January 2006 Archives

So let's see if I can remember how I made this; I think it was more than a week ago. I chopped up onions, cubanelle peppers and tomatillos and cooked them in olive oil until they were starting to get soft. I had never made a chili with tomatillos before, so I just treated them like regular tomatoes. Then I mixed in a lot of cumin, a little bit of ancho chile powder (I wanted August to eat some so I didn't want it too hot; ancho's pretty mild), salt, pepper and oregano. Cooked that a little, then added the shredded dark meat from the rotisserie chicken, some white beans and some chicken stock that I made from the chicken carcass (I was always really skeptical about making stock but it really is as easy as you always hear; I just covered the carcass with water and added a bay leaf and chunks of carrot and onion, which was what I had, then seasoned it at the end).

It was a big hit with Todd and August. I don't know if it was the peppers or the tomatillos that gave the chili a fresher taste than my usual chili.

So let's see if I can remember how I made this; I think it was more than a week ago. I chopped up onions, cubanelle peppers and tomatillos and cooked them in olive oil until they were starting to get soft. I had never made a chili with tomatillos before, so I just treated them like regular tomatoes. Then I mixed in a lot of cumin, a little bit of ancho chile powder (I wanted August to eat some so I didn't want it too hot; ancho's pretty mild), salt, pepper and oregano. Cooked that a little, then added the shredded dark meat from the rotisserie chicken, some white beans and some chicken stock that I made from the chicken carcass (I was always really skeptical about making stock but it really is as easy as you always hear; I just covered the carcass with water and added a bay leaf and chunks of carrot and onion, which was what I had, then seasoned it at the end).

It was a big hit with Todd and August. I don't know if it was the peppers or the tomatillos that gave the chili a fresher taste than my usual chili.

Condemn me if you must, but Fresh Direct's rotisserie chicken is better than any roasted chicken I can make myself; mine always comes out kind of flabby with bits that never look like they're done. At $10 it's not really an economical option, but it's worth it to me to not have to deal with a raw chicken (Todd always tells me it's not radioactive, so that gives you a picture of how I act when there's raw chicken in the kitchen). It's their raised right chickens, which don't have antibiotics (so they say; I can't say I've done a lot of research). But it's tasty, with crispy skin, lots of slightly bland but not off-putting white meat, and a little, tiny bit of dark meat (so they can't be too free-rangey, can they?). Anyway, enough apologia. It lasts us, a family of 2 1/2, three meals, so it's not that extravagant. And it was terrific in these Greek-inspired sandwiches.

I didn't give August any of the tzatziki but think he would've liked it if I had: plain yogurt with about a teaspoon of dried mint (I bought this from Penzey's and never could find a use for it), a crushed garlic clove (so I could take it out later), salt and a couple inches of cucumber, diced. I made it the day ahead then drained off the excess liquid and took out the garlic clove before assembling the sandwiches: warm whole-wheat pita with slices of the rotisserie chicken breast, tzatziki and halved grape tomatoes. We had some lemon-rosemary roasted potatoes and orange slices on the side.

I made a green chili with the dark meat, which August did eat, but that's another entry.

We went to MOMA one Saturday morning, right when they opened, thinking we'd miss the crowds. We didn't. We found ourselves at the end of a very long line that wasn't even going to start moving for another half an hour. So Todd proposed a membership; at $75 it would pay for itself after just two visits. He went off to investigate while I got all excited about being able to spend cold winter afternoons at the museum instead of in my tiny apartment, so when he came back with a higher figure we decided to go for it anyway. So we basically paid $120 so we wouldn't have to stand in line one Saturday morning (which makes us sound extravagant, but when you consider what we pay for Gymboree classes . . .). I've already been once more so I don't think it was a bad move. And the cafe turns out to be very baby-friendly, especially during off times.

The menu, as far as I remember, is mainly panini and soups, and all we've had so far are the sandwiches (and a really yummy, puffy pear tart). It's not too difficult to maneuver with a baby and they have those fancy high chairs that pull right up to the communal tables. They only let in people if there's seating available, then you go to the cashier and place your order. They give you a card with a number that you put up wherever you end up sitting. Then they bring you cutlery, napkins, drinks (except water, which is self-serve) and your food. If you decide you want dessert or more food, there's another cashier. When I went there alone during off-hours the hostess and some of the waitstaff got the chair for me and played with August while I finished his mozzarella panini and apple slices (which he did eat a bit of, but melted fresh mozzarella has kind of a weird, rubbery texture so he wasn't sure it was really food).

The first time we went I had the bruscetta trio: a white bean and fennel topping; fresh ricotta and roasted bell pepper; and proscuitto (if I remember right) with an apple mostarda (kind of an applesauce with spicy mustard seeds), which I really liked, although I thought it had a little too much of the mostarda (I just scraped some off). The also have some pastas, but next time I think I'll try the soup; I've seen other people enjoying it.

