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Posted 2009-07-01 07:13:31 by mcc at Mechanically Separated Meat

NON-PROGRAMMERS READ THIS Here, download this silly physics toy: “Typewriter” Mac version Windows version (Linux users: Source below) Controls: Keyboard, mouse, F1, F4, ESC PROGRAMMERS READ THIS When I started writing Jumpman, something that frustrated me was that there are a couple of seemingly basic things that SDL/OpenGL doesn’t actually provide out of the box, and that I couldn’t seem to find a [...]

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Posted 2009-06-29 22:16:00 by noreply@blogger.com (Brian) at Clinton Hill Foodie

About a month ago I ended up with a pretty random (for me) craving for hummus of all things. As I wrote back then, I'd picked up some chick peas and tahini with the grand plan to eventually make my own. Well tonight I finally got around to it, throwing together an impromptu hummus recipe that came out pretty good.

The inspiration for this particular recipe was a conversation with a friend about what kinds of hummus I could make with the ingredients I happened to have laying around, keeping in mind that I haven't been grocery shopping in a couple of weeks. I ended up settling a kind of "Italian" hummus, using a lot of the ingredients I'd typically use in a batch of tomato sauce or risotto. Now, I'm never one to shy away from excess heat in my recipes, so feel free to back off on the red pepper flakes if you think you'd prefer something a little bit more mild.

Clinton Hill Foodie Hummus

Ingredients:

1 can (14.5 oz) chickpeas, drained
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp pramigiano reggiano
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground red pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 leaf fresh sage
1/2 leaf fresh basil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Place the ingredients in a food processor. Turn on the food processor.

That's basically it. I had to add about 1/4 cup of water because the mixture was too dry and wasn't combining well.



Not content to just use the hummus as a dip, I decided to make a sandwich with some lightly-toasted oat bran bread and freshly sliced tomatoes.

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Posted 2009-06-22 20:53:00 by noreply@blogger.com (Brian) at Clinton Hill Foodie

Now that Loulou is no more, it looks like we can look forward to another new restaurant on Dekalb. Brownstoner is saying that it looks like it will be Italian.

While I like Anima, Il Torchio's been sorely missed. I'd love to see something else in that vein.

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Posted 2009-06-20 18:49:00 by noreply@blogger.com (Brian) at Clinton Hill Foodie

It's rainy and gross here in Brooklyn. What else is new, eh? It's been raining and gross for a while now, it seems. Rain doesn't normally bother me, having grown up in Seattle, but this is getting a little ridiculous.

Still, it gives me an excuse to stay inside and do some cooking, which I haven't done much of lately. I never really felt inspired until I was actually at the grocery store yesterday afternoon and walked by the seafood section and saw some fresh scallops. I hadn't made risotto in a while, and I'd wanted to try a saffron risotto, and the scallops seemed to cry out as a perfect excuse.

This recipe was kind of thrown together without too much thought, so I bet there are some good ways to improve on it, and I'm open to suggestions. Even so, I really enjoyed it and since I'm only cooking for myself these days, I get to hoard all the leftovers. Such is the plight of a single guy who cooks.

Saffron Risotto With Sea Scallops

Ingredients:

1 - 1 1/2 cups abborio rice
32 oz chicken broth (I use the Pacific Foods organic broth and really enjoy it. Homemade is best, of course)
1 cup diced shallots
4 cloves of garlic, diced
6 tbsp butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 - 2 tbsp saffron threads
1 lb sea scallops
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup parmigianno reggiano
1 leaf fresh sage, cut into small pieces
kosher salt
pepper
fresh parsley to garnish

Directions:

Start the chicken broth in a small pot over low heat. Once hot, put the saffron threads in 1/2 cup of broth and set aside.

In a large pot, combine 2 tbsp butter and 2tbsp olive oil over medium heat. When the butter is melted and the oil is hot, add the shallots and the garlic and stir until evenly coated. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add the white wine and the sage. Continue to cook until the shallots are translucent.

