Dipping my toe into wanting to learn Mexican a little more, I went to the bookstore and stole a few recipes...made Salpicon De Res from The Art of Mexican Cooking tonight.

came out good.






I'm not making my own tortillas yet....




....but that's just because I haven't picked up a press. ;)

Been really interested in Mexican cooking lately...if you follow my blog you might remember my Caldo de Pollo post.

I have some great Mexican markets near me...should be fun.

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From THIS recipe....and they were great.

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house was too clean today, so rather than mess it up so soon, decided to cook outside.

Grilled up the chicken sausage, threw some rough chopped peppers in a pan (1 yellow, 1 orange, 1 jalapeno) with some evoo and 2 cloves of garlic just smushed for flavor. Cooked on high for a few minutes, then threw in some Sherry wine and cooked on medium low for about 7 minutes, salt pepper.... while the bread toasted on the grill. Comfort food perfect in under 20 minutes.







casings were PERFECT, perfect snap. I was a little nervous as I hear some horror stories about chewy, nasty casings. Thanks to someone on a message board I frequent for the suggestion of airing them dry after stuffing.

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Made sausages for the first time tonight, so just snacked on a bunch of "test patties"

made chicken and sun dried tomato and then hot italian

came out well for my first time.












was pretty proud of myself....no tears or nothing.

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Had one of those nights....went for a run, came home and dinner was spot on and super simple. Preheated the grill to incinerate, which on my propane grill isn't that high (about 700) unfortunately, I'm way too lazy to charcoal it for a Tuesday night. Aside from sourcing the morel mushrooms...(which I got at Whole Foods in Princeton for 39.99/lb....5 bucks worth was more than enough for a cup of risotto/4 servings)

Morel mushroom risotto




Marinated some lamb T-bones in red wine (shiraz)




served the rest with dinner

Grilled up some asparagus and topped with an egg.






perfect.

Such a simple quick dinner, and so damn good. Only prep in this dinner is dicing a shallot and rinsing some mushrooms for risotto really.

sneak preview for tomorrow...

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baked some babka coffee can style for the family for easter last night till about 1:30...yeah, my family requests the sprinkles...heh.



woke up, did all the "first nice day of spring" yard work and cleaning out of the garage....for about 7 hours.


backyard is grass looking good so far...




Then went grocery shopping, then...for 6.25 mile run.

tonight, experimented with the KA meat grinder and some chuck...came out good for a first time. Some margaritas. Ended up using some Patron silver I had leftover as I want it out of my cabinet already. Didn't wanna ruin the good stuff. Just didn't feel right...

click the READ MORE for pics...











I think maybe a little too fatty?





and a not-as-good-as-daniels money shot.

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Click the "read more" for the rest of the post/pictures...



So, my birthday is never that big a deal. Never used to be...until I met Laurie, and she decided it was. last year she surprised me with a trip to Rhode Island, this year, a spectacular dinner/evening.

A rundown of my evening.
Came home, went for a run, showered...
...came out to this waiting next to the recliner with my favorite bumming around shorts.

Lemme see if I get this right....
Goat cheese herb spread with some white wine drizzled with olive oil. Bruschetta of shitake mushrooms, some scallions and some mint with some parmigiano-reggiano. And a Negroni cocktail. Just in time to watch my guilty pleasure....TMZ.




After TMZ and a glass of white wine, I walked into the kitchen to find this...

Farfalle with hot italian sausage, roasted red peppers, and Kalamata olives, bread, and a bottle of Montepulciano.





and....presents!


Got a food grinder for my mixer (be ready for the best burgers an sausages ever)


some much needed slippers


So I lounged around in my slippers for a while and then came dessert...

Vanilla bean panacotta with raspberry coulis. Was awesome.


The whole dinner was most excellent. Lauries a damn good cook when I'm not over her shoulders telling her she's doing it all wrong! Doh!

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Click the "read more link" for the rest of the pictures....


