An Untouched Plate
How it Eats
Pie, Glorious Pie
I will never go back to plain pumpkin pie
The Pants That Brought Me Here
8 years ago
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Thanksgiving Pics
An Untouched Plate
How it Eats
Pie, Glorious Pie
I will never go back to plain pumpkin pie
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Coming soon!
I have many many updates to do, and thanks to the appearance of my new MAC! I am able to access a computer again. Poor Brian has been so swamped with work lately that I just can't bear to wrench the computer away from him. And my kids have a concert tomorrow -- please pray for me! Rehearsal today was a total disaster. No exaggeration. It made me want to puke. But soon, there will be many many recipes. Thanksgiving! Christmas! Hooray!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Chile Rellenos
For those of you who don't live in New Mexico, I'm very sorry. Every fall we have this wonderful time when the green chiles are picked and all over the state you can smell them roasting. It has to be one of my favorite smells ever. And this year I bought a whole bushel of chiles. It's a major hassle to separate them and freeze them, but I don't think I can live without them. Even when I move I intend to come back every fall and get more.And every fall around chile roasting time I make lots of things with chile. Some people are crazy and go as far as green chile ice cream, or green chile apple pie. I just can't bring myself to do it. I stick with tradition -- enchiladas, stew, eggs, and rellenos.
This is my first time making rellenos. Rellenos are chiles that are stuffed with something (usually cheese) and then battered and deep fried. It's a beautiful thing. I looked at many recipes and found lots of strange things. Like people who put shrimp or fruit in them. Ick. And I called my friend who is Mexican and a fantastic cook, but she was busy. So I decided to wing it. And look what I got
So, here's my white-girl Mexican recipe for Chile Rellenos
8 whole roasted green chiles, peeled (I leave the seeds in because I like the spice)
Mexican cheese (like asadero) cut in long skinny rectangles to fit inside the chile
3 eggs, separated
Flour
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying
Cut a small slit in the chile. Carefully stuff it with cheese. If you need to, use toothpicks to hold it together. Beat the egg whites until they are fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix the yolks with 1 T flour, and then fold that mixture into the whites. Be careful not to deflate the whites by mixing too much. In a pie pan, sprinkle some flour and mix with salt and pepper. Roll the chiles in the flour, then in the egg mix, and then drop into really hot oil. Fry for a couple of minutes until the chile is beautiful golden brown. Then enjoy! Be careful of any toothpicks!
Possibly the Best Appetizer Ever!
I have recently discovered what I believe to be the best appetizer ever. That is, if you love tomatoes. It seems time consuming, but it's really not so bad. And well worth it, I promise
Oven Roasted Tomatoes
1 Cup of Olive Oil
2 pounds tomatoes, halved lengthwise and seeded (I used a combo of really good canned and the few home-grown that were ready)
Oregano
3/4 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. parsley, minced
Goat cheese (at room temp)
Bread (Baguette or something similar)
Preheat the oven to 250. Cover the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan with olive oil. Lay the tomatoes in the pan, cut side up. Sprinkle with oregano, sugar and salt. Drizzle with about 1/2 cup olive oil. Bake for about an hour. Turn tomatoes over with tongs, and bake for another hour. Turn them over again. Bake a little longer, until they are soft and really dark red. When they are ready, transfer them to a bowl. This last part should take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes.
When the bottom of the bowl is covered with tomatoes, layer in the garlic and parsley. As you add more layers of tomatoes, add more garlic and parsley. When everybody's in the bowl, pour on whatever oil is in the baking pan, and add more oil to cover the tomatoes. Let them sit for at least two hours at room temp.
Serve with goat cheese and bread slices and red wine. Make sure the cheese is at room temp, or it will be crumbly. When warm it spreads perfectly on the bread. I can't think of anything tastier.
If for some reason you don't finish it all, cover and store for up to 5 days. Bring back to room temp before serving.
Oven Roasted Tomatoes
1 Cup of Olive Oil
2 pounds tomatoes, halved lengthwise and seeded (I used a combo of really good canned and the few home-grown that were ready)
Oregano
3/4 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. parsley, minced
Goat cheese (at room temp)
Bread (Baguette or something similar)
Preheat the oven to 250. Cover the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan with olive oil. Lay the tomatoes in the pan, cut side up. Sprinkle with oregano, sugar and salt. Drizzle with about 1/2 cup olive oil. Bake for about an hour. Turn tomatoes over with tongs, and bake for another hour. Turn them over again. Bake a little longer, until they are soft and really dark red. When they are ready, transfer them to a bowl. This last part should take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes.
