LET'S COOKING!

Hey everyone

Although I love comics, a myriad of Japanese fighting games, blaxploitation movies, there's one thing that I love unconditionally...so much so that I can't get through a whole day without having it.

I'm talkin' about food ya'll.

Hanwu Galbi,Bacon Double Cheeseburgers, Apple Cinnamon Crepes...yea those were incredibly random but the list could go on forever. I wouldn't necessarily say I'm a "foodie" but I really love food, more importantly I love making it! I guess while in college to make money stretch I saw it as a viable option to get through semesters but eventually it became something I grew fond of to a point whenever I have the time to cook, I'm definitely hyped about it!

The last blog update about food was a recipe for making an awesome Steak and Cheese Sandwich, but this time being the carnivore-whore that I am...I'm going to delve into my Pepper Steak dish!

Note : To keep with the dorkdom of my last entry : Today's Beefy Episode is ..." Shakunetsu Burning Pepper Steak!"

I like this recipe because its rather simple but with some minor adjustments can come out really tasty within a fraction of the time it would take to make something a bit more extravagant. Definitely good for when you have some time but not alot, but you want something that doesn't taste like Souper Meal (not that I don't like them, def good for when you're in a pinch hunched over your desk!)

Anyway, moving on to the ingredients:

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (Mc Cormick Grill Mates "Montreal Steak" Seasoning)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 large green bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 3/4 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

When it comes to meat, definitely keep this in mind:

-Prime
-Choice
-Select

I guess you can consider these "tiers" for buying quality steak. Either or is fine but you definitely can tell the difference between all of them so pick according to preference, but it never hurts to consider budget as well!

Also, marbling. What I mean by that is, when you seen thin threads of fat coarsing through out the meat it sort of looks like "marbling". There's a lot of flavor that can tapped into from that as the steak cooks. You definitely want something in there to coincide with whatever flavoring rubs you apply.

Lastly, if you do have to used pre-packaged (most of us normally do unless you have a repoire with your fellow butcher--which is a VERY good connect to have if possible) the obvious thing to avoid is anything past expiration. Besides expiration watch out for unreasonable amounts of moisture from the package as this could definitely mean that the product is either close to expiration or possibly was not kept under proper temperature.

• Cut steak into 2-in. x 1/8-in. strips. In a large skillet or wok, brown steak in oil. Add garlic, ginger, salt if desired and pepper; cook 1 minute. Remove meat and keep warm. Add green pepper and onions to skillet; cook and stir for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Dissolve bouillon in hot water; add to skillet with water chestnuts. Combine cornstarch, soy sauce, cold water and sugar; stir into skillet. Add meat. Cook and stir until mixture boils; cook and stir 2 minutes more.

I think everyone has a preference for the dimensions of their meat when it comes to having Pepper Steak or any steak dish. I prefer chunky tender slices to go along with the peppers, etc to give it a very chunky, flavorful texture. To me, Pepper Steak is a meant to be a very hearty and filling meal so I try to embody that with my cooking!

In terms of seasoning, my go-to is usually Mc Cormicks All-Purpose Season Salt with a combination of Mc Cormick Grill Mates "Montreal Steak" Seasoning. Season Salt really penetrates the fabric of any meat very well and enriches its original flavor and texture after being cooked. The Montreal Steak Seasoning complements this and accompanying components in the dish as well. These 2 seasoning agents rarely go unused with me, unless there's something that really calls for an alternative.

A skillet can work just as well as wok, if you understand how to oil the pan properly, and manage distribution of ingredients. The most important thing to remember is you want EVERYTHING to cook down properly. There's nothing worse than an unbalanced morsel of food. Keep in mind how much your serving size will be in relation to your skillet, pan or wok. With a wok you shouldn't have to worry about that much but with skillets since they are generally smaller be cautious of how much you plan on cooking.

Also : Remember that your peppers will cook down...it will definitely seem like you're overflowing but its ok, everything will cook down with equal distribution.

One last note! When it comes to salt, consider the following:

-Your palette
-Your Health/Lifestyle

These are very important to any cook, or the people you plan on serving it to. Make adjustments accordingly to ensure it fits your diet and your sensory palette. I never follow recipes exactly. Everyone's frame of reference is VERY different. Keep that in mind.

- I adjust the salt content to be slightly lower than the default amount, as well as removing the minced garlic cloves. You can substitute those with powder if you prefer.

- If there is anything I'd say not to go without its definitely the Beef Bouillon cube granules. These are essential to the thickened and bonding of all the ingredients in this recipe. Don't go without it if you can help it.

