Terrariums

Terrariums are a great way to keep plants. I especially like to keep succulents in terrariums, they need so little watering you can practically forget about them for a month or two with no worries. You want forget about them though because they are pretty and nice to look at. The only time I have killed a plant in a terrarium was from over watering.

I like using succulents because they are slow growing, this is important because I don't want to be constantly replanting these little guys when they grow too large for their terrarium.

Terrariums were first invented/used for transferring ferns by botanists back when plants had to be carried by boat from one continent to the next. Ferns are difficult to transport because they like their soil to be moist. Terrariums act as little mini convection climates, as the moisture evaporates from the soil some of it gets captured and returns to rehydrate the plant.

The basic idea for the terrarium is to have a loose layer of pebbles on the bottom and then the soil on top. The layer of rock acts as a barrier to the soil so it doesn't become too saturated with moisture and cause the roots to rot. I used perlite on the bottom with this little guy. He is honestly too small for this terrarium, and I feel bad about that. The terrarium is an old pasta jar I got at Fred Meyers, you can use any clear container that has an open top.

This terrarium looks damn cool but is so impractical when it comes to terrarium upkeep. When it is in the sun, water condenses on the plant and on the sides. This encourages mold to grow, quickly killing your plant. I might end up turning this one into a mossarium. If I do I will write a blog about it.

So that is it, go get a giant pickle jar out of your recycling, put some dirt in it and find a cool succulent or any other slow growing plant and place terrariums around your house. I guarantee they will make you happy.

If you want to learn more I recommend you visit the fine people at Pistils Nursery, they will probably tell you I am doing terrariums all wrong but I taught myself and my plants are doing just fine. If you go make sure you pick up a chicken!

Udon Noodle Recipe

Oh Yeah! I have a blog. For my two followers I totally apologies. Today's blog is how to make Udon noodles from scratch. Udon is a wide wheat Japanese noodle that tastes amazing in most soups and I have had in cold noodle salads and stir fries that have also been delicious. The next time you are in an Asian grocer just get some udon dashi, a few of your favorite vegetables, and a meat or tofu of your choice. These should be prepared and cooked to your liking, maybe even a little under done so you can just add it to your soup at the very end. I have always liked bean sprouts, garlic, corn, spinach and tofu or pork (depending on whether or not I am a vegetarian* at that moment in my life). Udon is relatively easy, it just takes a little bit of time. It consists of three ingredients:

2 cups of sifted flour, 2/3 cup water, and 1 tablespoon of salt. I currently do not have a sifter but when I did have one, and used it, I noticed the noodles had a better texture.

Next, dissolve the salt into the water and then add the flour. Knead until smooth.

Note that this was the smoothest I was able to get this, this is where the sifter would have helped.

Now the recipe gets fun. The next step involves beating your udon until it doesn't know it's name "What? No! I'm not ramen?!?" I personally like to punch it over a hundred times.

It is a good workout and it relieves stress. If you have some little ones and they are the reason for your stress, you can preoccupy them by sticking the dough in two garbage bags,one inside the other, stick it on the ground and tell them to stomp on it until they fall asleep.

Put the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover with a dampened paper towel and let it rest from the thorough ass kicking for 2 hours.

Roll the dough out on a floured cutting board to an 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be really elastic so keep flipping and flouring the board until you have the desired thickness.

Flour the top of the dough, yes the top, and fold one third of the dough over, flour the newly exposed third and fold the remaining third over the first. It will look like this:

Flour again and with a nice sharp knife cut the udon into 1/8 inch noodles.

Separate the noodles and add to boiling water for 7-12 minutes. (And okay I admit some of those noodles are 3/16ths of an inch.)

If you have your dashi stock already heated just strain the noodles and add to the dashi stock and add your other ingredients.

Sorry I forgot to take a picture of the finished product, I was too excited to eat my udon, forgive me I forgot. Bad food blogger.

*Udon dashi stock has fish in it, not really vegetarian. A good vegetable or mushroom stock with a little sake, mirin, and soy sauce works just fine.

Grilling T-Bone Steak and Asparagus

Welcome to my blog. This is my first blog and my first post so be kind. My blog is going to be about the things I make with instructions so you can make them too. My posts will range from photos I take to art projects and hopefully some weekend woodworking projects. 

Onto the beef.

I like to grill T-Bone steak because it is delicious, not that expensive, and did I mention delicious. Also I found that the butchers at Fred Meyers should be selling these as Porterhouses generally a more expensive cut. The loin (small) side of the steak is the same meat used for fillet mignon, if the loin is longer than 1.25 inches long from the bone it is a porterhouse. Depending on your style one big T-bone is enough for two people, Texans will disagree with me, and this night I actually cooked one for myself and Stephanie. We immediately went into a beef coma after dinner. When picking a good steak you want to look for a lot marbling of meat and fat. Fat is what makes steak so good. I don't trim my steaks before grilling for this very reason, those big pieces of fat melt into the steak a little and make it even better, plus it helps the steak from drying out on the grill.

Step 1: Salt and let stand for a half an hour to an hour at room temperature. Always bring your steak to room temperature it helps with the cooking process and allows the fat in the meat to melt instead of burn.  When it comes to the salt, use lots, just smother it in salt. I like to use about 1-2 tsp of course ground sea salt per steak, if you use table salt use .5-1 tsp per steak. 

Step 2: While the steaks are coming to room temperature start your coals. I use hardwood coals instead of briquettes when grilling steak. Hardwood coals burn hotter and faster which is what you want for a steak with a crispy exterior and a pink interior. The coals will take anywhere from 20-40 minuets to get ready for grilling. Always empty the coal ash from the last time you cooked, it clogs the air vents and causes problems when cooking.

The coals should look like this when ready. I build a modified two level fire with all my coals on one side. I do this so I can get the crispy exterior at the start and finish them on the cooler side of the grill. 

Step 3: Heat the cooking grate of the grill with the cover on for 5 minuets and clean the grate. Always clean the grate really well.

While the grill is heating up prep the Asparagus. Cut off the tough ends, I usually find the breaking point of one spear and cut the rest at the same length. I coat my asparagus with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. I was out of balsamic vinegar and substituted red wine vinegar. The sugar in the vinegar makes a nice char without really charring the asparagus. 

Step 4: Put the steak on the grill with the thinner ends facing the cooler side of the grill and the loins facing the outside. Because the loins have less fat in them they should cook with less heat. Grill for 4-6 minuets on each side. Do not cover the grill.

Flip, oops I forgot to swap the places of the steak to keep the loins on the outside, but the thinner part is still on the cooler side of the grill. 

Step 5: When the steak has a nice char on both sides move it to the cooler side of the grill and put the asparagus on. Cook until it is at the doneness you like. I removed the steaks from the grill soon after I added the asparagus. I tented it with foil on a cutting board for 5-10 minuets, this is an important step for any steak. It finishes the cooking and lets all of the flavors relax into each other.

Step 6: Enjoy. I recommend eating the steak from the strip steak side to the loin, that way you finish with the better cut of meat. If splitting the steak between two cut the meat into .25 to .5 inch strips and divide evenly. 

I do not encourage A1 sauce, if you must have a little sauce as I do every once in a while I recommend worcestershire sauce, the thick kind. That dollop at the top of my plate is all I used. I spent time on the steak I should taste the steak, not the sauce.