Learning the Oven

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/4, 1/45 sec, ISO3200
“Anova Oven” Cedar Park, 2021

It’s weird to think that one would have to learn how to use a home oven, but here we are. Welcome to the 2020s! I touched on it briefly in another post, but we have a fancy Anova Precision Oven which has a sous vide mode. It basically uses a water reservoir to regulate the moisture level in the oven as you cook food. This cooks the food evenly and also keeps it from drying out. The addition of a food probe ensures even more precision as the food reaches and is held at the proper temperature depending on the recipe.

It’s a fancy bit of technology for sure, but is it too much? Mariko tasked me to try some recipes for the oven, so I’ll have a better answer in the coming weeks but what I do know is that it’s actually fun to use because you can control the oven with an app on your phone. If you use one of the recipes from the Anova website, the oven changes modes automatically (varying moisture level, temperature, heat source direction, and probe control) during the cooking process. It’s very satisfying to glance at your phone and see the status of the oven.

So far I have prepared a pork tenderloin, which came out pretty good, and today I tried the “Reheat Pizza” recipe, which also was a success. I admit that this oven is overkill for two slices of pizza, but I had to test it out! 😂

Brisket Dinner

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27.7mm, f/3.2, 1/90 sec, ISO800
“Brisket Dinner” Cedar Park, 2021

A little overdone because I didn’t wrap the foil tight enough. So I’m a little disappointed. But there was still plenty of tender brisket to satisfy the teenager.

As for the crust, I chopped it up and made breakfast tacos out of. So it’s all good!

Fresh Croissants

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/4.5, 1/40 sec, ISO800
“Croissants” Cedar Park, 2021

Mariko made a batch of croissants today. She said she used very good butter and they tasted amazing! The inside had so many layers. I only had a couple bites of one because the rest are going to other people, but that’s fine because I already ate dinner and I am trying to be good! 😄

A Cold Beer

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/3.2, 1/100 sec, ISO2500
“Yummy Beer” Cedar Park, 2021

I’m trying not to have too much alcohol these days, but I’ve been eyeing this beer in the fridge for a week now and well, it’s time to drink it!

Mariko and her friend visited the Family Business brewery and were able to buy this can of “Cosmic Cowboy”. It’s so much better than the standard fare. Well worth the calories!

Cheers!

Healthy and Light Nabe Dinner

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/75 sec, ISO800
“Healthy Nabe” Cedar Park, 2021

Tonight we enjoyed a simple, healthy nabe dinner. Last night’s meal left me feeling too full, so I was happy to eat lighter tonight.

Even though it was just tofu, greens, and daikon in broth, I felt very satisfied and my stomach also felt good. And I can say that my mindset was also more clear. In fact, I felt so energized that I wanted to go for a run. But since I already went for a long bicycle ride at lunchtime (and Wednesdays are kind of my running rest day) I decided to just take it easy this evening. 😊

I hope you had a nice day! またね~

Chicken Tikka Masala Dinner

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 35.8mm, f/3.6, 1/60 sec, ISO800
“Chicken Tikka Masala” Cedar Park, 2021

Mariko made chicken tikka masala and naan for our dinner tonight. It was super yummy and I ate way too much. Actually, my portion wasn’t too large but I didn’t eat much all day today so my stomach shrunk a bit. That’s my guess.

After dinner I started on my usual 5 km run, but I felt so sluggish that I decided to cut it a bit shorter than usual. That’s okay though… I’m happy that I at least got out there. 😀

I hope you had a great day! またね~