Black Ears: Hyena Ear Tutorial

Oh yes, the past can hurt.  But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it.

Rafiki, The Lion King

As much as I love our hyena masks, I have been itching to see them with the ears done, because I figured that would really solidify the hyena look.  I am very happy with the end-product, and they were pretty simple, both in design and execution. 

The basic outlines are made from wire coat hangers, which we untwisted and cut into shape.  Each ear has two parts: the main ear shape, and then a single wire running down the back of the ear, to give it depth.  The two pieces are held together with thermoplastic. 

The whole ear frame

The joint for the ears, to allow them to be three-dimensional.
This angle really lets you see what I mean when
I talk about using two pieces of wire to create the shape.

Once all four ears had been assembled, it was time to cover them in fabric.

We decided to do the ears with black fur on the outside and brown fabric on the inside, since that is pretty close to the cartoon:

Not QUITE brown, but close enough

 We started by laying the outer edge of the ear down on the black fabric and hot gluing a few spots down the length of the wire, and then continued to do the spot-glue method as we pulled the fabric around the wire frame, leaving an unglued lip around the entire edge:

Once the black fabric was secure, we placed the brown fabric by spot-gluing it onto the black fabric.  The final step was to take the unglued black fabric, fold it over the wire and glue it down to create a black edge on the ears.

Finished ear from behind

Finished ear from the front

The next step was attaching the ears to the heads.  We bent the wire so that it wrapped around the back of the masks, and then hot glued each wire in place.

Like so

Once all of the wires were glued, we then reinforced everything with a bunch of duct tape. (Super sophisticated, I know).

And voila!  We finally have ears on our masks!  

Banzai

Shenzi

Lord Commander's Parsnip Dumpling Soup

 Sheldon: Let me walk you through it, our standard is, the steamed dumpling appetizer, General So’s chicken, beef with broccoli, shrimp with lobster sauce and vegetable lo-main. Do you see the problem?

Leonard: I see a problem.

Sheldon: Our entire order is predicated on four dumplings and four entrees divided among four people.

 The Big Bang Theory

I got this recipe from a wonderful recipe book called Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi.  The recipes are all vegetarian, and every single one that I have tried has been delicious.  I highly recommend purchasing it, especially if you like this soup!

What you need for the broth:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 5 celery stalks, diced
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1/2 celeriac, peeled and roughly chopped
• 7 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 5 thyme sprigs
• 2 bunches of parsley
• 10 Black peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves
• 8 prunes

What you need for the dumplings:

• 1/2lb Russet Potato, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 cups Parsnips, peeled and diced
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 2 tbsp butter
•  1/2 cup self-rising flour
• 1/3 cup semolina flour
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper to taste 

Ideally, you would make this recipe using 2 large pots-one to get the dumpling ingredients going, and one to get the broth going.  I only had one pot, so I tried to do the recipe as efficiently as possible.  To begin, boil the potato, parsnip, and garlic in a large pot filled with salted water until they are soft.  Drain well. 

Cooked Parsnips and Potatoes

Dry the pot off and then add the butter.  Once the butter is melted, return the potato and parsnip mixture to the pot and saute on medium heat for a few minutes.  Because I needed the pot for the broth, at this point I dumped the parsnip mixture into a new bowl to be mashed.  Add in the flour, semolina, egg, salt and pepper and continue to mix until everything has combined. 

Dumpling mixture

Now cover the bowl in plastic wrap and stick it in the refrigerator for around 45 minutes.

For the broth, add the oil to the pot and let it heat, then add in the veggies and garlic and saute for a few minutes.  Next, add in the spices and prunes.  Cover everything with cool water and turn the heat up to get it boiling.  Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down and let it simmer for about an hour.  Stir occasionally and add water as necessary to ensure you have enough broth for 4 servings.

It looks a bit gross as it boils and froths, but it will be delicious

During the last 15 minutes of simmer-time for the broth, bring salted water to a boil in a medium-sized sauce pan.  Reduce the heat to a simmer.  Now grab a teaspoon, dip it in the water, and begin spooning your dumpling mixture into the pan.  I did this in 3 batches to avoid over-crowding.  The dumplings will sink to the bottom at first.  Once they rise to the top, let them simmer for an additional 30 seconds before removing them with a slatted spoon and setting them aside. 

Dumpling-making

 Now it's time to strain your broth.  I wanted to leave some texture in the soup, so I removed all of the thyme sprigs, parsley, prunes, and bay leaves but left about half of the carrot, celeriac, celery, and onion.  Whether you leave some or all of the veggies is totally up to you. 