A few days ago, as I dished up Annie's shells and cheese (from a box) with added broccoli tops (from a frozen box), I thought, "I can do better, and in the same amount of time, too." I could cook dried pasta shells, or any easy-to-pick-up shape, then toss it with either cubed cheese or some ricotta, parmesan and pasta water and diced tomatoes, cooked veggies or cooked meat.

The New York Times magazine's food column addresses the issue this week, kind of. Why do parents who like good food give their kids prepackaged foods? I simply don't want to make two meals every night for dinner, so I want August to eat what we eat. Or rather, it seems like I want to be able to eat what I make for him. Without sacrificing my eating habits in the process. He's doing a pretty good job with adult food so far, but I've been steering clear of any kind of spice and any kind of nut.

One of my friends trekked to Flushing last weekend to buy some very fresh tofu, and she brought some home for me, too. I'm a bit of a tofu virgin, but I made this simple soup that August really loved. It has lots of vegetables diced up just the right size for him to pick up (so he had a bowl of the soup, and used his spoon to pick up a couple of pieces, but then he just mashed his hands right in).

I started with a small carton of vegetable broth (about 2 cups) then added a diced carrot and a couple of slices of fresh ginger. Boiled that for 5 minutes, then added a diced small zucchini. After 5 more minutes I added about 3/4 cup diced tofu (regular) and a couple handfuls of frozen peas (which August has an amazing ability of leaving uneaten). Heated that through and ate. I liked it, too.

Now what do I do with the rest of the tofu?

One of my friends trekked to Flushing last weekend to buy some very fresh tofu, and she brought some home for me, too. I'm a bit of a tofu virgin, but I made this simple soup that August really loved. It has lots of vegetables diced up just the right size for him to pick up (so he had a bowl of the soup, and used his spoon to pick up a couple of pieces, but then he just mashed his hands right in).

I started with a small carton of vegetable broth (about 2 cups) then added a diced carrot and a couple of slices of fresh ginger. Boiled that for 5 minutes, then added a diced small zucchini. After 5 more minutes I added about 3/4 cup diced tofu (regular) and a couple handfuls of frozen peas (which August has an amazing ability of leaving uneaten). Heated that through and ate. I liked it, too.

Now what do I do with the rest of the tofu?

Should he eat sausage? This was chicken-apple sausage without all those preservatives, so I don't think there's anything wrong with it. We gave him ham yesterday, too, which probably wasn't the greatest idea, with all that sodium. But man, do I have to eat only whole foods when I'm cooking for him? Maybe so.

I made it with pasta, one of his favorite things in the whole world. I actually used a whole-wheat penne because I've grown to want that texture, sometimes. It's just a completely different animal from regular pasta, the same way fresh pasta is just different from dried, a different beast. So while the pasta water was coming to a boil I diced and sauteed two sausages, then I added a sliced onion to that and sauteed it until all the slices were soft and brown. By then the pasta was in the water and I scooped a bit of the pasta cooking water into the pan with the sausage and onion, then put the lid on it to try to get the onions cooked even further. When the pasta was done I fished it out of the water with my slotted spoon and added it (and any water clinging to it) to the sausage and onions. Cooked a bit to meld the flavors. Todd and I ate ours with grated cheese on top. August had a hard time chewing the sausage, but part of the reason for that was he liked it so much he was getting his mouth too full of the sausage to actually chew - so out it comes. It's amazing what doesn't gross you out once you're a parent.

I made chocolate pudding for dessert. August would have a bite, scrunch up his face and kind of smack his tongue against the roof of his mouth, like he was mulling it over, then open his mouth for more.

I'm a terrible googler. I've just spent an hour looking for a good food blog by a parent of a toddler; I want some recipe ideas. Right now my main challenge with August is to keep him from choking even though he only has four teeth (so chewing's not entirely natural for him). I'm also suddenly obsessed with things I've never thought much about before: pesticides on produce, hormones and antibiotics in meat, poultry, milk. Strong flavors are not necessarily out, but I'm pretty sure spicy foods are. If I spend more than 6 minutes at a time on something in the kitchen August starts to grab onto my knees.

I love to find things he loves, though. I get this canned low-mercury tuna from FD, and he devours it (even though tuna's kind of a strong flavor). He likes medium-flavored cheese (I haven't tried stinky cheese, but the mild stuff isn't so interesting to him). He loved the pumpkin spice cookies I made and the marbled butter cookie from the local bakery, hated packaged zweiback. Doesn't like mashed potatoes, but likes sweet potatoes and the potato croquettes friends brought for Thanksgiving dinner. Full-fat yogurt.

I've had success with frittatas, finger-friendly pastas (the one with tuna, peas and a little grated hard cheese was popular), meatballs. Simple baked white fish. Faux pho from The New American Cooking.

I'm a terrible googler. I've just spent an hour looking for a good food blog by a parent of a toddler; I want some recipe ideas. Right now my main challenge with August is to keep him from choking even though he only has four teeth (so chewing's not entirely natural for him). I'm also suddenly obsessed with things I've never thought much about before: pesticides on produce, hormones and antibiotics in meat, poultry, milk. Strong flavors are not necessarily out, but I'm pretty sure spicy foods are. If I spend more than 6 minutes at a time on something in the kitchen August starts to grab onto my knees.

