anisaerah

Moved.

2006-04-09T16:36:00.000-04:00

http://anisaerah.cmayes.net/blog

stir-fry

2006-04-07T19:17:00.000-04:00

chicken, broccoli and zuchinni with nam pla and kaffir lime leaves

Hair color

2006-04-07T18:49:00.000-04:00

You know, I really shouldn't wonder why my hair is so fried when it's been so many colors. (first pic is me in 5th grade, with my natural hair color. It's about the same now- I think.)

Carrot Cake and Vegan Carrot Cupcakes

2006-04-07T17:02:00.000-04:00

While organizing stuff on my computer, I found some photos i scanned a few years ago. these are from Ellie's 1st birthday, and her party a few days later. (she had the chocolate cupcake on her actual birthday)

What I've been doing instead of typing recipes.

2006-04-05T20:55:00.000-04:00

I still have like, two or three Cds worth of material left to burn, but I think I have a nice supply of mixes for a while :)

Pizza Omelette

2006-04-05T19:21:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I lied.

2006-04-03T19:22:00.000-04:00

Sometimes pre-fab can be very convenient. I'm a sucker for smiley faces.

Pizza, yet again.

2006-04-03T00:02:00.000-04:00

Recipe here. With tomato, green pepper and onion. The crust has garlic and basil and oregano on it.

Hushpuppies

2006-04-02T00:20:00.000-05:00

12 hushpuppies, my ass!

Nice tip!

2006-04-02T00:16:00.000-05:00

I really don't ever mind taking deliveries to the Godiva store... mmmm!

I'm not posting pictures of prefab chicken nuggets.

2006-04-01T20:35:00.000-05:00

OK, well I've been busy trying to get my shit together here at Casa Binet, so I still haven't typed up recipes for the last two weeks (for the, like, 3 of you that read this), but I have had time to dye my hair and take a few pictures. After 3 months of posting the dinners I cook, I think I've pretty much run through my repertoire, but I'magonna try some new stuff soon. I went to Tarjhay to see if I could find a souffle dish, but apparently they don't sell those in the store, just online. Grrrr! I ended up buying, like $50 worth of lingerie from the "50% off" rack instead. I bought Rob a pair of the thermal socks he likes because I felt kind of bad for spending money, but buying something for him let me justify the total bill.

Honey Mustard Chicken

2006-03-27T19:23:00.000-05:00

Made this up as I went along...

2006-03-26T19:24:00.000-05:00

I was going to make a sort of hoppin' john thing, but I was running short of time and we had rice yesterday, anyhow. Stir-fried pork with onion and green pepper and blackeyed peas with corn and a thai-type dressing (fish sauce, lime juice, cilantro)

Fried Rice

2006-03-25T20:42:00.000-05:00

With pork and lots of veggies.

Tuna Melt, again

2006-03-25T14:04:00.000-05:00

This was much better than the last time I made it. Sliced provolone cheese Sliced whole grain bread 6 oz can of tuna, drained well 2 Tb or so of mayonnaise Three green onions, minced 1/2 stalk of celery, minced 1/2 tsp oregano salt and pepper Preheat the broiler in the oven. Mix the tuna with rest of the ingredients (except for the bread and cheese ;> ) and spread evenly on the bread (one can of tuna makes enough tuna salad for three or four slices of bread). Top each slice with provolone cheese, place the slices on a baking sheet, and place inder the broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese is melted and just browning. Serves one or two.

Strawberry Shortcake

2006-03-20T19:16:00.000-05:00

Sweet buttermilk biscuits and whipped cream. Mmmmmmmm!

Steak and Egg Sandwich

2006-03-20T18:22:00.000-05:00

2006-03-20T16:10:00.000-05:00

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Pan-broiled steak

2006-03-19T10:36:00.000-05:00

with Maître D'Hôtel Butter, Roasted Hazelnut Asparagus and Baked Potato.

Reubens

2006-03-18T09:03:00.001-05:00

Corned Beef and Cabbage

2006-03-16T21:19:00.001-05:00

Chocolate Frosted Yellow Cupcakes

2006-03-15T21:33:00.000-05:00

This is why ...

2006-03-15T01:26:00.000-05:00

...I'm glad I have a digital camera... ...but need an ipod: heh.

Balloon Heads!

2006-03-15T01:23:00.000-05:00

I'm officially domesticated now, eh?

Purim

2006-03-14T23:27:00.000-05:00

We went to my father's cousin's house for the seudah, and I should have gotten pictures of the food, but I forgot. There were roasted turkey and potatoes, steamed veggies with onions, applesauce and challah. Some yummy hamantaschen (I don't like the poppyseed ones, though) and chocolate covered cherries, too.My sister looks radiant as always, and my brother is supposed to be dressed as John Lennon on the cover of Abbey Road. That's grape juice El's drinking. ;)

Smoked Sausage and Sauerkraut

2006-03-13T19:05:00.000-05:00

This was just cheap precooked smoked beef sausage that I cut up, browned, and added about a cup of sauerkraut to while scraping up the ~~fond~~ stuck on brown stuff from the pan.

Another blustery day.

2006-03-13T17:35:00.000-05:00

Being able to be outside for more than 20 minutes at a time definitely makes me want to use my camera more.

Spring!

2006-03-12T19:24:00.000-05:00

We went to the park today. I feel like we haven't been out in months! It rained for the last few days and now everything smells like thawed dirt. I can't wait to show Ellie the crocuses when they come up. She insisted on bringing the "kite" we made yesterday. I have to find dowels the right length so we can make one that actually flies.

Roast Pork Loin with Duxelles

2006-03-12T19:23:00.000-05:00

Roast Pork Loin: (I used a very small roast here; a half pork loin is about 3 or 4 pounds, the time suggested for cooking would be a minimum) Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 450F. Take a pork loin roast and liberally season it with salt, pepper, sage, thyme and rosemary. Place on a rack in a roasting pan and cook for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 250 F and cook for another 45 minutes to an hour, until the internal temperature of the roast is 155 F. Remove from the oven and tent with foil while you prepare the duxelles. Duxelles: 2 Tb butter 8 oz mushrooms, wiped clean and diced very small 1/2 cup minced chopped onion 1 Tb dry sherry 1/4 cup heavy cream a pinch of dried thyme a pinch of nutmeg Melt the butter in a large skillet and heat over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until slightly translucent, then add the mushrooms. When the mushrooms have let up and evaporated their water, add the sherry and deglaze the pan. add the remaining ingredients, and cook until thickened, stirring often. Carve the roast, spread the duxelles filling between the slices, and arrange on a serving platter.

Chicken Piccata

2006-03-11T20:01:00.000-05:00

with Shrimp and Mushroom Risotto and Sauteed Spinach with Pine Nuts. Recipe for Shrimp and Mushroom Risotto here (scroll down to "happy rice") Chicken Piccata: Three boneless chicken breast halves (about 1.5 pounds), pounded very thin and cut in half if very large (you can usually find pounded out chicken cutlets at the grocery store, but they cost, like, twice as much and it's not hard to do it yourself.) salt and pepper 1/3 cup flour 2 Tb butter, divided 1 Tb oil 1/2 cup chicken broth 2 Tb rinsed capers 2 Tb lemon juice 2 Tb chopped parsley Heat the oven to 200 F and have a baking sheet ready. Mix the flour and salt and pepper, and dredge the flattened chicken breasts in it, shaking off the excess flour. Melt 1 Tb of the butter and the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the coated breasts until they are nicely browned on both sides and the thickest pieces are at least 165 F. Place on the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. (you may have to cook the breasts in batches.) When the chicken has finished cooking, add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Cook until thickened slightly, then add the lemon juice, capers and parsley and heat through. Stir in the remaining butter and serve over the chicken. Serves 3. Sauteed Spinach with Pine Nuts: 16 oz bag spinach leaves (or you could clean and destem a bunch or two of spinach) 1/4 cup pine nuts 1 garlic clove, minced tiny 2 Tb oil Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet or dutch oven. Add the pine nuts, and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Add the garlic and the spinach and cook, tossing quickly in the pan (tongs can be useful here) until the spinach is just wilted. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

I generally hate this sort of thing...

2006-03-10T01:26:00.000-05:00

...but I think this is kinda cool. My Johari Window My Nohari Window

Cheesecake Pie

2006-03-08T10:16:00.000-05:00

To make this, I cut a recipe down a bit, because I don't have a springform pan, and even my largest pie or cake pans do not have as large a capacity as one. I was huddled over the counter with a calculator trying to keep the ingredients in proportion to one another, and I remembered why I've never been much of a baker. Cheesecake Pie Graham Cracker Crust: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (putting graham crackers in a bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin works pretty well) 6 Tb melted butter 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg Mix the ingredients together and press into a large greased pie pan. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and solidified. Cheesecake Batter: Have all ingredients at room temperature, and heat oven to 450F. In a large bowl, beat two pounds of softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in 14 oz (1 cup plus 1/4 cup plus 2 Tb plus 1 Tsp) sugar and 1 Tb flour; this is the last chance you get to make sure there are no lumps of cheese before you add in the eggs. Add 1 tsp lemon zest and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Beat in, one at a time, 4 large eggs and one egg yolk. Try not to over mix the eggs, because if you beat enough air into them, the batter will rise dramatically in the oven, and then fall, like a souffle. When the eggs have been wholly incorporated, beat in 3.2 oz (1/4 cup plus 2 Tb plus 1 tsp) heavy cream slowly. Pour the batter into the crust, scraping the sides with a spatula and smoothing it into the crust evenly. I had about a cup left over, and I was worried that it would spill over, but it probably wouldn't have. I made "cheesecake creme brulee" out of the extra batter Bake for 15 minutes at 450F, and then lower the temperature to 200F and bake for another hour. Let cool in the oven for a half hour with the oven door held ajar by a wooden spoon or something similar. Let cool completely before serving, preferably refrigerating at least a day or two, to let the custard set and the cheese flavor intensify.