Other than that! I hope you enjoy it and hope to try it out for yourself!

NEW YEAR + NEW DEEP FRY

Hello friends!

I'm back with a short update on myself with a little surprise along with it! My next "sample" submission is almost complete! The light at the end of the tunnel isn't quite baking on my face just yet but I can see a little glimmer. Deep Fry is almost complete! I really hope people enjoy what's coming this year and alot more to come hereafter! Thanks for your support! Its been a challenging journey getting this done but I'm still pull through to make the best OGN I can make which is really important! Along the way I picked an interesting quote, paraphasing Yotsuba, " Be happy, or be half-dead!" Its an interesting manga and full of comical antics Kiyohiko Azuma has impeccable comedic timing! Give that book a look if you can!

2011 is the year for a lot of new things to pop off from not only myself but a few of my fellow art warrior colleagues as well! The Blog of Weigy is an amazing blog about aestheticism as its finest from the perspective of an extraordinary illustrator, and culinary connoisseur Weigy Widyanputra . Weigy has an excellent command of expression in all of his blog updates regardless of the various subject matters his blog pertains to. It’s a great read, and highly recommended!.

http://blog.weigy.com/

Along with Weigy, I’d also like to recommend another incredible blog about art so delicious that in some ways you’d actually wish it were edible. Much like Weigy, Richmond Chaisiri Lee covers several aspects of art and visual entertainment in a very sincere and approachable manner. His most recent updates have been about the release of MADHOUSE’s animation opus, REDLINE which opened in theaters a few months back in San Francisco, Inception, and the wonderful Capcom fighting game, Darkstalkers!

If you have even the slightest bit of free time, I encourage you to check out both of these blogs, you surely won’t regret it!

http://art-eater.com/

KUNOICHI+START!

Wow. I guess the only thing I can really say regarding my absence from this blog is the obligatory, “I’ve been busy but busy in a good way!” as an opener—which technically I’ve already said.

With that out of the way—there’s definitely good reason as to why I’ve been away so long without a single update, actually a few good reasons. Within the past year, I’ve started an official Facebook page for my Original Graphic Novel Series named, Part Time Shuffle. Sketches, character notes, random links to music I’m listening while working on the series, as well as other promotional tidbits will be announced on this Facebook. If you like what you see, definitely give me holler!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/parttimeshuffle

Along with the PTS Facebook page, I have another announcement that I’m pretty giddy about and weirdly enough I announced it on my DA but not here…I also have an official website for the series as well!

www.parttimeshuffle.com

It’s been in the making for quite some time and finally went public toward the end of 2010! This will be the main source for the on-going series until the publishing situation changes (hmmmm). You can also read the 41 page sample chapter of awesome there while awaiting the official launch of the series, which will be happening really soon. No confirmed announcements for con appearances just yet but dates will be coming soon.

While the beefykunoichi website is still up at the moment, that will be coming down rather soon for an upgraded version in the near future. It served its purpose for the time being but it will return with a new look, and purpose. With that said, I definitely will be a little more prominent here and I hope you look forward to more updates from me in the future! To my fellow art friends working the grind like myself, good luck to you and your projects, and keep forward no matter. Whatever your vision is for your project, only you can offer it the way that YOU can. Keep moving! To my fellow fans, good luck to you in life and I hope you all have a wonderful year!

Also before I go, you definitely want to check out this new band I've recently stumbled upong called Project Dolphin. Their music composition is very reminiscent of Shinji Hosoe, and lots of old Sega games! One of the band members is only known for his amazing prowess at making combo videos in fighting games, namely Capcom fighting games ! Check out the trailer for his new videos to come in 2011!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMfeWHycDo8

-Beefy Kunoichi

NOTE: Tettrazini Impact is still on the way...just will be a little different.

Shoutouts to axl99 for the colors once again! Shoutouts to everyone who follows this blog as well!

+PTS+LOKETEST+WHAT? O_O+

It’s been exactly a month since my last journal entry…right down to the date, haha! I think that may have happened before but I never really noticed. Just kinda weird I guess. Anyway, for those that are wondering what the “eff” I’ve been up to—well, not too long ago I officially finished my sample chapter to Part Time Shuffle, “Part Time Shuffle: Volume 000” and despite wanting to make a few things better I’m pretty happy with what I have so far and I can only hope that you and any others who have read it definitely enjoyed themselves as well.


