snackalot

Cooking Wishes Vs. Cooking Reality

2008-04-08T19:54:02Z

Do you ever feel totally consumed by a desire to cook that you wish you could clear your schedule for a week and cook and bake your brains out? I just saw the recipes and food photographs for the June/July issue of Taste of Homes Healthy Cooking and everything looks incredible! I feel compelled to make almost every dish I saw. I wish I had the time to whip them all up…and that I didn’t have such a disaster of a kitchen so cooking could be efficient and even more fun. So many wishes! Anyone have a genie in a bottle I could borrow?

Since I don’t have time to run to the grocery store tonight, or make a nice meal for that matter,I’ll be serving my empty refrigerator special, which just means we’re having breakfast for dinner. Tonight’s menu features scrambled eggs (dressed up with roasted peppers from a jar, the tomato I need to use up and the last few crumbles of goat cheese we have) with a side of whole-wheat toast. It actually might be pretty good, even if we are eating eggs at 6:00 at night. In my book, eggs are great anytime of day.

Who Loves New Orleans Like I Do?

2008-02-13T19:28:39Z

I traveled to New Orleans in October with 3 of my best girlfriends and was instantly enchanted by the city. I wrote this shortly after I returned, and since today is Fat Tuesday, I thought I'd share it. Enjoy and got to NOLA - you'll love it!

October 8, 2007

I devoured the beignets. Savored the jambalaya. Swooned over the gumbo. Stuffed myself with po’ boys. Met the deliciousness that is milk punch. Experienced the birthplace of Bananas Foster. Discovered that green beans are best served coated in a crisp batter and that I do, indeed, like dill pickles, but only when they’re deep-fried. I have just returned from New Orleans and I have fallen in love. And this isn’t a silly schoolgirl crush. It’s a serious case of “I get excited every time its name is mentioned and ache to see it again,” kind of love. Being in New Orleans was like being swaddled in my most favorite things – great food, great music, great people and great old buildings. I have fallen head-over-heels for the food, the incredible architecture, the music that fills the streets, and the history that surrounds every inch of the city.

Now, old buildings are one thing – every community has some. But in New Orleans, they become an integral part of the experience and you can’t help but admire the unique and colorful beauty of every structure, many of which have been staring back at people for close to 200 hundred years. They stand quietly and proudly, reminding you that your presence is fleeting. You are simply one of the millions who have crossed their thresholds. The tourists and residents will come and go, but the buildings will remain, making them the true inhabitants of the city.

On to the music. It’s impossible to venture outside and not hear singing or horns playing. The music flows out the doors and windows, snaking through the allies to become the soundtrack of your day. Admittedly, I am not a jazz fan. I do not know about jazz and can’t pretend that I appreciate it in the way so many others do. But after one trip down Frenchman Street, which is home to famous clubs like Snug Harbor, that changed. I needed to have jazz in my face - its sounds swirling about me - to feel its energy and understand its appeal.

I once heard Emeril Lagasse say “New Orleans is a city that seeps into your soul and gets under your skin,” and it truly does. I returned home and immediately sought out ways to have New Orleans in Wisconsin. I scoured itunes for jazz from local New Orleans bands and bought myself a 6-pack of Abita Ale. I start each morning with chicory coffee from Café du Monde and have a list of all the Cajun restaurants in the area. My recipe collection now includes milk punch, etouffee and rice and beans.

I’ve been asked why this city has captivated me and I can’t quite explain it. I loved how modern life blends with one from centuries ago. They coexists in a way where one does not separate from the other, turning that city into its own unique world. The energy from 200 years of celebrations, sorrows and solidarity hangs in the air, and is kept alive by the residents, who have, with their own form of tenacity, held on to their roots by honoring them. As urban sprawl tumbles across the landscape, erasing the green space and unique characteristics that once distinguished communities from each other, the uniqueness that is New Orleans becomes even more pronounced.

New Orleans was on my “Top Five Places to Visit” list and I don’t think I can make it through the rest of my life without going there again. Though I consider myself to be NOLA’s latest lover, I am willing to have an open relationship. I encourage you to gather your favorite friends and venture to the Big Easy. You’ll understand why as soon as you arrive.

Why Can't June come after January?

