How to Make Strawberry & Raspberry Jam

My very dear friend R made some Blackcurrant jam a while ago. We recently ran out so I decided to make some of my own. It is very easy and everyone can make some. I decided to make some Strawberry & Raspberry Jam. I bought Strawberries from a local super market and had some frozen Raspberries in the freezer.

Ingredients:

• Strawberries (coarsely chopped) – 1 Mug (A Coffee Mug)
• Raspberries (coarsely chopped) – 3/4 Mug
• Sugar – 1 Jug (add more if necessary)
• Lemon Juice – 2 Tbsps

Method:

• Add the finely chopped Strawberries and Raspberries to a non-stick pan and mix for a couple of minutes.
• Now add the lemon juice and sugar and mix well.
• Keep mixing on medium flame until the berries become soft and bubbles start appearing.
• Now reduce to flame and keep mixing, making sure the mixture hasn’t hardened.
• Once the mixture reaches the consistency of Jam, turn off the flame and let it cool for a bit. Do not over cook the mixture. Try to keep it mildly liquidy as it will solidify when left out to cool.
• Transfer it to a clean air-tight bottle.

Tips:

• Do not let the berries boil until the mixture becomes hard. It has to be loose and you should be able to easily transfer it to a bottle. If it does turn out to be hard, just heat the jam a little bit before using.

[Via http://idlidosa.wordpress.com]

Pan Cooked Salmon

Salmon on Brown Rice

I like to cook fish at least once a week and my favorite fish to cook is salmon simply because it’s so fast and easy.  I also have a great quick tilapia recipe and my personal favorite is trout.  Here’s my quick pan cooked salmon recipe.

Ingredients:  Salmon, Salt, Pepper, Saffron, Dried Herbs (I prefer Herbs de Provence here but I was all out today so I used dried mint and basil), Lemon Juice, Water, Cooking Spray (such as Pam, I prefer one made of canola of olive oil)

Directions:  Rinse salmon.  Season one side with salt, pepper, saffron and dried herbs.  Spray a pan heated to medium-high with cooking spray and place the seasoned side of the salmon down.  Season other side of salmon.  When bottom side has brown, spray cooking spray on top of salmon and flip it over.  When the second side has also browned, add enough water to cover just the bottom of the pan by a few centimeters and squeeze a little lemon juice over the salmon itself.  Cover and let cook in steam for about 15-20 minutes.  I like this style of cooking because the salmon is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.  The salmon is fully cooked when it is tender and flakey.  If you’re not sure, use a fork to see if it pieces off easily.  Serve either on rice or on top of a fresh salad.  Enjoy!

[Via http://shivasrecipes.wordpress.com]

66 of 365 is a heart in dark chocolate in #inkscape

heart in dark chocolate

Today’s sketch in Inkscape is a very shiny heart in dark chocolate, that might have been more appropriate earlier this month (on the 14th), but I like chocolate anytime. Especially dark chocolate, like 80% cacao. Yum! At any rate, this is a fairly simple construction, rectangles for the face and back side of the chocolate, a rectangle for the inset shape on the chocolate, a thick stroked heart shape made with ellipses and Bezier tool, then unioned. I used the high gloss technique here for the heart, but I feel now it’s a bit shinier than reality would render it. I still like the effect, however. I made some chocolate crumbs with the pencil tool set to shape: triangle out, and also with ctrl-clicks to make dots. Finally, I put it on a red velvet gradient. Hope you enjoy it!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Reduce Stress With These 5 Foods (medicineformindbodyspirit.wordpress.com)
• More Evidence Chocolate is Good for Health (diet-blog.com)

[Via http://365sketches.wordpress.com]

Covering My Nut

Heh.  That phrase has always just tickled me to no end.

I’ve gotta cover my nut.  Like I’m a business- squirrel or something.

Hey, there, chipmunk, make sure you cover your nut there.

It just sounds almost-dirty – but it’s not.  It’s just about business – basically covering expenses.  Covering your nut.  Heh.

Anyway.  This has nothing to do with that.  I’m talking hazelnuts here.  Specifically, a bed of herby hazelnuts covered by chicken.

I know, right?  Interesting . . .

A while back, I stumbled upon some French guy’s recipe for “Roast Chicken Breast with Rosemary” which sounded interesting.  Actually, it sounded simple, quick, AND interesting.

And, since our rosemary is not dead yet, this seemed like a perfect dish to try.

Peeps pointed out that I have not mentioned my wonderful new mezzaluna and board that he got me for Christmas.

John Boos & Co. makes some of the most gorgeous cutting boards I’ve ever seen, and, since I decided that  the mezzaluna is the coolest thing going, well, he put two and two together and got me the Boos gift pack – a mezzaluna along with the board and conditioner.  It’s absolutely gorgeous – and I believe that if you LOVE your quality tools, you use them more.

So.  Back to the nuts and the covering thereof.    While I was lovin’ on my mezzaluna chopping not-dead rosemary, Peeps was chopping 2 Tablespoons of hazelnuts.  And for what it’s worth, 2 Tablespoons of hazelnuts is about 8 nuts.  We stirred together the chopped nuts, the mezzaluned not-dead rosemary, and a teaspoon of kosher salt, then just set the combination aside.

I used some chicken breasts that I boned and, for this meal, left the skin on.  Take 3 or 4 boneless, skin-ON chicken breasts, and I like to take a paper towel (or 2) and pat them dry first, then season them.  I used plenty of salt and pepper, but I think, next time, I’d use plenty of pepper and be sparing with the salt.

First you’ll want to preheat your oven – 450 to 500° is good.

Now, heat a cast iron (or other oven-safe) pan with a bit of oil until it’s RIPPIN’ HOT.  (That would be until the oil just barely starts to smoke.)  Place the chicken breast in the pan, skin-side down, and just let them brown.  Don’t turn them, don’t check them, don’t fuss with them at all for at least 5 minutes – probably closer to 10 minutes.

Trust me.

Then turn the breasts over and let them cook for another 5 minutes or so, while you admire the lovely browned skin – the  “presentation side.”

You’re not trying to completely cook this chicken through – just get a nice sear on it.

Then shove them, pan and all, in the oven.

Cast iron pans are so good that way.

Let the chicken bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 160° – this will take about 20-25 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a plate and tent -  cover loosely with foil.

Now put the pan back on the burner with about 1/2 cup of chicken stock – we used what was left of our Chinese stock (a lightly seasoned chicken and pork stock), which, while not absolutely correct, was certainly not bad at all.

Let the chicken stock reduce until it’s reduced by half.

Meanwhile, divide the hazelnut-rosemary-salt among your plates.   Cover your nut  (heh) mixture with a chicken breast, then drizzle the reduced chicken stock over.

Okay, I’m just going to say – this was so incredibly flavorful – and so simple – it would be criminal not to do it again, and regularly.     It was a little on the salty side – we used a teaspoon of salt in the nut mixture AND salted the chicken. Next time, I’ll use a much lighter hand salting the chicken, or else use less salt in the hazelnut-rosemary mix.  Either way, it’s wonderfully chicken-y and earthy, with the crispy skin and the condensed sauce – and SO simple – almost STUPID easy!

