Not all sushi is created equally.

If you are one of those people who has never tried sushi because you don’t want to eat anything raw, then keep reading. Sushi is not raw fish. Sushi really doesn’t have anything to do with fish, crab, shrimp or any of the other toppings you usually see. Sushi is about the rice. Let’s look at a brief history of Sushi.

It started back in Southeast Asia, a long long time ago. Back then, there were no refrigerators, so the people had to use other methods of preserving food, and rice was one of those. The people would take their fresh fish, clean them, then pack them with rice and leave the fish for 2-3 months. What would happen is the rice would react with the bacteria and cause fermentation to occur. This kept the “bad stuff” from growing and the fish from spoiling. After the process was complete, the rice (now a mush) would be thrown out and the fish would be eaten. At some point, the people got tired of waiting so long, so they started eating the fish sooner, before the rice had turned to mush, and found out at this point the rice could be a side dish. However, the fermentation caused the rice to have a sour taste, which is where the word Sushi (meaning “sour-taste”) came from. To speed up, and simulate the process of fermentation, the people started adding vinegar to the rice, and eventually the sour rice was a dish of it’s own, Sushi.

Fast forward to the fairly recent past, and we start to see what we know as sushi today. Slices of raw fish had already been popular in Japan, and when Sushi rice made it’s way there, the Japanese began to make pieces of Sushi topped with these slices of raw fish. This is one of the types of Sushi we know of today, and in the U.S. is probably one that most people shy away from if they have never tried it. The Sushi does not have to be topped with raw fish though. It can be topped with almost anything you like, because the Sushi is the rice, not what you top it with. Another type of Sushi that seems to be more popular now are the Sushi rolls. These are made with a thin sheet of Nori (seeweed) covered with Sushi rice, and then filled with the fillings you prefer and rolled. When Sushi was first brought to the U.S., people were not eager to eat the sushi that was made with raw fish, so the California Roll was created. Instead of raw fish, this roll was made with crab meat (cooked of course), cucumber and avocado. This appealed more to Americans and is a kind of “intro” Sushi for those who are hesitant to try it.

Now, however, the way your Sushi is created is only held back by your imagination. You can have Sushi topped with pretty much anything you like, and if you prefer the rolls, fill them with what you enjoy! I prefer crab myself, but you could have all vegetables, cream cheese, or even go wild and use things like chicken, cheese, lettuce, etc. I personally have not gone that far with it yet, but like I said, don’t limit yourself. Let your imagination, and your taste buds guide you. As long as you have Sushi rice, you have Sushi, no matter what you top it with!

I enjoy making things… here’s the proof!

My Hat! It keeps the head warm!

Yep, I have discovered that I really do enjoy making things. I read something the other day that said “What you do while you’re procrastinating is probably what you should be doing for the rest of your life.” Since I can’t really make a job out of browsing Facebook or reading, I’m left with my other time filler. Making Stuff! At lot of the things I’ve been making recently could just be considered crafts, but not all of it, unless you consider baking bread or making laundry detergent a craft… The thing about it is when I am making something, that’s when I feel like I’m actually getting something done. This even extends to my job though, since I make videos and websites while I’m there. I just really like making stuff. So, what should I do with this, other than continuing to ramble about it? Share it of course!

Yep, I made a knife. Now to find a handle!

That’s right! Not only do I want to continue to make new and wondrous things, but I want to share with everyone else the things that I make, and how you can make it as well!  Some things may be purely for entertainment purposes, could be considered art, may help you around the house, or could even give you something tasty for dinner, but they will all be something that I have made and tried myself. So, whether you simply enjoy ooing and ahhing over the things I post, or if you want to try to make them yourself, I will do my best to have something for everyone. Enjoy these pictures of a few things I’ve already made, and if there is something in particular you want me to try, or something I’ve already made that you want to know how I did it, let me know! Feedback is what will make this blog go ’round!  I feel like this is what this blog was created for, so take advantage of it, and help out where you can!

A bookmark from one of my favorite games. Put the pattern together myself!

Perler Bead Business Card Holder. Just need some business cards to go in it now.