Add the rice and stir until evenly coated. Add one ladle's-worth of the chick brother and stir it in. Add the saffron/broth mixture and stir.

Continue to add a ladle's-worth of broth every time the rice has soaked everything up. I used about 1 1/4 cups of rice, and this took all 32 oz of the broth, one ladle at a time. You'll keep adding broth until the rice is done, and sometimes you'll have some broth left over.

Once you've started adding brother to the risotto, it's time to cook the scallops. Lay them flat on a plate and season them with kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper. I had enough scallops that I had to cook them in two batches, but that will depend on how big the scallops are. If you can do it in one batch, great.

In a skillet, heat up 2 tbsp butter and 2tbsp oil. Toss in the scallops so that they're not touching (another reason you may need to do two batches). Turn as necessary so that they're evenly cooked, taking care that they don't stick to the pan. Cook for 5-10 minutes until they're nicely browned on all sides.

Once the scallops are done, remove them from the skillet and place in a bowl or plate on a paper town to drain.

Once the rice is cooked, add the remaining 2tbsp butter and the 1/2 cup for parmigianno reggiano and stir vigorously. I also added some of the scallop drippings here to give it some extra flavor.

Plate the risotto and place some scallops on top along with some ground pepper, parsley, and mo parmigianno reggiano.

Risotto isn't always the best choice for a hot summer day, I'm the first to admit. But the saffron, sage, and shallots combined with the scallops make this version something I think works really well. The saffron helps keep it tasting light, and the sage makes for a very floral, summer-y flavor that's perfect for summer.

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Posted 2009-06-19 22:39:00 by noreply@blogger.com (Brian) at Clinton Hill Foodie

This is some incredibly sad news, courtesy of The Local:

LouLou, the French restaurant at 222 DeKalb Avenue is, in fact, closing today. And the increasingly familiar combination of growing rent, shrinking revenue and new opportunities elsewhere are to blame, an owner says.

“We’re down 50 percent from last year,” said William Snell, LouLou’s chef and part owner along with his wife, Christine. “It’s gotten to the point where I could work for someone else and make more money.”

But rather than shuttering LouLou and taking a job at another restaurant, the Snells said they are moving to the Lake Champlain region of Vermont — their three kids in tow — and opening shop there. The new restaurant, Tourterelle, is slated to open in early September.

Longtime readers know that Loulou is one of my favorite local restaurants, and this is quite a shame. I wish them luck in their new endeavor, and hope they know they'll be sorely missed.

Andy also lets us know that they'll be serving free drinks from 6-10 tonight, so stop by and bid them farewell if you're in the area.

Here are some of my past posts about the joint:

Loopy for Loulou

Loulou Redux

First Loulou...

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Posted 2009-05-23 02:28:00 by Tyler Ohlew at Pressing Buttons

Unless there was some sort of translation error, Suda51 has confirmed that No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle is almost done. So its right on track for its early 2010 release date. Hold on. It's just the middle of 2009 now....

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Posted 2009-06-19 16:56:00 by noreply@blogger.com (Brian) at Clinton Hill Foodie

Seems so, according to Brownstoner.

According to a guy we spoke to in the doorway of Der Schwarze Kolner, the German-style beer garden should be open by the end of the month.

Short and sweet. I, for one, am very excited. I've spent more time at the Astoria beer garden(s) this summer than I have in years.

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Posted 2009-06-12 15:09:00 by noreply@blogger.com (Brian) at Clinton Hill Foodie

I finally got a chance to do some cooking last night, and after a conversation with a friend about herbs, I decided I wanted to make something where I'd get to saute sage leaves in butter. Really, that was the entire impetus for this meal.



After some thought, I ended up planing to make a butter, garlic, and sage sauce and mix it up with penne. Very light and flavorful, and fresh sage gives it a floral, very summery taste and smell. This will really make your kitchen smell like summer.

I also threw in some salmon, because, why not?