Divide the finished dumplings among the bowls and then cover in broth.  Enjoy!

Dumplings ready to be brothed

Castle Black: One Pot Stroganoff

The boys. The beef-witted featherbrained rattleskulled clod-pated dim-domed noodle-noggined sapheaded lunk-knobbed boys. How could anybody accuse her of stealing them? Why would anybody want them anyway?

William Goldman, The Princess Bride.

This hearty, easy, one-pot dish was inspired by beef stroganoff, which was traditionally a Russian dish of sauteed beef with sour cream.  These days, stroganoff recipes vary wildly from the original dish, but they are undeniably tasty!  My recipe isn't quite as easy as some of the one-pot pasta recipes floating around, because it involves some browning of meat before-hand, and some stirring-in of ingredients later on, but it was still pretty darn easy.

Stoney and I decided to make this recipe to use up a small bison steak that has been in the freezer for awhile and to give us something tasty and filling to eat the night before a color run! Serves 4.

What you need:

• 6 oz. Bison filet (a lean cut of steak would also work), cut into small pieces
• 12 oz. package Extra Wide egg noodles. 
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 cups of water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, halved
• 1/2 lb baby bella mushrooms, halved

 Heat the oil in large pot over medium-high heat.  Add in the garlic, bison, and worcestershire sauce and cook until the meat has browned. 

Add the onions, nutmeg and paprika and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and cook another few minutes.

Now, put all of the other ingredients into the pot except for the sour cream and parsley.  At this point, the noodles will most likely not be submerged in the liquid, so stir as best you can, cover, and let everything simmer for 5-10 minutes to let those noodles soften up. 

Once the noodles have softened, stir them into the broth and let everything simmer, uncovered until the liquid is mostly gone and has taken on a nice saucy consistency, approximately 40-45 minutes.  Make sure to stir frequently while it cooks to keep the noodles from sticking to the pot. 

Stir in the sour cream at the very end.  Garnish it with parsley, and enjoy!

The House of Black & White: Yuca & Steak

I'd like a, a petit filet mignon, very lean, not so lean that it lacks flavour, but not so fat that it leaves drippings on the plate. And I don't want it cooked - just lightly seared on either side, pink in the middle; not a true pink, but not a mauve either, something in between, bearing in mind the slightest error either way, and it's ruined. 

Niles, Frasier 

This was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment concoction, but it turned out to be amazing.  Stoney and I went to a Cuban restaurant in Pigeon Forge over 4th of July weekend, and had yuca fries for the very first time.  We were both blown away by how good they were.  They were sweeter and, in my opinion, had a better body than regular french fries, and they basically just melted in your mouth after you bit through the crusty outside.  I was enamored, so the following weekend, I bought yuca at the store and decided to make yuca chips.  As grass-fed filet mignon was on sale, it seemed like a no-brainer meal.

What you need for the Yuca Chips:

• 2 yuca roots
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp cilantro 

To begin, preheat the oven to 475, peel the yuca and then either spiralize into ribbons or slice very thinly.  Toss the chips in olive oil, lime juice and cilantro.  Spread chips onto a greased baking sheet in a single layer and then cook for 5 minutes, flip, and cook another 5 minutes.  If you have thicker slices, your cook time may be longer.  They were really good served with guacamole!

What you need for the steak marinade:

• 1 orange
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp garlic
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp cilantro

For the marinade, you want the juice from the orange, plus the pulp from one half of the orange (we grilled the pulp with the steaks and then ate it with them).  Mix all of the ingredients together, place the steaks in a large freezer bag, pour in the marinade, and then let sit for at least 4 hours.

Dornish Vegetable Rice

Like Dornish food and Dornish law, Dornish speech was spiced with the flavors of the Rhoyne, but a man could comprehend it

A Dance With Dragons, George R.R. Martin

This dish is similar to a paella, but requires no baking.  I was extremely happy with how it came out, and the arborio rice lent a nice creamy texture to the dish.  Makes 6 servings.

What you need:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 dried red chile (any kind will probably work), torn into small pieces
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 heaping tbsp minced garlic
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 zucchini
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
• 2 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 1/4 cup arborio rice
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• Fresh parsley for garnish
• 6 lemon wedges for garnish

In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add the dried chile, onion, and garlic, cooking until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Stir in the rice, and then the broth. 

 Bring everything to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.  Garnish with parsley and a lemon wedge and serve.