Last year we had it at our house....here's the post.
http://randallpmcmurphy.blogspot.com/2008/03/easter.html

This year, at my parents. we made the crostini 'bar' and some loaves of bread. and a couple of magnums of some cheap italian wine. most people opted for herring and rye bread over our stuff.....such is life. Although my parents gave up on passing dishes around and serve it buffet style with these buffet stations they got at Sam's club. they were classy and went paper plates this year too!! our bread (from artisan bread in 5 minutes a day, almost ready to give a solid opinion on this book...) 2 vats of sausage and peppers and a crock pot of mashed potatoes.....ugh. happy Easter. To think it's not even our real easter...that's not till next week. pfft.

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Been on a beet kick lately....

Still on the beet kick.


At least I can laugh at myself...haha



get it?

The other night, I batched-up and froze from beet ravioli filled with goat cheese and ricotta.....and had to test out a few.








yeah, i messed around with 2 different ravioli "tools" I like freehand or the bear-trap ones best.

baked some bread from Artisan breads in 5 minutes a day. It's only the second or third time I used a recipe from there. Italian Semolina = fail, The regular boule with some herbs in there = very win. So far that book is 50/50 hit or miss (most likely due to me being incompetent)



then some left over sausages + some peppers and onions and a bunch of tomato paste.



Tonight I made some beet barley-sotto with some goat cheese and made the rest of the rosemary/thyme bread in the fridge.

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Yep, that's what it translates to. Puttanesca.

Made some fresh pasta (4 xl eggs, 3.5c flour, should have used some semonila, but didn't have any, natch)

Tossed some garlic in a pan, I think about 4 cloves, and some dried chilis....because I had them. I'm sure you can use some pepper flakes. Sauteed for a minute or 2, enough that I didn't burn the garlic, then threw in 2 cans of fire-roasted tomatoes, a cup of half-mooned zucchini. Cooked few minutes (maybe 5?) then tossed in a half a cup of black olives, and 2tbs of rinsed capers. Cooked the pasta for a few seconds then threw in the pan and tossed. Served with a (cheap 8.99) Multipulciano.

(started out with a French 75 cocktail)

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Craving lamb today, I asked Laurie to pick up some rib chops (I initially wanted loin chops, but, well, you don't wanna hear my butcher rant). She threw some new red potatoes with some garlic, evoo, and rosemary in the oven. When they were done, I, trimmed, and S&P the chops, quick hot sear in the pan on both sides, and removed them. I had some garlic butter in the fridge left-over from some garlic bread last week, and figured what the heck, if I'm going to use butter for the sauce anyway....so then I deglazed with some cognac and flamed it off, added some garlic-butter. Pretty simply, but good. Perfect mid-rare (more rare for me mid rare for Laurie)

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Well, haven't posted in a while. Work's been busy, life's been busier. Rest assured I'm still cooking up a storm. Saw Watchmen this weekend, it was real good, but I'm a comic geek. Here are a few meals we cooked as of late. If anyone want's a recipe, just let me know. Nothing is too groundbreaking, really.

REQUEST
I'm looking for a good source of meats in NJ...just kind of a single source. I can pick up say, pork belly and rabbit at Hong Kong supermarket, and some veal at Shoprite and short ribs at Bravo! supermarket and head over to Wegmans and get pork chops and steaks, Griggstown for poultry, but....1. it's a pain 2. either the cuts are bad, or are overpriced. I need a happy medium as well as access to order things like cheeks,sweetbreads, and "different" cuts. We make our dinner menu a week or two in advance, so ordering is not a problem. Joe Meat market in South Bound Brook, last we went, didn't even have pork chops, or hot sausage, or veal (but can order them....ugh). If I'm going to order, I want to find a reliable place with decent cuts and a place than can get me what I need. If anyone knows any restaurants perhaps with a good purveyor I can leech off of, or an online place or even a place in New Brunswick that is good, please let me know!!

rant.over.


Valentines Filet


Lemon Panna Cotta with Strawberry Coulis

some wheat bread


some chicken


some more bread.



