Author: mdbridge81

A skin care enthusiast who's passionate about clean living in all it's forms.

Tamagoyaki Brunch

Unlike last week’s Fool’s Gold Loaf ( https://canigetaramen.food.blog/2019/08/15/poor-mans-fools-gold-loaf/) post which we recommended trying only a small taste of, this is something we eat regularly for breakfast or lunch, albeit, an Americanized version; a Japanese classic: Tamagoyaki. When done correctly, Tamagoyaki is a Japanese rolled omelette with soy sauce, mirin, sugar and salt. In our house it is often just eggs, salt, pepper. For the post, we decided to try to make a more authentic version, so we checked out some Pinterest posts and landed on one in particular from Chopstick Chronicles, another food blog which specializes in Japanese cuisine. https://www.chopstickchronicles.com/tamagoyaki/

Tamagoyaki Japanese rolled egg

This gave us a wealth of information on Tamagoyaki, and cooking techniques which were different from the ones we had used previously. We also watched an episode of Make it Big by Tasty on YouTube, which the boys are huge fans of.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syH0oN_B4g0

We learned a few tips and tricks to roll the Tamagoyaki, plus which utensils and pans work best; and while we did not use 120 eggs for our rolled omelet, we did go through at least 2 dozen to get it what we considered was “right”.

First.
Second
Third, Elementary Nerd.

Usually we will whip up four eggs, splash in a little milk, cook and roll, if I don’t have mirin (rice wine vinegar) on hand. This time I made sure I had both soy sauce and mirin so we could make it a little more authentic. It changes the texture more than I had remembered so it did not roll as easily as an Americanized omelette. It took us a few tries to make the necessary adjustments and get it how we wanted. We had a debate over which pan was best, which the kids won, as proven by the success of the third omelette. I was convinced that the smaller, more square pan would produce thinner layers, thus achieving a flakier, more-layered omelette. I was so wrong and the omelette burned very easily. After two failed attempts I finally listened to the advice of the boys, which worked out wonderfully for the eggs, but not so much for my ego.

With a little forethought, that which we are generally lacking, we had tossed some rice in the rice cooker a few minutes before we started prepping the Tamagoyaki, so all we had left to do was plate it, top with salmon, cucumber, and avocado and try to make it look pretty.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 8 Eggs, cracked and whisked.
  • 2 and a quarter cup of rice.
  • Water, 3 cups.
  • Soy sauce and mirin.
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • A pinch of salt to taste.
  • Smoked Salmon.
  • 1 Avocado, one half is best.
  • 1 Cucumber.

It’s easiest to set up your rice in the rice cooker first and then work on your omelette while that cooks. Whisk your eight eggs together and add a splash of soy sauce and mirin, mixing them into the eggs thoroughly. Once this concoction is well mixed, add one teaspoon of sugar and let it melt and dissolve. Pour half the mixture into an eleven inch, square pan or small griddle pan and allow to cook most of the way through. Next, you want to carefully, but briskly roll it to one side and repeat for the next batch of eggs. From here, you’ll want to take your previous roll and place it to one side of the pan, rolling the new layer of egg over-top of it, allowing it to cook and roll again. When done slice it into six pieces and plate. Scoop your rice onto a plate with ice cream scoop, and top it off with a slice of smoked salmon, avocado and cucumber as desired. Enjoy!

So, what do you think? Have you tried to make Tamagoyaki before? If so, have you tried it with rice? When you inevitably do, please let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Not Elvis’ Fool’s Gold Loaf

Don’t Think Twice, It’s not All Right.

Unless you are a Fool Who Rushes In, do not consume this entire sandwich. 8,000 Kilo-Calories is not good For The Heart. – Mdbridge81

Stop, Look and Listen. Tomorrow is the 42nd Anniversary of Elvis ‘The King’ Presley’s death in Graceland, so It’s My Desire to pay homage to the legend himself and make one of his all-time favorite sandwiches which he only ever had once; The Fool’s Gold Loaf. Don’t Ask Me Why we chose this one, it just sounded like it would be worthy of paying respect to The King of Rock and Roll. Aside from that, Doncha’ Think It’s Time? The Fool’s Gold Loaf is a whole french bread loaf hollowed out and filled with one jar of Peanut Butter, one jar of Grape Jelly and finally one pound of bacon. While this one has been ran through the recreation wringer multiple times, we’re gonna put a unique twist on it that we thought would improve upon it and would be great For the Good Times. We also did not use an entire jar of either peanut butter or jelly because, frankly we didn’t want to die.

