Surviving in an Advanced Capitalist Society

Edamame and Arugula Soup

2011-02-25T16:37:00.000-08:00

Went to Portland, ME last weekend. Always the best eateries around! Green Elephant, Local Sprouts Cafe, Miyake, Paciorino, One Fifty Ate. Mmmm...this time in need of a snack, we stumbled upon Kamasouptra. We had a delicious edamame and arugula soup. This is my attempt at duplication.

Edamame and Arugula Soup

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

6 cups water

1 vegan vegetable bouillion cube

1 lb potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch

10 oz frozen edamame

2 to 3 c arugula packed

salt and pepper to taste

toasted almonds, chopped

Crusty, rustic bread

Melt butter and olive oil in dutch oven. Add onion and salt once butter begins to bubble. Saute on medium high until slightly browned, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Add minced garlic and stir until fragarant, about 30 seconds. Add nutmeg. Saute 10 seconds. Add six cups water, bouillion cube, and potatoes. Bring water to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cook 20 minutes.

Add edamame. Cook 10 minutes. Add 2 cups arugula. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until wilted. Blend in food processor or blender. Add 1 cup fresh arugula to soup when blending. If arugula taste is too strong, return to dutch oven and simmer 2 to 5 minutes longer. Voila. Salt and pepper to taste.

Top with toasted almonds and serve with crusty bread.

Tip: Arugula got caught in my immersion blender. No fun. Blender seemed to work better. Food processor also seems like it would do the job!

Fresh Herbs and Red Sauce

2011-02-01T03:17:00.001-08:00

I hate a love/hate relationship with fresh herbs. I love to eat them and I hate to buy them. For example, when buying dill, I feel like it either comes in a lettuce sized bunch or one so small, you have to buy two. Perhaps there is a recipe out that that calls for four cups of dill, but I haven't found it.

Part of economizing seems to be using everything in your fridge. D's mom is so good at this. Her fridge is always spotless with exactly what she needs over the next several days. I find this mystifying. After making the shrimp with herb sauce, I was left with a lot of herbs, and I successfully have used two of the three and am on my way to using all of the sage. A small victory.

This recipe has become a favorite. It is one of the ways I used the leftover basil. I post it here to share and because I know I will someday loose this beloved edition of Cooks Illustrated.

Quick Tomato Sauce

Note: C.I. recommends using Tuttorosso or Muir Glen. I have only used Muir Glen. Deviated once and regretted it.

2 tbls unsalted butter

1/4 c grated onion, from 1 med. onion

1/4 tsp dried oregano

Table salt

2 med. garlic cloves, minced

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (see note)

1/4 teas sugar

2 tbls coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

1 tbls x-virgin olive oil

Ground black pepper

Heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add onion, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and sugar; increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Lower heat to medium low and simmer until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and oil; season with salt and pepper. Serve (or freeze).

Things I change: I use 1 tbls butter. That said, this recipe has really given me an appreciation for canned tomatoes. I also love it, because I am not a fan of tomato paste. So simple and genuinely quick.

Shrimp in Herb Tomatillo Sauce

2011-01-30T05:53:00.000-08:00

After a long break, I realized I was losing track of all the recipes I loved. The following recipe is evidence of my love of trying something new and immediately forgetting about it.

I decided to change the format of the blog a bit since really I am restarting it for selfish reasons, as a way to keep track of everything I want to do, did and changed, and didn't like. Links are posted to recipes with any changes listed below the link. Also, D is potentially going back to school next year so I am starting to collect cheaper recipes. Our food bill is out of control...

Last night we made: Shrimp in Tomatillo Herb Sauce

Changes: Divine. Would not change a thing although I probably added more oil than it called for...didn't really measure that bit.

Ways to make it cheaper: make it when your herb garden is at full bloom and use white beans. The first time we made it, I used white beans. I thought it was amazing, but I should add that I am obsessed with white beans. If you use white beans, I recommend starting with the dry version since the canned ones are often falling apart. Six months after using beans, turns out Maine shrimp are in season, so we picked some of those up at the winter farmer's market and my internet search for good shrimp recipes lead me back to this recipe.

Books about People and Food

2009-02-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

Over the past couple of years, I have enjoyed reading books with vivid food descriptions. Some true and some fictional. Here is a short list:

1. My Life in France by Julia Child: I am currently reading this book and falling in love with Julia and her husband. This book makes me naustalgic for travel, adventure and cooking. I also purchased Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It is working its way through the postal system.

2. Climbing the Mango Trees by Madhur Jaffrey: A wonderful story of growing up told through memories of food. It also details how the mass exit of Muslims to Pakistan and Hindus to India affected and shaped the cuisine of Dehli. Great recipes in the back including one for lamb and peas in gravy.

3. The Alice B Toklas Cookbook by Alice B Toklas: I am slowly making my way through this book. I love the insights into each recipe although I have never considered making them. If you ever wondered how to properly prepare squab, this is the book for you, and even if you haven't, it is still an beautiful book about the care and love Alice took in preparing meals for Gertrude.

4. The Book of Salt by Montique Truong: A fictional account of the life of Alice and Gertrude's Vietnamese cook. The descriptions of the food are amazing. I found myself skipping parts of the book to get to the bits about food. Also, it is an interesting take on the French occupation of Vietnam.

5. Hummingbirds Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea: A book based on the life of a Mexican saint. The descriptions of the indegenous food of Mexico and its blending with Spanish cuisine were outstanding and brought another layer to this story.

These are the ones that have stuck with me. I am not sure why. I am excited to start my exploration of French food! If you have any additional suggestions or know a quick way to learn French pronunciation, let me know.

Fudge

2008-12-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

The following is a guest post from D. I helped stir the recipe for about two minutes. D refused to use the kitchen aid and I got the kitchen aid because I hate mixing. I held the bowl while he stirred with both hands and then he sat on the floor and held the bowl between his legs while stirring with both hands. I would recommend using a standing mixer...

Ok, I think using a mixer would be problematic, and I'll explain why later, but it's true that this basic fudge recipe is ludicrously labor intensive. The final step calls for you to beat the fudge with a wooden spoon until it begins to lose its gloss, which can take 10 or 15 or more minutes. If you're working with a less-than-accurate candy thermometer the fudge may never lose its gloss, and you'll get uncongealed, though still delicious, fudge. Despite the simple ingredients a lot can go wrong. My younger sister and I used to make this recipe when we were kids and we'd crack each other up falsely claiming that "it's losing its gloss! it's losing its gloss!" Then one day the fudge actually did lose its gloss and everything happened so fast that before we could transfer it to the pan it was hard as a rock stuck to the bottom of the kettle. This, I suspect, is why you're supposed to beat it with a wooden spoon rather than an electric mixer.

There are a lot of easier fudge recipes out there--usually they call for evaporated milk and semi-sweet chocolate--but they pale in comparison to the real thing.

3 c. sugar
2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. milk
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together the sugar, cocoa, and salt in a kettle. Add the milk and cook over medium heat stirring constantly. When it comes to a boil stop stirring and take its temperature. Let it boil without stirring until it reaches 234 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla. Let it cool at room temperature, still without stirring, until it returns to 110 degrees. While it's cooling, line an 8 or 9 inch square pan with foil, and butter the foil. When the mixture has cooled, beat it with a wooden spoon until it loses its gloss. This is a lot of work and it's much easier if you have a helper and can take turns. Eventually (hopefully) it will thicken and you'll notice that its shine is fading--either that or you'll tire and decide that it's just not worth it. Whichever comes first, the next step is to transfer the fudge to the the pan. If the transition from glossy to matte was quick, you should also be quick about the transfer because the fudge can harden in no time. If you quit from exhaustion or you think the fudge is maybe losing its gloss but you're not really sure then you can be more leisurely about it. Let it cool completely and enjoy. If it hardens sufficiently, you can turn it over, peel off the foil, and cut it into squares. Store at room temp.

Butter

2008-12-17T08:36:00.001-08:00

A really great article on butter and baking.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/17/dining/17bake.html?8dpc

Cranberry Christmas Cake

2008-12-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite baked good of my mother's around the holidays.

Christmas Cake

1 cup sugar
2 cup flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 c cranberries, whole and fresh

Directions

Mix dry ingredients together first. Mix milk, melted butter, and vanilla together in a separate bowl. Stir dry and wet ingredients together. Gently stir in cranberries and make sure they do not break. Grease a 8 x 8 pan and pour the mixture in. Bake at 350 until it is golden brown on the top. You should be able to put a fork through the middle cleanly, but make sure the cake is not too done. This will take approximately 25 minutes.

Sauce:
1 c sugar
1/2 c cream
1/4 lb butter
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt

While the cake is baking, the sauce should be made. Stir all ingredients together. Over medium heat, stir the mixture until the sugar disintegrates and it is clear.

Final Directions

Cut each piece individually and then spoon frosting on top. Should be served warm. The "frosting" will seep into the top layer of the cake and create a nice contrast between the cake and the tart cranberries.

The frosting can be stored in the fridge separately from the cake and reheated for future consumption.

Marshmallows!

2008-12-13T17:54:00.000-08:00

Marshmallows are my favorite candy. I loooove them. My favorite are Kraft Jet Puffed. The texture, the vanilla, the memories of childhood. So imagine my surprise when I made them and they were even better. The recipe is copied exactly from the Barefoot Contessa website. Here is the recipe...

Homemade Marshmallows:

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and allow to sit while you make the syrup.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Using an 8 by 12-inch nonmetal pan, cover the bottom with confectioner's sugar using a swifter. Pour in the marshmallow batter and smooth the top of the mixture with damp hands if needed. Allow to dry uncovered at room temperature overnight.

Remove the marshmallows from the pan and cut into squares. Roll the sides of each piece carefully in confectioners' sugar. Store uncovered at room temperature (I would recommend storing them covered).

Thoughts: I have never tried it with the coconut but that is what the original recipe calls for. I am sure it is delicious.
When heating the sugar, it rapidly heats to 225 degrees or so. Then it will gradually creep up to 240. A thermometer is a must. I use a digital thermometer that is great for cooking meat, making yogurt, etc.
I also dust the bottom of the pan with powdered sugar before putting the marshmallows in the pan and then the top once they have sat out over night. After I cut them out, I like to dust the sides as well. Excess powdered sugar can be brushed off.
A friend recommended that you should run the knife under hot water before cutting them.
I have used Knox gelatin and it works well although my friend's mom said that the high grade gelatin has a better initial smell and is worth spending the extra money.
The vanilla you use will greatly impact the taste. I made the first batch with some vanilla extract that my mom bought very cheaply at Safeway and added over a tablespoon plus one teaspoon vanilla. It was just the right amount. The next time I used some fancy, higher-end vanilla and put in the same amount. It was overpowering. Next time, I would probably put a tablespoon or a little less of the higher-end. If you use fancy vanilla put a little less than a tablespoon, and if it is lower end, add a little more.

Kelly's Marinated Salad

2008-12-02T15:14:00.000-08:00

This salad is amazing and real. Unlike the following salad. I mean the following salad is amazing. Just in a very different way. I highly recommend this salad.

Kelly's Marinated Salad

Salad
4 nectarines, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup black olives, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 c green onion, chopped
6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained

Marinade
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp thyme

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Mix marinade in a separate bowl and whisk together. Pour over salad ingredients. Let salad sit for two hours in the fridge. Stir occasionally.

50s Winter Fruit Salad

2008-12-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

This is a traditional Easter salad from my family. I am pretty sure it was written when only canned fruit and bananas were available in the winter. When was cool whip invented? That was probably my mom's addition. She loooves cool whip. A warning: it is a very inexact recipe and I eat it once a year.

"Green" Salad

1 can pineapple tidbits
1 can fruit cocktail
1 can mandarins
2 bananas, chopped
Three cups marshmallows
1/2 to 1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 to 1 cup cool whip
1/4 cup sour cream
1 box pistachio instant pudding

Drain all the canned fruit of their liquid. Place in a large bowl with bananas and rest of ingredients. The pistachio instant pudding should create a pudding like consistency around the fruit. Adjust wet ingredients accordingly.

Lois' Enchiladas

2008-12-02T14:45:00.001-08:00

So I visited home recently and started going through the family recipes. Here is the first.

Lois' Chicken Enchiladas
2 skinless chicken breasts, chopped
2 tbls cooking oil
1 med. chopped onion
1 4 oz can green chilies, chopped
1 4 1/2 oz can sliced black olives
1/2 cup sour cream, lowfat ok
1 clove garlic mixed
8-10 white corn tortillas
3/4 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1-2 10 oz can enchilada sauce
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese
1/4 c chopped green onions
2 tbsp. cilantro

Cook chopped chicken in oil until no pink is left. Put aside. Cook onions in oil and cook 3 minutes on medium heat. Add 1/2 the chilies, 1/2 the olives, minced garlic, and sour cream. Heat through. Stir in chicken and set aside.

Wrap tortillas in foil and heat them in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove. Fill each with 2 tbls of onion mixture and 2 tbs grated Jack cheese. Roll up the tortillas and place seam side down in a buttered 9 by 13 baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, green onoins, cilantro, and remaining olives and green chilies.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Variations: You could roast enough mild green chilies to make 1/2 cup instead of using the canned ones. Or make the tortillas by hand and the enchilada sauce from scratch. Haha.

Pizza Dough

2008-10-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

A basic recipe.

Pizza Dough

1 tbls yeast
1 c. warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tbls olive oil (optional)
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 c wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

Combine yeast, warm water and sugar. Wait until yeast is activated. Stir salt into first cup of flour. Slowly add flour until it is no longer sticky and can be kneaded. Knead the dough for five to 10 mintes. Let rise while preheating the oven. Preheat the over to 425 degrees. Roll out, add toppings and bake for 15 to 20 minutes depending on how crisp you want it.

Bike Rack

2008-09-28T19:46:00.001-07:00

D made me a bike rack for my I came out of the womb day. All it took was five 2 x 4's, four hooks, two sawhorse brackets, and one 2 x 10. Oh yeah, some nails as well. He forgot the fifth 2 x 4 to run length wise neat the bottom to act as a brace/wall protector so eventually we will have to take a trip back to a store whose contents and layout mystify me. My brain just cannot wrap itself around Home Depot.

Here are the measurements or ingredients:
Four 2 x 4's cut 83" long
Two 2 x 4's cut 80' long or however long you want the bike rack to be
2 horsesaw brackets
1 1/2 inch nails
2 1/2 inch nails
4 hooks or enough to space them about 18 inches to 22 inches apart.
2 2 x 10s 48 inches long

Directions: Make it look like the above picture...but with one more 2 x 4 nailed across from one end to the other at tire height to prevent the tires from hitting the back wall. Also, you can add smaller hooks to the side beams so you can hang bike locks, tools, tool basket, helmets, etc.

Length of wood may need to be adjusted depending on the angle of the sawhorse brackets. I found this website useful.

Granola

2008-09-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a modified version of the granola recipe from the Horn of the Moon Cookbook. Good granola. Not too sweet. I experimented for a long time with sweetness and at one point was adding 1/2 cup or more of honey or brown sugar. I quickly realized I liked it less sweet, because you can really taste the toasted oats. Plus dried fruit and coconut shavings add a nice sweetness.

Basic Granola

4 cups Oats (anything but instant oats)
1/2 cup sesame seeds
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 honey (or maple syrup)
1/3 cup sunflower oil
2 tbls. Water
1/4 cup untoasted wheat germ (optional)
1/4 cup untoasted wheat bran (optional)
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup shredded coconut (big flakes the best)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix all ingredients together except for the raisins and coconut. Place on cookie sheet with raised edges. Place in oven. Bake 35 to 40 minutes and stir every five to ten minutes. Usually, I tend to stir it more often as the end of the cooking time nears to avoid burning the oats. Remove from oven. Let cool before breaking it into pieces. Add dried fruit and coconut.

Variations: Lots and lots of variations exist. A few I have tried include:
1. Vanilla granola. Add two teaspoons or a little more of vanilla extract to the oil and water. Stir rapidly and pour over dry ingredients. This will help the vanilla to spread evenly. Also, some people add a vanilla bean to the granola when they store it and this will also impart a vanilla flavor.
2. Ginger and dried peaches granola: Add chopped candied ginger to the granola about 20 minutes before it is done baking. Amount varies depending on taste but a little goes a long way. Add dried peaches instead of raisins.
3. Cranberry granola: substitute cranberries for raisins.

Special note: If you are doubling or tripling the recipe, the cooking time will take a bit longer. The best way to figure out when granola is done is when the oats turn golden and you can smell them baking.

Salad Dressing

2008-09-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe for a great basic dressing. I have a soft spot for Annie's Goddess Dressing but sometimes that tahini is too overpowering. Enjoy!

Basic Salad Dressing
1 garlic clove, chopped
4 tbls oil
4 tbls red wine or cider vinegar
1 - 2 tbls yogurt
dash of salt
dash of pepper

Combine ingredients and stir. Store unused dressing in the fridge. Shake well before serving.

Bread Homestyle

2008-08-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

D made the best bread last week. Better than the bread I had been attempting several months ago before I was derailed by a broken oven, school, and moving. That said I am one lucky lady. We were both sick or at least I was at that point. It was a sickness that robbed us of our sense of smell and taste. But the fresh baked bread really hit the spot. This recipe is from D’s mom.

Bread Recipe

2 tbl yeast (two packets)
Pinch sugar
1 c warm water
1 c warm milk
1/2 c honey
3 tbs butter
2 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 tbs salt
3 1/2 to 4 c white flour

Combine 2 tbls yeast, the warm water and a pinch of sugar. Mix and let sit for about five minutes. Yeast should start to foam and bubble.

Warm the milk in a microwave or on the stovetop. Add the butter and honey and stir until the butter melts and the honey begins to dissolve. When your yeast mixture is ready, add it to the milk along with the whole wheat flour and the egg and mix with a wooden spoon. Now add the salt and some white flour and continue mixing. Add white flour one cup at a time. Continue to add flour until dough is sticky but able to be kneaded. Knead for ten to fifteen minutes by hand. A mixer, such as a kitchen aid can be used, but watch closely to ensure that you do not over knead the bread (hard to do by hand). More flour can be added during the kneading process if it becomes too sticky. Be sure to keep the dough slightly sticky. (It will rise better).

Butter a bowl and put dough inside. Flip the dough around in the bowl so the outside is lightly coated with butter. Place dry towel over the top to prevent drafts. Allow to rise for around 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch down the dough and split into 2 large or 3 or 4 smaller loaves. Knead each loaf for a little while and place it in its pan. Cover with towel and allow to rise for around 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Tap the bottom of the loaves to see if they sound hollow to make sure they are done.

Notes: D used Hodgson Mill Active Dry Yeast. which has worked really well for me in the past. For some reason, I have found that it is also the cheapest yeast.

Worms, Part I

2008-08-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

After discovering that the local municipality was out of compost bins, I decided to use worms to compost my garbage after getting this advice from J:

The advantage is that you can keep them inside (you would have to b/c they would die in the winter), they are relatively hassle free, they can compost anything (I had one friend that would feed them meat scraps) and you can make the best compost in the world with them. Plus they are fun pets!

The fun pets really got me, and although I probably won't feed them meat, I am excited to feed them other cooked food. After looking into various options, I chose to use this set-up. I bought two grey plastic bins. V is letting me stop by his work to use the power drill.

I ordered, and D wrote the check for, a pound of worms from Down to Earth Worm Farm. The woman who helped me on the phone was very friendly and excited I was not from the area. They are supposed to arrive next week.

I really wanted these lily-scented worms, but they are hard to come by and I suspect mythical.

I have started collecting garbage and newspaper for the worms. D ordered a book so we don’t kill them, at least initially. I set up a plan to get kitchen scraps from E and S every three to four days since I am not sure I will generate enough food scraps to sustain them.

IC expressed concern that I may hear them slithering around, but hopefully they will be quiet and realitively scentless like all the blog postings say. To be continued…

Cabbage Soup

2008-08-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from IC whom I work with. I was sick and needed something to cure my stuffy nose. This soup is very flavorful and was done largely on intuition. It can be adjusted to your individual palate or style of cooking. It is also a great fall farmer’s market recipe…Enjoy!

Cabbage Soup

1 med onion
1-2 tbls butter
1/2 head of cabbage
2 tsp. salt
1 tbls of dry thyme
Fresh dill (to taste, a little less than 1/4 c appx)
Diced tomatoes, 28 ounce can or fresh (see directions below**)
1 to 2 med carrots, sliced (IC’s addition. Adds a sweetness, but is optional)
Pepper, to taste (my addition)
Topping: Sour Crème, Cream Fraiche or Cottage Cheese

Chop onion and place in gallon-sized dutch oven with butter on medium/medium-high heat. Stir onions occasionally so they do not burn. Cook until transparent.

Add water until pot is half full. Add thyme. While waiting for the water to boil, cut the cabbage into thin strips and massage with salt. When water boils, add cabbage and carrots. Simmer until cabbage is soft, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes. Continue simmering another 5 minutes or so. Add dill and simmer five additional minutes. Add pepper to taste and salt if you feel you need more. Serve hot.

**You may use fresh tomatoes, two or three. You may want to seed and peel them first. Mollie K recommends boiling them for 10 seconds, then peeling them and squeezing out the juice and seeds. Chop and add to soup. You may need to cook the soup a bit longer if you use this method.

Thoughts and Feelings: I had to use dry dill because for some reason my local Whole Foods does not carry dill and my dill plant is very tiny and delicate. I look forward to making it with fresh dill.
I also added cottage cheese to the soup, which IC does not endorse. I had it without too and it was delicious. Ricotta might be a little less adventurous if you want to add a simple dairy product to it. IC usually adds sour cream but thought creme fraiche sounded good, too.
I also would like to try it without carrots.

Best Dal Ever...

2008-07-28T11:55:00.001-07:00

Or real close. Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni is an amazing cookbook. It is one of the best I have ever owned. Sometimes, I cut down on the oil a bit, but other than that it is perfection. The dishes highlight one or two ingredients. I have been in Boston pining for the cookbook and D emailed me one of my favorite recipes today. So here it is...

Lucknow Sour Lentils

Khatti Dal, a classic from the city of Lucknow in the state of Uttar Pradesh, is indeed a superbly flavored lentil dish. It is fragrant with garlic and fresh ginger root and laced with black cumin-seed-flavored oil. The characteristic feature of this dal is the tamarind jice added to perk up the flavors and provide a tang.

For 6 persons:

1 1/2 cups pink lentils
1 tablespoon finely choppped fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 one-inch ball tamarind pulp, or 1 teaspoon mango powder, or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons Kosher salt (but I highly recommend starting with less and working up)

For tadka:
5 tablespoons Indian vegetable shortening, or light vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black cumin seeeds, or 1/2 teaspoon white cumin seeds
1 tablespoon mashed or minced garlic
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper

1. Pick clean and wash lentils following directions on page 327
2. Put the lentils in a deep saucepan along with the turmeric, ginger, and 5 cups water, and bring to the boil, stirring often, as the lentils have a tendency to settle at the bottom of the pan. Reduce ehat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes, stirring now and then.
3. While the lentils are cooking, put the tamarind pulp in a small bowl, add 1 cup of boiling water, and let soak for 15 minutes. Mash the pulp wiht the back of a spoon or using your fingers. Strain the liquid into another bowl, squeezing out as much juice as possible from the pulp. Discard the stringy fibrous residue.
4. Add the tamarind juice to the cooked lentils, and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes (if you are using mango powder or lemon juice in place of tamarind, do not add yet). Turn off the heat, and beat the lentils with a wire whisk or wooden spoon for 1 minute to smooth the puree. Measure the puree and if necessary add enough water to make 6 cups. If you are using mango powder or lemon juice, stir it in now with the salt. (The lentil puree may be prepared ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days. It also freezes well. Defrost thoroughly before proceeding with recipe).
5. When ready to serve, simmer the puree over low heat until piping hot. The lentil puree thickens with keeping, so check the consistency again. You may need to add 1/2 cup water to bring the puree to the right consistency. Check for salt and transfer to a serving bowl while you make the spice-perfumed butter (tadka).
6. Heat the shortening over medium-high heat in a small frying pan. When it is very hot, add cumin seeds, and fry for a moment or two (white cumin seeds will take about 10 seconds). Remove the pan from the heat, add red pepper and the mashed garlic, and stir rapidly for 10 seconds or until the garlic loses its raw smell and begins to color--do not let it brown. Pour the butter with its seasonings over the lentil puree. Stir once or twice--just enough to lace the puree with ribbons of perfumed butter. Serve immediately in small bowls.

Thoughts and feelings: I rarely pick the lentils. I think I wash them occassionally. That may be me just trying to make myself look better.
I have only used lemon and it still turns out delicious.
I usually halve the oil.
If you burn the seeds or garlic in the oil, it is really easy to redo them. It is not easy to redo the lentils. One time I ruined it, because I burned the cumin seeds and for some reason didn't realize how easy it was to just make another batch.

CORRECTION of MY CORRECTION: The original post said 2 teaspoons salt and I was pretty sure that it is supposed to be 1/2 teaspoon...but upon double checking it is 2 teaspoons (see comments).

Boston

2008-07-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

I moved to Boston several weeks ago. I got a job writing SPSS syntax for the feds. I planned to get a CSA and find a local dairy but have been extremely lazy. Any suggestions are welcome on where to find either. Also, if you are in the area and have furniture, I only have a bed at the moment. Recipes to follow...

Yogurt

2008-06-10T19:03:00.000-07:00

I have been on a yogurt making kick. L orders from a local dairy and I have started making a weekly batch of yogurt to go along with my granola (recipe coming eventually). Yogurt is suprisingly easy. This recipe comes from Nourishing Traditions. I like a couple of the recipes in the cookbook but her research methodology is a little shady and a lot of the ingredients are bizarre. I think there are better cookbooks out there, but the yogurt is good...

Yogurt

1/2 cup good yogurt with live cultures
1 quart milk

Gently heat the milk to 180 degrees (I found that going just below this at 175 degrees or so). Let it cool to 11o degrees. Stir in yogurt and place in shallow glass or stainless steal container. Cover and place in a warm oven with the pilot light on or pre-heated to warm. If you live somewhere, where it does not get cold at night (DC in the summer for example), I would just leave it out at night. In the morning, transfer to the refridgerator. If there is extra whey, just spoon it out.

Problems you might encounter are explained here. My yogurt curdled slightly last time and was still good. I think it was because I heated it a bit too high, the milk was not as fresh as usual, and it was over 100 degrees in the kitchen for an extended period.

New Trend Alert: Hipsters bathe at well pumps!

2008-06-09T05:25:00.000-07:00

D and I went on our first bike camping excursion. It went fairly smoothly. We took it as a chance to test out our gear and wilderness survival skills.

Lessons Learned:

1. Hang your food even if you think there is no risk of bears eating it. I awoke to D saying, "Something is eating our food." As he pointed the flashlight towards the paneer, the animal tried to drag the paneer away with it. Neither of us ever saw the animal as we are both legally blind without contacts. We just saw the reflector slowly moving away from the other bags' reflectors. Only four peanut butter sandwiches were lost. However, all the next day, D lamented the four missing sandwiches.

2. Bring glasses if you are legally blind and need to see quickly in the middle of the night.

3. Bring a map. Like baking, even if you think it is simple and you have cooked the recipe a thousand times, it is easy to forget a step. We biked the C&O Canal, our destination Harper's Ferry. Supposedly some of my lady relatives founded it with their families. We missed it by 2 miles or so. Sounded simple, you just get on the trail and bike the whole way there. No detours. Nothing. What we didn't know was that there is a small town before Harper's Ferry, which we mistook for Harpers Ferry. This small town did have a nice ice cream shop which included kids running behind the counters and everyone chatted us up. Not getting to Harpers Ferry gives us something to look forward to next time...

4. Bathing in a water pump is amazing after a long day of biking.

5. If you are biking somewhere very humid, nothing dries at night so be prepared for moist biking clothes if you leave them out at night.

6. Items not included in the last list that should be: small bottle of contact solution; extra toilet paper; grocery sacks for dirty/wet clothes, shoes, etc; hand sanitizer.

Bike Touring

2008-05-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

I got my bike back! They put a Surly fork on my little Aurora. It looks great and it is true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I cannot wait to ride my bike after the flash flood advisories end.

JB and I are planning on doing a bike tour of the Adirondacks in late June. Below is a list of all the gear I am planning on bringing. If anyone has any suggests, please let me know...

Camping Gear
1. Tent
2. Sleeping bags
3. Tarp
4. MSR Stove Kit with fuel
5. Towel
6. Metal silverware
7. Waterproof matches
8. First Aid Kit
9. Camelbacks
10. Bug spray
11. Sunscreen
17. Scrubber for pots
18. Dish for person not using MSR
19. Coffee Mug (to share)
20. Tent cord for hanging food/tying down fly
21. Strainer
22. Sleeping pad

Bike Gear
1. Bike tool (JB)
2. Tire change: bike tire levers, patch kit, extra tube, bike pump
3. Bike Lights (front and rear)
4. Bike Lock

Clothes
1. Bike shorts (2)
2. Swim suit
3. Lightweight hat
4. Rain Gear
5. Wool Sweater
6. Long Underwear
7. Three pair of underwear
8. Jeans
9. Dress
10. Sandals
11. Gloves

Food
1. Trail Mix
2. Dry Hummus
3. Granola
4. Instant Milk
5. Coffee
6. Powdered Gatoraide or Tang

Changes to bike:
1. Bike Seat
2. Pedals with clips (L)
3. Bike shoes
4. Fenders (?)
5. Front racks and bags (L)

Misc.
1. Laundry detergent
2. Three pairs socks
3. Soap (dish washing/armpit washing/clothes washing)
4. Sunglasses
5. Camera
6. Cards
7. Tent cord for hanging food/tying down fly
8. Blister Kit
9. Ibuprofen
10. Toothpaste/toothbrush
11. Deodorant
12. Extra batteries

Apple Rubbarb Pie

2008-04-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

I got hit by a car recently. The insurance company is going to fix my bike and my shoulder is healing nicely. It was a small accident but rather dramatic. It just makes my life more complicated having to deal with all the crazy stuff.
I am also trying to wrap up the Master's degree.
So in short, it may be awhile before there is another post, but here is one for the time being...

Apple Rubbarb Pie

Dough:
1 1/2 sticks butter
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Approx. 3 tablespoons ice cold water

Filling:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
Four baking apples (I used pink ladies)
Five medium rubbarb stems

Mix the salt and flour together. Cut the butter into slices and use a fork to blend the butter into the flour. Once the flour and butter form into small pieces and is thoroughly blended, add the water one tablespoon at a time. Mix the dough with your hands until the dough sticks together. Add as little water as possible. Form dough into two balls. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and make the dough hockey puck shaped (this will make it easier to roll out). Refridgerate for at least an hour.

Once the dough is about ready to be rolled out. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Peal the apples and cut into quarters. Use a food processor or thinly slice the apples and rubbarb. The filling should be half rubbarb and half apples. Mix the apples, rubbarb, flour and sugar together. Put to the side.

Remove the dough from the refridgerator. Grease a basic pie pan. Place the dough between two sheets of wax paper and roll out the dough until it is big enough to cover the pie pan. Place the dough in a greased pie pan and put the filling into the pie pan. Roll out the other ball of dough in the same manner and place on top of the pie. Seal the edges of the pie with a fork or your fingers. Cut four slices in the top of the dough. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 20 to 30 more minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Bread: Whole wheat flour, Rising in General, the Retarded Rise and More…

2008-03-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

Bread: Whole wheat flour, Rising in General, the Retarded Rise and More…

The knowledge expounded in the following text comes from personal experience, D’s parents, friends, dad, The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion All Purpose Baking Cookbook, Laurel’s Kitchen, Martha Stewart, and others.

Rising Bread in a Cold House

When using oven because house is too cold, gently warm oven. Turn off after a minute or so. Add a 9 x 9 pan of warm water to the oven to make sure the air has the proper humidity and the bread does not dry out. Put a slightly damp cotton towel over the bowl. For optimal rising, temperature of the oven should not be about 90 degrees farenheit.

Flat Top

The first time I made the bread my bread came out of the oven with a flat top. I attributed this to the fact that I had let it rise for too long before putting it in the oven. If your bread looks unstable (hard to describe but you will know) or has stretch marks on the top, reknead the bread and let it rise again before putting it in the oven. Also, I did not have enough salt (only one teaspoon in the whole wheat bread recipe). See salt and sugar section.

Sugar and Salt: Dough Enhancer and Stabilizer*

Sugar and salt keep your bread from collapsing. Salt and organic acids, developed over a long, slow rise, help strengthen the gluten in your loaf, allowing it to hold its shape until the hot oven does its job. Without them, your loaf is likely to rise and then collapse. Salt and sugar help to slow the growth of the yeast and without it the yeast grows too fast and won’t develop the same flavor. When yeast is growing, it has three main byproducts: carbon dioxide, alcohol, and organic acids. The acids are really what gives the bread its flavor. Too much salt can rob the yeast of needed moisture and too much sugar can cause the yeast to overeat and slow the rising process in the long run. The King Arthur Cookbook recommends that a maximum of 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt and up to 1/4 cup sugar per three cups of sugar.

Retarded Rises*

Except in sweet breads, you can reduce the amount of yeast to produce a longer rising time. If the recipe calls for a packet of yeast which is a little over 2 teaspoons, you can usually just use 1/2 to 1 teaspoons of yeast. Using 1/2 a teaspoon, will lead to a rise of about 16 to 20 hours similar to the infamous New York Times no knead bread recipe. 1 teaspoon is a good amount for an overnight rise. The easiest doughs to do this with are ones containing a small amount of sugar and no dairy products.

Whole grain dough is slow rising because of the bran which interferes with gluten development. One way to slow these is to use the regular amount of yeast and slow it down in the refridgerator.

With slow rises, it will take longer for the loaf to rise in the pan as well. A rise that usually takes one to one and a half hours will take two hours or more. In general, you should just experiment and figure out what works for you.

Storing Bread*

If you can eat the bread in several days, just store it on your counter top in plastic wrap. It should keep for several days to a week. Storing bread in the fridge will cause bread to get stale more quickly. When storing bread with a crunchy crust, the best way is to store it on the counter, no plastic wrap, with the cut side down. This keeps the crust crunchy and the inside soft. Making toast, or warming the bread, reverses the stalling process because it sends all the molecules spinning back into their just out of the oven physical alignment.

Storing yeast

Can store at room temperature in vacuum sealed bag. Other than that, the best place is the freezer for maximum life. If store incorrectly, the yeast cells become inactive.

Dried Fruit*

When adding fruits that need to be chopped (dried apricots, large pieces of dried pineapple, etc.), leave the fruit in pieces as large as possible; the finer you chop the fruit, the more sugar it will release into the dough.

Random Facts*

On rainy or stormy days….when the baramoteric pressure is low, your bread will rise more quickly than it does ordinarily. This is because the dough doesn’t have as much air to push against it.

The pH of water plays an important role. Soft (alkaline) water is relatively free of minerals. Because yeast has its own characteristic mineral content, it wants a growing medium that is similar. So it doesn’t like soft water. Hard (acidic) water, on the other hand, contains lots of minerals and yeast will grow very quickly when it has access to such abundance. A small amount of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) can help correct water that it is too soft. Slightly more yeast can help overcome water that is too hard.

*=Pretty much plagarized from the King Arthur Cookbook with minor editing and additions. For full biography, please email.

Whole Wheat Bread

2008-03-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

This bread recipe comes from the cookbook, Laurel’s Kitchen. It is kind of the Joy of Cooking for the vegetarian world. I enjoyed reading it. She talks about her journey into the world of nutrition in San Francisco when the hippie movement was just taking hold. On the whole, I have become much more sympathetic to hippies since moving out East. Most of Laurel's recipes need a tweak or two or three but this bread provides a good basis if you are just starting out.

Basic Whole Grain Bread

3 cups warm water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
6 cups whole wheat flour (King Arthur’s).

Pour the warm water into a large bowl. Add the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. In a few minutes, when the yeast comes bubbling to the top, stir in half of the whole wheat flour (and beat very well, until the dough ceases to be grainy and becomes smooth and stretchy. –I never do this.)

Add the salt and the remaining flour cup by cup, mixing well. Knead it in the bowl until it is no longer sticky, then turn it out onto a floured board.

As the dough gets stiffer and harder to knead, sprinkle the remaining flour a little at a time on the tabletop and knead the dough on top of it.

Knead, push and fold until the dough is soft and springy to touch and return it to the oiled bowl. Cover the bowl snugly, allowing room for the dough to double in bulk. If not doing a retarded rise (see next entry): punch the dough down and allow it to rise again until it has doubled in bulk.

Grease two loaf pans or two 46-ounce juice cans. Divided the dough in half and flatten each half into an oblong the length of the load pan. Cover the pans to protect from drafts and let the loaves rise once more, until they have doubled in bulk.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees towards the end of the rising period. When the bread is rounded just above the rim, spread a bit of milk on the top of the loaves and bake it for about 40 minutes. When you remove it from the pan and tap it on the sides or bottom. It should sound slightly hollow. The color should be a golden brown. Allow the bread to cool, then slice and serve.

Variations: I tried just raisins but was not satisfied with this combination. So I added raisins and walnuts to the next loaf and enjoyed this a lot more. The raisin bread needs an accompaniment. I know many people do not like walnuts so another type of nut one could use might be unsalted sunflower seeds. You can add many other dried fruits, nuts, and/or herbs. Just don’t soak the dried fruit as it can leach excess sugar into the bread and add it right before the

My thoughts about this recipe: It is the only 100 percent whole wheat recipe I have found so far. Cooking with whole wheat can be more difficult, but more on that later. Also, I tried adjusting the salt. One teaspoon is far too little and negatively affects the rising process. Two teaspoons is great if you are very sensitive to salt. I ended up liking one tablespoon salt and it is the maximum you can put in the recipe without negatively affecting the rising process. Please see next entry for further ruminations on baking bread.

The dough should be relatively moist. Do not add too much flour. With whole wheat flour, it is especially important that your dough is as wet as possible, because this will allow it to rise more easily. Just remember that it should not be so wet that you cannot knead it. In DC, I usually use a little less than the recipe calls for. When I am kneading, a thin layer of dough attaches to my palms and it is almost too sticky to knead properly. Play around with it a bit and figure out what works for you.

Bagels and more

2008-03-14T05:45:00.000-07:00

So I have been busy lately. Mostly trying to perfect recipes, finish school, juggle two jobs, and find a job.
In my spare time (Thursday from 11:30 to 2:00 and sometimes Friday afternoon), I have been cooking out of Laurel's Kitchen. I am working on the bagel, bread and granola recipes. So I was wondering...what makes a bagel good?
Suggestions so far have been chewy, crisp on the outside, and no hole in the middle.
Will keep you updated on how it is going and any thoughts on the perfect bagel are always appreciated.

Gravy

2008-03-14T05:36:00.000-07:00

Gravy. Original here
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup butter (1 stick)
1/3 cup chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons braggs
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and nutritional yeast and brown it slightly. Continuously stir it so it does not burn. Add braggs to form a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the broth. Season with sage, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.

Comments: Very good with a strong flavor. Changes that were made to the orginal recipe: butter was used to replace the oil. Original recipe called for 1/2 of oil. I changed it to 1/4 cup butter, but if you are worried about your cholesterol or are vegan, oil works fine. Two tablespoons of braggs was substituted for four tablespoons of soy sauce. I upped the salt from 1/2 teaspoon to one teaspoon to make up for the fact that braggs does not have salt but you should really just season it to taste since vegetable broths all have different sodium contents.
Also, my dad taught me that the key to a good gravy was browning the flour, which I agree. Otherwise you get a lumpy ball of dough and who wants to eat that?

Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes

2008-02-23T15:17:00.000-08:00

I made Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes with an old roomie. Actually followed the recipe this time since he read it multiple times.

Here is the recipe or you can click on the link. It was real good.

3 tablespoons curry powder, preferably Three Golden Bells brand
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 pounds skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground chili paste or dried chili flakes, or to taste
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 lemongrass stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces and bruised with the flat side of a knife
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled, cut into 3 slices and bruised with the flat side of a knife
1 1/2 cups fresh chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
3 carrots, peeled, cut on the diagonal into 2/3-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk or cow's milk
1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
1 medium sweet potato (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

GARNISHES
1/2 cup Asian basil leaves, cut in half
8 sprigs cilantro, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 scallions, chopped

Preparation

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of the curry powder and the salt in a bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat the meat evenly. Set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in a medium pot over moderate heat. Add the shallot, garlic, chili paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon curry powder, and stir until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the chicken and cook until the edges of the pieces are golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the fish sauce, sugar, lemongrass, ginger and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Add the carrots and cook for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk, onion and sweet potato and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with Asian basil, cilantro and scallions, and serve.

Things we changed: be careful not to cook the veggies too long. Also it would be good with just breast meat. The thighs were good but it was annoying to have to take the meat off the bone.

Pfefferneuse

2008-01-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

This is a family recipe from my mom's mom. I was going to make it twice a year but last year only made it once. The oven broke and it was impossible to bake them. This recipe makes a lot of cookies that keep for a year in air tight jar. I know it sounds freaky, but back in the day, this is how the folks did it. Also, these cookies may be misnamed in the grand scheme of things but not in the familial sense. Pfefferneuse are usually black pepper cookies but these are made with anise seed. Several words of warning: these cookies are not chewy, they are not for everyone, and they are best enjoyed two or three at a time with a cup o' tea.

Pfefferneuse
3 c sugar
1 c butter (2 sticks)
2 c heavy sweet cream
3 c dark Karo syrup
5 tbls chopped anise seed
12 to 13 c flour
1 tsp baking ammonia
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp of each allspice, cloves, nutmeg, ginger

Mix ingredients well until a stiff dough
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Roll small amounts into a long thin strip and cut into 1/4 inch thick pieces.
Bake at 375 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes.
Store in glass jars (traditionally mason jars), not in the freezer.
Makes two gallons.

Spinach-Cheddar Casserole

2008-01-16T05:37:00.000-08:00

Did I mention I am obsessed with baked dishes as of late? The original to this recipe called for four eggs, 1 package of spinach and 50 percent more dill. There is still a lot of dill in the recipe but it wasn't too overpowering and complemented the spinach really well. One person described it as a lot like the filling for spanakopita but without the gross filo dough.

Spinach-Cheddar Casserole

3 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 16-ounce container cottage cheese
4 green onions, chopped
1 cup packed grated sharp cheddar cheese + 1/2 cup for top
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dillweed

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Beat eggs, salt and pepper to blend in large bowl. Thaw and drain as much liquid from the spinach as possible. Mix in spinach. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Transfer mixture to prepared dish. Top with a little bit of cheddar cheese.

Bake casserole until center is firm and top is golden, about 50 minutes.

Macaroni and Cheese

2008-01-15T19:41:00.001-08:00

So this is my mom's macaroni. I love it. It is not overly creamy and has a golden top to it. I will give you her recipe and then my modifications. It is best served with ham...

Macaroni and Cheese the Original

1 package macaroni
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
1 c milk
1 c half and half
1 teas salt
1/4 teas seasoning salt
1/8 teas pepper
8 ounces cheddar cheese (two to three cups)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook macaroni as per the instructions on the package.
Melt butter gently in a sauce pan on low heat and add flour, salt and pepper. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Then slowly add milk and then half and half all the while stirring the mixture. Heat until milk begins to slightly foam. Do not bring to a boil. On low heat or with no heat, stir in shredded cheese until it is melted. Add noodles and bake in a small casserole dish until golden brown on top (30 to 40 minutes).

The recipe I made for 10 people...

Macoroni and Cheese the Collective

2 packages macaroni
1/2 c butter (1 stick)
1/2 c flour
4 c whole milk
2 teas salt
1/4 teas pepper
12 ounces cheddar cheese (three to four cups)
4 ounces smoked cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook macaroni as per the instructions on the package.
Melt butter gently in a sauce pan on low heat and add flour, salt and pepper. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Then slowly add milk all the while stirring the mixture. Heat until milk begins to slightly foam. Do not bring to a boil. On low heat or with no heat, stir in shredded cheese until it is melted. Add noodles and bake in a small casserole dish until golden brown on top (30 to 40 minutes).

Notes: I forgot to add the salt which it definitely needs. Also, I made mine with three cups of whole milk because I was nervous about adding so much liquid. Next time I will stick with all four cups.

