Archive for August, 2011

THE DEVIL INSIDE ‘Special Trash Report’
Chad Cherry’s Over the Mid-(ish)Year Review in HORROR movies!!!

Hello my wonderful Lip Service deviants! I usually wait for a “year in review” for my fav movies, but we seem to be sailing along quite wickedly this year with horror goodies. So, here are some great horror flicks that have gotten C.C.’s stamp of approval already. I’ll only write of the worthy and what I’ve been digging ( besides graves) so far this year.

Here we go, creeps…

THE WARD:

The Ward is John Carpenter’s first full-length movie since ‘Ghost of Mars’ in 01. J. Carpenter still believes in telling a great story that will scare you without relying on cheap tricks and gore. Carpenter for me is like Star Trek for “Trekkies.” J. Carp forever.
The story is of a young institutionalized woman who is haunted by a mysterious and deadly ghost. As the evil creeps, the realization of this entity is darker than anything she could ever imagine.

THE WAKE WOOD:

The Wake Wood is UK and Irish co-production by horror giants Hammer Films.
A grieving couple, devastated by the loss of their 9 year old daughter, relocates to the remote town of Wake Wood, only to learn of a Pagan ritual that can give them 3 more days with their deceased offspring. Guess what happens when it’s time for her return?

HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN:

Hobo with a Shotgun is a Canadian action exploitation flick based on the winning trailer of the same name from Robert Rodriguez’s SxSw grindhouse trailer contest.

Rutger Hauer. That’s all that really needs to be said to get you to watch this. Let’s see… I’ll try to explain… It’s an out of control, gleefully “gross as hell” homage to low-budget exploitation films. Gory with firepower. Ahhh, the sweet avenging… Hobo with a Shotgun…You know what yer gettin’ into with a title like that. Absolutely cool. Perfecto.

INSIDIOUS:

Insidious is a supernatural horror film directed by James Wan of “Saw” movie fame.

Oh my goodness gracious!!! It’s NOT the house that’s haunted? Well then, what IS IT? What the HELL is happening here? What’s following this family? Ahhhhh!!!! When you move away from the evil demons and they follow you, you are in fucking trouble… Big time! Ok, I’m not gonna lie. I was actually freaked out by this one a lil’ bit. (How refreshing that was!) J. Wan found the right elements of fear, then slams you with it. I wasn’t expecting this to be so freaky. And I haven’t seen Barbara Hershey (hotter with age) in a scary movie like this since the brutally evil phantom rapist movie ‘The Entity.’ (Can’t stand those scenes in that flick.) This is a creepy good one kids.

RUBBER:

Rubber is a French horror comedy that I still can’t believe was actually made. Writer and director Quentin Dupieux went very, very, very far “outside the box” on this beast.

This film is about Robert. Robert is a tire that comes to life and embarks on a killing spree. He kills by vibrating intensely and psychokinetically causes peoples head to explode. He’s an angry bastard.. This flick is so out there that it’s kinda brilliant. The ending is priceless. Bizarre. Me likes.

_____________________________________________________________________________

There are a lot more doozies that I’ve seen so far this year, but I don’t feel the need to write about ‘em just yet. I think this is a good start if you’re gonna have a date night at home, a sleep over, seance, orgy, or just a relaxing taxidermy session. More movie mayhem to come.

Have I told you all lately how much I would like to drink your blood? Wait, that came out wrong.. What I meant to say is, thanks for supporting Lip Service and rocking out with The Last Vegas this summer. I really appreciate all the amazing feedback and can’t wait to drink your blood… Ummm sorry, I mean, I can’t wait to see you all on the road very soon.
Cheers, Chaddy Cherry.
TheLastVegas.com

Want to be in our next Lip Service collection or costume catalog?

Do you meet our Model Requirements?

• You must be at least 18 years of age for Collection and Costume Vault shoots
• Models 13-17 may submit photos to be considered for the new Lip Service Teen Cosumes collection.
• You must be in the Los Angeles area and available during the time-frame of the shoot.
• Women must be near a size 5 and be between 5 ft. 5 in. and 5 ft. 10 in. tall.
• Men must be approximately a size 32 in. pant and slim to medium size top.

Are you in Los Angeles or will be in LA at the end of September for testing and scheduled photo shoot days?

Models MUST be in Los Angeles and available for all scheduled shoot days, plus prior test shoot to be considered. (Did we say that already. Well, that’s okay, because it’s very important. )

Now is your chance!

