Today was the maiden voyage of the slow cooker and, as predicted, I made way too much chili. Looks like two lunches next week will be chili and I will have to force the boyfriend to eat more chili! Considering there is leftover corn bread, I don't think he will complain too much.
What recipe did I use? Well, I used the patented "Merry has a bunch of ingredients so she's going to toss them into the pot with some spices and see what happens" recipe for chili.
For those who want measurements, I'll break it down.
Chili!
Warning: I have a 7 quart crock pot and this almost filled it. If you want to feed a lot of people, this is good. If not, you should do what I should have done and use half portions.
1 lb ground turkey- trying to eat healthier
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil to get the turkey going
1 medium onion
2 bell peppers- whatever colors you like- I used orange and red because I had it in the fridge
2 28 oz cans whole tomatoes, hand crushed in a bowl... it's fun. If you're looking for something for the kids to do....
2 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained. Mine happened to be organic because that's what was at the store.
1 T dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin- I don't really like cumin but to me it isn't Mexican flavor if I don't use it. It's potent stuff though so for me a little goes a long way. Really add it to whatever taste you like.
Plenty of salt and pepper
Some water, as needed.
Note: I don't like spicy. Well, I like it more than I used to. But I don't like red chilli flake on everything. If you want to bump up the capsasin factor, add in some hot sauce or red chilli flakes.
First thing's first, I like to cook whatever meat I'm using before adding it to the crock pot. You get that nice flavor and it's easier to break up in the pan. Toss in the olive oil and the turkey or whatever meat you're using and let it brown up, seasoned with salt and pepper, of course. Add in the garlic about halfway through.
Note: You can use whatever meat you like. But if you're using ground meat, keep an eye on how much fat drips out of it. I have had sloppy joes cooked with fatty ground meat and the fat wasn't drained out and it was hard to eat. If you aren't using 90% lean, keep an eye on it and drain as necessary. Some fat is always good for flavor but excess is... well... excess.
While your meat is browning up, cut up your peppers and onion into nice, big dices. If you want your chili soupier, cut them up smaller. I like it big so I cut it as such. As Nadia G. of Bitchin' Kitchen says, "Schkoff the lot in the pot."
From this point on, it's all about dropping it in the pot. Put in the tomatoes, beans, cumin and oregano in the pot. The chili needs some water to get it going. If it's too dry and looks like a pile of stuff with no liquid, add in the liquid. At the very least, I like to rinse out the tomato cans and put the vaguely tomatoey water in with everything. Give it a good stir and set the pot to low if you're leaving for the day. I started mine late so I bumped it up to high all afternoon. This was around 2 and we ate around 6. So four hours on high or all day on low. If it doesn't look like it's coming along and you have some time when you get home, bump it up to high. I have definitely done that.
A note about the ceramic inserts... This is my second crock pot. The first one had a mishap. See, I was trying to make chili and I wanted to set it in the morning without doing any work. So I cut up everything and tossed it in the fridge overnight...
I cooked the chili the next day and it was fine... except that the ceramic liner had cracked. I had forgotten that cold hard things like ceramic don't like getting hot fast.... I couldn't find a new liner and tossed the whole crock pot. It was only a 15 dollar pot but still... felt pretty bad about it....
My advice? If you cook your meat first, I wouldn't have a problem if the premade mix sat on your counter overnight. I'm from the old school "I can bend what the FDA has to say for the sake of good food" philosophy. So 8 hours of cooked food sitting on my counter when I'm going to slow cook it and boil it away the next day is fine by me.
Serving options? I like lots of cheese. I added in probably much much more than I should have. But cheese is delicious. I also picked up a box of corn bread and it was delicious. It was a surprise to open the bag and find actual bits of corn in it. But it was pretty awesome.
So what's up for the new year for Merry's Kitchen?
I'll be starting off the new year with a new, authentic cuisine. The dish? Chicken with Caramelized Baby Onions and Honey from Claudia Roden's Arabesque (Knopf, 2008). The boyfriend bought me this book for our anniversary last year and it is full of recipes from Morocco, Lebanon and Turkey. This particular recipe is from Morocco and is filled with sweet and savory influences. I'm very excited and bought my first vial of saffron (6 bucks for .7 grams of the stuff) and am very very very excited to try it out! It will be served with a side of couscous and some vegetable. I'm still trying to figure out what vegetable it will be, but it will be simple to complement the strong flavors of onion (shallot, actually), cinnamon and honey.
Can you tell I'm really excited?
I'm hoping to try more recipes and get more adventurous in the kitchen and try new flavors and techniques. I believe my New Years Resolution is "To be more fabulous." Food, fitness, life... sounds good.
Unless something amazing happens in my culinary world tomorrow, I'll see you all on the other side!
30 December 2010
25 December 2010
Merry Christmas!
The presents have been ripped open, I have gone to visit everyone and I have come back with my bounty and now I have a chance to sit down and write about it.
Apparently my family has caught on to my love for cooking and I have noticed a trend.
For example, last year, my mom bought me a Sunbeam stand mixer. The year before hand she got me a nice set of carbon steel knives, some mixing bowls and some nice wooden cutting boards. Last year, my boyfriend's mom got me a square cupcake tin. Last year my older sister got me the Martha Stewart cupcake book. I call this awesome.
This year, let's talk about books first. My older sister got me another cupcake book called Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. Whereas the Martha Stewart cupcake book deals more with recipes and subsequent decoration and display, Hello, Cupcake! deals more with the art of cupcake decorating. While I haven't read through it all the way, the techniques seem really simple but the construction seems complex. I will definitely have to experiment more.
My second gift from my older sister is probably going to be some of my favorite reading. What did she get me? Good Eats: The Early Years. I read the intro and the interview Alton Brown did... with himself. Oh yeah. I'm really excited about it.
And did I mention that my mom found 8 Good Eats DVDs from 2003? Yeah. I'm going to be swimming in Alton factoids. It's a Good Eats Christmas.
But let's talk about hardware, as AB would say.
Last night, I knew I was getting it but I forgot about it as I was opening it. Ben's mom got me a 7 quart Crock Pot... TM. It's huge. Says on the box it can feed up to 9 people. Pretty interesting since there's only two of us but hey, I'm all about setting something in the morning and then having a good meal ready when I get home.
And from my mom? A really nice Kitchen Aid blender. Before this morning, I had a pretty crappy 15 dollar Ostler blender that gets stuck all the time. I call that sadness. This one is pretty awesome. And I'm really happy about it. More smoothies and purees and soups and blender sorbets for meeeee!!!!! And anyone who comes over. Oooh, I can make frozen booze.... SO MANY POSSIBILITIES!!!!
So I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to my three or four followers who probably have better things to do than I, sitting on my couch, next to my boyfriend, watching Mythbusters and generally chillaxing at the end of this phase of the holidays.
Happy Holidays from Merry's Kitchen!
Apparently my family has caught on to my love for cooking and I have noticed a trend.
For example, last year, my mom bought me a Sunbeam stand mixer. The year before hand she got me a nice set of carbon steel knives, some mixing bowls and some nice wooden cutting boards. Last year, my boyfriend's mom got me a square cupcake tin. Last year my older sister got me the Martha Stewart cupcake book. I call this awesome.
This year, let's talk about books first. My older sister got me another cupcake book called Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. Whereas the Martha Stewart cupcake book deals more with recipes and subsequent decoration and display, Hello, Cupcake! deals more with the art of cupcake decorating. While I haven't read through it all the way, the techniques seem really simple but the construction seems complex. I will definitely have to experiment more.
My second gift from my older sister is probably going to be some of my favorite reading. What did she get me? Good Eats: The Early Years. I read the intro and the interview Alton Brown did... with himself. Oh yeah. I'm really excited about it.
And did I mention that my mom found 8 Good Eats DVDs from 2003? Yeah. I'm going to be swimming in Alton factoids. It's a Good Eats Christmas.
But let's talk about hardware, as AB would say.
Last night, I knew I was getting it but I forgot about it as I was opening it. Ben's mom got me a 7 quart Crock Pot... TM. It's huge. Says on the box it can feed up to 9 people. Pretty interesting since there's only two of us but hey, I'm all about setting something in the morning and then having a good meal ready when I get home.
And from my mom? A really nice Kitchen Aid blender. Before this morning, I had a pretty crappy 15 dollar Ostler blender that gets stuck all the time. I call that sadness. This one is pretty awesome. And I'm really happy about it. More smoothies and purees and soups and blender sorbets for meeeee!!!!! And anyone who comes over. Oooh, I can make frozen booze.... SO MANY POSSIBILITIES!!!!
So I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to my three or four followers who probably have better things to do than I, sitting on my couch, next to my boyfriend, watching Mythbusters and generally chillaxing at the end of this phase of the holidays.
Happy Holidays from Merry's Kitchen!
19 December 2010
It's Soup!
So yesterday I covered stocks. Now that we have our handy stock (of your choice) on hand, we can build our soup. Let's work on a tortellini soup.
Tortellini soup is something I learned from my friend Nedra, the queen of throwing things together and making dinner. It's great for colds and a quick dinner.
As I said earlier, browing = flavor. It's why marshmallows taste better when they're toasted. Most everything has some sort of sugar in it. Browning is the burning of those natural sugars. Nom nom nom.
So what do we brown? There are a couple of options here.
Your absolute basic base for a soup is carrot, celery and onion. That's what we call a Mirepoix. Swap out the carrot for green bell pepper and you have the Cajun Trinity. It all really depends on your taste and what you're going for.
For argument's sake, let's start with the mirepoix. Quick tip: I find that I don't use a whole heart of celery or a whole bag of carrots. We aren't really raw veggie people in my apartment. And I don't like wasting the money just because it's more cost effective to get a whole bag of each. My solution is to buy pre cut snack carrot and celery sticks. As I said, I know that buying the whole celery and the bag of carrots is cheaper per pound and that there's no shame in cutting it by myself. But isn't it more wasteful to spend 4 bucks and throw most of it away or spend 3 bucks and use the whole container? It's your call but until I have to make bigger pots of soup, I'm going with the pre cut container.
Once you have your mirepoix, toss it in a pot with some oil. Season with salt and pepper. This is where I add in my dry herbs. Dry herbs still have lovely essential oils and have a longer shelf life so I always have some on hand. The oils work best with other oils so this is the best time to toss it in when most of the liquid in the pot is oil. This is also when you want to add some garlic. The cold veggies will keep it from burning.
Now add your stock. I have used either beef or chicken. It's your call based on whatever you have on hand. Boil until the carrots are nice and soft. I always work based off the carrots since they take the longest to cook.
Now add your tortellini and boil until the tortellini is cooked. Use whatever tortellini you have on hand. I like the dry cheese stuff myself. If you're using the dry stuff, boil it for about half the cook time. Once the timer goes off, cut the heat and set the timer for the remainder of the cook time. The pasta will still cook in there without the heat. Why did I suggest this? Because boiling soup is not tasty. If you cut the heat, it will be cool enough to eat once you're done.
Top with some parmesan and call it soup!
I have a bunch more soup recipes for all y'all so stay tuned this winter and I'll share some with you. I'll hopefully be getting a crock pot for christmas so I can't wait to share those recipes with you.
Happy eating!
Tortellini soup is something I learned from my friend Nedra, the queen of throwing things together and making dinner. It's great for colds and a quick dinner.
As I said earlier, browing = flavor. It's why marshmallows taste better when they're toasted. Most everything has some sort of sugar in it. Browning is the burning of those natural sugars. Nom nom nom.
So what do we brown? There are a couple of options here.
Your absolute basic base for a soup is carrot, celery and onion. That's what we call a Mirepoix. Swap out the carrot for green bell pepper and you have the Cajun Trinity. It all really depends on your taste and what you're going for.
For argument's sake, let's start with the mirepoix. Quick tip: I find that I don't use a whole heart of celery or a whole bag of carrots. We aren't really raw veggie people in my apartment. And I don't like wasting the money just because it's more cost effective to get a whole bag of each. My solution is to buy pre cut snack carrot and celery sticks. As I said, I know that buying the whole celery and the bag of carrots is cheaper per pound and that there's no shame in cutting it by myself. But isn't it more wasteful to spend 4 bucks and throw most of it away or spend 3 bucks and use the whole container? It's your call but until I have to make bigger pots of soup, I'm going with the pre cut container.
Once you have your mirepoix, toss it in a pot with some oil. Season with salt and pepper. This is where I add in my dry herbs. Dry herbs still have lovely essential oils and have a longer shelf life so I always have some on hand. The oils work best with other oils so this is the best time to toss it in when most of the liquid in the pot is oil. This is also when you want to add some garlic. The cold veggies will keep it from burning.
Now add your stock. I have used either beef or chicken. It's your call based on whatever you have on hand. Boil until the carrots are nice and soft. I always work based off the carrots since they take the longest to cook.
Now add your tortellini and boil until the tortellini is cooked. Use whatever tortellini you have on hand. I like the dry cheese stuff myself. If you're using the dry stuff, boil it for about half the cook time. Once the timer goes off, cut the heat and set the timer for the remainder of the cook time. The pasta will still cook in there without the heat. Why did I suggest this? Because boiling soup is not tasty. If you cut the heat, it will be cool enough to eat once you're done.
Top with some parmesan and call it soup!
I have a bunch more soup recipes for all y'all so stay tuned this winter and I'll share some with you. I'll hopefully be getting a crock pot for christmas so I can't wait to share those recipes with you.
Happy eating!
18 December 2010
Stock Options
When it's winter, I go with soup. You really can't go wrong with soup. It's low calorie, simple to make and warms you up when it's cold outside.
And what's the basis for soup? Liquid. Stocks, mostly. There's also broth. But what's the difference?
The difference between stock and broth is how you treat what you're boiling. A stock involves browning the meat and veggies, adding herbs and spices. A broth is simply the veggies and the meat. Most people use stock. Browning= flavor. Remember that.
Me? I like stocks. Most people do. But what choices to make? There's stock, broth, boullion, home made, store bought... the list goes on.
Obviously, home made stock is the best. Here's how you make it. Be warned, I've never done this.
