Recently, I finally had the pleasure of harvesting hydroponically grown beets that turned out to be an absolute culinary delight. In this post, I’ll share the journey from harvest to plate, highlighting the extraordinary sweetness of these beets and their perfect pairing with a homemade Japanese yakisoba noodle recipe. The journey began in my hydroponic…
Hot Pot Dinner
Hotpot is probably the easiest meal you could ever make if you are not keen on cooking. All it takes is a simple food preparation. You can buy everything, including the broth seasoning. But why buy the broth seasoning when you can easily make it yourself. Make it the way you like it. The key…
Homemade Basil Tofu
A few months ago I had a craving for Taho(Douhua/Tofu Pudding). I decided to read up and watch several videos on how to make it. It was easy enough to make, just add gypsum to the soymilk. Let it rest and it will create the super soft silky tofu needed to make Taho. Gypsum can…
Hydroponic Garden Update
Earlier this morning I got to harvest the first summer squashes. They’re supposed to grow 6-8inches. I also spotted a siamese flower and next to it tucked at the back a siamese baby squash… Although winter has officially started, I’m glad the indoor plants are starting to produce. At 6 weeks, I got to harvest…
Eggplant Omelet Sandwich
Earlier this year, I have foregone the habit of eating breakfast unless I’m really hungry. I started intermittent fasting after reading about the body’s own way to heal itself through fasting and eating healthy food. Although I wouldn’t call myself a picky eater, I think I’ve been fasting almost all my life. I only eat…
Hydroponic Garden Update
Here’s a 2023 recap of the hydroponic garden. I manage to take photos of the highlights of what I had growing indoors. It starts off with the newest addition this year, the Greenjoy stackable systems. They neatly stack as tall and wide as a Gardyn. They’re a great system to grow root vegetables like Turnips,…
Simit Sandwich
I can’t believe I haven’t posted in 8 months. It’s not that I haven’t had much to write about, I just got lazy. During the last 8 months I learned how to make shiro miso, flavored soda, extra spicy (carolina reaper) hotsauce, formed ham, olive oil bar soap, soft tofu and saltine crackers to name…
Homemade Natto
Natto is a traditional Japanese food that is made from soybeans that have been fermented with the bacteria Bacillus subtilis. It has a unique flavor and texture, and is known for its high nutritional value. I don’t think I liked my first natto encounter. It was at a Japanese restaurant and it was plain gunkan…
Another Bread Recipe
Every time I find a good bread recipe, I stumble upon a new one. This one reminds me of storebought bread, it is so close. Nothing special in this recipe besides the pancake syrup. I made an airfryed fish sandwich with tomatoes and lettuce. It came out great. I topped the fish with cheese blend…
Sous Vide Pickles
Yay pickles! I didn’t think it was this simple to make pickled veggies that are not mushy/soft. Sous vide for 2hr30mins at 140°F or 1hr at 180°F. This time I pickled pepperoncini and onions. I’ll wait about a week to taste test. Simple Pickle Brine:
Homemade SPAM
Yesterday I inadvertently made SPAM. The plan was to make a large batch of bratwurst patties to pressure can. The recipe required ginger, but we were out. I decided to make the batch anyways. I used ground Pork butt and I’m surprised at how it tasted… I pre-shaped the patties to fit the pint jars…
Homemade Hot Sauce
Last night I made a small batch of hot sauce from my medley of pepper harvest. I also added extra jamaican mushroom peppers that were roasted then frozen from years ago. Hot sauce is one of the easiest thing to make from scratch. There’s no need to ferment the peppers, if you don’t want to….
Fish & Vegetables
I love tomatoes. These are called Golden Harvest Cherry tomatoes. They go well grilled or in this case air fried. The tomatoes sit in a bed of bok choy drizzled with chicken oil+salt. Nothing beats the fresh harvest tomatoes and bok choy. Both plants are easy to grow in hydroponics or soil. 1 Halibut fillet…
Squash Flowers
I’m having a hard time with this Gold Rush hybrid zucchini plant. It hasn’t produced any zucchini, I’m gonna start harvesting the flowers and young leaves instead. Apparently they are edible and nutritious. I plan on saving enough for a mungbean soup, tempura, or stuff them with meat. The flowers freeze very well. I guess…
Lo Mein
Lo Mein has been a weekly staple dish. The noodles are made from scratch with just flour and eggs. Lo Mein noodles are one of the most easiest and the most forgiving noodles I’ve ever made. It takes a few minutes to make them because you don’t have to rest the dough after kneading it….
Hydroponic Garden Update
Our doge fluffy has finally been comfortable enough to take a nap around the bright lights. It has been a couple of months, so here goes the update in the Grow room. Late October vs Early December comparison photos. It’s amazing how fast plants can grow. This is about 6 weeks in difference. Lots of…
Custom Gardyn Parts
The last couple of weeks were a hoot, I spent days finishing off Gardyn modification projects I have been putting off. I wanted the systems to be clean and pristine before I began and that took longer than I thought. Water issues on the lid keeps taunting me. All the circled areas are to be…
Smoked Bacon
Last night, I finally hot smoked my first pork belly. I used apple and mesquite wood chips at ~225-250°F(electric smoker temp fluctuates) with a goal of internal meat temp of 150°F. -Looking back at the wood chips I used, I’d probably only use fruit wood chips for bacon in the future. The mesquite was a…
Oil Brioche
Originally a Zojirushi Breadmachine recipe, I replaced the Butter with Avocado Oil. I used the BB-HAC10 to mix and proof the dough. I used the convection oven to bake the buns. I divided the dough into six pieces thinking they will become regular size burger buns. Duh! Like always I underestimated how ginormous the buns…
Dirty Rice
Easy peasy recipe that can be done when you have too much Green leafy veggies. I’d consider this a one pot meal, but I do cheat. I use the rice cooker to cook the rice and the leafy greens. This way, I don’t have to keep an eye on it. Let’s just say I don’t…
Hydroponic Garden Update
Two months and a move later, I finally got all they hydroponic units up and running. I got a dedicated grow room area for the 3 Gardyns and 1 Farmstand. I get to have a larger outdoor patio grow area for the PVC/Waterfarm units as well. By the end of this year, my goal is…
Ignoramus by Day 