Don’t Leave Me Now, because here’s what you’ll need for the original recipe:

  • One whole loaf of french bread; hollowed out.
  • One Jar of Peanut Butter
  • One Jar of Jelly (Grape or otherwise, we won’t judge.)
  • One package of Bacon

For our rendition, you’ll need:

  • One whole loaf of french bread; hollowed out.
  • One Jar of Peanut Butter
  • One Jar of Orange Marmalade
  • Maple Syrup
  • One package of Bacon
  • Four Eggs
  • One Cup of Milk
  • Confectioner’s Sugar

Preheat your oven to 375 Degrees. Cook your bacon on griddle, ours did burn just a little, but it was okay even so. When it is mostly done drizzle the bacon with a bit of maple syrup, then continue cooking until it is brown and crispy. Whip together eggs and your milk and set that aside. Cut the loaf of bread in half, hollow out center, and Shake, Rattle and Roll each half of the bread in the egg mixture. This is much easier to do if you cut it in half vertically and then horizontally. Set your egg dipped halves of bread on a jellyroll pan and bake them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Fill the bottom half with peanut butter, top with candied bacon. Fill the top half with your jelly of choice (We chose orange marmalade for half, and blueberry preserves for the other half.) and smoosh them together. Make sure to sprinkle it with confectioner’s sugar.

The Fool’s Gold Loaf is a sweet, sticky and savory amalgamation which has captured the interest of culinary Elvis historians for many years with it’s unorthodox pairings and pop-culture status as being the mythical sandwich only Elvis and a select few have eaten. Our rendition I believe really pays homage to the legend of the sandwich and respects not only Elvis Presley, but his love of food as well. I Can’t Help But Fall In Love with this thing but even so, this thing is a heart attack waiting to happen, so I Don’t Care if the Sun Don’t Shine, I will never make this thing again; I Shall Not Be Moved. What did you all think of the sandwich? Did you make one of your own to celebrate the King of Rock or did you decide to keep your arteries intact? Most importantly, did you catch all of our Elvis references? Send us pictures and thoughts in the comments below!

The Windmill

Over the weekend, we decided to go to ‘The Windmill’, a multi-building complex-based farm and crafts market in Upstate New York that also happens to be smack dab in the middle of the Eastern wine country. The place is well known for its wealth of vendors, activities and of course, loads yummy food vendors. We went to quite a few places to try out little bibs and bobs of food and do some shopping you can’t find mostly anywhere else up there, though most were not photographed, my apologies.

After soaking in the atmosphere of the first few buildings, we first went with the tried and true all-around good sweet that is cotton-candy; maple flavored cotton-candy to be precise. It seems rather self explanatory that it was good as anything is with maple in it. It was from then on, we noticed something: people were walking around with this large bowl of what looked to be potato chips covered in cheese and bacon bits; the the absolute perfect marriage of foods. We were a bit too shy to simply walk up and ask them where they had gotten it, so we instead went on a search of our own, not finding the potatoes, but we instead found a place that does different types of cheese curd, which were also exceptional. From this point we had been walking around, but never tucked into a proper lunch. This problem was exacerbated by the fact that many people around us were carrying their own food around, mocking us with their perfectly crisp potato chips and icy snow cones. We found the outside area where the bulk of food vendors were and searched desperately for the potato chip creation, but at first could not find it.

The boys settled for hot dogs coming from a simple stand called ‘Phinn’s’ while another chose chicken and fries from a separate place; they did not complain. The rest of us instead chose something called a ‘Spud Boat’, a half of a potato which has been hollowed out to make space for pulled pork and melt-y cheese. We were in love with it, although it still did not live up to our speculated majesty of the butterflied potato invention we had kept seeing. Just as we were finishing up and preparing to head out to finish shopping, another group of market-goers sat down at the table next to us with the exact meal we had been yearning for! We employed one of the boys to go and ask about the whereabouts of such a wonderful creation would be acquired from and we were directed to a vendor literally called “Gramma’s Butterflyed Potatoes” centered right to the left of the dining pavilion; right under our noses the entire time…

Without even considering we had eaten enough potatoes today to feed Ireland and then some, we raced to the building, where we ordered out very own butterflied potatoes and killed any small chance of being able to keep our caloric dignities intact. I don’t think I have to tell you this but, it was every bit as good as we had expected, it was after all homemade, thick-cut potato chips drowned in cheese and bacon, how much better do you expect it to be?

After this, we finished up our shopping, grabbed some Snow Cones on the way out and called it a productive, and dietary detrimental day.

It’s also worth noting that the Windmill very dog-friendly and most of the food venues have little trays for the fluffy ones to try out. We were enthralled with every single one.