To make a stock, you take whatever vegetables or meats you want the essence of- chicken, beef, whatever. Let's say a chicken for a good example. Take a chicken, hack it up- the flavor is in the bones so make sure to expose them and cut through them. Nadia G of Bitchin Kitchen (my new favorite cooking show) suggests asking your butcher for leftover chicken bones for extra flavor. You brown it if you're making stock, add veggies and herbs and all of that varies from taste to taste, recipe to recipe. Then you add water to cover and simmer it forever. Then strain everything out and you're left with a nice broth full of goodness.
Word to the wise- whatever meat you just simmered is now pretty much useless. Whatever flavor the meat had is now in the water. Discard it. Use fresh meat.
But I work, coach middle school boys and volunteer. And I'm lazy when I'm not doing those things. So to the store it is!
Boxes, cans, cubes, packets...? Okay, I see that more help is needed.
Cans are great for specific recipes when you know you're going to be using the whole thing. Boxes are handy because they're resealable. As you can imagine, it makes cooking a lot easier and with a lot less waste. Boxes typically give you 4 cups worth of stock. So if you're making risotto just for yourself, you aren't wasting anything.
But I'm even lazier! I don't buy boxed or canned stocks. I like boullion cubes. Boullion cubes is basically stock super concentrated into a solid. Add water and one cube gives you one cup of stock. And each container has about 24 cubes. And they have a ridiculous shelf life. Need stock? Boil water, add cubes. It's how I roll.
A similar product available at my grocery store are concentrated stock packets. Same thing, really.
Then there's the whole sodium issue. Most all stocks and broths have reduced sodium varieties. A lot of people like to work with them because then they can control the salt content. I'm lazy and I like salt personally. I also don't have heart problems. Use your own judgement call on that one.
I'll be doing a post on soup soon to follow up this post. I have a few recipes I'm excited to share!
Any questions? Email me at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
Keep on cooking!
And what's the basis for soup? Liquid. Stocks, mostly. There's also broth. But what's the difference?
The difference between stock and broth is how you treat what you're boiling. A stock involves browning the meat and veggies, adding herbs and spices. A broth is simply the veggies and the meat. Most people use stock. Browning= flavor. Remember that.
Me? I like stocks. Most people do. But what choices to make? There's stock, broth, boullion, home made, store bought... the list goes on.
Obviously, home made stock is the best. Here's how you make it. Be warned, I've never done this.
To make a stock, you take whatever vegetables or meats you want the essence of- chicken, beef, whatever. Let's say a chicken for a good example. Take a chicken, hack it up- the flavor is in the bones so make sure to expose them and cut through them. Nadia G of Bitchin Kitchen (my new favorite cooking show) suggests asking your butcher for leftover chicken bones for extra flavor. You brown it if you're making stock, add veggies and herbs and all of that varies from taste to taste, recipe to recipe. Then you add water to cover and simmer it forever. Then strain everything out and you're left with a nice broth full of goodness.
Word to the wise- whatever meat you just simmered is now pretty much useless. Whatever flavor the meat had is now in the water. Discard it. Use fresh meat.
But I work, coach middle school boys and volunteer. And I'm lazy when I'm not doing those things. So to the store it is!
Boxes, cans, cubes, packets...? Okay, I see that more help is needed.
Cans are great for specific recipes when you know you're going to be using the whole thing. Boxes are handy because they're resealable. As you can imagine, it makes cooking a lot easier and with a lot less waste. Boxes typically give you 4 cups worth of stock. So if you're making risotto just for yourself, you aren't wasting anything.
But I'm even lazier! I don't buy boxed or canned stocks. I like boullion cubes. Boullion cubes is basically stock super concentrated into a solid. Add water and one cube gives you one cup of stock. And each container has about 24 cubes. And they have a ridiculous shelf life. Need stock? Boil water, add cubes. It's how I roll.
A similar product available at my grocery store are concentrated stock packets. Same thing, really.
Then there's the whole sodium issue. Most all stocks and broths have reduced sodium varieties. A lot of people like to work with them because then they can control the salt content. I'm lazy and I like salt personally. I also don't have heart problems. Use your own judgement call on that one.
I'll be doing a post on soup soon to follow up this post. I have a few recipes I'm excited to share!
Any questions? Email me at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
Keep on cooking!
11 December 2010
Cilantro
What is cilantro and why am I posting about it? All will be revealed.
Cilantro is a green herb that looks a lot like flat leaf parsley. It's used a lot in Mexican, Thai and Indian food. The coriander seed grows from this plant. In fact, the leaves are often called coriander as well in Britain as far as I can tell.
For most people it tastes like a generic green herb, again, just like parsley.
Note I said "for most people." To me, it does not taste so.
It tastes like soap.
Yes, that's right, it tastes like soap. Need an illustration? An anecdote then.
Around the age of 12, my family started discovering mexican food. So we started taking trips to Don Pablos where you get a complimentary bowl of chips and salsa. Sweet. Wonderful. Great.
Well I dig into it and keep getting this flavor of soap. I'm asking everyone at the table if they cleaned out the bowls right. My mother says it tastes fine, stop worrying about it. But the flavor persisted. No one had an answer. So I learned to stay away from the salsa.
It was only just before college when I learned what was going on.
According to an NPR article, the answer is either super taste or under smell. In super tasters, they can taste bitter stronger than everyone else. In under smellers, they can't smell the good aromas of cilantro before the bad bits kick in. In truth, it's all in your genetics. My youngest sister has the same feeling about cilantro that I do with the same comment of "The salsa at Don Pablos tastes like soap." I can even smell it in the grocery store. Yuck.
So I stay away from places that use fresh cilantro which limits my dining choices. I tend to stick to fajitas, quesadillas and Taco Bell. No burritos for me. I'm okay with it. It's my burden.
But what gets me riled is Bobby Flay. I don't like him to begin with but a little while ago I was watching one of his shows because he was on and I had nothing to do. He chopped up a huge bunch of cilantro, like he does, and started talking about it. He importuned the audience to give it a shot. "Even if you've had a bad experience with it in the past, give it a try. It's a cool herb and you might like it."
You can't try genetics over again.
Cilantro rant done. :)
Do you have any comments on cilantro? Cooking? An undying dislike for Bobby Flay? Send me an email at merryskitchen@gmail.com.
Until next time!
Cilantro is a green herb that looks a lot like flat leaf parsley. It's used a lot in Mexican, Thai and Indian food. The coriander seed grows from this plant. In fact, the leaves are often called coriander as well in Britain as far as I can tell.
For most people it tastes like a generic green herb, again, just like parsley.
Note I said "for most people." To me, it does not taste so.
It tastes like soap.
Yes, that's right, it tastes like soap. Need an illustration? An anecdote then.
Around the age of 12, my family started discovering mexican food. So we started taking trips to Don Pablos where you get a complimentary bowl of chips and salsa. Sweet. Wonderful. Great.
Well I dig into it and keep getting this flavor of soap. I'm asking everyone at the table if they cleaned out the bowls right. My mother says it tastes fine, stop worrying about it. But the flavor persisted. No one had an answer. So I learned to stay away from the salsa.
It was only just before college when I learned what was going on.
According to an NPR article, the answer is either super taste or under smell. In super tasters, they can taste bitter stronger than everyone else. In under smellers, they can't smell the good aromas of cilantro before the bad bits kick in. In truth, it's all in your genetics. My youngest sister has the same feeling about cilantro that I do with the same comment of "The salsa at Don Pablos tastes like soap." I can even smell it in the grocery store. Yuck.
So I stay away from places that use fresh cilantro which limits my dining choices. I tend to stick to fajitas, quesadillas and Taco Bell. No burritos for me. I'm okay with it. It's my burden.
But what gets me riled is Bobby Flay. I don't like him to begin with but a little while ago I was watching one of his shows because he was on and I had nothing to do. He chopped up a huge bunch of cilantro, like he does, and started talking about it. He importuned the audience to give it a shot. "Even if you've had a bad experience with it in the past, give it a try. It's a cool herb and you might like it."
You can't try genetics over again.
Cilantro rant done. :)
Do you have any comments on cilantro? Cooking? An undying dislike for Bobby Flay? Send me an email at merryskitchen@gmail.com.
Until next time!
26 November 2010
Leftovers!
So I was thinking this morning about leftovers and I have a couple ideas for you.
Personally, I don't like leftovers. The whole food that's supposed to be hot being cold in my fridge after it was cooked thing turns me off. And the whole transfer of the cold food to a heating vessel bound for the microwave thing isn't nice either. Or the smell. Ugh. A lot of reasons.
But reusing them and making them something new is something I can deal with. For example...
Mashed Potato Pancakes
~2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese... or more... I like cheese. Add more. :D
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
Seasoning of your choice- I did salt, pepper, season salt and oregano.
Mix all the ingredients together. Heat up a couple tablespoons of your fat of choice (I use olive oil) in a skillet. Grab yourself an ice cream scoop and start dishing out the pancakes. Fry them until they're nice and crispy on side one. Flip them and then squish them into a nice flat disk. Or if you want to get messy, just make them a disk in the first place. If you go with the ball and squish method, flip them again once the other side is nice and crispy. Enjoy!
I just made up a batch of them for an early dinner/afternoon snack. Nom.
My plan for dinner tomorrow is...
Turkey Pot Pie... of course
1 cup leftover turkey
Leftover veggies- I have corn and about 1 1/2 cups left
3/4 c. diced onions- I have some pre chopped in the freezer
3/4 c. diced celery- I have some left over from the turkey yesterday
Chicken stock
Flour
Olive Oil
Premade pie crust
I'm making mine a little roughly, like any good cook does. Here's about how I'm going to make it.
Saute the onions and celery in a nice skillet. When they're nice and translucent, add in the turkey and the corn to heat them through and get a nice brown flavor on it.
In another pot, heat up about a tablespoon of oil and mix in the flour to make our lovely friend the roux. Add in about a cup of chicken stock to make the gravy filling of delicious.
Note: I have green bean casserole in the fridge as well. You could actually add that in there if you like. the salty deliciousness that we love it for will give a nice depth of flavor and only add to the tasty. Something to think about. Just toss it in with the gravy to heat it up.
Then take out a pie pan and the premade crust. There is one thing that a lot of people will agree- some things are important to make yourself. Some things are not. Puff pastry and pie crust are on that list. They're a lot of effort and hard to get right. So save yourself some time and just buy it. I happen to have a leftover pie crust sitting in the fridge from a pie I made. I'll let it thaw according to the directions on the package. Since I only have one pie shell, I'll just top it with the crust. I'm okay with that. Another option if you're looking to cut calories like I should be doung (cough) is Filo dough. Use a few layers with some fat in between. I also have some of that in the freezer. But that isn't already mostly thawed. So pie crust it is.
At this point you're just baking the pie crust. Mix the filling together in the skillet and toss in the pie dish. Then toss that crust on top and bake until golden, according to the directions on the box.
So those are leftovers Merry style. I hope they help make a dent in that stack in the fridge. :D
Personally, I don't like leftovers. The whole food that's supposed to be hot being cold in my fridge after it was cooked thing turns me off. And the whole transfer of the cold food to a heating vessel bound for the microwave thing isn't nice either. Or the smell. Ugh. A lot of reasons.
But reusing them and making them something new is something I can deal with. For example...
Mashed Potato Pancakes
~2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese... or more... I like cheese. Add more. :D
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
Seasoning of your choice- I did salt, pepper, season salt and oregano.
Mix all the ingredients together. Heat up a couple tablespoons of your fat of choice (I use olive oil) in a skillet. Grab yourself an ice cream scoop and start dishing out the pancakes. Fry them until they're nice and crispy on side one. Flip them and then squish them into a nice flat disk. Or if you want to get messy, just make them a disk in the first place. If you go with the ball and squish method, flip them again once the other side is nice and crispy. Enjoy!
I just made up a batch of them for an early dinner/afternoon snack. Nom.
My plan for dinner tomorrow is...
Turkey Pot Pie... of course
1 cup leftover turkey
Leftover veggies- I have corn and about 1 1/2 cups left
3/4 c. diced onions- I have some pre chopped in the freezer
3/4 c. diced celery- I have some left over from the turkey yesterday
Chicken stock
Flour
Olive Oil
Premade pie crust
I'm making mine a little roughly, like any good cook does. Here's about how I'm going to make it.
Saute the onions and celery in a nice skillet. When they're nice and translucent, add in the turkey and the corn to heat them through and get a nice brown flavor on it.
In another pot, heat up about a tablespoon of oil and mix in the flour to make our lovely friend the roux. Add in about a cup of chicken stock to make the gravy filling of delicious.
Note: I have green bean casserole in the fridge as well. You could actually add that in there if you like. the salty deliciousness that we love it for will give a nice depth of flavor and only add to the tasty. Something to think about. Just toss it in with the gravy to heat it up.
Then take out a pie pan and the premade crust. There is one thing that a lot of people will agree- some things are important to make yourself. Some things are not. Puff pastry and pie crust are on that list. They're a lot of effort and hard to get right. So save yourself some time and just buy it. I happen to have a leftover pie crust sitting in the fridge from a pie I made. I'll let it thaw according to the directions on the package. Since I only have one pie shell, I'll just top it with the crust. I'm okay with that. Another option if you're looking to cut calories like I should be doung (cough) is Filo dough. Use a few layers with some fat in between. I also have some of that in the freezer. But that isn't already mostly thawed. So pie crust it is.
At this point you're just baking the pie crust. Mix the filling together in the skillet and toss in the pie dish. Then toss that crust on top and bake until golden, according to the directions on the box.
So those are leftovers Merry style. I hope they help make a dent in that stack in the fridge. :D
15 November 2010
Pie
Arguably, the best thing about Thanksgiving is pie.
Okay, probably not the best (that spot is reserved for Stove Top stuffing), but a definite plus.
For me, pies have to be easy. Want an anecdote? I knew you did.
Last year, for Thanksgiving, the boyfriend wanted a pumpkin pie. Contrary to American popular tradition, I have never had pumpkin pie. Ever. So I thought "How hard can it be?" and I made one.
As anecdotes always go, it didn't end well. It kind of gelled in the middle and separated from the crust... it was pumpkin sadness. Only one obligatory slice was eaten.
