattoos and/or piercings? no but i want a ton

• 42. have you ever been on a roller coaster? yes I LOVE ROLLER COASTERS

• 43. surfing or skateboarding? i mean I wanna learn to skateboard so i guess that.

• 44. are you a dog or a cat person? i’m a cat person but i’m still pro-dog

• 45. what is your favorite animal? elephants!!! followed by sharks, and turtles.

• 46. do you have a skincare routine? yeah

• 47. what time do you typically go to bed at and what time do you wake up at? i’m all over the place rn but i’d like to be sleeping by 12 or 1 and waking by 8 am

• 48. what is your favorite memory? for my 15 birthday I did overnight laser tag with my best friend and it was awesome.

• 49. how tall are you? 5′5″

• 50. what is the best gift you’ve ever received? two family friends of my dad gave me $350 for just being me and it was the sweetest thing any has ever done for me.

• 51. do you have a garden? i mean i have a bunch of indoor plants who i love like children

• 52. do you like bugs? i like the cute ones like ladybugs bees, and dragonflys. but house flys, wasps, and mosquitos can kiss my ass.

• 53. what is your natural hair color? dirty blonde

• 54. what is your favorite food and drink? i like a nice glass of sweet tea and panera’s old tomato mozz flatbread before they got rid of it.

• 55. do you want kids? idk 

• 56. what is/was your favorite class? art

• 57. what color shirt are you wearing? blue

• 58. if you could time travel, what year would you go to and why? the future to see if our political situation fixes itself.

• 59. what is your skin color? i’m just a boring pale-ish white person

• 60. hugs or kisses? KISSES

• 61. have you ever drank alcohol? never good alcohol

• 62. have you ever done drugs? i’ve some stuff once.

• 63. netflix or youtube? i can’t choose one

• 64. ice cream or frozen yogurt? depends on the flavor

• 65. succulents or flowers? both.

[blockzone06-blog]

corn fritters

We used to fritter on the regular. The earlier archives of this site are filled with favorites that got us through many snacky toddler meals and excesses of vegetables: broccoli-parmesan, zucchini, cauliflower-feta, cabbage and mixed vegetables with an okonomiyaki vibe, mixed vegetables with a pakora-spiced vibe, and of course, potato latkes in every shape and form. According to the date stamps, it’s been over 5 years since we last frittered, and this is unacceptable, especially as we are again deep in the toddler years.

To me, the best fritters are mostly vegetable with just the smallest amount of egg and flour needed to bind them together. You should taste vegetable, not cake-y pancake-ness. They should be simple; ideally one-bowl. This is quick food you throw together. You shouldn’t have to think too hard, or even follow a recipe much after the first or second time. Applying this to corn was easier than I thought. The results are crispy and toasty and were mostly snatched off the table before we even started dinner because they smelled so good.

Harder, for me, was controlling my impulses to make them every which way. I made these fairly classic American-style, with chives and scallions and cheddar. I’d put a little dab of mayo on them, were they not so good from the pan, it was not necessary. But should you feel inspired:

– Street corn-ish: Work some lime zest into the batter, use cotija cheese intead of cheddar, keep the scallions, and use cilantro for the herb. Finish with a shake of chili powder or, even better, tajín, and sour cream or the sauce we dollop on here. – Miso-scallion with sriracha mayo: For this, I’d whisk 2 to 3 teaspoons white miso into the egg in the batter, skip the cheese, double-down on the scallions. I make sriracha mayo to taste, just the amount of each that tastes in good balance to you. – Cacio e pepe: I’d skip the scallions, use parsley for the herb, many many grinds of black pepper and sharp pecorino for the cheese. – Spiced: Try this with 1/4 cup minced red onion instead of scallions, cilantro instead of chives, and then add 1 teaspoon each ground coriander and cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric and cayenne or another red chili powder to taste. Finish with a cooling dollop of yogurt.

Have another tweak in mind? Tell me, tell me. Corn season has just begun, so there’s lots of time left to play with flavors.