Yeah, we’re so doing this again . . . next time chicken breasts are on sale for 99 cents a pound.  I’ve gotta cover my nut, you know.

[Via http://darksideofthefridge.wordpress.com]

Kohlrabi Salad

If (IF) I make this salad again, I plan to add Mandarin oranges and toasted almonds and probably slices of red onion.  The salad was okay but could have been better with these additions, I think.

Ingredients:

1 medium kohlrabi

spinach leaves (recipe called for 1 medium fennel bulb – but of course couldn’t obtain that in any of our grocery stores)

Also called for a small handful of rocket (arugula) – didn’t use

If I had used fennel, it should have been sliced thinly and put into a bowl of chilled water and lemon juice until the kohlrabi was prepared.

Slice the kohlrabi and then pare strips off each slice with a vegetable peeler (in order to get wafer thin slices).  Add to the bowl with the fennel (in this case spinach).

Lemon-Caper Dressing:

garlic

sea salt

black pepper

wholegrain mustard

1 large lemon

capers

olive oil

Crush the garlic with a generous pinch of sea salt in a pestle and mortar.  Add some black pepper and heaped teaspoon of wholegrain mustard.  Stir together.

Add the juice of 1 large lemon, the capers and twice the amount of olive oil.  Whisk to emulsify.

Kolhrabi is a member of the turnip family.  Sometimes it’s called ‘cabbage turnip’ and is very good eaten raw.

[Via http://hopeseguin2010.wordpress.com]

Let's Cook -- Using Stock to Make a Fast Meal

I’m taking a break from lambing (well, not really, taking a break from writing about lambing) to share a recipe for one of my favorite fast dishes: risotto/orzotto made with lamb stock. I confess I have come late to the joys of cooking with stock, and I’ve morphed from using a can of Campbell’s soup in the crock pot (all that salt!) to buying good quality stock at the grocery store to making my own. I usually make a batch that yields 2-4 quarts, depending on the meat I have on hand, and I freeze it in 2-3 cup portions, so that when I need it to make a quick meal, I can snag it out of the freezer at the last-minute and use it–the ultimate convenience ingredient. For those without the time or inclination to make their own, we are offering lamb stock made with Cordero Farms grassfinished lamb, but since we don’t have a certified kitchen, our good friend and co-packer, April Harrington at Earth Elements Market and Bakery, makes it for us.

I’m a huge fan of casseroles and other one-dish meals, but most of the time, they take more than an hour from start to plate due to spending so much time in the oven. On the other hand, you can be licking the bowl clean of your risotto in less than a half hour, and sometimes, that’s all the time I have to cook. For this post, I’m going to make risotto, which uses arborio rice, but you can use orzotto pasta instead, and it’s even a little faster to cook. If you’ve never made risotto, you might use orzotto the first time you try, since the pasta is a little more forgiving than the starchy rice.

Start by heating 2 cups of lamb stock in a small saucepan, just barely at a simmer. Do the same with 2-3 cups of water. You can use any kind of meat with this recipe–pork or lamb sausage, leftover roast, or even hamburger. I used some leftover lamb shank which I just added in towards the end, but if you need to brown some meat, this is where you add it in. In a large skillet, add two tablespoons of olive oil and saute 1/3 – 1/2 cup of onions and a few cloves of minced garlic on medium heat until the onions are translucent.

Use more onion and garlic if you prefer. Note the lamb stock simmering in the pan north of the onions.

Reduce the heat, and add 1 cup of risotto and toast it lightly until it’s golden.

It only takes a minute or two to toast the rice

Leaving the heat on low, add 1/2 cup of white wine and stir, cooking until it’s almost evaporated. Now add half of the lamb stock to the rice, stirring until the rice absorbs the liquid almost completely.

Keep the heat low, and you don't have to stir it constantly once you start adding the stock.

Repeat the same process by adding a cup of water and stirring, and once that is almost evaporated, you can add the rest of the lamb stock. Check the rice for doneness as the stock is finally absorbed. If it seems to still be too al dente, add one cup of water; if it feels closer to done, then just add 1/2 – 3/4 cup. At this point, I like to add a whole bunch of greens to steam while the rice cooks. If you are using leftover meat, add it here now.

I used spinach, but you can use whatever you have on hand--chard, kale, even collards!

Keep testing the rice (I just spoon a grain or two between my teeth), and once it’s done, fold in 1/2 cup to 1 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese.

The cheese and the starchy rice make a nice creamy finish

Remove it from the heat and spoon it into a bowl for serving. This recipe makes 2-3 dinner-sized portions.

Feel free to garnish with more cheese

Here’s the recipe summary:

2 cups lamb stock

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup chopped onion (I like sweet onions, leeks or shalots work great also)

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

Sea salt

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese

3/4 – 1 lb of beef, lamb, or veal (ground or diced into cubes)

1/2 bunch of spinach, kale, or other greens (use any amount you like)

 

In a small saucepan, heat the stock to a low simmer. Do the same with 2 cups of water in another saucepan.

If not using leftover meat, brown the meat with 1 T olive oil on medium. Add the greens when the meat is about half-cooked.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the orzo. In a skillet on medium heat, saute the garlic and onion in 2 T olive oil until the onion is translucent.

Reduce the heat. Add the rice (or orzo) and saute until it’s lightly toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the wine and stir, cook until it’s almost evaporated. Now pour half of the stock into the skillet and cook until it’s almost absorbed, stirring as needed. Next, pour half of the water into the skillet and cook until it’s almost absorbed, stirring frequently. Finally, add the remaining stock and stir until it’s absorbed. Check the rice for doneness, and add more simmering water if and as needed. Total cooking time should be about 15-20 minutes.

Once the rice and meat are both cooked, combine in one of the skillets. Add the cheese and stir thoroughly.

Serves 2-3.

A great fast food meal you can make at home! Off to check on Siouxsie, who seems like she might be going into labor.

[Via http://corderofarms.wordpress.com]

Complex but uncomplicated

Chili. Yum.  In high school I’d make a can of Hormel (“hot” – and the hot stuff was the waxy orange grease you had to scrape off the top of the can, after opening it).  Crush some Doritos in there and mix it with chopped iceberg lettuce and some shredded cheese, a wonderful meal.

We still love chili kinda like that — chili from a mix or packet — premeasured chili powder, garlic powder, masa (corn flour) etc– with some ground turkey or beef, beans, and a bottle of generic sweet bbq sauce.  For a quick dinner  you can’t go wrong.

Lately though we’ve been experimenting with real chili.  There are a lot of recipes all claiming to be authentic (I might be willing to bet there are more chili recipes than recipes for anything else, online), and the loudest shouts about authenticity come from the folks who maintain that real “texas red” doesn’t have any tomatoes, or beans, or onions, or anything, really, beyond the five basic ingredients (beef, garlic, cumin, oregano and ancho pepper).

I like simple recipes that complexify in the cooking so I started messing around.