SO, I go with graham cracker crust pies. And my favorite? French Silk. Rich, creamy and amazing. Want to know how to make it?
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar (regular granulated sugar, mind you)
3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted (microwave or double boiler)
2 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
1 crust (graham cracker or pastry, whatever you like. if it's a pastry, make sure to blind bake it first because this pie is not baked!)
Directions:
Cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy and the sugar has dissolved into the butter so it isn't gritty. This is important. If you don't do this, you will have a gritty filling. If you're into that thing, fine buuutttt.....
Slowly add the melted chocolate. Beat until it's all mixed and chocolatey.
Now add the eggs one at a time, waiting until the first one is fully incorporated. Now, these eggs are going to be raw. Nothing to be afraid of. Make sure they're fresh and, of course, if you know where they came from, even better. If not, only one egg in every 20,000 ends up contaminated. And you like raw cookie dough! You do. Don't lie to me or to yourself. :D
Oh, and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything's mixed. Then add the vanilla.
Once it's all mixed, put it in your pie crust and refridgerate until it's nice and hard.
Easy, no?
That wasn't easy enough for you? And you want the kids in the kitchen? Or you have a problem with machinery? I have just the pie for you.
The Super Simple Yogurt Pie Recipe! (dun-da-da-DAAAAAA!!!)
1 regular container of Cool Whip
1 regular container of yogurt- any flavor you like
1 graham cracker crust
Get a bowl. Put the Cool Whip in the bowl.
Get the yogurt. I like berry yogurts for this- strawberry and cherry are my favorites. It gives you a kind of berries and cream flavor. Just get one- about the size you'd regularly eat in the morning for breakfast- the regular store brand will do you find. Aaaaanyway, add the whole container to the bowl.
Mix them together and toss the mixture in the pie crust. Refridgerate. Look at that. Amazing.
So this was another pretty short post, but you got TWO recipes out of it! Two EASY recipes! Two easy DELICIOUS recipes. Win.
Okay, probably not the best (that spot is reserved for Stove Top stuffing), but a definite plus.
For me, pies have to be easy. Want an anecdote? I knew you did.
Last year, for Thanksgiving, the boyfriend wanted a pumpkin pie. Contrary to American popular tradition, I have never had pumpkin pie. Ever. So I thought "How hard can it be?" and I made one.
As anecdotes always go, it didn't end well. It kind of gelled in the middle and separated from the crust... it was pumpkin sadness. Only one obligatory slice was eaten.
SO, I go with graham cracker crust pies. And my favorite? French Silk. Rich, creamy and amazing. Want to know how to make it?
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar (regular granulated sugar, mind you)
3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted (microwave or double boiler)
2 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
1 crust (graham cracker or pastry, whatever you like. if it's a pastry, make sure to blind bake it first because this pie is not baked!)
Directions:
Cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy and the sugar has dissolved into the butter so it isn't gritty. This is important. If you don't do this, you will have a gritty filling. If you're into that thing, fine buuutttt.....
Slowly add the melted chocolate. Beat until it's all mixed and chocolatey.
Now add the eggs one at a time, waiting until the first one is fully incorporated. Now, these eggs are going to be raw. Nothing to be afraid of. Make sure they're fresh and, of course, if you know where they came from, even better. If not, only one egg in every 20,000 ends up contaminated. And you like raw cookie dough! You do. Don't lie to me or to yourself. :D
Oh, and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything's mixed. Then add the vanilla.
Once it's all mixed, put it in your pie crust and refridgerate until it's nice and hard.
Easy, no?
That wasn't easy enough for you? And you want the kids in the kitchen? Or you have a problem with machinery? I have just the pie for you.
The Super Simple Yogurt Pie Recipe! (dun-da-da-DAAAAAA!!!)
1 regular container of Cool Whip
1 regular container of yogurt- any flavor you like
1 graham cracker crust
Get a bowl. Put the Cool Whip in the bowl.
Get the yogurt. I like berry yogurts for this- strawberry and cherry are my favorites. It gives you a kind of berries and cream flavor. Just get one- about the size you'd regularly eat in the morning for breakfast- the regular store brand will do you find. Aaaaanyway, add the whole container to the bowl.
Mix them together and toss the mixture in the pie crust. Refridgerate. Look at that. Amazing.
So this was another pretty short post, but you got TWO recipes out of it! Two EASY recipes! Two easy DELICIOUS recipes. Win.
12 November 2010
Thanksgiving! Yaaaaaay!!!!
It's coming to be the holiday season and let me tell you, it's my second favorite season- the first being fall, of course.
But now we're coming onto the biggest foodie holiday of the year, THANKSGIVING. I got my meal planned and will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the third year in a row and I'm pretty excited! I love cooking... obviously... and this gives me a chance to really get down and dirty with my cooking.
Let's be honest, though, the most creative thing I'll be doing is the turkey. This is the one time of year that reinventing, particularly when cooking for my family, is strictly prohibited. I'll use the premade boxed stuff. I'll crack open that can of cranberry sauce from the cupboard. I'll make plain ole mashed potatoes.
Some things don't need to be reinvented. Not yet. Maybe when I have my own family unit with my own kids I'll get creative. But I probably won't. The thing I love about the holidays is that tradition and the expectation of something that no matter what diet I'm on or what's happened that DAMN IT, I'm getting that Stove Top stuffing and my brown and serve rolls.
At the moment, here's my menu:
Turkey- I'm thinking of putting a garlic head, some onions, celery, carrot, maybe a lemon and some fresh rosemary into the cavity and then coat it with olive oil, salt, pepper and some more fresh rosemary and maybe some thyme. I love those two herbs. Add oregano and it's the herb trifecta. :)
Ham- The boyfriend wanted ham last year and he wants it again this year. I figure a simple treatment of some maple syrup and dijon mustard sounds good to me.
Mashed potatoes- skin on, fully delicious butter, garlic and probably some heavy whipping cream filched from the pies. A whole blog about pies will probably be forthcoming.
Stuffing- Stove Top. Nothing beats it.
Broccoli- frozen and then cooked.
Corn- Pennsic corn- frozen corn fired up in a skillet with salt and pepper and butter. Delicious. It's called Pennsic corn because when you're camping, you don't have a microwave so my mom fried it up instead. DELICIOUS! We picked up the bag of corn the other day on the first trip around. The organic was the same as the conventional. My thought on the matter- if it costs the same, might as well. :)
Candied yams- Yep, the Bruce's from a can stuff. This year I'll use mini marshmallows. Why? I forgot last year that marshmallows puff when you cook them. It ended up in a smokey mess on the bottom of the oven. The whole apartment filled with smoke, I had someone stationed under the smoke alarm with a cookie sheet... it was bad. The actual dish didn't burn (which confused my youger sister) but it was still a mess.
Green bean casserole- I actually didn't grow up with this dish, believe it or not. I only had it for the first time when I made it last year. It's another item the boyfriend wanted so I thought "It's a Campbell's Soup recipe. It can't be that hard." And it isn't. I found it to be quite delicious and I figure I'll make it yet again!
Brown and Serve rolls- a staple for sopping up gravy. I'm apparently the only one in my family who loves gravy. I also apparently inherited some of my dad's southern tastebuds. One year I sat there at the end of the meal, pouring gravy onto my plate and sopping it up. My mom proceeded to laugh at me. "What?!" Yep, I was eating basically biscuits and gravy. So good. :D
Gravy- I bought a premixed packet. I don't know if I'm going to have the energy, gumption or stove space to make it from scratch using the drippings (I know, I know, especially after my last post on roux) but whatevs. If I'm the only one that eats it, I'm fiiiiiine with that.
Traditionally my family just had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then we starved until dinner around noon. The boyfriend wanted to do some entertaining last year with appetizers. I found it ridiculous but apparently everyone on Food Network does it. *shrug*
Last year we made a sweetened cream cheese stuffed strawberry (a Paula Deen recipe) and proscuitto and mozzarella cheese topped bagel chips. This was fine until I remembered that my dad doesn't like cheese. >< This year we're going to do a classic bruschetta- tomato, basil and olive oil on a baguette with parmesan cheese optional.
Another future post is going to have to be leftovers, I know. Let me think on it and I'll let you know what I come up with. :)
Happy eating!
But now we're coming onto the biggest foodie holiday of the year, THANKSGIVING. I got my meal planned and will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the third year in a row and I'm pretty excited! I love cooking... obviously... and this gives me a chance to really get down and dirty with my cooking.
Let's be honest, though, the most creative thing I'll be doing is the turkey. This is the one time of year that reinventing, particularly when cooking for my family, is strictly prohibited. I'll use the premade boxed stuff. I'll crack open that can of cranberry sauce from the cupboard. I'll make plain ole mashed potatoes.
Some things don't need to be reinvented. Not yet. Maybe when I have my own family unit with my own kids I'll get creative. But I probably won't. The thing I love about the holidays is that tradition and the expectation of something that no matter what diet I'm on or what's happened that DAMN IT, I'm getting that Stove Top stuffing and my brown and serve rolls.
At the moment, here's my menu:
Turkey- I'm thinking of putting a garlic head, some onions, celery, carrot, maybe a lemon and some fresh rosemary into the cavity and then coat it with olive oil, salt, pepper and some more fresh rosemary and maybe some thyme. I love those two herbs. Add oregano and it's the herb trifecta. :)
Ham- The boyfriend wanted ham last year and he wants it again this year. I figure a simple treatment of some maple syrup and dijon mustard sounds good to me.
Mashed potatoes- skin on, fully delicious butter, garlic and probably some heavy whipping cream filched from the pies. A whole blog about pies will probably be forthcoming.
Stuffing- Stove Top. Nothing beats it.
Broccoli- frozen and then cooked.
Corn- Pennsic corn- frozen corn fired up in a skillet with salt and pepper and butter. Delicious. It's called Pennsic corn because when you're camping, you don't have a microwave so my mom fried it up instead. DELICIOUS! We picked up the bag of corn the other day on the first trip around. The organic was the same as the conventional. My thought on the matter- if it costs the same, might as well. :)
Candied yams- Yep, the Bruce's from a can stuff. This year I'll use mini marshmallows. Why? I forgot last year that marshmallows puff when you cook them. It ended up in a smokey mess on the bottom of the oven. The whole apartment filled with smoke, I had someone stationed under the smoke alarm with a cookie sheet... it was bad. The actual dish didn't burn (which confused my youger sister) but it was still a mess.
Green bean casserole- I actually didn't grow up with this dish, believe it or not. I only had it for the first time when I made it last year. It's another item the boyfriend wanted so I thought "It's a Campbell's Soup recipe. It can't be that hard." And it isn't. I found it to be quite delicious and I figure I'll make it yet again!
Brown and Serve rolls- a staple for sopping up gravy. I'm apparently the only one in my family who loves gravy. I also apparently inherited some of my dad's southern tastebuds. One year I sat there at the end of the meal, pouring gravy onto my plate and sopping it up. My mom proceeded to laugh at me. "What?!" Yep, I was eating basically biscuits and gravy. So good. :D
Gravy- I bought a premixed packet. I don't know if I'm going to have the energy, gumption or stove space to make it from scratch using the drippings (I know, I know, especially after my last post on roux) but whatevs. If I'm the only one that eats it, I'm fiiiiiine with that.
Traditionally my family just had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then we starved until dinner around noon. The boyfriend wanted to do some entertaining last year with appetizers. I found it ridiculous but apparently everyone on Food Network does it. *shrug*
Last year we made a sweetened cream cheese stuffed strawberry (a Paula Deen recipe) and proscuitto and mozzarella cheese topped bagel chips. This was fine until I remembered that my dad doesn't like cheese. >< This year we're going to do a classic bruschetta- tomato, basil and olive oil on a baguette with parmesan cheese optional.
Another future post is going to have to be leftovers, I know. Let me think on it and I'll let you know what I come up with. :)
Happy eating!
05 November 2010
Roux
Let's talk roux.
What is a roux? A roux is a mixture of fat of some sort and flour whisked into a paste. This mixture can then be used as a thickening agent for various liquids. The fat absorbed into the starch allows it to plump up and thicken.
A couple of uses:
Bechamel sauce or a white sauce. Start with two tablespoons of butter. Melt it. Add in two tablespoons flour. Whisk. If you don't whisk a roux, it will taste like raw flour. Yuck. To make it a bechamel, add in milk (about 2 cups). Tadaaaaaa!!!! You have a bland white sauce! Add cheese and it makes a lovely cheese sauce for your mac and cheese.
Gravy. Start with the basic roux from above. Add stock. TADAAAAAA!!!! Gravy! You can do the same thing with your drippings at Thanksgiving. Substitute the butter for the fat that came off of your turkey then add the delicious juices. Noooooom nom nom nom nom. I like gravy.
The fat can be substituted with your favorite fat. I've made roux with olive oil before.
If it tightens up too much, add some water, more milk or more stock to loosen it up. If it gets too loose, cook it for a bit longer. If it still doesn't set up, you might have to start again. Sorry. Some things are unfixable.
There are different levels of the color you get on the roux. I said to cook it a little bit to get that flour flavor out. For most cooking, that's just fine. Cook it until it has a little bit of color. The longer you cook it, the darker it gets and they all have their uses, none of which I've tried. Alton talked about it in a cajun cooking episode. I'm not a huge fan of spicy or seafood so I don't know from experience. Best advice: Ask Alton.
This is a short one. I mean, it's fat and flour. Whisk it. Yep....
-Merry!
What is a roux? A roux is a mixture of fat of some sort and flour whisked into a paste. This mixture can then be used as a thickening agent for various liquids. The fat absorbed into the starch allows it to plump up and thicken.
A couple of uses:
Bechamel sauce or a white sauce. Start with two tablespoons of butter. Melt it. Add in two tablespoons flour. Whisk. If you don't whisk a roux, it will taste like raw flour. Yuck. To make it a bechamel, add in milk (about 2 cups). Tadaaaaaa!!!! You have a bland white sauce! Add cheese and it makes a lovely cheese sauce for your mac and cheese.