I bake too. Bread is one of my favorites, along with pizza crust, biscuits (the buttermilk variety), and pretty much everything else.

A breakfast creation of mine. This counts because it's all home made!

Luigi is indeed very bitter. Can't take credit for this pattern, but I can take credit for the stitching!

Just a regular hat. Those are fun!

Came up with the idea for these hats on my own, and they actually turn out pretty good!

Another bookmark, also from Zelda, but smaller. Still cool!

Eating Healthy!?

Something I’ve been wondering about for some time now, even though I think I already know the answer, is how to successfully eat healthy when you are extremely low on money.  Now by low on money I don’t mean you have to cut out one of your daily breakfast trips so that you can afford the upgraded cable package you just switched to. When I say low on money I mean you’re having to do everything you can to get as much extra money as you can so you can at least maybe pay half of some of your bills.  When you’re in a situation like that, how do you eat healthy.  Most of the time in those situations I can see people eating less, a lot less, and while that might help lose weight, it’s still not very healthy.  The other downside is that from what I’ve seen, the healthier foods tend to cost a bit more than the unhealthier foods.  If you don’t buy into all the organic hype, you still pay more for “Lite,” “Low Fat,” “Low Sugar,” or Diet stuff, and if you do like “Organic” stuff, well your just sunk.  It’s much cheaper to live off peanut butter (not the natural kind, but the high sugar, high fat store brand kind), white bread, hot dogs and cheap sandwhich meat, but all of that stuff is high in either fat, sugar, bad carbs, cholesterol, or any of the other things that go against a healthy diet.  What’s a person to do when they can’t afford to eat “healthy?”

I thought maybe growing your own vegetables could help, maybe taking up hunting and killing your own meat. Those are options, but they still require money, and when it’s not coming in, it’s hard to do anything.  So does anyone out there have an opinion on this?   What would you do in this situation? Would you eat what’s healthy for your body, maybe spend a little more, and skimp even more on your bills, or would you eat what’s healthy for your budget, maybe put on a few pounds, until you get everything back under control?

My Latest Chili Venture

Ok, it’s been a while since I even attempted to post something up here about food, but last night I randomly made some of the best chili that my mouth has ever tasted.  I’m going to attempt to post the recipe here, but I will tell you all that since it was a very random thing, I may not be able to estimate all the ingredients exactly (and I may even accidently leave some out), but that’s what makes cooking fun.  Taking someone else’s idea, and then making it your own.  So here you go!

Ingredients
1 lb Ground Turkey
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1/2 Onion, diced (or chopped to a size you like)
1 – 2 tbsp garlic salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chives
1 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp (or more) chili powder*
2 tbsp cumin
Ketchup
Hot Sauce

*Some chili powders can provide quite a bit of unwanted heat, so you may want to add a little and taste before dumping a lot in there.

Ok, so here’s how I did it. Take the turkey and add about half of the onion, black pepper, some chili powder, and some of the chives to the meat and mix it all together before cooking the meat. Put a little oil in a pot, and then cook the remaining onions for a few minutes. Once those are cooked enough, add the meat. I usually add a little water after most of the fat cooks off the meat (turkey is very lean) in order to keep it cooking without burning the meat. Keep stirring the turkey around so that it cooks all the way through, and become very crumbly. Once the meat is ready, I add the can of tomatoes, and then start mixing in the other spices, except for the Ketchup and Hot Sauce. You may also need to add a little water if the tomatoes did not provide enough liquid. Now cover, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes. Once that is done, add the ketchup and Hot Sauce until it tastes super yummy, and there you have it!

I would also recommend making this the day before, and letting it sit in the fridge. Chili always tastes so much better a day after you make it. Then if you’re like me, get some corn chips and shredded cheese and you’ll be happier than a goat in a garbage dump!

So go try it out, and let me know what you guys think.

Chef Phil: Chocolate Coffee!