Roasted Pork Loin

2006-03-08T10:12:00.000-05:00

Pork Loin Stuffed with Cornbread and Apples Cornbread and Apple Stuffing 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup finely chopped smoked ham 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/4 cup finely chopped celery Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup diced (1/4-inch) peeled apple 1/2 teaspoon dried sage 1 1/2 cups crumbled and dried homemade cornbread or dried cornbread stuffing mix 1/4 cup apple juice, or more 1 egg, beaten lightly Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat; add ham and cook 3 minutes. Add onion, celery and a pinch each of salt and pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the diced apple and cook 1 minute. Transfer apple mixture to a large bowl, sprinkle with sage, and stir in cornbread crumbs, apple juice and egg. The mixture should be moist but not too wet. Add more apple juice if the mixture seems dry. Adjust the seasonings and set aside. Stuffed Pork Loin 1 # boneless pork loin (I buy half pork loins and split them into chops and small roasts) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried sage 2 small apples, peeled, halved, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lay the meat, fat-side down, on a large cutting board and make a lengthwise cut two-thirds through the loin. Open up the cut so you have a large rectangle of meat. Place fat-side down and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Using a meat pounder, or similar implement of destruction, carefully but authoritatively flatten the meat to an even thickness. 3/4 of an inch is about right. {{WHen I typed up the notes for this I marked places to put pictures of the assembly of the roast, but I forgot to take them. The picture here is of someone else's roast, as is the next link}} Remove the plastic wrap and spread the stuffing evenly over the meat, leaving a 3/4–inch border. Roll up the meat like a jelly roll, so that stuffing is in a spiral pattern. Tie the rolled roast at 2-inch intervals with butcher’s twine. {{rolled and tied}} Place the rest of the stuffing in a small greased baking dish to cook alongside the roast. Combine salt, pepper, and sage and sprinkle over the roast. Lay the sliced apples on the bottom of a roasting pan slightly larger then the roast and set the roast, fat-side up, on the apples. Put the roast in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 325 F and roast for about 45 minutes, until the internal temperature is 145 F. Transfer it to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest while you make the sauce. Transfer the apples to a bowl with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Roasted Apple Sauce Reserved apples from pork loin recipe 2 Tb dry sherry 1/2 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup apple juice or cider 2 Tb heavy cream Skim the fat from the roasting pan, leaving the meat juices on the bottom. Put pan over medium-high heat, add the sherry and deglaze pan allowing the alcohol to burn off, about 15 seconds. Add stock, apple juice and cream. Increase heat to high and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring, until reduced by half. Adjust the seasoning and keep warm while you carve the pork roast. Remove the twine from the roast and cut it into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the pork on a serving platter, spoon the sliced apples around the meat and pour the sauce over all. Serves 4-ish.

Cherry Cheesecake Creme Brulee

2006-03-05T23:51:00.000-05:00

(Attempt one) This needs to be tweaked. The custard did not set quite as I had hoped. Still very tasty!

Chicken Soup with Matzah Balls

2006-03-05T20:12:00.000-05:00

Chicken Soup 1 qt chicken stock 1 chicken breast or leg quarter (bone-in) 1 stalk of celery, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 1 clove of garlic, smashed 1 small onion, quartered bay leaf dill salt pepper 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan except for the sliced carrot and celery, adding water if necessary to cover everything in the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour. When the chicken is completely cooked, strain the broth and reserve some of the cooked chicken to add back to the soup. Bring broth, chicken, and sliced vegetables to a simmer and cook, covered, until the vegetables are cooked. Matzah Balls (makes 10) 1/2 cup matzah meal 2 large eggs 2 Tb oil 2 Tb water 1/2 tsp salt pepper Beat the eggs and mix in the oil, water, salt, and pepper. Stir the matzah meal into the egg mixture, cover and refrigerate for at least a half hour. Bring 4 qts of water to a boil, and add 1 tsp salt. With moistened hands, form 1" diameter balls from the matzah meal/egg mixture and drop into the boiling water. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for a half hour. Remove with slotted spoon.

Krispy Treats

2006-03-04T00:27:00.000-05:00

Krispy Treats 1/4 cup plus 1/2 tsp butter 10 ounces marshmallows 6 cups crisp rice cereal (faux fruity pepples here) Butter a 13x9" pan. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add cereal. Stir until well coated. Using a buttered spatula, press mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Cut into squares when cool. Makes 24 2"x2" squares.

Shabbos Chicken

2006-03-03T20:28:00.000-05:00

My mom used to make this almost every Friday night when I was a kid. She uses Mrs Dash, but I don't use that, so I substituted the dried herbs. 4 pieces bone-in chicken (I used 2 leg quarters) 1 minced clove of garlic soy sauce paprika dried oregano dried basil dried thyme ground pepper Preheat the oven to 375 F. Season the chicken liberally with the rest of the ingredients. Place in a roasting pan with 1/3 cup of water and bake for about an hour.

Bacon and Eggs

2006-03-02T18:13:00.000-05:00

Bacon (about a pound per 4-5 people; an average pound of sliced packaged bacon has about 16 slices) Eggs (however many each person wants) Heat the oven to 200 F and get a baking sheet out and line with paper towel. Heat a skillet (preferably cast iron- incidentally, this is a great way to help season up your cast iron, if you have any) over medium-low heat. Cook 3 or 4 pieces of bacon at a time, turning when one side browns. When both sides are browned, put the bacon on the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Use the bacon fat that accumulates in the pan to cook the eggs in, and save the rest to make cornbread. Do I really need to post a recipe for fried eggs? :) (Yes, those are partially raw yolks. I like my eggs that way and I'm completely willing to tempt fate for the pleasure gained by dipping bits of toast in the warm yolk. MMMM!)

What the fucking fuck?

2006-03-02T15:56:00.000-05:00

Creepy "Contract of Wifely Expectations" I'll remember this the next time I want to bitch about Rob not doing all of the dishes.

Banana Spice Bread

2006-03-01T18:15:00.000-05:00

I doubled this recipe and made both. One recipe yields one loaf or 10 average-sized muffins. Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf pan or grease/line with paper cups a muffin pan. Stir together: 1 1/3 cups flour 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground cloves In another bowl, cream 1/3 cup (5 1/3 Tb) unsalted butter and 2/3 cup sugar. Mix in the flour mixture and beat in 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Fold in 2 mashed bananas gently, until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (muffins will cook much faster; 30 minutes should be enough)

Lemon-Garlic-Thyme Chicken

2006-03-01T17:51:00.001-05:00

Lemon-Garlic-Thyme Chicken with Pearl Onions and Potatoes Mix 3 Tb oil with 2 Tb lemon juice, and whisk together. Season some bone-in chicken parts (I used 2 leg quarters) with salt, pepper, 1 minced clove of garlic, and about 1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 Tb fresh minced), and pour the oil/lemon juice mixture over them. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 375F. Cut 3 medium potatoes into large dice and place in an ovenproof dish. peel 12 pearl onions (sometimes you can find these, already peeled, in bags in the vegetable section of the freezer case at the grocery store. They are a pain in the ass to peel!) and place in the dish with the potatoes. sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper and 1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 1/2 Tb fresh minced). Pour in a Tb of oil and a Tb of lemon juice and toss to coat. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, and bake for about an hour.

Buttermilk Cake with Mocha Frosting

2006-02-26T22:19:00.000-05:00

Buttermilk Cake Preheat the oven to 350 F and make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before beginning. Grease and flour two 9" cake pans (I like to cut circles of parchment paper to line the bottoms with to ensure I have a perfectly flat surface to frost once the cake is baked and cooled.). Sift together in a large bowl: 2 1/3 cups flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt In another large bowl, beat 12 Tb (1 1/2 sticks) softened butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 1/3 cups sugar, and beat on high speed for about 4 minutes, or until the mixture has lightened in texture and color. Whisk 3 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla together in a small bowl, and gradually beat into the butter/sugar mixture. Making sure each addition is incorporated before continuing, alternately add the flour in three parts, and 1 cup of buttermilk in two parts (i.e. 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the buttermilk, 1/3 of the flour, the rest of the buttermilk, the rest of the flour), beating on low speed and scraping the sides of the bowl. Pour the batter into the two prepared pans and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely on wire racks, and frost. Mocha Frosting (makes about 1 1/4 cups; enough to frost a 2 layer cake) Melt 6 Tb of butter in a small saucepan and whisk in 1/2 cup plus 1 Tb cocoa powder (you can use 3 oz unsweetened chocolate and reduce the butter by half. All I had was cocoa powder). Remove from the heat and add 1/4 cup coffee and 1 tsp vanilla. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar while beating the mixture to keep it spreadable.

Sauteed Pork Medallions

2006-02-26T22:06:00.000-05:00

Take as many 1" thick pork medallions or bone-in chops as you are serving and season with salt, pepper, and whatever herbs you like (I used a little thyme, oregano and sage here). Heat a Tb of oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the pieces of pork for a minute on each side. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to low and cook for a few more minutes on each side, until the inside of the medallions are just barely pink.

