Instant Pot Pork Adobo

Instant Pot Pork Adobo - made April 23, 2019 from The Recipe Pot

Now that I'm on my pseudo-semi-retirement for a few weeks, I'm doing more cooking and, in case you haven't been able to tell yet, less baking. Hard as it is to believe, I think I've lost my baking mojo. I used to want to try a bunch of different dessert recipes, troll pinterest, go through all my baking books, yada yada. But, in the temporary condo I'm staying in, there aren't coworkers and friends all around me to gobble up my baking experiments. My parents and my sister can only consume so many empty calories and I'm cutting back on carbs and sugar. (I know, who am I?)

So in times like these, I try my hand at cooking instead. Of course, don't think this means I turn into a gourmet chef or a chef of any kind. I enjoy eating, not cooking. But I can cook passably enough that I can eat my own cooking (more or less) and being off from work gives me enough time to look for recipes, buy ingredients and actually cook. Cooking for me is always a production. In a 10-ingredient recipe, I will likely only have 1 or 2 ingredients on hand and would have to buy the rest. Or I'd have most of it but would be missing one key ingredient.

Such as for this one. I had half an onion left after the Penne Alla Vodka with Chicken recipe, I had thick-cut pork chops from a prior Costco run, I had the spices, I had the soy sauce and vinegar. But I had run out of Penzey's minced garlic and didn't have enough for the recipe.  Fortunately, there's a grocery store within walking distance of my condo so going to get a bulb of garlic became part of my workout for the day.

I love Filipino adobo. My mom makes it and she makes it well. I can make a passable adobo and liked the last Chicken Adobo I made in my instant pot. So I thought I'd try my hand at Pork Adobo this time. The recipe is as easy as it looks. I cut up the thick cut pork chops into cubes. I didn't have pork butt but figured the chops would be good enough. "Sauteed" the pork chunks and threw the rest of the ingredients into the Instant Pot. When it was done pressure cooking and had released pressure, I let it boil on Saute for another 20 minutes. I don't know that the sauce thickened as much as evaporated so it wasn't so plentiful but that's also how adobo is traditionally made. My mom lets it boil until the sauce is reduced and the flavor has intensified. Not to mention the meat becoming tender. Which it did thanks to the Instant Pot.

The sauce turned out a bit more bland than I expected. I'm used to adobo having a bite, primarily from the vinegar. At least, my mom's does and that's what makes it abobo and delicious. It could be because I didn't eat it with rice which is the perfect accompaniment to the sauce but next time, I think I would up the vinegar, brown the garlic and leave off the onion. My mom doesn't make it with onion and she confirmed she uses a 3:1 ratio of vinegar to soy sauce in her adobo. I'll have to try that next time.

1 tablespoon canola oil
3 pounds pork butt, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water

1. Using the Saute function on Normal, heat oil. Add pork cubes and cook, turning as needed, until browned on all sides. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add onions, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves.
3. In a bow, combine vinegar, soy sauce and water. Pour into the pot over meat mixture.
4. Close the lid, making sure the valve is on Sealing position and cook on High pressure for 10 minutes. Do a quick release and open lid.
5. Turn on the Saute feature on Normal and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
6. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Restaurant Review: Asian Noodles

Asian Noodles - lunch on April 7, 2019

If you want Asian food in Reno, here's a go-to option. And if you can't decide which Asian cuisine you want, they offer different options.

There's "standard" Chinese fare with chow mein. There's the Vietnamese representation with lemon grass flavors or dishes with rice noodle vermicelli instead of rice.

Fried Salmon

The place itself isn't very fancy and it isn't gourmet Asian fusion but I'm not about the fancy and "fusion" isn't really my thing either so I liked this place. Ultimately, if you want a dish with rice or noodles with some protein, this is a good place to go to.

Fried Salmon

Lemongrass Beef

Restaurant Review: Daughters Cafe

Daughters Cafe - brunch on April 2, 2019

One of the upsides of moving to Reno is meeting up with one of my old friends from high school who moved there with her husband and kids many years ago. She lives a little farther out and suggested going to Daughters Cafe as she'd been looking for someone to try it out with her. It wasn't that far from where I was temporarily staying and I always like trying out new places so it was perfect.

Like what seems to be many places in Reno, Daughters Cafe is run out of what was once a house. On the outside it's clearly a house and when you walk in, the dining spaces are in different rooms in the house, similar to Homage Bakery. They're only open in the morning through end of lunch time so we met for brunch on a day I had off. It wasn't crowded (it's going to take me awhile to adjust to that in Reno) and the atmosphere was more homey than restaurant-like, as if we'd dropped in for a meal with the (unseen) owners of the house, rather than going out to a restaurant to eat.