When the bottom of the bowl is covered with tomatoes, layer in the garlic and parsley. As you add more layers of tomatoes, add more garlic and parsley. When everybody's in the bowl, pour on whatever oil is in the baking pan, and add more oil to cover the tomatoes. Let them sit for at least two hours at room temp.
Serve with goat cheese and bread slices and red wine. Make sure the cheese is at room temp, or it will be crumbly. When warm it spreads perfectly on the bread. I can't think of anything tastier.
If for some reason you don't finish it all, cover and store for up to 5 days. Bring back to room temp before serving.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Slightly off topic, but still important...
I know this blog is supposed to be about food, but my job is of course a big part of my life, too. I think I have the best job in the world. I get to sing and dance and play all day. I don't really have to grade stuff, I only see the kids for a little while so I don't really have to deal with discipline, and I'm pretty much the most popular teacher at school. Not really through any personal virtues, but what I teach is just so much fun.
I know I am very blessed too in that I have a great job position. Some music teachers have no money to spend on equipment, many don't even have a classroom, and are thought of as a waste of time and money by administrators and fellow teachers. I admit there are a few teachers at the school who think I am just a babysitter, but most are pretty respectful of me. And I have a fantastic administrator who supports what I do, and more money than I know how to spend. Seriously, I have never spent this much money in my life. I have every instrument I could ever desire, plus backups. It's ridiculous and fabulous.
However, I have been pretty discouraged this week. I have been making recordings of students to audition for a choir. And thus far have not found even one that I will send to the judges. Some I might keep just to listen to and laugh over when I've had too much wine. Still, I feel that it reflects poorly on me when my kids can't sing. But then I remind myself that I am a good teacher. I know that. I have LOTS of room to improve, but for my second year I'm doing pretty good. These kids, however, have had only two years of good music instruction, and I guess singing is harder than I thought it was.
I think deep down I always believed most people could sing on pitch without having to work at it. It was never that hard for me. And being a musician I probably surrounded myself with other musical people. I am blessed with a very musical family, too. I don't know if I ever heard someone really awful until I started teaching. So much of musical aptitude has to do with childhood. Growing up I always remember singing. My grandma sang all the time, and my mom. Those are some of my best childhood memories. A kid asked me the other day how I know so many songs, and I said most of them I remember from when I was little. Children aren't sung to anymore, or rocked, they don't listen to music, they're told to be quiet when they sing. And music is quickly becoming a lost art, which terrifies me. So, thanks Granny, and Mom, and Donna, and Dad, for singing to me, for giving me music to listen to, for letting me sing.
I know I am very blessed too in that I have a great job position. Some music teachers have no money to spend on equipment, many don't even have a classroom, and are thought of as a waste of time and money by administrators and fellow teachers. I admit there are a few teachers at the school who think I am just a babysitter, but most are pretty respectful of me. And I have a fantastic administrator who supports what I do, and more money than I know how to spend. Seriously, I have never spent this much money in my life. I have every instrument I could ever desire, plus backups. It's ridiculous and fabulous.
However, I have been pretty discouraged this week. I have been making recordings of students to audition for a choir. And thus far have not found even one that I will send to the judges. Some I might keep just to listen to and laugh over when I've had too much wine. Still, I feel that it reflects poorly on me when my kids can't sing. But then I remind myself that I am a good teacher. I know that. I have LOTS of room to improve, but for my second year I'm doing pretty good. These kids, however, have had only two years of good music instruction, and I guess singing is harder than I thought it was.
I think deep down I always believed most people could sing on pitch without having to work at it. It was never that hard for me. And being a musician I probably surrounded myself with other musical people. I am blessed with a very musical family, too. I don't know if I ever heard someone really awful until I started teaching. So much of musical aptitude has to do with childhood. Growing up I always remember singing. My grandma sang all the time, and my mom. Those are some of my best childhood memories. A kid asked me the other day how I know so many songs, and I said most of them I remember from when I was little. Children aren't sung to anymore, or rocked, they don't listen to music, they're told to be quiet when they sing. And music is quickly becoming a lost art, which terrifies me. So, thanks Granny, and Mom, and Donna, and Dad, for singing to me, for giving me music to listen to, for letting me sing.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Sorry!
