The new Plough Hotel, Footscray

"Now stand up straight," I said, fussing other my kids like we were about to meet the in-laws for the first time.  "I want you on your best behaviour.  This place is a little bit posh."

We were at the doors of the newly gussied up Plough Hotel, where I'd been just a few nights earlier for a lovely launch party complete with oysters, bluegrass and freely-flowing Brunswick Bitter.  The refit is stunning, with glossy white tiles, luminescent bare bulbs and the visual pop of green succulents peeking out from shelves and tables.

The pub has been here since 1868.  I remember its former incarnation, windows daubed in fluoro paint that Candy the Clown was in attendance on Fridays.  We'd had a few good roasts there but it didn't really rock our world.

The Plough closed for what must have been a good year or two before opening under the stewardship of the team behind North Carlton's Kent Hotel.  Instead of Candy with her balloon animals, there's now Kelly Brothers cider and 2 Brothers Grizz amber ale on tap, plus Mountain Goat's steam ale and more.

"Bistro or dining room?" said the lovely waiter, and soon we were lolling languidly in a booth in the bistro.  Apparently the dining room has the same menu but is just a little more formal.  I bet its big north-facing windows let in lots of lovely light all day.

The Plough has a menu that, on the face of it, could be that of any true-blue country pub - burger, fish and chips and even bangers and mash.

$11.50

But dig a little deeper and that burger has a veal pattie and roasted garlic aioli, and the fish and chips is flathead with local beers that change weekly, apparently.  This was the kids' menu fish and chips and the fish was indeed a lovely flattie tail.  It went down a treat.

$11.50

LOVED this kids' burger, the pattie so mild and sweet in flavour, with proper bread.  The Plough has just started getting bread from Sourdough Kitchen.  I'm definitely keen to try this munchkin's bigger sister!

$11.50

Kids' chicken parma which also got two thumbs up.  The chips are "roughed up" on the outside, making them crunchy all over and eminently stealable.

$22

Great bangers and mash - quality pork and fennel snags with peas and pancetta lardons, in an intense, delicious gravy.  The sausages were denoted as "Benalla", but our waiter just said they were from that area - I'd love to know more, if they're from a particular butcher or from a particular breed.  There was a slight hiccup in this dish's first incarnation on the table in that the sausages were a touch pink.  The friendly staff dealt with it with aplomb though.  Being open for less than a week, this was nothing more than a minor mishap on the kitchen's behalf, and I also think the friendly yet professional way it was handled was telling as to the Plough's integrity and commitment to real hospitality.

Tucking into ice cream with strawberry "sauce" (actually coulis - yum!), my 5-year-old said, "Mum, I thought you said this place was posh?  Where is the posh bit?"  And indeed, I had read the Plough all wrong.  It's classy and it's gorgeous, but it's also down to earth - and downright good.  Welcome to the neighbourhood and I look forward to many more ciders to come.

The Plough Hotel

Cnr Geelong Road and Barkly Street, Footscray
Phone:  9687 2878

Moroccan Spiced Dark Chocolate Truffles with Fig Essence

i thought i had better give you something sweet.  i've been so elbow deep in pork bellies and other various savory goods lately that i've forgotten about all the wonderful delicious dark truffles i've made along the way.  these Moroccan inspired truffles were a big hit.  they came and went so fast i forgot to post about them.

we've all seen fig truffles...some touting to be "healthy fig truffles".  i've made these before, but i think there's too much chewy fig and not enough chocolate.
why skimp on the chocolate ?
chocolate IS a "superfood" !
to keep the full flavor of the chocolate, but still have the essence of the fig, i decided to just use the gooey-caramel-brown sugar-like inside with the snappy seeds...the seeds are the fun part.  i love the tiny pop-crunch in the mouth.
i liken it to the "caviar of the fruit world".

the warm Moroccan spices, snappy fig seeds and the salted pistachios all work together for one delicious dark chocolate ball of flavor.

ganache can be a little temperamental so i've put in a little note, but overall truffles are quite easy and people are always amazed and appreciative of homemade chocolates.

