Capybara Night

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Aftermath: May Day, mayday

Kathy - Please turn to chapter 7 for tact. ;)

WARNING: I am not really a cook. I'm a photographer who happens to like cooking. :)

ATTENDEES: Krisette & Hrbs, Marcelle, Clair & JM, Fai, Mom, Dad, Tito Henry, Oz (Carnivore compactor ;) ) and myself. Photos up soon.

Aside from a few social hiccups. It looks like Capybara night was a major success. Not only did I get to sit down and have dinner, I got my friends to stand up and cook!!!

We voted against the risotto in favor of mashed potatoes. Marcelle's logic... "I live in the Philippines and eat rice everyday." True enough. So we had baked mash potatoes with garlic and butter. Here's the recipe of the stuff according to what I can remember.
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Pumpkin-curry soup
makes 10, to make one roughly divide ingredients

Saute in a soup pot
2 white onions minced or chopped - doesn't matter, it's going in the blender
1 head of garlic, minced (more if you're Filipino)
4-5 inches of ginger

When onions are translucent add
Half a pumpkin/ squash (you can use potatos, or zucchini) cut into 1 inch cubes or less. When slightly brown... (so it's sweeter)

Add
3 chicken broth cubes
1 Tbsp or so of curry (to taste)
a bit of garam masala (only because it sounds cool!)
salt and pepper, your choice
4-5 cups of water (not sure, just added enough to almost cover squash/pumpkin)

Cover. When everything goes all soft, strain (and save!) the liquid and return to soup pot. Put everything else in the blender, one batch at a time, add a bit of liquid to make blending easier. Make sure the blender is in secure position, just to be safe, watch it so it doesn't crash on your foot. Believe me hot, mushy gunk is really hot. I got attacked by a potato once and couldn't walk for a week. ;) (pointer 2, wear shoes in the kitchen)

Now where was I? Oh yeah, dump all the stuff in a strainer above the soup pot with reserved liquid. The idea here is to just remove the chunks that didn't get blended. Heat some more. Just before serving, add a bit of evaporated milk. Soup should still be thick. Ladle into bowls, top with a tablespoon or so of sour cream and chopped chives (optional)

Serve with Pappadams. You can get this at the indian store. drop in hot oil until it expands. fish out quickly and put on colander. Excess oil not good.

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Mashed potatoes

You get a potato, peel and quarter. Boil in water with a bit of salt. When done fish it out. Throw in kitchen aid (mixer) with paddle. While mixing add a bit of milk, salt, pepper, garlic cooked in a bit of butter. Put on pyrex and top with even more garlic cooked in butter. Bake until you're finished with the chicken, so everything is nice and hot. Serve.
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Jamie's Chicken (serves 1)

I can't remember what it's called really and couldn't find the recipe. It was the episode where he had an aussie bloke over and they were making funky scrambled eggs with mint and goat cheese in the market, moved back to his kitchen to make this... Chicken X.

1 chicken breast, cut so that it looks like it has 3 fingers (still attached)
rock salt and freshly bashed pepper. (ground, cracked...)
3 strips of bacon
4-5 cherry tomatos cut in half
a small bunch of asparagus (cut off the woody end, not the end that makes it look like an asparagus, that's the yummy part)
a few olives 3-5 pieces
Fresh basil (chiffonade)
Beer/ Wine

Season chicken breast with salt and pepper. Throw in pan with a bit of olive oil. Put bacon strips ON TOP of chicken. When the chicken browns on one side. Remove bacon from chicken and put beside it in the pan. Bacon should still be cooking. Flip chicken over. Add cherry tomatoes, asparagus. Cover. When asparagus is almost done, throw in a bit of beer or wine (maybe 1/4 cup so you still have something to drink ;). Cook until everything is done. Add a the black olives, and basil. Remove/ plate chicken, bacon, asparagus and some of the cherry tomatoes. Crush the rest of the tomatos and olives into the sauce. Simmer until it thickens slightly. Pour over chicken.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Regrets from EJ

Possibly the funniest RSVP I've gotten...
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This initiated capybara will be in family driver mode on Monday night
and thus, is also an undecided capybara for May day mayday capybara
night. In the likely event of this capybara's forfeit, he/it shall be
with all you other capybaras in spirit/spirits (hic!).

Capybara regards,
Mime Capybara E.J.