Buttermilk-Apple Blintzes and Potato Kugel

2006-02-22T19:12:00.000-05:00

Blintzes: (makes about 15 blintzes) 1.5 cups flour 1.5 cups buttermilk 4 large eggs 3 Tb melted unsalted butter 3 tsp sugar 1/8 tsp salt Whisk together the ingredients in a large bowl, and let sit for a half hour, covered with plastic wrap. Meanwhile, make the filling. 2 Tb butter 4 tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 Tb lemon juice 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp vanilla Melt the butter in a medium sized skillet over low heat. Meanwhile, toss the sliced apples with the remaining ingredients. Raise the temperature of the skillet to medium-low and cook the apples until tender, stirring often (10 minutes or so). To cook the crepes for the blintzes, heat a nonstick or seasoned cast iron pan with a flat bottom over medium heat, and melt a small amount (1/2 Tb or less) butter in it, turning the pan so that it is coated with the fat. Pour about 1/4 of a cup of batter into the pan at a time, tilting the pan to make crepes about 6" in diameter. Cook each until it is golden brown on the bottom, and the batter on top is set and dry , and place between sheets of waxed paper. You can make the crepes ahead of time and refrigerate (short term) or freeze (long term) until you want to fill and fry them. Fill the blintzes as illustrated above - Place a few Tb of filling along the bottom aof a crepe, fold the sides and then the bottom in, and roll up. Fry seam side down, in a medium skillet with 2 Tb of butter and 1 Tb oil over medium heat until lightly browned on both sides. Potato Kugel: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grate 3 large peeled potatoes and 1 medium onion. Stir together in a large bowl with: 1 minced clove of garlic 1 egg 3 Tb flour 1.5 Tb oil 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp paprika and smooth into a 1.5 Qt casserole (a loaf pan would probably work, too). Sprinkle with a little more paprika and bake for 45 minutes, or until nicely browned on the top.

Chicken Nuggets

2006-02-20T19:08:00.000-05:00

Cut about a pound or so of boneless chicken breasts into small (1.5" or so) chunks. Combine: 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 Tb lemon juice 1 tsp garlic powder salt and pepper and coat the pieces of chicken with it. Dredge the coated chicken pieces in breadcrumbs or matzah meal, and brown lightly in oil in a skillet over medium heat. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350F until fully cooked.

Something resembling an Indian curry.

2006-02-20T15:00:00.000-05:00

This is something I make when I have veggies or meat I want to use up. Serves two, generously. Cut one or two boneless chicken breasts into small chunks. Saute until thoroughly cooked in a large skillet with a lid. Take the chicken out of the pan and reserve in a bowl to add back in later. Add a bit more oil, and add 1 chopped onion and about 3 Tb of curry powder (or an equivalent amount of your favorite curry spices), and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens a bit and the spices start becoming aromatic. Add about a cup of chopped red bell pepper, and cook for a few minutes. Add a few cloves of minced garlic and about a Tb or so of fresh grated ginger. Cook and keep stirring for another minute or so, and then add about 1.5 cups of chicken stock, 2 cups or so of cauliflower florets, and the reserved cooked chicken, scraping the bottom of the pan as you add the stock. Bring to a simmer, and let it cook, covered, for about 20 minutes, then add about a cup of peas (I use frozen ones), and let everything heat through. I like to add a little bit of lemon juice or lime juice, too. If the sauce is not thick enough, stir in a slurry of a few tsp of cornstarch with an equal amount of water, and add gradually to the simmering sauce, until it reaches the consistency you like. Serve with rice. Chopped green onion, cilantro and peanuts are nice on the side, too.

Pear- Raspberry Crisp

2006-02-20T14:56:00.000-05:00

Same recipe as here, but I substituted 3 medium peeled, cored, and sliced pears and about 3/4 cup of frozen raspberries for the apples, and used some almond extract along with the vanilla. It was a bit too liquid, which could maybe be remedied by letting the raspberries thaw and drain for a bit before adding them, or sprinkling in a Tb of flour or a little cornstarch before mixing up the fruit.

Lemon-Garlic Potatoes

2006-02-18T21:31:00.000-05:00

Preheat oven to 350F. Scrub 3 large red potatoes. Cut them into 1.5" chunks, and toss with a few Tb of oil, a few Tb of lemon juice, 2 cloves of minced garlic, salt, pepper, and some dried oregano. Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring a few times during cooking to keep them from sticking to the pan. Stir in a few Tb of minced parsley before serving. Parsley is dirt-cheap and makes things look and taste pretty, as long as you don't go overboard with it. Don't forget to rinse it first!

Oven "BBQ" Chicken

2006-02-18T21:25:00.000-05:00

Take 3 chicken leg quarters (about 2.5 pounds of bone-in chicken), and rub with: 1 minced clove of garlic 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp dried oregano salt and pepper Refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the chicken for about a half hour, then baste with about 3/4 cup of bottled barbeque sauce, and bake for another 20 minutes or so, basting with barbeque sauce again after 10 minutes.

Lazy Chocolate Pie

2006-02-18T21:08:00.000-05:00

You can make this ahead of time, but unless you stabilize the whipped cream with gelatin, that step should be done the day that it is served. Graham crust: Preheat oven to 350 F. 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/3 cup (5 1/3 Tb) softened butter 1/4 cup sugar Mix the graham crumbs with the butter and sugar and press into a 9" pie pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes and set aside to cool. Chocolate Filling: Heat 1 package "cook and serve" chocolate pudding mix and 2 cups of whole milk over medium heat, stirring constantly (preferably with a whisk) until it comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Using a spatula, smooth the cooked pudding into the graham crust. Refrigerate for 3 hours to set. Orange Whipped cream: Put a metal mixing bowl and the beaters from a mixer (heavy duty or handheld) in the freezer for about 15 minutes. On high speed (assuming a handheld mixer here. For a heavy duty Kitchenaid type, medium high should do), beat 1 cup (1/2 pint) of heavy whipping cream (the highest butterfat content possible, preferably not ultra-pasteurized) until thickened somewhat. Add: 2 Tb sugar 1/4 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp orange extract 2 drops of red and 3 drops of yellow food coloring (This will produce a pale orange color. If you want a brighter orange, just use more, keeping the proportion the same) and continue to beat the cream just until stiff peaks form. (If you whip the cream any longer, it will develop grains of butter.) Spread over the pie and refrigerate until serving.

Fried Chicken

2006-02-15T19:06:00.000-05:00

Not too difficult to make, but you have to be careful or you can get really nasty burns from the hot fat. Whenever cooking with hot fat, especially with new recipes, use an oven mitt when possible and keep your face away from the pan. I can post pictures of my many burns if you don't believe me :). Cut up a chicken into serving pieces, or use already cut up chicken. I made 3 big leg quarters tonight, so if you make more you might need a bit more flour, but probably the same amount of fat- you'll just have to do this in more batches. For really really tasty chicken, I'd recommend marnating in buttermilk overnight, but I'm out. Fried chicken is damned good even without it. In a large shallow bowl or container, mix: about 2 cups of flour 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper a dash of ground red pepper (more if everyone you're serving likes spicy stuff) Dredge the chicken in the flour and let sit on a rack over a baking sheet to dry a bit (this is particularly important if you've marinated the chicken in buttermilk. It helps the coating stick a bit better) In a large cast iron skillet or "chicken fryer" that has a lid, melt about 2-3 cups of vegetable shortening (you can use any oil for this that has a high smoke point. Shortening is just hella cheap). Heat the fat over medium-high heat, until it's about 350 F on a fat/candy thermometer. My candy thermometer broke long ago, and I get good results by just making sure that the fat gets violently bubbly when I test with a small piece of coated chicken. A few minutes of heating should do you good. When the fat is hot enough, place as many pieces as will fit in the pan with some space around each of them, skin side down. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes- but check about halfway through that time, to make sure the chicken is not browning too quickly. If it is, turn down the heat a bit. When the skin side is all nice and mahogany-colored, uncover the pan and turn the chicken over, cooking uncovered for another 5-10 minutes. If the chicken is browned to the point of almost burning and is still pink/registers less than 165 F on an instant read thermomenter, you can finish cooking it in the oven. 10 minutes or so at 300 is probably about right, but check on it often. Burned fried chicken doesnt do anyone any good :) Drain on paper towels or a wire rack and serve immediately.

I got Smacked!

2006-02-15T10:22:00.000-05:00

The fine folks over at I Talk Too Much have gotten around to reviewing my blog. I'll admit the template sucks, and I've been lazy about learning how to get the text in a box so that it is not white-on-black. I *was* surprised to read that I am apparently a plagiarist, though, considering that I credit the source of recipes when I use them verbatim (At least in terms of amounts of ingredients. Even when I use a recipe from a cookbook, I always change the text of the instructions, because it's rare that I follow them to the letter anyhow :>). I'm not really complaining, though- at least I didnt get negative smacks, eh? I first read this review site a few months ago, and it has since become a daily read. Lots of very amusing snark to be found.

