I like to joke that I am homicidal pre-coffee in the morning. While I may not actually be homicidal, I do not think properly until I have had it. I should not check emails, talk to people, or perform any work related tasks until I have downed my first cup. (And not a sissy-sized cup, a real man-sized cup)
This morning, pre-coffee, I took a call from an incredibly irate customer. He was irate through no fault of my own, or fault of the company I work with. I took his tirade silently. My head was screaming "YOU IDIOT, let him have it!!!", but my mouth couldn't form the words. After listening to him rant for a while, I eventually told him to call someone else.
Had I had coffee at that point, I wouldn't have sat there silently.
I wish I could say that was the low point of my day. It went downhill from there. As my day increasingly got worse, my mood also declined. Eventually coworkers were warning other coworkers that I was on a rampage and that they should stay out of my path.
After this day was FINALLY over, I went to my sister's house. I am typing this as I am babysitting. Those of you about to chastise me for blogging whilst babysitting, my niece is sound asleep and I am sitting beside a baby monitor. (The boy child is out with his parents)
Speaking of the boy child, when I got to my sister's house he ran up to me, yelled my name, and gave me a big hug. As far as I know he had never said my actual whole name before, just variations of shortened versions of it. I would have to put that moment as the day's high.
(yeah yeah...I'm a sap)
My sister has been harassing me this week to blog about the dinner that she had made last Thursday for me. She made spaghetti squash with a red pasta sauce and chicken. I found it really tasty. I had never had spaghetti squash before, and it was a great healthy alternative to spaghetti noodles. I should have taken a picture, but I was too busy eating it to do so.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Cheeseburger
I got home from work yesterday and took off right away for the gym. I had a feeling if I waited until after supper, I would end up not going at all.
The gym can be good for my mood. Sometimes if I am in a bad mood, I go to the gym, I work out harder and I leave feeling good. Sometimes though people bother me enough that I end up leaving more angry then when I came in.
I have several gym pet peeves. Like people who don't wipe off the machines after they use them. While most people think that it's really gross, and maybe even think it's inconsiderate (which it is), I take it to a new level. I feel as though they think they are so much better than everyone. As if their sweat isn't as disgusting as the rest of us peons. Or they have time to work out for thirty or forty minutes, but taking fifteen seconds to wipe down the machine? They're too busy and important. There was a pregnant girl who I saw a few weeks in a row who never wiped down her machine. I nearly followed her once to remind her that just because she's pregnant doesn't exclude her from cleaning up after herself. (I'm a people person)
I also get bothered by people who don't dress gym appropriate. I have seen people workout in jeans. Last week I saw a guy in cargo shorts and a polo shirt. For heaven's sake, don't you own a pair of gym shorts? Or sweatpants?
The thing that bothers me the most though, is people who use the cardio machine right beside the one I'm using when the whole row is empty. I need space! (especially if it's some old creepy weirdo)
I got home from the gym and after I cleaned up, I started making cheeseburgers. To make the patties I mix an egg, package of ground beef (about a pound), and panko bread crumbs. If you have never used panko you should start. They are far superior to regular breadcrumbs, and can be found in the oriental section of the grocery store.
Divide the mix into 4. Shape into hamburger patties, and form a well in the middle. They should look similar to bird's nests, not donuts. Fill the well with grated cheddar cheese and chopped, cooked, bacon. Push the sides of the well in so you are left with what looks like hamburger patties.
Now people are expecting a boring tasting burger and when they bite into it SURPRISE! there's cheese and bacon.
Set a pan on the stove on med-high and pour in some oil. (Or use the bacon fat from when you made the bacon for the burgers). Brown one side of the burgers for a couple minutes, flip, and brown the other side. If the burgers start to burn before being cooked through, you can always put the pan into the oven at 350 F so they will finish by baking.
I topped mine with sauteed onions and my favorite mushrooms from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
I am a burger master!
The gym can be good for my mood. Sometimes if I am in a bad mood, I go to the gym, I work out harder and I leave feeling good. Sometimes though people bother me enough that I end up leaving more angry then when I came in.
I have several gym pet peeves. Like people who don't wipe off the machines after they use them. While most people think that it's really gross, and maybe even think it's inconsiderate (which it is), I take it to a new level. I feel as though they think they are so much better than everyone. As if their sweat isn't as disgusting as the rest of us peons. Or they have time to work out for thirty or forty minutes, but taking fifteen seconds to wipe down the machine? They're too busy and important. There was a pregnant girl who I saw a few weeks in a row who never wiped down her machine. I nearly followed her once to remind her that just because she's pregnant doesn't exclude her from cleaning up after herself. (I'm a people person)
I also get bothered by people who don't dress gym appropriate. I have seen people workout in jeans. Last week I saw a guy in cargo shorts and a polo shirt. For heaven's sake, don't you own a pair of gym shorts? Or sweatpants?
The thing that bothers me the most though, is people who use the cardio machine right beside the one I'm using when the whole row is empty. I need space! (especially if it's some old creepy weirdo)
I got home from the gym and after I cleaned up, I started making cheeseburgers. To make the patties I mix an egg, package of ground beef (about a pound), and panko bread crumbs. If you have never used panko you should start. They are far superior to regular breadcrumbs, and can be found in the oriental section of the grocery store.
Divide the mix into 4. Shape into hamburger patties, and form a well in the middle. They should look similar to bird's nests, not donuts. Fill the well with grated cheddar cheese and chopped, cooked, bacon. Push the sides of the well in so you are left with what looks like hamburger patties.
Now people are expecting a boring tasting burger and when they bite into it SURPRISE! there's cheese and bacon.