Turns out it’s very easy to make a really good authentic chili;the only difficulty as far as I can see is that the standard batch isn’t big enough.  I’m not kidding when I say that if I took a spoonful every few minutes as I walk around the house I could finish an entire batch in one day, easy.

The only concession I’ve made to innovation was to add some jalapenos, because the anchos don’t have any heat (just glorious smoky depth).

The anchos are, however, where the magic happens. Rubbery or papery and dark purple-brown, soaked in water and then pureed they make the wonderful smooth but slightly grainy red sauce — and that’s it– the sauce and the beef, and later some masa to thicken. You couldn’t get more simple:

Hours later that red turns a dark rich brown about the same time whatever tough cut of beef you’ve chosen gives up the game and changes from chewy to melting.  Eat it like that, or dump in some chopped onion, or some cheese, or beans if you like; just leave room for seconds.

An added bonus is the masa qualifies for that oddball category of packaging that shows the item in question happily cannibalizing or at least inviting you to eat its own people (i.e., bbq ads showing pigs in overalls eating ribs, chickens in straw hats serving up hot wings, etc.) — here Mr. Corn is apparently saying “Yum won’t you please try this tremendous taco made in part by the death and grinding up of my brothers and sisters?”

Then, finally, last night while Rebecca was writing about bread, I dug some old LP’s out of the basement and perhaps as a concession to college days, listened to them by the light of a couple candles.  Hyla listened too but was playing with her Nintendo DS most of the time.  I was just listening.  The shadow cast by the lamp in this corner seemed particularly nice, and constant, after I stared at it for a couple hours:

The window and the umbra made me think of Joseph Wright of Derby’s “Experiment With the Air Pump” though in comparing the two just now the light isn’t that similar — but anyone with the bandwidth should consider clicking the pic in this link then using the slider on the right to enlarge the image rather a lot:

Evidently like the UK’s nat’l gallery’s done a great job in giving us access to really high reproductions of their works, and this painting has always been a favorite — complex but uncomplicated, made from a small number of basic brilliant elements (kind of like good chili).

-mrm

[Via http://grongar.wordpress.com]

百果松糕

这个糕做得相当的失败。当然看起来还不错，很有卖相。可是也太难吃了。菜谱是从毛毛妈那里来的：http://blog.wenxuecity.com/b logview.php?date=200706&post ID=21505

人家的横断面就确实很松。我的其实也蛮松的，但是问题是里面掺了没有熟的米粉，所以很难吃。不知道为什么会是这个样子。唯一想得到可以改的地方就是不要装这么满，因为边缘的地方都有点儿没熟。但是其它地方具体的我想不出来为什么很仔细的follow recipe会有这些毛病。所以连重新再试的勇气都没有。

[Via http://chenjie66.wordpress.com]

OK, now, where were we?

After a week of not feeling so great, I am finally BACK!   I got my act together and stocked up on groceries today.  I have been eating well the entire time, even though I wasn’t blogging it, so I feel great!    I am really a believer in eating only foods that are good for me and I don’t plan on going back to eating awful food, ever.    So this week I have a few recipes to try and tell you about.  The subject keeps coming up on television and in my own life about how expensive organic foods are, but I have really found that I am eating less because I am more satisfied.  The organic foods last longer before perishing, and the food I do buy is feeding me for two to three weeks.   So, yes the initial outlay is more, but it truly is not costing any more than eating awful food — and I have the future savings on medical expenses, not to mention time added to my life for being healthy.   More detail about the costs later. 

So this week I’m pulling meal ideas from the little book which came with my Windsor Pilates dvds.   The program is called “Win in 10″  and the meal ideas seem to follow my plan, too, except for the breads.  So I’ll be replacing their english muffin or bagel with my own dense whole grain bread.   You’ll get all the details of any changes I make on those meal plans, along with the original info from the book.

And for exercise, I’ll still follow the plan outlined in the pilates book, too, which combine the pilates routines with walking.

[Via http://14monthsto50.wordpress.com]

Growing Garlic in your Garden

Looking back at how and when I started growing garlic I can honestly say it was quite by accident.   I had some cloves and I don’t recall what prompted me to plant them but I did.   I will venture to say it was the wrong time of the year because I remember they died down and I forgot about them leaving them in the ground until the next year.   They sent up sprouts the next year and I left them to grow and decided to do some research on growing garlic.   I found that they should be planted in the fall (October) and harvested 9 months later when the leaves start to turn brown and fall down.  The middle of July arrived and I dug up a few and was amazed that I had full heads of garlic!   I never realized they needed such a long period in the ground! 

Garlic is pretty simple to grow since it is a light feeder and its basic needs are full sun and rich soil.  The garlic head should remain intact until you are ready to plant – then you break apart the head into individual garlic cloves planting 2-3” deep with the pointy end of the clove in the upward position. 

Space the cloves or bulbs 4” apart in all directions and top with mulch.

There are two basic kinds of garlic – softneck and hardneck.   Hardneck garlics have a “hard” stalk in the middle, they are more difficult to grow and more perishable, but they have a wider range of flavors. 

They also have larger cloves and are easier to peel.   Softneck have a longer shelf life and this is the garlic usually used for braiding since the stalks are softer.   You can see the different varieties I have in the ground this year here.

Fresh garlic has the best flavor in the first few months after harvest.  Designer or gourmet garlic is more expensive than store bought since there is a lot more character and flavor.   Garlic tastes may vary from variety to variety and even a single clove may taste different from person to person – same as with fine wine.   When growing your own garlic, harvest and hang to dry for 2-3 weeks before using.   Then store in cool, dark place and do not refrigerate or freeze.

It is said that garlic repels Japanese beetles and many other pests so you can plant around roses or other flowers that suffer from Japanese beetles.    You can also mix up a garlic spray as an insect repellent.   Chop a few cloves, add to a quart of water (mixing in a blender works well).   Let sit for several hours and then strain the mixture through cheesecloth.

A few tips on cooking with garlic – Mincing or chopping garlic into fine pieces produces a bright and lively flavor.   If you smash the garlic before cutting, the flavor will be stronger.   Using a garlic press will produce a very strong flavor so use when looking for a dramatic garlic taste in your recipe.   Pressed and grated garlic is much stronger than chopped or minced. 

Cook garlic slowly on the stove over low heat – do not burn – burnt garlic is bitter.   You can use garlic many ways – raw, sautéed, dry roasted or oven roasted.

Experiment in the garden and in the kitchen with garlic! 

You will simply fall in love with fresh grown garlic from your very own garden! 

[Via http://therunninggarlic.wordpress.com]

Terrible Name, Tasty Dish

Easy, quick, pantry-friendly, and perfect for a weeknight. Oh, it’s reeeeeally delicious and makes great leftovers. What more could you ask for?

As for the name, it’s the  awful “You Won’t Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta.” I can’t attest to its mate-snaring properties but it is a lovely weeknight pasta dish that seems a bit more special than the same ole, same ole Wednesday spaghetti.  As promised, it also comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Penne alla Vodka (because I refuse to use that horrible name!)