2008-02-04T19:14:54Z

As I write this, the late January temperatures in Wisconsin are rapidly dropping from a balmy 42 degrees to a snow-inducing 32, and it's supposed to sink down to -3 by midnight. During the temperature drop, we can expect lovely things like rain, thunderstorms, high winds and finally a blizzard. All in one day. Such is the weather in Wisconsin where it can go from spring to winter in 24 hours. And I am really sick of winter. Really. Really. Sick of it.

Now, I've lived in Wisconsin since I was 6 (born in Stillwater, Oklahoma), so I know what I'm getting into each year (much unlike my co-worker, John, who moved to Wisconsin from Mississippi two years ago. Needless to say he was shocked that people actually survive Wisconsin winters and that there really is something called "thunder snow."). Just the same, by this time of year, which I like to call "Janu-Feb," I begin to feel like I cannot possibly stand another day filled with nostril-freezing temperatures and ruin-my-cute-shoes snow.

What makes it even harder to endure is the fact that I am writing our spring issues of Healthy Cooking and Simple & Delicious. All day I stare at beautiful photos of food made with garden-fresh produce and write things like "These easy recipes get you out of the kitchen and into the warm weather," just to be reminded that I have months to go before I will actually see garden-fresh produce or feel a hint of warm weather.

Well, at least the sun was shining yesterday.

Did the holidays ever happen?

2008-01-10T16:34:33Z

Somehow, it has become January. I have no idea where the months of October, November and December wandered off to, but they came and went before I could even realize they were here. Don't you hate it when life gets so busy that the calendar just seems to whiz past you while you stand there dumbfounded?

Whether I like it or not, Thanksgiving and Christmas are over and a new year has begun. So, on to my resolutions...I resolve to force my life to slow down a bit, or to at least make each day distinguishable from the next. I plan to do this using several supporting resolutions. First, I pledge to cease filling my stomach with nondescript food. In other words, I want my meals to be an experience in themselves, not just something I stuff in my mouth to satiate hunger. I want food that makes my mouth stand at attention and take not of what's in it. For me, this will require planning menus on a weekly basis and spending a few extra dollars on ingredients I normally passed on.

Second, I write for a magazine devoted to cooking healthy (in fact, it's called Taste of Home Healthy Cooking). I research and read about the good, bad and evil of the food world, so how can I, as an informed eater, stuff my face with a crap that provides no nutritional value to my body? I resolve to FEED my body - to treat it like the machine it is and fuel it with fruits, veggies, protein and fiber. If there's anything I've learned while working here, it's that nourishing food can be knock-you-socks-off delicious. However, I do want to point out that I don't believe in deprivation, so if I want a Friday-night fish fry (which I seem to want every single Friday), I'm gonna have one! But, I will only honor the cravings that I know I cannot fight - not the little ones whispering, "Eat the brownie," but rather the ones that have been screaming at me for days.

Finally, I resolve to cook and bake more, simply because I'm learning that it's something I love to do. There are days that I leave work bursting with the number of recipes I want to try - days when I just want to cook my brains out. Oddly, this resolution is going to be the hardest one to keep because cooking takes time and it means that I will have to set aside other things I'm "supposed" to do to make time for it. In my life, that means putting down the hammer and taking a break from trying to rebuilt my 100-year-old home with my husband (see my blog at www.aconstructedlife.blogspot.com). To help you understand how hard this is going to be, let me tell you that currently, in the middle of a Wisconsin January, we do not have heat in certain rooms because the radiators have been pulled away from the wall so that we can hang drywall, mud, paint, texture and hang trim behind them. There are portions of my home that do not have walls and ceilings, or even electricity for that matter. It's hard to step away from such a life-altering project to make time for things that are "fun," because, gosh darn it, the need to have heat and power is pretty overwhelming.

Okay, away from the remodeling tangent...these resolutions are really important to me. Although I'm already a content and happy person, I feel like these resolutions will help with my sanity, because they'll force me to slow down and do something just for me. They're not built to make anyone else happy, but me. I feel like 2008 is going to be the year where I experience each month as it comes, and each of those months will be filled with 29 to 31 days that stand apart from each other. I can't wait.