Sorry for the delay in posts, but I am pretty much unable to use my computer right now. The office is in such a state of disarray that I can only stand to be in here for about two minutes. And our laptop has decided it doesn't want to work anymore. I'll try to get something worked out soon.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Random
May I just say that the public school system is RIDICULOUS! Out of respect for some I cannot name people or even specific incidents, but after seeing this it's no wonder there are so may idiots in the world. And don't even get me started on the parents.
And on a totally different front, my dog Jake really loves the smell of my shampoo. If I sit on the couch with wet hair, he climbs on the back of it so he can try to rub my head. I know it sounds totally weird, but he is not really an affectionate dog, so from him it's really sweet.
And on a totally different front, my dog Jake really loves the smell of my shampoo. If I sit on the couch with wet hair, he climbs on the back of it so he can try to rub my head. I know it sounds totally weird, but he is not really an affectionate dog, so from him it's really sweet.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Some important tools
These are just a few of my most used tools in the kitchen...
1. A good knife. Yesterday I just got a new Calphalon Santoku knife, it's fantastic. I know they can be expensive, but it makes prep so much better. Trust me.
2. A good non-stick skillet. I have a set of really good non-stick pans, and I use my 10 inch skillet probably five times as much as the rest. Eggs don't stick, neither does anything else. It's beautiful.
3. A rice cooker. Yes, I bought one, and it works with brown rice! I have finally conquered the art of cooking rice! Plus I intend to use it as a steamer at some point in the near future.
4. A salad spinner. This always seemed a little silly to me, until I got one. Brian and I like to eat salad, but with only two of us it would always go bad before we could finish it. Then I got my spinner, and now we can have salad again! Hooray!
5. A pasta pot. I would eat pasta every day if Brian didn't get bored with it so easily. Plus, I would probably get really fat. But still we have it pretty often, and the pasta pot is fantastic. It also works really well for potatoes, too.
1. A good knife. Yesterday I just got a new Calphalon Santoku knife, it's fantastic. I know they can be expensive, but it makes prep so much better. Trust me.
2. A good non-stick skillet. I have a set of really good non-stick pans, and I use my 10 inch skillet probably five times as much as the rest. Eggs don't stick, neither does anything else. It's beautiful.
3. A rice cooker. Yes, I bought one, and it works with brown rice! I have finally conquered the art of cooking rice! Plus I intend to use it as a steamer at some point in the near future.
4. A salad spinner. This always seemed a little silly to me, until I got one. Brian and I like to eat salad, but with only two of us it would always go bad before we could finish it. Then I got my spinner, and now we can have salad again! Hooray!
5. A pasta pot. I would eat pasta every day if Brian didn't get bored with it so easily. Plus, I would probably get really fat. But still we have it pretty often, and the pasta pot is fantastic. It also works really well for potatoes, too.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Pasta Carbonara
Okay, here's my super-easy favorite pasta recipe. Around here we call it "Bacon and Egg Pasta" because everytime I say "Pasta Carbonara" Brian looks at me like I just sprouted a second head or something.
12 oz pasta (approx) Any kind will do. I like little ones, they mix better.
8 slices of bacon (we really like bacon)
2 eggs
Parmesan cheese
Parsley
Hot red pepper flakes
Cook the pasta. Please remember to salt the water when it boils, it makes the pasta so much better! Meanwhile, cut the bacon into small pieces and cook them until they are crispy. Drain on a paper towel.
Put the eggs into the bowl you're going to serve from. Stir them up with a fork until they are all mixed up. When the pasta is finished, drain it and immediately put it in the bowl with the eggs, tossing the pasta to coat. The heat of the pasta will cook any ick out of the eggs. Add the bacon, toss a little more, and serve. When serving, top with lots of parsley and cheese, and as much red pepper as you like. Enjoy!
12 oz pasta (approx) Any kind will do. I like little ones, they mix better.
8 slices of bacon (we really like bacon)
2 eggs
Parmesan cheese
Parsley
Hot red pepper flakes
Cook the pasta. Please remember to salt the water when it boils, it makes the pasta so much better! Meanwhile, cut the bacon into small pieces and cook them until they are crispy. Drain on a paper towel.