MOROCCAN SPICED DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES WITH  FIG SEEDS (dairy free)

1 large bar (250g) Valrhona dark chocolate  61%

3/4 cup full fat coconut milk...canned (can use heavy cream for "dairy people")

1/2 tsp Moroccan spices (recipe below)

1/2 tsp cardamom

5-6 dried white figs,just the seeds and inside.
roasted AND salted  pistachios, chopped

first you might need to rehydrate your figs.  soak them in some near boiling water for about 10 minutes until they are pliable.  slice them open and scrape the insides out.
put coconut milk, Moroccan spice, cardamom and fig seeds in a small sauce pan and slowly bring to a good simmer.  stir while heating.  you might need to whisk a little to incorporate everything.   when mixture is just about at a boil (bubbling at the side) pour over chopped chocolate and let sit for 3-4 minutes.  then start to stir from the middle.  your ganache should slowly come together.  now stir to incorporate.  TASTE TEST.  do you want more spices, cardamom?.  let sit and come to room temp.  then refrigerate until set and worthy of truffle making.
NOTE...sometimes these take a little extra care.  i have had a few instances with my ganache "breaking" when using coconut milk and Valrhona chocolate.  "breaking" can mean an oily looking surface and or a grainy texture.  there are many ways to fix this and some are too involved.  i have tried them and it's messy.  here's what works for me.  if this happens i reheat the ganache over a double boiler until it is back to liquid and stirrable.  take it off the heat and whisk...not too too vigorous or you will end up with frosting, but enough to bring it together.  i liken it to RE-emulsifying the mixture.  let sit on the counter and check it in a while.  if it is still separating, give it another stir.
i am not a professional chocolatier so if i run in to a chocolate problem i refer the the vast knowledge of the internet.  a good place to start is "The Chocolate Doctor" .  this great site has answered many of my chocolate questions.

MOROCCAN SPICE MIX

from Anja's Food for Thought

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 chili powder

1/2 sweet paprika

1/2 ground cinnamon

1/4 ground ginger

1/8 ground clove

Broccoli and Spinach Soup

I've been making a lot of soups lately, and yes, not typically a spring-type food.  But they're very light, packed full of veggies and perfect for "what-do-you-mean-I-have-to-wear-a-swimsuit-soon" weather.  Listen, this is as green as I get people.  You're never going to see me put spinach and fruit in a blender and drink it.  There are other sites for that kind of stuff (like oh my god this one - please click on that link if you're not afraid of bad words).  But I will throw down some green soup, I will throw it down into my belly.  Get in there, green soup, get in my belly for good (don't know what I'm saying, baby stopped sleeping again).

I'm too lazy to write up a recipe but what I did was very simple.  I followed the directions for this Asparagus Soup, only instead of adding asparagus I added 3 cups chopped broccoli florets and 10 oz. of thawed, frozen spinach.  Everything else remained the same.  Easy peasy WHY DO YOU LET ME SAY THAT.       

What's insulting?

I got a really unpleasant comment a little while ago. I chose not to publish it (this is my blog - not some random internet space, and I make the rules) but it's been nagging me so I thought I'd write a little rant about  it. (Again - my space, my rules.)

The post that so upset this anonymous commenter was this one, about creamy beef sauce. A delicious dinner, that we've made several times this last month. It isn't gourmet food in any way, but it's a very satisfying and quick weeknight meal, and both kids love it. Anyway.

Here's the comment:

i cant believe you have made this, it's in no way shape or form decent food Anne! infact is very insulting for you to use italian ingredients in this way. please don't do this anymore if you dont understand italian ingredients!

and since I have comment moderation these days (DAMN you spammers!) he apparently wasn't satisfied that it wasn't published immediately, because he posted a second one:

this is in no way shape or form an italian dish. don't you know your supposed to toss the spaghetti in the sauce? please don't use italian ingredients if you are unsure how to use them it is very insulting! 

Wait, what now? First of all, this is most definitely decent food. It's delicious food, and it's made from top quality ingredients, all nice and clean and free of unnecessary additives, and all that stuff. It's GREAT food.

How can food be an insult? How is that even possible? 

And Italian food. Is all pasta Italian food, just because it's a pasta dish? Always? I personally don't really feel that way. Spaghetti - or whatever pasta - with some kind of a minced meat sauce is a staple in  so many cuisines these days, and there are - rightfully - a thousand variations. 

And what the heck are "italian ingredients", anyway? Let's look at the ingredients list: 

-butter (Swedish) 

-minced beef (Swedish) 

-onion (Swedish) 

-water (Swedish) 

-beef stock cube (doesn't specify, but I'm pretty sure it's not Italian) 

-garlic (again, not sure where this one was from, but certainly not Italy)

-crushed tomatoes (these are indeed Italian) 

-tomato paste (this, too, is Italian) 

-sriracha sauce (very much not Italian)

-mustard (Swedish) 

-basil (Swedish) 

-soy sauce (not Italian) 

-pepper (not Italian) 

-mushrooms (I think mine were from Latvia) 

-cream (Swedish) 

So, the tomato products were indeed Italian, and I guess the spaghetti was, too. I'm sorry if they felt insulted by their inclusion in my dinner. However, I doubt it. 