King Condrell’s Candy and Ice Cream

Strolling down Delaware Avenue in Kenmore, NY, you may come across a little shop called King Condrell’s Candy and Ice Cream. This family-owned ice cream parlor has been delighting Kenmore residents with it’s delicious confections since 1966.

Photo Courtesy of onlyinyourstate.com

As you step through the door you are treated to the smell of the chocolate filling the counters. Chocolate covered pretzels, bon-bons, truffles, sponge candy are just a few examples of the extensive number of specialty chocolates created by their resident Master Chocolatier, Rich King.

Aside from the impressive array of handmade chocolates, there is a small section filled with kid friendly gummies, jellies, and lollipops, which the small fry didn’t hesitate to hit up for tart LEGO brick candies.

As we came in and began to scope the place out, we were greeted with smiles and handed menus. We sat down to look over the ice cream offerings, and were blown away by the unbelievable collection of flavors available for ice cream sodas. We were immediately hooked. The choices we settled on were Loganberry, Marionberry, and Shortbread. Each was outstanding. I chose the Loganberry, which can only be described as a culmination of all my childhood dreams, but being the adventurous sort I have already chosen the Cookie Butter Ice Cream Soda for the next time we go.

One of the boys chose this wonderful concoction called the ‘Butterfingerpalooza,’ a culmination of all things good; chocolate, toffee and Butterfingers. Needless to say, he thoroughly enjoyed it, but did say he can’t wait to try an ice cream soda next time we’re there.

The other two weren’t feeling as daring, so they went with their usual; chocolate milkshake, and a cookie dough cone, and were extremely happy with their choices.

My one regret, is forgoing the handmade chocolates, thinking that we had already consumed enough sugar for one day. If I know one thing about myself, it’s that while I may not need the sugar today I will definitely want the chocolate tomorrow.

If you find yourself in want of something to do in the Buffalo area, don’t hesitate to check out King Condrell’s. There is easy parking right out front and also, I believe, there is more space across the street. You will enjoy every minute of the experience.

Quick and Easy Crab Cakes

(Otherwise Known as: the ‘Potato Salad-Perfect Crab Crab Cakes”

As promised from last week’s post, we’re tackling some crisp, but also tender crab cakes; the perfect addition to the any make-ahead salads or our Mish-Mash salad. You can find that here: https://canigetaramen.food.blog/2019/07/25/mish-mash-potato-salad/

This one bowl, savory Maryland favorite is so easy, it can come together in ten minutes flat with minimum mess but maximum deliciousness and can be done with two common kitchen utensils, the frying pan and a food processor or blender.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 2 lbs of crab meat. I’ve used real crab, claw meat only, and even imitation crab for people who have a shellfish allergy.
    • 1/4 c of mayo
    • 1/4 cup of sour cream
    • 1/4 cup of chopped spring onions
    • 2 tbsp of old bay seasoning
    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 c of breadcrumbs
    • fresh parsley to taste
    • salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in small saucepan. Give crab meat a quick spin in a food processor or blender, add to clean bowl. Add mayo and sour cream, mix together. Toss in spring onion, breadcrumbs, and egg. Mix thoroughly. Add spices, mix well again.

Form into ball shape, then into patty, add to hot oil. Fry until brown and crispy on either side then drain briefly on paper towel. Serve hot with pepper sauce, and a heaping spoonful of Mish-Mash Potato Salad. Enjoy!

Mish-Mash Potato Salad

Sometimes on a summer day nothing hits the spot like potato salad. With so many different styles to choose from, what’s not to like? There are many types of potato salad, from Southern to Amish to Canadian, with just enough variance to tell them apart. Since we happen to like different points of each, we combined them into our favorite which we call Mish-Mash Potato Salad. Since this blog is about cooking with kids, we’ll start with where they come in. I boiled the potatoes the night before because I like them to have that fluffy, starchy feel that seems to only work with cold potatoes. I had them gather all the ingredients and place them on the island, and tried to instill a clean-as-you-go mindset as we worked.

We had the small fry start because his patience runs out quickly. He didn’t really want any part of this at first, but since his favorite past time is eating, he was easily bribed with the finished product. We asked him to add the mayo. He seemed to have a bit of a struggle with this.

It got a little messy.

We cleaned up quickly though and moved on.

The older boys worked on chopping, dicing, and measuring the rest of the ingredients. A couple were not too thrilled to be working with mayonnaise but they sucked it up and did it anyway. (They’re weird like that.) After a bit of confusion, some checking and rechecking, they brought it all together into a pretty fantastic dish, if I do say so myself. It was a really nice change for them to do the cooking for once; all I had to do was eat! They did a fantastic job and worked together really well.