Gravy. Start with the basic roux from above. Add stock. TADAAAAAA!!!! Gravy! You can do the same thing with your drippings at Thanksgiving. Substitute the butter for the fat that came off of your turkey then add the delicious juices. Noooooom nom nom nom nom. I like gravy.
The fat can be substituted with your favorite fat. I've made roux with olive oil before.
If it tightens up too much, add some water, more milk or more stock to loosen it up. If it gets too loose, cook it for a bit longer. If it still doesn't set up, you might have to start again. Sorry. Some things are unfixable.
There are different levels of the color you get on the roux. I said to cook it a little bit to get that flour flavor out. For most cooking, that's just fine. Cook it until it has a little bit of color. The longer you cook it, the darker it gets and they all have their uses, none of which I've tried. Alton talked about it in a cajun cooking episode. I'm not a huge fan of spicy or seafood so I don't know from experience. Best advice: Ask Alton.
This is a short one. I mean, it's fat and flour. Whisk it. Yep....
-Merry!
04 November 2010
Mac and Cheese
I. Love. Mac and cheese.
I just made some for lunch. I also realized that this was my last box.
In memoriam of my last box on hand, I thought I'd post on my absolute favorite meal ever.
My love comes from the fact that I love cheese and I love pasta. The rectangular boxes were always cheap and on hand and ready, especially for my mom with 5 kids. Mac and cheese was actually the first thing I learned how to make back when I was about 10 years old. I love being able to cook something and not look at a recipe or instructions. Boil water, add pasta, cook it, drain it, add milk, add cheese, stir, consume.
Probably the thing I love most is the versatility of the dish. You can add most veggies you want to it and not ruin it. You can even boost the nutritional content of it by adding some simple ingredients.
My favorite mix in? You guessed it, frozen broccoli. I toss it in when I toss the pasta in. It all cooks together and nooooooom.
When I'm in the mood and I have it, I add some sort of meat- hot dogs or ham typically. I always cook the meat before I add it. Why? The textural difference between the crispy meat and the chewy pasta is one of my favorite things.
Mac and cheese with hot dogs and broccoli is pretty much the best thing ever.
My family sprinkles paprika on top. I have no idea why but I think my mom started doing it when I was little and if you ask me or my sisters, the only way to eat it is with paprika. It's a sweet spice that adds something to it. Not just for your deviled eggs, put it on your mac and cheese. It will change your world.
Of course, there's also a baked version that every family has its own version. My mom goes all the way- sharp sharp cheddar, butter and macaroni. I like using a colby jack mix to give it a nice melty texture with the nice sharp flavor as well. While visiting family in Tennessee, my grandma made it with spaghetti, american cheese and milk. If I'm in the mood, I'll do a legit bechamel sauce. That reminds me of a post I want to do soon.... Every family has their own variation. But I do love me the box stuff.
This post is strangely short. I mean, it's mac and cheese. What more is there to say?
Is there a way you like to eat mac and cheese? Your family recipe for mac and cheese? Let me know! Post in the comments or email me at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
Happy eating!
-Merry
I just made some for lunch. I also realized that this was my last box.
In memoriam of my last box on hand, I thought I'd post on my absolute favorite meal ever.
My love comes from the fact that I love cheese and I love pasta. The rectangular boxes were always cheap and on hand and ready, especially for my mom with 5 kids. Mac and cheese was actually the first thing I learned how to make back when I was about 10 years old. I love being able to cook something and not look at a recipe or instructions. Boil water, add pasta, cook it, drain it, add milk, add cheese, stir, consume.
Probably the thing I love most is the versatility of the dish. You can add most veggies you want to it and not ruin it. You can even boost the nutritional content of it by adding some simple ingredients.
My favorite mix in? You guessed it, frozen broccoli. I toss it in when I toss the pasta in. It all cooks together and nooooooom.
When I'm in the mood and I have it, I add some sort of meat- hot dogs or ham typically. I always cook the meat before I add it. Why? The textural difference between the crispy meat and the chewy pasta is one of my favorite things.
Mac and cheese with hot dogs and broccoli is pretty much the best thing ever.
My family sprinkles paprika on top. I have no idea why but I think my mom started doing it when I was little and if you ask me or my sisters, the only way to eat it is with paprika. It's a sweet spice that adds something to it. Not just for your deviled eggs, put it on your mac and cheese. It will change your world.
Of course, there's also a baked version that every family has its own version. My mom goes all the way- sharp sharp cheddar, butter and macaroni. I like using a colby jack mix to give it a nice melty texture with the nice sharp flavor as well. While visiting family in Tennessee, my grandma made it with spaghetti, american cheese and milk. If I'm in the mood, I'll do a legit bechamel sauce. That reminds me of a post I want to do soon.... Every family has their own variation. But I do love me the box stuff.
This post is strangely short. I mean, it's mac and cheese. What more is there to say?
Is there a way you like to eat mac and cheese? Your family recipe for mac and cheese? Let me know! Post in the comments or email me at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
Happy eating!
-Merry
03 November 2010
Meal Planning and What I had Tonight
So upon the suggestion of my only regular reader, I think I'll be posting my weekly menu up here and give updates on what I make and if we order out (which happens embarrassingly a lot).
I do my meal planning on Sunday usually during the day so I have time to go to the grocery store (read "Trader Joe's"). I usually have my meals planned in my head- things I want to eat, things I have time to make, etc.- but it is mostly contingent on what's going on in the week. I teach theater one day a week, the boyfriend is a musician with gigs galore and a full time teaching position so it makes planning a little hard.
My biggest advice for a busy household is casseroles. I know, I know, I'm not married and I don't have kids so I don't exactly know what it's all about but you try keeping after a boyfriend who has a tendency to forget his commitments and only one car between the two of you. It can be pretty hectic.
See, I like to cook. A lot. And some nights, after the risotto's made and the nightly routine is well under way, I want to cook some more! It's sick and twisted but true.
So, when I'm in the mood, have an hour or so to spare and want to do something, cooking it is.
If you're in a small household like me, a small (8x8) casserole dish makes the perfect amount for dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow for two and is easy to portion control.
When it comes to the meal day, I typically leave the casserole out in the morning when I head off to work and the instructions are always the same: "350 for at least half an hour." Boyfriend comes home, pops it in the oven and TADA, dinner is done when I get home! AND I have lunch for the next day. Life is good.
My meal plan for the week was:
Monday- Pasta with sauce- whole wheat, of course
Tuesday- Risotto- intended for two but ended up for one. Sadness.
Wednesday- Asian Noodles and pork dumplings - more below
Thursday- Cauliflower/Parmesan/Pancetta gratin- in the fridge waiting to be cooked
Friday- Three grain blend with mozzarella, herbs and broccoli- Hm. I need to make that.... YAY CASSEROLES!
Weekends are typically unplanned and end up being mac and cheese or eating out, depending on what's going on. For example, on Saturday, I have a party to go to and I'll eat there. Sunday is always a toss up and ends up in something simple or something ordered out.
Now, about tonight's dinner. I thought I'd share this clever use of leftovers.
I had been planning on Asian noodles and the dumplings- I bought the rice sticks a few weeks ago and bought the dumplings on Sunday to go with the noodles and veggies. I have a nice "Soyaki" sauce in the fridge (three guesses where it's from) and I've made it before, nom nom nom nom nom....
Last night, however, the boyfriend came home and hadn't eaten sometime around 8 at night, past my risotto making. So he ordered out and asked me if I wanted anything.
Now, I've been trying to eat healthier and lucky for me, our favorite chinese place has some healthy options. My favorite? Steamed broccoli with brown sauce on the side and white rice. Note: I'm lucky broccoli is my favorite vegetable. I don't drink milk- never liked the taste of the stuff. "Oh no, Merry! Where's your calcium coming from?!" Broccoli is a veggie high in calcium. Most veggies in the cabbage family are. I love most of them. There ya go. :)
Weeeeeellll anyway, since I had already eaten, I didn't eat the whole thing. Intending on saving it for tomorrow, I dumped the rest of the sauce on it and stuck it in the fridge.
You can see where this is going, can't you?
I cooked up the noodles (just like pasta), drained them, tossed it and the broccoli and the sauce into a skillet and heated the broccoli through! Dumplings were nuked to perfection and dinner was amazing.
My tip for using leftovers: Pair something high flavored with something flavorful with something neutral.
Like what I did tonight. I had the flavorful broccoli and sauce paired with the neutral flavored rice noodles. You'd pair leftover noodles with a sauce, right?
I was asked about rice the other day. Iiiiiiiiiiiiiii don't store cooked rice. I don't keep it. I toss it. Why?
I had to take a quick food safety course when I was in Scotland with my awesome chef Henry. He told us why. There is a bacteria in rice- Bacillus cereus- that is heat resistant. Boiling it doesn't kill it. Freezing it doesn't kill it. Archaeologists have dug up centuries old bowls of rice and the bacteria is still alive.
Properly cooking it and eating it right away is okay but if you're going to make a bunch of rice, here's my advice:
Store it within 4 hours
Throw it away if you don't eat it within 3 days
But my ultimate advice is: rice is cheap. Make new rice.
Sooooooo this post went on a pretty long tangent. I hope it was worth reading though! :D
Happy cooking!
-Merry
I do my meal planning on Sunday usually during the day so I have time to go to the grocery store (read "Trader Joe's"). I usually have my meals planned in my head- things I want to eat, things I have time to make, etc.- but it is mostly contingent on what's going on in the week. I teach theater one day a week, the boyfriend is a musician with gigs galore and a full time teaching position so it makes planning a little hard.
My biggest advice for a busy household is casseroles. I know, I know, I'm not married and I don't have kids so I don't exactly know what it's all about but you try keeping after a boyfriend who has a tendency to forget his commitments and only one car between the two of you. It can be pretty hectic.
See, I like to cook. A lot. And some nights, after the risotto's made and the nightly routine is well under way, I want to cook some more! It's sick and twisted but true.
So, when I'm in the mood, have an hour or so to spare and want to do something, cooking it is.
If you're in a small household like me, a small (8x8) casserole dish makes the perfect amount for dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow for two and is easy to portion control.
When it comes to the meal day, I typically leave the casserole out in the morning when I head off to work and the instructions are always the same: "350 for at least half an hour." Boyfriend comes home, pops it in the oven and TADA, dinner is done when I get home! AND I have lunch for the next day. Life is good.
My meal plan for the week was:
Monday- Pasta with sauce- whole wheat, of course
Tuesday- Risotto- intended for two but ended up for one. Sadness.
Wednesday- Asian Noodles and pork dumplings - more below
Thursday- Cauliflower/Parmesan/Pancetta gratin- in the fridge waiting to be cooked
Friday- Three grain blend with mozzarella, herbs and broccoli- Hm. I need to make that.... YAY CASSEROLES!
Weekends are typically unplanned and end up being mac and cheese or eating out, depending on what's going on. For example, on Saturday, I have a party to go to and I'll eat there. Sunday is always a toss up and ends up in something simple or something ordered out.
Now, about tonight's dinner. I thought I'd share this clever use of leftovers.
I had been planning on Asian noodles and the dumplings- I bought the rice sticks a few weeks ago and bought the dumplings on Sunday to go with the noodles and veggies. I have a nice "Soyaki" sauce in the fridge (three guesses where it's from) and I've made it before, nom nom nom nom nom....
Last night, however, the boyfriend came home and hadn't eaten sometime around 8 at night, past my risotto making. So he ordered out and asked me if I wanted anything.
Now, I've been trying to eat healthier and lucky for me, our favorite chinese place has some healthy options. My favorite? Steamed broccoli with brown sauce on the side and white rice. Note: I'm lucky broccoli is my favorite vegetable. I don't drink milk- never liked the taste of the stuff. "Oh no, Merry! Where's your calcium coming from?!" Broccoli is a veggie high in calcium. Most veggies in the cabbage family are. I love most of them. There ya go. :)
Weeeeeellll anyway, since I had already eaten, I didn't eat the whole thing. Intending on saving it for tomorrow, I dumped the rest of the sauce on it and stuck it in the fridge.
You can see where this is going, can't you?
I cooked up the noodles (just like pasta), drained them, tossed it and the broccoli and the sauce into a skillet and heated the broccoli through! Dumplings were nuked to perfection and dinner was amazing.
My tip for using leftovers: Pair something high flavored with something flavorful with something neutral.
Like what I did tonight. I had the flavorful broccoli and sauce paired with the neutral flavored rice noodles. You'd pair leftover noodles with a sauce, right?
I was asked about rice the other day. Iiiiiiiiiiiiiii don't store cooked rice. I don't keep it. I toss it. Why?
I had to take a quick food safety course when I was in Scotland with my awesome chef Henry. He told us why. There is a bacteria in rice- Bacillus cereus- that is heat resistant. Boiling it doesn't kill it. Freezing it doesn't kill it. Archaeologists have dug up centuries old bowls of rice and the bacteria is still alive.
Properly cooking it and eating it right away is okay but if you're going to make a bunch of rice, here's my advice:
Store it within 4 hours
Throw it away if you don't eat it within 3 days
But my ultimate advice is: rice is cheap. Make new rice.
Sooooooo this post went on a pretty long tangent. I hope it was worth reading though! :D
Happy cooking!
-Merry
02 November 2010
Fluff
I grew up in Massachusetts, the place where the Fluffernutter is the state sandwich and Fluff flows from... sandwiches. The stickey, gooey cream, I have to admit, was not necessarily one of my favorites. But let me tell you, some days all I need is a Fluffernutter and a glass of Kool Aid and I'll be one happy chica.
My first christmas season with my boyfriend in Maryland, I was trying to figure out what to eat during the day and settled on some Fluffernutters. Easy, few ingredients and something I could make with minimal clean up in said boyfriend's cousin's house. Upon this conversation I learned that the boyfriend had never had a Fluffernutter.
I promptly made him one. His life has never been the same.
I have to say though, my favorite thing to do is made fudge. Especially around the holidays.
I grew up with this fudge. My dad calls it Moby Dick fudge. When he was in high school, he had to read Moby Dick during the holidays. At the same time, his mother was making fudge. So Dad naturally sat in the kitchen and ate fudge while reading Moby Dick. There ya go.