As for the method - tossing pasta in the sauce. Yes, that's one way to do it. Not a great way if you have a discerning toddler who often wants to have just buttered pasta with a little parmesan, but sure, one way. Frankly, I think there's very little benefit to finishing the pasta in the sauce - certainly not something I bother with on a daily basis. (In this case, it'd mean getting out yet another saucepan, since we made much more sauce than we needed for one dinner.) I do it with some sauces, especially egg based like a Carbonara,  but not at all with a meat sauce. 

But I guess the focus point is, why on earth are people so hateful? What brings someone to post comments like that, on a food blog for goodness sake? Chill out. Food is fun. If it tastes good, who cares about authenticity? 

Cashew Chicken – Keeping it Not Real

Grilling season is rapidly approaching, and chances are good that at some point you’ll be faced with a few leftover grilled chicken breasts. Will you take the easy way out, and make chicken salad? Or, will you be brave and attempt something way more interesting, like this Cashew Chicken? Probably the chicken salad, but I decided to post this just in case.

Yes, I’m at it again, making food that’s not trying to be Asian, yet looks close enough to upset people anyway. I can’t do anything about that, and won't be dissuaded from using sweet, rich cashews, and a spicy, sweet and sour sauce to disappear some leftover, grilled chicken just because some people will get annoyed.

Sure, there are a hundred ways to make it “better” or more “authentic,” but on a weeknight after a long day at work, with your show coming on in 20 minutes, none of that matters. This isn't about what you think when you taste it; it’s about what you don’t think. And what you don’t think is, “this is leftover chicken.”

Having said all that, I would be shocked and amazed if you didn’t tweak this to your own personal tastes. It really is a versatile recipe, and one I hope you try soon. Now, get out there and grill too much chicken, and as always, enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large portions:
2 tbsp vegetable oil

6-8 thin slices of fresh ginger root

1 hot red chili pepper, sliced

1/2 cup dry roasted cashews

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 to 1 1/2 pound cooked chicken breast (about 2-3 breasts), cut into 1-inch cubes

For the sauce:

1/2 cup cold water or chicken broth, more as needed

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp ketchup

1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce, more as needed

2 tsp sambal (hot ground chili sauce)

1 packed tbsp brown sugar

juice of one lemon

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

View the complete recipe

Clam Chowder

When I was about twenty-three I took a week long trip to San Francisco.  I immediately fell in love with that glorious part of our country.  The wharf, the trolleys, the funky winding roads, I couldn't get enough.  And of course, one thing I got plenty of, besides truckloads of Ghirardelli chocolate, was lots of creamy clam chowder.  Sitting in an outside cafe, right next to the water and a slab of barking seals, eating fresh clam chowder out of a sour dough bread bowl was about as close to heaven as it's going to get for me!

And while this isn't being eaten out of a homemade sour dough bowl, it's still pretty delicious and definitely reminds me of my blissful week in the Bay Area.  A rich, creamy, chowder chock full of all you love about clam chowder, with less calories.  Bacon, potatoes, lots of clams, and a thick broth, which has a slight and delightful sweetness thanks to the white wine.

For the bread bowl, since I just didn't have it in me to bake me own, I just hollowed out a store bought kaiser roll.  It actually held up very nicely and made the perfect amount to feel warm and satisfied.  My kids also thought being served out of a roll was the coolest thing ever!

Clam Chowder
Adapted from The New Way to Cook Light

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chopped onion, divided
1/2 cup unoaked chardonnay (I used white wine)
1 (8 oz) bottle clam juice
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon butter
1 slice bacon, chopped
3 cups diced red potato
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup half and half (I used fat-free)
3/4 cup reduced fat milk
2 cans chopped clams
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 teaspoon chopped thyme

Directions

1.  Combine 1/2 cup onion, wine, and next 2 ingredients (through bay leaf) in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a boil.  Cover and cook 2 minutes; strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl, reserving cooking liquid.