Capybara Night II: May Day, mayday!

My darling capybaras - or more formally - dear friends:

It's a long weekend, that won't be too long for the people here at ***SHHH! SECRET! ;)*. Work came in for Saturday and Sunday (we're happy to be working!). Nonetheless, Monday is a holiday so for those of you stuck in Manila, we must celebrate ;) Besides, why would you want to miss out on all the fun?


PERTINENT DETAILS

CAPYBARA* NIGHT II: May Day, mayday! (or will it be May Day Melee? Time will tell, but if you trust us, you can bring a friend ;) )
1 May 2006 (monday)

Where?
***SHHH! SECRET! ;)*

RSVP: Monday morning at 11 - ***SHHH! SECRET! ;)*

Start: Staggered, depending on your personality type. ;)

Dinner served at 7:30

Expect to finish by 10:30


**What the heck is a capybara? Think of a guinea pig, make it 3 ft tall. That's a Capybara. Think of an experimental dish, you're the test subject... you're a capybara! ;)

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Following the success of the last CBN we've decided to do a follow up.


DINNER MENU

Starters:

Pumpkin - Curry soup & Pappadams (tried and tested, we just need to look for a new blender. The last one crashed on my foot, cementing one of our new HSE house rules. Wear shoes when cooking, the other one would be - cook beside a fire extinguisher :) - I'm kidding! I'm kidding! *<:o) )

Main Course:

Chicken with Prosciutto (bacon), Cherry tomatoes, and Asparagus.
I honestly don't know what it's called, and can't find the recipe (hence, mayday). I saw it on Discovery Channel though, Jamie Oliver rocks!!!! It looks simple, easy and mouth-watering. For those of you who live alone (and drink a lot!) it might be worthwhile for you to come and experiment with us. It's a one person dish and all you need is a stove and a can of wine or a glass of beer. We'll figure out the recipe and you can check it out on Claire's blog (Happy eclair, I don't know her surname) or Sacha's wiki (sacha chua of course) (don't know where they are, google it or click here. Unless someone wants to help me document capybara night, and we can put up a capybara blog.

Hybrid Risotto
I don't know if it's the real deal, but I promise you it tastes great and is easy enough to make alone. (Might actually be a risotto/ pilaf hybrid). Same risotto we've served in the last couple of years of CN (carnivore night).

Dessert
c/o The Shy Ones (they're bringing the goods)
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Here's the thing. THIS IS NOT MASS MAIL.... well not really. Okay, it's well thought out mass mail.

If you got this invite from me, please know that I've carefully considered the guest list, and I'm pretty sure you'll get along with the people who are coming. (if you don't live in the Philippines, then I thought you might find this funny, or get an idea for your next party) If you have a funny friend you'd like to bring, pass the message on. Ask them to email me for security clearance and psychological test. If they pass, we'll give them a sticker (e.g. Hi I'm Pedro, what's yours? ;) ).

If you got this invite from a friend of mine (or a friend of a friend) then they think highly enough of you to bring you along (I was kidding about the sticker and the psych test, but email me anyway so I know who you are. Remember to behave and bring your sense of humor. You are not gatecrashing, you are welcome! Read on!


Brilliant (or hungry) Marcelle who BTW requested to hold the CBN follow-up, suggested that guests pitch in with the dinner production so it becomes cost effective for the host (me) and so we can hold it more often (Yay!). Following this month's raid at the Bombproof store, and getting axed with taxes, I heartily agree. :)

So how does it work?

CAPYBARA SORTER

just for dinner (be here by 7 if you want to be a Capybara)
There are those among us who are either really shy or really busy. It's okay, you don't have to be there while we attempt to cook. Dinner will be served at 7.30pm. You can bring us ready-made appetizers, salad, something to drink or dessert. It's just fair. :) For those of you who feel like they'd fall under this category. Please reply to this email with SHY CAPYBARA under the subject category. It would be wonderful to see you still don't worry.

