And that fresh oregano is like nothing else.
SOOOO much flavor, deep & wide. Not like the grocery store shaker AT ALL!
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I’m pretty envious of the oregano flowers. Those add another dimension of flavor.
A tip: If you’re not relying on texture, a lot of fresh herbs can be frozen and used straight from the freezer. Works for marjoram, parsley, sage, oregano, rosemary, basil. Chopped frozen parsley does not make a good garnish, but still works well mixed into soups/sauces/etc.
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My kitchen still has a sweet, spicy, floral lemony, i don’t know how to describe it but its really good smell.
I’m going on 3 years with the same plant carrying over from year to year too. Every year it comes back a little better.
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So I am now convinced American food service industry is absolute crap after another amazing meal here.
My corn fed American ass trying to sit at a traditional style table here is quite hilarious. I managed but my whole right leg was numb when I stood up. Totally worth it for this meal.
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I’m in your neck of the woods and as a fellow lifting and cooking/baking enthusiast think it would be great to connect!
I’m a bit of a homebody, but places I would highly recommend are:
Howlin’ Rays - fried chicken place that lives up to the hype
Pizzeria Sei - excellent Japanese Neopolitan style pizza
Republique - I have yet to eat an actual meal there, but the bread and pastries are fabulous.
Manzke - if you want to splurge for a tasting menu experience, this is the one in LA I would opt for.
Hopefully that 99 Ranch Market finally opens on the west side soon to make hunting down supplies for home cooking easier, along with cheaper produce!
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In terms of food or service or both?
I mean I think we have some amazing food and service here too, but it’s not very evenly distributed. I’d imagine “average” (ok, median) in Japan is probably better.
Both.
Especially the cost to (service + taste) ratio. That sushi meal above was 3400 yen (like $25 bucks) and was better than meals I have had almost double that price.
Also, the waiters here leave you alone unless you call them over.
The ramen place was 10 bucks. You absolutely cannot get that much excellent food for a ten in the US. Heck, some places you can’t get a Big Mac meal for that price.
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This brisket took a little longer to smoke than expected. Only ~5-6lbs (purchased a ~16lb brisket and cut it into thirds). Put it on the smoker ~ 8am @ 225 degrees and brought it up to 160 degrees internal temp, then wrapped it in butcher paper, and finished it up to ~197 degrees before taking it off around 10:30pm. Seasoned prior to smoking with some yellow mustard and Chicken and Rib seasoning from Costco. It was DELICIOUS, even my wife really enjoyed it who isn’t as excited about meat as I am.
A Costco tray of chicken wings cooked on the smoker. Another winner!
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Home grilled chicken tandoori with garlic naan from a package drowning in homemade saag paneer. Good stuff.
The paneer is queso fresco. Couldn’t find the real stuff. It’s a great sub, but toast it on low in a pan to remove some of the water before adding it to the spinach. It’s a tad wetter than the Indian cheese.
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I realized that this thread encourages sharing recipes. I’m cooking for a client and their family this weekend, and since there is no air fryer, I thought I’d share my short ribs recipe.
1.) Go to a butcher and ask for 2-inch wide, cross-cut shortribs. Heads up, they’re not cheap.
2.) Chop up 2 parts onion, 1 part carrot, 1 part celery. Alternate layers of shortribs and veggies in a container. Cover it all with red wine. I use box wine because it’s cheap, the bag collapsing prevents it from oxidizing, and after all this wine is going to go through, there’s no point in using good stuff.
3.) Let it sit for 24 hours.
4.) Pull out the ribs and put them on a sheet tray, strain out the wine from the veggies. Salt and pepper the ribs. When the salt stops getting wet, you’re there. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
5.) Reduce the wine by half. The meat proteins will cause it to foam up, so skim that off with a spoon
6.) Get a ripping-hot pan and sear the shortribs on all three of the sides that don’t have bones. Get it darker than you think. Remove and set aside.
7.) Add the veggies to the pan to get some color and remove the fond.
8.) Put the ribs in a hotel pan (or something similar,) bone side up, add the veggies, wine, and beef stock to cover. If you use beef broth, add some unflavored gelatin.
9.) Cover it with parchment paper first, the seal with aluminum foil. The acid from the wine will cause aluminum foil to pit and leech into your food, so that’s the reason for parchment.
10.) Put in a 350f oven for 3 hours. Take it out, uncover, and stick a bunch of thyme sprigs in the liquid. Let it cool to room temperature in the braising liquid. That will keep the exterior from drying out.
11.) Remove the ribs, place on a tray, and chill overnight. Strain the veggies and thyme out, discard. Put the liquid in a container and refrigerate overnight also.
12.) In the morning, remove the solidified fat from the liquid, It’ll just be a layer on the top. Take the shortribs and cut along the bottom to remove the bones and connective tissue. They make good dog bribes.
13.) Turn your oven to 400f, heat the ribs with the cooking liquid in an oven safe pan until the liquid is boiling. Put the whole pan in the oven, and rotate the ribs every 5 minutes, until the liquid has reduced into a glaze.
14.) Take it out and serve.
Not the pretty pictures I normally post, but more of a behind the scenes look.
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First try? Nice work for a non-professional!
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Metabolic Drive protein waffles, topped with leftover batter.
2 scoops of Metabolic Drive
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons of baking powder
I also added pumpkin spice and salt.
Whisky, put in waffle iron with some cooking spray (I used spray duck fat) and cook until done. I honestly had enough leftover batter for 1 more waffle, but was in a hurry.
Could be dressed up and flavored even more. And I used vanilla Metabolic Drive: could easily use chocolate flavor for some choco-tacos!
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@SkyzykS You hit my love language when You said “stuffed crust”, haha.
@Brant_Drake You are like Prometheus bringing fire to man by sharing that short ribs recipe!
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Posted this in my log, but I also love contributing to this thread.
Small brisket flat smoked on a Weber kettle with Jack Daniels wood chips and charcoal. In all, it took about 6.5 hrs including rest time. This is my first brisket I’ve ever done and I’m pretty pleased with how it came out!
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Nice smoke ring.
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Nice! My wife thinks I’m crazy when I go shopping hungry and come back with nothing but cookies & steak.
So…
Of course, I have to ask- Where did you get those all at the same time?
Edit: Duh. Theres a sign! 
I’m gonna head out tomorrow morning for chanterelle. They’re in season right now but it has been really dry, so I’m not too optimistic.
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Cookies and steak is basically the velocity diet, so we’re fine.
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