Some pizza

some chicken tikka masala, basmati, and roti



Stuffed pork chop with apples, an apple brandy sauce, creamy polenta and spinach with pinenuts


Chicken piccata.

Hmm what else?
Got a new knife magnet.



Now for some randomness.............


Lost 17.5lbs.
New Bob Dylan record coming out...
Been watching LOST...and loving it.
Excited for the new Marco Pierre White show Chopping Block...
Man on Wire was pretty good doc...

Still looking for a night job in the food/cocktail world a couple of nights a week.

Still interested in IT Security and Audit positions (see resume below)

...Still go to sleep on Sunday not knowing if I'll have a job on Monday...

trying to get better at photography.

If I have any Italian fans, email me, we're planning our wedding/honeymoon in Italy...and I need some advice/suggestions...I need a nice non-touristy villa in Tuscany and a private chef for a week or so.

I'll post more, and I might try to actually post some recipes too as people have been emailing me here and there. It's just pure lazyness or most of the time I rip them off of someone else anyways.

By the way, here is a pretty neat cocktail using Domaine De Canton which is a ginger/cognac liqueur. Been trying to find a real good cocktail with Canton's other than a traditional sidecar (cut with some Hennessey)

Build over rocks in a highball, or leave club soda out, stir with ice then pour over ice in an old fashioned.

2 parts dark rum (rhum agricole)
1 part sweet vermouth (Antica)
1 part Cantons

twist of lime and top with club soda

hmmmmm....what else. I think that's about it.

Oh yeah, worst. top. chef. season. ever. Stefan should have won. But, I guess I didn't taste the food so it's kinda hard for me to judge. But I will anyway.

until next time...

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Actively seeking a position in Information Security or Internal Audit (IT). Willing to relocate and travel.

Robert J. Timko, CISA, CISSP
40 Northside Ave.
South River, NJ 08882
732-673-9097
rtimko@gmail.com

Experience:

(News Corporation) Dow Jones and Company, Inc., Princeton, NJ

2006 – Present Manager, Global IT Audit

· Manage the global information technology audit function for the Dow Jones business and report to the Chief Auditor of News Corporation.

· Perform due diligence for potential mergers and acquisitions with domestic and international parties.

· Perform forensic examinations concerning internal investigations.

· Oversee the Firm’s Sarbanes Oxley initiative related to information technology.

· Manage the Department’s technology budget and recruiting of IT audit personnel.

· Manage a team of senior level IT auditors.

· Implemented an automated work papers application for the department, as well as an audit approach aligned with industry standards (e.g., COBIT framework).

· Implemented a coordinated effort with the Director of Financial audit to ensure a fully integrated approach to execute the annual audit plan.

2005 – 2006 Supervisor, IT Audit

· Assisted in building a newly developed information technology audit function

· Developed and executed both detailed technology and integrated audit plans.

· Wrote audit reports to be presented to executive management.

· Executed Sarbanes Oxley testing

2003 – 2005 Information Security Consultant

· Performed auditing and penetration testing on the Company’s global infrastructure.

· Managed the Company’s compliance program over Payment Card Industry (PCI) Standards.

· Oversaw Incident Response, Firewall, and IDS analysis and Risk Analysis/Management.

· Architected and deployed a global vulnerability management system.

· Primary liaison with Internal Audit on the implementation of internal audit recommendations

2002 – 2003 Trellis Network Services, Cranbury, NJ

Sr. Information Security Consultant

· Managed network security designs, implementations, and administration.

· Implemented firewalls and performed IDS analyses.

· Performed system audits and penetration testing.

· Management the implementation of wireless devices, as well as physical and information security.

1999 – 2002 Bit By Bit Computer Consultants, New York, NY

Network Security Consultant

· Oversaw network security administration, design, and implementation.

· Designed enterprise security solutions for Fortune 500 companies.

· Performed audits of large networks for financial institutions.

· Managed NT4.0 to Windows2000 Active Directory enterprise migration.