Previously

One year ago: Confetti Party Cake Two years ago: Peaches and Cream Bunny Cake Three years ago: Green Beans with Almond Pesto and Very Blueberry Scones Four years ago: Sticky Sesame Chicken Wings and Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches Five years ago: Slow-and-Low Dry-Rub Oven Chicken and Grilled Bacon Salad with Arugula and Balsamic Six years ago: Blackberry Gin Fizz Seven years ago: Flatbreads with Honey, Thyme, and Sea Salt Eight years ago: Zucchini and Ricotta Galette and Sour Cherry Pie with Almond Crumble Nine years ago: Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes and Mediterranean Pepper Salad Ten years ago: Project Wedding Cake Eleven years ago: Roseanne Cash’s All-American Potato Salad and Ratatouille’s Ratatouille

And for the other side of the world: Six Months Ago: Split Pea Soup 1.5 Years Ago: Crusty Baked Cauliflower and Farro 2.5 Years Ago: Chicken Chili 3.5 Years Ago: Feta Tapenade Tarte Soleil 4.5 Years Ago: Roasted Grape and Olive Crostini

Corn Fritters

Servings: 24 small

Time: 30 minutes

Source: Adapted from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors via Food52

Print

The photos show me making a half-recipe. We got 12 to 16 fritters from it, just enough for our family with a few leftovers. Serve these with a simple green salad, or as a side for a heartier meal such as grilled chicken, sausage, or pork chops. They’re also good with an egg on top for breakfast. See additional flavor suggestions above.

6 ears of corn (about 3 cups corn)

4 scallions, both white and greens finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped herbs of your choice (I used chives)

About 1 cup (6 ounces) grated sharp cheddar

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

4 large eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 more tablespoons if needed

Olive or a neutral oil for frying (I used safflower)

Shuck corn and stand the first stalk in a large bowl. Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels from the corn into the bowl, then run the back of your knife up and down the stalk to release as much “milk” as possible into the bowl. Repeat with remaining ears. It’s okay if you get a little more or a little less than 3 cups of corn.

Add scallions, herbs, cheese, and many grinds of black pepper and stir to evenly combine. Taste for seasoning; I usually find I needed more salt and pepper. Add the eggs and use a fork or spoon to stir until they’re all broken up and evenly coat the corn mixture. Add 1 cup of flour and stir to throughly coat. My mixture at this point (especially with bi-color corn) looked precisely like egg salad, to give you an idea of what you’re looking for: mostly kernels and just a little visible batter to bind it. A scoop of it should hold its shape unless pressed down; if yours does not, add the remaining flour. (For reference, I needed it.)

Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot and shimmering, add your first scoop of corn fritter batter and press it gently to flatten it. (I used a #40 scoop, which holds a little less than 2 tablespoons. Tinier fritters are easier to manage.) Corn fritters cook quickly so keep an eye on them. When the underside is a deep golden brown, flip and cook to the same color on the second side. Drain on a paper towel, sprinkling on more salt. When it’s cool enough to try, taste and adjust the seasonings of the remaining batter if needed.

(Deborah Madison advises that if your fritter isn’t holding to add another egg and 1/3 cup flour to give it more “glue” but I didn’t find this necessary.)

Cook remaining fritters in the same manner, adding more oil as needed. Try to get them to the table before finishing them.

Do ahead: Fritters keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days, and freeze well too. I like to defrost and re-toast them in a 350 degree oven.

Source: https://smittenkitchen.com/2018/07/corn-fritters/

[stempisces83-blog]

focaccia sandwiches for a crowd

Last year, Alexandra Stafford published a very good book about bread. It sprang from a recipe for the peasant bread her mother made often when she was growing up. When she shared it on her site, it went viral, which is no surprise given that it’s no-knead, comes together in under five minutes, rises in about an hour, and after a brief second rise, you bake it in buttered bowls that form it into a blond, buttery crusted bread that she boasts is “the antithesis of artisan.” Because there are no hidden tricks; no steam ovens, special flours, lames to score the crust, or bannetons to shape the loaves. Her central tenet is that “good bread can be made without a starter, without a slow or cold fermentation, without an understanding of bakers’ percentages, without being fluent in the baking vernacular: hydration, fermentation, biga, poolish, soaker, autolyse, barm.” (None of those words appear in the book.) She knows that there are a lot of no-knead breads out there, but this is the only one that can be started at 4pm and be on the dinner table at 7.

