Tag Archives: cooking

Culinary Innovations

Posted on September 20, 2013 | 2 comments

This is on the QT, readers. It’s a synonym for “cleaning out the frig.” Don’t tell my husband, as he’s allergic to anything that grows or moves and leftovers do not hold a kind place in his great heart.

Except for culinary innovations, new dishes his dearest wife prepares with thought and care.

Yesterday I had a beautiful small butternut squash that I wanted to roast for a curried soup this weekend. A little olive oil, salt and pepper and it was ready to go, but that’s another story.

I had two perfect young carrots roasted the other day, and two potatoes baked when we decided to go out to dinner. I added a small onion and roasted all together, keeping the squash in for longer of course.

Then I cooked some stellette (little stars) while I chopped and sauteed all the veg, including some Campari tomatoes plus a piece of kielbasa I had in the frig. The pasta was drained and the rest placed on top and we had a new dish! He liked it and didn’t even want Parmigiano Reggiano on top!

It gives cooks everywhere hope that the word leftover is no longer a bad thing. I once told my mother-in-law that anytime we had leftovers he’d just say “let’s go out” and I asked what she did when he was a kid living in the country. “Eat your dinner.” ‘Nuff said. Except that my steak, cooked rare on the grill, makes his steak and eggs in the morning something special and he loves it.

As I only have seven blogs to go ’til 2,000 perhaps that’s an idea. It is unfortunately one, after he reads this, that my husband will not embrace. Grandma’s Wisdom? Putting together things that are home cooked and renewing them for another day. It’s not Sandra Lee with a box of this and can of that. It’s good home-cooked food that is re-invented.

Oh, he’ll read this tomorrow and  really hate it and won’t help me change over if I decide to do it! We’ll see. I’d still keep the stories and family and politics in it, whatever the concept. But I may be away for a few weeks so y’all take care. Dee

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Tailgating et al

Posted on August 15, 2013 | 1 comment

As I only went to games in the middle of winter in a northern state, I’ve never been to a tailgate party before. This weekend will mark my first.

The instigators have a block of tickets and guests each have an assignment. Mine is a side dish but I’m adding an appetizer while meats are on the grill. No rocket science here, but I did think about what would stand up to heat or rain and be easily consumed.

Dee’s celebration coleslaw was devised for July 4 and changes each time. Our nephew, now ten, would only eat frozen chicken “tenders” and he loved it. Any way to get a healthy food, calories and veggies into that boy was welcome. This time I’ll shred a small head of red, and green cabbage, carrots, and add radishes for color and tang. Salt, pepper, celery seed and I just add enough Ranch dressing (my husband’s favorite) to bind it together.

Then I’m making the old stand-by, spinach balls. I figure I can bake them beforehand and keep them warm, bring some toothpicks. Just google that one. Spinach, parmesan cheese, eggs, butter, bread crumbs and seasonings. I figure it’ll make six dozen and I’ll freeze half for another use and bake them later.

Marrying into a family tradition when our Thanksgivings were for a family of six to joining a party of over sixty was daunting but I started bringing things that were not on the dinner table or the lavish dessert spread (it is the South, after all).

I began with a simple Boursin cheese spread and crackers that changed every year depending on what herbs were on hand. That went on the kitchen table mostly for after-dinner snacks. Then I added spiced almonds and cashews (Epicurius, 1991) for the table. The guys watch the A&M game and gals congregate in the kitchen in the afternoon, then leftovers come out about six hours after “dinner” and everyone chows down again before the kids entertain or something else happens that keeps folks entertained until late in the evening.

Cousin Val the Vet used to spay or neuter a local stray cat some years, teaching the kids responsibility for animals, We have nothing but praise for her, as she took out our dog’s hips as a pup and Zoe is now about to be ten years old. She said we’d never get health insurance for Zoe, we do not have it, but I think of it the other way around. As she ages she’ll never have hip problems!

Old, easy family recipes are the way to go for many occasions. As an out-of-towner I’m not supposed to bring anything to Thanksgiving. Guys don’t bring or do anything but nap in front of the TV after the Big Game.

Over the years I’ve added, always deferential to my elders. I taught the kids to make Boursin, still bring the nuts, added spinach balls and gave that recipe to a new wife because everyone loves them.

Then I even brought in my northern and Canadian heritage and added mincemeat tarts to the Southern dessert panoply. Last year I added a brussels sprout and cauliflower gratin that even went on “the line” as this is a buffet. With over sixty people this is not plated service.

It’ll probably never happen again but a couple of years ago all the “grands” which are first generation grandchildren to the hostess with the mostest, laid down in a darkened, quiet living room. Jim was having back problems so laid on the floor, I laid on the sofa, and the others drifted in and we spent an hour or so telling childhood stories and enjoying time together.