2.  Wipe pan clean.  Melt butter in pan.  Add bacon to pan; saute 3 minutes.  Stir in remaining 1 cup onion, potato, celery and red pepper; saute 4 minutes.  Stir in flour; cook 1 minute.  Stir in cooking liquid and 1/3 cup water; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in clams, half-and-half and milk; cook 1 minute or until heated.  Stir in herbs.

Yet again.

If you follow me on twitter or Instagram, you've probably seen a lot of these already. See, avocado sandwiches are my latest obsession. (food wise...)

Any bread really, a generous slathering of cream cheese, a perfect avocado in thin slices and finally a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Perfection. I could eat this for lunch every day, and I pretty much have, for a while now...

Smoky Tomato Soup Recipe

It's easy to get so caught up in the idea of eating seasonally that we forget that there are certain things that aren't necessarily seasonal, for example vegetables grown in hothouses or greenhouses like Belgian endive, cucumbers and mushrooms, also preserved produce--jams, pickles, chutney, frozen and canned foods. Which brings me to canned tomatoes, which are a great choice for recipes since fresh tomatoes are in season for a fairly short period of time.

While I wouldn't use a canned tomato on a sandwich, they are a must for most tomato based sauces. Lately I've come to appreciate canned fire roasted tomatoes for their lovely smoky flavor. They are great in stew or chili and a sneaky shortcut when making this zippy soup. A nice option in this shoulder season when somedays still feel like Winter, it's something you can make from pantry staples--a few aromatics, cans of tomatoes and broth. Having tried many brands of fire roasted tomatoes, I like Hunt's best and while I prefer homemade, Swanson's is the only canned chicken broth I use.

Another little trick in this soup is the addition of cream cheese. I don't typically keep heavy cream on hand so I am always looking for other ingredients to add creaminess to recipes. In this case a tiny bit of cream cheese adds a lot of richness. But in all honesty this soup is really wonderful even without it.


Smoky Tomato Soup
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 14.5 ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes
2 14.5 ounces chicken broth (or homemade)
2 Tablespoons cream cheese, optional

Instructions

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring frequently for 8 minutes or until soft and golden, but not brown. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the smoked paprika and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until fairly thick and saucy.

Add the cream cheese if desired. Blend the soup in batches or use a hand blender. When the soup is smooth, it's ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Margarita Cupcakes

Cinco de Mayo is still a month away, but I say any day works as an occasion for Margarita Cupcakes.  You know those moments when you're like, man, I wish I could have tequila at 1pm?  Well, go for it.  In the form of a cupcake.  No one will judge!  They might judge a little.  But who needs those people!! I like to surround myself with those who will gladly eat a cupcake baked with tequila, soaked with tequila and topped with tequila frosting.  Ole!  These were wonderful - not overly sweet, fresh lime juice and zest, moist and delicious.  I used a regular old freezer bag with a 1/2-inch piping tip for the frosting and sprinkled lime zest and a pinch of salt on top.  Recipe here.  Ole!    

Sunshine Pho Fever

The hottest ticket for me at this year's food festival wasn't Enrique Olvera's masterclass.  What had me glued to my computer, credit card in hand, waiting for the seconds to tick down wasn't the world's longest lunch.  The degustation I was craving was a three-course dinner with just one dish - Melbourne's favourite soup, phở.

The event was Sunshine Phở Fever and I was burning up with anticipation.  What an awesome way to have a whistlestop tour of Sunshine's Vietnamese restaurants, meet the traders and compare bowls of phở almost side by side?  (...and hopefully nick Queen's Rose The Sun's phở urn.  I would like to lie under that, mouth agape, like Homer under a keg of Duff beer.)

Proceedings kicked off at the Granary.  Do you know why Sunshine is called Sunshine?  It was originally known as Braybrook Junction.  When the Sunshine Harvester Works agricultural machinery factory moved here, its workers were encouraged to settle in the vicinity.  They apparently petitioned to have the suburb renamed Sunshine in honour of this first employer.  Sunshine Harvester Works was at one point the largest manufacturer in Australia and these imposing iron gates in Devonshire Road are part of all that remains of this industrial behemoth.

A dispute between the owner of Sunshine Harvester Works and his employees led to the Harvester Judgment of 1907, a landmark legal case which enshrined in law for the first time that an employer must pay his workers a "fair and reasonable" wage.  I learnt last night that at the Granary you used to be able to have a coffee at the actual "round table" some of these deliberations took place upon.

We were split into two groups, and my group's first stop was Phở Hien Saigon.  This light-filled, popular restaurant serves southern Vietnamese-style phở from an intergenerational family recipe.