We’re looking for models for upcoming photo shoots of all of our Lip Service Collection divisions plus Costumes.

Alt models!
We need men & women of all genres! Our upcoming Divisions’ collections are more diverse than ever and we want new faces to go with our new styles. We’re looking for male and female models with eclectic alternative style in all genres.

Commercial models! (Plus teen commercial models!)
We‘re shooting new costumes! Commercial models (with print/packaging experience preferred) are needed as well as 13-17 year-old models for our new teen costume line.

Sound good? Submit your photos now through our Model Submission Form! Who knows? You might find yourself in the next Lip Service catalog!

Please note:  Only submissions sent through our online Model Submission Form will be considered. Please do not send model inquiries via email or through any other Lip Service contact form or comments page. Designers will contact selected models for tests and fittings.

Spring rolls! CRUNCHCRUNCH! NOMNOMNOM!

After a few weeks of carb and dairy heavy meals, not to mention a bit of vacation excess by your author, it felt like a good time to lighten up. Fortunately, we’ll be playing with a fusion of Szechuan and Thai with a touch of Vietnamese so, even without the extra calories, we’ll get plenty of bold flavors and satisfying richness. It’s kind of like having a culinary Asian All-Star team on your plate.

If you’ve cooked in these cuisines, you’ll already know how long and intimidating many recipes can look, though they’re actually quite simple. There are a goodly amount of raw ingredients to prep, more than we’re used to seeing in general. It’s really no big deal … a little prep earlier in the day and a little doing instead of pot-watching later … not so bad, right?

You’ll also see, in the lists, a few exotic ingredients you’re unlikely to find at the the regular old supermarket (unless you live in an overwhelmingly Asian neighborhood). Even if you can find them at the mega-mart, I heartily recommend searching out a specialty ethnic market in your area or, in the case of some non-perishables, buying online for better quality and selection at a better price. You’ll be surprised what a windfall for your food budget a little side-trip to a locally-owned ethnic market can be. As a bonus, you get to stock up on great pantry items to cook your favorite cuisines throughout the month, plus give back to your local economy.

—-

So, this week’s recipe …

Hot and sour soup = bliss in a bowl

I have what can only be called a deep and abiding love for Hot & Sour Soup. So, the idea of making a favorite so far off from what I’m used to felt a bit strange. H&S, as you probably know, is generally made with pork … often with chicken broth … not so appropriate for our Meatless dinner, so tinkering must be done to keep the soul of this satisfying soup and not feel like we’re missing those missing components. In the end, it seemed better to go further afield and tweak away over trying to remain too faithful. What resulted was a soup with the wonderful contrasts of the original plus a few more nuanced levels of flavor, lent by the Thai influence, between the sharp edges. It was definitely a food experiment I’ll be happy to make again, soon (and even happier to have leftovers to eat NOW).

To bring a deep meaty taste to the base broth, I decided on shiitake mushrooms, using both mushrooms in the stock as well as soaking water for additional mushrooms set aside for the finished soup. Rather than keep to Szechuan or even Chinese, ingredients, I looked to Thai cuisine, renowned for savory, full-bodied flavors without the use of meat. Instead of just ginger, garlic, and scallions as aromatics in the broth, I added galangal, lemon grass, cilantro, and shallot for more layered flavor balance. In the soup, fried chili garlic paste, lime, and tamarind provide savory heat, tart acidity, and umami counterpoints to the sharp acidic sweetness of the vinegars, soft twang of the rice wine, and clean heat of the white pepper. I kept the egg drop, since it’s so crucial to the mouth-happy feel of the soup and it’s great added protein, to boot.

To get some veg in, plus turn the tables on the cuisine fusion, I picked spring rolls as a fresh, crunchy foil to the thick, savory soup. In thinking about what tweaks might be tasty to the familiar Thai classic, I brought in a hint of Szechuan, as well as a touch of Vietnamese for good measure. Keeping the fresh, light feel of the original, I used a base of shredded veg, but replaced plain with a lightly marinaded/pickled version similar to that of a Vietnamese banh mi. I kept the fresh Thai basil in there because, well, it’s damned tasty, but added just a hint of mint, too. Then, I match-sticked  some firm tofu and soaked it through the afternoon in a Szechuan-influenced marinade to use in both the spring rolls and soup.

Here’s how it goes …

Thai-inspired Hot and Sour Soup with Banh Mi Spring Rolls
serves 6-8 depending upon portion sizes

wet veg + spring roll wrapper = big fucking mess ... drain well!

