Cooking Misc.: April 2003 Archives
I made Italian dressing last night with the Penzey's spice mix I had purchased quite a while back and Todd and I were both pleasantly surprised. We usually like to make our own vinaigrette with mustard, salt, pepper, whatever vinegar sounds good at the moment and olive oil (I have some lemon olive oil and some basil olive oil that are so fresh tasting and nice to use).
I made Italian dressing last night with the Penzey's spice mix I had purchased quite a while back and Todd and I were both pleasantly surprised. We usually like to make our own vinaigrette with mustard, salt, pepper, whatever vinegar sounds good at the moment and olive oil (I have some lemon olive oil and some basil olive oil that are so fresh tasting and nice to use).
Last night I was all alone again, so I made spoonbread, something I always wanted to try but that Todd would say was not "real food." I've never had it so I don't know if I got the right texture, but I can't imagine what texture would be better than the creamy, fluffy softness I ate for dinner. Every bite I changed my mind: egg dish? cornbread? The diced ham had infused it all with a faint salty smokiness and the scallions added a bite that kept the whole dish balanced. And it was easy to make a large serving for one:
Soak 1/4 cup cornmeal in 1/3 cup water in a saucepan for 5 minutes, then add another 1/3 cup water and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, until it starts to thicken, stirring frequently. In a separate bowl, mix together 1 egg, 1/3 cup buttermilk (my usual substitute is a mixture of nonfat plain yogurt and milk), salt, pepper, a heaping tablespoon freshly shredded Parmesan, and diced scallion and cooked ham. Add that to the cornmeal mixture. I baked it in a deep oven-safe bowl at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes (the recipe said 30, but I kept going until the center was set; when I took it out mine was still slightly jiggly but firm when I touched it). This would be a fun brunch dish, with smaller individual servings made in oven-safe mugs (as the recipe, which I took copious liberties with, suggested). The cookbook, Little Meals, recommended sauteed apple slices as a side, but I ate my apple fresh.
I subscribed to Gourmet about 6 months ago and have become a bit disillusioned with it after trying a few recipes that have come out pretty bland. I made fresh cod cakes from the Gourmet Everyday column last night and was disappointed. I think it may be my fault, though. My parents followed the Pritikin diet when I was a child, which was low-sodium among other things, so I'm very stingy with the salt (out of habit, not some attempt to be healthy). I also tend to cook things from the Everyday column since the recipes are less ambitious; I wonder if that has influenced my experience for ill.
Some of my favorite recipes from Epicurious, I just realized, are from Gourmet (Bulgur "Risotto" with Spinach and Bacon, Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons), and I do have one keeper from my subscription (Cincinnati-Style Chili), so maybe I'm writing it off too soon. Perhaps I've just made some bad recipe choices. I'm going to eat the leftover cod cakes on a roll with some lettuce and mango chutney, which I bet will salvage them.
I subscribed to Gourmet about 6 months ago and have become a bit disillusioned with it after trying a few recipes that have come out pretty bland. I made fresh cod cakes from the Gourmet Everyday column last night and was disappointed. I think it may be my fault, though. My parents followed the Pritikin diet when I was a child, which was low-sodium among other things, so I'm very stingy with the salt (out of habit, not some attempt to be healthy). I also tend to cook things from the Everyday column since the recipes are less ambitious; I wonder if that has influenced my experience for ill.
Some of my favorite recipes from Epicurious, I just realized, are from Gourmet (Bulgur "Risotto" with Spinach and Bacon, Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons), and I do have one keeper from my subscription (Cincinnati-Style Chili), so maybe I'm writing it off too soon. Perhaps I've just made some bad recipe choices. I'm going to eat the leftover cod cakes on a roll with some lettuce and mango chutney, which I bet will salvage them.
I went shopping this weekend and bought a couple of books that are relevant to these pages: Salt, a World History and What Einstein Told His Cook. (I also bought a belted knit top, a pair of pants and a light dress to celebrate the advent of spring--I should have bought earmuffs instead.)
I've started reading the Einstein book, which was written by Washington Post columnist Robert Wolke. The book follows a basic formula: A reader poses a question, and Wolke answers it by simplifying the science so it's understandable to a layperson. He's already answered two things I've wondered about in the last week: Is hominy really soaked in lye, and why are the fleshes of different animals different textures and colors? Alton Brown-type stuff, with recipes. It's an interesting book, and one I'm planning to keep as a reference at work.
So ask me a sciency-type food-related question, and I'll see if the answer is in the book.
I went shopping this weekend and bought a couple of books that are relevant to these pages: Salt, a World History and What Einstein Told His Cook. (I also bought a belted knit top, a pair of pants and a light dress to celebrate the advent of spring--I should have bought earmuffs instead.)