I love to find things he loves, though. I get this canned low-mercury tuna from FD, and he devours it (even though tuna's kind of a strong flavor). He likes medium-flavored cheese (I haven't tried stinky cheese, but the mild stuff isn't so interesting to him). He loved the pumpkin spice cookies I made and the marbled butter cookie from the local bakery, hated packaged zweiback. Doesn't like mashed potatoes, but likes sweet potatoes and the potato croquettes friends brought for Thanksgiving dinner. Full-fat yogurt.

I've had success with frittatas, finger-friendly pastas (the one with tuna, peas and a little grated hard cheese was popular), meatballs. Simple baked white fish. Faux pho from The New American Cooking.

I have Windsor-specific food memories from growing up there: krautburgers (baked dough pockets filled with cabbage and ground beef) during the harvest festival parade, the sharp vinegar soaking into the mild, sweet white buns of the Italian subs we always got from the local pizza place, the green chile from The Border. But it was a tiny town; there wasn't anyplace to go in Windsor on date night. We'd go over to Fort Collins for that. But now Windsor has at least two places to go for a date meal.

One's a Hawaiian restaurant, if you can imagine: Okole Maluna Hawaiian Grill. When I heard that I imagined Spam and pineapple. But this was almost like a Japanese restaurant, with spare, elegant dishes. Todd started with the black bean soup, which was actually a broth-based soup with a couple of red beans and small disks of a Portugese sausage that gave the whole bowl with a sweet, meaty flavor. I had a soba salad with shredded romaine, and Todd went for the barbecued pork. Believe it or not, this was elegant, too. Two domes of sticky rice and a pile of smokey, shredded meat. He was disappointed because he was hoping for something from his childhood, a barbecued pork he got from a Hawaiian that came in chunks in a "dry-ish sauce" (I don't know). But he loved the soup and the Haupia, a coconut cream dessert that was like a flan or panna cotta with pulverized coconut.

At the other place, Chimney Park Bistro, they go so far to serve local, seasonal ingredients that they actually had a couple of Colorado wines on the menu. I tried a Reisling from the Delta area, and it was citrusy and sweet, good for one glass but maybe a bit too sweet for more. Local also meant smoked trout on a deconstructed Waldorf with endive and buffalo instead of beef in the hamburger. The other highlight was the trio of creme brulees. The flavors change every few days and if you can guess all three, the dessert's on them. We didn't even come close: the first one tasted like eggnog, so we guessed nutmeg (the server said it was cinnamon, but I still don't believe it); the second one was chai. The third one was ethereal and familiar, kind of tart but with these crazy nuances I couldn't pin down. Lots of people had been guessing lemon, which was Todd's guess, but it was pink peppercorn. Had I ever had pink peppercorn? It was so familiar.

I first saw these on Chocolate and Zucchini; someone had bought her some in a store. Then I saw that Harry and David was selling them for the holidays, as I think a Scottish treat. So when the recipe popped up as one of Allrecipe's top Chirstmas cookies and they looked really easy to do, I tried them. And my family hoarded them.

You make the shortbread layer first: Cut 2/3 cup butter up into small cubes, then put it in a bowl and let it come to room temperature. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 1 1/4 cup flour and mix, then press into the bottom of a 9-inch-square pan (I coated mine with cooking spray) and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

While that bakes, make the caramel layer: Combine 1/2 cup each brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk and butter with 2 tablespoons light corn syrup. Bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes (I was nervous at this point and kept stirring it, and would stir up really brown parts, but that didn't hurt anything - I think the stirring off the heat gets everything even and fully incorporated), then remove from heat and stir vigorously for 3 minutes. Pour over baked shortbread and let it get firm.

The last layer is just chocolate chips: melt 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used bittersweet) and spread over the caramel. Refrigerate to set then cut into teeny-tiny squares.

So here I am again. I'm back from a 2-week-plus visit with my parents, when I clearly neglected my blog (even though I had plenty to write about, holidays and all). Now I'm home and feeling kind of lonely and that draws me back to the computer. It makes me wonder if this whole blogging thing is some sort of substitute for having family nearby. Could be. I know one of the reasons I started writing was to give faraway family and friends a little glimpse into my life, at least one part of it. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Part of the reason I'm sad, though, is that August is such a social little guy and seems to love having lots of people around. I don't think I'm imagining that he's a little bit grumpy now that we're back. It's good that he loves visiting his grandparents, though, and it's good that it's special when it happens. I can't wait until he's old enough to enjoy anticipating the next visit.

I am going to write about food coming up, particularly some caramel shortbread cookies I made for Christmas, a couple of great restaurants in the small town where my parents live, and a hoarde of new cookbooks I got for Christmas. Plus we've got to get rid of this design, right? Bear with me. I'm kind of slow about getting back to it.