I had a problem last year, though. Fluff comes in two sizes of containers- the small glass jars and the big 16 oz plastic tubs. I have always made it from the big tubs and I couldn't find it anywhere. Safeway, Walmart, Giant, none of them had it. Making the big batches can work with the small jars but I've done it before... the mass murder of these cute little glass jars is really sad.
So I called my dad, who still lives in Massachusetts, and asked him to just bring me a couple tubs so I could make some fudge.
Well, when he came to visit for Thanksgiving last year, he brought me... about 10 tubs. I sent my sisters home with Fluff, I made fudge and I was still left with about 5 tubs of the stuff.
A couple days ago, I realised that the holiday season is almost upon us. Just for kicks, I hopped on a chair and took a look at the tons of evaporated milk and Fluff I had leftover and hey look! They haven't expired yet. Oh no....
This recipe makes 5 pounds of fudge. More than any reasonable human should eat. Over the next month, I have to make 15 lbs of fudge.
Oh my.
I made the first batch today so while it cools, let me share the recipe with you since I have the thing memorized.
For the first step, start off with:
16 oz Fluff (one big tub or two small jars)
10 oz evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed) (2 5 oz cans)
5 cups sugar
1 stick of butter
1 tsp salt (if you don't add salt, it just tastes funny so remember to add it, not that I've ever forgotten before...)
Put them all in a heavy bottomed pot (I went out and bought a pot specifically for my fudge making binges so if you do not have a havy bottomed pot, please go and get one so the fudge doesn't burn) and put on low heat until it all combines and becomes a nice liquid.
Stir frequently until it starts to boil. Remember, there are bubbles in Fluff and they escape as it heats up so make sure you have decent sized bubbles. I like to see them as fish mouths since it holds its shape a little after the bubble pops.
Once you have fish mouth bubbles, set a timer for 5 minutes and stir constantly. At the end of that 5 minutes, the mixture should have darkened a little and turned into a kind of dulce de leche color. Lightly browned. Turn off the heat and grab:
1 tsp vanilla extract (real, everyone)
2 12 oz bags of semi sweet chocolate chips
First, put the vanilla in. Be careful. When the alcohol in the extract hits the hot fluff mixture, the alcohol will boil. This is totally normal but definitely something to be aware of. It's actually my favorite part and I call people in from other rooms to watch it bubble. Yay kitchen chemistry!
Now dump in the chocolate chips and stir until all the chocolate melts and everything is completely mixed. Pour onto a baking sheet or container of your choice (you *could* mould it if you like), just make sure it's greased or lined with parchment paper so you can get it out.
Something I'm going to experiment, since I have to make so much, is working with flavorings. I will be adding the vanilla but I'm also thinking some Disaronno or Chambord to give it some extra flavor and some variety.
Any ideas on variations to do?
Happy Holiday Warm Up!
-Merry
My first christmas season with my boyfriend in Maryland, I was trying to figure out what to eat during the day and settled on some Fluffernutters. Easy, few ingredients and something I could make with minimal clean up in said boyfriend's cousin's house. Upon this conversation I learned that the boyfriend had never had a Fluffernutter.
I promptly made him one. His life has never been the same.
I have to say though, my favorite thing to do is made fudge. Especially around the holidays.
I grew up with this fudge. My dad calls it Moby Dick fudge. When he was in high school, he had to read Moby Dick during the holidays. At the same time, his mother was making fudge. So Dad naturally sat in the kitchen and ate fudge while reading Moby Dick. There ya go.
I had a problem last year, though. Fluff comes in two sizes of containers- the small glass jars and the big 16 oz plastic tubs. I have always made it from the big tubs and I couldn't find it anywhere. Safeway, Walmart, Giant, none of them had it. Making the big batches can work with the small jars but I've done it before... the mass murder of these cute little glass jars is really sad.
So I called my dad, who still lives in Massachusetts, and asked him to just bring me a couple tubs so I could make some fudge.
Well, when he came to visit for Thanksgiving last year, he brought me... about 10 tubs. I sent my sisters home with Fluff, I made fudge and I was still left with about 5 tubs of the stuff.
A couple days ago, I realised that the holiday season is almost upon us. Just for kicks, I hopped on a chair and took a look at the tons of evaporated milk and Fluff I had leftover and hey look! They haven't expired yet. Oh no....
This recipe makes 5 pounds of fudge. More than any reasonable human should eat. Over the next month, I have to make 15 lbs of fudge.
Oh my.
I made the first batch today so while it cools, let me share the recipe with you since I have the thing memorized.
For the first step, start off with:
16 oz Fluff (one big tub or two small jars)
10 oz evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed) (2 5 oz cans)
5 cups sugar
1 stick of butter
1 tsp salt (if you don't add salt, it just tastes funny so remember to add it, not that I've ever forgotten before...)
Put them all in a heavy bottomed pot (I went out and bought a pot specifically for my fudge making binges so if you do not have a havy bottomed pot, please go and get one so the fudge doesn't burn) and put on low heat until it all combines and becomes a nice liquid.
Stir frequently until it starts to boil. Remember, there are bubbles in Fluff and they escape as it heats up so make sure you have decent sized bubbles. I like to see them as fish mouths since it holds its shape a little after the bubble pops.
Once you have fish mouth bubbles, set a timer for 5 minutes and stir constantly. At the end of that 5 minutes, the mixture should have darkened a little and turned into a kind of dulce de leche color. Lightly browned. Turn off the heat and grab:
1 tsp vanilla extract (real, everyone)
2 12 oz bags of semi sweet chocolate chips
First, put the vanilla in. Be careful. When the alcohol in the extract hits the hot fluff mixture, the alcohol will boil. This is totally normal but definitely something to be aware of. It's actually my favorite part and I call people in from other rooms to watch it bubble. Yay kitchen chemistry!
Now dump in the chocolate chips and stir until all the chocolate melts and everything is completely mixed. Pour onto a baking sheet or container of your choice (you *could* mould it if you like), just make sure it's greased or lined with parchment paper so you can get it out.
Something I'm going to experiment, since I have to make so much, is working with flavorings. I will be adding the vanilla but I'm also thinking some Disaronno or Chambord to give it some extra flavor and some variety.
Any ideas on variations to do?
Happy Holiday Warm Up!
-Merry
28 October 2010
Quality is Everything: Ingredients
As I covered in my Maple Maple Maple post, I don't skimp on certain ingredients. If you're looking for good food, you need to make it with good ingredients. A whole is only the sum of its parts. A dish is only as good as the items you make it with.
Of course, I'm expected to go all "go local" on ya but let's be honest here. I don't have time to go to the Farmer's Market every Saturday to get my veggies for the week and I have a feeling you don't either. I also don't have the money to go all organic all the time. Make due with what you have and look for quality.
Since we're on the topic, let's go with produce. Fresh is always best... theoretically. The problem with fresh veggies is that they go bad a lot quicker than, say, frozen or canned. But let's talk about just before they go bad when they're nice and ripe and perfect for munching. Vitamins and minerals, which are lost in a lot of cooking, actually denature and go away quickly in fresh produce. Within hours, a head of broccoli can lose half of all the things that make it good for you. Add heat (i.e. a tent at the Farmer's Market in the summer) and by the time you get the veggies home, they have lost most of their nutrients.
My advice? Go fresh for texture and flavor and not necessarily for nutrition. For example, fresh broccoli is great for stir frys and crudites. For day to day applications? I go frozen.
Hear me out. Frozen vegetables are blanched (cooked in hot water and shocked with cold to stop the cooking process) and this actually stops the vitamins and goodness from burning up. And they're darn convenient to toss in my mac and cheese! And canned? I never do it for veggies.
To completely change the subject, let's talk extracts. In particular, vanilla. Vanilla extract is a perfect addition to sweets and even if a recipe doesn't call for it, I add in a splash anyway. It adds that lovely depth of flavor to pretty much everything. The problem is that it has a tendency to be expensive. You can find huge bottles of the imitation stuff for cheap but the actual stuff is much more expensive- to the tune of 5 bucks for 2 oz. It sucks, I know, but you can taste fake vanilla. And it's not awesome. Splurge. Always buy real vanilla.
Another big issue. I was talking with a coworker and I gave her my risotto recipe and we were going through the ingredients when she asked me about the wine I told her to splash in. "Now, I've seen cooking wines..." she said. I immediately shook my head, started jumping up and down and said "Don't do it."
Cooking wine, quite simply, is the stuff that isn't good enough for you to drink at the table. It's the leftover unpalatable stuff that they won't put in the fancy bottle for you. You don't have to go out and get an expensive wine. Just get something that you would drink if you wanted to. I don't like wine so I don't get anything fancy but with cooking wine you'll basically be adding vinegar to your food and that is not delicious. You will taste it if you use cooking wine. Keep a bottle of white in your house just to add flavor and deliciousness.
Not everything has to be quality. Flour, sugar, butter, table salt, baking soda, baking powder, rice, pasta, etc. are all a matter of personal preference, choice and budget.
But when you're going for key elements, go for the gold and go for taste.
Happy cooking!
-Merry
Of course, I'm expected to go all "go local" on ya but let's be honest here. I don't have time to go to the Farmer's Market every Saturday to get my veggies for the week and I have a feeling you don't either. I also don't have the money to go all organic all the time. Make due with what you have and look for quality.
Since we're on the topic, let's go with produce. Fresh is always best... theoretically. The problem with fresh veggies is that they go bad a lot quicker than, say, frozen or canned. But let's talk about just before they go bad when they're nice and ripe and perfect for munching. Vitamins and minerals, which are lost in a lot of cooking, actually denature and go away quickly in fresh produce. Within hours, a head of broccoli can lose half of all the things that make it good for you. Add heat (i.e. a tent at the Farmer's Market in the summer) and by the time you get the veggies home, they have lost most of their nutrients.
My advice? Go fresh for texture and flavor and not necessarily for nutrition. For example, fresh broccoli is great for stir frys and crudites. For day to day applications? I go frozen.
Hear me out. Frozen vegetables are blanched (cooked in hot water and shocked with cold to stop the cooking process) and this actually stops the vitamins and goodness from burning up. And they're darn convenient to toss in my mac and cheese! And canned? I never do it for veggies.
To completely change the subject, let's talk extracts. In particular, vanilla. Vanilla extract is a perfect addition to sweets and even if a recipe doesn't call for it, I add in a splash anyway. It adds that lovely depth of flavor to pretty much everything. The problem is that it has a tendency to be expensive. You can find huge bottles of the imitation stuff for cheap but the actual stuff is much more expensive- to the tune of 5 bucks for 2 oz. It sucks, I know, but you can taste fake vanilla. And it's not awesome. Splurge. Always buy real vanilla.
Another big issue. I was talking with a coworker and I gave her my risotto recipe and we were going through the ingredients when she asked me about the wine I told her to splash in. "Now, I've seen cooking wines..." she said. I immediately shook my head, started jumping up and down and said "Don't do it."
Cooking wine, quite simply, is the stuff that isn't good enough for you to drink at the table. It's the leftover unpalatable stuff that they won't put in the fancy bottle for you. You don't have to go out and get an expensive wine. Just get something that you would drink if you wanted to. I don't like wine so I don't get anything fancy but with cooking wine you'll basically be adding vinegar to your food and that is not delicious. You will taste it if you use cooking wine. Keep a bottle of white in your house just to add flavor and deliciousness.
Not everything has to be quality. Flour, sugar, butter, table salt, baking soda, baking powder, rice, pasta, etc. are all a matter of personal preference, choice and budget.
But when you're going for key elements, go for the gold and go for taste.
Happy cooking!
-Merry
27 October 2010
Grocery Shopping
Grocery shopping is easily my favorite chore of the week. It used to be what I did with my dad. Once a week, we would hop in the car with Dad and go up to the grocery store with the list. We'd get free slices of cheese and free cookies. Definitely my favorite time of the week.
Times have changed and so have my places of shopping. For the better part of my life, I naturally went to the mega marts. Safeway, Shaws, Price Chopper, the basic places that one would go.
When I was in college, Price Chopper was the one about 15 minutes down the road and it was open 24/7. Needless to say, there was many a night where my friends and I would take a trip and play with produce and other items on the shelves. There may or may not be a Facebook photo album with a gypsy, Marilyn Monroe, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter running around PChopps. Just saying.
Aaaaaaanyway, times have changed and I have discovered other, more interesting stores. Granted, I now live in a very diverse area, but now I have specialty stores and have found that I love the thrill of discovery. "Ooh, what's this?!"
For example, right down the street is J's Produce Market- all produce all the time. But perhaps the cooler things there are the bulgur wheat, the random cookies, the corner of home made honeys and jams, the nuts, the mixes, the rosewater and many other ingredients that I hadn't heard of. And, of course, I like picking up fresh veggies. Nom.
If I'm feeling a little more exotic, I take a trip down the beltway to H Mart. H Mart is an Asian market. You can find all your basic foods there but all the Asian specialties as well. Just walking through there is a cultural delight. They have an old fashioned rice cake maker at the back, banging (literally) out rice cakes. There are various pieces of produce there that I haven't seen along with lots of different chilis and noodles. They have a whole aisle full of stationary, rice cookers, tableware, cosmetics and accessories. My favorite aisle is the junk food aisle. Little crispy wafer balls filled with chocolate? Yes please. Bonus: Inside H Mart is a little restaurant with authentic Asian foods! Bring some cash and have some lunch. A-mazing.
But where does this mini foodie shop all the time? Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's is all about a lot of the things I am- natural, good food with no additives, good for you but also very interesting ingredients. Oh, and the plus? Very low prices.
Don't have a Trader Joe's around you? Let me explain for you, but first, some basic consumer economics for you.
Supermarkets actually have a lot more politics to them than you'd think. It isn't a simple case of the grocer buying the food and putting it on a shelf. First of all, the megamart wants to provide a variety of food. But what happens if the food doesn't sell? To insure a profit, the store is forced to push up the prices of all of their food just in case the rest of the product doesn't sell. There are lots of other reasons that push up the prices as well.
Trader Joe's (and Aldi and other stores of the like) do something very different. They have a group of buyers who simply go out and find the best of whatever product the store is looking for. As a result, Trader Joe's and similar stores only have one brand and don't have to insure against the rest of the stock not selling and buying too many variations.