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 cup vodka
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
• Coarse salt and pepper
• 16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it).

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves.

[Via http://mariannika.wordpress.com]

Disko Disko Party Party

Imagine if the Starship Enterprise was made of bread.

Party snacks should ideally do three things:

1) Not make you vomit later on when you’re trying to convince the pretty girl/boy with the really short dress/gold hotpants that going home with you is an excellent idea and should be done with wild and enthusiastic abandon.

2) Help insulate you against the 2 bottles of red wine and 7 shots of tequila that you’re still going to drink (mostly to help with all that wild and enthusiastic abandon with the pretty girl/boy later on), and finally…

3) …not be ‘some kind of meat on a stick’.

For the last 12 or so years that I’ve been cooking things for myself, it’s mostly just been in the category of ‘something for me to put in my mouth while I watch TV’. However, as time has gone by, I’ve started inviting people to, you know… eat with me. Sometimes it’s worked, sometimes it hasn’t. For every tour de force Moroccan-style Seared Chicken I’ve served up, I’ve also made Undercooked Prawn Mush In A Bowl (in a weird twist of fate my friend Greg has consistently been on the receiving-end of some of my most spectacular failed experiments, including the time I destroyed his toaster by shoving it full of mielie pap (a sort of South African corn porridge) convinced that it would be an excellent way to make a stiff, grilled alternative to potatoes). But slowly, I’ve gotten better at hiding that I still mostly don’t know what I’m doing, until recently, when a lovely friend of mine asked me to cook for her birthday party.

Apparently she wasn’t too concerned that by the end of her party she might have lost all her friends to Death By Party Snack.

Now – I’m always up for a challenge (which explains the ‘Summer of Jean-Shorts’ in ’92), but usually challenges like this only involve me. I can happily do this stupid stuff safe in the knowledge that only person who’s going to look like a toolbag is Yours Truly. But in this instance there was someone else’s Special Day involved, and I have to tell you, it scared the fuck out of me.  But I had a budget, I had a brief (mostly vegetarian), a rapidly-shrinking set of balls – but fuck if I wasn’t going to give it a go.

Luckily, I had a notion that I’d mostly be okay as long as I: a) started early and b) drank lots – two golden rules that I followed to the letter (I’d finished a substantial amount of wine before midday, and once all the food had been trotted out, duly collapsed in a ridiculously boozed heap by about 8pm).

If the idea of a party snack is to line the stomach and keep you in a place where you can still get your drink on for as long as possible – there’s obviously only one route to go – and so this particular menu pretty much revolved around the twin pillars of bread and cheese. Not exactly sophisticated, sure. But did I fancy it all up? You bet. All pretty and such? Totally. But still – bread and cheese.

And so, mostly because I’m lazy and writing out everything I did for the party is a horrific amount of effort, I’m only going to do the recipe of which I was most proud.

Brioche Tart with Camembert and Roasted Red Onion

Brioche is the fourth best thing to be given to the world by the French (after kissing with tongue, Audrey Tatou and Peter Sellar’s accent in The Pink Panther). It’s almost criminally rich, needs quite a while to prepare, but so totally worth it that it’s become one of the things I dream about. I also dream about miniature horses, but that’s neither here nor there.

Brioche base

Ingredients

500g butter

2 big tablespoons of caster sugar

15g dried yeast

100ml warm milk

1 tbspn of sea salt

9 eggs (yes, nine)

750g of cake flour

Topping

4 large red onions

5 large sprigs of thyme

2 tbpsn of olive oil

125g of camembert cheese

chives (finely chopped)

150ml of cream

2 eggs

What to do

Beat together the butter and caster sugar together. If you’ve got a fancy mixer thingie – then good for you, but if not, just let the butter soften a bit before you get going. Keep this to one side just for the moment. Put the yeast and the warm milk into a bowl and whisk until the yeast has fully dissolved. Now, beating the whole time, slowly add the eggs, salt and flour this milk/yeast mix and once its all in – keep beating for another ten minutes. This is probably the bit where you want to go out and by a proper mixer. After ten minutes, slowly add the butter and caster sugar a little at a time, and then beat for another five minutes. At this point, the dough should be glossy and elastic.

At this point scrape the mixture into a Tupperware or any sealable plastic container and let it rest/prove for about 2 hours. Unlike normal bread dough, you don’t want this to be near too much heat or the butter will start to separate from the dough mixture and that’s just grim.  It should puff up nicely after 2 hours, at which point you need to gently deflate it, seal it back up and then bung it in the fridge for at least four hours or overnight.

When you’re ready to start turning this all into a tart, turn your oven on and up to about 200ºC. Then peel the onions and then cut them into largish chunks and get them on a roasting tray with the thyme, olive oil and some salt and pepper. Get this into the oven and roast them for about 20 minutes to half an hour. Once they’re starting to soften beautifully (the aroma is going to be insane), get it out and set it aside to cool. In the meantime, take a quantity of your brioche loaf and press it into a circular dish or tart tin and pop it in the oven for about 5 minutes (this is just to crispen up the base a bit, otherwise it does stay fairly wet). Once that’s done, spread the onions over the base and crumble in the camembert and the chopped up chives. Whisk together the cream and eggs and pour that over the onions. Then get that back in the oven and bake for about half an hour to 45 minutes until the brioche is cooked through and looking lovely (i.e. a nice golden brown).

This recipe makes waaaay more brioche dough than you need for just the tart. I suggest making the rest of it into a conventional loaf (just pop it in a greased baking tin, brush the top with a bit of egg yolk/milk mix and bake for about 30 minutes) to keep for breakfast the next day.

Also, a quick apology for the fairly slow start to the year (yes, another one….jeez can this guy ever just do something without apologizing? Ghard….), what with certain changes to my lifestyle (no, I didn’t get a sex-change) and my camera breaking – it’s been more difficult than I expected to update regularly. But, I’m going to say this in caps so that the point is made strongly – I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE. There’s a bunch of exciting things coming, and now that I’m slightly better at handling my time – hopefully the posts and recipes will start flowing at a steadier rate again.

Woo.

[Via http://allyoucaneatforfree.wordpress.com]

Pressure Cooking

I’m pretty comfortable in the kitchen, but occasionally I manage to forget that (1) I have three hungry kids waiting for me at home and (2) I haven’t gone shopping lately, which tends to make me anxious about preparing dinner. Ordering pizza is always an option but, in the interest of inflicting a death of a thousand cuts upon the debt monster, I prefer to reserve pizza and take-out for special occasions or emergencies.

It was on one of these brain-addled evenings that I was checking the larder when I got home. There are certain ingredients I try to keep on hand at all times for such situations; one of these is broccoli, which holds the honor of being the healthiest food that is also enjoyed by every member of my household.

A few other staples I had were eggs, milk, cheese and frozen pie shells — I know that making pie crust isn’t that difficult but I have a hard time tolerating the mess — making broccoli quiche another option. But that would have taken about an hour and a half to prepare, bake and cool, and I don’t like pushing the evening routines too late, both for my kids’ sakes and mine.