When I think of young people getting married, I know that as of this week colleague Robin (my husband is Batman) has flown the coop. They’ve a lot of kitchen stuff on their registry and I figured they’d think of us when they use our gift. They have many years of joining each others’ families for weekends and events. I hope they have as fond memories as I do about the family I joined.

Cheers and say hello to your in-laws! Dee

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Ask Nanny?

Posted on June 8, 2013 | 1 comment

Every year (except one when a retailer wouldn’t let anyone from the company off on Thanksgiving or Black Friday) we have gone to Nanny’s for Thanksgiving.

It is a daunting event with the doyenne, the matriarch of the clan, holding court for over 60 members of the family and guests.

The first year, two months before we eloped, I was interviewed by Nanny for 45 minutes. Jim’s mother’s “interview” lasted four days. Nanny said for me to make sure Jim gets a gold watch after many years of service, and I told her he doesn’t do that kind of work, he does software.

I was also interviewed by everyone in the family and spent 12 hours without one glass of wine answering questions about whether we were getting married.

After we wed, my husband told me food wasn’t required of any relative who came from any distance, especially those who flew in as we did. I brought spiced almonds and pecans, an old family favorite from my family, and made a spiced cream cheese boursin with fresh herbs from my MIL’s garden, for the kitchen table.

The counters are full of turkey, ham, brisket, and any number of sides that have grown so the desserts now fill the dining room.

The next year I added my mother’s spinach balls, an old 70’s recipe, then gave the recipe to the newest wife in the family, who has made it her own. Recently I’ve added a brussels sprout and cauliflower gratin to the mix that has been a hit all around and especially with vegetarians.

This year I may have Nanny judge my new entry. It’s a work in progress but based on a corn custard with chorizo and cheese. When Zoe awakened me at 2:22 this morning the first thing I did was go to the frig and take out the corn dish, and place it on the counter so I could warm it in the oven for us to taste.

Most of the 60 bring a dish. I’ve taught cooking classes and now bring nuts, boursin, Brussels sprout/Cauliflower Gratin, and perhaps chorizo “grits.”

Our Aunt A organizes it mostly, now, with her daughters and grands. A while ago all the original “grands” took some time together to tell stories. Wonderful!

Yes, we’re flying in. We’ll come in early. Jim’s mother and I cook for days and while they wanted to keep our Zoe outside the first year (I threatened to stay home to care of her myself) she is now a treasured indoor member of the farm family and is counted upon to clean up kitchen spills as we make them.  Ode to corn, Dee

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Kitchen Safety

Posted on December 26, 2012 | 3 comments

We had a lovely Christmas dinner then dessert with friends. While I was making dinner, I was putting together my new favorite brussels sprouts and cauliflower casserole/gratin. I had steamed the veg, was grating cheese and had separately toasted bread crumbs and pine nuts.

All of a sudden the cream, reducing on the stove with shallots and herbs, boiled over behind me. I grabbed it off to another cold burner and lost a few tablespoons and spent the next 20 minutes cleaning the stovetop and steeping the cream rather than reducing it further. When I turned on the oven 20 minutes later I smelled a little gas, which is normal for the first few seconds as it fires.

We ate, then went for dessert. This morning I got up early and took the dog out and I smelled gas outside our door and when the key turned, it was horrible.

My husband had a headache from it but didn’t smell it, so I called it in right away and repairmen were here in moments. They couldn’t find out what was wrong and tested the line and everything.

Now I know what happened. I am a good cook and have graduated from two cooking schools. Just as I am adamant about cross-contamination and sanitizing dishes, I am about making certain the oven and all the burners are off, and the doors are locked.

When the cream boiled over it cut the flame to the burner but the gas was still on. I spent a lot of time cleaning the stovetop and was doing many things for Christmas dinner so even when I checked that the oven and burners were off, all the burner controls were in the vertical position but one was half-way on, still vertical but the wrong way.

These GE controls do not easily show whether the gas is on without a flame, so my husband put a red dot at the top so we could always know it was off. We have smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors but we did not know that for 16 hours we had a serious gas leak in our home.

We’ve had windows open all morning and continue to open them in windy, freezing cold for a few moments every hour or so.

Please check your gas controls. If they are badly designed (cheap) fix them so that you and your family are safe. Glad to still be here, Dee

p.s. Thank you, professional sniffer, our dog Zoe, for pointing out this issue to us. Not! Instead you slept for 9 hours but did kick me out of bed at 5:30 this morning.

Stove knobs with drilled hole filled in with red nail polish

Stove knobs with drilled hole filled in with red nail polish

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Chili Throwdown

Posted on November 13, 2012 | 2 comments

Our new neighbor Jeff and I have agreed to a chili throwdown.

Bobby Flay, I need you! I limited myself to Lady Bird Johnson’s Pedernales chili she had made for thousands of guests and President Kennedy over 50 years ago.

