kyleymd:

My Sushi Nails

Ugh I so wish I was capable of doing this myself!!

(via nailfood)

Rapunzel is now my second favorite Disney princess; Bell is my first. :)

Insomnia gets you this beautiful sunset in your backyard.

gracklebird:

okay i just wanted this on my blog because it’s one of the best things i have ever witnessed.

darkchef:

Roasted Pork Belly with Hoisin Mushroom Sauce

Serves 6-8

Roasted Pork Belly:

2 1/2 lb pork belly (choose a meaty piece)

1 Tbsp kosher salt

2 tsp thyme

1 tsp sage

Olive oil

Small wire rack

large roasting rack or cookie sheet

Heavy duty foil

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Rinse pork belly then dry thoroughly with paper towels. Place on a cutting board. Using a skewer, poke the skin all over as much as possible. If the bamboo skewer stops piercing the skin it has probably become blunt at the end so discard it and use another. Repeat until you’ve used 5-6 skewers Do this for at least 5 minutes to really get lots of holes deep into the skin. I don’t think you can pierce the skin too much!

3. Mix together salt and herbs. Flip pork belly over so skin side is down and rub half of the salt mixture into the meat. Drizzle with olive oil

4. Roll pork belly into a cylinder so that the skin is on the outside and the meat is all tucked inside. Tie the cylinder with the kitchen string in 3 places along the length of the cylinder.

5. Rub outside of skin with some olive oil, then rub the rest of the salt and herb mixture into the skin.

6. The next set of steps is to help with the spattering that will occur when you cook the pork belly. First, take very generous piece of foil out that is at least a half a size too large for your large roasting try or cookie sheet. Place that foil on the rack and tent the edges of the foil upwards. This will create some walls that help catch some splatters. With a smaller piece of foil, make a little ‘tray’ that is large enough for your rack. Place on the cookie sheet, then place the wire rack down into it and the pork belly on top of that.

7. Roast at 450 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The skin will become bubbled and crispy and a lot of fat will render into the pie/cake pan beneath.

8. Let pork rest for 10 minutes before cutting twine and slicing.

Hoisin Mushroom Sauce:

1 onion, chopped

8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce

2 Tbsp rice wine (or sherry)

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cornstarch

Olive oil

1. Saute onions in olive oil until translucent and soft. Add mushrooms and continue to cook. They will absorb the oil and then shrink down. Let them brown a little.

2. Mix together hoisin, rice wine, salt, and the chicken stock. Add to the mushrooms once they have browned. Let the mixture come to a boil and reduce by quarter.

3. Mix cornstarch with 1 Tbsp of water or broth. Add to hoisin/stock mixture and stir vigorously. Cook until the sauce has thickened and no cloudiness remains. Add more broth or water if necessary to thin to desired consistency.

darkchef:

Roasted Prime Rib with Sauteed Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Serves 6-8

FOR THE MEAT:

2 tablespoons kosher salt

3 teaspoons ground black pepper

3 cloves garlic

2 medium shallots

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1/2  cup olive oil

1 ( 8lb) standing rib roast, trimmed (to multiply or divide the recipe,this translates to roughly 1 rib for every 2-3 people)

FOR THE HORSERADISH SAUCE:

1 cup heavy cream

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 tablespoons grated horseradish

FOR THE SAUTEED MUSHROOMS:

2  lbs mushrooms, washed, dried, and if large, chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

6 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1. MARINATE: In a food processor, place salt, pepper, garlic, shallots, rosemary, thyme, and olive oil. Pulse until combined. Place the roast bone-side down in a large pan and pour the marinade over it. Rub as much as you can into every crevasse. Cover and refrigerate 4-24 hours.

2. ROAST: Remove the meat and let it come to room temperature, about 1 hour before you plan to put it into the oven. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 550 and place the rack in the center. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast. When the oven is ready, place the roast, uncovered, into the oven. Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350. Cook until the thermometer registers 125 degrees, about 15-20 minutes per pound, or 2 1/2 hours for an 8 lb roast. Check the temperature of the meat in several other places. A range of 125-155 will give you a good variety of doneness. Cover the roast with foil and let it rest on the counter at least 15 minutes before carving.

3. MAKE THE SAUCE : You can do this while the meat cooks. In a medium bowl, beat cream until stiff. With the mixer on, add lemon juice, salt, paprika, cayenne and horseradish. Chill until ready to serve.

4. SAUTE THE MUSHROOMS: Heat a large skillet over HIGH heat. Add the butter and olive oil. When the butter foams, give the pan a shake and then add the mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Toss the mushrooms until brown, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with parsley and then place in a serving dish.

5. CARVE: Slice the first piece between the ribs, close to the bone. Cut the second piece half way to the next bone and so on and so on giving each person basically half of the meat between the ribs.

6. SERVE: Top with sauteed mushrooms and whipped horseradish sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley.