Why not?
Joanna sent me an interesting article today from her favorite periodical, the New York Times, that explores the loss of the art and joys of cooking in the home. While I'm not totally on point with everything Michael Pollan says, and consider Joanna and I living proof that people do watch Food Network and then attempt to recreate what they see, it does make you think. I'll surely think twice the next time I'm tempted to purchase frozen veggies or anything in the way of a pre-made meal. Sometimes, such shortcuts are unavoidable in our hectic modern lives but I completely agree with him on the importance of the social aspects of cooking and like the idea that cooking is the cornerstone of civilization. I know that, for myself, I'm much more inclined to cook when it has the social component of sharing a meal with others. If I'm the only one eating, that's when I gravitate towards the simple, the mundane, the overprocessed.
I suggest you check out Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch. It is a long read but worth it. Read it, make dinner with those you love, and remind yourself what it's like to stop rushing and actually taste your food.
I also highly suggest you stop by Joanna's blog and pick yourself up a couple of the food memoirs she's reviewed. Hearing other people speak of their love for cooking does wonders to stoke the flames of that passion within you. Whether you're a fan of brash and brutish chef's like Anthony Bourdain, as I am, or you prefer more refined views, I am confident she'll have something for you to read.
L'Chaim!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Wilton Class update
I totally forgot to post my last cake from Course One of the Wilton Method. So, here it is! The look on my teacher's face when I made black roses was priceless.
I don't always misbehave though and, during the last month, have been taking Course Two of the Wilton Method. This is the course wherein you learn to make flowers and such. We only did one cake for the course as our final project. As you can see, this one doesn't scream death and decay. I'm versatile like that. This was a strawberry cake to go with the white buttercream and was quite a hit among my co-workers.
I don't always misbehave though and, during the last month, have been taking Course Two of the Wilton Method. This is the course wherein you learn to make flowers and such. We only did one cake for the course as our final project. As you can see, this one doesn't scream death and decay. I'm versatile like that. This was a strawberry cake to go with the white buttercream and was quite a hit among my co-workers.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Wow, I'm lazy...
It's been a little over a month since I posted anything. A lot of things have happened, not the least of which was me turning 30 (and having, thanks to Joanna, the best birthday I've ever had), going down to TN to visit friends, and work related stuff (including doing a little job hunting). The little I have cooked, I've been lax in bringing the camera into the kitchen. Mea culpa. So, to apologize, get back on track, and even provide useful information for people as busy or busier than I, I present 3 meals I threw together in a single pan. While none of them will ever end up on Iron Chef, they were all delicious and easy, which is sometimes the best kind of recipe.
First up on the lazy chef's menu is Thai Green Curry. This is probably the hardest one as you will likely need to go to an Asian grocery store to obtain green curry paste and fish sauce. If you're in Pittsburgh, I like Lotus Foods down in the Strip District.
This is all you need. Six ingredients to curry bliss. You need about a pound or so of sliced chicken, a 2 cans of coconut milk, frozen Florentine veggie mix (cauliflower, broccoli, and carrot), green curry paste, fish sauce (this stuff stinks but you never taste fishiness in the finished product), and basil, preferably fresh, dried if you are desperate or lazy. Guess which one I am?
Empty your cans of coconut milk into a wok or skillet and whisk in 2 heaping tablespoons of green curry paste. This stuff has a bit of heat so, if you are averse to that, go easy on the heaping. The way I heap it in, it probably ends up being more like 4 tablespoons of paste. At this point, also add 2 teaspoons of fish sauce. This exists solely to add a bit of sour saltiness and I've heard that you can substitute soy sauce mixed with lime and get a reasonable facsimile.
Throw in the raw chicken. Just toss it in there. Then wave your hands in the air, because I don't care. Congratulations on being my puppet.
Toss in the veggies, also frozen. Bring this mess to a boil then turn the heat down and simmer it for 20 minutes or so, until the chicken is cooked.
And there you have it! Thai green curry. A whole batch for less than what a bowl would cost you in a Thai restaurant. Serve it over white rice and with additional salt or fish sauce if you like. Even if you don't like the Indian red or yellow curries, I suggest you give this a shot.
These next two come out of a little contest Joanna and I had that we called Pantry Clean Out Challenge. Essentially, the rules were that we could only use things from the pantry or fridge that we already had, with the possible exception of adding a protein.
First up, we have some sort of Mexican Chicken Dealie. MCD, if you will.
This is what I grabbed from the pantry. Nothing crazy. Most of this you likely have lying around.
Boil-in-bag brown rice, black beans, chopped tomatoes with jalapeno, cream of chicken soup, mexicorn, and the chicken itself (2 breasts should suffice).
Cook the rice on it's own. You don't need a picture from me to boil water. At least I hope you don't...
Toss the tomatoes, beans, soup, and corn in a skillet and heat over medium till hot. Throw in the chicken and simmer until it is cooked, turning once. That's it. Two sentences. Can you handle it?
I knew you could. This is what you end up with. Toss a little cheese on top and some green onions if you got em and marvel at the simplicity. This is what God would eat...if He had to clean out His pantry.
Last but not least, we have a one skillet take on beefy mac/pasta/whatever. You don't get a pretty shot if the ingredients as I made this up as I went along. Basically, you need garlic (even the minced stuff "rotting in a jar", as Anthony Bourdain calls it, works), onion, ground beef (the ONLY purchased ingredient), basil, oregano, diced tomatoes, and whatever kind of pasta you have lying around.