I realize you’re thinking, as I briefly worried before I read it, how does one write an entire cookbook based on one recipe? But Stafford is a gifted recipe developer, and there isn’t a thing in this book — one part breads (with all types of flours, grains, and shapes, including pizzas, flatbreads, rolls and buns), one part toasts (including sandwiches, tartines, stratas, panzanellas, soups, summer puddings and so much more), and one part crumbs (a celebration of crunchy gratin toppings, stuffing, burgers, eggplant parmesan, fish sticks, meatballs, and brown bettys) — that I didn’t want to make. (I suspect that having four kids to feed ensures that these recipes were vetted by the most finicky of reviewer classes.) It’s also a gorgeous book, with a focus and format that my inner, long-surrendered organized person finds deeply pleasing.

My favorite thing in the book, and the one that I come back to again and again, is using the core bread recipe to make a focaccia that can be split and filled to make a sheet pan’s worth of sandwiches.* File this under things I never thought about pre-kids but obsess over now: Picking up sandwiches to go to the beach/park/pool/wherever your summer weekend takes you for a family or group of friends can be staggeringly expensive. I might even forgive the price if the sandwiches were usually better, but I’m sorry-not-sorry, they’re usually not. Either the bread is lousy and processed to the hilt, or they just don’t make them the way I want them, which is heavy on the vegetables and with a good mix of fresh, salty, crunchy, and pickle-like ingredients. Let’s fix this.

Below is the recipe for the simplest, quickest focaccia you’ll ever need to make and several sandwich filling suggestions (many vegan, too) I hope you’ll find good jumping off points.

* If you have Smitten Kitchen Every Day at home (do you? I bet you’d love it, I’m just saying) you probably already know about my slab-sized sandwich fixation. In the book, I use roasted tomatoes and more to stuff a focaccia *before* it is baked, inspired by a foccia ripiena we ate in Rome several years ago. This is concept is similar, but there’s no need to pre-commit to fillings.

Previously

One year ago: Blackberry Blueberry Crumb Pie Two years ago: Summer Squash Pizza and Peach Melba Popsicles Three years ago: Raspberry Crushed Ice Four years ago: Three-Ingredient Summertime Salsa and Blueberry Crumb Cake Five years ago: Charred Corn Crepes and Burst Tomato Galette with Corn and Zucchini Six years ago: Pink Lemonade Bars Seven years ago: Tomato Salad with Crushed Croutons Eight years ago: Nectarine Brown Butter Buckle and Sweet and Smoky Oven Spare Ribs Nine years ago: Best Birthday Cake, Arugula Potato and Green Bean Salad and Peach and Creme Fraiche Pie Ten years ago: Garlic Mustard Glazed Skewers and Huevos Rancheros Eleven years ago: Quick Zucchini Saute

And for the other side of the world: Six Months Ago: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies and Slow-Roasted Sweet Potatoes 1.5 Years Ago: Broccoli Pizza 2.5 Years Ago: Spaghetti Pie with Pecorino and Black Pepper, Banana Puddings with Vanilla Bean Wafers, and Taco Torte 3.5 Years Ago: Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Biscuits and Charred Cauliflower Quesadillas 4.5 Years Ago: Garlicky Party Bread with Cheese and Herbs and Fennel and Blood Orange Salad

Focaccia Sandwiches for a Crowd

Servings: About 12 sandwiches

Time: 2 hours

Source: Bread Toast Crumbs

Print

Servings will vary by how you cut the focaccia, of course. Here I show 12 small/medium sandwiches. Depending on how hearty your fillings are, each person may eat 1 to 2 sandwiches.

You can choose your own schedule with this bread, by proving it for 1 to 1 1/2 hours at room temperature, overnight in fridge, or 10 hours at room temperature. For the last option, you want to make the bread with cold tap water.

To use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, add it directly to the lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar to proof it for 10 minutes (it will get foamy) and then add it below where you will the water.

For more of a traditional focaccia flavor, you can sprinkle 1 tablespoon chopped or minced fresh rosemary over the top with the salt before baking it.

4 cups (520 grams) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon instant yeast

2 cups lukewarm water, made by mixing 1/2 cup boiling water with 1 1/2 cups cold water

4 tablespoons olive oil

Flaky sea salt

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast. Add the water. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the water is absorbed and the ingredients form a loose, sticky dough. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and [choose your schedule]:

Quickest rise: Set aside in a warmish spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.