Garlic and Sage Penne with Salmon

Ingredients:

6 tbsp butter
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp minced garlic
4 leaves fresh sage
Cut fresh parsley
(Optional) 6 oz cooked salmon, either good canned (Costco sells some good stuff) or a pan-fried or roasted filet
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb penne, fresh or dried

Directions:


In a sillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, toss in the garlic and shallots. Stir until everthing's coated evenly and let simmer, adding as much salt ant pepper as you like. Don't over-salt it, though, since the parmigianno reggiano you'll add later will be a bit salty as well.


Once the shallots are cooked a bit (4-5 minutes), reduce the heat to low and throw in the sage leaves. You can finely cut some sage up as well to have it infuse throughout the sauce.


In a post of salted, boiling water, cook the penne until al dente. Drain the pasta and place it back in the pot. Quick add in the sauce before the pasta has time to stick to the hot sides of the pot.



Stir until the pasta is coated evenly, and toss in the salmon.


Plate the penne and toss on some fresh parsley and grated parmigianno reggiano, along with some more freshly-grated pepper.


This is a really simple dish that doesn't take very long at all. Fresh sage is really key, as is good butter and (especially) oil. It's a very light dish, and the sauce would work well with almost any pasta.


We added some steamed asparagus for a veggie. for a light, easy summer dinner. Of course, it was so good that we ate almost all of it, so I guess it wasn't that light.

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Posted 2009-06-02 13:29:00 by noreply@blogger.com (Brian) at Clinton Hill Foodie

Where do you go when you really want some chicken wings, but really don't want to actually eat any chicken? Where vegetable protein can be turned into anything from fish sticks to bacon, and there's no actual meat on the menu whatsoever? Why, you go to Fort Greene stalwart Red Bamboo, of course!

Now, I like Red Bamboo, and I've been there a few times. I just hadn't gone recently, so I never got around to reviewing it for the blog. A site that spends a lot of time talking about restaurants in Fort Greene that doesn't mention Red Bamboo is incomplete, so I was eager to rectify the situation the other night and finally snap some pictures of a meatless meal.

Regular readers will know that I'm about as far from a vegan as one can get. I very much enjoy the taste of death, be it chicken, beef, fish, dairy products, eggs, or anything else. In fact, the first time I went to Red Bamboo, I had no idea it actually was a vegan restaurant - it just looked like a cute place to sit outside and have some drinks. The drinks, by the way, are very good. I've never been disappointed with Red Bamboo's bar service. It's one of my favorites in the area.

Since that first visit (which was mostly alcohol-infused), I've been back a few times and have always been relatively happy with what I've eaten. It's probably never going to be my first choice for dinner, especially with Lulu right down the block, but I have a few vegetarian friends, and it certainly makes for a nice change of pace. Like with sushi, it's kind of tough to eat something at Red Bamboo that really violates you afterward. Taking in a whole pizza at Il Porto or Graziella's can do that.


For this trip, I got to try a couple of different dishes that I'd never had. First up, we ordered a plate of Collard Green Rolls, which are spring rolls stuffed with collard greens and vegetarian smoked ham. The ham isn't very strong and is kind of hidden flavor-wise in the collard greens. They're very rich and go well with the sweet chili dipping sauce that comes along with them.


For entrees, my companion got the Classic BLT which is made with tempeh bacon and vegan mayo. I didn't try it, but she seemed happy with it.


I got the Voodoo Sticks, which are grilled soy beef and pepper kabobs that come along with brown rice and steamed veggies. While in general I've enjoyed what I've eaten at Red Bamboo, I wasn't a can of this dish at all. It's possible that I just wasn't in the mood for it, but I found nothing "voodoo" in the voodoo sticks. The soy beef was bland, and without some sort of real kick there, the rest of the dish is just steamed veggies and bland brown rice. It's not something I'll order next time.

Red Bamboo's a great little restaurant, though, especially if you're looking for vegetarian or vegan fare. The bar is fantastic, and there are a number of tasty appetizers to nosh on while sitting outside on a nice day. While the entrees are hit or miss, I'll definitely be back at some point to try again.