The menu is pretty straightforward: there were several choices, most of which included fresh fruit and sausages, for a flat price of $15. I went with the Dutch Baby and my friend chose Shirred Eggs. I didn't get a picture of her order but I should have as I tried at bite of her eggs and they were delicious.

For myself, I loved the Dutch Baby pancake. It was fluffy and moist and just tasted good. The sausages were also delicious. Actually, I could probably rave about the sausages as much as, if not more than, the Dutch Baby. You know how food is delicious not just because of how it's prepared but also because they use the best ingredients? That's how the food at Daughters Cafe came across to me. Plus the fruit was top notch and not just a mere health garnish on the plate.

All in all, Daughters Cafe is one of the best places I've tried in Reno so far and I already want to go back. Next time, I'm ordering the Shirred Eggs.

Penne Alla Vodka with Chicken

Penne Alla Vodka with Chicken - made April 20, 2019 from The Cozy Cook

It's well known among my friends that I don't drink. Not from any particular moral or religious reasons (although they conveniently align) but mostly because I've never developed a taste for alcohol. Never cared for the taste or smell so it's been easy to be the automatic designated driver at social gatherings. When people don't know I don't drink and give me wine, I promptly give it away or share it with my drinking friends.

So it's a puzzle, why, when I don't imbibe, I've been hosting a tall bottle of vodka in my pantry for many years, likely through several moves. It's been so long since I've bought it that I can't even remember why I bought it. I suspect it was because I needed it once to try a baking recipe but apparently it couldn't have been that good because I neither remember it or seem to have made it again as the vodka bottle was nearly full.

I'd been reading a decluttering book that encourages you to clean out your pantry (as well as the rest of the house) by getting rid of those "specialty ingredients" you never use. Couldn't agree more with that philosophy and, as I'm looking to move again in a couple of months, saw no sense in moving a tall bottle of vodka I hadn't opened or used in at least 10 years. (Does alcohol expire? Asking for a friend."

But when I made to empty the bottle down the kitchen sink, the thrifty side of my nature warred with my decluttering soul. It seemed like such a waste to get rid of it. Not that I planned to actually drink any of it but surely I could find some use for it. Hello, pinterest, my friend, let's look for vodka sauce recipes. Mostly because that's the only thing I could think of that uses vodka which wouldn't involve drinking it.

Turns out there are a number of vodka sauce recipes out there. I went with this one since it seemed easy. Easy because the main ingredients involved opening a can and a jar. I can do that. Since I'm not a cook, I had hardly any of the ingredients on hand except the vodka. One quick trip to Trader Joe's and I was all set.

This turned out surprisingly well. Which, for me, meant I couldn't taste the vodka (seriously, maybe it really did expire and was nothing more than flat liquor?). The sauce came out creamy and for once, I resisted the urge to add more pasta than the recipe called for as at first it looked like too much sauce. Fortunately, the Trader Joe's package of penne only contains 1 pound so I couldn't have added more pasta anyway as I didn't have more than that one package. Not the healthiest thing I've made, alcohol aside, thanks to the heavy cream and cheese, but it's a nice, easy pasta dish. I might even make this again "for company". I still have some vodka left in that tall bottle and I refuse to move it a 4th or 5th time.

1 pound penne
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 boneless/skinless chicken breast
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter, separated
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic
1 cup vodka
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
24 ounces marinara sauce
1 cup heavy cream
pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
fresh parsley, for garnish

1. Prepare the penne according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil on medium-high heat.
3. Butterfly the chicken breast and cut the seam to create 2 thinner slices, each about an inch thick. Season the chicken with desired amounts of salt and pepper.
4. Carefully lower the chicken into the preheated skillet and leave it untouched for several minutes to sear.
5. Once the chicken begins to release a bit from the bottom of the pan, it's ready to flip. Rotate the oil around in the pan to help it loosen if needed. Flip and decrease heat slightly; sear the other side.
6. Once done, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting up. Leave oil and chicken remnants in the pan for added flavor for the sauce.
7. In the same pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter and use a spatula to release some of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
8. Add the diced onion and cook until softened and begins to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
9. Add the vodka to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes.
10. Reduce the heat to low and add the diced tomatoes and marinara sauce. Stir in the heavy cream.
11. Add the cooked chicken back to the pan and stir into the sauce.
12. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and add the final tablespoon butter. Add in the pasta and stir until penne is evenly covered.
13. Top with Parmesan and chopped parsley; serve warm.

Restaurant Review: Sushi One

Sushi One - lunch on March 24, 2019

My sister recommended this place when we went out to lunch after church with our parents. She comes here during the weekday for lunch with her colleagues.