Help! My First Turkey is Bigger Than Me

2007-12-19T16:48:08Z

I have just agreed to make a turkey for 15 people. I’ve never made a turkey before. Joey and I volunteered to host a holiday dinner party for our friends, and we happen to have a turkey from my mother-in-law in our chest freezer. We figured it was the perfect time to use it. Now, if it were any old turkey, I wouldn’t be too nervous. But the ice-covered bird that awaits me is 24 pounds - it's like a little turkey glacier, and the thought of cooking it leaves me feeling a tad overwhelmed.

How does one thaw and then cook a beast of a bird? When do I take it out to thaw? And must it thaw in my refrigerator? If so, I will have to evict almost all of its inhabitants, including my good friends, cheese and yogurt. Also, how long and at what temp do I cook it? How often do I baste it and what liquids do I baste it with? Finally, I want to try brining it (I’ve determined that I’ll need a Rubbermaid bin and a cold garage to do this). Anyone know a good recipe? And how do I make gravy?

This is all so new to me, as you can tell. I feel like it’s a right of passage in a way. I’m looking forward to making it and have visions of me pulling the mammoth turkey from our oven, its skin a dark golden brown and meat perfectly cooked. Our friends will oooh and ahhh and Joey and I can feel proud of our ability to cook elephantine poultry. Our dinner party is December 23rd – keep your fingers crossed for us. I’ll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, please answer any of the above questions.

An introduction...

2007-12-12T18:57:08Z

When my husband, Joey, and I aren’t busy remodeling our house (learn about at my blog www.aconstructedlife.blogspot.com), we’re cooking. Actually, I do most of the cooking these days (funny how his gourmet dinners ended once we were married), but he happily eats all of my food experiments. He still whips up a great meal for us when he knows I’m busy (he makes amazing potato pancakes and chicken potpie!). And if the meal calls for grilling, he’s ready to cook!
    I didn’t get interested in cooking until I was married three years ago and I’m still learning my way around the kitchen. I love to try new recipes, so much that I rarely make the same dish twice. My curiosity about new and different combinations controls the recipes I select. I’m amazed and impressed that my husband willingly eats anything I make. When he wanders into the kitchen to see what I’m cooking he’ll typically say, “I would’ve never thought to have done that.” Which I think really means, “Why can't you just make something normal?”
    Joey and I come from very different food backgrounds. His mom makes amazing, comforting meals built with the staples of American cuisine – potatoes, meat and a side of veggies. She’s a great cook and I always look forward to her food.
    My family, on the other hand, thrives on trying new ingredients and flavors. I grew up eating Thai, Indian and Serbian and following my father as we went from restaurant to restaurant in search of “real” Chinese food. But, that being said, my mom could throw together Pad Thai one night and follow it up with creamy Mac and Cheese the next. You never knew what you were going to get in our house and my cooking style reflects that upbringing. This blog will document my journey as I try every recipe under the sun and my own cooking experiments. Maybe I’ll even find a dish to make more than once!

Almost Delicious Peach Cobbler

2007-12-12T18:54:44Z

Today I attempted a Peach Cobbler that I found at this food blog. The blog said it was the best peach cobbler ever and the photo of it looks amazing. So, I gave it a try and…it tastes like Peach Bread. But, I think I know why and it’s my fault, not the recipes.

The recipe called for 1 cup of flour. I was using my 1/2 cup measuring tool because my 1 cup measuring tool was dirty. I was interrupted in the middle of mixing together all the dry ingredients (I won’t name names, but it was the man I share a house with). I returned to my measuring, mixed all the dry ingredients up, added the milk, gave it a stir and dumped it into the pan just like the recipe said to. It looked very liquidy. I panicked and thought maybe I only added 1/2 cup of flour instead of the entire cup. Trying to save the dish, I combined a bit more flour with some milk and added it to the pan. In just one bite of this cobbler I knew I ended up with too much flour–I had it right the first time! It’s still descent, but lacks a real “yum” factor.

I thought the recipe used an interesting method. I had to melt and then brown an entire stick of butter, then pour the browned butter into a baking dish. Then you mix the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cornstarch and cinnamon) with milk and pour that on top of the browned butter. Without any stirring, you drop the peach slices in and then bake it.