Information:

Red Bamboo
271 Adelphi St (At Dekalb)
718.643.4352
http://www.redbamboobrooklyn.com/

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Posted 2009-05-25 18:29:00 by noreply@blogger.com (Brian) at Clinton Hill Foodie

So I'd planned to do some Memorial Day grilling yesterday, but Mother Nature was going to have none of it. By the time we were ready to go, the skies were threatening thunderstorms, and while the torrential downpour never really came, it was raining enough on and off that I didn't feel like firing up the grill and tempting fate.


So what's a hungry lad to do? Cook the food inside, that's what. Instead of grilling, I boiled, sauteed, and fried my way to being de-hungrified. We'd planned on grilling burgers, corn on the cob, and vegetable kabobs. Instead, we fried the burgers in a cast iron pan, boiled the corn, and sauteed the veggies.


Since I haven't posted a recipe in a while, here's how I make my burger patties. The mix of spices has changed over time, and I'm almost always experimenting with it.

Chunks Burgers

Ingredients:

1.5-2 lb ground sirloin
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp cayenne pepper (I add a bit more usually, but I like things spicy in general)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp Montreal Steak seasoning
1 tbsp Chicago steak seasoning
1 tbsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

Mix everything together in a large bowl and form into patties. Grill, fry, or otherwise cook to order - I prefer mine medium rare to rare, but it depends on the quality and freshness of the beef.

As for toppings, I prefer lettuce, tomato, mayo, ketchup, relish, and a little horseradish, but that's up to you. Enjoy!

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Posted 2009-05-20 20:06:35 by Tyler Ohlew at Pressing Buttons

The hardest part about anticipation is that of the unknown. Looking forward to the latest installment in a series comes with its own set of luxuries. Most importantly of all is that you kind of know what to expect. One's...

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Posted 2009-05-19 18:57:01 by Tyler Ohlew at Pressing Buttons

If you were able to see inside my room, you’d observe that my pants are slumped over in the corner. That is because they have been charmed off by the likes of New Play Control Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, and...

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Posted 2009-05-18 14:26:00 by noreply@blogger.com (Brian) at Clinton Hill Foodie

I've never really liked hummus. To me it always smacked of eating dirt. I readily admit, though, that I never gave hummus a fair shake, for whatever reason. It was one of those irrational knee-jerk judgments we make form time to time.

Last week I suddenly had a craving for hummus - I don't know why. I think I wanted some kind of dip without having to endure a lot of cheese and/or sour cream. Hummus seemed like a healthier alternative, so I picked up a container of the spicy red pepper Sabra and really enjoyed it. So I like hummus. Who knew?

Cut to a recent Costco trip. I picked up what can only be described as a tub of roasted pepper and jalapeno hummus, along with some pretzel chips and whole wheat pitas. Through in some wine and you have the makings of a decently healthy snack.

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Posted 2009-05-15 18:08:53 by Tyler Ohlew at Pressing Buttons

Like caviar wrapped in Jelly Belly, there’s been a strange trend of putting together games that by all appearances are for children, but quickly reveal themselves to be for an audience of finer tastes. I’m not talking about that copy...

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Posted 2009-05-08 17:55:36 by Tyler Ohlew at Pressing Buttons

Good lord, if you haven’t updated your RSS feeds, do so right this instant. There’s this awe-inspiring article at the TimesOnline that just crumbles Nintendo’s bright future. But I recommend you only give it a read if you haven’t read...

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Posted 2009-05-08 13:38:00 by noreply@blogger.com (Brian) at Clinton Hill Foodie

Blogfest last night turned out to be a whole lot of fun. I was a little perturbed at myself for not getting around to submitting any pictures for the photo-blogging tribute videos, and I'm not sure how valuable the "blogs of a feather" breakout sessions were, but all in all it was a really positive event.