Set a pan on the stove on med-high and pour in some oil. (Or use the bacon fat from when you made the bacon for the burgers). Brown one side of the burgers for a couple minutes, flip, and brown the other side. If the burgers start to burn before being cooked through, you can always put the pan into the oven at 350 F so they will finish by baking.
I topped mine with sauteed onions and my favorite mushrooms from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
I am a burger master!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Happy Together
Welcome to Monday everyone. For some reason today I am actually in a good mood. This is very rare for a Monday. Usually I am still homicidal after my first coffee, and finally become half personable around 11 am or so.
Not today. I have too much to be happy about in my life. One of them being a friend of mine is coming from out-of-province to spend the weekend with me. I love having guests for the weekend, especially ones that I don't get to see for long periods of time.
I don't have a food post today, last night I had leftover carbonara for dinner. Also uncharacteristic of me, since I don't like to eat leftovers for dinner.
Which brings me to... what makes you happy? Bonus if it's food related but feel free to mention anything.
My list includes:
-Brooklyn, my dog. (The one pictured above)
-Grocery shopping
-A song that I love playing on the radio
-Red meat
-Getting my hair done
-Seeing my niece and nephew
-Making a recipe that came from my mom
Saturday, October 24, 2009
SexyBack
I honestly truly believe Nigella Lawson is the sexiest woman on the planet. Listen to her talk about food. Watch her show and see her unabashedly sneak into her fridge in the middle of the night to have a snack.
In a day and age where everyone is concerned about what they eat, and the rules of staying skinny.. here is someone who still enjoys eating. How many of us enjoy what we eat completely? I know I feel guilty about some of my meals sometimes. Can we truly enjoy our meal if every bite causes us to count our calorie intake?
Nigella is on the cover of the current Chatelaine. In an interview they ask her "Did you read about the recent study that showed most women in the U.K. would prefer to have your hourglass figure?" she answers with "Yes, and I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I don't believe it. All women want to be thin, and I think they have such unrealistic views about how thin they want to be. I'm prepared to believe men like my figure, because I don't believe straight men like thin women."
First of all, I agree with her. I think that women who look at her find her sexy and think they wish they had her curves. Deep down though, those same women are swearing off red meat and putting hours in at the gym to look the exact opposite of Nigella.
I don't believe that straight men like thin women, but I will say that a real man likes a real woman. Whether that woman is naturally curvy or naturally thin. A woman who is obsessed with changing herself... not so attractive.
However I do love that she said straight men don't like thin women.
And since we're on the subject of sexy...
In a day and age where everyone is concerned about what they eat, and the rules of staying skinny.. here is someone who still enjoys eating. How many of us enjoy what we eat completely? I know I feel guilty about some of my meals sometimes. Can we truly enjoy our meal if every bite causes us to count our calorie intake?
Nigella is on the cover of the current Chatelaine. In an interview they ask her "Did you read about the recent study that showed most women in the U.K. would prefer to have your hourglass figure?" she answers with "Yes, and I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I don't believe it. All women want to be thin, and I think they have such unrealistic views about how thin they want to be. I'm prepared to believe men like my figure, because I don't believe straight men like thin women."
First of all, I agree with her. I think that women who look at her find her sexy and think they wish they had her curves. Deep down though, those same women are swearing off red meat and putting hours in at the gym to look the exact opposite of Nigella.
I don't believe that straight men like thin women, but I will say that a real man likes a real woman. Whether that woman is naturally curvy or naturally thin. A woman who is obsessed with changing herself... not so attractive.
However I do love that she said straight men don't like thin women.
In Nigella's Feast book, she has a recipe for spaghetti carbonara. http://www.nigella.com/recipe/recipe_detail.aspx?rid=201
You can view the recipe there, but if you have a chance to read what she writes about it in the book, you really should. The recipe is in the section titled "Midnight Feasts", something Nigella is a fan of, and something most nutritionists would frown upon. Who asked them anyways?
Her instructions are to make this pasta for someone who you are involved with in a romantic way. (My G rating description). And that you are to make the pasta and bring the whole pot into bed. I chose to put some on a plate instead, but I did eat it in my pajamas while watching another Bruce Willis flick. (I really did think about heeding her advice and taking it to bed but I figured I would end up burned and sleeping in spilled pasta).
Nigella hit the nail on the head. The pasta is amazing. Of course when you put cream, cheese, bacon and pasta all in one dish it's hard to go wrong. I would recommend to let the pasta sit in the pot for about 10 minutes at room temp. This causes the sauce to thicken and stick to the pasta and it is AMAZING. Food can be sexy, and if you don't believe me try this dish and then tell me if I am wrong.
I'm telling you, MAKE THIS SPAGHETTI! (and use a heavy hand for the cheese and pepper).
Since it is low in vegetable content I made roasted onion to go with it. Peel and trim a couple red onions and slice into thick slices. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and brush olive oil on the onions. Season with salt and pepper and cover with foil. Bake in the oven @ 350 F for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 40. In the meantime boil 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar until it's thick and syrupy. Transfer onions to a serving plate and spoon the vinegar over them. Top with slivered almonds. Also amazing. Although lately I have had an obsession with balsamic vinegar. My favorite way is to pour some balsamic vinegar onto a plate with some olive oil and dip artisan bread into it.
And since we're on the subject of sexy...
Monster Mash
I made these super cute cookies the other night. The recipe came from the Canadian Living magazine, but to tell you the truth I wasn't a huge fan of the taste of the cookies...
They are just cookies in the shape of a gingerbread man and icing piped to make them look like skeletons. Super cute!!