I’ll have to give this one anther try when peaches are in season again, which is about 8 months away, so I have lots of time to think about the recipe. Here’s a link to it: http://www.pickyourown.org/peachcobbler.htm. If you try it, let me know how it works for you.

Almost normal

2007-12-12T18:53:35Z

My mom just gave me one of the last zucchinis from her garden to make with dinner tonight. I sliced it up and sautéed it in a pan with some olive oil and added pepper and seasoning salt, trying to keep it as “normal” as possible for Joey. He always claims that I under season things, so I added the pepper and seasoning salt liberally. Half way through cooking the zucchini I realized a had one lonely carrot left in the crisper, so I shredded it into the pan with the zucchini. At that point, my spice rack caught my eye and I couldn’t help but notice that I had only a tiny bit of Berbere spice left from an Ethiopian chicken stew I had made (Berbere is a blend of ground red pepper, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon and cloves). Although I was planning on keeping this dish as mainstream as possible, that Berbere spice kept calling to me. I knew its cinnamon-spice flavor would compliment the carrot's sweetness and add just enough of a kick to keep the dish interesting. So, in it went – sorry Joey!

The berbere spice was a great addition. This side-dish would've been fantastic, except, believe it or not, I added too much seasoning salt. Joey was shocked that I had actually over seasoned something. We ate it all anyways. With big glasses of water.

Waiting for the Weekend

2007-12-12T18:52:19Z

Saturday morning is just 24 hours away. I adore Saturday morning. Sleeping-in feels indulgent and getting a slow start to the day is such a treat. We’re remodeling our house right now (learn more at my blog www.aconstructedlife.blogspot.com), so our Saturday usually starts with a bit of HGTV, which we call “The Educational Hour” in our house.

Sometimes Joey makes us a nice big breakfast on the weekends, which I’m already craving. We have leftover potatoes from dinner the other night. I can just taste the yumminess of a fried egg, sausage, a side of crispy potatoes and a nice big cup of coffee. Mmmmm. Not the healthiest start to the day, but so delicious! I really, really hope he decides to make breakfast because I cannot fry an egg to save my life, so I am completely dependent on him to get my egg fix. But I can make the coffee. I am REALLY good at turning on the coffee machine.

A Football Fiesta

2007-12-12T18:49:53Z

It’s football season, which means Sundays are now devoted to three things: beer, food and watching the game.

We recently had a few people over for the game and Joey wanted to have a fiesta filled with homemade Mexican foods. He spent 2 hours carefully selecting the recipes and then we headed for the grocery store. When we returned home from the store, we spent the rest of our Saturday night prepping two salsas, jalapeño poppers, carne asada, regular tacos and Spanish rice. After several hours of cooking, I went to bed anticipating the wonderful flavors that awaited us on Sunday. Joey anticipated hours of sitting and watching football while yelling at the TV.

Sunday morning rolled around we got back to cooking. Everything was delicious, especially the jalapeño poppers, which were filled with cream cheese, cheese, bacon and scallions and then deep-fried in our fryer. When you combine two types of cheese with bacon and frying, you’re bound to have good results! I also loved the salsas, which called for lime juice, red onion, jalapeños, fresh tomatoes and juicy sweet corn. The flavors were a fantastic blend of sweet, spicy and tangy. I was ready to ditch the chips and just use a spoon.

The carne asada was a different story. Even after marinating it for 6 hours in a blend of citrus, olive oil, onion and jalapeño, it was flavorless (the marinade called for white vinegar. I used distilled white vinegar. Is that the same thing?). Joey carefully grilled the steak for just a few minutes and although it was still pink in the middle, the meat was tough. After factoring in the money it cost to buy and the time it took to prepare, it was pretty disappointing.

Now I have TONS of leftovers. We used up the steak in a yummy steak salad last night with a side of jalapeño poppers. I’m thinking about using up the rest of the leftovers, like the salsa, taco meat and Spanish rice, in a taco casserole.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

2007-12-12T18:45:06Z

Just like many of you, my refrigerator is overflowing with leftovers from Thanksgiving. I have just the right amount of my mother-in-law's delicious sweet potatoes, my brother-in law's garlicky feta mashed potatoes, a hearty portion of the turkey we enjoyed and a perfect-sized scoop of stuffing. However, I am drowning in the butternut squash dip I made as an appetizer. By the time I arrived at my parent's house with the dip, the gang had already stuffed themselves with my sister's fantastic combo of goat cheese and fig and ginger jam. I added my squash dip to the spread, only to see a handful of people sample it.