But now that the first sample chapter is behind me…what is there to do? Plenty. While I have it up online and people can read it at their leisure—its always good to have more beef sitting in the marinade just in case people are greedy for seconds. What do I mean by seconds? Well, I mean the newest addition to my set of Part Time Shuffle sample chapters-that’s what.
In the veign of a japanese beta test for a fighting game, I introduce the next sample chapter of Part Time Shuffle: Volume 000: Tetrazzini Impact. A common process for the release of an arcade fighting game in Japan is that when close to being 100% complete, developers allow a test version of the game to be played in select arcades where developers can obtain feedback from players on the overall feel of the game, character specifics, and potential balance tweaks to make the game a better product. What I’m doing is quite similar to a traditional practice that has been going on for years. Before I hopefully get published, I will be premiering my sample chapters online and at other venues/companies that I wish to not devulge just yet in hopes of getting feedback from various sources, one of them being fans/followers of my DeviantArt page. I will updating my DeviantArt soon with new promotional pieces and possibly teaser pieces of the upcoming sample chapter.

I’ve learned a lot from doing the previous sample, and I’m definitely going to be working even harder, and possibly faster to finish the next sample chapter. Maybe one day my comic, after some loke-testing will be able to go “gold”. With that said I hope you enjoyed the first chapter from Part Time Shuffle Volume 000 and that you will enjoy Tetrazzini Impact even more.
Before I end this journal, I’d like to thank the people who do continue to follow/support my DeviantArt page, and my blog which in turn supports my goal to have this book picked up and published. The only favor that I ask from any of you is to tell anyone else you know about my book, or my DeviantArt page that would be interested in what I have to offer. If you’ve got Twitter, drop a link if you can and I will be more than appreciative of your kind gesture! Also, if you can let prospective publishers of manga (Oni Press, Yen Press, Seven Seas, and Viz to name a few!) know that you'd like to see this published and picked up--that would be awesome as well.

Best luck to everyone and their projects and endeavors, and of course…

Stay Beefy.

If you're wondering how powerful "Tetrazzini" can be, let me show you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RZxbKvD1YQ

And for the people who may not have read my sample chapter just yet,

http://beefykunoichi.mangakagallery.com/

+SHUFFLE+IS+ADVENT+

I interrupt my normal scheduled blog to bring you this special report:




Some have seen the mysterious photo of a portion of my comic being viewed on my Vizio and the lolz which came from that...well I'm revealing a bit more now...




As I’ve implied I do have an announcement to make, and yes its rather beefy. After a lot of work in between other contracted jobs and life overall, I’ve been able to finally finish my pitchwork for Part Time Shuffle. Its been a long road, involving quite a few redraws, bouts of frustration, and a little lost sleep…not too much. It’s a small step in a big journey toward getting this published hopefully—but I still have work cut out for me. As it stands, the entire sample book is available to read online here…

http://beefykunoichi.mangakagallery.com/


Of course, while it is readable there are some things that aren’t legible due to seeing it at a reduced size—so that means, it would be nice if you could see it close up right? Well, you just may have that opportunity in2010. More details will follow once more things are confirmed. As it stands, I think I could’ve done a lot more in the time frame concerning my pitchbook but at the same time I’m happy with the “small step” I just made concerning this particular project. There were definitely a lot of lessons from it—as any artist realizes during, and A LOT of after you’ve finished your work.


Am I scared? Definitely. I know its impossible to please everyone—but I think that my sample piece will be enjoyed by enough people that more would want to actually read the comic, at least that’s my goal. I have the series mapped out already at this point with some leeway to add new characters in filler spots but time will tell in terms of when they will show up. In the meantime, I’ll still do promotional art to post on DA, as well as bring back some old school ads I did awhile back that were on my old DA page. One thing is for sure, I hope to get more Part Time Shuffle to people this year than I ever have.


Everyone goes through things they don’t like going through sometimes but I can definitely say I met a lot of people who have encouraged me to work harder at my craft and not to give in to what most do in this industry. There are too many people to list right now (I might still try) but I'm thankful for being able to surround myself (on the internet for now) around alot of influential and talented people.


I don’t think that what I’m doing is so innovative that it would change the world of comics, I’m not crazy enough to think that. One thing is for sure, I just want people to be able to laugh and have a good time with my characters, possibly so much so that they won’t be reading about Meiko’s combos but one day actually doing them online….lol



Stay Beefy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhnHF2zh9lc


Discuss. Crits should be sent to email.

BEEFY+VS+COUNTRY

As I promised a few minutes ago, the ongoing saga of my recent blog update is back from a commercial and ready to present:

MAGMATIC CRITIQUE IS HAPPEN!