They are just cookies in the shape of a gingerbread man and icing piped to make them look like skeletons. Super cute!!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Happy Birthday
Last night I went to my friend's house for dinner. (Which was delicious by the way). Before dinner I stopped at Blockbuster to rent a couple more movies for Bruce Willis week. My conversation with the cashier went like this:
Cashier- did you find everything ok?
Me- yes I did thanks
Cashier- I see you rented two movies last night
Me- yup
Cashier- and you're getting 3 more today?
Me- don't judge me
Ok. That really didn't happen out loud so much as I imagined that's what she was thinking.
Cashier- did you find everything ok?
Me- yes I did thanks
Cashier- I see you rented two movies last night
Me- yup
Cashier- and you're getting 3 more today?
Me- don't judge me
Ok. That really didn't happen out loud so much as I imagined that's what she was thinking.
And then after dinner we went to the gym. It's been a few months since I had last been to the gym. This became apparent when 5 minutes into my work out on the elliptical machine, I sounded like I was having an asthma attack.
Since I don't have a dinner I made to post, I figured I would post some pictures from my nephew's birthday party. He's turning 3 this week, and my sister had a party for him last weekend. And, by the way, I have the cutest niece and nephew in the whole world. I know everyone who has a niece or nephew thinks that theirs is the cutest, but mine are the actual cutest.
My nephew's favorite movie of the moment is Wall-E so my cousin and my aunt had made a Wall-E cake for him, which was absolutely adorable.
My sister had also made these tasty B.L.T. sandwhiches. You cut a loaf of bread (like a load of French bread) in half and toast it in the oven. Then you spread cream cheese on one half, and top the cream cheese with the filling. The filling is made with chopped lettuce (you could use a bagged salad), chopped tomatoes, chopped (cooked) bacon, and italian dressing. Very tasty. Shut the sandwhich closed, and cut into pieces. Voila!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Life With Me
For those of you who don't know me, or don't know me very well, today I will be sharing things about me. No worries for those of you who do not want to get to know me better and are only here for the food, I have a food post as well!
I am a noisy person. Not just noise that I create by talking, or singing in some cases, but I need noise at almost all times. When I get home from work, I turn on the TV. Not to watch, but to have something on in the background. (I usually put it on the Food Network). I play music all day at work. What kind of music? Usually classic rock or 90's music. I'm not really a fan of any of the Top 40 that gets played these days. It's not really music so much as it's computer generated sound. The only time I don't have noise in the background is when I am reading. (And for those of you who haven't noticed, all my post titles are actually song titles as well).
My favorite meal is steak and lobster. My favorite thing to chop is onions, although sometimes I get carried away and end up bleeding. My favorite song is Patience by Guns N' Roses. Actually it's one of my favorite songs, there are many songs that could be labelled as my favorite. My favorite color is red. My kitchen is red. I have a red stand mixer, with a matching blender and immersion blender. My favorite dessert is creme brulee. My favorite time is 1:23 am. My favorite day is my birthday, which is strange because...
One of my biggest fears is aging. Not so much the part where I get older, but the part where I will look older. Since I was sixteen I have been using anti-aging skin care. I moisturize like a fiend as well. I use anti-wrinkle eye cream, lotions with elastin, and most importantly sunscreen. The fastest way to age your face is to tan it. Even in the winter I use sunscreen on my face. (My face moisturizer and my foundation both have SPF 15).
Yesterday I made an offhand comment to someone I have known for a while about how old I am. He replied "You're only 25? I thought you were older". Kill me now. If I look older than my 25, how am I going to look at 35??? At this point I was considering it might be time to look into a face lift.
I sometimes curse being born a woman. Men have it so easy. Before bed they brush their teeth and that's it. (At least I'm hoping they do). I have a 15 minute routine involving make up remover, cleanser, moisturizer... And how about getting ready to go out somewhere? Wash, dry, product-ify, and straighten my hair. Then apply my face. This takes a long time. (And costs a small fortune since I'm addicted to MAC). If I was a guy I would shave my head, and I could be out the door in 5 minutes. Not to mention they age like scotch and get better in time. (Not that I know what aged scotch tastes like, I'm just using the reference).
Speaking of men who age beautifully... Bruce Willis. In a moment of derangement on the weekend I went into WalMart (I know, I know... I hate them), and picked up a couple cheap DVDs starring Bruce Willis. And then made it Bruce Willis week at my place and am watching Bruce Willis movies all week.
You're welcome ladies.
Back to my depression from yesterday's aging comment. I didn't need to take any sort of pill to make myself feel better, because I discovered that butter and Bruce Willis will do the trick. For dinner I turned to the ultimate in comfort food... Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
So this post isn't too long, I will put the recipe in the comments section. The gist of this dish is beef sauteed in butter and oil, and then served in a sauce made from cream, butter and my new addiction; mushrooms sauteed in butter. I tell you, try these mushrooms and you will be making them all the time. I love them, and up until about 3 weeks ago you couldn't pay me enough to eat a mushroom.
I am a noisy person. Not just noise that I create by talking, or singing in some cases, but I need noise at almost all times. When I get home from work, I turn on the TV. Not to watch, but to have something on in the background. (I usually put it on the Food Network). I play music all day at work. What kind of music? Usually classic rock or 90's music. I'm not really a fan of any of the Top 40 that gets played these days. It's not really music so much as it's computer generated sound. The only time I don't have noise in the background is when I am reading. (And for those of you who haven't noticed, all my post titles are actually song titles as well).
My favorite meal is steak and lobster. My favorite thing to chop is onions, although sometimes I get carried away and end up bleeding. My favorite song is Patience by Guns N' Roses. Actually it's one of my favorite songs, there are many songs that could be labelled as my favorite. My favorite color is red. My kitchen is red. I have a red stand mixer, with a matching blender and immersion blender. My favorite dessert is creme brulee. My favorite time is 1:23 am. My favorite day is my birthday, which is strange because...