Put the eggs into the bowl you're going to serve from. Stir them up with a fork until they are all mixed up. When the pasta is finished, drain it and immediately put it in the bowl with the eggs, tossing the pasta to coat. The heat of the pasta will cook any ick out of the eggs. Add the bacon, toss a little more, and serve. When serving, top with lots of parsley and cheese, and as much red pepper as you like. Enjoy!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
The Easy Way to Chop an Onion
Chopping an onion can seem like a difficult thing. It's got that slippery papery skin and it slides around and it smells funny. And a whole lot of recipes called for chopped onions, so I think it's something that everyone needs to learn to do the least amount of difficulty. So here's my easy way to chop an onion.
1. Get a sharp knife. A dull knife is a dangerous knife. Cut the ends off of the onion.
2. Cut the onion in half.
3. Peel the paper skin off the onion, lay it on its flat side, and slice the onion. Be sure to keep the slices together, so that you can easily turn the group of slices sideways and slice again, resulting in a chopped onion. Good luck!
1. Get a sharp knife. A dull knife is a dangerous knife. Cut the ends off of the onion.
2. Cut the onion in half.
3. Peel the paper skin off the onion, lay it on its flat side, and slice the onion. Be sure to keep the slices together, so that you can easily turn the group of slices sideways and slice again, resulting in a chopped onion. Good luck!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy 4th!
I'm really not all that patriotic, and I've never understood the fascination with fireworks, but I like any excuse to cook a party meal. Today's menu is:
Barbeque Bacon Cheddar Burgers
Carmelized Onions
Homemade Peach Ice Cream
I know, there are really no vegetables, but when no veg is listed, assume salad. I'm trying. Recipes below...
Barbeque Bacon Cheddar Burgers
(a close tie with Green Chile Cheesburger for top burger ever)
Ingredients:
2 1/2 to 3 lbs ground meat of choice
1/2 C BBQ sauce
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. chili powder (more if you like it hot)
1/2 t. salt
A couple grinds of black pepper
Bacon slices
Cheddar cheese slices
Buns
Procedure:
In the morning mix the burgers. I like very lean beef, but you have to add stuff to keep it from being really dry. Hence the sauce. Mix all ingredients in a medium to large bowl. Use your hands, they're going to get dirty anyway. Avoid mixing too much, it will make the meat tough. Once well mixed, form into 1 inch thick patties. I used 2 1/2 pounds of meat and got 8 burgers. Cover patties and chill until ready to grill, at least 2 hours.
Grill about 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Only turn once! This will help keep them juicy. Top with cheddar for the last minute of grilling, also adding buns to grill so they will be nice and toasty.
Saucy Carmelized Onions
Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
2 large onions, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
1/4 t. chili powder
1/4 t. salt
A couple grinds of black pepper
1/3 C canned beef broth
1/2 C purchased barbecue sauce
1 scant T. apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
Procedure:
Heat the oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until onions begin to brown, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Add salt, pepper and chili powder. Add broth, BBQ and vinegar. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Homemade Peach Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 24.5 oz jars peaches in syrup
1/4 C Splenda (Be sure to use the kind that measures like sugar)
1/4 C sugar
3 egg yolks
4 C milk
1 C half and half
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
Procedure:
Okay, this is the hardest one to make by far, but it's worth the time. Plus, you don't really have to work hard on the other stuff. First, drain the peaches, reserving the syrup. Chop them up, put them in a bowl with the Splenda and sugar. (This is my attempt at being healthy. A compromise.) Put the reserved peach syrup in a small saucepan, turn it on high and let it boil until it reduces down to 1 cup. This took me about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in another saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and milk. Turn on medium low heat and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly. You really need to stir constantly! Do not let it boil. The milk mixture is ready when it begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. Trust me, stick a spoon in and you'll know what I mean. Occasionally stir the peach syrup, too.
When the syrup is reduced, add it to the peach/sugar mixture. Pour into a food processor and pulse until smooth. The milk mixture should be ready by now. Remove from heat and whisk in peach mixture. Then stir in the rest of the ingredients, cover and chill for 4 hours.
Follow your ice-cream maker's instructions to do the actual freezing.
I know it seems really tedious, but the result is well worth it!
Barbeque Bacon Cheddar Burgers
Carmelized Onions
Homemade Peach Ice Cream
I know, there are really no vegetables, but when no veg is listed, assume salad. I'm trying. Recipes below...