Start out by cooking the onion and garlic with a little olive oil. Action shot, complete with steam!
When the onions are soft, set that aside on a plate and brown your beef. I prefer to break mine up into the smallest little pieces possible. Joanna likes hers chunkier. I was cooking so...
Toss the onions back in and add your can of tomatoes. Again, this was what was lying around. Like myself, Joanna's roommate Amber will go to the store, look at one type of tomatoes in a can, and grab another. I just say she's psychic and knew this was coming.
Mix that mess together and add about a teaspoon each of dried oregano and basil. Dried spices are fine here as this ain't no hoity toity, pinky in the air, socialite meal. Ahem. I mean, dried spices will suffice for this type of cuisine.
Finally, throw in whatever kind of dried pasta you have lying around. We happened to have tri-color rotini. Now, this is the tricky part. You have to add enough water to cook the pasta while you simmer this. I can't tell you how much because it depends on your pasta type. I'd say nothing would need more than your tomato can full of water. If you use too much, don't despair, drain it off when you're done cooking. I won't tell.
You'll notice there is no picture of the finished product. I was hungry. Toss some parmesan on top, make some garlic bread if you'd like to, and enjoy.
Nothing here took more than a half hour, including prep. Take that, Rachael Ray!
First up on the lazy chef's menu is Thai Green Curry. This is probably the hardest one as you will likely need to go to an Asian grocery store to obtain green curry paste and fish sauce. If you're in Pittsburgh, I like Lotus Foods down in the Strip District.
This is all you need. Six ingredients to curry bliss. You need about a pound or so of sliced chicken, a 2 cans of coconut milk, frozen Florentine veggie mix (cauliflower, broccoli, and carrot), green curry paste, fish sauce (this stuff stinks but you never taste fishiness in the finished product), and basil, preferably fresh, dried if you are desperate or lazy. Guess which one I am?
Empty your cans of coconut milk into a wok or skillet and whisk in 2 heaping tablespoons of green curry paste. This stuff has a bit of heat so, if you are averse to that, go easy on the heaping. The way I heap it in, it probably ends up being more like 4 tablespoons of paste. At this point, also add 2 teaspoons of fish sauce. This exists solely to add a bit of sour saltiness and I've heard that you can substitute soy sauce mixed with lime and get a reasonable facsimile.
Throw in the raw chicken. Just toss it in there. Then wave your hands in the air, because I don't care. Congratulations on being my puppet.
Toss in the veggies, also frozen. Bring this mess to a boil then turn the heat down and simmer it for 20 minutes or so, until the chicken is cooked.
And there you have it! Thai green curry. A whole batch for less than what a bowl would cost you in a Thai restaurant. Serve it over white rice and with additional salt or fish sauce if you like. Even if you don't like the Indian red or yellow curries, I suggest you give this a shot.
These next two come out of a little contest Joanna and I had that we called Pantry Clean Out Challenge. Essentially, the rules were that we could only use things from the pantry or fridge that we already had, with the possible exception of adding a protein.
First up, we have some sort of Mexican Chicken Dealie. MCD, if you will.
This is what I grabbed from the pantry. Nothing crazy. Most of this you likely have lying around.
Boil-in-bag brown rice, black beans, chopped tomatoes with jalapeno, cream of chicken soup, mexicorn, and the chicken itself (2 breasts should suffice).
Cook the rice on it's own. You don't need a picture from me to boil water. At least I hope you don't...
Toss the tomatoes, beans, soup, and corn in a skillet and heat over medium till hot. Throw in the chicken and simmer until it is cooked, turning once. That's it. Two sentences. Can you handle it?
I knew you could. This is what you end up with. Toss a little cheese on top and some green onions if you got em and marvel at the simplicity. This is what God would eat...if He had to clean out His pantry.
Last but not least, we have a one skillet take on beefy mac/pasta/whatever. You don't get a pretty shot if the ingredients as I made this up as I went along. Basically, you need garlic (even the minced stuff "rotting in a jar", as Anthony Bourdain calls it, works), onion, ground beef (the ONLY purchased ingredient), basil, oregano, diced tomatoes, and whatever kind of pasta you have lying around.
Start out by cooking the onion and garlic with a little olive oil. Action shot, complete with steam!
When the onions are soft, set that aside on a plate and brown your beef. I prefer to break mine up into the smallest little pieces possible. Joanna likes hers chunkier. I was cooking so...
Toss the onions back in and add your can of tomatoes. Again, this was what was lying around. Like myself, Joanna's roommate Amber will go to the store, look at one type of tomatoes in a can, and grab another. I just say she's psychic and knew this was coming.
Mix that mess together and add about a teaspoon each of dried oregano and basil. Dried spices are fine here as this ain't no hoity toity, pinky in the air, socialite meal. Ahem. I mean, dried spices will suffice for this type of cuisine.
Finally, throw in whatever kind of dried pasta you have lying around. We happened to have tri-color rotini. Now, this is the tricky part. You have to add enough water to cook the pasta while you simmer this. I can't tell you how much because it depends on your pasta type. I'd say nothing would need more than your tomato can full of water. If you use too much, don't despair, drain it off when you're done cooking. I won't tell.
You'll notice there is no picture of the finished product. I was hungry. Toss some parmesan on top, make some garlic bread if you'd like to, and enjoy.
Nothing here took more than a half hour, including prep. Take that, Rachael Ray!
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