One of my biggest fears is aging. Not so much the part where I get older, but the part where I will look older. Since I was sixteen I have been using anti-aging skin care. I moisturize like a fiend as well. I use anti-wrinkle eye cream, lotions with elastin, and most importantly sunscreen. The fastest way to age your face is to tan it. Even in the winter I use sunscreen on my face. (My face moisturizer and my foundation both have SPF 15).
Yesterday I made an offhand comment to someone I have known for a while about how old I am. He replied "You're only 25? I thought you were older". Kill me now. If I look older than my 25, how am I going to look at 35??? At this point I was considering it might be time to look into a face lift.
I sometimes curse being born a woman. Men have it so easy. Before bed they brush their teeth and that's it. (At least I'm hoping they do). I have a 15 minute routine involving make up remover, cleanser, moisturizer... And how about getting ready to go out somewhere? Wash, dry, product-ify, and straighten my hair. Then apply my face. This takes a long time. (And costs a small fortune since I'm addicted to MAC). If I was a guy I would shave my head, and I could be out the door in 5 minutes. Not to mention they age like scotch and get better in time. (Not that I know what aged scotch tastes like, I'm just using the reference).
Speaking of men who age beautifully... Bruce Willis. In a moment of derangement on the weekend I went into WalMart (I know, I know... I hate them), and picked up a couple cheap DVDs starring Bruce Willis. And then made it Bruce Willis week at my place and am watching Bruce Willis movies all week.
You're welcome ladies.
Back to my depression from yesterday's aging comment. I didn't need to take any sort of pill to make myself feel better, because I discovered that butter and Bruce Willis will do the trick. For dinner I turned to the ultimate in comfort food... Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
So this post isn't too long, I will put the recipe in the comments section. The gist of this dish is beef sauteed in butter and oil, and then served in a sauce made from cream, butter and my new addiction; mushrooms sauteed in butter. I tell you, try these mushrooms and you will be making them all the time. I love them, and up until about 3 weeks ago you couldn't pay me enough to eat a mushroom.
Another thing about me. I'm incredibly scatterbrained. Last night while I was in the midst of finishing off the beef, I was making rice as a side. When it came time to cover the rice, I couldn't find the pot lid anywhere. I knew I had one... I looked in my dishwasher, in the pantry, in my bedroom, by the computer, the kitchen table and the oven drawer. I had no idea where I had left the stupid thing. I gave up and covered the pot with a lid that didn't fit. After I finished plating the meal, I opened the cupboard door to grab a drinking glass, and lo and behold there sat the pot lid. In a cupboard where I keep plates, bowls and glasses, not pots.
Yes, life with me can be crazy... but it's never boring.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Bad Medicine
I made macaroni and cheese on Sunday night. Not out of a box... it was from scratch. The recipe comes from the newest issue of Everyday Food. I want to post a link to the recipe, but I can't find it.
The gist of it was making a roux (flour and butter), and then adding milk and letting that cook until thick. At the end cheese, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce are added to the mix. (Very small amounts of the last 2 ingredients)
Pour the sauce over cooked pasta and you have a simple, delicious, and filling meal. Perfect on cold days, and tastes so much better than a certain boxed mac n cheese product.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Don't Look Back in Anger
Last week I had started to prepare a chicken pot pie to bring to my sister's house for Thursday dinner. I cooked up onions, carrots, peas, the sauce... shredded a chicken. The pie part of the chicken pot pie was topping the "filling" with puff pastry.
I had read the package wrong regarding the puff pastry, so instead of bringing it to my sisters place for supper, I put the filling in the fridge to use the next day. Life happened, and I was unable to eat the pot pie on Friday, so I put it in the freezer.
Fast forward to today. I pulled the pot pie out of the freezer this morning and left it in the fridge. When I got home from work I pulled the puff pastry out of the freezer. After two hours (as per the instructions) instead of having thawed puff pastry I had still-frozen puff pastry. As per the same instructions, I put the puff pastry in the microwave for two minutes.
Thank you instructions. #1) it should have been thawed after two hours at room temp, it was frozen solid still
#2) It said for fast defrost, microwave for 2-4 minutes.
Even after only microwaving for the lowest time recommended, I had been left with an oily, messy, doughy ball of goop. There is no way that mess was salvageable.
Brings me to the following advice. If you are going to be in the habit of trying new recipes, and working with unfamiliar ingredients... stock up on some easy backup foods like:
- frozen pizza
- dried pasta & canned sauces
- taco kits (store ground beef in the freezer)
- hamburger helper (same as above)
- canned soup
Sure, none of these things are impressive, but if you have spent a half hour/hour whatever on making a dish that somehow was ruined... you will appreciate having these simple backups ready to in only a short time. (And it sure beats trying to make something out of whatever is lying around the pantry)
I had read the package wrong regarding the puff pastry, so instead of bringing it to my sisters place for supper, I put the filling in the fridge to use the next day. Life happened, and I was unable to eat the pot pie on Friday, so I put it in the freezer.
Fast forward to today. I pulled the pot pie out of the freezer this morning and left it in the fridge. When I got home from work I pulled the puff pastry out of the freezer. After two hours (as per the instructions) instead of having thawed puff pastry I had still-frozen puff pastry. As per the same instructions, I put the puff pastry in the microwave for two minutes.
Thank you instructions. #1) it should have been thawed after two hours at room temp, it was frozen solid still
#2) It said for fast defrost, microwave for 2-4 minutes.