Gingerbread Cookies

2007-11-28T18:49:00.000-08:00

I haven't made this yet, but my mom gave it to me and said they were amazing. Will make this weekend. Just didn't want to lose the recipe.

Gingerbread Cookies

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbls cocoa powder
2 tsp ground ginger
3 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses

1. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
2. Beat butter, sugar, egg, and molasses until fluffy. Stir in other dry ingredients.
3. Refrigerate for several hours or over night.
4. Roll out dough until slightly more than 1/4 inch thick.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes.

Sugar Icing
1 package confectioners sugar, 1 lb.
1/3 cup water
1 tsp vanilla

Beat until smooth. If not enough water, slowly add more teaspoon by teaspoon.

Tips: oven temperature is really important when baking cookies. If you don't have a fancy oven (i.e. owning your first home or renting), an oven thermometer is worth it to make sure your oven is just right.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

2007-11-28T18:21:00.000-08:00

E and I made this bread over Thanksgiving which was then served to W who went back for seconds. The bread was good straight out of the oven

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Makes 2 loaves

* 1 cups plus 1 1/2 teaspoons warm water (100 degrees to 110 degrees)
* 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
* 1 tbls honey
* 5 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
* 1 cup warm milk
* 4 teaspoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 2 cups dark raisins
* Canola oil, for bowl and plastic wrap
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 7 teaspoons cinnamon
* 1 large egg, beaten
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 1 large egg white, beaten

1. In small bowl, combine 1/4 cup warm water, yeast and honey. Let sit until yeast is foamy, about 10 minutes. (We wrapped the bowl in hand towel to keep the water warm.) Mix 1 cup warm water, 1 cup warm milk and 3 tablespoons melted butter in large mixing bowl and then add yeast mixture. Gradually add flour, powdered milk, sugar, and salt. Mix until blended. Knead by hand, 15 or 20 minutes. Add raisins and 3 teaspoons cinnamon, and mix until blended.

2. Transfer to a lightly floured surface, and knead by hand into a ball. Place dough, smooth side up, in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

3. Butter two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans generously, and set aside. In a small bowl, combine sugar and 4 teaspoons cinnamon, and set aside. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, and cut in half. Cover one piece of dough loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap.

4. Press the other piece of dough into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle. Brush with half of the beaten egg, sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar, and drizzle with half the melted butter. Rub the surface with the back of a spoon to blend butter and cinnamon sugar. Starting at a short end, roll up dough tightly, and pinch together along crease. Roll the dough back and forth to make it cylindrical, and pinch the ends together. Transfer to a loaf pan, seam side down, and cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Repeat process with second piece of dough. Let loaves rise in a warm place, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Thirty minutes before this final rise is completed, place a baking stone, if using, in the lower third of oven. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

5. Brush tops of loaves with egg white, and sprinkle each loaf with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Bake 15 minutes; lower oven to 400 degrees, and bake 15 minutes more. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Changes: the honey with the yeast was added. The original recipe called for powdered milk but I didn't have any and unless I am in Guatemala don't keep it in the kitchen. So I substituted a cup of warm milk for one of the cups of water. I kept the milk warm so it won't stop the growth of the yeast.
E also blended in some of the cinnamon into the main bread which I thought was a nice touch.
When I make it again, I may add more butter between the layers. Mmmm...butter...

Bread tips: I had heard that yeast tends to negatively react to metal. After some online research, this seems to mainly apply to acidic breads like sourdough. I don't think this bread is acidic so I won't worry about it.
If your house isn't very warm in the winter, you can use your oven to help the bread rise. Heat the oven to the lowest temperature possible, turn off the oven door and place the bread bowl inside covered with a slightly damp cloth that is not touching the dough.

Pork Roast

2007-11-12T08:17:00.000-08:00

I made a port roast this weekend with D., cab never came, and missed the symphony. Life is hard, but meat is good. We got the recipe partly from How to Cook Everything.

Pork Roast Recipe

One pound carrots
One medium onion
Two large red potatoes
Three cloves chopped garlic
Olive oil
Salt
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
Two and a half pounds of pork shoulder

Heat oven to 450. Coarsely chop all veggies to be one inch or a little more. Cook one and a half to two hours until the meat thermometer says 160 to 170 degrees. We did it to 160.

Thoughts and feelings: the shoulder is really fatty and the meat was tough. The carrots, onion, and potatoes were amazing. I am not sure how to make pork roast tender and flavorful. Next time I am going to slow cook at 300 for a really long time and maybe marinate it. Also, I am not going to do it right before the symphony.

Cauliflower-Cheese Soup

2007-11-06T15:49:00.000-08:00

This soup is great on a cold wintery night, and as an added bonus, cauliflower is in season. This recipe is from The Moosewood Cookbook (the revised classic) with a few variations of my own.

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

1 medium potato, diced
1 large cauliflower, cut or broken into pieces
1 medium carrot, chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 cup onion, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups grated cheese
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp dill
black pepper, to taste

1. Put potatoes, cauliflower, carrot, garlic, onion, and salt in pot and almost cover the veggies with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until all the veggies are tender. Puree in a blender or food processor.
2. Add these to the puree along with all remaining ingredients. Heat gently, and serve topped with a little extra cheese.

I don't blend all of the ingredients thoroughly so the soup has some consistency to it. You can also put aside two cups of florets of cauliflower, steam them, and put them in the soup after you puree it.

The original recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, but I don't like them so I never add them.

I also used smoked swiss cheese this time and it was delicious. Enjoy with all its variations.

Fried Eggs

2007-10-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

I recently read a Cook's Illustrated article about fried eggs. It said you were supposed to heat the skillet on low for five minutes. Add butter. Wait a minute. If butter is browned, then skillet is too hot. Add egg. Flip when appropriate. I tried it sort of but it didn't really work.

I feel like my fried eggs have been getting more disastrous. I am on a 75 percent success to 25 percent failure rate. Usually, I heat the skillet on medium heat. Add butter and then the egg. The lower the heat I cook it at the more likely it is the yolk breaks when I flip it. If it is too hot, the egg gets that weird brown crust. I have to think about how to fix this problem...

Apples, Fake Sausage, and Me

2007-10-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

So it has been awhile. Been the week from hell. Did a huge needs assessment on sleep deprivation and college students that was due on Thursday. I haven't been this sleep deprived in a long time. On the brighter side of life, lots of good things happened after the cake was eaten. Personal details disclosed by letter, email and phone. This weekend I have been eating breakfast for every meal. Today's posting hails from one of these meals.

Apples and Fake Sausage

Gimme lean
One apple
Olive oil or butter
Cinnamin
Salt

Heat frying pan. Low-medium heat. Add olive oil or butter. Wait a minute. Slice apples about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Put on frying pan. Form gimme lean into patties. Heat 'em up. Brown the sausage. Flip the apples a couple of times. Near the end add a little salt and cinamin on top of each apple slice. When the gimme lean is done, the apples should be done. Serve hot.

I am sure this would be better with real sausage but I don't really cook a lot of meat. Enjoy!

Cake #3: Blueberrie lemon cake with white chocolate

2007-10-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

So this year is the year of the three cubed. Off to a good start. I included an active link to the recipe. It is on epicurious.com. The great thing about this website is that you can read all the people's reviews of the recipe and what they changed. Gee, that doesn't sound familar.

Lemon Blueberry Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

Cake
3 1/3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon (packed) grated lemon peel
4 large eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk 2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Frosting
11 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker’s), finely chopped
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Additional blueberries (optional)
Lemon slices (optional)

For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper.

Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until blended, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in lemon juice and peel, then eggs 1 at a time. Continue to beat until well blended. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions. Fold in berries. Transfer batter to pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks.

For frosting: Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over barely simmering water until almost melted. Remove from over water and stir until smooth. Cool to lukewarm. Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until blended. Beat in lemon juice, then cooled white chocolate.

Turn cakes out onto work surface. Peel off parchment. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Garnish with additional blueberries and lemon slices, if desired. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

So about the cake...was very dense. I used an electric mixer this time to whip the butter, sugar, and eggs. The dough was a lovely consistency. But...I forgot to add the baking soda. So it was heavy and I could have cooked it a bit longer than the 40 minutes. I also excluded the lemon zest. I wanted a nice subtle lemon. It was an amazing cake but I am looking forward to eating it with baking soda.

The frosting is amazing. It makes a lot. I cut it into 2/3 and then added semi-sweet chocolate to the other third so I could decorate with it. Next time I made it I would just cut the frosting in half or 2/3. I used an electic mixer which made it very light and fluffy.

Bean Explosion

2007-09-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

I am not sure if I am brave enough to try a soup called Fourteen-Bean Explosion, especially when it is posted by someone called fluffster. But if any of you are, let me know how it goes.