At first, I worried it didn't taste good. Although his sense of duty might have been greater than his sincerity, my father assured me it was very good. Anywho, I went home with a casserole dish brimming with the dip and no idea what to do with it-until the "leftovers" light bulb snapped on last night. I realized I had a pie crust, Parmesan cheese, and enough green beans to match the squash dip bite for bite. I took a chance and did the following with this bevy of remains from the Thanksgiving feast:

Blind baked the crust for about 10 minutes. Then dumped all of the butternut squash dip into the crust. I steamed the green beans and then sautéed them briefly in a bit of butter. This is where it gets weird(er). I topped the squash dip pie with the green beans, attempting to do so in a way that was eye appealing. Then I sprinkled the pie with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and popped it in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. The verdict...

I really liked it! The squash dip was made with roasted squash, garlic and onion and then seasoned with nutmeg, ground red pepper, brown sugar, and salt and pepper. Its savory flavor worked well with the pie crust and the green beans...well, the beans were a tad odd but they added a slight crunch and a fresh flavor that I enjoyed. Needless to say, Joey took one look at it and thought it was going to be awful. After convincing him he'd like it, he hesitantly tried a small bite. By the fourth bite, he agreed that it was a successful, yet strange, concoction.

One a different, but leftovers-related note, I ate turkey and stuffing for breakfast today. Bad choice, as I am now ready for a nap.

Don't Judge a Caper by its Cover

2007-12-12T18:40:23Z

Coming from a family that thrives on discovering delicious and unique foods, I like to think that I’ve sampled a wider variety of ingredients than the average Joe. But, there is one relatively common ingredient that has eluded me in my 28 years of life - the caper. I’ve seen these green pea look alikes in the grocery store, on menus and in countless recipes, but for some reason never chose to try them. Not out of fear, but because I didn’t trust them. How could something so little and green, that’s been brined, taste good? I ignored the popular conception that capers are tasty and chose to ostracize them. That is, until, I was served Chicken Piccata made with a lemon-caper butter sauce. The dish arrived and was covered with small, army-green orbs and I instantly knew that I was face to face with THEM. Our paths had finally crossed and there was nowhere for me to run. It was finally time for me to give the caper a chance. With anticipation, I took one small bite. And then devoured every morsel on my plate, including every single caper in sight. How wrong I had been about the delightful flavor-packed caper! They added a subtle tang to the meal that I adored. Never again will I pre-judge and overlook an ingredient, which, just like the rest of us, only wants to be loved and included. From now on, the caper will always be welcomed at my table.

Fact: Recipes are Useful

2007-11-27T14:59:00Z

I’ve been making an effort lately to prepare meals without using a recipe. Cooking feels easier if I’m not following a recipe and dirtying-up all my measuring spoons. Besides, I feel like I come up with great flavor combinations (at least in my head they’re great), and creating something on my own helps me learn more about the ingredients I’m working with.
    So for dinner tonight I made salmon (I did use a recipe from Light & Tasty for this – Sensational Spiced Salmon. It’s reliably great!), used up some leftover corn in corn cakes and fried up some potatoes. Sounds like a nice meal, right? Wrong! It was a borderline disaster.
    I thought I was whipping up a stellar creation as I combined fresh sweet corn, a banana pepper (it’s all I had), some green chili salsa, salt and pepper, cumin, sugar, flour and 2 eggs. My goal was to end up with delicious corn cakes. I couldn’t wait to try it. Joey cooked them up because he’s much better at flipping things than I am. I dove in before it was even on my plate, excitedly anticipating the delicious bite filled with sweetness and a hint of savory. Bland! Bland! Bland! My typical problem of underseasoning thwarted my efforts again! Dipping them in maple syrup helped a bit, but I was so disappointed.
    On to the potatoes…they were red potatoes. I rinsed them, chopped them up and threw them in to a pan with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, lemon pepper seasoning and some salt. I thought it was going to have a lovely fresh flavor. Well, maybe you already see where my first mistake was. Joey came into the kitchen just as I was mixing the potatoes in the pan with the seasoning and said, “Did you boil those at all before frying them?” I paused, quietly absorbing the fact that I might have made a small, yet distinguishable, mistake. I hate it when he seems to know more about cooking than I do. “No,” I answered him. “But I suppose that would’ve been a good idea,” I reluctantly said. “Besides, this worked fine the last time I did it this way,” I said matter-of-factly and then remembered that those potatoes had turned out incredibly dry. “I’ll put the cover on them and they’ll be fine.” Dry! Dry! Dry! And underseasoned.
    Don’t you hate it when you think you’re going to create a wonderful meal on your own, no recipe needed because you have learned so much about food that you no longer require a step-by-step guide to cooking, just to have the entire meal fail miserably and highlight the fact that you do, indeed, require a step-by-step guide to cooking? What a waste of effort and ingredients. But, I will not give up! I am determined to become a cook who can whip up a great meal in a moments notice, with or without a recipe. But probably with a recipe for the time being...

