Butternut Squash Custard/Pie/AltMuffin?

I don't know what to call this, since it is sort of like a pie without the crust, but it is adapted from a custard recipe that I forgot to save and only vaguely remembered. Either way the taste is reminiscent of Mimi's Buttermilk Spice  Muffins (the best muffins ever, but like ten million calories per bite) and the texture is like a pumpkin pie.

Ingredients
1 half of a butternut squash (or more, if you are gluttonous or have moochers coming over)
2 eggs per squash half
Vanilla Extract
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Allspice (if you want, it would probably be tasty)
Sugar of desired browness (I used dark brown, but probably others would work too.)


Preheat oven to 350!

• Wash and Cut Butternut squash in half lengthwise (this is way harder than I thought it would be!)
• Scoop out seedy area (Set seeds aside so you can dry and grow them.)
• Spray the cut half liberally with scary imitation spray butter, coating your arm in the process (or some other method for buttering the cut side)
• Set squash half facedown in an ovensafe pan, fill with half an inch or so of water.

Bake for about 40 mins, or until squash is mushy and seems done.

• Let squash cool; meanwhile go to the store to buy the ingredients that you don't have on hand and didn't think to buy before you randomly started cooking. Did I just use a semicolon appropriately? I think maybe?
• Drain water out of pan, or transfer to the oven safe dish you want to serve in.
• Peel squash as best you can. I did about 85% of a peel job before I got annoyed with it and stopped. It did not kill me to eat a little bit of peel.
• Cut squash into manageable pieces, and go to work smashing it up.
• Meanwhile scramble the eggs in a separate bowl, add a splash of vanilla. Anywhere from 1/4 tsp to a full teaspoon depending on how enthusiastic you are about vanilla.
• Mix spices into squash.
• Add egg to mush slowly so that it doesn't cook the egg if it is too warm.
• Add sugar!
• Smooth mush around the dish so it is even.
• Put back in oven until it is set all the way through and browned on top.

Eat while warm! Its better that way! It tastes way better than it looks in the picture.

Rellenos-y Quiche-ish Enchilada Casserole

You need:

• Wheat Tortillas (enough for a few layers in your pan)
• 1 Can of green enchilada sauce. Salsa verde?
• Two eggs for each layer
• 1 pkg frozen spinach
• Mozzarella cheese, to taste.

Process

1. Preheat oven to 300
2. Defrost Spinach, squeeze out as much water as you can
3. Shred Mozzarella cheese
4. Mix Spinach and most of Cheese (set aside about a third), add desired spices (such as cumin), set aside
5. Crack eggs into bowl, scramble, set aside
6. Put tortillas into saucepan, pour sauce over them, make sure they are coated. Keep them turning until they are evenly soaked and warm, but not quite falling apart.
7. Begin making layers: tortilla, spinach mixture, some scrambled egg, more cheese on top, then start next layer. End with a tortilla on top.
8. When layers are finished pour remaining sauce over the top and stab all over with a fork so that the sauce and egg can permeate everywhere.
9. put in oven! When most of it appears set (but with a lot of thin liquid drains into a cut, around 20 mins) stab some more and turn oven down to 200 until it starts to brown and puff. Make sure it is completely cooked through.

Delicious!

Adventures in Male Cooking

Sometimes gentlemen seem to make decisions that, although obviously following some version of logic, certainly don't seem to make sense to the untrained eye. This afternoon Paul proposes that he make eggs for lunch. Sure. Great. Particularly since he recently filled out his kitchenware, and among other things he bought a pan accessory for poaching eggs. I was suspicious about his knowledge of the tool because I had seen weird burnt stuff left on the pan when it was left in the sink before. Lo and behold, I came over to find that rather than sitting in a pan full of water, the egg poaching apparatus was laid directly on the burner. Though they were a bit tough, the eggs turned out fine. Next time I will probably be giving a poaching tutorial.

