Seafood/Pork/Beef Combo Whatzitcalled...

One nice chunk of pork belly, about 1 pound, cut into small pieces, about a pound of the meat from beef short ribs, also cut into small pieces (about 1/2x1/2"), one pound of baby octopus cleaned and cut into small mouth sized pieces, one pound of squid cleaned and cut like the octopus, one pound of cleaned shrimp (25-30 count per pound), one small can tomato paste, two 8 ounce cans of plain tomato sauce, garlic powder to taste, sea salt to taste, black pepper about 1/2 teaspoon, two large dollops of hot pepper sauce with garlic to taste (some stuff I picked up in Chinatown), a few sprinkles of cinnamon (maybe even a 1/8 teaspoon), a bit or oregano (only a few sprinkles), about 6 green onions diced at least from the bottom to halfway up the greens), about 1/2 pound of very small potatoes (this were about the size of walnuts) cut into halves or quarters.

I browned the pork to crispy on the outside, then the beef in the same pan in just a squirt of olive oil. Then added the octopus and squid to it and let it cook for a while in a deep pan. I did this as I got the other ingredients ready. I added all the other ingredients, except the shrimp, into a large pot, put the browned the beef, pork belly, octopus and squid into the pot with the sauce ingredients, and then brought it to a boil. As soon as brought to a boil, I lowered flame and let it simmer for one hour. Then I added the shrimp for about 5 minutes. All the while, as this was cooking I kept checking to make sure it did not boil over, and I stirred every 15 to 10 minutes for just a bit.

Whatzitcalled - who knows: but boy does it taste good right out of the pot. Tomorrow it will be for my lunch over a bit of white rice. My son thought it was good too, and especially liked the hot flavoring I added. Next time though, only the other spices, no really hot stuff, I want to enjoy the taste of the seafood more than the hot stuff. Next time, I think I'll use fresh tomatoes, maybe some fresh basil leaves, and no to very little sauce or paste.

All the best,
GB

I Could Not Stand The Heat...

...so I got out of the kitchen; and I sat down in the living room with a Scotch on the rocks. The aroma of the 1o year old Speyside was heavy, but nowhere near as fragrant as the unseen hints of exotic spices, apples, and baking pie crust that made there way to me from the kitchen. I had spent the half hour or so, before sitting down with my libation, preparing a breakfast delight for my wife - one of her favorites - homemade apple pie. I hope she thinks it as good as ones I have made in the past, since it has been a while. I can tell you it sure smells and looks wonderful. Maybe it is not as pretty as a pie made by a professional chef, or even a regular Sallie the Home Maker type, but it usually tastes pretty darned delicious if I must say so myself. I almost cannot wait to have a piece, so I had better get off the computer, and head to bed; if I stay up any longer, the pie will not make it through the night unscathed.

All the best,
Glenn B