The after party was the real event for me, though. I met up with the talented bloggers who write Myrtle Shuffle and Nostrand Park before heading over to Galapagos. While there, we quickly joined up with Andy from The Local before eventually creating a serious Clinton Hill blogging team with Clinton Hill Chill, Lester from Clinton Hill Blog, and Gabrielle of Still Hip.

Afterwards, Alice and I headed over to Rope for one last drink - or two - before calling it a night.

I didn't take many pictures, but I do have a few and I'll update this post later once I have a chance to get them off the camera. It was a great night that I'm paying for a bit this morning. Bourbon is bad for you, kids.

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Posted 2009-05-07 22:34:00 by noreply@blogger.com (Brian) at Clinton Hill Foodie

I'm about to leave the house for Brooklyn Blogfest tonight. There's actually zero people going that I've ever met in real life, so if you're going to be there, please please please feel free to find me and say hi.

You can follow my exploits on Twitter, as I'm sure I'll be updating regularly. I'm bringing my camera, so if there's any food worth taking pictures of, this humble reporter will be Johnny on the spot.

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Posted 2009-05-07 13:35:00 by noreply@blogger.com (Brian) at Clinton Hill Foodie

The Greene Hill Food Co-op, Clinton Hill and Fort Greene's nascent grocery cooperative, is having a gathering to spread the word about the endeavor and give us another chance to meet our neighbors.

Go-Go Grocery!
A Greene Hill Food Co-op Gathering
Sunday May 17th
2nd floor at Red Bamboo: 271 Adelphi (at Dekalb)

Google Map

Doors: 4:30 PM
$5 a person

Come meet your neighbors, and get the inside word about the Co-op.
Food, Fun, Friends
Win cool prizes by playing BINGO, featuring Rich Awn, the voice of Green Air
Pin the Tail on the Co-op: help decide the location of our store
Favorite Food Group Darts: aim for your favorite food group and then write down which product you’d like to see on our shelves!

Doors: 4:30 PM
BINGO: 5:00 PM

http://www.greenehillfoodcoop.com/

How can you say no? Food? Cooperative food? BINGO?! Sounds like it will be a great time and an excellent opportunity to learn more about what will hopefully be a great new local option for getting groceries. It's at Red Bamboo, which even if you're not a fan of their vegan takes on meaty dishes, has a great bar.

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Posted 2009-05-03 00:27:36 by Tyler Ohlew at Pressing Buttons

Alright, so Kotaku posted this story about how poorly Major Minor's Majestic March sold piss poorly in Japan (and I imagine North America will be following suit). Being the latest game from Parappa the Rapper "masterminds" Masaya Matsuura and Rodney...

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Posted 2009-05-02 20:00:00 by noreply@blogger.com (Brian) at Clinton Hill Foodie

Today I'd planned on staying inside, out of the rain, and getting a lot of cleaning done. Imagine my dismay when it suddenly turned out to be nice and sunny out! Not one to waste a nice day, but also not prepared for a BBQ or any other nice day culinary pursuit, I decided to fire up some bloody marys. Would you like my recipe? I thought you might.

I'm not one for anything super fancy in a bloody mary. I like it spicy and flavorful, but easy to make. I want to use ingredients I always have around - if someone says they can't make a good bloody mary because they're missing mandrake root or some nonsense, just tell them to step back, you've got this one.

Brian's Bloody Mary

Ingredients:

Tomato juice
Vodka (amounts of the first two are to taste)
1/2 tsp horseradish (I use the Gold's horseradish you can get anywhere)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Frank's Red Hot (or any good hot pepper sauce)
Dash of freshly ground pepper
Pinch of kosher or sea salt

Directions:

Um, mix! Seriously - fille a highball glass about 2/3rds of the way with tomato juice, and pour in as much vodka as you like. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and then add ice or pour into an ice-filled glass.

You can grow the recipe to make a full pitcher without too much trouble. Add a garnish of a lemon slice and/or celery stalk if you have it, but I didn't.

Hope everyone's enjoying the nice/not nice weather this weekend.

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