Apparently http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/faqs/recipes/chili.asp I’m OK here. I’m better at cooking than tech.

Bobby, I’ve never made this before. Don’t tell me to add beans because in Texas there are no beans and my husband was born and grew up in Texas.

I figure I’ve some wiggle room in the chile powder (ancho?) and have a KitchenAid 5 qt stand mixer so can grind my own meat if I know the combination.

I also have a spice grinder and a Penzey’s nearby so can get cumin seeds and grind them.

Our neighbor Jeff gets to do whatever he wants while I do an homage to two dead presidents and their wives. He’ll probably do a souped-up buffalo chili, probably with beans.

Margie, Nanny, we need to import some Texans to judge this feast! We’ll try to go to the community room for a tasting and judging but Jeff is from here and I have my hands tied as a newbie with an old Texas recipe I’ve never tried.

Miriam, Stephanie (s), I need you to weigh in as well. Help! I know Jeff will win because I boxed myself in but did that purposefully.

Now I’m researching a blog on responsible pet guardianship including spay/neuter, checking out no-kill shelters and funding for no-kill shelters. Unfortunately no-kill shelters don’t pick up the phone even if you call the development office (no pickup, no $$$). So I’m going through vets and rescue organizations.

Beats packing for Thanksgiving, finding frozen dog food en route and making chili. Cheers and thanks, everyone! Dee

 

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Knives

Posted on August 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

A bit of cooks’ wisdom, and caution that when you cook you deal with heat and knives so let’s not get hurt……

Some may say that the cook’s essential tool is his/her knives but it is hands that win, hands down. Hands that shape, measure, and a brain that connects cooking elements together are key to success even in the home kitchen.

But a hand needs a knife. Please do not purchase “laser edge” or “do not sharpen” knives. They ruin food. And don’t buy a knife block full of knives that take up counter space and that you will not use.

Your first purchase should be a high-end chef’s knife, 10-12″ and a paring knife, 3-4″. That is the blade length. I tend to use my 8″ Santoku knife more than the 10″ chef so consider that.

Go to the back of the store and ask staff to let you handle knives in the locked case. Take time to find out what fits your hand, what feels comfortable for you because this is a lifetime purchase and the $100 is worth it. Of course you’re looking at forged steel and good blade and being able to place your thumb and forefinger above the handle for a chef’s. For the paring knife you need to know if a 3″ or 4″ blade is best for you to peel an apple or take the skin off an orange.

I’m not being paid for this but Henckels Four Star works for my small, stubby hands. You’ll learn what works for you, whether it be a rounded or rectangular handle.

Make sure that the knife is forged then it’s up to you. Right now I really use my Henckels Four Star 8″ Santoku and Kyocera ceramic 7″ Santoku more than anything else but my bread slicer ($12) and paring knives. Know that Santokus have to be professionally sharpened at a different angle, especially those with a Granton edge, and that ceramic knives must be shipped back to the manufacturer for sharpening. Also, ceramics can’t be used to cut through chicken bones or smash garlic or they’ll break.

As for butchers’ knives, ask your butcher. Mine never cost more than $10 and I’ve one boning knife for chicken (rigid) and another for fish (flexible).

Please have the right equipment to sharpen your knives. A steel is essential for realignment. If you don’t want to sharpen them yourself, ask your butcher and for about $1 per inch of blade, if he does it or refers you, that should do it. A dull knife cuts your finger off. A sharp one, when used wisely, does not.

Don’t ever forget knife skills. Look into it and practice on carrots, celery and onions and make some broth with those frozen chicken bones with them. Look up knife skills online before doing this.

As for storage, counter and drawer space have always been minimum. I prefer a magnetic knife rack mounted to the wall so I can pick what I want to use immediately, then place it aside to be washed. Never submerge your knives in soapy water unless you’re washing them immediately, otherwise you may not see them and be cut. Of course a ceramic knife will not stick to a magnetic grid, so get a knife guard and place it in a drawer where it’s easy to reach. Remember the knife guard. It will keep your kids from cutting themselves when they reach for a spoon.

When was I allowed to use a knife? Probably around age 8 when I started cooking. I’m sure it wasn’t sharp, probably dangerous, but young kids need to start cooking with their parents, even with a spoon or a butter knife.

I taught my nephew about “folding” last year, with a blueberry muffin batter and It was compared to a battering ram and people storming the castle with a tree trunk and I said he’d never want to do that to a blueberry. So, learn to fold.

I love my kitchen and knives, but even more I love cooking for my husband, family and friends. If you have the right tools, it’ll cut (ha ha) your time significantly so you can enjoy your dinner and guests. That’s what this whole cooking thing is about, really. Cheers, Dee

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Give It Up for Alton Brown

Posted on August 24, 2012 | Leave a comment

I actually wanted to tell Alton my method for scaling fish, which is a horse’s curry comb, three rings of ridged steel that do the job in minutes. Of course you don’t keep them in the barn, but secreted away in the kitchen, as you keep your needle nose pliers for taking out pin bones hidden and out of the garage.