Barbeque Bacon Cheddar Burgers
(a close tie with Green Chile Cheesburger for top burger ever)
Ingredients:
2 1/2 to 3 lbs ground meat of choice
1/2 C BBQ sauce
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. chili powder (more if you like it hot)
1/2 t. salt
A couple grinds of black pepper
Bacon slices
Cheddar cheese slices
Buns
Procedure:
In the morning mix the burgers. I like very lean beef, but you have to add stuff to keep it from being really dry. Hence the sauce. Mix all ingredients in a medium to large bowl. Use your hands, they're going to get dirty anyway. Avoid mixing too much, it will make the meat tough. Once well mixed, form into 1 inch thick patties. I used 2 1/2 pounds of meat and got 8 burgers. Cover patties and chill until ready to grill, at least 2 hours.
Grill about 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Only turn once! This will help keep them juicy. Top with cheddar for the last minute of grilling, also adding buns to grill so they will be nice and toasty.
Saucy Carmelized Onions
Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
2 large onions, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
1/4 t. chili powder
1/4 t. salt
A couple grinds of black pepper
1/3 C canned beef broth
1/2 C purchased barbecue sauce
1 scant T. apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
Procedure:
Heat the oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until onions begin to brown, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Add salt, pepper and chili powder. Add broth, BBQ and vinegar. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Homemade Peach Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 24.5 oz jars peaches in syrup
1/4 C Splenda (Be sure to use the kind that measures like sugar)
1/4 C sugar
3 egg yolks
4 C milk
1 C half and half
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
Procedure:
Okay, this is the hardest one to make by far, but it's worth the time. Plus, you don't really have to work hard on the other stuff. First, drain the peaches, reserving the syrup. Chop them up, put them in a bowl with the Splenda and sugar. (This is my attempt at being healthy. A compromise.) Put the reserved peach syrup in a small saucepan, turn it on high and let it boil until it reduces down to 1 cup. This took me about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in another saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and milk. Turn on medium low heat and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly. You really need to stir constantly! Do not let it boil. The milk mixture is ready when it begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. Trust me, stick a spoon in and you'll know what I mean. Occasionally stir the peach syrup, too.
When the syrup is reduced, add it to the peach/sugar mixture. Pour into a food processor and pulse until smooth. The milk mixture should be ready by now. Remove from heat and whisk in peach mixture. Then stir in the rest of the ingredients, cover and chill for 4 hours.
Follow your ice-cream maker's instructions to do the actual freezing.
I know it seems really tedious, but the result is well worth it!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The Point
I thought I should give an explanation of my blog. I have been avoiding blogging because I really didn't think others cared about what I had to say. What's the point of it if I don't have regular epiphanies, something that might make a little sense of the world? And believe me, my everyday life is not that inspiring.
And then I started thinking about food. (Honestly, food is never very far from my mind. I like to eat every two hours or so!) Over the years I have met enough people who are completely clueless in the kitchen to make me wonder if I could help. I love to cook. I don't claim to be an expert, but I can handle myself with a set of knives. And I love to teach. To teach someone to enjoy cooking is a lot of fun for me. I think it's sad that families don't eat together anymore, or if they do it's often either at a restaurant with a playground, takeout brought home in boxes and bags, or something from the freezer with ingredients you can't pronounce.
The media has also played a role in my adventure into blogland. Watching the news lately I find myself disturbed by what Brian and I like to call "Fat America Syndrome" or FAS for short. It's too easy to eat fast food and processed junk, especially if you are clueless in the kitchen. And as I get older I find that I'm in danger of getting lazy and falling prey to FAS, I realize that I need to do something about it now, before all the bad things become a habit. Don't get me wrong, I love pizza and french fries as much as anyone, but moderation is the key, a key that many Americans seem to have lost.
I love to watch cooking shows, when I can. I love to read cookbooks (I know, I'm a nerd) and cooking magazines. But many of those recipes are so out of reach for the normal person. As fantastic as a recipe may look and sound, I'm not going to go out and buy a cartful of obscure ingredients to use in one recipe. Chances are I'll use it once, and then the rest of the package will sit on a shelf for months, until I find it unrecognizable in the back of the fridge. I really struggle with this. With just Brian and me, I have to plan menus carefully. We don't want to eat spaghetti every day, but I also don't want to be wasteful, and it's hard to buy or cook for just two. The key, I have learned, is planning a week of meals that use common ingredients.
So here's the goal: to post recipes that are healthy, relatively inexpensive, and taste good. Also, to organize those recipes so that you can use common ingredients and not get bored. And, to give little lessons on kitchen procedures that many people don't know, simply from lack of practice. As cheesy as it is, I really believe the kitchen is the heart of the home, and getting more people cooking would be a good thing. Maybe more families will eat at the table together, or sisters will bond while washing the dishes together, or maybe you'll just learn an easy way to chop an onion.