Lazy Cherry Pie

2006-02-14T19:51:00.000-05:00

Mix in a large bowl: 2 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt Add 1 cup very cold vegetable shortening (The easiest way to measure it is to pour some cold water into a large glass measuring cup and adding chunks of shortening until the level of the water is raised by 1 cup), and rub the fat into the flour mixture with your fingers, so that the fat is incorporated into the flour in large chunks. (You can use half shortening and half butter, or all butter, or lard instead of the shortening- I'm out of butter, though, so I went with the hydrogenated crap. Lard/Shortening makes for a flakier crust, but butter tastes a hell of a lot better.) When the fat has been somewhat incorporated (there should be plenty of visible pea-to almond-sized chunks), sprinkle in: 1/3 cup ice water and roll the mixture with your hands in the bowl until it comes together as a dough. Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and stick in the fridge for at least a half hour to chill- you can leave it there for a few days, even. (Pastry is much easier to work with when cold, and will only stay flaky if the fat does not melt until the pie is baked). When you are ready to make the pie, Place a rack in the bottom third of the oven, and heat the oven to 425 F. Mix: 1 21 oz. can cherry pie filling (if you only have deep dish pie pans, like me, you can either use a smaller, disposable aluminum pan, or use 2 cans of filling.) 1 tsp almond extract and set aside (If you are like me and hate washing dishes, you can mix the almond extract into the filling while it is still in the can) Take the pie dough from the fridge, and roll out half of it into a rough circle, a few inches larger, diameter-wise, than your pie pan. Carefully transfer it to the pie pan and trim the edges. I find that using something flexible (cloth or flexible plastic) to roll pie dough out on makes transferring it easier- you can just flip it over onto the pan. Pour in the filling, and dot with 2 Tb butter or so (I didn't have any :<). Roll out the other half of the dough with the scraps from the bottom crust either roll out a top crust and cut vents or holes in the top, or make a traditional lattice. When the top crust is finished, crimp the edges, and place the pie on a baking sheet (in case the filling bubbles over). Putting a pie shield or aluminum foil around the edge of the crust is not a bad idea, either, but I forgot to. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and the filling is hot and bubbling.

Baked Stuffed Pork Chops for Two

2006-02-14T19:30:00.000-05:00

Adapted from The Professional Chef. 2 pork chops, 1 1/2" thick (mine are not that thick, but I was not keeping this recipe in mind when I cut them.) salt and pepper Cut a pocket (see picture below) in each chop. Season the chops with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until stuffing is prepared and cooled. Heat a few Tb of oil in a pan. Add: 1/2 onion, minced and cook until golden. Add: 1/2 stalk of celery, minced and cook until slightly wilted. Then add: 1 clove of garlic, minced and cook for just a minute, then remove from heat and refrigerate until cooled. Meanwhile, mix: 1 slice stale or toasted bread, cubed very small (you can use croutons for this, but why buy an extra ingredient is you have bread in the house, right?) 1 Tb chopped parsley 1 tsp rubbed sage When the onion mixture has cooled, add it to the bread mixture and add enough chicken stock to make a stuffing that is moist but not too wet. Heat the oven to 350 F. Carefully stuff the pork chops with the stuffing. Secure the chops with butchers twine or skewers. (I didn't secure them with anything, but some of the stuffing fell out.) Sear the chops on both sides on a large skillet in a few Tb of oil until browned; remove to a baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven until the chops (stuffing, too!) register 165F on a instant-read thermometer (about 15-20 minutes) While the chops are cooking, you can make a sauce by pouring off most of the fat from the pan used to sear the chops, deglazing with a splash of wine (I used vermouth), and adding some demiglace or reduced stock (I used the saved drippings from the chicken I cooked the other night), and some dijon mustard if you like. Skim the fat off the sauce and serve over the chops.

Wild Rice Pilaf

2006-02-14T19:19:00.000-05:00

Heat a few Tb of oil in a 2 qt. saucepan. Add: 1/2 onion, minced and cook for a few minutes, until the onion softens. Add: 1/2 stalk celery, diced really small 1 can of mushrooms, drained (or 2 mushrooms, sliced) 1/2 red bell pepper, diced and cook for a few minutes. When the vegetables have cooked slightly, add: 1 clove of garlic, minced a few Tb of dried tomato bits (I just happened to have these in my pantry. They arent, like, integral to the recipe or anything) 1/2 tsp dried oregano and cook for just a minute or so. Stir in: 1/4 cup wild rice 2 1/2 cups chicken stock (or some other kind of stock, or water) 1/2 tsp salt Bring the contents of the pan to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. After the wild rice has cooked for 20 minutes, add: 3/4 cup white rice (you can make this with brown rice by adding the same amount of brown rice in with the wild rice, and cooking for 40 minutes or so) , bring back to a boil, and cook for about 15-20 minutes more. Before serving, stir in a few Tb of minced parsley.

I found this in a book I checked out of the library

2006-02-13T20:36:00.000-05:00

I am a voracious reader, and I've found many things left as bookmarks in books I've checked out before. This is definitely one of the cooler things.

El wants to be a "lugeing lady" when she grows up...

2006-02-13T18:10:00.000-05:00

Pizza with Olives, Red Peppers, and Caramelized Onions

2006-02-12T19:08:00.000-05:00

Recipe here

Chicken Salad with Buttermilk and Dill

2006-02-12T13:52:00.000-05:00

Chicken Salad with Buttermilk and Dill (makes enough for 2 or 3 sandwiches) leftover cooked chicken (about a half pound or so), cut into small chunks about 10 sliced olives half of a small red onion, minced mayonnaise buttermilk dill (dried or fresh) salt pepper Chop the chicken, and put it in a bowl with the olives and red onion. In a small bowl, mix a few Tb of mayonnaise (Some people like their chicken salad "drier" than others, so whatever you like) with some buttermilk to thin it, about a 1/2 tsp of dried dill (maybe a Tb of fresh minced?), and some salt and pepper. Mix the dressing with the chicken and vegetables and serve on whole grain bread with lettuce and parsley. I cannot believe what they charge for stuff like this at the deli counter at the supermarket.

Roast Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuits

2006-02-11T17:35:00.000-05:00

Saerah's Best-Ever Roast Chicken Position a rack in the center (or low center) of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Combine: 2 minced cloves of garlic the zest of one lemon the juice of half that lemon 1 tsp each of dried rosemary and thyme 2 Tb minced fresh parsley 2 Tb melted butter a pinch of ground red pepper and set aside. Take the de-zested lemon and slice 5 very thin slices from the middle. I do this before I squeeze the juice out of the lemon half, btw :> ). Cut one of the slices in half, and remove all the seeds and discard them. Set aside. Remove the neck and giblets from, then rinse and pat dry: 1 whole chicken season the bird inside and out with salt and pepper, and stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, a few crushed cloves of garlic, and 4 or 5 stems of parsley. Carefully loosen the skin of the bird all over, and rub the butter mixture all over the chicken, under and over the skin. Take each whole lemon slice and place one beneath the skin of each breast and thigh. The half sliced go under the skin of the drumstick. To truss up the chicken into a nice shape easily, cut a slit near the edge of the flesh/fat that hangs near the cavity of the bird, and slip the opposite leg in the apporpriate slit. Tuck the wings behind the breast of the chicken, too. Place the prepared chicken on its side (leg facing up!)a rack in a large baking pan. Roast for about 25 minutes (If your chicken is larger than 4 pounds, add a few minutes to this time for each pound over). Turn the chicken over to the other leg , baste with pan juices, and roast for another 25 minutes (again, with a larger bird, add some time as above). Turn the chicken breast-up to finish- my recipe says 15 minutes, but it always seems to take closer to a half hour. When the leg wiggles easily, the juices are clear, the temp is at least 165 in the thigh *and* the breast, it's done. Let rest for 10 minutes under foil, before serving, so the biscuits can get cooked, and then carve and serve. MMMMM! Buttermilk Biscuits: (if you are baking these right away, preheat the oven to 450 F. If not, don't :>) whisk together: 2 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt Blend in with your fingers or a pastry cutter: 6 TB cold butter, cut into small pieces when the flour and butter have amalgamated somewhat you dont want them blended, you just want to sort of push the flour into the butter, and vice versa. there should still be pea-sized chunks of butter, and some smaller ones, not a paste of flour and fat.), add 3/4 cup of buttermilk. Mix with a spoon, and when everything is blended, flour your hands, gather it into a ball, and knead it gently against the side of the bowl until all the flour has been incorporated. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, and roll out until it is about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick. Cut with a metal biscuit cutter or cookie cutter. To freeze, place on a baking sheet, and place in freezer. When biscuits are partially frozen, put them in bags, seal out the air, and keep in freezer. I don't know how long they last there, but I imagine even freezer-burnt homemade biscuits are better than the "whack on the counter" variety. bake @ 450 for 10-12 minutes, or until browned nicely on the tops.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

2006-02-11T14:18:00.000-05:00

The recipe is from The All-New All-Purpose Joy of Cooking, I made it with the extra butter and brown sugar, and I'm specifying dark brown sugar, because it rocks. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Preheat the oven to 350 F. Drain and place on paper towel to absorb excess juice: 7 rings of pineapple (there is more than enough in one 20 oz. can) Take a 9" cast iron skillet, or a 9" cake pan, and melt 6 Tb butter in it. (If you are using the skillet, you can do this on the stovetop over very low heat, for a cake pan, you can pop the pan in the oven for a minute to melt the butter.) Tilt the pan so that the butter coats the sides, and sprinkle evenly over the top: 1 cup packed dark brown sugar Arrange the pineapple slices with one in the center of the pan, and the rest surrounding it. Place maraschino cherries (you need at least 13, but more around the edges of the pan is nice, too), rounded side down, in the centers of the pineapple rings, and between them as well. In a small bowl, whisk together and set aside: 2 eggs 2 Tb buttermilk 1/2 tsp vanilla In a large bowl, mix for a few seconds with an electric mixer: 1 cup flour 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt Add: 6 Tb butter, softened 6 Tb buttermilk Beat on low speed until the mixture just comes together. Mix on high speed (assumiing a hand mixer is used) for a minute and a half. Add 1/3 of the egg mixture at a time, beating for 20 seconds and scraping the sides of the bowl each time. Scrape the batter over the pineapple in the pan, and spread evenly. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for a few minutes before continuing. Now, here's the tricky part. With your hands protected by oven mitts ***CAREFULLY*** place a platter on top of the pan, and invert the pan, so that the "top" of the cake is now on the bottom of the platter and the pineapple and cherries are shining on top in a glory of brown sugar and butter. This is what happpens if you are not careful: I should have known better than to try this with my favorite plate. Anyone know where I can get a cobalt-blue glass plate like that?