Digging deeper, I found a few boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese — actually the Wegmans equivalent — but it’s one of the foods the kids can prepare by themselves when I can’t get home in time. Besides, it’s not a comfort food I grew up with — macaroni were made with sauce or garlic, never powdered neon-colored cheese — so I’d prefer to declare a pizza emergency than go the box-dinner route.

Fortunately there were also a few cakes of extra-firm tofu in the fridge and several packets of ramen noodles in the pantry, meaning I could make another family favorite: tofu and broccoli stir fry with ramen. I tend to avoid this dish because I usually get too OCD about the preparation to do it quickly. But on this evening, I was pretty motivated and managed to throw it together efficiently (though accidentally leaving out the garlic) with a minimum of mess, stress and grumbling. In the end, there was good food that everyone liked, ready at a reasonable hour, without spending lots of extra money.

Phil Hartman as the

Anal-Retentive Chef

Tofu Broccoli Stir Fry

ingredients:

3 broccoli crowns

1 red or green bell pepper

1 medium onion

1 pound extra-firm tofu

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon cornstarch

5 packages any flavor ramen noodles (throw away the flavor packets unless you have kids, in which case put one packet at each place at the table)

.25 mg Xanax (optional)

marinade:

juice of 1/2 medium lemon

3/4 cup soy sauce

2 cubic inches fresh ginger, grated

1 medium clove garlic, pressed

2 tablespoons honey

If you opt for the Xanax, take it first with a tall glass of water. This will help keep things under control later on when you have to clean up the mess, set the table, and serve the food before the noodles get gummy and the vegetables get limp.

Mix the marinade ingredients together with a whisk or fork.

Drain tofu and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. I try to keep the entire block intact when I cut it so I can put it back into the plastic package it comes in, and then pour the marinade over it. If this is too anal-retentive for you, just toss the tofu and the marinade into a plastic ziploc bag and shake it up.

Cut broccoli into florets and stem chunks. Florets should be no larger than one inch across, stem pieces 1/2 inch cubes. Steam until bright green and still firm but not crunchy. You should be able to pierce it with a fork, but with significant resistance.

Slice the onion and pepper into 1/2 inch by 2 inch strips. You can also use carrots, celery, bok choy, pretty much any firm vegetable, as long as you cut them so each piece is about the same volume. Or you can leave these out entirely and just use more broccoli, it’s up to you. Put these aside. You’re done with the prep, so rinse the cutting board so you don’t get food chunks running around the dishwasher. And make sure you scrape the inside of the garlic press because you know how icky it is to empty the dishwasher and find soggy washed garlic inside the press.

Put up a big pot of water for cooking the ramen. By the time it boils, you should have the stir fry part done.

Heat oil in large frying pan or wok. Drain off marinade into a bowl, and mix in the cornstarch. Pat the tofu dry with a paper towel to avoid splattering oil.

Stir fry tofu for a few minutes until it starts to brown a little — you’ll need the heat pretty high or else you’ll just be sauteeing it. Add the cut up veggies and continue to stir fry until the onions start to get translucent. Add broccoli, lower heat to simmer. Add the marinade, stir and cover.

Serve with ramen. It’s good with rice too, but then you should make sure you start the rice before steaming the broccoli or else you’ll end up with soggy vegetables and nobody likes soggy stir fry. You’d end up throwing the whole thing out (and how do we throw things away…?) and ordering pizza after all.

[Via http://redlami.wordpress.com]

Recipe of the Day: Valentines Day Pizza

Yield: 12 Servings

Prep and Cook time: 2 hrs 15 min

Ingredients

• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 (14 ounce) can pizza sauce
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 15 slices vegetarian pepperoni
• 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives

Directions

1. Place bread flour, yeast, water, and 2 tablespoons olive oil into the bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the Dough setting. Press Start. When the dough is finished, knead rosemary into the dough.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Divide the dough into three portions. Shape each piece into a heart shape about 1/2 inch thick. Brush with remaining olive oil, and spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on each pizza. Sprinkle cheese over pizza sauce, and arrange tomatoes, zucchini, pepperoni, and sliced olives on top.
4. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese has melted and crust is browned.

Tips

• Bake pizza on a pizza stone for best results.
• For more heart shapes, cut tomato into slices, and then cut slices into heart shapes. Do the same to the zucchini and the pepperoni.

Nutritional Information (Amount Per Serving)

• Calories: 261
• Total Fat: 9.1g
• Cholesterol: 18mg

Recipe from Saymorethanwords.com

[Via http://recipesandreviews.wordpress.com]

The Boyfriend, The Vegan and Me, the Jackass

I am a jack ass with deep rooted habits.

I understand that I need to be okay with being alone. I understand that a person who can be  happy and productive on their own ends up making a better partner in the long run.

But I’m an idiot….

So I put up another ad on the site I met a bunch of retards on. Remember this winner? Met him on that site. Oh and The Librarian, yup found him there too. As well as an R. Crumb lookalike that was in and out of my life before I started this blog. Absolutely no good came out of this stupid dating site and yet I put up another ad.

(On a totally hilarious side note, Cow Porn Guy (whose blog I deleted when he became an immature twat) is now on that dating site. Here he is, perhaps one of you might want to date him. Hope he finds a lovely lady that will not do all the wrong things that I apparently did on the first date. Best of luck, sir. )

My main reason for putting up an ad was not really to meet anyone, it was just a distraction technique. However, I found an ad for a man that I waxed sometime last year who I thought was totally adorable. We had bullshitted about tattoos, San Diego and what brought us to Portland. I had hoped that he might get my number or at the very least come back for another waxing (and no it was not a ball wax) but I never saw him again. So I e-mailed him on this site. Lo and behold he wrote me back and said that he had wanted to get my number but hadn’t wanted to be that guy. We exchanged numbers and decided to meet up for a drink. I took Lucy along because she’s an excellent judge of character and I am not.

He was adorable, charming, intelligent and a lovely conversationalist. He texted me after he left the bar which is always sweet. Will I see him again? Who knows. Lucy made a slight social faux pas by inviting him out for Valentine’s Day. Trouble being that Tay Tay Jenkins will be with us as well. Tay Tay knows full well that the romance between us is over but he never gives up. Having some new man meat around would be disrespectful and awkward.

Also, it gets stickier…..

I put the ad up thinking, “God I just want someone to hang out with! To see movies with and to fuck!”

But after meeting the new guy, who shall be dubbed The Vegan (cuz duh, he’s a vegan. I would not have dated a vegan two months ago but since I gave up meat and tried out the vegan diet for a few weeks I’m now more open minded. plus he doesn’t seem to be a dick about it.) I started thinking more and more about The Boyfriend, now the The Ex Boyfriend.

I don’t just want SOMEONE. I want The Boyfriend back. The Boyfriend before things got weird and distant. I want that boy who supported my meat boycott by bringing me veggie dishes from his work, who took me to Washington Park with a bottle of wine to watch the city at night, who makes art, reads, cooks, fucks like a champ, looks at me like I’m amazing and in general is someone I have so much fun around.