Pickled Veg (in the style of Vietnamese banh mi)
⅓ cup sugar
1 TBSP kosher salt
2 cups hot water
2/3 cup white distilled vinegar
½ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup scallion greens only – very thinly sliced
1 cup daikon radish – shredded
1 cup carrot – shredded
1.5 cups bean sprouts
2 cups cabbage – shredded* (note in pre-prep)

Marinaded Tofu Matchsticks
1 pkg firm tofu (19 oz)
reserved tofu packaging water
4 TBSP black vinegar
3 TBSP Chinese rice wine
1.5 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP sesame oil
½ tsp tamarind concentrate
½ cup scallion light and white only – very thinly sliced

banh mi spring rolls with dipping sauce

Spring Rolls
spring roll wrappers
dipping water
fresh Thai basil
mint
cilantro
lime wedges
* note: If you want a nice dipping sauce, try mixing together equal parts soy sauce and black vinegar with a splash of rice vinegar and sesame oil. Keep a little fried chili garlic paste at the table for diners to add a dash with their chopsticks if desired.

Soup Base
12 dried shiitake mushrooms
3 cups hot water
1 large handful (about 1 cup) shredded dried woodear mushroom
1 cup hot water

soup base aromatics

6 cups water
(mushroom soaking water)
8 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 6-8” piece konbu seaweed – rinsed
2 pieces lemon grass – smashed and cut into pieces
3-4” piece of ginger – peeled and sliced no thicker than ¼”
6-8 ¼ – ⅓” slices galangal
½ cup cilantro stems (about 1 bunch) – cut into small pieces
4-6 cloves of garlic – peeled and smashed
2 small shallots – peeled and cut into small slices
¾ – 1 cup scallion white and light only – about 1 ½ bunches worth – cut into small pieces
1 TBSP soy sauce

*If we’d have had some available, I would also have added a handful of kaffir lime leaves, crumpled to release their oils.

Soup

Thai-inspired hot and sour soup

Mushroom broth ( base above)
shiitake mushrooms – all – stems removed and cut in julienned strips
woodear mushrooms – if not pre-shredded, cut in julienned strips
6 oz oyster mushrooms – stem ends removed and cut into julienned strips
4 TBSP soy sauce
3 TBSP rice wine
2 TBSP sesame oil
2 tsp tamarind concentrate
1 tsp fried chili garlic paste
1 tsp sugar
⅛ tsp ground white pepper
½ cup water chestnuts – minced
½ cup scallion greens only – thinly sliced
2 handfuls (as desired) bean sprouts
⅓ cup black vinegar
¼ cup rice vinegar
juice of 1 lime
3 TBSP corn starch
3 TBSP water
2 eggs – beaten well

*If I’d have made it to the further-out Chinese market, I’d have also added dried, reconstituted and julienned lily buds.

Pre-prep: (aprox 4-6 hours – or more – ahead)  Marinate vegetables and tofu
- In a large storage container or bowl, measure in sugar and salt then pour hot water over, stirring well until dissolved. Add vinegar and stir. As you prepare each vegetable, place them straight into the pickling mixture until all vegetables are done. Mix well and push gently over the top layer to help the vegetables submerge better. If possible, check once or twice during the 4 (or more) hour soak, mixing well and pushing down again.

*note: Like shredded cabbage in fish tacos, the cabbage in pickled veg doesn’t have enough time for the thicker spine bits to soften. Because of this, I’ll plan a different meal after these which calls for cooked cabbage. This way, I can cut off just the nicer-to-munch-raw tops of the leaves without wasting the other bits.

- Remove tofu pieces from the original container, saving the storage liquid. Slice the tofu, then slice further into small matchstick pieces and set aside. Add all marinade ingredients to the water in the original container and mix well. Place the tofu in a plastic bag and pour the marinade over, then squeeze out the air and store in the fridge. Like the veg, if possible, check on it during the process and flip the bag over.

Step 1: Soup Base
- In a large bowl, pour 3 cups hot water over 12 dried shiitake mushrooms. In another bowl, pour 1 cup of hot water over the woodear mushrooms (black fungus). Let them soak for about a half hour, then squeeze out excess water back into the bowl and set them aside for later.
- In a soup pot, heat all soup base ingredients on HIGH just until the pot comes to a boil. Then, remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove konbu and return to a boil, then reduce to SIMMER for 1 hour. (This is an excellent time to slice mushrooms and prep herbs and ingredients for spring rolls … just sayin’ … You’ll also definitely want to put your pickled vegetables in a strainer over a bowl at least an hour before you intend to eat. Drippy veg + spring roll wrappers = big fucking mess.)
- Set shiitakes aside until cool enough to handle and strain the broth. Squeeze out any excess moisture in the mushrooms back into the pot.