Coq au Vin Blanc

2006-02-09T23:24:00.000-05:00

Coq au Vin Blanc {I halved this recipe and it worked just fine.) Marinade: 1.5 cups dry white wine 1/2 cup (about 1/2 medium) chopped onion 1/4 cup (about 1/2 small) sliced carrot 1/4 cup (about 1/2 stalk) sliced celery 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 Tb olive oil 1 to 2 Tb chopped parsley 4 whole black peppercorns 1/4 tsp salt 3 pounds assorted chicken pieces (thighs, breasts, drumsticks) Coq au Vin: 2 slices bacon, chopped 3 Tb chopped parsley 1 Tb olive oil 12 small white onions, peeled 1 cup (about 3 medium) carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 1/2 cup (about 1 stalk) sliced celery 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 shallot, chopped 2 Tb unsifted all-purpose flour 1.5 cups chicken broth 1.5 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 pound small red potatoes (I used quartered medium-sized red potatoes) Combine white wine, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, oil, parsley, peppercorns, and salt in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let marinade cool to room temperature. Arrange chicken pieces in a large nonreactive container and pour cooled marinade over them. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry. Strain marinade and reserve liquid; discard the vegetables. In a 6-quart heavy kettle or dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Brown chicken parts in bacon drippings in pan. Remove chicken from pan and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add olive oil and onions; saute onions until lightly browned — 8 to 10 minutes. Add carrots, celery, garlic, and shallot; saute 5 minutes longer. Add the flour and cook into a light roux. In a medium bowl, combine the reserved marinade liquid, chicken broth, vinegar, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add to the pan with the vegetables, and return the chicken to the pan, and cook, covered, over low heat, for 45 minutes. Add potatoes and cook until potatoes are fork-tender — about 20 minutes more. Divide the mixture evenly among the serving bowls. Garnish each serving with reserved chopped bacon and chopped parsley.

Pears al Vino Blanco

2006-02-09T23:16:00.000-05:00

From 'The Sopranos Cookbook' 6 Bosc Pears 1 1/2 cups dry white wine 1/2 cup water 3/4 cup sugar 2 strips lemon zest, about 2 inches long (I used about a tsp or so of grated lemon zest) 1 vanilla bean Using an apple corer, or a similar device, or a paring knife, working from the bottom, remove the cores and seeds from the pears. In a saucepan large enough to contain the pears right side up, bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the pears, and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes, turning the pears once, until they are tender throughout. Transfer the pears to a serving dish. Turn the heat under the pan to medium-high and cook the syrup until thickened, stirring often, for about 10-15 minutes. Pour the sauce over the pears and refrigerate.

Ellie's first sandwich.

2006-02-08T21:26:00.000-05:00

She wanted to make her own sandwich. She proclaimed it "Just like McDonald's!" and then decided it needed parsley.

Bacon and Eggs

2006-02-08T20:39:00.000-05:00

Bacon, Eggs, and Potatoes for 3. Pan-Fried Potatoes with Onion: 3 medium potatoes, diced small 1/2 of an onion, minced salt and pepper oil Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir often, scraping the caramelized stuff off the bottom of the pan, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes Pan-Fried Bacon: Preheat the oven to 200 F. Heat a cast iron pan to medium-low heat, and cook 3 or 4 pieces of bacon at a time, for a few minutes on each side, until browned and cooked on both sides. (this will take about a half hour for a pound of bacon) Place on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. As bacon grease accumulates, skim it off to use for cooking the eggs. Eggs over easy: Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium-low heat and place the drippings from the bacon (you want about 2-3 Tb or so) in the pan. Crack however many eggs you want into the grease, and cook for about a minute or two on one side, and then flip and cook the other side just until the white is cooked. Remove from pan and serve. If you don't like runny yolks, you can cook them a bit longer to firm up the yolk.

'Greek' Meatballs

2006-02-06T19:30:00.000-05:00

Meatballs: 1 pound ground chuck 1 egg half an onion, minced 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or matzah meal (quick cooking oats work, too, I hear, but I've never tried it) a shot of lemon juice salt, pepper to taste I added about a tsp each of dried mint and dried oregano. mix everything together and form into 1" balls with the palms of your hands. Fry in a few Tb of oil in a heavy pan over medium/medium high heat (If this is the first time you are making them, test one, and moderate the heat so that when the meatball is nicely browned on the outside, the inside is cooked.) The noodles are just egg noodles, cooked according to the package, and tossed in a Tb of butter. Yogurt sauce: 1/3 of a cucumber, diced about a cup and a half of plain whole milk yogurt 2 cloves of minced garlic salt and pepper mix the ingredients together and refrigerate so that the flavors meld.

Uova Pizzaiola

2006-02-04T20:37:00.000-05:00

Same recipe as this, but I used my recipe for pizza sauce instead.

Sauerkraut

2006-02-04T20:03:00.000-05:00

or: "An experiment in culturing bacteria to ensure proper production of lactic acid." or: "How to keep a shitload of cabbage from going bad practically forever." This recipe is from Nourishing Traditions Before you start, read through the recipe and {clean thoroughly with very hot water/run through the dishwasher/otherwise get as close to sterile as possible} all utensils to be used. I have not mentioned this before, either, but make sure to wash your hands, too! Because this is an attempt to selectively culture the right kind of bacteria to preserve the cabbage, you'll want to be particularly mindful about food safety. Shred 1 medium cabbage very finely (I use a knife, but if your knife skills are not good, you can shred it by hand- but it will take a long ass time- or use a food processor. Or, better yet, practice your knife skills on some carrot sticks for a while first). In a large bowl, combine: 1/4 cup whey (see previous post)(or an additional Tb of salt) 1 Tb Salt 1 Tb caraway seeds Stir together, and add the cabbage. Using a meat tenderizer or other food-safe implement of destruction, pound the cabbage against the bowl for 10 minutes or so, or until much of the cabbage juice has been released. I cracked my big white bowl making this tonight, so I switched over to using my stockpot. Whatever you use, try not to cause too much damage to anything other than then cabbage! When the cabbage looks nice and squashed, transfer it to cleaned/sterilized mason jars with a spoon. Push down on the cabbage with the meat tenderizer so that the liquid covers the cabbage. The top of the cabbage should not be less than one inch from the top of the jar. Cover tightly with new mason jar lids that have been cleaned as above, and keep at cool room temperature for three days, then transfer to the refrigerator. It tastes best when allowed to ferment in the fridge for a few weeks first. If it starts to smell *bad* (and you will know the difference between properly fermenting cabbage and sauerkraut gone evil, trust me!), some noxious bacteria has intruded on your little science project and you have to start over.

Yogurt cheese.

2006-02-04T19:56:00.000-05:00

Yogurt cheese: Before you start, read through the recipe and {clean thoroughly with very hot water/run through the dishwasher/otherwise get as close to sterile as possible} all utensils to be used. Line a strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth, and drain: 2 cups whole milk yogurt, preferably without pectin over a large bowl. Let sit at room temperature for a few hours to drain completely. When most of the liquid has separated, tie up the cheesecloth around the drained yogurt and carefully twist the top up and tie ; you don't want to squeeze it much. Save the whey that has been drained off, if using for another recipe, in a clean mason jar, and put the bowl with the draining yogurt cheese in the fridge overnight. In the morning the yogurt should have drained enough that it has a spreadable, cream cheese or chevre consistency. I like to flavor mine with honey, black pepper, lavender, and a little salt, but salt is all you really need to make it taste good.

I think we have a winner here.

2006-02-04T16:14:00.000-05:00

This was the first time I've made this- I was at my mom's house, doing laundry, and I copied the recipe from her file. I'm going to try this with some other fruits too, and maybe use vanilla or almond extract, and other citrus.

Apple Crisp

2006-02-03T20:20:00.000-05:00

My mom used to make this a lot when I was a kid. It is *so* good. Apple Crisp: Preheat the oven to 375 F. 4 Cups peeled, cored, and thinly sliced apples (3 or 4 apples) 1 Tb lemon juice 3 Tb sugar Slice the apples and toss with the lemon juice and sugar. Grease a 8x8 baking pan and spread the apples in the bottom evenly. In another bowl, mix: 1/3 cup flour 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 Cup oats 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/3 cup melted butter spread this mixture over the apples in the pan, and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the apples are soft.

Chicken don't have fingers!