He and I had lunch yesterday. After much gut ache I had told him how much I missed him. He said he missed me too and suggested a meet up. It was nice and sad and weird. I looked at his bearded face and his pretty blue eyes hooded by a silly baseball cap with the brim flipped up (seriously) and I still adored him. We’ve agreed to grab a beer next week. I have a feeling that to get back to where we were it will be slow going. But if I could have that boy back and have him back the way it was in the beginning….I would be one seriously happy girl.

I miss him.

[Via http://sweetbirdofmischief.wordpress.com]

Cash Saving Tips No.1

Reading Time: 3 mins

Welcome to the first in my series of ways to save yourself a bit of cash.

One of my more recent ways I’ve come across to save a bit of cash is to cook using the ‘Hay Box’ method.  My Mum says that during the war her family cooked alot in this way.  It’s ideal for cooking meals like casseroles, stews and well anything in a sauce basically.

All you need:-

1. a large cardboard box, say about 3′ x 3′ x 3′ (1m x 1m x 1m);
2. a large old blanket or sleeping bag;
3. a cooking pot or saucepan that you’d cook a casserole or mince dish in.

Not too hard so far, eh?!

If you haven’t got a cardboard box that big you could ask your local supermarket for one or use something similar in size like a large clothes basket.

Your blanket or sleeping bag ideally needs to be one that you don’t mind the odd drip of food on.

To prepare the meat and sauce of a bolognaise:-

1. First of all prepare and cook your meal in the normal way but 6 hours before you want to eat it – cook your mince in a saucepan on the hob as normal but only up to the point where you’ve added all the ingredients and would then leave it to simmer for say 20-40 minutes.;
2. Whilst this is cooking get your ‘Hay box’ ready.  Put the cardboard box on the floor out of the way somewhere  with the lid open.  Then take your blanket (insulation) and line the box with it but so that there is plenty left over to cover up your pot with afterwards.  Try to make sure the bottom is flat so that your sauce doesn’t tip out;
3. Then turn off the heat under your pan and very slowly and carefully lift your pan and lower it into the bottom of your blanket lined box;
4. Then cover over the top of your pan with the left over blanket and tuck it in firmly round all the edges so that it’s 100% wrapped in thick layers of blanket.  If the lid shuts that’s a bonus but it seems to work fine either way.
5. Leave it for 5-6 hours.

And it’s as simple as that!

When you open up your ‘Hay box’ having made (in the case of Spaghetti Bolognaise) the spaghetti seperately, your meat part of the meal is still very hot so be very careful when touching it.  You’ll most likely still need oven gloves to protect yourself.  Your meat is then ready to serve straight away, and it’s all the better tasting as it’s been sitting in it’s own juices for so long! Yum!

The meat and sauce for Spaghetti Bolognaise can be ready in only 4 hours whereas a dish like stew with big pieces of potato can take more like 6 hours.

This way of cooking is perfect for preparing before you go out in the morning and it’s always ready when you come in at the end of the day.  If you’re an hour late it won’t even spoil, the worst that I’ve had happen is potatoes being crumbly as they’ve cooked a little too long and when that happened to me it was after 8 hours!

Here’s a site that has loads of  good links to other Hay Box information sites.

Haybox links

What Now?

Leave a comment (below)

Subscribe to Sarah’s Fleeces (top right)

Email Sarah@SarahsFleeces.co.uk

Check out my shop

[Via http://sarahsfleeces.wordpress.com]

V.Day just might be D.Day

I’m extremely late getting things ready for Valentines day and (yikes!) I’m in a long distance relationship. It’s a long way up to Minnesota from FayAr, so I’m sure whatever care package I end up throwing together will be a day late (and a few cookies short) for Valentines day.

After all the “hinting” I’ve done about the impending lovers holiday, now I’m the one who’s not ready.  It isn’t because I haven’t thought about it. It’s probably because I’ve thought about it too much. Every DIY, Craft, and Baking blog out there has thrown out a slew of cheap, easy, and eco ideas and I’m getting overwhelmed. Here are a few I love and a few of my own. (and Adam, if you’re reading this, stop now, otherwise you’ll know that everything you’re getting will be made out of those denim cutoffs you loathe).

Valentines:

1. Take a piece of clothing that your lover hates and use it for fabric to embroider your homemade valentine on. I’m going to be obnoxious about it and embroider something like the words “R.I.P. 2/14/10 My Favorite Denim Shorts Died for our Love”.

2. HowAboutOrange featured tons of valentine ideas this month, but this cute heart paperclip idea was so simple I made several at my desk. I think I’ll use them to attach the embroidered valentine to a card or love note.

3. These matchbox valentines from Mighty Girl are charming as all hell and since my boo is having a hardtime kicking the habit I think I’ll leave matches in one and put mints and gum in another one.

Baking:

4. Ever since a co-worker and I made her cake balls, Bakerella has been my absolute go-to for simple baking ideas. You can make her pie pops heart shaped with a cookie cutter and put them on a lollipop sticks as shown in her tutorial. But since I’m going for simplicity, I’m going to make pie bites instead.  I’ll probably toy around with cutting out my own crude heart shapes, but we’ll see if any of those make it out of the oven not looking like blobs.

5. Looking at all of these baking blogs is making me far too hungry. I’ll probably just rip off a cookie recipe from 17 & Baking because everything she makes looks phenomenal.

Fin. Remember those cheesy card boxes you would make in grade school?  I plan on making one of those to ship all of this in so he gets really embarrassed when it comes in the mail.

So, here goes being the best girlfriend of all time. Wish me luck.

Photcred: scienceblogs.com

[Via http://willworkforfoodgirl.wordpress.com]

The London Seed Co herbs

A few days ago I got an unexpected present in the post – these beautifully packaged seeds from The London Seed Company.

BK – Coriander, The London Seed Co

 

I am told that they are easy to grow and perfect for windowsills – great if, like me, you manage to kill house plants if you so much as look at them and your garden is the size of a postage stamp! So, I shall be putting The London Seed Company’s idiot-proof herbs to the test by planting some parsley and coriander in little pots on my kitchen windowsill. I will update you on my progress (if any!) over the coming weeks.

Basil, coriander, dill, parsley, thyme or a mix of all five are currently available to buy online, priced at £2.50 per packet, but I think they’re worth buying just for the pretty packaging! Emily

[Via http://beautifulkitchens.wordpress.com]

Quiche: Using a Frozen Pie Shell

• 1 (8” or 9”) premade pie shell in foil pan
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Herbs of choice, if desired
• 1 cup or so of grated cheese of any kind, including blue cheese (use less blue cheese)
• Filling ingredients of choice, totaling approximately 1cup: sautéed onions, chopped scallions, sautéed or steamed broccoli, sautéed bacon, finely chopped ham, tinned or marinated artichoke hearts, steamed asparagus, chopped baby spinach; use your imagination and personal preferences.

Preheat oven to 400F, and remove pie shell from freezer to thaw for approximately 15 minutes before filling.