Step 2: It’s SOUP!
- In the soup pot, return the base broth and add all the ingredients before the vinegar. Once the
bean sprouts are cooked as you like, add the vinegars and lime juice and stir.
- In a small bowl or cup, mix the corn starch and water very well, until perfectly smooth, and slowly pour in and stir until the soup is thickened.
- Slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs in small threads at the surface of the soup. (If you need to do several rounds to keep big glops of egg from forming, that’s swell!) Give it a moment or two to start to cook, then stir around to make egg threads. Repeat until egg is all incorporated.

Step 3: Serve!
- This is where your clever decision to prep the spring rolls while the base cooked pays off. The grooviest thing about spring rolls is that everyone can make theirs however they like. So just set out nifty ready to stuff ingredients with your wrappers and a water bowl to dunk them in. Then you can ladle out your soup and dig in!

We love kitting up kickass bands in Lip Service gear. So, when Lizzy Borden wanted to rock Lippy onstage, we were happy to help.

[Show as slideshow]

With Lizzy Borden, Joey Scott, Marten Andersson, Dario Lorina and AC Alexander, Lizzy Borden has been spitting venom, stage blood and dripping grease paint while breathing life into bizarre characters bred precisely for the stage in Hollywood since 1983. Their video “Tomorrow Never Comes” (from the latest Lizzy Borden full length album Appointment with Death) was nominated for video of the year as well as the top 25 metal video on MTV2’s Headbangers Ball.

Check out the Tomorrow Never Comes video:

Summer of Blood Tour teaser video:

It’s a dream come true… I’m hosting a coolhunting travel show for Huffington Post / AOL! And guess what I’m wearing in the intro to the first episode? Lip Service – Brocade Piracy dress.

In the first episode, I’m a fish out of water — a Goth girl in Wisconsin. I explore a kitschy theme hotel, complete with a bondage bed!

Will you kindly take a minute to check out my alternative travel show + Like/Share/Tweet it? This will enable me to keep the series going — and keep wearing Lippy on it. The link is: http://t.co/BRQAvIh

La Carmina‘s jetsetting adventures recently took me to Hong Kong, China — also known as shopping paradise. Naturally, I went on a treasure-hunt for Hong Kong’s best Gothic and Lolita shops.

I’ll warn you: there aren’t that many Gothic Lolita Punk shops in Hong Kong. But you can pick up terrific pieces from various Mongkok stalls, to build up a fashion-forward Gothic look. And the prices can’t be beat.

Spider is one of my favorites Gothloli clothing brands. Two sweet sisters run the small Mongkok shop. They design all the fashion, with close attention to detailing, and produce in small runs.

The clothes tend to be on the Gothic Punk side, which suits me perfectly. I love the corset lacing, punk plaids, and frills.

I bought these three items and the rose skirt, and wear them constantly (you’ve probably glimpsed them in my outfit posts). If you’re in Hong Kong and can only make it to one destination, I hope it’ll be Spider. Please say hi to owners Natalie and Queenie for me.

Spider is located at shop 130, King Wah Centre, 628 Nathan Road, Mongkok, Kowloon, Hong Kong (Map) Tel: (852) 2740 9366

Mongkok is my favorite Hong Kong district for shopping. (Take the subway there and explore the Nathan Road area). There are so many little malls that sell bright, alternative, trendy street style — at crazy low prices. Such as:

Argyle Centre Mall, 688 Nathan Road in Hong Kong (map).

This “Gothic Lolita & Punk” store is located at Shop 67, 1F in Argyle Centre. However, Mongkok stalls move around constantly; they’re open one week and closed the next. Instead of worrying about finding specific stores, I recommend exploring at random. You’ll undoubtedly come across alternative fashions.

Mongkok’s clothes aren’t the highest quality (comparable to, say, Forever 21). However, the styles are way ahead of the curve, and prices are incredible: you’ll rarely pay more than $5-15 US for any clothing item.

Hong Kong’s Goth scene is basically nonexistent (there are no club nights or gatherings). However, you can find Gothic/alternative items in the Mongkok mix — such as this jewelry, guarded by Edward Scissorhands.

I could have taken a million photos of Hong Kong shops. Rocking horse shoes; rose rings. (More shopping photos in this Mongkok post.)