BEEFY KUNOICHI vs COUNTRY RIB! MESQUITE'S DILEMMA

As most of my friends know, I love ribs. I don't eat them often considering I want to be at least moderately attractive to people, and I'd prefer not to be stuck in a itis-generated coma for the next 10 years. Despite that, I love some really good ribs. Surprisingly there are a few places that you can get decent ones--when I say decent I imply that they're edible enough to be eaten while they may not be the best entirely. If people wish to debate about where to get the best ribs--I'm ready, but for now let's continue with the blog!

Normally when I go out for ribs--I have an expectation of a decent meal. Tender meat with decent seasoning, with a tender but mildly firm texture. Doused in Mesquite BBQ, or a Carolina Sauce with tangy smack on the end. That's what I expect from ribs--be it country style, spare-rib, or any method for basis of culinary exploration. This usually happens with no fail as my friends during my stay in Savannah can attest to. Well, on this day--I was let down.

Its strange because while I refused to name the restaurant where I experienced this dissappointment, it was a place I frequent alot for ribs. For some reason, albeit the beauty it implied in front me the venture into this feast was not a good one, so much that I felt the need to write about my unfortunate encounter with low-mid tier cookery.

MAGMATIC CRITIQUE IS HAPPEN!

BEEFY KUNOICHI vs COUNTRY RIB! MESQUITE'S DILEMMA


















Despite how beautiful this meal appears in this photo, in terms of overall taste and texture, it was shocking how mediocre it was. To combat that, I will note that in terms of consistency this is one bump in the road alongside many successful visits, (granted--the majority of previous visits were to locations out of the state I currently live in) and I don't count this to have more weight than the great experiences I've had there. The issue is having been so happy to eat here previously to be dissappointed only lead me to the blog I'm writing now.


I don't have much experience in making ribs since I'm fairly new to BBQ'ing myself but once thing that stood out was a very odd texture within the meat of the meal. It tasted as if it definitely needed to be cooked a bit more? It wasn't raw or anything...it just wasn't cooked enough to have the consistency/texture to be typical of country ribs. You'd think, " Well, being slightly undercooked shouldn't be too bad right?" No...I think no matter the course, the intended taste or texture have to both be on par with each other in order to make a great meal. The sauce was fine, although the placement of the rib smashed a bit of my fries but the main issue was that overall texture was off and affected EVERYTHING about the ribs for me. Just goes to show that everything should be as equally well....Gestalt-ism with food...yes...I believe it!

To reiterate, I'm no cooking expert but one thing I like is for food to be as good as it possibly can be especially when I pay for it!

When possible--I think that if people have time, they should treat food the same as we treat whatever projects we work, on it definitely makes it worth the time to relish and enjoy the wonderfulness that comes with completing a project! Even if its just your meal while working.

I hope to see other artists' culinary experiments on their blogs...is this a challenge? Could be?

Stay tuned for Part 3

WELCOME TO THIS TOUGEKI TIME!

-My thoughts on Tougeki SBO DVD Vol. 7
-Bayonetta opinions
- Current progress on Part Time Shuffle!

+BEEFY+NO+KACHI+DA

Hey everyone!

After a bit of a delay, I'm back again with another blog update fully of beefy goodness before the end of 2009! I hope everyone has been enjoying their holiday with family, and friends and continue to do so into the new year! For the most part, I've been enjoying alot of Bayonetta, Alpha 2, and Street Fighter III: Third Strike, catching up on some updates to MGO since I haven't played it in a while due to working on Part Time Shuffle (more on that later!). Bayonetta is by far one of the best games I've played in 2009 and I hope it does well with the American release in 2010!

Similar to my last blog, there will be a chunky section about culinary madness both from my hands, and also the hands of others in a first-time critique by yours truly! Later, I'll talk about the greatness that is Tougeki SBO DVD Vol. 7, and to end it all I'll talk a bit about the current status of Part Time Shuffle! With that said, on with the blog!


As any follower can assume. besides loving the art of drawing comics, and other aspects of visual entertainment I have a soft spot for cooking. While I don't see myself as an expert at all--I do put forth an effort to make good food from time to time and share with you all my exploits in the process or just overall what I like to eat. Drawing comics takes up alot of time, which means that when you're hungry--something quick is usually the best bet. Although truthful, comic artists are human and sometimes we want and need a good meal! In those moments, I like to take time to make something with the same love and care that I put into eating them...today's Beefy Episode is ..." The Kunoichi Steak and Cheese Sandwich!"

Ironically enough, I'm actually pretty hungry typing this out, maybe I'll make one of these afterwards!