A Surprising Success

2007-11-27T14:45:47Z

Just like many of you, my refrigerator is overflowing with leftovers from Thanksgiving. I have just the right amount of my mother-in-law's delicious sweet potatoes, my brother-in law's garlicky feta mashed potatoes, a hearty portion of the 33 lb turkey we enjoyed (yes, you read that correctly-our turkey was a whopping 33 lbs!) and a perfect-sized scoop of stuffing. However, I am drowning in the butternut squash dip I made as an appetizer. By the time I arrived at my parent's house with the dip, the gang had already stuffed themselves with my sister's fantastic combo of goat cheese and fig and ginger jam. I added my squash dip to the spread, only to see a handful of people sample it.

At first, I worried it didn't taste good. Although his sense of duty might have been greater than his sincerity, my father assured me it was very good. Anywho, I went home with a casserole dish brimming with the dip and no idea what to do with it-until the "leftovers" light bulb snapped on last night. I realized I had a piecrust, Parmesan cheese, and enough green beans to match the squash dip bite for bite. I took a chance and did the following with this bevy of remains from the Thanksgiving feast:

Blind baked the crust for about 10 minutes. Then dumped all of the butternut squash dip into the crust. I steamed the green beans and then sauteed them briefly in a bit of butter. This is where it gets weird(er). I topped the squash dip pie with the green beans, attempting to do so in a way that was eye appealing. Then I sprinkled the pie with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and popped it in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. The verdict...

I really liked it! The squash dip was made with roasted squash, garlic and onion and then seasoned with nutmeg, ground red pepper, brown sugar, and salt and pepper. Its savory flavor worked well with the piecrust and the green beans...well, the beans were a tad odd but they added a slight crunch and a fresh flavor that I enjoyed. Needless to say, Joey took one look at it and thought it was going to be awful. After convincing him he'd like it, he hesitantly tried a small bite. By the fourth bite, he agreed that it was a successful, yet strange, concoction.

One a different, but leftovers-related note, I ate turkey and stuffing for breakfast today. Bad choice, as I am now ready for a nap.

Taco Magic

2007-11-05T16:00:34Z

What do you do with tons of leftover taco ingredients? Dump them all in a pan and bake it! After our big football fiesta last weekend, my refrigerator was bursting with taco meat, salsa, tortillas and Spanish rice. I decided to make pseudo-taco lasagna that was really more like a taco casserole. My favorite part was that I made a meal without a recipe and it actually tasted good. For a few days, taco casserole was our lunch and dinner. When we couldn’t stand another taco-flavored bite, I shared the rest of it with the garbage can.

Here’s how it came together:

Spray an 8X10 glass baking dish with cooking spray
Add the following in this order:
A layer of tortillas
A dribbling of salsa
A layer of Spanish rice
A thin layer of salsa
A layer of leftover taco meat
Another layer of Spanish rice
Another layer of salsa
Another layer of leftover taco meat
Another layer of tortillas to cover the top
Sprinkle with grated cheese
Pop it into the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, until warmed through and cheese is melty. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

This didn’t use up all the salsa, so I froze it. Is that bad? I’m not quite sure how tomatoes, corn, onion, etc… do when frozen.