Want to learn more about Hong Kong’s Gothloli and kawaii fashion? Check out La Carmina’s Hong Kong Gothic Lolita guide.

What do you think — is Hong Kong shopping heaven? Which items in this post would you most like to own?

Now I’m off to JAPAN, for a new TV hosting job with Food Network… you can see details and Tokyo fashion photos on my blog. Sayonara!

XXX LA CARMINA XXX

http://www.lacarmina.com/

Hi fellow metallers and miscreants! I just got back from Wacken Open Air, the greatest heavy metal party on earth, and thought I’d share with you some of my adventures in the holy land of heavy metal.

I'm stoked to be at WOA for the second time this year

The Wacken Open Air festival began in 1990 with a handful of German bands on a farm in rural Germany. Since its humble beginnings, Wacken has grown to one of the largest and most beloved heavy metal festivals in the world – attended by 75,000 metalheads from all over the world including, this year, a huge contingent of kiwis, and some sheep.

Our campground sheep

In the middle of the night, someone stole one of our sheep. We’re glad they never brought it back.

We arrived two days before the music began, giving us plenty of time to enjoy beer with our friends and browse the metal and medieval markets. Here, metalheads can find everything from clothing and patches to drinking horns and replica weaponry. I blew the budget at my favourite sock stall.

CDH perusing the shops in the metal market

Viking horn! (if you don't blow it correctly, it sounds like a farting elephant)

The first must-see band at Wacken is the Wacken Firefighters. This is the volunteer fire brigade from the town itself, performing classic German drinking songs in all their brass band glory, while a horde of drunk metalheads link arms and dance. It’s brilliant fun and I even got my crowd-surfing on!

The Thursday was a quiet line-up for me, with Helloween blasting power metal classics and my favourite band, Blind Guardian, taking the stage for a headlining slot. With the band playing flawlessly and the crowd singing every word, this was a magical set and the perfect end the first day of music.

Happy metalheads at the Wacken Firefighters

Friday was my busiest festival day, starting at midday with Ensiferum and not finishing till 3am with Apocalyptica’s mist-soaked cello instrumental set. The highlights of Friday were definitely Van Canto – a heavy metal cappella group – and Judas Priest. I’ve never seen these legends perform live before, and their show – one of the first in their epic farewell tour – slayed. Rob Halford is still pulling out some amazing vocals.

The Shining, at Wacken Open Air

On Saturday I got to catch one of my favorite indie acts, Norwegian jazz metal band the Shining, who played a half-hour set on the WET Stage at the same time as Iced Earth. Tobias’ Sammet’s Avantasia stole the day with a flawless, energetic performance, accompanied by special guests Bob Catley (Magum), Hai Hansen (Gamma Ray, Helloween) and Michael Kiske (formally of Helloween). After some epic dinner hotdogs (mine was covered in chilli. Sweet), we dove into the mosh-pit for Kreator.

And just like that, another Wacken was over. We had only to pack up our beer bottles, say goodbye to new friends and old, and leave the hallowed festival grounds. Until next year, WOA. Horns up \m/

Goodbye Wacken! Till next time!

You can see more Wacken photos at the official Wacken gallery.

Who am I? I’m Steff. Born in New Zealand, raised on a steady diet of metal and out-of-print archaeology books, I’m now a freelance writer, accessible formats producer, and full-time iron maiden.

You can keep up to date with all the metal madness at my Steff Metal blog. I update 4 times a week with reviews, articles, advice and silliness about living the metal lifestyle. And, for alternative biz owners, I run a creative business community for the dark side at Grymm & Epic.

Keep it brutal \m/
Steff

Stuffed shells

My secret moutain lair view while writing your MM recipe ... ahhhh vacation life!

This week, Meatless Monday is all about a big ol’ family dinner. The Boss and I, being on vacation at our secret mountain lair with the rest of the clan, have an extra challenge in putting together our meatless meal. How do we keep our pledge while cooking for a table full of dedicated carnivores?

Answer: Italian!

Italian food is a great go-to for many reasons. First, it’s always delicious and satisfying without needing a trace of meat. Second, it’s a fine budget-stretcher, with lots of inexpensive, basic ingredients. Most importantly, it is a cuisine which, rather than suffering, is even better in huge amounts to feed families (or small armies).

