Dried Meat

Preserving meat is a tradition that has been around for centuries.  The meat may be game, fowl or fish. The difference is in the cure - spices and way of dehydration. Be it Biltong (South African), Jerky (American), Neua Tod (Thai), Bündner Fleisch (Swiss) to name a few. 

This delicate snack  (Yes, a snack) is very addictive.  Chewed on while watching TV, hiking  or travelling.  It does not need refrigeration, lightweight and delicious.  Even suitable for those on diet if not for the high sodium content (and pricey too).  All the more reason to make them yourselves.

One doesn't need prime cut.  I used Minute beefsteaks and prepared them as follow....


500g Minute Beef steak cut into thin strips
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
2 tsp salt
1 tsp peppercorn, fresh milled
Optional : 1 tsp chili powder if you like them spicy


Mix all the above with the steak strips and marinate overnight.


Place the strips evenly onto a tray and dry in oven with door slightly ajar at 80°C until dry. You may hang the strips out in the sun (you must keep the flies away though) if it's hot enough.
Remember, heat is not intended to cook; gentle heat to dehydrate. 
I placed mine on wood oven shelf  overnight.
If 'jerky' is properly stored, it will keep for months.
For your information:   from 500g of steak, finished product was 150g 'jerky'. 

Food Sculpture - Radi Carving

More curves with radishes - this time almost paper thin.

All ten fingers still intact !!   :-)

Food Sculpture (April)

Fooling around with radishes........

Spring 2012

It's April, a month of plus minus - plus minus temperatures, rain, sun or snow.  After 2 weeks of frosty nights and icy rain, the sun finally showed it's presence.  Went out to my garden this afternoon and look at these............

Organic Food (Slow Food)

It was a spontaneous decision to visit the SLOWFOOD Fair in Stuttgart.
I thought it was a fair displaying local organic specialities.  There were some local breweries but much more wine.  Somehow, I got the impression the stands were there not only to promote their products but more to reap in huge profits in 4 days.  

Laces

LACE  
This is what I do when sitting down to watch TV.  Multi-taskting.
With thread and needle, nothing else.  

A complete square - Stitch about a dozen pieces.

Join them all together and you have a piece as table cloth or in my case, a curtain.
Anyone wants to learn ?

Food Sculpture (4)

Final curves - Kohlrab with carrot centre
Day 5

Food Sculpture (3)

Day 4............
It is all about curves.  Cutting curves without slipping.

With daikon and carrots.

Food Sculpture (2)

Day 3 - Carving with a melon is easy but turning your object into  flowing curves needs practice practice practice. 

With kohlrab, it's easier because the texture of this vegetable or root is firm, not too hard or crispy.

 

With doves, one needs to study a piece daikon like looking for your best dress for a hot date.  Is it too long, does it have curve, is the neckline low enough ...........

Food Sculpture

I have done some carving with fruits and vegetables in the past. The results were good enough to declare them 'PRESENTABLE'.   How wrong I was !

This is my second day (5 days in total) in Luzern with a 2-time world champion in food carving. Here are some of what I've achieved today with 'food surgery'.

Radish

Corgettes

Carrot tulips

Carrot and radish tulips

Spring 2012

This is a sign that says Spring is approaching - the awakening of nature.
This is one of the busiest times for gardeners.

Snowdrops

 

A neighbour was cutting down a tree and I  went over to pick the cones.  And what do I find at the same time, a nest.  Poor bird, worked so hard to build the nest to lay eggs and now it's destroyed.
Just look at the intricate weaving with moss.   

Tulips awakening.

Crocuses