I could get used to this!

By the end, we all learned something new. They boys learned a new recipe for potato salad…and I learned to never trust Jules with kitchen knives.

They had a great time cooking together, a fair bit of male teenage humor, and a pretty significant mess to cleanup. All in all I call that a success.

If you would like to try our recipe for Mish-Mash Potato Salad here’s what you’ll need:

  • 2 1/1 lbs. of boiled potatoes. (We like Russets.)
  • 3 Green Onions, chopped
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. Celery Seed
  • 1/2 c. Banana Peppers, chopped
  • 1/2 c. Garlic Pickles, 2 to 3 spears.
  • 4 Hard Boiled Eggs.
  • 1/2 c. of Mayo.
  • 1/2 c. of Sour Cream.
  • 1/4 c. of Dijon Mustard.
  • Salt, Pepper, Paprika and Parsley for Taste.

Place the potatoes in a mixing bowl alongside the mayo and sour cream, mixing it thoroughly and then adding Dijon mustard. Stir thoroughly. Chop green onions, toss in. Add diced garlic pickles, chop banana peppers thinly, toss in celery seed, stir. Chop 3 eggs coarsely, toss in. Add spices to taste, slice remaining egg, set around top, sprinkle with more paprika. Enjoy!

Our favorite way to eat this potato salad is heaped gorgeously on top of crab cakes topped with hot sauce. Yum! Next Thursday we’ll be trying our hand at those crab cakes so be sure to check it out.

Simple Breakfast Tacos

For our first official recipe we decided to start small with breakfast tacos, or in our case brunch. (or maybe that would be 2nd breakfast) We can because we usually just slurp a smoothie and call it breakfast. It’s a really simple recipe, although it appears to require an excessive number of ingredients which I sometimes find aggravating. When possible, I try to follow the kiss rule in the kitchen. (No, not kiss the cook…I meant keep it simple silly.) I solved this dilemma by sending one kid to scavenge for the cooked foods and one collecting all the toppings.

I don’t know about you, but I enjoy tacos far more than I should. It’s almost a perfect food. Healthy veggies, a crunchy shell and savory, spicy meat. (Or your vegan substitute if you’re so inclined.) Have you ever wondered: “Can I eat tacos for breakfast?” Let me rephrase that. “Can I eat tacos for breakfast that won’t get me weird looks when I unveil it on the subway?

I have two answers to that:

  1. Yes.

2. Why would you take them on the subway?

Okay, enough chat. Let’s get to what you’ll need.

  • Olive Oil
  • Rice (Optional. We did, but you don’t have to.)
  • Garlic Clove
  • One small onion (sliced)
  • 3 Mini Peppers (sliced into slivers)
  • 4 eggs (scrambled)
  • 1 small potato (thinly sliced)
  • Whole wheat flour tortillas
  • Salt
  • Pepper

For the toppings, you’ll need:

  • Sour Cream
  • Avocado
  • Cilantro
  • Spinach
  • Tomatos
  • Cholula, Chipotle Sauce (To taste.)

Instructions:

Drizzle olive oil onto heated skillet. Chop onions and garlic and toss in, slice peppers, then add those as well. Slice potato very thin toss onto skillet with peppers and onions. Cook until onions caramelize a bit and potatoes soften through. Scramble eggs and pour in, moving around to keep from sticking occasionally. Once the hodge-podge of eggs and veggies fully cooks through, pull them away from the skillet on to a heat-safe bowl and prepare for building your tacos.

Laying the tortilla out flat, place a thin layer of rice, if you made it, onto the tortilla and build from there, starting with the egg-veggie combo, followed by a hint of cilantro and the rest of the topper veggies.. Add a teaspoon of sour cream over the top of your spinach, avocado and tomatoes, then top that sour cream with the Cholula or Chipotle sauce. This goes over well with sweetened iced tea, if you feel like going through the work of it.

That’s about it. Hopefully if you do attempt to take this one on the subway, you won’t be heckled by the piercing judgement of your fellow train-goers as badly with this more morning appropriate fiesta in a shell.

Welcome to the Adventure!

We love food. We aren’t ‘foodies’ per se, we just like to eat. And cook. And eat again. Now that I have four sons who have (mostly) become young men, it’s time for them to get in on the kitchen fun. Join us as we embark on a mission to teach some young men how to create meals on a budget, impress a date perhaps, entertain a bit, or generally learn to fend for themselves in the kitchen.