Even after only microwaving for the lowest time recommended, I had been left with an oily, messy, doughy ball of goop. There is no way that mess was salvageable.
Brings me to the following advice. If you are going to be in the habit of trying new recipes, and working with unfamiliar ingredients... stock up on some easy backup foods like:
- frozen pizza
- dried pasta & canned sauces
- taco kits (store ground beef in the freezer)
- hamburger helper (same as above)
- canned soup
Sure, none of these things are impressive, but if you have spent a half hour/hour whatever on making a dish that somehow was ruined... you will appreciate having these simple backups ready to in only a short time. (And it sure beats trying to make something out of whatever is lying around the pantry)
Goodbye Earl
One of my sisters was up visiting for the weekend. I had planned on making her a special dinner on Saturday night, and she had mentioned inviting one of my friends over for the occasion.
A long time ago, years in fact, my sister bought me a brulee set which included a kitchen torch. I had never used the kitchen torch, mainly because I couldn't figure out how to work it. My friend showed me how this weekend (THANK YOU) and now I can brulee. Which is great since creme brulee is my favorite dessert of all time.
I made (with the assistance of the other two) Coq au Vin. Or Chicken in Wine. For all of you who are wondering if you can make this dish for anyone younger than the legal drinking age, the alcohol evaporates when the wine is boiled.
Of course I used Julia Child's recipe. I didn't buy Mastering the Art of French Cooking so it could sit on my shelf, unused. She said at the beginning of the recipe that nearly any wine could be used, but the French use red. I used the same GratoNegro Cabernet Sauvignon I used in the Beef Bourguignon. As well I used bacon strips, not a bacon chunk. Overall it was a tasty dish. However, the next time I would go the non-French way and make it with a Riesling (Coq au Riesling).
The recipe can be found: http://www.recipezaar.com/Coq-Au-Vin-by-Julia-Child-98589
While most grocery stores might sell a whole, cut-up, chicken, I bought the whole chicken and cut it myself. My friend commented that by the end of the cookbook I'll be able to do anything. The butchering of the raw chicken was not as easy as the lobster murder. That was quick. The chicken requires joints to be popped out, and the cutting of bones. Sick. In one of the pictures you can see chicken blood on my finger.
(the finished product)
A long time ago, years in fact, my sister bought me a brulee set which included a kitchen torch. I had never used the kitchen torch, mainly because I couldn't figure out how to work it. My friend showed me how this weekend (THANK YOU) and now I can brulee. Which is great since creme brulee is my favorite dessert of all time.
MtAoFC says to make a Creme Brulee, you first make a creme anglaise.
After the creme anglaise was made (in my stand mixer), it became apparent was a cream sauce, not a custard like I had thought it would be. I still bruleed it, and it was very delicious.
(my prized possession, the stand mixer by KitchenAid)
Friday, October 16, 2009
This I Promise You
Last night I had dinner at my sister's, which means I don't have a meal that I made last night to talk about today. However I didn't want my following to think I have disappeared, so I'm going to talk about the Everyday Food magazine today.
Everyday Food is made by Martha Stewart. However, unlike Martha Stewart's recipes, the EF features recipes that are easy to prepare. (There will be no need for cursing Martha the entire time you are making dinner)
The recipes in each issue will be made from ingredients that are in season at the time of the issue's release. For instance, recipes calling for fresh tomatoes will not be printed in January's issue when the tomatoes are not at their best.
All the ingredients are easy to find. (Except for canned chipotles in adobo sauce. I'm beginning to think this "everyday" ingredient is mythical).
I have never made a recipe from EF that hasn't been delicious. And I am always asked for the recipe when I make an EF dish for company. I bought my first issue on a whim about 3 years ago, and since then I have bought every single issue. Do yourself a favor and the next time you are at the grocery store pick up an Everyday Food.
Everyday Food is made by Martha Stewart. However, unlike Martha Stewart's recipes, the EF features recipes that are easy to prepare. (There will be no need for cursing Martha the entire time you are making dinner)
The recipes in each issue will be made from ingredients that are in season at the time of the issue's release. For instance, recipes calling for fresh tomatoes will not be printed in January's issue when the tomatoes are not at their best.
All the ingredients are easy to find. (Except for canned chipotles in adobo sauce. I'm beginning to think this "everyday" ingredient is mythical).
I have never made a recipe from EF that hasn't been delicious. And I am always asked for the recipe when I make an EF dish for company. I bought my first issue on a whim about 3 years ago, and since then I have bought every single issue. Do yourself a favor and the next time you are at the grocery store pick up an Everyday Food.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Clumsy
This is what happens when you drop a pepper grinder full of white peppercorns.
I wish I could say things like this rarely happen to me, but in reality they happen all the time. What makes it more interesting is the race to clean up all the peppercorns before the dog starts to eat them.
Only Time Will Tell
I love Nigella Lawson. Something about her seems so real. Most people on the cooking shows will try a bite of whatever they just made, and will claim it's delicious. (And it very well may be). Nigella will sneak down to her fridge in the middle of the night and eat it cold.
If you have ever read one of her cookbooks, she also doesn't just list ingredients and tell you how to put it together. Every recipe has an introduction of sorts, where she got the recipe, what she loves about it... Nigella is entertaining to watch and read.
I made Nigella's Pea Soup last night for dinner. (http://www.nigella.com/recipe/recipe_detail.aspx?rid=177)
I wanted to love it. I really did. However, I didn't. I think I put in too much mace. And there wasn't nearly enough stock. (not the recipe's fault... I used less than I should have). So this recipe is something I will make again. And I will post a picture of it when I am truly happy with it.