Owner Cung explained that they start cooking each batch at 9am the day before serving.  It bubbles until 9pm when it's turned off and sits overnight.  In the morning the broth is skimmed and served hot throughout the day.  When it runs out, it runs out - nothing is saved or reheated for the following day.  Noodles at Phở Hien Saigon arrive fresh daily too.  Check out what regular customer Mario has to say (and try not to scream when he applies the hoisin!)

"Say goodbye to Maccas boys!"  Love it!

The popularity of Cung's phở is such that he's expanding next door.  Phở Hien Saigon are also known for their banh xeo, available on Sundays only.  It's Cung's dad's recipe which he in turn learnt from his grandma.

This bowl of mixed beef and chicken phở was just heavenly - so crisp and clear in flavour, with quality beef.  Southern-style phở is less "spiced" than northern-style, relying more on fresh herbs to augment the rich beef broth.  Make sure you throw in some house-made pickled onions, available on each table.

Next stop, Sao Cafe for "phở stew".  Loving the red carpet!  Each restaurant on our tour had one rolled out...

...plus smart branding including bowls and placemats - excellent organisation and presentation.  Sao Cafe's signature dish is bo kho, a thick beef, potato and carrot stew most commonly enjoyed in northern Vietnam, close to the Chinese border.  It's usually served with bread for breakfast or with phở-style wide rice noodles at lunch and dinner.

Quoting from Gastronomy Blog:  "If Vietnamese noodle soups were a high school popularity contest, Phở would be crowned Homecoming King...  Bo Kho, on the other hand, would probably be chilling on the grassy knoll with the stoners; high and oblivious to the hype."  You need to try bo kho, and you need to try it from Sau Cafe.  This was sensational, with a thick, tomato-based sauce, tender carrot and potato and big chunks of beef, slow cooked until you could cut them with a teaspoon.  The basil on top provided a counterpoint to the rich, condensed flavours.

Last stop, Phu Vinh.  Phu Vinh's first store was in Footscray before they opened a second in Sunshine. 

Their signature dish is hu tieu mi, or rice/egg noodle soups, but upon opening their second store they decided to begin offering phở.

The lovely Stephanie explained that Phu Vinh's phở has a 24-hour cooking time and uses beef marrow and bones only (no chicken carcasses, which are apparently used as filler in some phở stockpots).  Theirs is a 45-year-old family recipe from the south of Vietnam.

I found Phu Vinh's phở good but on the sweet side for my taste.  Stephanie did explain that the longer cooking time is said to bring out more sweetness from the bones.  PS:  When I picked on Mario about the hoisin sauce earlier, you are technically not meant to add it to the soup, but rather put a little in a small dish and dip your meat in it sparingly (ditto the chilli oil or sate sauce in silver pots on each table).  But rules, schmules - do what tastes best.

Are you into Vietnamese three-colour drinks?  I admit I have never been - I find them too cloying.  Stephanie explained that they are a comparatively modern invention.  The original Vietnamese dish only had two colours - green jelly and red kidney beans - and was served with coconut milk in a typical rice bowl as a meal for labourers.  It was later fancied up with more colours and served in a glass.  I loved this original version, known as dau do banh lot, with slippery jelly "worms", sweet beans and the smooth crunch of ice in refreshing coconut milk.  I'm not sure if Phu Vinh do this all the time, but I'd love it if they would!

Hats off to the Sunshine Business Association for creating such a fantastic event.  The other group got to try three different restaurants, namely Queen's Rose The Sun, Thuan An and Nhi Huong (2 Sisters). You can read Andrew of FoodsCrazy's wrap-up of all three via the links above, and see Jen's wrap of the same sequence I visited here.  I didn't mind being split into two groups, but my suggestion would be that diners should get a "cheat sheet" or booklet on the restaurants they didn't get to try that night (perhaps featuring the images and blurbs from the placemats).  That way we can keep the phở fever burning for the next few Saturday nights to come!

Bunch of Asparagus Recipes

An abundance of fresh asparagus is one of spring’s great gifts to the kitchen, and there's no shortage of tasty ways to prepare this versatile vegetable. Just be sure to not let your fear of overcooking get in the way of the sweet, tender spears you deserve.

Nobody wants grey and mushy, but undercooked asparagus is tough and bitter, so be sure to check as you go. Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh asparagus. Simply click on the link in the caption to see the video, read the original post, and get the ingredients. Enjoy!