When it comes to a Steak and Cheese Sandwich, there's 2 ways you can go--the quick and average way, or the way "I'm giving it a little more time but not spending too much time" way. I tend to go for the latter. When making a Steak and Cheese much like anything--its all about the supplies, so I'll list the essentials:

-Sourdough Sub Rolls
-Mc Cormick Grill Mates "Montreal Steak" Seasoning or Mc Cormicks All-Purpose Season-Salt
-Provolone Cheese
-Chopped Steak meat
-Chopped Onions
-Crisp Lettuce
-2 frying pans brandished by King Raoh

Of course this recipe and method is based on my own preferences etc, etc so feel free to adjust things according to your own prejudices, lol! When it comes to the outer shell of a sandwich--the type of bread is very important. I think that even when you have the foundation of the sandwich (the meat) cooking just right that even the bread that contains the sandwich has either a clashing flavor or off-putting texture it can destroy the sandwich completely.

When it comes to the meaty, and plentiful weight of a Steak and Cheese I usually go with bread that has enough strength to hold the bulk of the sandwich together without falling apart, and still has a flavor on its own that works together to make a tasty sandwich. For this reason, I tend to go with Sourdough Steak Rolls. They pack a wonderful taste on their own, great texture, do a decent job absorbing the flavors from the synergy that goes on with the amazing flavors of good chopped flank steak meat, provolone cheese, and the caramelized splendor of cooked onions!


One thing that I like to do sometimes with the Sourdough Rolls is to just cut an incision on the inside of the roll to allow just a little more meat to be packed into the sandwich. I usually do this if the rolls I have are shorter in length to compensate for more space to pack the sandwich. I do a similar practice when I make twice-baked potatoes but I call it a "flavoring well".

Speaking of "flavoring", a vital ingredient to my sandwich definitely has to be, McCormick's Grill Mates "Montreal Steak" Seasoning. Before I discovered this wonderful seasoning tool, I'd use McCormicks All-Purpose Season-Salt--which isn't bad so if your preference fits either one of these definitely check them out! I use either one of these seasonings while the steak meat is cooking, throwing it in before the meat is fully cooked to let it get settled with the chopped steak meat.

Special note: I almost left this out but, when I'm making this sandwich--I use 2 pans. One to cook the meat of course, but the other caramelized chopped onions. You shouldn't need a large pan for that since you're only using them to contain the cooked onions. I tend to add the onions toward the end since I don't want a risk of overcooking them but getting just enough caramelization to complement the overall flavor.

In terms of meat, there are plenty of options you have but for me I tend to go with frozen steak portions or sliced steak meat. Whatever brands that you can afford or work for you are great. I will say that if you can get steak meat from Sysco, they definitely have good quality meats to choose from. When preparing my steak meat, after it cooks for a bit--I start to slice the portions down while they're cooking. For me, its alot easier to manage how thin I want the meat to be and its multi-tasking which makes the process a little faster. Then again I can't imagine how else you'd do it, lol!

Once the meat is done, I turn the pan down a bit, and that's when I add the Provolone Cheese to the mix, letting it melt together with the meat and seasoning to get a nice bonding agent going on, which makes it even easier to place within the "meat well" of your sandwich!

Now that the "meat of the matter" is done--its all about piecing your sandwich together. Of course, adding the steak/cheese meat neatly into the meat well in your sandwich is key, then topping it with a moderate amount of cooked onions, and topping it off with a nice crisp touch of lettuce to seal deal...but there's also something else. I find that after I place everything together, I like to hold a knife in between the bread, meat etc, to clamp the sandwich together a bit. It releases a little bit of air (don't press too hard!) but doesn't affect the texture of the steak roll and it helps keep the sandwich together, along with careful arrangment of the sandwich overall.

After all the preparation is done--I make an angular cut in the middle horizontally. For some reason, it tends to hold everything together better and its aesthetically pleasing on the plate. Add your favorite chips, or in my case a cold crispy vegetable--and you have yourself a nice meaty meal to feast yourself on!

The timing for the cooked onions is crucial since you want to make sure they're ready when the bulk of the sandwich is done--so you eliminate the need to re-heat them via microwave. The incision in the steak roll isn't a large one--its jsut one to allow more meat to be neatly packed into the sandwich and alleviate overflow.

And if you don't miss combos, your meal should look something like that: Happy Cooking!



Stay tuned for part 2 of my blog:

MAGMATIC CRITIQUE IS HAPPEN!

BEEFY KUNOICHI vs COUNTRY RIB!

This battle is about to explode....

(I'm not lying because while you're reading this I'm working on the other portion of the blog right now!)