Weird and crazy uses of blue cheese

2007-09-21T09:31:00.001-07:00

Did I ever mention I love blue cheese? I do. I really really do. I found Rogue Creamery blue cheese at the local Whole Foods. Was very excited. Then I read the label and realized it was the smoked kind. I don't understand why they smoke the blue cheese. It just tastes like smoked cheese and you miss all of the subtle undertones of mold. So here in the heart of hell (as my Guate friend recently labeled DC and maybe a tad dramatic), I stick to my Maytag blue cheese or sometimes get a little more adventurous. Here is a recent invention:

Raspberry Blue Cheese Tortillas

1 yellow corn tortilla
Some crumbled blue cheese
Good raspberry jam

Run tortilla under water and shake off excess. This helps to soften the tortilla and make it seem fresher. Put blue cheese on the tortilla. Place tortilla in toaster oven and melt the blue cheese. Take it out and let cool a tad. Smear with jam. Eat.

Variations: Put rasberry jam and blue cheese on toast or bavarian bread.

If you know where to get Bavarian bread in the heart of hell, let me know

Green Gazpacho or what to do with those green tomatoes

2007-09-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

Green Gazpacho

This recipe comes all the way from the Enchanted Broccoli Forrest (aka Hippy Cookbook). Made this with green heirloom tomatoes but I think straight up green tomatoes would be delicious as well. People at the farmer's market will be trying to unload the green ones when the chance of frost increases.

3 green tomatoes
1 med. green bell pepper
I med cucumber
4 scallions
1/4 cup minced parsely
(I added: 1/4 cup cilantro)
juice of two to three limes mixed with one avocado (keeps it from going bad)
2 med. cloves garlic crushed
3 cups cold water
1 tsp salt
Lots of black pepper
1 tbs fresh basil
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbls honey

Coarsely chop everything that will tolerate it. Put in a blender for 10 seconds so that it isn't completely liquified. Chill.
When serving: put something bright on top as a garnish (minced red pepper, etc.) and sour cream if you want it. Serve with hot corn tortillas with melted cheese. Use tortillas to scoup up soup. Wonder to yourself why you don't live somewhere with a garden...

Note to those tempted to blend in something that is not green: red and green makes brown. Green and alot of colors makes brown. Eating poop like food is no fun.

Black Pepper Pasta and Fall Vegetables

2007-09-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

Someone in DC actually let me cook for them! Well, it ended up being more of a group effort. Apparently, to use the pasta machine my dad and I used when I was three years old, you need at least two people. Someone to hold it down and someone to crank it out. I am not sure how this worked when I was three.

I made a variation of the fresh pasta recipe I posted earlier.
I added one tablespoon freshly bought, finely ground black pepper to the recipe.
I also substituted half of the white flour for whole wheat flour.
I had to add about 2 1/2 teaspoons water extra. Maybe because whole wheat flour doesn't hold together as well?

To go on top:
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon or so salt
One whole shallot, minced
One green zucchini. cut into thin disks
One yellow zucchini, cut into thin disks
One cob yellow corn, with the kernels cut off

Heat oil on medium heat. Add shallot and salt. Cook until it is a little browned. Add zucchini and corn. Turn heat up to medium high. Cover for about two to three minutes. Stir occassionally. Make sure the vegetables are hot all the way through, slightly seared, and crunchy.

Put on top of pasta.

I like to add a little butter or fresh olive oil to the top as well. It gives it a nice clean flavor that you don't get when the oil or butter has been cooked.

Enjoy!

Japan is the best place ever and I haven't even been there!!!

2007-09-14T12:29:00.001-07:00

The first person to correctly guess what this is will get a really great surprise in the mail from yours truly. All contestants who have been to/lived in Japan are excluded from this little game. Sorry, boys.

Black Beans

2007-09-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

So...black beans. Everyone has a recipe. Mine comes from the past. Got it a couple of years ago. Thanks, W. I cannot take credit for it or the writing that is about to follow. Hope you don't mind I am posting it...

"Soak the beans over night. Drain out water in the morning and rinse beans.

"Put the soaked beans in a soup pot, with about a finger's worth of water above the beans. Boil the beans for one hour.

"After half an hour, start sauteeing onions and green peppers in a shit ton of olive oil (as much as you can stand to add). They shoul be bathing in it. Cook them down until soft. AFter the beans have been boiling for an hour, add the onions and peppers and all the oil that they wre cooking in.

"After one more hour, add equal amounts salt and sugar and twice that of white vinager.

"I don't have particular amounts for any of the ingredients, because I always buy the beans in bulk, but I think my mother told me originally for every pound of beans add:

"3/4 c oil,
one medium onion and
one medium pepper,
2 tblsp of both salt and sugar;
4 tblsps vinager.

"I think that's it. Oh, after you've added the sugar, salt and vingager, cook for another hour. Make sure to watch the pot every now and then to make sure that the water doesn't boil all the way down. In the end, I like the beans when they're soupy, but when there's no broth apart from the beans. You can add as much water as you like, though.

"Let me know if any of this is unclear.

"bon apetit"

Things I have learned cooking this recipe:
I usually use about 1/4 cup or a little more of oil. I am a wimp I know, but it is all I can stand.
The vinegar makes it taste a little tangy. Kind of a poor man's substitute for using real lard or bacon. Great for vegans. Real nice flavor. When you don't add the vinegar, the beans have a nice, rich smoothness to them. Just depends what you are in the mood for.
Soaking the beans and then draining them is very important. It gets rid of the weird white foam that forms when you are cooking beans, and it helps break down the enzymes that cause excess gas (aka farting).
Using a red pepper makes the beans too sweet so you can use a red pepper and it adds a nice flavor but cut back or eliminate the sugar.
I like to add garlic. This time I added half a head and left out the vinegar. Very rich.
When I cooked the beans completely in a pressure cooker, I just use it to cut down on the time before you add the pepper, onion, etc. You could probably just add the pepper and all that fun stuff at the beginning and leave the beans in a little longer than an hour. I may experiment with a crock pot...
Wnari also taught me the beauty of freezing beans so I cook a whole recipe just for me and then I have beans for a month.

Salsa recipes to follow...

Back to the Grind and I Bought a Bike

2007-08-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

Update on life:
A poem

I went back to work.
I moved back to my house.
The oven doesn't work.
There are mice in the kitchen.
I bought a bike.
It is a touring bike.
I am in love with it.
Roommates taught me how to shift gears.
I am planning on biking across the US.

The end.

PS More to come soon. I cannot bake or cook for a couple of days. Big paper due.

Arepas or Venzuelan Corn Cakes

2007-08-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

Wnari taught me to make these. They are a recipe from her Venezuelan aunt. Two secrets exist to these little corn cakes. 1) it is what you put in them that makes them amazing. 2) The flour is special and hard to find. If you live in PDX, you can find it at 31st and Glisan on the east side at an international market. It is the only place Wnari has ever seen it in the US. It is P.A.N. Pre-cooked white corn meal. It is made in Venzuela. I bet you could find it online or if you asked around in a international or latino market.

AREPAS

Water
Pre-cooked white corn meal
Salt

Preheat 375 degrees F

The ratio of water to corn meal is about one to one with slightly more water.
The salt is to taste. For two cups of corn meal, I used more than a tablespoon. You should be able to taste the salt in the dough. My recommendation is taste the corn meal before there is salt and then afterwards so that you know what it taste like with salt. The salt is REALLY important, because there will be dough in the middle of the Arepa, and if it isn't salted, it is bland.

When mixing the dough, it should be the consistency of play dough. After the dough has been thoroughly mixed by hand, you a piece of dough that can fit comfortably in the palm of your hand. It should definitely be smaller than a tennis ball. You pat it between your hands to get all of the cracks out. In the end, you should have a nice round ball with no cracks. Then start to rotate it between your palms while your palms are cupped. It should look kind of like a toy top. The flatten it out and it should be about 3/4 inch thick in the middle and a little less at the corners. The edges shouldn't be cracked. If they are, the dough isn't wet enough. the dough will dry out as the cornmeal absorbs the water so just add a little water if you need to while forming them into discs.

Heat a non-stick skillet or a well-seasoned caste iron skillet (i.e. HR and MA style) over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, put the arepas on and brown the outsides a bit. They should be a light brown with a few patches slightly darker. This is the give the outer part a nice crunch.

Then put them in the over 20 minutes before you are ready to eat. I didn't get the exact time they should be in the oven. So I would check them at 15 minutes. They should sound hallow when you thump them. I didn't believe it would work, but it did. Also, they should be cracked around the edges.

NOTE: These are best served straight out of the oven. If you have left overs that have already been baked, forget it. But if you have ones that have only been browned, you can cook them the next day. They should be served on the table in a large bowl with a hand towel lining the inside and covering the top to keep them hot.

Eating them: When you get them out of the oven and are ready to eat, Slice the edge of one and through the entire inside while leaving most of the sides intact. It should look like a whole pita. Then fill it any combination of:
Homemade black beans (recipe to follow)
Tillamook cheddar cheese
Nancy's sour cream
Avocado
Lime
Homemade salsa
Homemade peach salsa with cucumbers
Plantains fried in butter
Or anything you can think of

The other combination that is really good is butter and jam. Usually that is my last arepa.

If you want to know more about them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arepa

Oh, how you make my life complete, Advanced Capitalism.

