Recent culinary adventures

It's kind of embarrassing to admit, but we've never cooked a roast before, other than in the crockpot. (We call it crock roast.)

My husband and I have contrasting cooking styles. I describe his as, "Throw it up in the air - it'll probably come down a roast." I believe his description of my technique includes writing a book on how to cook a roast before ever opening the oven.



We eventually worked our way through the wilderness, with the help of hasty phone calls to relatives. It was tasty.



Homemade buttermilk and butter from this past weekend.



We'd made butter once before. Or actually, I made butter once before, while someone else sulked and refused to participate, because I'd started without him.

Anyway, it's very easy, if you want to try it. There are lots of detailed tutorials on the internet, but the simple version is:

1. Buy heavy whipping cream. Bring to room temperature.
2. Pour into a jar with a lid (and ample headspace).
3. Shake it.

That's about it. You have to shake for about 20 minutes, and you have to rinse it when it's done. From the small cream container, you'll get butter equivalent to one to two sticks.

Now, if I could only find someone with a cow, I could make it from fresh cream, mmmmm. I've had it that way, once, and oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, was it wonderful.

Confessions of an unfit baker

Me: I can't find my hand mixer. Can I just stir cookie dough with a spoon?
Mom: Sure, we did that all the time before electricity.

Me: Is it ok if I melt the butter instead of waiting for it to soften?
Mom: Well, your grandmother always did that.



Two hours later:
Mom, why are my cookies all run together and flat as little pancakes?!


The horror!
(These tasted ok, they just looked ridiculous.)


Triple threat: run-together, flat, and burned.
(These had to be tossed.)


At least these are round.

I searched the internet and found that three things could make for flat cookies. I had done all of them.

1) Too much stirring.

2) Too much baking soda.

3) Melting the butter.

I took a plateful of the least stupid-looking ones to my meeting, and prayed that my friends wouldn't laugh. When I went to retrieve my plate at the end, I could hardly believe it. They'd eaten all the cookies!

Maybe their grandmothers always melted the butter too, and they were nostalgic for flat cookies.

Just don't tell Cookie Jill, ok?

Ginger Lemonade

Ugh. That's 43°C outside, 26°C inside.

Healthy Chef Alex's Sweet Ginger Lemonade (Serves 4)

4 cups filtered water
4 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed ginger juice
2 Tbsp. raw honey

You're supposed to make the ginger juice by grating fresh ginger and squeezing the pulp with your hand. Then you're supposed to simmer everything together until the honey is melted. Of course this makes warm lemonade, and if you want cool lemonade like most rational people, you have to wait for it to chill.

I'm glad to have gotten the recipe from Healthy Chef Alex, but this is how I really make it:

Karen's Quick and Dirty Ginger Lemonade (Serves 1)
(When you're in a hurry and don't have time to worry with all that)

2 Tbsp bottled lemon juice
2 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup tap water
Small amount (to taste) bottled minced ginger

Stir it all up, and plunk in a few ice cubes. No waiting.

The amount of ginger you have to use is miniscule. The ginger I linked to is so fine that it practically dissolves.

Bread

Tasty, if not beautiful

I don't know where my husband comes up with some of his ideas. He somehow got it into his head that he had to make bread. Or rather, that we had to make bread.

One of the scary things about getting older is some of the things that just pop out of your mouth, like "It has been 25 years since I made bread." The first time I said such an old-person thing I really shocked myself.

But it's true. Back then I was living alone for the first time, in that apartment with no air conditioning across from Vulcan's bare backside. Back before the internets. Before VCRs, or at least before most people could afford them. Due to scheduling mixups I wound up with a lot of free time that quarter. And that's the only time I've ever made bread.

To tell you the truth, it was a lot easier than I remembered. It's also very forgiving. We had an afternoon full of recipe-misreading and recriminations, punctuated with fits of hysterical laughter.

That means another 3 cups of flour, not the original 3 cups!
You said 125°, not 115°!
That's not what I'd call kneading!

