Hoo-rag – Product Review

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This is certainly a first for this Blog. A few weeks ago, I received an email from the makers of the Hoo-rag asking for a review of their product. They offered to ship me a sample for this review, no matter the outcome. As our Disclosure page states, we have not received any cash or compensation for this product (aside from the one sample) for this review. Here is a video of the product, taken from their site, to get you familiar with what it is and does:

Introduction to the Hoo-rag.

There, now that we have introductions behind us, on to the review!

I had seen the Hoo-rag around before, but never used one, much less tried one on. I have never thought about the product specifically, but I do find that a kitchen can warm when working over a stove and moving around quite a bit.

Recently, while volunteering to cook for a large crowd, I found that I was beinging multiple hats to change out throughout the time I was cooking as I was hot and sweating quite a bit. I do remember thinking that having a product to use would be helpful. Unfortunately, all that came to mind were the 70′s style sweatbands, and i am much too vain to be seen wearing those!

When I received the product, I was amazed at how soft it felt. The fabric reminded me of the heat dispersing, quick drying sports undershirts that have become so popular. When I tried it on, it was very comfortable and the kids really enjoyed their turn at trying it on. With all the ways to wear it, I almost lost it to my daughter for use as a pony-tail device.

Would I wear this? Sure. Wold I wear this around company, well that depends on the crowd. My annual “Man-Q” where we sit around drinking beer, eating BBQ and smoking cigars, sure. Would I wear this out of the house? Probably, but again, it owuld have to match the event. I could see myself using it for hiking or fishing to help with sweat and to keep the sun off of my neck.

All in all, I am pleased with the product and do recommend it. From their site, i see they run about $14.95 for their already made products and they do offer custom. I think $14.95 would be the max I would pay for this, but the value may increase for me the more I wear it.

Corn and Crab Chowder – About.com – Recipe Review

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Corn and Crab Chowder

Corn and Crab Chowder with toasted ciabatta points (tying “points” makes me feel much more sophisticated than, say, slices).

I have been wanting to make a chowder for some time. I browsed for a corn and crab chowder, as it peaked my interest, and fell upon this recipe. I wanted a basic, well-rounded recipe to try, then as I usually do, will find some way to jazz it up. The recipe can be found HERE, but I will list the ingredients and process here for ease.

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2013 Focus – Sauces

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Hey all – and Happy New Year! Sorry it has been so long since I have posted, but I needed to take some time away due to some life events (new job, holidays, etc.). I am back with a renewed drive for posting here and adding things that you want to see.

For 2013, much of what I want to do will be the same: reviews of recipes  restaurants and other fun tidbits I can add to the blog. I have also decided to make a string of posts from this book:

Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making

Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making

I bought this book a few years ago (It has been updated since then), but after reading a bit of it, got distracted and moved on. Now, since I have given this as a gift (yes, i bought my friend the new one), I am inspired again to work through the book. No, I will not do all of the recipes, but will cover all that are of interest to me.

When I bought the book, I was realizing that there is only so much to do a protein  and until  I learn to produce various sauces, I will be stuck with the same-old-stuff. This isn’t exactly true, but I do want to bring a little life to my dishes, so I will focus here a little more heavily.

 

How To Make Sausage – A Step By Step Guide

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Recently, I have taken on the “challenge” of sausage making. I put “challenge” in quotation marks because it really isn’t much of a challenge. Sausage is simply the mixture of ground meat and spices. Yep, that’s it. Not much to it at all. You don’t need a fancy grinder, though it is helpful. You don’t need to stuff the ingredients into casings for it to qualify as a sausage. No, sausage can be made loose and formed into patties and cooked in a skillet. It is easy to assume it is beyond your abilities, as I once did, but I assure you, it is easy, very rewarding and far better than anything you would buy in a store. So, with that stated, I want to show you how to make sausage, from start to finish, so you can make it yourself.

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Newberry’s Backyard BBQ – Newberry, FL

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Newberry’s Backyard BBQ

We stopped at Newberry’s Backyard BBQ yesterday. It is a place I have been to twice before, but never with a camera to take pictures of the blog. Obviously, if I have been there twice prior, I must like the place, but I will write a review from this visit only. I may add a note or two from prior observations, but I will generally keep it to this recent visit.

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Hosting this blog

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*sigh*

I decided to move this blog from the confined efficiency of the WordPress servers in search of something with a bigger kitchen. With any move, there are hiccups and other unexplainable anomalies that go on, especially as I venture into the “unknown”. I am currently screaming, “Where did that go!?!?” and “How do I do that?”.

Pardon the mess as I unpack and sort my utensils.

Braised Chicken and Mushrooms – Williams-Sonoma

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Last night, for Valentine’s Day I made this dish. It is a slightly modified version of the dish on Williams-Sonoma’s website found HERE. I will repost the recipe, as I made it last night, for your reference. I did double the recipe, because I like leftovers and it is more economical.

The recipe is one we go to occasionally, but we agreed to make it last night. Since we pre-planned this, I decided to take shots along the way and record my notes for this blog entry. As usual, I have included step by step photos, with instructions, so you can follow along.

Ingredients:

  • 3lbs chicken leg quarters – leg and thigh separated and trimmed of excess fat and excess skin
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 6 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 2 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 lb. wild and/or cultivated mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 cup dry sherry
  • 2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon

Directions:

Brown the chicken
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, melt 4 Tbs. of the butter. Add the chicken and cook, turning once or twice, until golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate.Cook the vegetables
Melt the remaining 2 Tbs. butter in the pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until barely softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté until their juices are released, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Madeira and Worcestershire sauce.Braise the chicken
Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pan and spoon the mushrooms over the chicken. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and braise the chicken until opaque throughout, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the tarragon and season with salt and pepper.
Divide the chicken among dinner plates, spoon the mushrooms over the chicken and serve immediately. Serves 4.

My review of this recipe with pictures (after the jump):

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