Place piecrust in its foil pan on top of a cookie sheet.  Cover the bottom of the pie shell with your chosen ingredients.  Top with cheese.  Set aside.

Crack eggs into a medium sized bowl and lightly whisk.  Add cream, salt, and a few grinds of pepper.  If you like, add some thyme, tarragon, basil, or oregano – or any other herb you like — if they go well with your ingredients.  Whisk very well.  Pour gently into the pie shell.

Place quiche, on cookie sheet, into the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until egg mixture has set.

[Via http://andrecipes.wordpress.com]

Just Some Typical Preperation...in Vietnam.

When traveling in Vietnam the first thing one will notice is that it feels authentic. The country is not overrun with tourists and has managed to keep its identity.  There are markets everywhere and food shopping is done on the streets. But where does the food come from? In southwestern Vietnam is the Mekong Delta. The Mekong Delta is a region famous for its floating markets and is a Mecca for the buying and selling of goods. It also accounts for a majority of the country’s produce.  According to a paper published by Australian National University, the Mekong Delta’s rice crops account for “…50 percent of total paddy production in Vietnam.” Many popular dishes are made with rice. Rice is a staple food of the Vietnamese and preparation is important to them. In America there are machines to slice noodles and create rice cakes. In Vietnam it is all done by hand.

In order to make noodles a rice mixture  is created. It is steamed then and stretched over a barrel.

The paper steams for 2 minutes, and is then placed outside to cool.

It dries for a few hours and then gets sliced into noodles.

This man is stirring rice into a large wok that has sand in it. The sand causes the rice to heat evenly. When the rice gets hot it puffs up. Then all the sand and rice are placed in a sieve. The sand falls through. The puffed rice is eventually made into Rice Cakes.

Viewing a video, like the one above, creates value for viewers. It is important for readers to actually view what it is they are reading about. Being able to witness what an individual goes through in order to make some rice puffs provides a valuable resource for those who wish to learn more about this subject.

These days, traditional Asian cuisine is undergoing constant transformation. Not just with the flavor but the style in which it is prepared. But, as a distinct style develops Asian ethnic food will blend into a unique Asian American cuisine.

[Via http://culturedcuisine.wordpress.com]

Robert Sinskey and His Fabulous Wines (Tasing)

 

I have never met anyone who has not really liked Robert Sinskey wines except for the print wine reviewers. I don’t know what the current scores are but WS and the like do not give high scores to Sinskey (or did not) but the following speaks of something else. I give 85 to 88 for the Cabs and Merlots I have tasted. That is a couple of vintages back.

Robert Sinskey and his fabulous wines

Host:

Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant

Type:

Party – Bar Night

Network:

Global

Date:

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Time:

4:30pm – 7:30pm

Location:

Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant

Street:

One Ferry Building, Shop 23

City/Town:

San Francisco, CA

View Map

Description

Join us on Wednesday, February 10th, from 4:30-7:30pm, as we welcome special guest Rob Sinskey, Principal and Winemaker at Robert Sinskey Vineyards. Rob Sinskey has been making wine for 20 years. His philosophy is that to enjoy wine to the fullest, it must be considered with food. To that end, the vineyard relies heavily on a grape that supports those beliefs. “Pinot Noir is a grape that requires food,” says Rob, who plants over half of his nearly 200 acres in Pinot Noir.

Since 2001 Sinskey Vineyards has been certified organic. Now they are working toward biodynamic certification. The Sinskey wines have a clean, bright focus that we believe is the result of the winery’s attention to detail in the vineyard and their stewardship of the land they love.

We are sure you will enjoy meeting this charming and witty winery owner and vineyard pioneer and there is no doubt you will love tasting the wines of Robert Sinskey Vineyards at Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant. It’s a Party!!

Super Bowl Party on Sunday as well!!

This Sunday come on down to Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and join us in watching the Super Bowl. The fun will be starting at 3pm as we show this sports extravaganza on our 2 large flat screen HD TV’s in the Wine Bar. Kick back with your favorite wine or even a tasty draft beer, nibble on some incredible food from the Ferry Plaza and watch the Super Bowl with us.

If the Super Bowl finds you in wine country, swing by our sister store, Oxbow Wine Merchant, where we will also be showing the game on our 52″ flat screen HD TV. We have 5 local beers on tap, plus an array of great wines by the glass at our Wine Bar. Enjoy some tasty treats from our food menu as well. We hope to see you at one of our spots.

Also, for you Olympic fans out there:

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC, will be featured at both of our Wine Bars from Febraury 12th to the 28th. So come on down and enjoy the excitement. See you there!

 

The featured wines are served as two ounce glasses. If you would like a full glass just ask your bartender. The wines will also be available for retail purchase while supplies last….

The cost of the flight will be $35 and will feature the following wines:

2008 Sinskey Pinot Blanc, Los Carneros (from Magnums, half bottles only for retail sale)

Retail $21 for 375ml, 5oz. glass $13.75

2007 Sinskey Pinot Noir Three Amigos Vineyard, Los Carneros

Retail $57, 5oz. glass $17.50

2007 Sinskey Pinot Noir Vandal Vineyard, Los Carneros

Retail $57, 5oz. glass $17.50

2005 Sinskey Marcien (blend is never revealed), Los Carneros

Retail $66, 5oz. glass $19.75

2005 Sinskey SLD Stag’s Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon

Retail $85.50, 5oz. glass $24.75

Hope to see you all there!

Peter, Bo, Jeff, Debbie and the entire Ferry Plaza team.

Also, don’t miss the complete schedule of our highly popular Ferry Plaza Wine Classes in San Francisco, at 6:30 pm in the Ferry Building’s Port Commission Hearing Room.

Click Wine Bar for the complete Wine Bar Event Schedule. Many of our wines are available online at FPWM.com

Join our Wine Club!

For questions, comments:

call (415) 391-9400.

Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant

One Ferry Building,

Shop 23

San Francisco, CA 94111

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Wine by Cush Magazine blog and published early in World of Cush also.

[Via http://worldofcush.wordpress.com]

Sumptuous Sundays

If you’re from an Italian family, you know at least 70 times 7 recipes for SAUCE – or as some refer to it, GRAVY! You probably know it by several names! For instance if there is meat or fish it is sugo. Succa and salsa were other names too.

Somewhere right now someone’s mama is making a huge pot of sauce, standing at the stove, gently stirring with a wooden spoon. If it’s Sunday, the famiglia is getting ready to gather together for their mama’s cooking! Someone else is probably trying to sneak around mama trying to dip a piece of bread in the pot already! Nothing says home and love like opening the door and smelling the wonderful aroma of that pot bubbling away on the stove. After all the sauce needs to simmer and bubble for hours to bring out all the robust flavor.

I had always been a great cook. From the time I was a child, I loved to cook. My own mother was a collector of great cookbooks and she was a gourmet chef who could whip up fantastic meals for two to two hundred on practically no money and certainly no effort! So I learned at her elbow and won awards in both high school and college for my skills as well as the accolades of friends! There was never a recipe that I was intimidated by. I enjoyed the challenges.