For our Meatless Monday Sunday dinner, we decided on stuffed shells. Of course, those of you who know me have already guessed these will not be the normal plain-cheese gut-bomb shells you may have encountered in the past. Instead, I used a blend of cheeses to make them lighter and less thicky monotonous in the mouth, while keeping the decadent cheese-tastic taste, and kicked up the flavor by adding little extras to bring in more sweet, savory, and umami flavors.

Here’s how it breaks down:

A giant pan of shells ... Mmmm! Cheese-tastic!

Stuffed Shells
serves at least 8-10 generous dinner portions
Veg:
3 red peppers – seeds and stems removed and cut in large chunks
3 heads garlic – excess paper removed and cloves pierced
1 Vidalia (or sweet) onion – outer layers peeled off, stem end removed, and cut into large chunks
kosher salt – sprinkle to taste
olive oil – drizzle
vegetable broth – just enough to cover the bottom of the pan and prevent burning

Sauce:
1 28oz can whole tomatoes + juice
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14.5oz can plum tomatoes + juice (You can just use another 28oz can of whole tomatoes, which will give a little more sauce for serving. This is just what we had handy in the pantry.)
1 TBSP dried basil
1 TBSP dried oregano
¼ cup fresh minced parsley
2 bay leaves
¼ cup red wine (Use a deeper red here, like Cab or Shiraz. Sweet/fruity is just not right in this recipe.)
½ tsp sugar (Usually, I would use a dash or two of balsamic vinegar, for a hint of sweet acidity, but we didn’t have any in the pantry. Sugar works just fine in a pinch, though.)
kosher salt – sprinkle to taste
*crushed red pepper – pinch or two if you want spicier sauce

Enough shells to feed a family (or small army)

Shells:
2 pkgs jumbo shells (this should give you about 70 shells total)
3lb cottage cheese (I use larger curd with excess whey drained off.)
2lb ricotta cheese
2lb mozzarella cheese (You can use plain old cheap supermarket packaged mozz balls here. Really good cheese would be wasted in such a mixed-bag of cheese and stuff.)
1 TBSP dried basil
1 TBSP dried oregano
½ cup fresh minced parsley
1lb mushrooms – (stems cut or removed* and sliced thin
2TBSP olive oil
kosher salt – sprinkle to taste
sprinkle of dried basil and oregano + minced parsley to taste
*Bonus Cheap Bastard points if you store your unused stems for a later pot of stock.

Step 1: Prep the Veg

sauce ingredients

Heat oven to 375. Place all the veg into an oven-safe dish, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil, then pour over just enough broth to give you about 1/2″ at the bottom of the dish. Cover with foil and cook for 1 hour. Then remove foil and cook for another hour until vegetables are soft and fragrant and are a bit brown on top.

Step 2: Make the Sauce
Put all sauce ingredients in a big pot, mix well, and heat at MED until it starts to bubble, then reduce to SIMMER and stir every 20-30 minutes until you are ready to assemble the shells. I always make the sauce early so it has at least 2-3 hours to simmer and bring all the flavors together.

Step 3: Prep the Shells
Prepare the shells according to package directions. It is usually best to make these a little in advance so they have time to cool enough to handle.

Step 4: Mix the Cheese and Enhance the Sauce

stuffed shells ready for the oven

Once the vegetables are ready, start by mixing all the cheese ingredients but mushrooms, oil, salt, and sprinkle of herbs in a large bowl. Take out 1 pound of your mozzarella and cut it into little diced bits (if it is lower moisture mozz, you can also grate it), adding it to the cheese mix.

Put your onion into the food processor and pulse to start, then process until it’s a smooth paste. Add half to the simmering sauce and half to the cheese mix. Repeat this process with the peppers. Add 1 head of garlic to the sauce and 2 to the cheese.

Heat the 2 TBSP olive oil in a saute pan and add the mushrooms, then sprinkle with kosher salt and herbs. Stir until the moisture is completely cooked out (or it will make your shells drooly … bleh). Add the mushrooms to the cheese mix and mix very well to incorporate all ingredients.

Step 5: Make the Shells
note: You will probably need a couple/few big ol’ pyrex lasagne dishes for all these shells. Honestly, I always make this much, even when I’m cooking just for the The Boss and I. They are MUCH better after a day or two in the fridge and freeze wonderfully.

Heat the oven to 350

more stuffed shell food porn

In your pyrex lasagna pans, ladle in enough sauce to give you about a  ¾” layer at the bottom of the pan. (If you have leftover sauce, that’s great. Just keep it handy to heat up when you’re ready to serve.) Grab a shell and, while you use one hand to hold the shell and keep it open, use the other to stuff in a generous spoonful. The shell should be a little overflowing, though not excessively. Keep doing this until all the cheese is used up. You may have a few extra shells, but better to have a few more than not enough, right?