Overnight in fridge: Set inside your refrigerator overnight, about 8 to 10 hours.

Overnight at room temperature: For this method, you will need to use only cold, no lukewarm, water. Leave the bowl on your counter at room temperature for 10 hours.

When you’re ready to make your focaccia: Pour 3 tablespoons oil onto a rimmed sheet pan (can use a 13×18, or half-sheet pan, but if you have something more 11×17-ish, as I use here, will make for slightly thicker loaf; you can line it first with parchment paper for maximum nonstick security).

Heat oven to 425°F.

Using two forks, deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it toward the center. Rotate the bowl in quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball. Use the forks to lift the dough onto the prepared sheet pan. Roll the dough ball in the oil to coat it all over.

Let dough rest for 20 minutes (for Quickest rise or Overnight at room temperature) or 1 hour (if you used the Overnight in the fridge rise, so it warms up) without touching it. Then, drizzle last 1 tablespoon of olive oil over and use your fingertips to stretch and press the dough to the edges, leaving it intentionally dimply. If your dough resists being stretched all the way, get it as stretched as you can, wait 5 minutes, and return to stretch it the rest of the way, repeating this rest if needed.

Sprinkle with flaky sea salt all over and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, checking in on the earlier end, until lightly puffed on top and golden and crisp underneath. Remove from oven and let cool completely (this will go faster if you transfer the bread to a cooling rack) before assembling sandwiches.

To make sandwiches: If you’d like, you can trim off the very outer edges — this exposes the crumb and makes it a little easier to halve. (I didn’t do this because I like to make things hard, also I like edges.) Stafford recommends you begin the halving process by cutting through each corner, then running the serrated knife through the short end until you get to the midway point, then starting from the other short end until I get to the midway point. A sharp, serrated knife is helpful. Try to keep your knife as parallel to the bread as possible. She says she finds if she hugs the top layer as opposed to aiming for the center, she gets a more even cut.

Some ideas for sandwich fillings:

Avocado + Crispy Kale [Shown]: First, crisp your kale. I used a 5-ounce clamshell of curly kale leaves, tearing out and discarding any thick ribs. Rub/toss them with 1 tablespoon olive oil, spread them on a large baking sheet in one layer, seasoned them with salt and pepper, and baked them at 375&#176F for 10 to 15 minutes, until crispy and just barely brown at the edges (keep an eye on it). Then, scoop out and slice 4 avocados, fan the slices across the bread and mash/spread them smooth. Coat with olive oil, lemon juice, flaky salt, and red pepper flakes (like we do here). Spread crispy kale over avocado.

Hummus + Cucumber + Pickled Carrots [Shown]: First, coarsely grate 1 pound of carrots. Pour 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup cold water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 to 2 teaspoons (to taste) of granulated sugar over it and stir to combine. (You could also add mustard or dill seeds or fresh chile peppers here.) Chill in the fridge for as long as you have — 30 minutes, an hour, and up to a few days. Carrots will get more pickled the longer it soaks. To make your sandwiches, schmear the bottom half of the bread with about 1 1/2 cups hummus (storebought or homemade). Squeeze out little handfuls of pickled carrot and sprinkle this on as your next layer. For you final layer, use a y-peeler to shave long ribbons off 1 large (1/2 to 3/4 pound) seedless cucumber. Tousel these on top; season them with salt and pepper.

Walnut pesto + grilled zucchini ribbons (skip the parmesan in the pesto to make it vegan)

This grilled pepper and torn mozzarella panzanella, minus the croutons

This crunchy asparagus and egg salad

Pickled vegetable sandwich slaw + anything else you love on sandwiches

This salsa verde + any grilled or roasted vegetables

This zucchini carpaccio salad, as a sandwich filling

Any of the sandwiches from the archives

Many of the salads from the archives, such as this egg salad, this chicken salad (not vegetarian, of course), that chicken salad, or even (I love this as a sandwich) this chicken caesar, with the dressing spread on both sides of the bread, the chicken thinly sliced, and the romaine cut into thin ribbons. I wouldn’t be sad to have a broccoli or cauliflower slaw between bread, either.

Or, of course, endless slices of peak-season tomatoes + mayo + salt, or the same plus sliced mozzarella + basil pesto

Source: https://smittenkitchen.com/2018/08/focaccia-sandwiches-for-a-crowd/