Lenten Food Extravaganza

So right now I am sitting at the computer, trying to think of things to say about Tver in Russian, eating a giant pile of spinach and lentils. They are pretty good, but I am intensely craving something savory. The no-meat diet leaves me snacking like crazy for lack of satisfying proteins. It would be fine if only I had more vegan resources.
In other news, I was recently up until 5 am making very detailed versions of planters that I want to build. All to scale and such. I just need a toolkit. And wood. And a job so I can buy tools and wood. And room to put the planter.

Dr. Strangediversion

or How I learned to stop worrying and love L-- is that a steak??
Lent began on the first of March. So far I have done pretty well, albeit a little unbalancedly. I started out abstaining from meat and dairy, with exceptions for 2% milk (bc I need to drink more milk) and healthy fish fillets (to encourage healthy habits and avoid living off discount chili). For spring break though, I was at home, where they were doing no-meat only with no fish allowances. So I swapped, which was a nice change.
It always gets easier the longer that one is on Lent. Eventually when Lent is over, it takes a while to get used to eating meat again. The best thing about Lent though, is that it makes cooking more active. Finding recipies, preparing meals. It's no longer a matter of just microwaving a hot dog or eating a block of cheese like one normally would when dinner comes around.
So far my mom and I made veggie lasagna from scratch, baked chili relleno, and a bunch of salads. I have been eating pineapple on everything as a condiment. Fish becomes more versatile and food feels more interesting.
And yet, today my mom and I lustily watched a man eat a hamburger a few tables away at a local pizza place.

Life in a Bento Box

So, Japan. A possible new adventure for the gentleman and I. Gentleman, mind you. Just the one. Though there are many places I would rather go, namely eastern Europe, I am coming around to the idea of Asia. After talking to people about it who have known me for awhile we've generally come to the same conclusion; Japan doesn't represent something fabled and new to me. I grew up around and among Asians of varied heritage. Asia is not a vast, unexplored frontier. Asia is a place like most others (in that every place is different) that happens to like things very small. That has a lot of irking potential since I am very attached to furniture and space.
However, the worst part? Not the bathrooms. I can [maybe] adjust if I end up with a strange bathroom. Those are usually somewhat western at this point. The thing I fear most is the kitchen. No oven? Small, almost camp-style cooktop? Little counter space? Tiny fridge?? How do I use that?
I hope to be able to use Ikea to solve a lot of my problems. Alton Brown (May he live forever) has always been a fan of multi0taskers. I should light a candle at my Good Eats altar and ask for guidance...

I know where I am, But I don't have to Eat it

So here are some gastronomic reasons I am not a good candidate for living in the south:

I Don't Like
Gravy
Grits
Fried Food
Chicken on the bone
Pork (except bacon)
Sweet Tea (unless Roommate Sarah makes it)
Biscuts
Banana Pudding
Meat originating from cute animals (Bunnies, lambs, baby cows, Bambi, Duckies, etc.)
Any part of the animal other than muscle tissue (liver, intestines, stomach, etc)
Anything with a lot of butter
Cake with fruit in it
Pecan Pie
Lard, or anything that Lard may have breathed on.

So you see, I get to drive my roommates a little crazy with my pseudo-yankee ways. However I do love some southern things such as pecans, peaches, and the crazy friends I have made out here. More to come, perchance. I've finished my Religion homework and am being called to our ceremonial viewing of Gilmore Girls.

Leftover Pizza on a Rainy Morning

I love waking up and knowing that I don't have to get out of bed. Particularly when you peek outside and it is sunny but raining like mad, and there is last night's food left over in the fridge. Jalepeno and pineapple pizza, to be precise. I considered anchovy but I don't really know how well I like salty fish on my pizza anymore. Any moment now and there will be some kind of point or theme to this passage.
I got the Orange Box game set to play on Paulo's PS3. My main interest in that is the game Portal, which happens to be hilarious and fun, but there are a few other games on there as well that have good reviews and why turn down spending an extra ten dollars for four additional games? Paulo has recently consumed and conquered the last and latest of the Metal Gear series. It is definitely an interesting game.
Speaking of interesting games, everyone has words that constantly evade them in spelling. I made the mistake of putting one in the address of my blog. Alas. I hope it is changable.