In the mean time. I made roasted garlic bread to go with it, and it was delicious. To make roasted garlic you:
1) Take an entire head of garlic, and cut off enough of the tips to expose all of the garlic cloves.
2) Place in foil (or a garlic roaster if you own one) and drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top, and season with salt and pepper
3) Place in an oven that has been preheated to 400 F, and bake for 35-40 min. The garlic is roasted when the tops are golden brown and soft.
4) Let the garlic cool. When you can handle the garlic, squeeze the bottom to force all the cloves out.
Roasted garlic can be used in a lot of things (pastas, soups, sauces...). And it can also be eaten as is. When the garlic is roasted it loses its strong, bitter taste and is sweet.
I put the roasted garlic in a food processor with softened butter and whipped it into garlic butter. Then I spread it onto two halves of a french bread loaf. I placed them in the oven under broil until they were browned. Delicious.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Some Kinda Wonderful
Tonight was my only night this week cooking from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This is bittersweet, as the food tastes amazing, but my heart can't take much more. Or my pants for that matter.
I had decided to make Bifteck Saute Marchand de Vins, or Pan-Broiled Steak with Red Wine Sauce. To go with the steak I was going to make sauteed mushrooms and rice. (Crazy enough, MtAoFC contains recipes for rice).
I realized this was low in vegetable content. So to go with my very French meal I made Greek Salad. In honor of me renting and currently watching My Life in Ruins. (And if anyone has seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you might remember this hilarious part "He don't eat no meat? It's ok... I make lamb")
Ok.. Greek Salad. Easy as can be. Cut up a cucumber, a red pepper, a tomato (I used Roma), half a red onion, and a garlic clove. Add some dried basil, extra virgin olive oil, and the juice of half to a whole lemon. And some salt and pepper. You could toss in some olives too, but I don't because I hate them. (Sorry Grandma... strongly dislike them). Of course, no Greek Salad would be complete without feta cheese. And a lot of it. Let this all sit for about a half hour so all the veggies and cheese really pick up the flavor of the lemon and basil.
The steak... I love love love New York Strips. I look for the ones with fat along the side, but not so much in the middle, it's easy then to cut the fat off, and you get a lot of tasty meat. In a skillet, heat up a bit of butter and some oil. The butter is for taste, the oil is to keep it from burning too quick.
For medium rare, which is the correct way to have a steak, saute each side for 3 minutes. NEVER EVER flip the steak too soon. When it hits the hot pan the meat sticks to it, until it caramelizes a little bit and lifts off the pan.
When the 6 minutes are up, remove the steak and place it under foil for 5 minutes so it can rest. Do yourself a favor people, when you cook meat let it REST. If you cut into it right away, all the juices will run out. Let it rest, and the juices redistribute themselves into the meat.
Now drain the fat out of the pan, and add some butter to it. Saute a minced shallot, and then add half a cup of wine. I used red, but you can use white. Let it reduce until it's thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and stir in about 4 tablespoons of butter. Not all at once... add them in small pats.
Earlier on today I wasn't really feeling the rice. Or potatoes, it having been Thanksgiving and all. Since I was making everything with butter already... ravioli with a brown butter and sage sauce it was. However, I do not live near a magical grocery store. Like the ones on TV. Where you can go to a store and get any kind of pasta, or fresh seafood, or hard to find produce. So instead of ravioli I bought tortellini. And instead of remembering to buy sage, I forgot it.
Brown butter sauce is really easy. You melt butter in a pan. Until it turns brown. Hard I know. However, once it turns a golden to amber brown it needs to be removed from the heat. You do not want black butter sauce. Gross.
My favorite part about tonight's meal was the mushrooms. Ok that's not true... my favorite part was the steak. There is nothing better in this world, than a hunk of red meat.
Back to the mushrooms. Up until a week ago I hated mushrooms. I had even tried them three times.
I have a rule, in which everything must be tried three times as it just might have been the preparation that you didn't like, not the actual ingredient.
The trick to making these amazing mushrooms is to get the butter in the pan very hot. The butter is hot when it melts, foams, and the foam subsides a bit. Then place the quartered mushrooms in the hot butter. DO NOT CROWD THE MUSHROOMS! If they are crowded they sweat and steam and become disgusting chewy gross things. If they have room to breathe, they will brown and caramelize and the texture is amazing.
Plus since mushrooms absorb everything they taste like meaty butter. So good.
I tossed the mushrooms into the brown butter for the pasta and mixed it in with the pasta. Then I served the steak with the wine sauce on top.
Now I apologize for my terrible picture taking. Please believe that the food tasted really really
good, and it appears that I have to practice making it look more appetizing in photos...
I had decided to make Bifteck Saute Marchand de Vins, or Pan-Broiled Steak with Red Wine Sauce. To go with the steak I was going to make sauteed mushrooms and rice. (Crazy enough, MtAoFC contains recipes for rice).
I realized this was low in vegetable content. So to go with my very French meal I made Greek Salad. In honor of me renting and currently watching My Life in Ruins. (And if anyone has seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you might remember this hilarious part "He don't eat no meat? It's ok... I make lamb")
Ok.. Greek Salad. Easy as can be. Cut up a cucumber, a red pepper, a tomato (I used Roma), half a red onion, and a garlic clove. Add some dried basil, extra virgin olive oil, and the juice of half to a whole lemon. And some salt and pepper. You could toss in some olives too, but I don't because I hate them. (Sorry Grandma... strongly dislike them). Of course, no Greek Salad would be complete without feta cheese. And a lot of it. Let this all sit for about a half hour so all the veggies and cheese really pick up the flavor of the lemon and basil.