2007-08-21T15:35:00.000-07:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3699516.stm

"Ironic" Cake #2: Yellow Cake

2007-08-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

For cake #1, see joseph's blog around April.
It was L's birthday, and since I haven't figured out how to silk screen yet, the cake had to do. After the interpretive dance I did to the song, the matching birthday cake was brought out...much laughter ensued before and after.

Here is the recipe:

Rich Yellow Cake

Martha Stewart Cookbook: Collected Recipes for Every Day. page 528

4 cups sifted flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks butter (room temp.)
1 3/4 cup sugar
6 egg yokes, well beaten, (room temp.)
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk (room temp)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter, flour 2 8-inch cake pans. (I didn't do this. I had to use pie pans, but I did butter and flour them) Line with parchment paper. (I didn't do this either, because last time I used parchment paper it started burning in the over. My mom came over and said next time I should do it and that it works really well.)
Sift flour and baking powder. (I never do this. I have never owned a sifter.)
Cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yokes and add vanilla.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Stir the batter until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for about 45 minutes. (The cake rises a lot so don't fill all the way to the top.) Cool the cake in the pans for 10 minutes and then cool on the counter.

Thoughts and feelings: Really dense and a little flavorless. Next time maybe cream the butter more??? Also the recipe called for 2 tsp vanilla and I used about 3 tsp vanilla. If I make it again, I will use 4 tsp vanilla. I am not really sure how to fix this recipe...maybe a kitchen aide or electric mixer??? We didn't have ice cream. That might have helped, but a good cake should stand on its own. Especially this one.

Frosting:

Dark Chocolate Ganache

Recipe: America's Test Kitchen Cookbook. A friend is letting me borrow this. I love the show but haven't ever used a recipe.

Makes 1 1/2 cups

3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
6 ounces high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I used about 7 or 8 ounces)
1 tablespoon cognac (I used rum)

Bring cream and butter to simmer in saucepan over medium-high heat. Place chocolate in blender. Add hot cream and rum. Blend for about three minutes or until it is smooth. Transfer to bowl. Let sit at room temp for an hour.

Thoughts and feelings: we used semisweet chocolate chips from Ghirardelli. They recommended Hershey's Special Dark. The icing was thin but good. I think we should have just eaten it and skipped the cake. A good variation might be to add a teaspoon or so of finely ground coffee beans depending on what kind of cake you have.

Other things I learned: I need a piece of paper so I can keep track of how many cups I have added. Someone once told you are either a good cook or a good baker. I wanted to prove them wrong. To be a good baker, you have to be very exact and precise. I think I am going to have to work on that...

Pasta or dinner for a woman named after a river in India (Wnari)

2007-08-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

Wnari has been needling me to cook for her for awhile. And since I can never say no...

What I made:

Fresh Pasta

Recipe from: The Martha Stewart Cookbook: Collected Recipes for Every Day. Say what you will about her but I love this cookbook. It has little instructional and is basic. A good alternative to the Joy of Cooking, etc. etc.

3 cups flour
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
(Plus a teaspoon of water if you lose some egg white. Will explain.)

Ms. Stewart wants you to make a mound of flour on the counter and dig out a hole in the middle. In this hole, you put all of the wet ingredients. Then you slowly stir it with your finger or a fork (I tried both in desperation neither really worked). Needless to say, I got a little bit of egg white on the kitchen floor. Next time I am just using a bowl. Novel, I know.

When it is all mixed in, kneed it for about 10 minutes or until it is elastic. It should be very stiff. If you lose any egg or liquid, the dough won't come together. Add a teaspoon or less at a time.

Roll out the dough. A mason jar is not a good implement to roll out dough with. So if you don't want to invest in a pasta machine, get a rolling pin. Luckily my dad called during this whole process and I finagled the nine month loan of the pasta machine we used to make pasta together when I was three years old.

Roll it really thin. It plumps in the water a lot. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough. Hang it to dry.

When cooking, boil water. Add salt to the water. It should be enough to make the water taste like salt. Add pasta. Cook for 30 seconds to one minute after water returns to boil.

Pesto or something like it

This recipe is all me. Never made it before. Of course, it turned out looking like poop. I am not exaggerating.

Olive Oil (1/3 cup)
Pasta water (1/2 cup) I was told that this is the secret to all good pasta sauces from two reliable sources.
Three red peppers, roasted
1/2 head of garlic, roasted
Four cloves garlic, raw
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts
2 bunches of basil (about three cups packed, I think)

Blend it all together. Toss on hot pasta.

The two people that saw this pesto in the daylight commented on its diarrhea like appearance, but it tasted really good. Solution: Serve pasta by candlelight and no one can tell what it looks like. Maybe that is why restaurants are always dimly lit...Next time, I just have to remember that red and green makes the color brown and this is not always a good thing when you are cooking.

What I did really like about this recipe is that the roasted garlic gave it a nice rich flavor and the raw garlic added a light spiciness. Thanks, M.

Road Bike

2007-08-15T10:41:00.000-07:00

I want to buy a road bike. Light. Not fixed gear. Fast. $800 or less.
Any suggestions? Any must haves?
Purpose bike to work. Any suggests on how to carry my stuff to work? I usually have some books, some work out clothes, a pair of shoes, and food. It rains and snows where I leave. Sometimes, there are even hurricanes although I probably won't go to work on those days.

Chili: The first try

2007-08-14T21:57:00.000-07:00

Minus the time for soaking beans, this recipe takes about four hours total. But it is great if you have other things to do around the house or are near a lake where you can swim during the simmering time...

Chili

1. Package raw black beans
Soak beans for four hours. Cook for two to three hours simmering. Add enough water so that the beans never burn. (One time I burnt pinto beans and the smell stayed in the house for days. Bad times.) Maybe three or four inches of water over the beans. Add more as needed.

2. Two to two and a half hours into it or about a half an hour before you think the beans are going to be done...
Three pounds chicken, 1-inch cubes
One to two tablespoons butter
Brown chicken. Saute chicken until meat is cooked. Pour off some of excess fat, juices, butter. Brown the meat. Stirring as needed so that meat doesn't burn.
When meat is browned add a little bit of water to get the browned goodness off the bottom of the saute pan. Then add...
One red onion, chopped
One yellow onion, chopped
One head garlic, pealed and diced
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt, to taste (I added celery and garlic salt too so if you don't like it salty, be sure to use the salt here sparingly.)
Simply organic vegetarian chili flavor or something similar
After onions are translucent, add..
Three large carrots, sliced
One green pepper, diced
Cook five minutes, covered if needed.

3. When starting to cook meat, I added straight chili powder, about a tablespoon or so, to the black beans to give them a little flavor.

4. When beans are cooked, add:
28-ounce can diced tomatoes
Stir fry
Four to six ounces of tomato paste
Water (Not too much. You want it to be thick. The black beans will start to break down to add thickness as well.)
Chili powder, to taste, roughly one to two tablespoons or more
Cayenne, to taste (I was once told this was the secret to what makes chili taste like chili.)
Celery salt, to taste
Garlic salt, to taste.
The cayenne and spices will even out a bit as it simmers.
Two 16-ounce cans kidney beans, you can make these fresh two if you want. If not, just rinse them.
Simmer one hour.

Good accompanyment: Cornbread
Topping: Chives and cheddar cheese. Adds a little color.

Feeds: Three grown men, three 12- to 13-year-old boys, three grown women with enough for three servings of chili with fried eggs for breakfast or lunch the next day.

Camping: The Basics

2007-08-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

I tried to go camping. Rule number one: Just because your dad climbed mountains a couple of decades ago doesn't mean you shouldn't help with the preparation. Rule number two: don't let your brother pack for you. Rule number three: bring sleeping bag on every camping trip.

So we tried. We really did. The roads were against us. The weather was against us. We camped one night, my dad and I, in a very small tent. Good times. Then we got a 100 dollar hotel room with the soft beds and fake rustic wood frames. Then we drove to Idaho to spend time in a nice warm house on a lake with the rest of the family.

Things I got from the trip: nostalgia, nostalgia, nostalgia and lots of time with my dad. Things my dad got from the trip: some kind of viral rash all over his neck. Things we both got from the trip: we need a list for next year. And here it is...

1. Tent
2. Sleeping bags
3. Tarp
4. MSR Stove Kit with fuel
5. Towel
6. Metal silverware
7. Leatherman or cheap rip off
8. Soap (dish washing/armpit washing)
9. Apples for lunch
10. Waterproof matches
11. First Aid Kit
12. Target Fruit Chocolate Trail Mix
13. Camelbacks
14. Bug spray
15. Sunscreen
16. Lightweight hat
17. Wind Shirt
18. Three pairs socks
19. Plan meals
20. Sunglasses
21. Camera
22. Eggs
23. Dry Hummus
24. Tortillas
25. Oil
26. Cards/Backgammon
27. Scrubber for pots
28. Dish for person not using MSR
29. Coffee Mug
30. Powdered Gatoraide or Tang
31. Beano but probably better Gas X
32. Plastic Panchos
33. Tent cord for hanging food/tying down fly
34. Blister Kit
35. Ibuprofen
36. Toothpaste/toothbrush
37. Deodorant

The end.