Neat, huh?
Trader Joe's is my favorite because they go for products without additives, artificial coloring and you can typically understand what's on the label, which is pretty nice. Other bonuses: An amazing cheese selection and a lot of interesting international foods. Naan bread, indian curries, pizzas... it's always a culinary discovery.
Super bonus: their Fearless Flyer. Instead of a weekly circular, club cards, sales, etc., the prices are stable and there's always new items. The flyer is only released once every month or two and is chock full of new or highlighted items for the season. The descriptions always have the price and have cleverly written statements about the items, where they come from, foodie info and Victorian style comics! Believe you me, it's a glorious day when I get the flyer.
Here's the downside. Trader Joe's is always circulating things out, not only seasonal items (like their pumpkin bread mix [yum]) but regular items as well. Why? Trader Joe's is in a smaller facility than most stores. Because it's smaller, it lowers operating costs. But that means there's less space. Not too bad since they don't have tons and tons of food but again, it raises that problem still of where to put the stuff. So they keep around the staples and move seasonal foods around a lot.
But what do I love most about grocery stores (even if I have to go to Walmart)? Wandering the aisles. Just wandering up and down the aisles, looking at what my options are, what's new in the bakery, what they have for seasonal items. It's actually my favorite domestic activity.
So I hope you like this post. It took me quite some time to write it.
As always, if you have any questions, email me at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
-Merry
Times have changed and so have my places of shopping. For the better part of my life, I naturally went to the mega marts. Safeway, Shaws, Price Chopper, the basic places that one would go.
When I was in college, Price Chopper was the one about 15 minutes down the road and it was open 24/7. Needless to say, there was many a night where my friends and I would take a trip and play with produce and other items on the shelves. There may or may not be a Facebook photo album with a gypsy, Marilyn Monroe, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter running around PChopps. Just saying.
Aaaaaaanyway, times have changed and I have discovered other, more interesting stores. Granted, I now live in a very diverse area, but now I have specialty stores and have found that I love the thrill of discovery. "Ooh, what's this?!"
For example, right down the street is J's Produce Market- all produce all the time. But perhaps the cooler things there are the bulgur wheat, the random cookies, the corner of home made honeys and jams, the nuts, the mixes, the rosewater and many other ingredients that I hadn't heard of. And, of course, I like picking up fresh veggies. Nom.
If I'm feeling a little more exotic, I take a trip down the beltway to H Mart. H Mart is an Asian market. You can find all your basic foods there but all the Asian specialties as well. Just walking through there is a cultural delight. They have an old fashioned rice cake maker at the back, banging (literally) out rice cakes. There are various pieces of produce there that I haven't seen along with lots of different chilis and noodles. They have a whole aisle full of stationary, rice cookers, tableware, cosmetics and accessories. My favorite aisle is the junk food aisle. Little crispy wafer balls filled with chocolate? Yes please. Bonus: Inside H Mart is a little restaurant with authentic Asian foods! Bring some cash and have some lunch. A-mazing.
But where does this mini foodie shop all the time? Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's is all about a lot of the things I am- natural, good food with no additives, good for you but also very interesting ingredients. Oh, and the plus? Very low prices.
Don't have a Trader Joe's around you? Let me explain for you, but first, some basic consumer economics for you.
Supermarkets actually have a lot more politics to them than you'd think. It isn't a simple case of the grocer buying the food and putting it on a shelf. First of all, the megamart wants to provide a variety of food. But what happens if the food doesn't sell? To insure a profit, the store is forced to push up the prices of all of their food just in case the rest of the product doesn't sell. There are lots of other reasons that push up the prices as well.
Trader Joe's (and Aldi and other stores of the like) do something very different. They have a group of buyers who simply go out and find the best of whatever product the store is looking for. As a result, Trader Joe's and similar stores only have one brand and don't have to insure against the rest of the stock not selling and buying too many variations.
Neat, huh?
Trader Joe's is my favorite because they go for products without additives, artificial coloring and you can typically understand what's on the label, which is pretty nice. Other bonuses: An amazing cheese selection and a lot of interesting international foods. Naan bread, indian curries, pizzas... it's always a culinary discovery.
Super bonus: their Fearless Flyer. Instead of a weekly circular, club cards, sales, etc., the prices are stable and there's always new items. The flyer is only released once every month or two and is chock full of new or highlighted items for the season. The descriptions always have the price and have cleverly written statements about the items, where they come from, foodie info and Victorian style comics! Believe you me, it's a glorious day when I get the flyer.
Here's the downside. Trader Joe's is always circulating things out, not only seasonal items (like their pumpkin bread mix [yum]) but regular items as well. Why? Trader Joe's is in a smaller facility than most stores. Because it's smaller, it lowers operating costs. But that means there's less space. Not too bad since they don't have tons and tons of food but again, it raises that problem still of where to put the stuff. So they keep around the staples and move seasonal foods around a lot.
But what do I love most about grocery stores (even if I have to go to Walmart)? Wandering the aisles. Just wandering up and down the aisles, looking at what my options are, what's new in the bakery, what they have for seasonal items. It's actually my favorite domestic activity.
So I hope you like this post. It took me quite some time to write it.
As always, if you have any questions, email me at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
-Merry
24 October 2010
Quality is Everything: Gear
I was spoiled when I was younger. My mom had a virtually indestructible set of pans and a good set of carbon steel knives. Both are older than I am.
As I am older, I realise the value of these essential items. I also realise that getting the kitchen you need costs a lot of money. Oh, sure, you can get a set of pots and pans with interchangeable lids for 30 bucks. And you'll have bits of nonstick Teflon flaking into your food and a ring of burnt food eternally stuck to the bottom of it. And you can get a set of kitchen knives for 10 but they'll all be serrated and rip up your veggies and make it virtually impossible to cut raw meat.
The key here is to slowly build up and, most importantly, to look in the odd places.
For example, I have a set of flimsy, thin pots and pans that my boyfriend and I got when we first moved in. They serve the purpose but it makes it pretty hard to cook, especially with a gas range. No matter how low I turn the heat, something will get burned if I'm not stirring it constantly. I dream of getting a really nice set of pots and pans some day but considering I barely have enough for the bills, the flimsy ones will have to do.
That is, until I went to Goodwill yesterday. I skip the clothes and random items and go straight for the housewares section. You can find some interesting gems there (hell, they had an iMac there yesterday) but I found the holy graile.
I found decent pans. I don't recognize the brand (Circulon anyone?) and they didn't have covers. But look at them! Nonstick, mismatched but thick and quality material! The price? 3.50-6.00 each. for less than 20 bucks I got three saucepans and a skillet.
On a side note, at the same Goodwill last year around this time I found an almost complete set of china for 30 bucks. Epic win.
Another of my favorite stores is Home Goods. Overstocked goods are sold to TJ Maxx and Home Goods (same company) resulting in amazing prices. Either are good to go to but Home Goods typically has a larger selection. High quality name brand items and low prices.
See, the point here isn't to look for the most expensive but the highest quality items, which I'm sure you didn't need me to tell you.
A note on knives: I have one rule about knives- no teeth unless you're cutting bread.
In case you don't know what I said there, let me explain. Knives come in a few different blade types. The most common ones you'll see is either a straight edge or a serrated edge. You probably have both of these in your drawer right now. If you have a steak knife, that's a serrated edge. I don't like cutting anything but bread with a serrated edge for the simple reason that it destroys anything I cut. In breads it's fine- the multiple cutting edges keep the air in the bread and keep it from just going squish. But say you're cutting up some chicken to put into a stir fry. Because of all those edges, you're basically ripping up the chicken and it'll be a stringy fleshy mass by the time it hits the pan.
What you want is for the metal of the blade to go all the way through the handle if you're going for an expensive set. But that's actually not necessary.
Example: I have a really nice set of carbon steel knives that were given as a Christmas present a couple years ago. As we were setting up the apartment, it took some time for those to move down to Maryland from Vermont and on this particular trip, I did not have my knives with me. I was trying to make dinner and I had, you guessed it, a cheap serrated knife to work with. I couldn't cook. I was destroying the food. Frustrated, I stopped and was very close to just ordering out. The boyfriend, being quite supportive and helpful, said he'd run out to the store and buy me a set to use. I said "Don't get anything expensive but PLEASE, for the love of god, don't get a serrated edge. Smooth edge only!"
In an amazing feat of following directions that men rarely do, he managed to come home with knives that actually were quite nice and only cost 16 bucks or so for the set of four. I actually still use them and they are my traveling set.
So what does the average home cook need?
Easy. Saucepans- a one quart and a two quart- that are heavy bottomed. A skillet- thick- cast iron is very nice and will last you forever. Knives- smooth edged, one large one for cutting vegetables and roasts, one medium sized one for meats and smaller vegetables and a paring knife will also be quite valuable.
As for utensils, a spoon and a spatula are essential and all you will likely need unless you find yourself needing something spectacular.
Very important note on utensils: If you have nonstick coated pans, never never never never never NEVER use metal utensils with it. The sharp utensil will cut into the coating and then you're screwed and will forever have bits of Teflon in your food. Stick with wood or plastic.
That's my ramble for today. Any questions or topic suggestions? Email me at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
Happy cooking!
As I am older, I realise the value of these essential items. I also realise that getting the kitchen you need costs a lot of money. Oh, sure, you can get a set of pots and pans with interchangeable lids for 30 bucks. And you'll have bits of nonstick Teflon flaking into your food and a ring of burnt food eternally stuck to the bottom of it. And you can get a set of kitchen knives for 10 but they'll all be serrated and rip up your veggies and make it virtually impossible to cut raw meat.
The key here is to slowly build up and, most importantly, to look in the odd places.
For example, I have a set of flimsy, thin pots and pans that my boyfriend and I got when we first moved in. They serve the purpose but it makes it pretty hard to cook, especially with a gas range. No matter how low I turn the heat, something will get burned if I'm not stirring it constantly. I dream of getting a really nice set of pots and pans some day but considering I barely have enough for the bills, the flimsy ones will have to do.
That is, until I went to Goodwill yesterday. I skip the clothes and random items and go straight for the housewares section. You can find some interesting gems there (hell, they had an iMac there yesterday) but I found the holy graile.
I found decent pans. I don't recognize the brand (Circulon anyone?) and they didn't have covers. But look at them! Nonstick, mismatched but thick and quality material! The price? 3.50-6.00 each. for less than 20 bucks I got three saucepans and a skillet.
On a side note, at the same Goodwill last year around this time I found an almost complete set of china for 30 bucks. Epic win.
Another of my favorite stores is Home Goods. Overstocked goods are sold to TJ Maxx and Home Goods (same company) resulting in amazing prices. Either are good to go to but Home Goods typically has a larger selection. High quality name brand items and low prices.
See, the point here isn't to look for the most expensive but the highest quality items, which I'm sure you didn't need me to tell you.
A note on knives: I have one rule about knives- no teeth unless you're cutting bread.
In case you don't know what I said there, let me explain. Knives come in a few different blade types. The most common ones you'll see is either a straight edge or a serrated edge. You probably have both of these in your drawer right now. If you have a steak knife, that's a serrated edge. I don't like cutting anything but bread with a serrated edge for the simple reason that it destroys anything I cut. In breads it's fine- the multiple cutting edges keep the air in the bread and keep it from just going squish. But say you're cutting up some chicken to put into a stir fry. Because of all those edges, you're basically ripping up the chicken and it'll be a stringy fleshy mass by the time it hits the pan.
What you want is for the metal of the blade to go all the way through the handle if you're going for an expensive set. But that's actually not necessary.
Example: I have a really nice set of carbon steel knives that were given as a Christmas present a couple years ago. As we were setting up the apartment, it took some time for those to move down to Maryland from Vermont and on this particular trip, I did not have my knives with me. I was trying to make dinner and I had, you guessed it, a cheap serrated knife to work with. I couldn't cook. I was destroying the food. Frustrated, I stopped and was very close to just ordering out. The boyfriend, being quite supportive and helpful, said he'd run out to the store and buy me a set to use. I said "Don't get anything expensive but PLEASE, for the love of god, don't get a serrated edge. Smooth edge only!"
In an amazing feat of following directions that men rarely do, he managed to come home with knives that actually were quite nice and only cost 16 bucks or so for the set of four. I actually still use them and they are my traveling set.
So what does the average home cook need?
Easy. Saucepans- a one quart and a two quart- that are heavy bottomed. A skillet- thick- cast iron is very nice and will last you forever. Knives- smooth edged, one large one for cutting vegetables and roasts, one medium sized one for meats and smaller vegetables and a paring knife will also be quite valuable.
As for utensils, a spoon and a spatula are essential and all you will likely need unless you find yourself needing something spectacular.
Very important note on utensils: If you have nonstick coated pans, never never never never never NEVER use metal utensils with it. The sharp utensil will cut into the coating and then you're screwed and will forever have bits of Teflon in your food. Stick with wood or plastic.
That's my ramble for today. Any questions or topic suggestions? Email me at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
Happy cooking!
19 October 2010
Risotto
Risotto is a scary word, according to some. It sounds fancy and hard. It's actually fool-proof.
So what is a risotto? A risotto is a short grain rice cooked and cooked and cooked in stock until it gives up all of its starches and becomes rich and super creamy and I could go into daydreams about this stuff.
There are some pretty sweet things about risotto nutritionally as well. It's a whole grain (rice), there is minimal fat to it and low calories and it provides a perfect canvas to add some of your favorite veggies.
So how do you make it?
I like making it as a nice simple dinner for one so that's what this recipe will yeild.
First, get yourself two sauce pans. A small one for the back burner and a big one for the actual risotto building process. In the small one, heat up:
1 to 2 cups of chicken stock
(Merry's Tip: Boxed and canned stock is great but living in an apartment, I'm pretty short on cupboard space. Boullion cubes or concentrated stock packets work just as well. More on stock vs. boullion later!)
Bring the stock a boil and then reduce it to keep it nice and hot. This is important in the starch releasing process. Next:
2 tbsp minced onion, finely minced.