2006-02-03T20:12:00.000-05:00

Chicken tenders with spicy mayonnaise, roasted potatoes, and sauteed bok choy (Recipe here, 2/3 through the post.) Chicken Fingers: Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare and start cooking some roasted potatoes, if you want that on the side, about a half hour before you start on the chicken. 3 boneless chicken breasts (about a pound and a half), cut into about 4 strips each 2/3 cup of breadcrumbs or matzah meal salt, pepper, and granulated garlic Mix together the spices and the breadcrumbs/matzah meal. Roll the strips of chicken in the mixture until a thin coating covers all surfaces. Lightly brown over medium high heat on both sides, place on a baking sheet, and bake for about 15-20 minutes. Spicy Mayonnaise: Mix 2 Tb mayonnaise with the pictured ingredients plus some ground black pepper to taste.

Baked Ziti (or, my version of convenience food)

2006-02-01T20:28:00.000-05:00

Recipe here. I usually make this in a double batch and freeze one or both for later, because I have a standing reservation for tea parties with stuffed animals, and spending 2 hours in the kitchen every day kind of cuts into that.

Dim Sum and soup.

2006-01-30T19:42:00.000-05:00

This all serves about 2 people, with some leftover. Hot and Sour soup: 1 qt. chicken stock with ginger and star anise 3 kaffir lime leaves, minced very fine 1/2 tsp (or to taste) red chili paste 3 Tb white vinegar simmer the above ingredients for 20 minutes. add 9 peeled and deveined raw shrimp, just before serving, and turn off the heat. I made the dumplings (shu-mai, wontons, and gyoza) a few days ago and froze them. Steamed Dumplings: oil a bamboo steamer or line it with parchment paper. Bring about an inch of water to a simmer in a large pot, big enough for the steamer. Put dumplings in steamer, put the whole thing in the pot, and steam for 20 minutes. Fried Dumplings: Heat oil in a medium skillet, fry the dumplings in oil, working in batches, letting them brown well on each side. Bok choy with garlic and hazelnut oil: Chop up 4 ribs of bok choy, separating the green from the white part. Heat some oil in a pan, and stir-fry the white part for a few minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and the green part of the bok choy, stir-fry for a minute or so, and cover and remove from heat. Braised Short Ribs: I made these yesterday and reheated them Cinnamon Rice: Heat a few Tb of oil in a saucepan. Stir in 1 cup of rice and two split cinnamon sticks. Cook for aminute or so, until the all the rice is coated in oil. Add 2 cups of water, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes on low heat.

Random.

2006-01-29T19:34:00.000-05:00

Pot roast for lunch

2006-01-29T12:45:00.000-05:00

Prepare the meat and refrigerate overnight. Chop two carrots and two small turnips into large dice. Quarter three small potatoes. Bring a large saucepan (3 quarts or more) of water to a boil and add some salt. Boil the vegetables at a medium boil for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, scrape most of the cold fat off the top of the gravy, and heat the pan with the meat on low until heated through, stirring often so that it does not burn. When the veggies are done, drain, and add them to the meat in the pan. Stir the vegetable into the gravy and serve.

Braised short ribs.

2006-01-29T12:44:00.000-05:00

Braised Short Ribs (serves two as part of a multi-item entree) 1 pound beef short ribs marinade: 3 Tb soy sauce 2 Tb dry sherry 1 tsp freshly grated ginger 2 Tb oil 1 Tb ground peanuts 2 cloves of minced garlic 1 Tb black bean and garlic sauce 1 Tb hoisin sauce 1/4 tsp red chili paste 2 tsp chinese 5 spice 2 heaping Tb orange juice concentrate Marinate ribs overnight. Remove the ribs from the marinade, reserving the liquid, and brown in a large skillet. set the meat aside, and add a cup of chopped onion and a half cup of celery. Add oil if necessary, and cook until the vegetables have softened. Deglaze the pan with a splash of dry sherry, and add the reserved marinade to the pan, along with the beef. Simmer, covered, turning the meat every half hour or so,for at least an hour and a half, or until the meat is very tender. Skim whatever fat you can from the sauce, and if it needs thickening, use a cornstarch slurry at the end to finish.

A late dinner tonight.

2006-01-29T01:04:00.000-05:00

Lamb chops with haggis, baguette slices, roasted potatoes and turnips, romaine salad and orange slices. The haggis was sent to me by another contributor to alt.binaries.food. Thanks, Graeme! Roasted potatoes and turnips Preheat the oven to 375 F. Peel and dice two potatoes and two turnips. Mince a few cloves of garlic and add half to the diced vegetables, along with a few Tb of oil and salt and pepper. Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring a few times so they don't stick to the pan. Broiled Lamb Chops for one Take the remaining garlic, and mix with a few Tb of oil, and some dried or fresh rosemary. Season two lamb rib or loin chops with salt and pepper, and add to the bowl with the garlic and oil, turning to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator, (or at room temperature, so that the lamb chops are not cold when you cook them, if you are not a wimp ;>) while the potatoes roast. Get anything else you need to have done before dinner done before you cook the lamb. when the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and heat the broiler. Make sure there is a rack about 6" from the broiler element. Broil the chops for about 2 minutes on each side for rare.

Seared tuna.

2006-01-28T00:43:00.000-05:00

Seared Tuna with Sesame Seeds 1 tuna filet or steak 2 Tb Tarragon vinegar 4 Tb oil 2 cloves minced garlic salt and pepper Mix the above ingredients, and marinate the tuna in the mixture for a few hours. Remove tuna from the marinade, and roll in: 2 Tb black sesame seeds 2 Tb white sesame seeds Heat 1 Tb oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, and sear the tuna for about 30 seconds on each side. Wasabi Mayonnaise: 2 Tb mayonnaise 1 tsp thai fish sauce 1 tsp wasabi, or more to taste.

Pot roast for tomorrow.

2006-01-27T23:35:00.000-05:00

Pot Roast 1 beef chuck roast (2-4 pounds) 4 cloves garlic, cut into 12 shards Bring the roast to room temperature and cut 6 deep gashes on each side. Push the shards of garlic into the gashes, and season the roast with salt and pepper. dust the roast with 1 Tb flour. Heat 2 Tb oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or large stovetop safe casserole pan. Brown the meat on all sides, about 15 minutes total. Remove the roast to a plate, and pour off all but 3 Tb of fat from the pan. add: 2 cups finely chopped onion 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot Cook the vegetables until slightly softened, reduce heat to low, and then add 3 Tb of flour and cook into a dark roux, stirring often. add 1.5 cups dry red wine 2 Tb demiglace 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp dried rosemary Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and return the roast to the pan and cover. Maintain the heat so that the sauce just barely simmers, and turn the roast every half-hour, scraping the thickened areas at the bottom of the pan as well. Cook for 1 1/2 to 3 hours, depending on the size and shape of the roast. (Flat roasts cook more quickly than oblong ones.) When done, cool and refrigerate for up to 2 days before serving.

Shrimp stock and chicken stock

2006-01-27T23:34:00.000-05:00

Shrimp Stock with Mushrooms 2 cups shrimp shells, raw 1 onion, chopped, including skin 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 1/2 cup dried mushrooms (black truffles here) 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1 clove crushed garlic 3 peppercorns Cook above ingredients in 2 Tb of oil over medium heat in a large (3 qt or larger) saucepan for a few minutes, until the onion is slightly softened and everything is fragrant. Deglaze the pan with: 1/4 cup white wine or vermouth Add enough water to cover (about 8 cups), and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Maintain the heat so that the stock is barely simmering, and cook for about 40 minutes. Strain, cool, and freeze. Makes about 2 quarts. Chicken stock with ginger and star anise 3 chicken legs 1 oz. ginger, chopped into large pieces with skin on 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 onion with skin, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 3 peppercorns 1 star anise 2 cloves garlic, crushed Put above ingredients in a large stockpot, and cover with about 3.5 quarts of water, at least enough to cover everything. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Maintain heat so the soup is barely simmering, and cook for about 3 hours. Strain and reserve chicken meat and freeze separately in bags. Cool the stock and freeze.

Fun with Paint.

2006-01-27T08:22:00.000-05:00

Baked Ziti

2006-01-27T08:03:00.000-05:00

Baked Ziti 12 oz. ziti 1 medium onion, chopped 1 zuchinni, diced 1/2 green pepper, diced 2 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes 1 6 oz. can tomato paste 1/2 tsp ea. dried basil, oregano, and thyme 1/4 tsp crushed rosemary 1 cup ricotta cheese 1/2 cup grated parmesan 8 oz. mozzarella Start 6 quarts of water boiling for the pasta. Heat a few Tb of oil over medium heat and stir in the onions. Cook the onions intil they begin to soften, and then add the zucchini and green pepper. When the zucchini is softened, add the garlic and herbs and cook for a minute or so. add the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste. Bring to a slow simmer and cook, stirring often, until thickened. Cook the pasta while the sauce is simmering. when sauce and pasta are cooked, drain the pasta and mix in a large bowl with all but 2 cups of the sauce. stir in half of the parmesan, and spread half of the ziti mixture into an 8x8 pan. spread the ricotta on the ziti, and sprinkle with a third of the mozzarella. Layer the rest of the ziti, and the remaining cheeses. Bake,tented with aluminum foil, at 350 F for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake until the cheese browns slightly. Can be wrapped tightly in foil and frozen for use at a later date.