But what I would like to say to Sir Alton (as I’m sure he’ll be) is that over 11 years ago I met a man who learned to make his own toast at age four. It took 30 more years for him to learn to make a grilled cheese sandwich, and he still likes mine better.

I’ve over 51K readers here and y’all seem to enjoy the occasional recipe and rant. Mr. Brown, my husband says I made him a food snob. I disagree. You HELPED me make him a food snob.

Yours is the only cooking show he watches because he’s a physicist and software engineer and you brought science to food so he could understand it. I can ask him the difference between baking soda and baking powder and he spouts it right back, powder brings its own acid to the party.

If he actually learns to cook I may be out of a marriage. No, he still needs someone to hold his hand during a bad dream, magically clean his clothes and take care of the dog. I think I’m OK. Thanks and try that $4 curry comb! Go to any feed store and they’ll have one. Cheers, Dee

 

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Centennial for Julia Child

Posted on August 15, 2012 | Leave a comment

Julia Child would be 100 years old today. I think I might make her French Onion Soup and raise a glass this evening in her memory.

Bon appetit! Dee

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Lefties, Inc.

Posted on September 2, 2011 | Leave a comment

I lived in the college dorms for two years, then as the college got bigger they rented space off-site so that older students would get off campus and the newbies would be corralled in the dorms.

Junior year I lived with three other girls in a two-bedroom apartment.  It went well until one, well, it didn’t work out.

Senior year I was in a six-in a 3-2-1 situation, but had three other gals living with us for some reason.  After sending them out for groceries, with a list, they came back with canned potatoes instead of a 50# bag.  Six girls were paying $20 per week for food each.  I had to stretch every dollar so added leading the shopping sojourn to my tasks.

First night, I cooked and asked to be sat on a corner, any corner, because I’m a leftie.  Turns out they were all lefties so in the Spring, we created a softball team, Lefties, Inc. even though we couldn’t play.  I think I was pitcher.  First team didn’t show so we advanced to semi-finals.  Second team didn’t show so we were in the finals.  We didn’t win.

Back to cooking.  I never set the table, cleaned a dish, loaded or emptied the dishwasher.  One gal saw me making brownies and said “you can make those from scratch???”  I used pounds of noodles and as little ground beef as I had, and if I didn’t have canned tomatoes I’d use ketchup and they loved it.

Then we took in a gal who lived in town and needed to get away from her mother.  So we helped her out for a few weeks.  Then I learned she was bulimic, would eat every shred of food from our frig and pantry overnight, then get sick all over the bathroom.  It was my job to call her mother. She needed more help than we could give.

Cooking for people has always been something I do well.  I lean more to Mediterranean than French which I learned in cooking school.  Keep it simple, best ingredients and luckily I know French techniques as well so it works.

Desserts are where I’m more simple than ever.  Perhaps a fresh fruit coulis with best quality store-bought vanilla ice cream and a British cookie.  And it’s not that my oven is flaky, temp-wise.  My mother and sisters were such good bakers.  In response to a dinner invitation for next weekend I told our hosts that I’d love to bring something, an hors d’oeuvre or side dish, but not dessert because first my sisters blew me away, now my neighbors do!  Pastry chef/author nearly next door.

I love living amongst smart and talented people.  One of our state’s sobriquets is “Life Elevated.”  I like to think our lives are elevated by everyone who is smart and creative and makes life worth living.  Happy Labor Day weekend!  Cheers, Dee

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Stuff Happens

Posted on February 16, 2011 | 1 comment

Friends have difficulties. I find a need to temporarily fill taking care of cats up for adoption at a satellite facility which means I’ve never met anyone in the organization except for one woman who was only sent to make sure I signed a waiver so if I died on duty it wasn’t their fault.

Hey, I felt for the neglected cats, will find out more about the organization as I’ve a meeting being scheduled with their volunteer leader and will assess further involvement including viewing of all their facilities and their financial statements.

Today the wind is blowing at least 60 mph, there’s snow, hail, sleet, rain and it alternates every few minutes. Nasty storm. Zoe (our dog) was out with me in the back third of the SUV with 4″ orthopedic pet bed as we ran errands to donate new snowboard boots we found by a dumpster, pick up a technical book at the library for Jim, and stop at the “retail” pet facility for the non-profit I now assist.

We will not be grilling the burgers I was supposed to make tonight, because there are awful hail sounds outside and the winds are horrific. I can’t even tell Jim what time to come home so he still has paint on his car, because the weather changes every few moments. That reminds me, I need to go to the garage to find out if I still have paint on mine! Cheers and have a warm and wind-free evening. Dee

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