Once your shells are stuffed, cover them lightly with the additional pound of mozzarella. You can either tear up slices of cheese as I’ve done here or, if your mozz is lower moisture, grate it and lay a generous pinch or two on top of each shell.

Bake the shells for about an hour or until the cheese is soft and gooey and the mozz topping is completely melted and has beautiful golden brown patches in it.

Step 6: Rest and Serve
Cheese dishes like stuffed shells and lasagna are greatly improved by resting them after cooking for at least 15 minutes to let the cheese set up better. Otherwise, they can get much too oozy and are a nasty mess to serve and eat. Let your diners have a little while to take in those delicious aromas before the payoff of cheesy goodness on their plates. Their praise and yummy noises will only be that much louder and more passionate.

Next week, sigh, we’ll be back in civilization, so back to the usual non-army-feeding MM fare. Until then, have a great week!

roasted garlic orecchiette with red pepper marinara

When you’re looking for great meals without meat, there are few better places to look than in what is often referred to as the “rustic” side of a cuisine. For those in the know, that’s peasant food, which is a wonderful thing. These are meals designed to be filling, healthy, and satisfying with a few inexpensive and readily-available ingredients. Good for you and your food budget!

This week, our Meatless Monday meal takes us to Italy for one of its humblest (and most delicious) dishes, pasta and marinara. Usually, I’ll just pick up pasta at the store, make a quick sauce, and call it a day. This week, I decided to get a little extra-homey and try making pasta myself. After over 30 years of cooking, I figured it was about time I tried it and … what do you know? It’s almost comically easy!

As a bonus, the pasta was like nothing I’ve had outside of VERY good Italian restaurants, a nice al dente firmness with just the right yield to the bite. The biggest plus was that, since I was making it myself, I was able to bring in my own flavors to the pasta. Since we’re about to go on vacation, I wanted to use up as much of a huge stock of garlic as possible before we leave. (There are few kitchen sins which bother me as much as food waste.) So, I roasted up a bunch to use in both pasta and sauce, giving it a rich, sweet/savory flavor and aroma.

So, if you have a little extra time, I whole-heartedly recommend giving basic pasta-making a whirl. It’s not only simple to do, but also costs pennies vs the dollars of store-bought. Now that I know how easy it is, I suspect we’ll be having lots more homemade pasta, far more often.

The sauce is also a product of imminent vacation, since we also had red peppers and some red onion left over from a bigger meal I made earlier in the week. And we all know how much red peppers cost, so I hate like hell to let them go to waste. Instead, I used them to beef up and give a sweet foil to tangy tomato marinara.

Here’s how it all breaks down:

serves 4 dinner portions

Roasted Garlic Pasta (Orecchiette)

roasted garlic orecchiette with red pepper marinara

3 heads roasted garlic

1 egg

1/2 cup reserved garlic broth (or water)

2 cups four (+ 1/2 cup extra added during kneading)

1 tsp salt

Marinara

3 red peppers- seeds removed + cut into chunks

1 red onion – peeled and stem end removed + cut into chunks

2 heads roasted garlic

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried parsley

olive oil – just enough to toss vegetables before roasting

*pinch (to taste) crushed red pepper

*parmesan reggiano – grated on top as optional garnish

Step 1: Prep

Roast your garlic. Roast the pepper and onion pieces, tossed in olive oil, on a sheet at 400º for at least an hour, stirring at 30 minutes. I let mine go longer because I had the time and like more caramelization. If you do this too, just make sure to check and mix at about every 20-30 minutes until they are the color and consistentcy you want.

Step 2: Prep the dough (It’s easier and shorter than it looks … just a few more things to look for than usual)

In a bowl, mix pasta garlic with broth and eggs, whisking to break up the cloves and make the liquid as smooth as possible. In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Pour the garlic mix into the flour mix and stir well with a fork, scraping sides to bring more flour into the forming dough. Once most flour is incorporated, use your (floured) hands to knead down on the dough and bring all residual flour into the mix. Knead the dough well, pushing down and foward with the heel of your hand to flatten it before folding it back to knead again. At this point, feel the dough.

- Is it a little tacky, sticking to your hands? Add a little flour and work in while kneading. Don’t be in too much of a rush here. Just take about enough flour to fit over the palm of your hand and work it in completely before adding more, if needed. I wound up adding about 1/2 cup of additional flour a small handful at a time while I kneaded. If your garlic is about the same size and egg is larger, you should probably expect to need a little more flour to counter these liquid elements.

