Gardening For Dummies

Herbs.

Always need 'em. Never have 'em.

It's tough to keep fresh herbs on hand. The store bought varieties go bad so quickly.

I would grow my own, but I don't have a yard for a reason. I can't keep plants alive.

Still, it's a pain and shame to run out to the market every time a recipe calls for fresh herbs.

So I was pleasantly surprised to see a simple, all-in-one basil kit at my local Ikea.

What a concept! The kit included:

a clear pot

soil tablet

seed package

Basically, everything I would need to create my own mini kitchen sill basil garden.

The directions looked so easy that even I, a novice, felt confident in giving it a go.

All I had to do was add water to the soil tablet (which instantly expanded in size to fill the pot), sprinkle the seeds on top and wait 10-12 weeks for the basil to grow.

And grow it did.

Signs of growth started within days.

Now, two weeks later, the basil shoots are about 1-2 inches tall.

Does Size Matter?

I commiserated with my coworkers yesterday. Turns out everyone has a crock pot disaster story.

Some shared their tales of woe with such passion that even I was a bit surprised. Bitter frustration underscored each.

They report that, without fail, food will burn and crust on the bottom of their crock pots – even when set to low.

A clever coworker pointed out that our crock pot-to-meat ratio might be off. That is, my 4-pound pork shoulder was too small for my 6.5-quart crock pot.

An interesting theory. One that I am tempted to test out with yet another pork shoulder. But before I go out and acquire a third pork shoulder in two weeks, I need to finish the remaining kalua pig in my fridge. Already, the husband is rolling his eyes at the prospect of consuming more kalua pig. And he LOVES the stuff. But even he has his limits.

So I might give it a week or two, but I will be buying a larger shoulder or using a mini crock pot.

My coworker mentioned that there's a hotline one can call for help in disasters such as these. I couldn't find one other than the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1 (800) 535-4555. It seems to specialize on fielding safety questions, though. If you know of a general one, do share.

Onolicious

Success!

My second attempt at kalua pork turned out light years different than the first. The meat fell off the bone when I poked it with a fork. Just as it should. The pork was so moist and tender. I transferred it to a casserole dish and easily shredded the meat with two forks.

I beamed with joy.

I made a mental note to put this recipe on regular rotation. I love it because the recipe calls for few ingredients and requires little prep. Within a few minutes, I can stick the prepared pork in the oven and forget about it for 4 hours. The oven does all of the work.

Oh, and the smell. The scent of slowly cooking pork pervaded my entire kitchen and adjoining living room.

It's so delicious that I had to resist the urge to sneak a peek.

It's a good think that I let it be because the result is salty pork goodness. Enough for many meals for a couple of two. We enjoy ours with King's Hawaiian sweet rolls.

What A Crock

It was bound to happen.

After all my kitchen successes, I had a kitchen failure.

My kalua pig.

Kalua pig is a Hawaiian favorite. A salty shredded pork dish, usually eaten with rice and, if you're lucky, lomi lomi salmon. I grew up eating kalua pig. I miss it now that I've moved to California.

Whenever I have the craving for some kalua pig, I whip out Hawaii's Best Local Dishes by Jean Watanabe Hee. This cookbook boasts the best kalua pig recipe that I've seen. The dish turns out perfect every time I make it. A little taste of home.

The directions say to rub the sides of a pork butt (which I don't always see in my supermarket) in Hawaiian salt (which isn't easy to find in California) and liquid smoke. Then, place the butt in ti leaves (which I don't grow in my backyard here) and secure with string (which I never have on hand). Then, place it in the oven.

Here's my mainland version:

Ingredients:

4 to 6-pounds pork shoulder

2 to 3 Tablespoons kosher salt

2 Tablespoons liquid smoke

aluminum foil

Place pork shoulder on a tray. Rub all sides of pork shoulder with kosher salt and liquid smoke. Place shoulder on aluminum foil and seal well so no steam escapes. Place the prepared shoulder in a shallow roasting pan and roast in a preheated 450-degree oven. After 1 hour, reduce heat to 400 degrees and cook 3 to 4 hours longer or until done. Shred with two forks. The meat should fall apart upon touch.