(Merry's Tip: Your typical onion will produce a lot more than you need for this recipe. Don't waste it! Mince the rest of it up and keep it in a plastic bag in the fridge. Next time you want some risotto, pop some out of the freezer and straight into the pan. It'll also make life easier for any other meals you'd need the minced onion in)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
If you want to add some dried herbs, this is a good time to add them.
SO, what you're going to do is put the oil into the pan and heat that up. Add the onion, salt and pepper and saute until the onions are starting to go translucent. Then add
1/4 cup arborio rice
Arborio rice is a short grained rice that has a lot more starch than your typical long grain rice. The shorter the rice, the more starch it has. The more starch it has, the creamier your risotto will be. Nom nom nom.
BACK TO THE RISOTTO.
Add the rice and stir that around for a few minutes until that too is translucent and golden. Once you have reached that point, add in the chicken stock only until it just covers the rice. Leave the rest in that extra pot and keep it warm on the back burner.
Stir frequently until there is little liquid left in the bottom. What has happened is that the rice was prepped with the olive oil to absorb the water. So it did and in doing so released the starch. So no more liquid.
Which is why you have that pan with a bunch of chicken stock left in it. Splash about a quarter of a cup of stock into the pot and stir around. Repeat this process about two to three more times. Make sure to test the risotto and make sure it's al dente (yes, just like pasta) but not crunchy. Crunchy will make your risotto sad when you eat it.
Then comes my personal favorite part.
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Mix that in and you have the perfect canvas for a delicious meal.
Add Ins
I said it's a canvas and with good reason. With this basic risotto, we can add any veggies we like. I have done:
Asparagus
Frozen (and then thawed) peas
Broccoli
Left over dijon chicken
It's a great way to use such leftovers and especially frozen veggies for a quick meal. I'd only stick to one or two add ins, personally. And I don't think corn would be good in it. Fresh flavored green veggies are perfect. A lot of people like to put mushrooms in there. I don't like mushrooms. But feel free to try it and let me know!
I find making risotto nice and relaxing at the end of the day, actually. It's a lot of stirring. It's mindless cooking that results in something that we all think is fancy and exotic.
Any questions? Let me know at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
Until next time!
So what is a risotto? A risotto is a short grain rice cooked and cooked and cooked in stock until it gives up all of its starches and becomes rich and super creamy and I could go into daydreams about this stuff.
There are some pretty sweet things about risotto nutritionally as well. It's a whole grain (rice), there is minimal fat to it and low calories and it provides a perfect canvas to add some of your favorite veggies.
So how do you make it?
I like making it as a nice simple dinner for one so that's what this recipe will yeild.
First, get yourself two sauce pans. A small one for the back burner and a big one for the actual risotto building process. In the small one, heat up:
1 to 2 cups of chicken stock
(Merry's Tip: Boxed and canned stock is great but living in an apartment, I'm pretty short on cupboard space. Boullion cubes or concentrated stock packets work just as well. More on stock vs. boullion later!)
Bring the stock a boil and then reduce it to keep it nice and hot. This is important in the starch releasing process. Next:
2 tbsp minced onion, finely minced.
(Merry's Tip: Your typical onion will produce a lot more than you need for this recipe. Don't waste it! Mince the rest of it up and keep it in a plastic bag in the fridge. Next time you want some risotto, pop some out of the freezer and straight into the pan. It'll also make life easier for any other meals you'd need the minced onion in)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
If you want to add some dried herbs, this is a good time to add them.
SO, what you're going to do is put the oil into the pan and heat that up. Add the onion, salt and pepper and saute until the onions are starting to go translucent. Then add
1/4 cup arborio rice
Arborio rice is a short grained rice that has a lot more starch than your typical long grain rice. The shorter the rice, the more starch it has. The more starch it has, the creamier your risotto will be. Nom nom nom.
BACK TO THE RISOTTO.
Add the rice and stir that around for a few minutes until that too is translucent and golden. Once you have reached that point, add in the chicken stock only until it just covers the rice. Leave the rest in that extra pot and keep it warm on the back burner.
Stir frequently until there is little liquid left in the bottom. What has happened is that the rice was prepped with the olive oil to absorb the water. So it did and in doing so released the starch. So no more liquid.
Which is why you have that pan with a bunch of chicken stock left in it. Splash about a quarter of a cup of stock into the pot and stir around. Repeat this process about two to three more times. Make sure to test the risotto and make sure it's al dente (yes, just like pasta) but not crunchy. Crunchy will make your risotto sad when you eat it.
Then comes my personal favorite part.
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Mix that in and you have the perfect canvas for a delicious meal.
Add Ins
I said it's a canvas and with good reason. With this basic risotto, we can add any veggies we like. I have done:
Asparagus
Frozen (and then thawed) peas
Broccoli
Left over dijon chicken
It's a great way to use such leftovers and especially frozen veggies for a quick meal. I'd only stick to one or two add ins, personally. And I don't think corn would be good in it. Fresh flavored green veggies are perfect. A lot of people like to put mushrooms in there. I don't like mushrooms. But feel free to try it and let me know!
I find making risotto nice and relaxing at the end of the day, actually. It's a lot of stirring. It's mindless cooking that results in something that we all think is fancy and exotic.
Any questions? Let me know at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
Until next time!
14 October 2010
Maple Maple Maple Maple
Fall us upon us! Changing leaves, pumpkins, apples, crisps, spices, lovely things. So to those who have an undying love for fall like me, I salute you. Let's have dinner some time.
On to the cooking and today's topic: Maple Syrup
There is one thing I never compromise on- the quality of my ingredients. Things like flour, sugar, eggs, baking soda and powder don't count. When shopping, I go for real vanilla extract and one thing I absolutely never never never compromise is my syrup.
A little perspective: I grew up in New England. And then I went to college in Vermont.
One of my boyfriend's family did maple sugaring. It's from him that I learned the differences in the grades. The whole point of the grades is how much water has been cooked out of the sap. On average, 40 gallons of sap goes into one gallon of syrup. That's why it's so expensive. Grade A fancy is the most expensive because it's lighter and there's a very fine line and a very precise application of heat to get it that way. The further down in grade you go, the more water has been cooked out and, thus, is more concentrated in maple flavor.
I like the stuff that's almost black and they can't bottle and sell. You haven't lived until you've tried this stuff. As a result, I always go with Grade B, since it's much darker and more concentrated.
But considering how much work goes into it, it makes the syrup a bit expensive. A regular 16 oz. container will run you at least 15 bucks. It's very unfortunate. But totally worth it. And, if you're like me and don't make pancakes every weekend, it will most definitely last you just about forever. It's worth it to keep it on hand.
One of the cool things I find about maple is that it can be used just like honey or agave. The unfortunate thing is that maple has so much flavor it's harder to use. My tip? Use it like honey.
For example, yesterday I made a variation on a honey mustard pork recipe I have done before. Giada de Laurentiis has a lovely recipe for a pork roast, covered in this coarse honey dijon mixture and wrapped in bacon. Amazing.
So, since I had the mustards all left over, I did the same thing but found myself short on honey. So I used maple syrup. My recipe tester said it was delicious.
I also use maple syrup as the sweet component in my vinaigrettes. I candy walnuts with it (and they are the best thing since chocolate).
Try it out.
And splurge on the maple. It's worth it.
Till next time!
On to the cooking and today's topic: Maple Syrup
There is one thing I never compromise on- the quality of my ingredients. Things like flour, sugar, eggs, baking soda and powder don't count. When shopping, I go for real vanilla extract and one thing I absolutely never never never compromise is my syrup.
A little perspective: I grew up in New England. And then I went to college in Vermont.
One of my boyfriend's family did maple sugaring. It's from him that I learned the differences in the grades. The whole point of the grades is how much water has been cooked out of the sap. On average, 40 gallons of sap goes into one gallon of syrup. That's why it's so expensive. Grade A fancy is the most expensive because it's lighter and there's a very fine line and a very precise application of heat to get it that way. The further down in grade you go, the more water has been cooked out and, thus, is more concentrated in maple flavor.
I like the stuff that's almost black and they can't bottle and sell. You haven't lived until you've tried this stuff. As a result, I always go with Grade B, since it's much darker and more concentrated.
But considering how much work goes into it, it makes the syrup a bit expensive. A regular 16 oz. container will run you at least 15 bucks. It's very unfortunate. But totally worth it. And, if you're like me and don't make pancakes every weekend, it will most definitely last you just about forever. It's worth it to keep it on hand.
One of the cool things I find about maple is that it can be used just like honey or agave. The unfortunate thing is that maple has so much flavor it's harder to use. My tip? Use it like honey.
For example, yesterday I made a variation on a honey mustard pork recipe I have done before. Giada de Laurentiis has a lovely recipe for a pork roast, covered in this coarse honey dijon mixture and wrapped in bacon. Amazing.
So, since I had the mustards all left over, I did the same thing but found myself short on honey. So I used maple syrup. My recipe tester said it was delicious.
I also use maple syrup as the sweet component in my vinaigrettes. I candy walnuts with it (and they are the best thing since chocolate).
Try it out.
And splurge on the maple. It's worth it.
Till next time!
19 September 2010
Maple Walnuts: Healthy Alternative to Chocolate?!
It's been a while! Sorry! But here's an idea for you!
A little while ago, I made a salad and, as per the request of my boyfriend, I added walnuts to it. I'm not a huge fan of raw nuts to begin with so I got them it was a nice crunch, whatever.
A few weeks later, I noticed that I still had walnuts sitting on top of the microwave and I needed to use them.
While watching Food Network one day, I saw a little mini show in the commercials. What I've found that Food Network does is they take a segment of a show and turn it into a commercial sized recipe.
For example, Ina Garten did a show on how adding small things to basic recipes boosts up the flavor without knowing the ingredient is there- like adding coffee to chocolate. So, for this minisode, they showed the cupcake recipe she used during the show, splicing it into a tiny 30 second piece. Promotion for Ina, promotion for the network. Cool!
Elie Kreiger has managed to not really catch on to Food Network and looks like she's found a home on Cooking Channel. However, they did a minisode of this super simple recipe:
Maple Walnuts
2 cups whole walnuts
1/3 cup maple syrup- the real thing!!!
A pinch of salt
Take the nuts and put them in a dry skillet. Toast for a couple minutes until they smell super nutty. Add the syrup and salt and cook until it's just about smoking and burning. That means that the water has cooked out of them. Spread out on a plate or baking sheet (parchment paper on it is a good idea) and let them cool and dry. Consume as desired. These are high in calories so I like portioning them into sandwich bags to just grab and go.
Now, I always have maple syrup in my kitchen. If I want pancakes, I don't go for cheap syrup. I grew up in Massachusetts and went to school in Vermont. I'd rather eat them plain. I'll discuss maple syrup in another post.
My point is that I had all the ingredients in my pantry to make this so I thought what better time to do it?!
And it was amazing. Those things were gone in a day or so. It was bad. Really bad. But so good. So good I think it could be an alternative to chocolate.
Don't believe me? Consider this.
I'm a milk chocolate person. I crave that fat, that silky smoothness of it. And it's chocolate and I have two X chromosomes.
But walnuts have fat in them too. They have a little bit of creaminess to them, along with a crunch. Wait. Unless there are almonds in my chocolate, it doesn't crunch. But these are sweet too, a nice and natural sweet. And the salt that kicks it all off! AND walnuts are good for you with omega 3s!
So give these a try! Simple and delicious!
Until next time!
-Miss Merry
A little while ago, I made a salad and, as per the request of my boyfriend, I added walnuts to it. I'm not a huge fan of raw nuts to begin with so I got them it was a nice crunch, whatever.
A few weeks later, I noticed that I still had walnuts sitting on top of the microwave and I needed to use them.
While watching Food Network one day, I saw a little mini show in the commercials. What I've found that Food Network does is they take a segment of a show and turn it into a commercial sized recipe.
For example, Ina Garten did a show on how adding small things to basic recipes boosts up the flavor without knowing the ingredient is there- like adding coffee to chocolate. So, for this minisode, they showed the cupcake recipe she used during the show, splicing it into a tiny 30 second piece. Promotion for Ina, promotion for the network. Cool!
Elie Kreiger has managed to not really catch on to Food Network and looks like she's found a home on Cooking Channel. However, they did a minisode of this super simple recipe:
Maple Walnuts
2 cups whole walnuts
1/3 cup maple syrup- the real thing!!!
A pinch of salt
Take the nuts and put them in a dry skillet. Toast for a couple minutes until they smell super nutty. Add the syrup and salt and cook until it's just about smoking and burning. That means that the water has cooked out of them. Spread out on a plate or baking sheet (parchment paper on it is a good idea) and let them cool and dry. Consume as desired. These are high in calories so I like portioning them into sandwich bags to just grab and go.
Now, I always have maple syrup in my kitchen. If I want pancakes, I don't go for cheap syrup. I grew up in Massachusetts and went to school in Vermont. I'd rather eat them plain. I'll discuss maple syrup in another post.
My point is that I had all the ingredients in my pantry to make this so I thought what better time to do it?!
And it was amazing. Those things were gone in a day or so. It was bad. Really bad. But so good. So good I think it could be an alternative to chocolate.
Don't believe me? Consider this.
I'm a milk chocolate person. I crave that fat, that silky smoothness of it. And it's chocolate and I have two X chromosomes.
But walnuts have fat in them too. They have a little bit of creaminess to them, along with a crunch. Wait. Unless there are almonds in my chocolate, it doesn't crunch. But these are sweet too, a nice and natural sweet. And the salt that kicks it all off! AND walnuts are good for you with omega 3s!
So give these a try! Simple and delicious!
Until next time!
-Miss Merry
25 July 2010
Vinaigrettes: Why Buy Them?
I have been a compulsive dressing buyer. I buy dressing for something (italian bottled dressing is a perfect marinade, by the way) and don't use any more. I end up with a fridge door full of dressings that are going bad with no use.
If you're like that, you can throw all of those away. They're full of fat (especially the creamy ranch and italians you're buying) and the list of ingredients is usually far too long. Here's the best way to make tasty dressings that you know the contents of. And you probably have half the ingredients in your cupboards anyway.