So let me know what you think...What kitchen tips do you have? What would you like to learn? What recipes do your families love?
And then I started thinking about food. (Honestly, food is never very far from my mind. I like to eat every two hours or so!) Over the years I have met enough people who are completely clueless in the kitchen to make me wonder if I could help. I love to cook. I don't claim to be an expert, but I can handle myself with a set of knives. And I love to teach. To teach someone to enjoy cooking is a lot of fun for me. I think it's sad that families don't eat together anymore, or if they do it's often either at a restaurant with a playground, takeout brought home in boxes and bags, or something from the freezer with ingredients you can't pronounce.
The media has also played a role in my adventure into blogland. Watching the news lately I find myself disturbed by what Brian and I like to call "Fat America Syndrome" or FAS for short. It's too easy to eat fast food and processed junk, especially if you are clueless in the kitchen. And as I get older I find that I'm in danger of getting lazy and falling prey to FAS, I realize that I need to do something about it now, before all the bad things become a habit. Don't get me wrong, I love pizza and french fries as much as anyone, but moderation is the key, a key that many Americans seem to have lost.
I love to watch cooking shows, when I can. I love to read cookbooks (I know, I'm a nerd) and cooking magazines. But many of those recipes are so out of reach for the normal person. As fantastic as a recipe may look and sound, I'm not going to go out and buy a cartful of obscure ingredients to use in one recipe. Chances are I'll use it once, and then the rest of the package will sit on a shelf for months, until I find it unrecognizable in the back of the fridge. I really struggle with this. With just Brian and me, I have to plan menus carefully. We don't want to eat spaghetti every day, but I also don't want to be wasteful, and it's hard to buy or cook for just two. The key, I have learned, is planning a week of meals that use common ingredients.
So here's the goal: to post recipes that are healthy, relatively inexpensive, and taste good. Also, to organize those recipes so that you can use common ingredients and not get bored. And, to give little lessons on kitchen procedures that many people don't know, simply from lack of practice. As cheesy as it is, I really believe the kitchen is the heart of the home, and getting more people cooking would be a good thing. Maybe more families will eat at the table together, or sisters will bond while washing the dishes together, or maybe you'll just learn an easy way to chop an onion.
So let me know what you think...What kitchen tips do you have? What would you like to learn? What recipes do your families love?
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
A Kitchen Adventure
Tonight my husband came up with a great quote for my blog -- "I don't want to be racist, but do they make a brown rice cooker?"
We are in the midst of a kitchen adventure. Since we didn't really have a plan for dinner tonight, Brian said he would make dinner. I love it when he cooks. However, it usually involves a crockpot, maybe a little too much cajun seasoning, and takes at least two hours longer than I want.
Tonight we did not opt for the crockpot, which is great since it means I won't have to eat the same leftovers for a week. It's hard for just the two of us to each a whole crockpot worth of gumbo, as much as I love it. Still, our meal did involve rice. And therein lies the crisis. I can usually handle myself in the kitchen, but rice is my white whale. I have been struggling to properly cook rice for as long as I've been cooking. My rice is always undercooked or burned or takes three hours. I know, I know, I should buy a rice cooker, but it just feels like cheating. People have been cooking rice for centuries without that fancy countertop gadget, why can't I? But after years and years of fighting this whale, I think it's time to give in. But does a rice cooker work for brown rice? I'll let you know what I discover.
We are in the midst of a kitchen adventure. Since we didn't really have a plan for dinner tonight, Brian said he would make dinner. I love it when he cooks. However, it usually involves a crockpot, maybe a little too much cajun seasoning, and takes at least two hours longer than I want.
Tonight we did not opt for the crockpot, which is great since it means I won't have to eat the same leftovers for a week. It's hard for just the two of us to each a whole crockpot worth of gumbo, as much as I love it. Still, our meal did involve rice. And therein lies the crisis. I can usually handle myself in the kitchen, but rice is my white whale. I have been struggling to properly cook rice for as long as I've been cooking. My rice is always undercooked or burned or takes three hours. I know, I know, I should buy a rice cooker, but it just feels like cheating. People have been cooking rice for centuries without that fancy countertop gadget, why can't I? But after years and years of fighting this whale, I think it's time to give in. But does a rice cooker work for brown rice? I'll let you know what I discover.
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