Then I met Valentino. Oh! How I wanted to impress him – and I was sure that a home cooked meal was the way to do so. After all we all learned the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. So I decided to plan a nice little dinner affair of spaghetti, Italian bread, salad, a little wine! Maybe even a homemade cake for desert. Or maybe homemade minestrone? Then somewhere around there I lost my mind and my nerve. I decided to ask a girlfriend for an “authentic” sauce recipe – after all, she was Italian American so I assumed she would have a wonderful recipe perfect for the occasion. What I didn’t assume was what I spiteful hateful jealous so and so she was and no part of a friend. I was cooking for the man she had a secret hankering for! According to her “Italian grandmother’s old family recipe”, one was supposed to make big round meatballs and drop them into the tomato sauce already simmering without cooking the meatballs first. I asked her if she was sure about that. I certainly had never heard of meatballs done that way. Let me admonish anyone who is questioning this method – it is NOT good! It produced the most horrible tasting concoction I have ever tried. Valentino spit his out and then just sat looking at me for a moment with his huge dark eyes. He finally quietly (amazing for an Italian, huh? Sure sign of SERIOUS) “What were you trying to do? Poison me?” Fighting tears of embarrassment I explained who gave me what recipe. His eyes grew wider and then he exploded in laughter. Seems I was the only person in Rhode Island who did not know how this gal had stalked him at one time! I was played the fool for sure.

He finally stopped laughing and decided to give me an impromptu cooking lesson. A can of black olives, lots of minced fresh garlic, some olive oil and a fry pan – we had Spaghetti Aglio e Olio! That following week he introduced me to his cousin Liz. This dear cugina has spent hours since then teaching me to make many family favorites and the tricks known only to Italian cooks to make sumptuous meals from next to nothing. Later it would be Mama Concetta who visit us for two or three months at a time and take over the kitchen. Then I was able to stand at the elbow of a master chef and learn! We would put up hundreds of jars of tomatoes, pickled eggplants, green beans, jams and more. She taught me to milk goats and how to make our own fresh and hard cheese. And bread! Her daily bread baking would fill the house with a wonderful aroma each morning! Of course I also learned the finer points of pizzas as she spoiled our sons with their favorites. But my lessons did not stop there. Soon my dear sisters in law would share more lessons with me. I learned to travel with a notebook to write down all the recipes and hints and tips. Stuffed breads with spinach or broccoli, leek soup, roasted herbed potatoes, pane di spagna, lasagna, granite, brandied fruits, fried squash blossoms. Even now there is nothing more special than being “en la cucina” with one or more of them as we all laugh, gossip, and cook. Famiglia! Mangia! Buon Appetito tutti!

[Via http://valentinoswife.wordpress.com]

With David Berryhill's new custom outdoor kitchens, Chicagoans may never cook indoors again

Come Spring 2010, with one of my new custom outdoor kitchens, you just may be tempted to never cook — or entertain — outdoors again.

Archadeck of Chicagoland can now custom design a stunning outdoor kitchen right before your eyes — on your computer.

That’s right. Our expert custom outdoor kitchen design team will meet with you online — right in front of your computer — to create a custom design plan that fits exactly what your looking for.

For example, if you have a small patio but want big cooking and entertaining, we have a design for that.

Looking for a efficient and multi-functional outdoor kitchen to go under a covered porch, yes, we have a design for that, too.

Need a big, expansive outdoor kitchen to cook up a big feast for a family reunion? Yes, you know that you’ve come to the right place…Archadeck of Chicagoland.

Here’s one of my personal favorites, a raised counter with bar stools connected to a highly efficient outdoor kitchen.

Sound good? Well, there’s lot more good news to share. Call me at 847-359-8002 for your free design and planning consultation. We can quickly come up with a perfect solution to extend your outdoor living entertaining hours in beautiful, functional style.

[Via http://archadeckchicagoland.wordpress.com]

wife lessons: patience

the prudent housewife who suspects her husband of breaking her absolute favorite Caribbean blue Le Creuset baking dish does not live by the motto “shoot first, ask questions later.” she simply hightails it to one of her favorite cooking blogs to get the lowdown on how to return the lovely pan. and then she remembers she’s always really wanted these. and her husband, out of remorse, lets her have them.

so.

wait.

why was she upset, again?

[Via http://theradhousewife.wordpress.com]

I Ate Bacon.

And it was good. Better than good, actually. It was eyelid-flutteringly delicious. That salty, pungent taste. That distinctive, mouth-watering smell as it fried.

I blame the Food Network, which I’ve been a little addicted to since Christmas. All the chefs on there describe bacon as the magical flavouring ingredient, and I see them using it in all these tantalizing ways. Oh gad, I just couldn’t take it anymore! So, after reading much Michael Pollan, and after much discussion with Josh, I decided to go ahead and order some happy pig meat from our organic delivery service. That’s our requirement for the meat we eat: that it was raised humanely, and preferably organically and locally, from a farm that we researched and that we felt okay about eating meat from.

So last night we decided to be all ceremonious as we consumed our carbonara: a lovely bottle of Chianti, candlelight, cloth napkins… and pasta full of eggs, peas, onions and BACON!

And then on Alton Brown’s show “Good Eats” (I told you it’s the Food Network’s fault!), he demonstrated the innovative method of frying your bacon on a waffle iron or griller, which Josh enthusiastically offered to do. Very yum. Very good idea. I highly recommend it. (We even had a little dish for the drippings – I’ll have to find something delicious to do with those!)

So there we go. Many new doors of meaty possibilities have been flung wide open. I still don’t know if I want to sink my teeth deep into a steak, but give me a few days and see if I’ve changed my mind.

P.S. Since when did this become a food blog? I’m all about the food entries lately. Maybe it’s because making food is an act of creation that I can be certain to include in each day.

[Via http://glowbuggirl.wordpress.com]

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Looking for a quick, easy weeknight meal that’s DELICIOUS? I got  it right here! I’m (obviously) a soup lover, and we usually make some sort of soup about once a week. It’s great for leftovers and for a quick lunch. But it also makes a fantastic dinner (and it’s usually pretty filling, too!). I got this recipe from my friend Helena and I’m definitely going to be making it often! It’s super easy to just toss it all in the slow cooker in the morning and let it cook all day. You can easily modify the spice of the enchilada sauce to control how much heat you want in the soup. And it’s blissfully perfect for a rainy evening! You can have with quesadillas or the like, but we just had a big bowl each and it was plenty! YUM!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Serves: 8

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com

2 frozen chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained

1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (I used medium; had some great kick to it!)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5-ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

1 (14.5-ounce) can corn kernels, drained

1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, drained

1 avocado, diced, for topping

1/2 cup shredded cheese, for topping

1/2 cup sour cream, for topping

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

7 corn tortillas

Vegetable oil

1.      Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, black beans, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. One hour before soup is served, remove chicken breasts and shred, then add back to soup.

2.      Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

3.      Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.

4.      Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup. Top with avocado, cheese, sour cream, and chopped cilantro, if desired.

[Via http://spontaneoustruth.wordpress.com]