Here's my basic list for a dijon vinaigrette:
Dijon mustard
Sweetener (honey, agave nectar or brown sugar)
Balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
I always start with dijon. It's a really nice flavor base and it gives you the homogenized product you're looking for. You don't want the oil to sit on top. You don't want everything else to sit on the bottom. When making a vinaigrette, you want all of it to blend together so you're not chasing it around on your plate. Put a couple tablespoons of that in a bowl.
Next is the sweetener. You can do without it, but sometimes the dressing can get way too sour. I like mine sour. I usually sweat while eating my dressing. But sometimes it's way too sour and some sweet will definitely make your dressing more rounded in flavor. Always look for that balance. I usually have honey in my cabinet. Agave nectar is perfect as well. I like choosing sweeteners that have their own depth of flavor to bring something to this flavor party so stay away from plain granulated sugar and go at least to brown sugar. Add about a tablespoon to your bowl.
Next is the vinegar. What's a vinaigrette without vinegar?! I like Balsamic vinegar. It's an aged red wine vinegar that has be come super concentrated and oddly sweet. I find it perfect for salad dressings and a lot of people agree. If you don't have it, I like red wine vinegar. I even mix my vinegars if I want my balsamic to last longer. Stay away from white distilled vinegar though. That's better for cleaning. Add about 1/4 cup of the vinegar.
Salt and pepper are essential to your cooking. Season to taste. Use cracked black pepper.
Here's where you can get creative. Have a bunch of basil or thyme that needs using? Toss it in! Garlic or onion powder? Sure! Play with the flavors and see what you like and what you want to do.
Whisk all of your ingredients together until combined.
While whisking, add your olive oil. Use a good quality oil for this. Seriously. You're going to taste it and you need it to taste the best. Add about 1/4 cup of oil.
The most important part is to taste it. Make sure you have a couple leaves of lettuce on your hands to taste it and make sure it tastes how you want it. I made the mistake of not tasting it just a couple weeks ago and it tasted way too much like plain dijon mustard but I didn't have the ingredients to fix it. Make sure you taste it so it tastes just as you like it.
My salads usually consist of a mescalune mix with baby spinach, radicchio and romaine with some feta crumbled on top. Yummmmm!
So let me know how it goes! Try it out and see how making your own salad dressing works out for you!
By the way, we've stopped buying salad dressings in my place. I have a bottle that I keep in the fridge at all times and refill whenever we're low. It's actually at the point where if I'm in the grocery store and even *look* at a bottle of dressing, my boyfriend asks me what the HELL I'm doing and informs me that my dressing is so much better and I'm a fool for looking at it.
I'm not lying.
Have fun with your salads!
-Merry
If you're like that, you can throw all of those away. They're full of fat (especially the creamy ranch and italians you're buying) and the list of ingredients is usually far too long. Here's the best way to make tasty dressings that you know the contents of. And you probably have half the ingredients in your cupboards anyway.
Here's my basic list for a dijon vinaigrette:
Dijon mustard
Sweetener (honey, agave nectar or brown sugar)
Balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
I always start with dijon. It's a really nice flavor base and it gives you the homogenized product you're looking for. You don't want the oil to sit on top. You don't want everything else to sit on the bottom. When making a vinaigrette, you want all of it to blend together so you're not chasing it around on your plate. Put a couple tablespoons of that in a bowl.
Next is the sweetener. You can do without it, but sometimes the dressing can get way too sour. I like mine sour. I usually sweat while eating my dressing. But sometimes it's way too sour and some sweet will definitely make your dressing more rounded in flavor. Always look for that balance. I usually have honey in my cabinet. Agave nectar is perfect as well. I like choosing sweeteners that have their own depth of flavor to bring something to this flavor party so stay away from plain granulated sugar and go at least to brown sugar. Add about a tablespoon to your bowl.
Next is the vinegar. What's a vinaigrette without vinegar?! I like Balsamic vinegar. It's an aged red wine vinegar that has be come super concentrated and oddly sweet. I find it perfect for salad dressings and a lot of people agree. If you don't have it, I like red wine vinegar. I even mix my vinegars if I want my balsamic to last longer. Stay away from white distilled vinegar though. That's better for cleaning. Add about 1/4 cup of the vinegar.
Salt and pepper are essential to your cooking. Season to taste. Use cracked black pepper.
Here's where you can get creative. Have a bunch of basil or thyme that needs using? Toss it in! Garlic or onion powder? Sure! Play with the flavors and see what you like and what you want to do.
Whisk all of your ingredients together until combined.
While whisking, add your olive oil. Use a good quality oil for this. Seriously. You're going to taste it and you need it to taste the best. Add about 1/4 cup of oil.
The most important part is to taste it. Make sure you have a couple leaves of lettuce on your hands to taste it and make sure it tastes how you want it. I made the mistake of not tasting it just a couple weeks ago and it tasted way too much like plain dijon mustard but I didn't have the ingredients to fix it. Make sure you taste it so it tastes just as you like it.
My salads usually consist of a mescalune mix with baby spinach, radicchio and romaine with some feta crumbled on top. Yummmmm!
So let me know how it goes! Try it out and see how making your own salad dressing works out for you!
By the way, we've stopped buying salad dressings in my place. I have a bottle that I keep in the fridge at all times and refill whenever we're low. It's actually at the point where if I'm in the grocery store and even *look* at a bottle of dressing, my boyfriend asks me what the HELL I'm doing and informs me that my dressing is so much better and I'm a fool for looking at it.
I'm not lying.
Have fun with your salads!
-Merry
22 July 2010
Lunch the Old Fashioned Way
Looking for a nice, quick, light lunch? I have the perfect solution. But it needs an anecdote.
I grew up doing medieval recreation with the Society for Creative Anachronism or the SCA. I grew up paying attention to who was king, who won the tournaments, what I could purchase from the merchants and, most importantly, what I was going to eat. I was lucky enough to have been exposed to a lot of rustic and high court style foods. Chicken with a raisin stuffing, armored turnips and almond creams were typical of my pallet when I was young.
But my favorite food? My absolute favorite thing to do for lunch growing up, dressed like a little princess and starving from playing on a big playground all day?
My mom looked for a way to feed three hungry girls quickly. The morning of the event we would go to the grocery store and pick up cheese, bread and grapes.
What? My favorite meal is bread, cheese and grapes? Yep. Let me explain.
This is what's called a farmer's or a peasant's lunch. The peasant in question was usually fairly poor. Can't kill most of his livestock. He needs them to work or make things like eggs or milk for him. He also is probably working in the heat most of the day so he can't have something that will go bad.
Bread is constantly being made. Flour lasts a while and it's easy to use and make into bread- all kinds of bread. Flatbreads, rustic breads, etc. There's a reason that bread is a staple of most households.
Milk goes bad pretty quickly. In the Middle Ages (or really any time before the mid 19th century), milk wasn't pasteurized or anything to kill off microbes. As a result, it turned to cheese quickly. What do we do? We roll with the punches. Pretty much any culture that used cows a lot has its own cheese.
And fruit needs to be eaten quickly or preserved.
For me, the perfect peasant's lunch is a rustic bread (a loaf of Italian bread is wonderful), a nice cheddar cheese and grapes. The basic mouth feel of the bread combined with the sharp cheddar and the sweet grapes is a perfect balance for a nice lunch on a hot day.
Another nice option is my "cheap lunch" when I'm at my big event, Pennsic. Last year, the Coopers (the family that owns the site the event happens on) decided to start carrying local artisanal breads, rolls, etc. The real kicker is that they started selling dipping oil- olive oils and herbs perfectly blended to a delicious and perfect concoction for, say, a nice challah roll. Pair that with a nice container of blueberry greek yogurt and gatorade (it's hot and the electrolytes are good) and I have a greek peasant's feast for me to enjoy all on my own, people watching at the Cooper's Store.
But why stop there? There are plenty of other international options to choose from!
Feeling exotic? How about some pita and hummus with a stone fruit like plums or some olives? Some sushi is a good option for those feeling an Asian element to their day (though refrigeration is highly recommended).
But the best part of this meal? Enjoying it. Sit under a tree with a book. Go to a local park and people watch. Have a picnic. The best part for me growing up was sitting with my sisters, enjoying the sun, listening to the music, the battle cries and truly feeling transported.
So open your eyes, look around and enjoy a Peasant's Lunch and let me know how it goes.
Email me at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
-Merry
I grew up doing medieval recreation with the Society for Creative Anachronism or the SCA. I grew up paying attention to who was king, who won the tournaments, what I could purchase from the merchants and, most importantly, what I was going to eat. I was lucky enough to have been exposed to a lot of rustic and high court style foods. Chicken with a raisin stuffing, armored turnips and almond creams were typical of my pallet when I was young.
But my favorite food? My absolute favorite thing to do for lunch growing up, dressed like a little princess and starving from playing on a big playground all day?
My mom looked for a way to feed three hungry girls quickly. The morning of the event we would go to the grocery store and pick up cheese, bread and grapes.
What? My favorite meal is bread, cheese and grapes? Yep. Let me explain.
This is what's called a farmer's or a peasant's lunch. The peasant in question was usually fairly poor. Can't kill most of his livestock. He needs them to work or make things like eggs or milk for him. He also is probably working in the heat most of the day so he can't have something that will go bad.
Bread is constantly being made. Flour lasts a while and it's easy to use and make into bread- all kinds of bread. Flatbreads, rustic breads, etc. There's a reason that bread is a staple of most households.
Milk goes bad pretty quickly. In the Middle Ages (or really any time before the mid 19th century), milk wasn't pasteurized or anything to kill off microbes. As a result, it turned to cheese quickly. What do we do? We roll with the punches. Pretty much any culture that used cows a lot has its own cheese.
And fruit needs to be eaten quickly or preserved.
For me, the perfect peasant's lunch is a rustic bread (a loaf of Italian bread is wonderful), a nice cheddar cheese and grapes. The basic mouth feel of the bread combined with the sharp cheddar and the sweet grapes is a perfect balance for a nice lunch on a hot day.
Another nice option is my "cheap lunch" when I'm at my big event, Pennsic. Last year, the Coopers (the family that owns the site the event happens on) decided to start carrying local artisanal breads, rolls, etc. The real kicker is that they started selling dipping oil- olive oils and herbs perfectly blended to a delicious and perfect concoction for, say, a nice challah roll. Pair that with a nice container of blueberry greek yogurt and gatorade (it's hot and the electrolytes are good) and I have a greek peasant's feast for me to enjoy all on my own, people watching at the Cooper's Store.
But why stop there? There are plenty of other international options to choose from!
Feeling exotic? How about some pita and hummus with a stone fruit like plums or some olives? Some sushi is a good option for those feeling an Asian element to their day (though refrigeration is highly recommended).
But the best part of this meal? Enjoying it. Sit under a tree with a book. Go to a local park and people watch. Have a picnic. The best part for me growing up was sitting with my sisters, enjoying the sun, listening to the music, the battle cries and truly feeling transported.
So open your eyes, look around and enjoy a Peasant's Lunch and let me know how it goes.
Email me at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
-Merry
21 July 2010
What I'm All About
Hi there!
My name is Merry and I love to cook. Sitting home after work, I am usually compelled to chop vegetables or get some water boiling for *some*thing.
I am an experiential cook. I have never been to culinary school and worked in a cafe in high school for a total of three days (it might have been two). I was usually able to cook and cook relatively well (I can make a mean box of mac and cheese) but I never had any real interest in cooking, learning the method of it or complicated terms like "ceviche," "roux," or anything like that. I simply cooked to eat and survive. And if it was tasty, I was okay with that too.
Then I moved into an apartment with two of my girlfriends... who watched Food Network almost constantly. It ended up being a bonding activity to come home and watch Sandra Lee, Giada DeLaurentiis, Ina Garten and, of course, Alton Brown. I also learned that I was learning a heck of a lot. Especially once it all went into reruns.
Then I moved a long way away. It was hard. I left all of my friends and didn't have much of a life. The consolation I had was Food Network. I was able to watch all the shows I watched with my friends and still have that bond. I set up Facebook chat dates with one of my roommates to watch Ace of Cakes every Thursday.
The more I watched, the more I became inspired to cook. My mother had given me bits and pieces of good kitchen ware over the years and I became super excited. I had good knives, a kitchen and a hungry boyfriend to feed. So I started experimenting.
It hasn't been easy and there are a lot of stories to tell, but I think it's worthwhile. I hope to get a good webcam and do a YouTube show where you can see me, comment on my cooking and all that good stuff.
But for now, follow me here, ask me questions and I'll post answers. I'll also be posting my recipes as I create them.
Stay Tuned!
-Merry
My name is Merry and I love to cook. Sitting home after work, I am usually compelled to chop vegetables or get some water boiling for *some*thing.
I am an experiential cook. I have never been to culinary school and worked in a cafe in high school for a total of three days (it might have been two). I was usually able to cook and cook relatively well (I can make a mean box of mac and cheese) but I never had any real interest in cooking, learning the method of it or complicated terms like "ceviche," "roux," or anything like that. I simply cooked to eat and survive. And if it was tasty, I was okay with that too.
Then I moved into an apartment with two of my girlfriends... who watched Food Network almost constantly. It ended up being a bonding activity to come home and watch Sandra Lee, Giada DeLaurentiis, Ina Garten and, of course, Alton Brown. I also learned that I was learning a heck of a lot. Especially once it all went into reruns.
Then I moved a long way away. It was hard. I left all of my friends and didn't have much of a life. The consolation I had was Food Network. I was able to watch all the shows I watched with my friends and still have that bond. I set up Facebook chat dates with one of my roommates to watch Ace of Cakes every Thursday.
The more I watched, the more I became inspired to cook. My mother had given me bits and pieces of good kitchen ware over the years and I became super excited. I had good knives, a kitchen and a hungry boyfriend to feed. So I started experimenting.
It hasn't been easy and there are a lot of stories to tell, but I think it's worthwhile. I hope to get a good webcam and do a YouTube show where you can see me, comment on my cooking and all that good stuff.
But for now, follow me here, ask me questions and I'll post answers. I'll also be posting my recipes as I create them.
Stay Tuned!
-Merry
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