Birthday Bonanza

   Yesterday, we attended a birthday gathering for one of my good friends from school. My friend and I often get together to sew (and obsess about neat fabric), so it seemed fitting that I make her something related to the craft. She has a strong affinity for hedgehogs, and recently mentioned her displeasure with her sad little tomato pin cushion, so I thought: perfect, a hedgehog pin cushion!

   However, after doing a quick little bit of internet research, I stumbled upon this:

   Prickly Pear Pincushions from Etsy seller prettylilthings. As my friend and I have recently added plants to our list of mutual obsessions, a cactus pin cushion seemed much more fitting! So, I sat down at my machine and made her this (after a bit of trial and error): 

  As a finishing touch, I used this tutorial to make the cute little flower on top. In place of ribbon, I sewed together two strips of different fabric to get a two-tone pattern. 


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   On a foodie note, what is a birthday without a cake? Last year my sister requested that I bake some sort of peanut butter chocolate concoction for her boyfriend's birthday. The request resulted in the discovery of an epic peanut butter cake, here on the Sassy Radish blog. I found the "Radish Notes" at the bottom to be very helpful and true, except for the bit about not having enough frosting. All 3 times that I have made this cake, there is an excess of frosting. I usually have to bake an additional set of cupcakes to use it all. I do, however, usually use the full 5 cups of sugar.

   This cake is very rich and intense, but it is absolutely delicious and tastes amazing topped with vanilla ice cream and strawberries. It can definitely serve about 20 people or so, so if you make it, be sure you have plenty of people to eat it!

Braised Piggy

   Sometimes Juli has trouble with "gamey" flavors, so I decided to braise this pork tenderloin in order to give it a nice, sweet flavor. The Aztecs and the Mayans used a nifty spice by the name of "Axiote" (pronounced ah-chote-eh, and sometimes spelled Achiote) to season pork and give it a rich, earthy tone. You can usually find it in Mexican markets, but it's basically just ground Annatto seed, with a few other simple flavorings (like salt and garlic). I made a marinade/braising liquid using the juice of 2 oranges, 1 lemon, spoonful of Axiote paste, 1" chunk of ginger, salt/pepper, and a drizzle of honey. After marinating for about an hour, I seared the skin of the tenderloin in my favorite pan.

   I then added the braising liquid and half of a sliced onion, turned the heat down to medium, and covered the pan. Cook until the pork has an internal temperature of 145 F, then remove and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. The temperature will raise and the meat will continue to cook while resting. Slice and serve with rice and your favorite accompaniments (I like chili garlic hot sauce, Juli likes sweet chili)!

Tips of 3

   There's probably one million delicious ways to make Tri-Tip. Ever since we got this small Weber, I have been constantly experimenting with different BBQ techniques. Lately, I've been trying many dry rub recipes, so today I wanted to try something a little different:

Garlic
Onion
Paprika
Red Pepper
Soy**
Molasses
Sesame Seeds

   Puree the garlic and onion, then mix in the remaining ingredients to make a thick BBQ sauce (the consistency of apple sauce). Salt and pepper the Tri-Tip, then put it over a small charcoal fire with wood bits. Coat the top of the cow with the sauce. Put the lid on and smoke (make sure the vents are open in the BBQ or the fire may die).

   Check on the meat after about 30 min or so, and add more sauce if the meat appears to be dry. I use this handy link for checking doneness. I like it with a little bit of pink. 

   Remove the meat from the grill when you are satisfied with the amount of burn. Wrap in aluminum foil and let rest for 10 min before slicing. 

   Whip up a quick dipping sauce, if so inclined. Ketchup, molasses, and hot sauce make a good base and you can get creative from there. I like a little worcestershire, rice vinegar, and a drop or two of natural smoke flavoring. Dunk the meat in sauce and enjoy!

   Roasted red peppers, veg and garlic bread make tasty accompaniments. 

Yum!

** don't you know yet?

Rumble in the kitchen ?

They should have named George  Foreman's grill  "the awesome sandwich maker".

Juli went into the city yesterday and on her way back today there was a fire (as is customary around here whenever you are attempting to travel). After speaking with the frustrated and hungry young lady, I determined she may be in need of some sandwich therapy upon her arrival here at the pit. My stomach informed me that I could also use a treatment, so I whipped these up:

Bread

Tomato

Fresh ground pepper

Basil

Red onion

Mozzarella medallions

Mustard or pesto

*Oil

Spread one side of the bread with mustard or pesto; lay sliced tomato down; season with pepper and basil. Red onion is next, followed by the mozzarella, and then bread (I don't know why I wrote all that, anybody reading this should be able to figure out how to assemble a sandwich)! Brush oil on both sides of bread and apply to awesome sandwich maker. Grill until golden brown and gooey. Juli likes hers with ketchup, I prefer pickled jalepeno. Enjoy !

*extra virgin olive, duh.

p.s. Tri-tip is on the grill! Update to follow post consumption.