Potstickers and Wontons

2006-01-27T07:38:00.000-05:00

Potstickers / Wontons 1 pkg. Gyoza skins or Wonton wrappers 1 lb ground pork 1 Tb soy sauce 1 Tb 2 Tb dry sherry 1 tsp freshly grated ginger 1/2 tsp pepper 2 Tb sesame seeds, crushed 1/2 cup chopped green onion 1 egg white 1 Tb corn starch 1 Tb minced kaffir lime leaf 1 Tb Thai fish sauce 1 Tb oyster sauce 3/4 cup minced raw shrimp (about 8 meadium, shelled and deveined) 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tsp brown sugar 1 cup finely chopped bok choy Mix all of the filling ingredients together very well. Fill a small bowl with water. Place about 2 tsp of filling in the center of each wrapper. Using the water from the bowl, wet the edges and fold and seal. Mix 1/4 tsp red chili paste with one cup of filling to make 15 spicy ones. Can be steamed, pan fried or deep fried; I usually make these in quantity and keep them in the freezer. Makes about 50 wontons/potstickers

Vegetarian Lasagna recipe.

2006-01-27T00:47:00.000-05:00

Requested by Abby. If you are not up to making your own sauce, you can use 2 jars of a good quality pasta sauce instead. Vegetarian Lasagna You can prepare this a day or two ahead of time, and cook right before serving, if you like. about 12-16 oz. lasagna noodles-enough for 3 or 4 layers in a 9x12 pan. (fresh are best, but dried are perfectly fine, too) 4 cloves garlic, minced a pinch of crushed red pepper 1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped 1 zucchini, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 2 28 oz. cans (or 4 14 oz. cans) of diced tomatoes 2- 15 oz packages ricotta cheese 2 eggs, beaten 1 10(?) oz. package frozen spinach (you can use fresh spinach too, wilting it quickly in a hot pan first, but fresh spinach is a pain in the ass to clean.) 1 bunch fresh mint, chopped 1 bunch fresh basil, 3 nice leaves reserved whole, the rest chopped. 3 cups (12 oz.) mozzarella, shredded or cut in small dice. You might need a bit more, so buy a pound, and use whatever you don't use for something else. 1 cup grated Parmesan 1 Tb each dried basil and oregano Oil Salt and pepper Heat a few Tb of oil in a large saucepan (3 qt. or larger)over medium heat. Cook the onions in it for a few minutes, until softened slightly. Add the zucchini and green pepper. when the zucchini and green pepper have softened some, add *half* of the garlic and the crushed red pepper. Cook for a minute or so, but don't let the garlic brown. Add the diced tomatoes, dried basil and oregano, and some salt and pepper. bring to a slow simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook, stirring often, for about 20 minutes or so, or thickened to the proper consistency. Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles in 6 quarts of salted water. (If using fresh noodles, you don't need to cook them first) Mix the ricotta with the eggs, mint, spinach,chopped basil, half the grated Parmesan,and the remainder of the garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. (If you worry about raw eggs, season before adding them, and taste.) When the tomato sauce and lasagna noodles are ready, spoon about 1/2 to 3/4 a cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan, just enough to coat the bottom. Layer as follows: Lasagna/Sauce/Ricotta/1/4 of the mozzarella/Lasagna/Sauce/Ricotta/1/4 of the mozzarella/Lasagna/Remainder of sauce/Remainder of mozzarella/Remainder of Parmesan Arrange the reserved whole basil leaves in the center of the lasagna, and nestle them into the cheese. Carefully cover the pan with aluminum foil, tenting it slightly so that it does not touch the cheese. Cook at 350 F for 30 minutes, or until heated throughout. Uncover and cook for 5- 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden. A veggie salad is an easy accompaniment.

Pizza again.

2006-01-25T19:20:00.000-05:00

With green peppers this time. Recipe Here

Midnight snack.

2006-01-25T00:25:00.000-05:00

I had a massive craving for garlic this evening, and I had ricotta and some leftover spaghetti in the fridge. Therefore: Spaghetti Aglio Olio for one alla Saerah 2 cups or so cooked pasta 4 cloves garlic, minced (hey, at least I wont get bitten by a vampire :>) 2 TB olive oil a few pinches of crushed red pepper a few pinches of freshly ground fennel seed a few TB ricotta cheese salt and pepper Cook the pasta and set aside. (Or you can be lazy like me and use leftovers.) Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, and fennel. Cook, stirring often, for just a minute or two, and make sure that the garlic does not brown. Add the cooked pasta and toss with the garlic and oil. Serve with ricotta cheese and lots and lots of pepper. Fresh parsley is really nice with this, but alas, I have none. Aldi doesn't carry fresh parsley and I was too beat to make another stop on my way home from doing laundry at my mom's.

Grocery Budgets

2006-01-23T16:04:00.000-05:00

Recently, I have been involved in some discussions on a couple of Usenet groups about the cost of groceries. The more in-depth discussion was populated by folks who do most of their cooking from scratch (including myself), and I know most people do not (at least , judging by what I see people put in their grocery carts whenever I go shopping). What do you guys spend? Is most of it raw, to-be-cooked-and-prepped stuff, or "convenience" products? This inquiring mind would like to know. Here at Chez Binet, a family of two adults and one preschooler, I spend about $250 US a month for groceries and paper products. We rarely eat out. The USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion has a number of documents on the subject, two of which are here and here (PDF files); the data coming from their 'Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals'. Maybe I'm a geek, but I think this stuff is fascinating.

Spaghetti with meatballs.

2006-01-22T20:41:00.000-05:00

Tomato Sauce: 3 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes 1 cup chopped green pepper 1 medium zuchinni, diced 2 mushrooms, diced 1 large onion, diced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tsp ea. dried basil and oregano 1 tsp dried thyme 1 6 oz can tomato paste salt and pepper to taste Heat some oil in a large (3 qt or bigger) saucepan, and cook the onions ontil they have softened a bit. Add the other vegetables except for the garlic (you can use carrot and celery, too, but I am out at the moment), and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic, cook for just a minute, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices. Cook covered on a very low heat, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick, for as little as 20 minutes, or longer of you like a very thick sauce. While the sauce cooks, make the meatballs, prep the garlic bread, and cook the pasta. Meatballs: 1/2 pound ground beef 1/2 cup minced onion 1 egg 1/3 cup breadcrumbs ( I like to use matzah meal) 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp ground thyme 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper Mix all the ingredients with your hands until mixed together well. You don't want to overmix it, though, or the texture will be weird. Using your palms, roll into small balls and fry in a few TB of oil, in two batches, in a large skillet over medium heat. Turn them as they cook, so they brown evenly, until they are well browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the simmering sauce. Garlic Bread 1 loaf of french bread (Baguette, whatever. Long skinny bread. This works with thick slices of whatever bread you have, too.) 4 TB butter 3 big cloves of garlic, minced Soften the butter in the microwave- you want it to be almost melted, but semi-spreadable- and add the garlic to it. Cut the bread in half (vertically, so you have two long pieces) and spread the garlic/butter mixture on it. Place on a baking sheet and broil for a few minutes, until browned slightly. makes about 30 3/4" meatballs

Red Beans and Rice Pilaf

2006-01-21T18:55:00.000-05:00

Red Beans and Rice Pilaf 1/2 pound red beans, picked over, rinsed, and soaked. 1 chopped onion 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 rib of celery, chopped a few pinches of ground red pepper 1 tsp. liquid smoke 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp oregano 4 cups of water combine the above ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, making sure the beans are covered with water at all times. drain, remove the bay leaf, and set aside. in a large saucepan, heat a few Tbs of oil over medium heat and add: 1 chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 2 chopped mushrooms and about a cup or so of diced cooked ham. when the onions are transparent, add: 1 minced clove of garlic and cook for a minute. stir in one cup of dry white rice and stir for a minute or so, until all the grains are coated with oil. stir in: 2 cups of water or stock 1 tsp of salt 1/2 tsp each of dried oregano and thyme pepper to taste bring to a boil, reduce the heat about as low as you can get it, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. when the rice is cooked, stir in the beans.

I'm so lazy sometimes....

2006-01-19T22:23:00.000-05:00

I didn't feel like typing these recipes up, but I finally did tonight. Baked Chicken (serves 3) 3 chicken leg quarters 1 tsp each dried oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary. 1 diced onion 1 minced clove of garlic salt and pepper Preheat oven to 400 F. Rinse the chicken and rub with the spices and garlic. Put the diced onion in a 9x13 baking dish and place the chicken over it. bake for an hour or so, or until the juices run clear/ the meat registers 165 F on an instant read thermometer. Sloppy Joes (makes about 8 if you use small buns) 1/2 pound of ground beef 1/2 cup minced green pepper 1/2 cup minced onion 2 cloves of garlic, minced 8 oz tomato sauce (you can use ketchup, if you want, and omit the sugar) a few tsp. of sugar worchestershire sauce ground cumin chili powder salt and pepper Brown the beef in a large skillet. When it is mostly cooked, add the onion and bell pepper. When the meat is fully cooked, add the garlic and cook for just a minute. Add in the tomato sauce, and season to taste with the above ingredients. Beats the hell out of manwich :) Cheese Grits Casserole (serves 4) Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. In the meantime, heat 4 TB of butter in a skillet over medium heat, whisk 2 eggs, a half cup of milk, and a few pinches of ground red pepper.grease an 8x8 pan or any other 2 qt. casserole and preheat the oven to 350 F. chop an onion and add it to the melted butter in the skillet. when the onion is translucent, add a minced clove of garlic.cook for a minute and remove from heat. When the water boils, add a cup of grits and a tsp of salt. Cook over low heat, stirring often for about 15-20 minutes, or until very thick. (you can use a very low heat. This stuff likes to stick, so don't forget to stir it!) when the grits are cooked, add the onion mixture, 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, and the egg mixture. spread in the greased pan and bake for about an hour. It's done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Advice?