Ingredients:
1 cup (6 – 10 oz) of black coffee
1 packet of Hot Chocolate Mix

For all you people out there that love coffee and Hot Chocolate, this one is for you.  It’s also very very simple to make. I actually thought about doing a week or two ago, and tried it on a whim and boy is it tasty. Just get yourself a cup of coffee, black. This can come from one of many fast food places, or your own coffee maker. Make sure it’s really hot though. Next take the hot chocolate mix, and stir it into your coffee. I prefer the Dark Chocolate because it adds a ton of chocolate flavor, but you can use whatever you like best. If at this point the coffee is not hot enough, just pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds, stir a little more, and enjoy! You’ll wonder why you pay so much at Starbucks when you can make almost the same thing right at home.

On a side note, even if you don’t normally like Dark Chocolate, I urge you to try it. Because it is so much stronger than milk chocolate, it adds a much better chocolate flavor. Plus, I believe that’s what Coffee places use in their mochas, because it tastes just like one!

Chef Phil: Cincinnati Style Chili

I said I was gonna post recipes, and here’s the first. Last night at our small group we had chili, but it wasn’t like any chili I’ve ever had. It was Cincinnati Style Chili. To me it was like a mixture of spaghetti and chili, with added flavors (cinnamon and chocolate) that I had never even though of in a dish like that. While I don’t know if I would have enjoyed just the chili by itself, thankfully it wasn’t meant to be served by itself. You could do a 2-way, which is spaghetti and chili, 3-way, spagetti, chili and cheese, 4-way, spaghetti, chili, cheese and onion, or 5-way, spaghetti, chili, cheese, onion and beans (kidney beans or something similar). Also, you serve it with oyster crackers no matter which way you fix it. Now I’m not a big bean fan myself, so I didn’t even bother with those. For me it was the added onions and oyster crackers, that really made it great. The cinnamon almost made it seem like a Christmas dish to me, and the chocolate gave it just the right amount of sweetness. Afterwards, I asked for the recipe, and as it turns out, you can buy it in the store! Shows how much I know about chili. I couldn’t resist though, and I went out and found a recipe anyway. This seems to be pretty close to what we had, so even though I haven’t made this one yet, maybe some of you can try it and let me know what you think.

Ingredients
2 lb Ground Beef (Lean)
2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce
3 fresh garlic cloves, crushed fine
2 bay leaves
2 onions, chopped fine
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. cumin powder
1 1/2 tsp. vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tbsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 oz. Baker’s chocolate

Pour 1 quart cold water in a large heavy pot. Add 2 pounds lean ground beef (do not brown) and stir (use hands if necessary) until beef is in fine bits. Add all ingredients as the chili starts to heat. Simmer 2-3 hours. Do not boil. Shred 1 or 2 pounds of Cheddar cheese in bowl. Chop 2 onions fine in separate bowl. Cook 2 pounds thin spaghetti (break in half).

This recipe can serve 12. For 6 cook 1 pound spaghetti. You can freeze remaining chili.

Or, if you want to go the simple route, look for “Skyline” or “Cincinnati Style” chili in your local grocery store. It’s worth it, trust me!

Chef Phil

So now that I’m writing more often, I figured it was time that I get back to what this blog is supposed to be about. That’s right, I am once again going to write about the many things I am interested or become interested in.  Today, it’s cooking.

I’ve never cared much for cooking, always thought it was too much work, much easier to get pre-made stuff.  Even with that attitude though, there are a few things I have been able to cook.  I mean, I can make some mean omelette eggs, and when it comes to hamburger steak, well, you may be asking for another.  Just recently though, I have begun to gain more interest in cooking, and have started collecting and searching through many recipes, looking for things that sound good, and are of a healthier nature.  Yes, I said healthier.  My interest in cooking is not simply to make tasty food, but to make tasty food that is good for me.  I want to make food that pleases the tummy, yet doesn’t cause it to grow.

So, here’s what I’m going to do.  Every few days at least, I am going to try to post a recipe for a dish that I whipped up sometime in the past few days, and give a sort of review of that dish.  Then of course you can use that recipe to try it for yourself. So, if any of you have a recipe you want me to try, then send it on to hostsofheaven@gmail.com, and I’ll make it, eat it, and review it.  So send them in, I’m ready to do some cooking!