Skills:

· Certified Information Systems Security Professional - CISSP (2001)

· Certified Information Systems Auditor - CISA (2006)

· GIAC Certified Forensics Analyst – GCFA (2004)

Education:

DeVry University, North Brunswick, NJ

· Computer Information Systems May 2002

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Thai Curry Chicken and (non-Thai)Udon noodles


Turkey Tortilla Soup


Filet and Spicy Roasted Sweet potatoes

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Posted via Pixelpipe.

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Curry Chicken Brown Rice and a pineapple, pepper, salsa/relish



Came out awesome. Stole and modified the recipe from a cuisine at home book/magazine.

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Went shopping in the freezer and pulled out 2 "eh" duck breasts I had in there. Usually I'd just render them in a pan all crispy and mid-rare, but these cuts were not very good quality. So, I figured I'd mask them in a flavorful marinade.

Duck satay's in a orange ginger marinade and a marinade+cashew sauce, some jasmine rice and a pork bun.

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Been too busy worrying about loosing my job to really worry about anything else as of late. Went to NYC before x-mas, that was nice...and went to LA after new years for work...that was nice because of the weather, but mainly spent time in the office. As far as motorcycles are concerned, I've passed on racing in the Sandblast rally this year, my head just isn't in it. I might go down to help out and talk shit, but won't be racing.

I have tons of pictures, I may update this post, or heck, just go check out my smugmug here http://rtimko.smugmug.com and poke around in Holidays, Food, and Vacations and Trips.

Cooking wise, I have been at it, and more-so in 2009. It was my 2008 resolution, and I think I made it. Another was to get on a better budget to track my money better, I think I did that as well. Another was to eat seafood. I fulfilled that pretty early, my goal was to be able to order a meal from the seafood section of the menu and I did...I'm still training my palate, but I'm 500% better now.

2009 resolutions:
Be better with peoples names
Explore photography more
Get a second "job" to keep my head straight
Be (more) social
Get married! haha.

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http://restaurantguyschocolate.com/

I believe you can even get a free sample....

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In case you haven't gotten me anything yet

1. CIA (culinary institute) bootcamp (and subsequent time off work)
2. All expense paid and subsequent reservations to El Bulli
3. A new pen
4. Handcrafted, hand tooled, leather portfolio, not black.
5. Limo to take me to the city for a nice shave (art of shaving perhaps)
6. Unlimited bar/food tab at Catherine Lombardi or Nicholas
7. To see the movie "The Wrestler" at home, and not travel to NYC to see it
8. A day at the shooting range shooting different guns, I've never shot a gun, would be neat.
9. Left side of my living room furnished
10. Shelves for my kitchen wine rack area...made from 100+yr old wood
11. A nice fresh Kobe steak prepared
12. Socks/underwear/white alfani v-necks,
13. A comfortable (but not expensive)bathrobe so I can spill stuff on and not feel bad about it and pretend to be The Big Lebowski
14. Someone to torrent the entire Velvet Underground library for me and put it on my phone.
15. nice (hand crafted, tooled) leather "wallet" flip up type case for my iPhone, the perfect, slim, design...probably the most impossible gift on this list.
16. The mis-matched color of my rear passenger side door "repair" ...re-repaired
17. my basement organized with some racks/shelves
18. basement painted (ceiling AND floor too)
19. Nikkor Zoom Super Wide Angle AF 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Autofocus Lens for Digital Cameras or Tokina Zoom Super Wide Angle 16-50mm f/2.8 AT-X 165 PRO DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital
20. A stunt driving, drag racing, or rally racing class or just a day that I can drive a car like an asshole on a closed course.
21. Someone to paint my garage (walls and floor)
22. An attorney or someone else to have power of attorney so I will never have to go to the DMV ever again. for anything. at all. ever.
23. A nice new watch

24. Job security.

25. A job to keep me from going stir crazy one or two nights a week...restaurant, bar, something.
26. Oil change for my car
27. Kitchen-aide pro 600 mixer
28. NICE pressure cooker
29. old seasoned cast iron. not the new lodge shit


I'll think of some more later...

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