2006-01-15T11:33:00.000-05:00

I know I don't get a ton of traffic, but to those that are returning, do you have any advice about how I could take better pictures? I was verbally smacked around on Usenet for the shitty quality of my pictures, and I need some constructive feedback about my work. I use a Kodak EasyShare c530 and I know absolutely nothing about proper photography(a fact which I am sure my pictures bear witness to.)

Eggs in purgatory

2006-01-15T11:21:00.000-05:00

We ate dinner on the early side yesterday, and it was the only proper meal I had had all day. Around 10 I whipped up something easy and artery-clogging. Eggs in purgatory: (adapted from The Sopranos Cookbook) 1 garlic clove, minced 1 Tb olive oil 1 cup canned tomato puree or tomato sauce 1/4 tsp each dried oregano and basil salt and pepper 4 large eggs a TB of grated parmesan Cook the garlic for a minute over medium heat in a small skillet. add the tomato sauce and the seasonings. simmer over a very low heat for about 10 minutes, or thickened slightly. Using a spoon, make a well for each egg, and carefully slide the eggs into the sauce. sprinkle with the cheese and a little bit more pepper (I like to use crushed red pepper in this, too). cover and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the eggs are done to your liking. For the macaroni, I just put a half cup of frozen peas in the colander before I drained the pasta.

Tuna Melt

2006-01-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

I haven't had one of these in so long. Tuna salad on a bun with cheese and banana peppers on top, put under the broiler for a few minutes. Much better on an onion roll, though.

Soup and Sandwiches

2006-01-13T21:46:00.000-05:00

Since I have been making sandwiches for a living for a month now, I figured I'd give it a try at home. Sub sandwiches (makes 4) 2 long loaves of french bread 4 rectangular or 8 square-ish slices of cheese (swiss here) 2 slices for each sandwich of whatever meat you like. (we did 2 ham and cheese, one roast beef and cheese, and one ham, salami, and cheese) a few leaves of romaine, shredded 1 or 2 roma tomatoes, sliced a small onion, sliced and separated into rings 1 cucumber, sliced (I only used about a third of one, because no one else here wanted cukes on their sandwich) mayonnaise mild banana peppers homemade vinaigrette dressing (balsamic vinegar, oil, garlic, oregano, basil, rosemary salt and pepper) cut each loaf of bread in half horizontally, and for each sandwich, make a cut through the bread closer to the flat part than the round part, but not slicing all the way through, so that you still have one piece of bread that opens like a book. pull out the crumb from the top of the loaf, and spread the whole thing with mayonnaise- a TB or so will do.put tomatoes and cukes on the flat side, and fill the hollow you made with onion, peppers, and lettuce. pour on a little vinaigrette on the lettuce side, put the cheese and meat on and eat before it gets too drippy to eat neatly. Turkey Noodle Soup: 1 large turkey carcass (if it is very meaty, cut off some of the meat to use for pot pies or in the soup) a couple of carrots, cut in chunks ditto for onions (rinse, but leave the skins on) ditto for ribs of celery a few smashed cloves of garlic a half bunch or so of fresh parsley a few peppercorns a bay leaf put all that stuff in a pot and pour in water to cover. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down an simmer for a few hours. when it tastes like soup, strain the turkey and veggies out, put in containers and freeze whatever will not be eaten that night, and bring the soup back to a medium boil with some of the meat from the carcass and a few (new!) peeled and diced carrots, and a cup or two (depending on how much soup you are making) of egg noodles. when the noodles are soft, it's done and ready to eat. season with salt and pepper. I made the soup after Thanksgiving, and stuck it in the freezer. I love making my own convenience foods :)

Burgers

2006-01-13T10:03:00.000-05:00

Hamburgers: 1 pound ground beef (I use ground chuck) 1/3 cup minced green pepper 1/3 cup minced onion one clove of garlic, minced salt and pepper dried herbs, if you like them Mix everything together, and form into 4 or 5 burgers. Grill, broil or fry over medium/medium high heat (cast iron gives a nicer crust than stainless or a nonstick pan, IMO) for about 4 minutes a side, or until done to your preference. Roasted potatoes: Scrub or peel 3 or 4 medium potatoes. Cut them lengthwise into quarters, then slice across to make 1" or so chunks. Toss with a few teaspoons of oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a few teaspoons of whatever herbs or spices you like. Sometimes I make these with lime juice, cumin and oregano, which I think is pretty damned tasty.

Chicken soup etc.

2006-01-11T19:39:00.001-05:00

The rice, kreplach, and carrots were all experiments that turned out great. The green beans were just leftover from yesterday. The recipe for the kreplach is here. Chicken soup: Bring a quart of chicken stock and one chicken leg or breast quarter to a simmer. cook for 45 monutes to an hour. Remove the chicken and bones to a bowl, strain the broth, remove the meat from the chicken bones,and return the broth and the meat back to the original saucepan. You can simmer a cut up carrot or two in the soup while you finish assembling the rest of dinner (and/or finish the kreplach/kneidlach if you've made them in the soup, after par-boiling them for about 10 minutes.).salt and pepper to taste. Glazed carrots: peel 5 medium carrots,cut them into quarters lengthwise, and cut 2 to 3 inch strips from them. put in a single layer in a frying pan with: 1.5 Tb butter 1.5 Tb brown sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp molasses 1/3 cup chicken stock or water a pinch of pepper bring to a simmer over medium heat, turn down to medium low, and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes. uncover, and cook for a few minutes to reduce the glaze. before serving, stir in 1 tsp dried mint (or 1 TB fresh minced) Happy Rice: Defrost 1 cup of frozen peas in a colander or strainer. Set aside. Heat 1.5 Tb oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Have about 3 cups of shrimp stock, hot and almost boiling, ready with a ladle on a burner on the stove. Mince a small onion, add it to the saucepan, and when it has softened a bit, add 2/3 of a cup of diced ham and 1/2 tsp ground fennel. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often. Stir in 1 cup of rice (I used ordinary long-grain white rice. I'm not sure if you can cook brown rice like this, but I think I am going to try some time...), and cook for a minute or so, making sure all the grains of rice get coated with oil. turn the heat to low, and add the shrimp stock to the rice gradually, 3/4 of a cup or so at a time.when the rice is almost completely cooked, crumble about a 1/4 tsp of saffron threads into the rice with your fingers. Stir in the defrosted peas and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, remove from the heat and cover until serving. Some minced parsley would probably be nice with this, but I don't have any today. The rice is a total keeper. I think I have some dried shrimp somewhere that I could use to make some more shrimp stock.

We're real gourmets...

2006-01-10T17:34:00.000-05:00

mmmm! mechanically separated chicken* and modified food starch! *would have made a great name for a band, if I had gotten off my ass when I was actually able to do stuff like that.

Ham and Swiss Omelettes

2006-01-09T19:04:00.000-05:00

Ah, omelettes... so versatile, and once you get the hang of them, pretty easy too. your basic folded omelette: (you can get all fancy and make the french rolled kind, but they are a little harder to get the hang of.) 2 eggs 2 TB milk or cream salt and pepper filling: I generally use one or two thin slices of cheese per omelette. (for three omelettes, that usually works out to about a fifth of a pound.) For the omelettes I cooked today, I sauteed a small onion over low heat until it was soft and added about 2/3 of a cup of ham (diced small), a little salt and pepper, and about a teaspoon of ground rosemary. you can put anything in an omelette, though. they are perfect for disguising leftovers into something more palatable. like leftover ham from Christmas, for example :) (I still have about a quart of diced ham in the freezer, and I have run out of ideas. I think we will be doing the omelette thing and the rice and beans thing a few times in the next week.) heat a TB of butter or oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. when it is hot (if you use butter, when the foam has subsided), pour in the egg mixture, and use a spatula to nudge the edges, so that the uncooked egg runs underneath and gets cooked. tipping the pan also helps with this. when the top of the omelette is almost cooked through, add a slice of cheese on one side and about a half cup of the filling. fold the unloaded side of the omelette over the side with the filling carefully (tilting the pan can help here, too), and slide onto a plate. If you have a large frying pan, you can make 3 egg omelettes, but in my experience, if you try doing that in a small pan, you dont end up with a nice thick omelette, you just end up with weird-looking scrambled eggs.

Latkes

2006-01-08T18:48:00.000-05:00

I had a bunch of potatoes sitting around, so I made more latkes Latkes: 2.5 # potatoes, grated (soak the peeled potatoes in water while you are grating them, so they don't get brown, particularly if you are grating by hand), with the water squeezed out through a colander or cheesecloth. 2 medium onions, grated 1 clove of garlic, minced 1/4 cup matzah meal or flour 3 beaten eggs salt and pepper shortening or vegetable oil (a few cups) heat the oven to 200 F and melt the shortening in a deep skillet over low heat until melted, (you want about a half inch of liquid fat in the pan) then heat to medium-high. try to time it so that the potato mixture (below) doesn't have to sit around uncooked for long. you can also use more than one pan at a time, too cook the latkes quicker- this is helpful if you are making a large batch) combine the first five ingredients. add a little more matzah meal or flour if the mixture seems too wet. add salt and pepper. using a large spoon, make small fritters (about 2.5" across), and cook in batches of 6 or 7. fry until well browned on both sides- about 5 minutes a side or so. put the cooked latkes in layers in a paper towel lined oven safe pan, and place in oven to keep warm. repeat, placing paper toweling between each layer of latkes in the pan leeping warm in the oven. serve with applesauce and sour cream. makes about 25 latkes.