The steak... I love love love New York Strips. I look for the ones with fat along the side, but not so much in the middle, it's easy then to cut the fat off, and you get a lot of tasty meat. In a skillet, heat up a bit of butter and some oil. The butter is for taste, the oil is to keep it from burning too quick.
For medium rare, which is the correct way to have a steak, saute each side for 3 minutes. NEVER EVER flip the steak too soon. When it hits the hot pan the meat sticks to it, until it caramelizes a little bit and lifts off the pan.
When the 6 minutes are up, remove the steak and place it under foil for 5 minutes so it can rest. Do yourself a favor people, when you cook meat let it REST. If you cut into it right away, all the juices will run out. Let it rest, and the juices redistribute themselves into the meat.
Now drain the fat out of the pan, and add some butter to it. Saute a minced shallot, and then add half a cup of wine. I used red, but you can use white. Let it reduce until it's thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and stir in about 4 tablespoons of butter. Not all at once... add them in small pats.
Earlier on today I wasn't really feeling the rice. Or potatoes, it having been Thanksgiving and all. Since I was making everything with butter already... ravioli with a brown butter and sage sauce it was. However, I do not live near a magical grocery store. Like the ones on TV. Where you can go to a store and get any kind of pasta, or fresh seafood, or hard to find produce. So instead of ravioli I bought tortellini. And instead of remembering to buy sage, I forgot it.
Brown butter sauce is really easy. You melt butter in a pan. Until it turns brown. Hard I know. However, once it turns a golden to amber brown it needs to be removed from the heat. You do not want black butter sauce. Gross.
My favorite part about tonight's meal was the mushrooms. Ok that's not true... my favorite part was the steak. There is nothing better in this world, than a hunk of red meat.
Back to the mushrooms. Up until a week ago I hated mushrooms. I had even tried them three times.
I have a rule, in which everything must be tried three times as it just might have been the preparation that you didn't like, not the actual ingredient.
The trick to making these amazing mushrooms is to get the butter in the pan very hot. The butter is hot when it melts, foams, and the foam subsides a bit. Then place the quartered mushrooms in the hot butter. DO NOT CROWD THE MUSHROOMS! If they are crowded they sweat and steam and become disgusting chewy gross things. If they have room to breathe, they will brown and caramelize and the texture is amazing.
Plus since mushrooms absorb everything they taste like meaty butter. So good.
I tossed the mushrooms into the brown butter for the pasta and mixed it in with the pasta. Then I served the steak with the wine sauce on top.
Now I apologize for my terrible picture taking. Please believe that the food tasted really really
good, and it appears that I have to practice making it look more appetizing in photos...
Blaze of Glory
For us Canadians, it was Thanksgiving this past weekend. Which means for a good portion of us... turkey dinners with family. I was fortunate enough to attend two family dinners. One with my immediate family and some friends, and the other with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
The dinner with my immediate family was the most eventful for sure. To start with, one of my sisters and I were in charge of making the vegetable sides for dinner. For every turkey dinner (Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving) since we have been given the veggie task, we have made carrots and peas.
The carrots are pretty standard. Boil until soft, drain, and serve with margarine and a bit of sugar on top.
The peas, however, we jazz up a bit. Start off by browning some bacon in a large pan. When the bacon is brown, remove it from the pan and set on some paper towel. Add chopped red onion to the bacon fat in the pan and saute until soft. Add a bag of frozen peas (remove from the bag first!) and if you are making these for a turkey dinner add a ladle full of the turkey gravy. When the peas are heated through, add the bacon, and stir to combine.
After dinner, two of my sisters and I played Rook with our dad. If you haven't played Rook, it's a card game using Rook cards, not a standard deck of cards. My mom and our family friends had retired to the basement to watch some TV, leaving my parent's living room unattended. Partway through our card game that was being played in the kitchen, my dad says "What's burning?"
I go out to the living room, and see that my mom's coffee table is covered in flames. One of her centerpieces had gotten too close to the candles, and the whole table was now on fire. Luckily my one sister and I are quick thinkers in a bad situation, and we quickly blew the fire out. To quote Michael Scott "I saved a life today-my own. Am I a hero? I really can't say...but yes". Sadly I only have pictures of the after burn, and not of the actual fire.
All in all it was a great day... I am ending with this picture of the turkey. It struck me as funny.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Rock Lobster
Well tonight I had dinner at my sister’s place. So instead of showing something I made tonight… I’ll go back to the weekend. My friend and I had been talking for a while about getting together to cook some shellfish. Shellfish cooking intimidates me, so I had figured that having my friend help might ease the intimidation.
Since I have just recently purchased Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I was really inspired to make many a dish from the book in the last week or so. We picked lobster thermidor.
We started out by going to a seafood store. We picked the lobsters that were fighting the most to stay alive. This is morbid, since the reason we were buying lobsters was to kill them.
Then we got lost while trying to find our way back. This kind of stuff happens to me all the time.
Then we got lost while trying to find our way back. This kind of stuff happens to me all the time.
We began the lobster massacre when we finally arrived back at my place. We filled a large pot with wine, onions, and herbs. We each grabbed a lobster. I admit I hesitated before setting mine in the pot. He was flailing around like crazy. I imagined placing him in the pot, and then he would freak out and try and claw his way back out. He didn’t. He just sat in the vat of boiling wine. The other lobster went in quickly after him and they boiled to their delicious death.
Making the sauce for the lobster thermidor had many steps. Which I will not bore you with. It was very time consuming, but every single second was worth it. If you are wanting to make this wonderful dish you can view the recipe here:
But I suggest that you buy Mastering the Art of French Cooking. (Really really suggest it!)