- Or is it a little dry and crumbly? Odds are, if your dough is crumbly, the garlic was smaller or the egg … or whatever other minor difference in the alchemy. If your dough isn’t coming together or staying together, it just needs a little more liquid. If you have extra garlic broth, use it, otherwise a little water is great, too. Like extra flour, don’t add too much at a time. Instead, add small increments and work them in before adding more.

You should knead the dough until it is perfectly smooth, which will take at least 5-10 minutes. Your kneading hand is a good gauge. I usually find that, when I’m good and tired of kneading, it’s about the rght time to stop, anyway.

Once your dough is the right consistency and, since you’ve already been kneading it to beautiful, silky-smooth perfection, it’s time to rest it. Break it into 4 smaller balls and set on your board under a bowl for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Prep the sauce

Put your roasted pepper and onion pieces in the food processor with the cloves of roasted garlic, then pulse on low until they’re broken up completely. Then process at the lower setting until smooth, raising to the higher setting for a couple of minutes to get it as smooth as possible. Pour the roasted vegetable mixture into a sauce pot and add the crushed tomatoes, herbs, and crushed red pepper (if you like a bit of spiciness). It’s a thick-ish sauce, so best to not heat it at higher heat if you don’t want it to spit at you. Instead, heat at MEDIUM until it just starts to bubble, then lower to the lowest SIMMER your range can do. Stir every 20-30 minutes until ready to serve.

Step 4: Make the pasta!

I chose to make an orecchiete shape because, I’ll be honest, it’s the easiest shape to make and virtually impossible to screw up. It’s a bit like small, flat dumplings with a slightly curved, cup-like ear shape. If this is your first time making pasta, especially if you, like me, have neither a bunch of pasta-making tools at the ready nor the space to hang a mess of noodles to dry, orecchiette is an ideal choice. The upside is, if you like thick, meaty pastas, this will be perfect for standing up to even your heartiest sauces. And … did I mention it’s virtually impossible to get wrong? Win and win!

first: Make a snake!

Remove one of your little pasta dough balls from its covering and start to roll (with floured hands) out on an unfloured board. Do you remember making “snakes” with Play-Dough? It’s exactly the same thing. Roll the dough between your hands first to get a snake forming, then finish up on the board, rolling back and forth along the length of the strand until it’s about 1/2″ thick (at most).

next: Cut and form

Now that you have a long, thin dough snake, take a knife (non-serated is great) and cut little bits off the end, about 1/4 inch wide. (I found it easier to do all the cutting first, then forming the pasta shapes. Your mileage may vary.) Take each little bit of dough and, with a floured thumb, press down into the middle of the piece, twisting your thumb away from you as you push. This will create a little “ear” of pasta. Don’t sweat it if your shapes look a bit blobby; that’s the lovely part of rustic food, it’s not supposed to be perfect, anyway. Even if it looks funky, it’s going to taste brilliant, none the less. The only thing worth being concerned about is the thickness. If a piece turns out with a big, fat bit, give it a second shaping to give it more consistency so the pasta cooks more uniformly. Otherwise, don’t worry about it. This is a good time, if there are kids around, to give them a chance to play in the kitchen.

As you make shapes, arrange them on a cookie sheet on sheets of wax paper to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Step 5: Rest

I mean this for your pasta shapes, by the way. Start your pot of pasta water (make sure to add enough salt, too). If you are planning to make a salad or vegetable side, now is a great time to do it. Once the pasta is done resting, there are just a few brief minutes of cooking time, so use this time if you need it. After 30 minutes of rest, you can make your pasta.

Step 6: Cook the pasta + bring it all together

Once your pasta is rested and water is boiling, you’re ready to cook! Add the pasta to the pot and let boil for about 4 minutes. (You’ll know the pasta is just about ready when the pieces float to the top.) Drain and set aside while you move some of your marinara sauce to the now-empty pasta pot. Turn heat to MED and, once the sauce begins to bubble, add your pasta, stirring well. If you’d like wetter pasta, add sauce to your desired coverage (reserve the rest to have for extras at table).

Step 7: SERVE!

Serve immediately to praise and adulation. If you have some parmesan-reggiano, grate some on top as a garnish.

Well, that’s the lot for this week’s Meatless Monday meal. I’ll be back next time with a big, meatless family dinner from our secret lair in the mountains. Until then, have a great week!