Tzatziki: What Not To Do!

Just like the nuggets and freedom fries, have you ever wanted some tzatziki and thought instead of running to a store, you would just spend several hours making it? Awesome! I love tzatziki. I like it with crackers, I like it on donairs (which are apparently called gyros elsewhere), I especially like it on spanakopita. I use it in place on mayo on pitas, it is such a good low-fat substitute. It only has a few general ingredients, what could go wrong?

Now, I've only made it once and it was a bit of a disaster, but somehow I STILL thought it was a good idea to make this without a recipe, just sort of making it up as I went along. Oh yeah. It went about that well.

So this is not just a recipe, it's a cautionary tale.

Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise

I really like this recipe because it makes a small batch, only aboot 8 ounces, so you can make it regularly and try different variations. Much more wieldy than the 2-litre batch I remember from cooking school.

You will need:

Homemade Steak Sauce

I had a request for this recipe last night so I thought I would post it in case anyone else was looking for a super-fast steak sauce they can make at home. It is extraordinarily pungent, so you will want to open a window or use the fan. Or both. Oh yes.

I tried to make it look yummy, but...it's steak sauce

You will need:

1 c balsamic vinegar (don't use your expensive salad-dressing one)
1/2 c malt vinegar
1/3 c Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt

One of the few applications I have found for an adjustable tsp / Tbsp measure

Boil the balsamic vinegar in a large wide pan for 2-3 minutes, until reduced by half.

Befooooore

In half!

You may just want to time it, as the pan being so wide can make it difficult to tell reduction. Anyway, after it has reduced, add in the rest of the ingredients and continue boiling while stirring for a minute or two more. You should end up with a yield of around a cup.

Like zo!

Here are some more useful pictures of black (amazing tasting) goo:

Dip in me!

Or I will spread on you!