In the end the lobster meat is stirred into the sauce and topped with cheese and then baked off in the oven. The final product looked like:
So Amazing
Last night I made the best Beef Bourguignon I have ever made. I was inspired by Julie & Julia (the book and the movie) to buy Mastering the Art of French Cooking. In the movie it’s referred to as Julia’s Beef Bourguignon. I was skeptical at first. I mean, really, can it be THAT much better than any other BB recipe?
It can. The recipe can be found here:
http://www.recipezaar.com/Boeuf-Bourguignon-a-La-Julia-Child-148007
This is what I did a bit differently. I used 7 slices of bacon, rather than the chunk bacon. I also browned the bacon, not just for 2 or 3 minutes. That gave off enough fat that I didn’t need oil to brown the meat.
My grocery store also didn’t have pearl onions, fresh or frozen. And I hate using canned veggies. So there was no pearl onions in mine.
The finished product was AMAZING. (I served it on top of buttered egg noddles) I have made good beef stews, and I have made good BBs before. This took the cake. It was heaven on a plate. I don’t even like mushrooms, but even the mushrooms were tasty buttery morsels.
Now I know some people might think after a meal this good, who needs dessert? I do.
I followed the BB with Baked Alaska. I have never even tasted Baked Alaska before, but I decided to make it. The recipe (courtesy of Everyday Food). Actually I need to stop here for a moment. Anybody who enjoys cooking, or wants to be a better cook, or is tired of cooking the same thing week in and week out, should start buying the Everyday Food magazine. Every recipe is simple, with easy to find ingredients, and the outcome is always delicious. I haven’t missed an issue since I bought my first one 3 years ago.
Individual Baked Alaska… This is not the official recipe.. this is the recipe in my words
You need: 3 egg whites, pinch of salt, half a cup of sugar, 4 slices of pound cake, and ice cream
1) cut the slices of pound cake so they fit into four ramekins. (I used Angel Food Cake since I couldn’t find pound cake)
2) scoop about half a cup of ice cream on top of the cake.
3) beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt until it forms soft peaks
4) gradually add the sugar and beat until it’s glossy and forms stiff peaks
5) top the ice cream with the meringue, and set in the freezer for at least one hour. (up to 1 day)
6) preheat oven to 450 F. Remove the ramekins from the freezer and place on a baking sheet. Let stand for 10 minutes.
7) place the baking sheet in the oven for 2-4 minutes, until the meringue is lightly browned. (mine took 2 minutes)
Also very very good. The meal was wonderful. I had excellent company, whose mom had recommended the wine used in the BB, a red Chilean wine by GratoNegro.
It can. The recipe can be found here:
http://www.recipezaar.com/Boeuf-Bourguignon-a-La-Julia-Child-148007
This is what I did a bit differently. I used 7 slices of bacon, rather than the chunk bacon. I also browned the bacon, not just for 2 or 3 minutes. That gave off enough fat that I didn’t need oil to brown the meat.
My grocery store also didn’t have pearl onions, fresh or frozen. And I hate using canned veggies. So there was no pearl onions in mine.
The finished product was AMAZING. (I served it on top of buttered egg noddles) I have made good beef stews, and I have made good BBs before. This took the cake. It was heaven on a plate. I don’t even like mushrooms, but even the mushrooms were tasty buttery morsels.
Now I know some people might think after a meal this good, who needs dessert? I do.
I followed the BB with Baked Alaska. I have never even tasted Baked Alaska before, but I decided to make it. The recipe (courtesy of Everyday Food). Actually I need to stop here for a moment. Anybody who enjoys cooking, or wants to be a better cook, or is tired of cooking the same thing week in and week out, should start buying the Everyday Food magazine. Every recipe is simple, with easy to find ingredients, and the outcome is always delicious. I haven’t missed an issue since I bought my first one 3 years ago.
Individual Baked Alaska… This is not the official recipe.. this is the recipe in my words
You need: 3 egg whites, pinch of salt, half a cup of sugar, 4 slices of pound cake, and ice cream
1) cut the slices of pound cake so they fit into four ramekins. (I used Angel Food Cake since I couldn’t find pound cake)
2) scoop about half a cup of ice cream on top of the cake.
3) beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt until it forms soft peaks
4) gradually add the sugar and beat until it’s glossy and forms stiff peaks
5) top the ice cream with the meringue, and set in the freezer for at least one hour. (up to 1 day)
6) preheat oven to 450 F. Remove the ramekins from the freezer and place on a baking sheet. Let stand for 10 minutes.
7) place the baking sheet in the oven for 2-4 minutes, until the meringue is lightly browned. (mine took 2 minutes)
Also very very good. The meal was wonderful. I had excellent company, whose mom had recommended the wine used in the BB, a red Chilean wine by GratoNegro.
Obsession
I’m a foodie. My obsession started as a young kid, my favorite shows were always cooking shows. As I got older, I continued to watch cooking shows. When I moved out of my parents place I had two options. I could either eat out every night, or I could put the cooking shows to use and start making my own dinner.
The results can be disastrous at times. They can also turn out to be so so so good. My passion is food. After a long day at the office, cooking dinner is not a chore to me. Turning everyday ingredients into a meal is so satisfying. I could talk about it forever.
Most of the people I know, do not share this same passion. I can see their eyes glaze over as I run on and on. So here I am. Sharing my passion with whoever chooses to read this…
The results can be disastrous at times. They can also turn out to be so so so good. My passion is food. After a long day at the office, cooking dinner is not a chore to me. Turning everyday ingredients into a meal is so satisfying. I could talk about it forever.
Most of the people I know, do not share this same passion. I can see their eyes glaze over as I run on and on. So here I am. Sharing my passion with whoever chooses to read this…
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