Sashimi Combo, 9 pieces - $12.95

She's the only one among the four of us who eats sashimi and her order came out quickly. The orders for the rest of us had to be cooked first so we waited a little longer, ha.

Chicken Teriyaki with steamed rice $9.95

I got the ubiquitous Chicken Teriyaki which my family could tell you they could predict I'd always get. Not true. Sometimes I get the Beef Teriyaki, lol. What? Not the most adventurous palate here. I like tempura but only shrimp tempura and sweet potato. For the rest, if you had to eat a vegetable (something my inner 9-year-old self tries to avoid doing), it seems pointless to bread it and deep fry it and thereby rob it of its nutritional intent. Might as well eat a french fry, I say.

Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura $11.95

In any case, overall, this place was pretty good. Prices are fairly reasonable as are the portion sizes. You can't go wrong with Chicken Teriyaki either.

Yakisoba with Shrimp Tempura $11.95

Food Review: Killer Brownies from GoldBelly

Killer Brownies - received April 2, 2019

Do you know those purchases you make because your eyes get greedy when they see something drool-worthy on your computer screen? And you just feel that primitive "me-want" emotion? Then read on, MacDuff.

I first heard of Killer Brownie when I was looking for a gift to send to my old college roommate. I stumbled across them on goldbelly.com . The brownie pictures! My eyes! My greed!

[Before I get into a review of the brownies themselves, props for the packaging. It comes in a cute tin, enveloped in gold tissue paper and individually wrapped to snugly fit into the tin.]

But, as is often the case, they were a little pricey for me to buy for myself. I could justify buying them as a gift (good thing that was why I was on the site) but couldn't bring myself to spend that much on four brownies for me, me, and me.

So I bought them for my old roommate and had them shipped directly to her. I can't remember which flavors I sent her but she told me later which ones were good and which ones were okay. Lest anyone thinks she should've just raved about them because they were a gift from me, I prefer she tell me honestly what she thinks of them. I want to know. Besides, it's not like I baked them myself and that she was critiquing me. I could've taken that too but that's besides the point. I like knowing because if they're really good, I'd order from them again and keep supporting them.

Her review was a little lukewarm which was a trifle disappointing, not just because I had hoped to send her a delicious gift that she would enjoy, but the pictures were so mouthwatering on the Gold Belly site. Like my eyes wouldn't let my brain process that they were less than stupendous.

The Original Killer Brownie

So, flash forward a couple of years later, I see Killer Brownies on the Gold Belly site again and this time they're on sale. In a weak, self-indulgent, retail therapy moment, I decided to make the splurge for myself. I ordered the Original Killer Brownie, the German Chocolate, the Brookie and the Blonde Ambition.

The Original is (per the website description): Layers of scrumptious chocolate brownies chock full of pecans sandwich a blanket of velvet caramel. Really, how could you go wrong? Hmm, well, unfortunately, you can go wrong a couple of ways. First,  I don't like nuts in my brownies. They have a nutless version but I wanted to try "the original" brownie as is so I got that, despite my aversion to nuts in baked goods. So that one's my deliberate fault. But second, this sounds weird but it wasn't so much chocolaty as sweet. I like my brownies richly chocolate rather than sweet and this fell in the sweet category.

German Chocolate Brownie

The German Chocolate Brownie was a little better, partly because I expected it to be sweet, I expected nuts in the frosting as per a typical German Chocolate topping and I love coconut. This is the only brownie Killer Brownie offers without caramel and it didn't need it because of the topping. Still not that chocolaty but most German Chocolate Brownies aren't.

The Brookie

Then you have the Brookie. As described on their website: A tasty combination of Not-A-Nutter (the Original but without nuts) and the classic, chocolate chip cookie. It has multiple layers of chocolate brownie with rich, gooey caramel and chocolate chips, topped off with a thick layer of chocolate chip cookie.

I liked the Brookie probably the best of the four, partly because it didn't have nuts and partly because the brownie base tasted more like a dark chocolate brownie than just a sweet one.

The Blonde Ambition

The Blonde Ambition is what it sounds like: a blondie made with macadamia nuts, "Heath mix" (presumably toffee bits) and white chocolate chips with a layer of caramel in the middle. As you can imagine, this was also sweet but that's also normal for a blondie. I also don't mind macadamia nuts in baked goods as much as other nuts.

I wish I could rave a bit more about Killer Brownies as I normally love brownies and, like I said, their food photography is amazing. But I'm also a bit of a brownie snob and I'm looking for a bit more rich chocolate flavor, not just sweetness in a brownie. I understand why they have to charge the prices they do but for almost $9 a brownie (that includes shipping and packaging), I prefer more of a robust dark chocolate flavor (not counting the Blonde Ambition, of course).