The Great Ricotta Experiment. Part 1.

So a few days ago our favorite food blogger posts on making fresh Ricotta. I was excited and mulled it over for 30 minutes before discovering a lack of whole milk or cream in our refrigerator... However, tomorrow I will be going shopping and with the abundance of strawberries we seem to have from the farmers market this week, I figure what could be better than ricotta and strawberry tart??? Well probably alot of things... still, have faith... it will all work out in the end.

But getting to the point... I've been fascinated with cheese making ever since, as a small boy, I went to the tillamook cheese factory and saw these big orange blocks being wrapped, and curds forming in long tubs.  As the years have passed this curiosity has been flamed by the occasional library book on traditional indian food that would mention traditional paneer, or a CHOW piece about mozzarella. So now I am ready to make the plunge into cheese-making, okay ricotta isn't exactly cheddar but still its a start! I'm thinking, if I don't let someone else make my pizzas, (or in this case manicotti) Why would I let them make the cheese?

The Tillamook Factory Floor.

More on how this all turns out later.

Veggie Chili

So how do I tell this to you but I have been busy. . . raising a crazy beagle who is now 6 months

old and still crazy as ever. School has been a problem too. Summer break began a couple of weeks ago and somehow I still forgot about posting. I have been wondering this since the blog started is any one out there reading us. . . anyone?

Ok any who, the name veggie chili might throw you off. But really there are only 2 different kinds of vegetables in the whole thing (if you don't count canned tomatoes as a vegetable). I found this recipe off of threadbanger.com, of all places you would think to find a chili recipe, and it is delicious.

The first time I made this recipe it was snowy here in Seattle, WA. The day before thanksgiving. I had planned to make it sooner, but there had just been no time. And so now I shall get on with it and give you the recipe.

serves 6-10 people

• 4 celery stalks
• 4 large carrots
• 1 medium sized onion
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• olive oil to saute the veggies
• 1-2 cups vegetable broth
• 4 cans of assorted beans (I used pinto, black, kidney, and white)
• seasoning to taste such as cumin, soy sauce, paprika......
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes

Start by sauteing the first 5 ingredients, then add in your vegetable broth. Let those tasty things simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Now very important, make sure to drain and rinse your beans. After your veggies have simmered for awhile pour in your drained and rinsed beans and the large can of diced tomatoes, juice and all.

Bring the pot of stuff, about to be called chili, to a boil, after that you can now add your seasonings. This is what will make or break your chili, so start with a little each of your seasonings and slowing add more, you don't want to accidentally add to much cayenne or soy sauce. You get what I mean. After the vegetables are cooked and everything tastes good you are ready to serve. You can enjoy your chili with cornbread or tortilla chips and a multitude of other things , whatever works for you. Have fun, enjoy!

*So sorry there are no pictures, I will try to get some up soon. Happy Father's Day!

Neglect.

Ugh, Here it is in June and I have neglected this blog like the plague. I should probably promise my return to it. But I won't. Instead I will say I have spent some of the time doing useful things, like continuing my learning experiments in the art of cinematography. And at least one or two months was spent laboring in the kitchen, only to not write about any of the food. I sold my car, fixed up my bike, and genrally mucked about all over the internet without much aim or ambition. . .

So now, where does this leave us (me)?

Another completely unrelated thought of course. Emily is baking, All. The. Time. It no longer matters how hard I try I'm not going to be losing weight with her baking. Its not so much bread and savory things. Its at least 2 batches of new and interesting sweets a week! She is also venturing into puppy treats of increasing complexity, which is a great leap forward for her, after using the same tired biscuit recipe for the last 4 years. . .

Anywho, hopefully this post is the start of something, good. If not good. At least tasty, eh?