This recipe has never failed.

So why I wanted to tweak it is beyond me.

Something possessed me to use my shiny new crock pot instead of the oven. So I prepared my pork shoulder and placed it in my crock pot with an inch of water. I closed the lid, set it for 8 hours on low and watched it turn into a right hot mess.

The meat (pictured) completely dried out and had little taste.

Utter disappointment set in. I vowed then and there that I'd attempt kalua pig again on the weekend. This time, I'd do it the right way. In the oven.

It's now Saturday and guess what's in the oven?

You got it.

Kalua pig take two.

A Labor Free Treat

Baked Martha's Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes and brought them to a Labor Day holiday BBQ and pool party yesterday.

They were a hit.

I wanted to take on this recipe because I already had most of the ingredients. I only had to pick up the cream cheese and sour cream.

Best of all, the cheesecakes were easy and quick to make.

This surprised me because Martha is not known for easy recipes. I tried to make her frosting once. It flopped and the ingredients separated. I had to throw the whole thing away.

I also tried my hand at her crepe paper black-eyed susan kit. It took me a all day to cut and assemble the 18 artificial flowers to fill a vase.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I took on her Cookie and Cream Cheesecakes. No hiccups along the way.

You just beat the cream cheese. Then gradually add sugar, vanilla, eggs, sour cream and salt. Then, stir in chopped Oreo cookies by hand. The recipe doesn't call for much. And yet, it yields 40 or so dense, creamy cheesecakes.

I placed one whole Oreo cookie at the bottom of each cupcake liner to form the perfect base. The combination of the sandwich cookie + cheesecake batter made for the right cookies-and-cream taste.

An “A” Martha recipe.

Sunday Sweet Treats

I couldn't resist.

I broke down and bought a copy of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes.

I have a weakness for cupcakes and Martha's book featured some of the best I've seen. The pictures are delectable.

So I thought I'd try my hand at a few 17. Below are my favorites that I'm committing to make and review.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Banana-Pecan Cupcakes
Blueberries-and-Cream Cupcakes
Mocha Cupcakes
Applesauce-Spice Cupcakes
Brown Sugar Pound Cake
Tiny Cherry and Almond Tea Cakes
Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes
Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
Strawberry-Jam Tea Cakes
Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Chocolate Salted-Caramel Cupcakes
Shark and Sand Dune Cupcakes
Ladybug Cupcakes
Wise Owls Pretzel-Topped Cupcakes
Ice-Cream Cone Cupcakes

First up? Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes.

Cha Cha Cha!

Looking for a good sushi place in San Jose?

You're not alone. I set off to find one and stumbled across Cha Cha Sushi (547 W Capitol Expressway).

Is it a hit or a miss?

For the verdict, check out my full restaurant review at FoodieByte.

What's your favorite sushi restaurant?

Summer Daze

Last weekend, temperatures topped 100 degrees. To beat the heat, I enjoyed a tall glass of iced tea.

Specifically, guava green tea with pearls from Fantasia.

Although there are three Fantasia shops nearby (in Santa Clara, Milpitas and Cupertino), I don't always find time to go.

So to satisfy a sudden craving, I make my own.

I experimented to recreate the original. The following recipe comes close.

Makes 2.

Ingredients:

½ cup tapioca pearls (I buy the WuFuYuan brand at my local Chinese market)

1 cup water

guava juice (I use Kern's Nectar)

1 green tea bag

ice

Boil the pearls according to the instructions on the back of the package. Pour boiled pearls in a bowl and cool to room temperature (You can place the bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes to help the cooling process along).

While the pearls are cooling, steep the tea bag in 1 cup of water.

Add ice to two tall glasses. Add half the pearls to each glass. Fill glasses half full with guava juice. Top each with ½ cup of tea.

Add extra-large straw (available at your local Chinese market), stir and enjoy a refreshing, light drink for a hot summer day.