tu-tu-tu kitchenware cottage: 2013

Monday, November 4, 2013

Emiliano Zapata rendered in beans, rice, and corn for dia de los muertos

one of many elaborate altars created in the plaza for dia de los muertos

Itacate is still our favorite stylish "street" restaurant -- with new menu!!

Pineapple and basil aqua---el grande por Mar, y la chica (500 ml) por Jody

dia de los muertos 3-meter wide (10 feet) Huichol mandala of dyed rice

Tu-tu-tu kitchenware cottage @ facebook

Monday, September 2, 2013

Reach out and grab the handle!!

there is nothing quite like carbon steel saute pans. New tool review at knifeandfire.blogspot.com

Pie is Good

pies of the summer blend into pies of the fall and, in turn, pies of the winter. A pie for all seasons? There is none, only todays pie.

there is no pie for tomorrow...

we must make tomorrows pie when we have picked tomorrows fruit...

Monday, August 5, 2013

flying saucers and taiyaki irons

it came from outer space!! Check out the new tool review of out-of-this-world fun-food tools for the well grounded chef at A knife and a Fire (http://knifeandfire.blogspot.com)

Taiyaki -- traditional and east-west fusion.

Tu-tu-tu kitchenware cottage @ facebook

Coral likes gold fish!! Traditional taiyaki is a sweet waffle cake with a sweet bean paste filling. Other fillings include sweet potato and savory sausage.

the taiyaki mold is essentially a waffle iron, in the shape of a little perch. Taiyaki means "sea bream" in Japanese.

experimenting with Vietnamese style "sizzling seafood pancake" recipes, I decided to try taiyaki filled with bits of squid, shrimp, and scallop. and a dipping sauce with Thai fish sauce, soy, rice vinegar, and sambal ooleck chili paste. Result was excellent.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

A knife and a Fire --knifeandfire.blogspot.com

Tu-tu-tu kitchenware cottage @ facebook Kuchenprofi ravioli wheel is the first tool I review at

knifeandfire.blogspot.com

nearly 45 years after I worked as a 19 year old cook on an ocean going tug out of Coos Bay;

and after a number of years cooking for the guru in Spain and Italy, California and Iowa (where I was food services director at Maharishi International University) serving as many as 2000 meditators -- the largest all-natural, mostly organic, mostly vegetarian institutional kitchens in the west. Then cooking in Lincoln county

restaurants during graduate school (Otis Cafe, the Bay House), I now find myself in the role of presenting cooks tools to the public at tu-tu-tu kitchenware cottage.

while this blog is about food and cooking, both in Nye Beach, Newport Oregon, and in Sayulita, Nayarit Mexico (see last winters older posts from Mexico), A Knife and a Fire is about tools: cooks tools, bakers tools, classic tools, and new tools. It is also about vessels: pans, pots, crocks, and bowls; of metal, ceramic, and wood. I might have called it "a knife and a vessel" but it reminded me of "the Chalice and the Blade" and I didn't want to mythologize things too much, so A Knife and a Fire it is. Kind of has a macho or at least a guys' ring to it. Or a minimalists'. I'm a guy---and a minimalist--- in the kitchen. Yet I can't live without my Kuchenprofi ravioli cutter. Find out why at knifeandfire.blogspot.com.

http://knifeandfire.blogspot.com

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Paella for a family gathering

Paella is one of the most fun picnic meals, traditionally cooked over a wood fire. This one for about 20 was done over mesquite charcoal on a large Weber grill. This paella has something for everyone, with way more ingredients than any self respecting Spaniard would include. Over 3 quarts of chicken and fish stock were simmered with about 3 lbs rice.

A "composed" (organized mandala) paella requires that some of the ingredients be pre-cooked before placing in the finishing rice simmer (chicken pieces, sausage, prawns). The seafood (prawns, mussels, calamari, and scallops) need a timed entry to avoid overcooking.

Friday, June 21, 2013

A potters kitchen -- hand made jars for countertop storage

Rice (brown and white), sugar, flour, popcorn, and other often used bulk ingredients are kept in lidded jars

spices and dried herbs

kept in tight lidded glass jars within easy reach of the stove. More spices in small shakers in a nearby drawer.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

A well organized knife drawer is essential for finding the right tool for the job.

A stone and a steel are close at hand. Shears, a peeler, and microplane grater round out the "cutting tools" assortment.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Streetside Shrimp Tacos

some of the best people watching happens on this corner, with super fresh fish or shrimp tacos and cold cervezas. There are two stands, side by side, serving almost identical menus.

these ladies are on top of their game, serving up a variety of seafood specialties.

Pedrito's happy, healthy, and wholly original lunch menu

Lots of Amor goes into the menu, cooking, and service at this little streetside cafe. More than a taco stand, they prepare exquisite entrees and salads with a twist.