coming to cook for dinner
And learn a new dish too! Be here by 5:30 pm. Please reply to this email with CAPYBARA CHEF under the subject category. We will email you which ingredient to bring. If you can't make it to that time, SMS us EARLY ***SHHH! SECRET! ;)* so we can go into crisis-resolution mode and swing by the supermarket. (Kinda hard to make a chicken recipe without the chicken)

coming to shop
All aboard! We're taking a field trip to the nearest supermarket and deli. Bring Php. 200 - 300, we'll all pitch in for dinner (the more, the many-er! ;) ) Please be here by 3 pm. We need to get organized. Please reply to this email with SHOPPING CAPYBARA under the subject category. See you here

requiring Environmental/ Behavioral Enrichment
Find yourself pacing lately? Or engaging in stereotypical/ self destructive behaviors (plucking hair/ nail-biting). Come and be enriched. I'll make you a puzzle feeder for dinner. ;) some ideas at www.enrichment.org

Either that or you just really miss me, which is fine. :) Yeah, yeah, you can come to the house as early as you want (after 10 am... otherwise you'll meet a grumpy monkey.) Bring your favorite DVD (Marcelle, nothing too cheesy), your favorite set of clothes, or a board/bored game. We'll figure out what to do with you when you get here.


Whew! That was a long invite....



Anyway, looking forward to seeing you here!

Warmest regards,

Kathy Chua
Head Capybara

Capybara Night I: April Fools

Happy April Fools! :)

I hope you weren't victim to some completely masterminded prank today. Shame you guys are just too far away *sigh* It would have been great to celebrate (Although Tor, your frog still gets me every time, so yeah... we have sporadic April fools each time I accidentally find it...). April 1 should be a national holiday. Normal people should get a chance to do crazy stuff at least once a year.

We had our first-ever Capybara night, called such because I was in need of a few guinea pigs for recipe testing/ food critique. (We need more willing victims *oops* critics, any volunteers). Guests were somewhat wary before coming, realizing that it WAS April fools. Shame it fell on a Saturday, the office people weren't here, and I had a few things planned too!

USELESS TRIVIA: Did you know that Argentinians love Capybara meat so much that they've petitioned for the Vatican to consider it as fish so they could have it during the lenten season. The Vatican approved the petition. Although Capybaras are large rodents that can swim, I can't see how they might resemble Flounder or Halibut.

Anyway, it was a completely respectable dinner (with Zucchini Curry soup and garlic pappadums to start). First time in 11 years that I actually hosted a dinner where I got to sit and talk to the guests while they were eating. *YAY* and where I'd actually read a cookbook *double yay*

Looks like it might be a mainstay event like Carnivore Night (all occasion meat fest -similar to a Braai/ Barbecue). Crucial because it's actually this night which determines whether I should serve a particular dish at CN. (Tired of steak, plus I'd like to sit down and see my guests before dinner is over). )

Anyway Chicken Beaujolais was a smashing success. Not a scrap of food left... Thought I'd share the recipe with you. Baie lekker! Schmeckt gut! It's easy enough to do alone (or have your [mom, cook, significant other] make it for you...).

Chicken Beaujolais :)

It's well... chicken stuffed with chevre and grated veggies

Mix 12 oz (about 360g) Chevre or natural cream cheese with
1 egg and
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup parmesan, hard monterey jack, or any hard cheese. Set aside

Saute
1cup white onion minced
4 cloves of garlic (I put a bit more, but we're Filipino)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp black pepper in
3 tbsp olive oil until onions translucent

Grate
1 1/3 cups zucchini, eggplants and/or mushrooms (or a combination of) and add to the onions

put in a strainer and drain for an hour. Squeeze off as much excess liquid as you can and add to cheese mixture. Mix well. Put in a piping bag and refrigerate for an hour.

Meanwhile, take a chicken and remove the backbone (the spineless chicken!!!) loosen skin around breast area with your fingers (this is where you'll put the cheese). (Not in the recipe, but I rubbed a bit of salt and pepper on the chicken and in the cavity.

After an hour pipe cheese under the skin until chicken is absolutely stuffed. Put in a baking pan and bake at 375ºF (around 180ºC <- the closest setting I could get in my oven) for 70 minutes or until brown. Leave standing for 15 minutes and voila! Lovely dinner for 4 people. (Two if you're South African or Australian ;) )


Hope you like it! :)

P.S. Chicken Beaujolais nearly became Poulet Dêsastre... nearly set the kitchen on fire. Mental note, keep plastic utensils FAR FAR away from pan. ;)

Love to all... write soon. Must dash. Shoot starts in 3 hours (at the god-unholy hour of 3:30 am on a SUNDAY!)

*Mwah!*

Kathy