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Asparagus Pie

Roasted Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

Roasted Asparagus with Fried Prosciutto and Poached Egg

Asparagus Souffle

Asparagus, Ham, and Ricotta Pizza

Sunny lunch

Had lunch in the sun yesterday, at Bistro Voltaire in Sickla. This was chèvre chaud on toast, served with a small salad. Yummy but the salad could have been bigger and more exciting. We ate outside in the sun which made it all the better.

Piggy Pancakes...you won't believe

PANCAKES...yum !

PORK RIND PANCAKES...what ???

pancakes made with crispy chicharones instead of flour...HUH ?
and
they are GLUTEN and DAIRY FREE !
low carb, high protein.

yes...i've made these a few times.  every time i make them even i am in disbelief that a pancake made with these strange ingredients can work so well and be so good.  this time i went a step further and made them dairy free using coconut milk instead of cream.
people are amazed.  one of my friends, Chef Lisa, wanted a whole stack...and another good friend, Stephanie who is my gluten free- dairy free judge, said she would drive miles to get a plate of these.

believe it or not...you would never know they are made with pork rinds.  of course, they are not quite like your plain ordinary pancake, but you'd be surprised with the  light fluffy cakey texture...just right for a little drizzle of maple syrup.   for a little extra kick i used "hot & spicy", but the regular might be a better choice for the first timer.

really...give these a try.
even if it's just for the pure fun and disbelief.  i know you will be pleasantly surprised....and you'll have quite the conversation piece for a unique delicious satisfying breakfast.

NUTRITION
approx. per cake (batch of 9)
98 calories...8.2g protein...1.1g carbs...6g fat

PORK RIND PANCAKES
gluten and dairy free

makes 8 or 9  4" inch pancakes

3 1/2 oz. pork rinds, "hot n Spicy" are delicious

2 whole large eggs and 3 whites, slightly mixed

1/4 cup coconut milk, canned

1/4 cup water

3-4 Tbsp sugar or substitute

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1st...put pork rinds in a food processor until very fine and powdered consistency.  you should use puffy crispy pork rinds found at any large market.

for the batter....i used an immersion blender, but i suppose a regular blender would be fine.  put your wet ingredients in first and give it a good whirl so the eggs are good and fluffy.  add the pork rinds and give it a whirl.  now add the rest of the ingredients and blend well.  if it is too thick to blend, add more coconut milk.  let this sit for 5 to 10 minutes.  it will thicken even more...add some more water and/or coconut milk until it is a slightly thick, yet pourable consistency.  if you want to make waffles it should stay on the thicker side.  go ahead and do a taste test...the eggs won't kill you.  add more sugar or cinnamon?
cook as you would normal pancakes (adjust thickness again if necessary)...bubbles on the first side, then flip to finish until cooked through.

best right off the skillet, but i can't eat a whole batch so i refrigerate the rest and reheat in the toaster oven or microwave.

Asparagus Soup

Spring has sprung, my little bluebirds, and so I've decided to talk like I'm Amy Adams in some half-cartoon, half-real people movie.  I will grin a happy grin, I will use a sing-songy voice, and I will feed the squirrels tiny nuts from the palm of my hand because, nope, never mind can't do it, squirrels are gross and vicious.  How about I just cook with spring vegetables instead?  I bought two pounds of asparagus the other day after Carson found a recipe in the LA Times that sounded awesome.  Creamy vegetable soup yet healthy, using only 1/2 cup of 2% evaporated milk (vs. cream).  I adapted it slightly by using leeks (spring!) and adding homemade croutons on top.  You should put homemade croutons on top of everything, by the way, including your head.  

(I just reread that linked crouton post and got embarrassed for myself all over again).    

More spring inspiration here.

Asparagus Soup
(Serves 4)
Printable Recipe

2 lb. asparagus
3 T olive oil
1 leek, cleaned and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 cup evaporated 2% milk
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Trim ends of asparagus.  Cut remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces, reserving the tips of 8 or so.  In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over low heat.  Add leeks, celery, shallot and carrot.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another minute.  Add chopped asparagus, season again with salt and pepper and cook for 5 more minutes.  Add chicken broth and water, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.  (In the meantime, make your homemade croutons.  Once those were cooked, I used the same pan - with an extra splash of olive oil - to crisp up the reserved asparagus tips.) Puree soup in batches using a blender, or all at once in pot using an immersion blender.  Return to pot if you used a blender, and add milk and lemon juice.  Warm through (don't let simmer).  Pour into bowls and top with asparagus spears and croutons.