I've started reading the Einstein book, which was written by Washington Post columnist Robert Wolke. The book follows a basic formula: A reader poses a question, and Wolke answers it by simplifying the science so it's understandable to a layperson. He's already answered two things I've wondered about in the last week: Is hominy really soaked in lye, and why are the fleshes of different animals different textures and colors? Alton Brown-type stuff, with recipes. It's an interesting book, and one I'm planning to keep as a reference at work.
So ask me a sciency-type food-related question, and I'll see if the answer is in the book.
OK, I am inspired by all of you bloggers. Inspired and determined to record
my own culinary adventures. I am of a peculiar brand of food enthusiast,
though. Not the kind who tries the same recipe over and over again, honing
it to perfection. Rather, I never make the same thing twice. I have a huge
binder full of recipes that I have cut out or printed out and have never
tried. Planning a meal sends me into a state of anxiety not because I have
no options, but because I have too many options, every one of them new to
me.
Frankly, I think it drives my husband crazy. He's the kind of guy who orders
the same thing at his favorite restaurants every time we go there. Steak and
fries at Steak Frites. A fried chicken sandwich at U.J.'s Diner. Ham steak
and eggs at Austin Street. Whenever I ask him what we should make for
dinner, he answers "taco salad" (Fritos covered in beans, ground meat,
lettuce, cheese, etc). After 7 years of marriage, it's kind of a joke (the
kind of joke that can send me into a screaming fit; see above anxiety). I
think it's because I view every mealtime as an opportunity to eat something
great and can be depressed for hours when a meal is mediocre. But I'm not a
food snob. A cheesesteak from B.B.'s or a slice of greasy pizzeria
pizza can leave me quite content. Last night's pleasant repast was toasted
rosemary bread with fig-and-olive tapenade and an orange.
I can't do meals like that often, though, since my husband, Todd, is a big
guy (tea- or tapas-type meals are not real meals). He's picky, too: no
squash of any kind, mushrooms, corn off the cob, tofu, eggplant, kumquats,
fruit with meat, things in his rice, casseroles. . . you get the idea. He's
in business school part time, though, so on Wednesday and Thursday nights,
when he has class, it's all about me (and only about me, which can be
challenging, too, cooking for one).
Tonight I'll make somen noodles with snow peas and peanut sauce. I have yet
to find the perfect peanut sauce; tonight I'll try one I found in a book
called Little Meals. Haven't decided whether to add some shrimp. I know
chicken's the usual meat for that dish, but I'm kind of anti-chicken right
now. I just can't stand the sight of those bloated breasts in the
supermarket. Maybe there is something to be said for organic.
OK, I am inspired by all of you bloggers. Inspired and determined to record
my own culinary adventures. I am of a peculiar brand of food enthusiast,
though. Not the kind who tries the same recipe over and over again, honing
it to perfection. Rather, I never make the same thing twice. I have a huge
binder full of recipes that I have cut out or printed out and have never
tried. Planning a meal sends me into a state of anxiety not because I have
no options, but because I have too many options, every one of them new to
me.
Frankly, I think it drives my husband crazy. He's the kind of guy who orders
the same thing at his favorite restaurants every time we go there. Steak and
fries at Steak Frites. A fried chicken sandwich at U.J.'s Diner. Ham steak
and eggs at Austin Street. Whenever I ask him what we should make for
dinner, he answers "taco salad" (Fritos covered in beans, ground meat,
lettuce, cheese, etc). After 7 years of marriage, it's kind of a joke (the
kind of joke that can send me into a screaming fit; see above anxiety). I
think it's because I view every mealtime as an opportunity to eat something
great and can be depressed for hours when a meal is mediocre. But I'm not a
food snob. A cheesesteak from B.B.'s or a slice of greasy pizzeria
pizza can leave me quite content. Last night's pleasant repast was toasted
rosemary bread with fig-and-olive tapenade and an orange.
I can't do meals like that often, though, since my husband, Todd, is a big
guy (tea- or tapas-type meals are not real meals). He's picky, too: no
squash of any kind, mushrooms, corn off the cob, tofu, eggplant, kumquats,
fruit with meat, things in his rice, casseroles. . . you get the idea. He's
in business school part time, though, so on Wednesday and Thursday nights,
when he has class, it's all about me (and only about me, which can be
challenging, too, cooking for one).
Tonight I'll make somen noodles with snow peas and peanut sauce. I have yet
to find the perfect peanut sauce; tonight I'll try one I found in a book
called Little Meals. Haven't decided whether to add some shrimp. I know
chicken's the usual meat for that dish, but I'm kind of anti-chicken right
now. I just can't stand the sight of those bloated breasts in the
supermarket. Maybe there is something to be said for organic.