When it was done it was delicious. I gorged myself. I ate so much bread that I gave myself a stomachache.

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Updated:
Well I was a bit embarrassed to have such a fine baker as Susan see our less-than-perfect loaves, but I think she's just happy to know that folks are baking bread. Go check out one of her special projects, A Year in Bread.

More rambling, and a recipe

More natural graffiti

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Stu, Ron, and Chris all did the same "Things I've Done" type meme. I noted that there were three things I'd done that none of them had.

Since I'm anal, I had to also list the things they'd all three done, that I hadn't:

23. Gotten drunk on champagne (Tipsy, maybe. I don't like getting drunk.)

24. Given more than you can afford to charity (Nope. Geez I sound cheap. On the other hand, I can't remember spending "more than I could afford" on anything for me either.)

26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (Giggling fits, yes, worst possible moment, no.)

29. Asked out a stranger (Too shy, shy.)

36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking (I think in my dancing days I was always pretty self-conscious about it.)

84. Performed on stage (Not unless you count grammar school stuff. I was brilliant as the tail end of a horse in that Girl Scout skit, though.)

85. Been to Las Vegas

100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

132. Petted a cockroach (Roach petting is apparently more common than I'd imagined.)

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Mom's Peach Crumble

Crumble:
1 egg white
1/2 C sugar (100 g)
1/4 C chopped pecans (40 g)
1/2 C rolled oats (use the one minute type) (45 g)

Pudding part:
1 - 1.1 oz fat-free sugar-free vanilla pudding mix (31 g)
1 C skim milk (240 ml)
1 - 8 oz nonfat vanilla yogurt (Mom uses peach instead) (228 g)
4 medium peaches, peeled & sliced

Beat egg white until stiff. Add sugar, mixing until creamy. Fold in pecans and oats. Spread mixture thinly on cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 10 - 20 minutes. Should be a little brown on top. Remove from sheet to cool. Crumble.

Mix milk & pudding. Stir until thick. Add yogurt & stir. In a small casserole dish, alternate layers of peaches and pudding mix. Top with crumbles. Chill & serve. 8 servings.

I think the crumbles should be held til right before eating, since the pudding makes them soggy before long.

The better the peaches, the better the whole Crumble. I don't think it would be the same with canned peaches. (Come winter I might have to try it though.)

To be so healthy, it's actually really good. I may start listing more of my recipes here since I seem to be developing a tendency to misplace them. (If you've seen my recipe that involves lentils, couscous, an onion, and lots of cumin, please let me know! I thought it was from Prevention but I can't find it on their site.)

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For non-American cooks, I used the recipe conversions found here.

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Never mind about the lentil recipe - found it!

Mmm, Cramberries

Quotidian

My everyday lemon pie (awaiting topping)

During the news, I sometimes can't resist telling my husband, "I read about that on a blog already!" Although they are obviously just one person's viewpoint, I do enjoy having the opportunity that blogs provide, of getting some news unfiltered. Directly from the source. So I spent some time over the weekend looking at blogs from Israel and Lebanon.

The majority of Middle Eastern blogs are about politics. You can find any number of round-ups of what people there think about this outrage or that. But that's the same stuff that's on tv.

What I was really curious about was how the everyday lives of everyday people were changing. If you are too, you might want to read about...

Haifa's lost dogs

Sightseeing the war

Cleaning out the bomb shelter

Watching them watch you

and of course, there's always time for pizza.

Vegetable season

For the first year since we've moved here, our garden has worked well enough to have several home-grown veggies. I bought the cantaloupe at the local farmer's market, but we grew the pink-eyed peas, tomatoes, eggplant, and okra. (I forgot to put the cucumbers and peppers on the plate before taking the picture.)



This is the first time I've tried growing edible flowers for salads. They are more for color than taste, but I'm happy with the results. These are bachelor's buttons, calendula, and borage, all from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. (I also had good luck with the nasturtiums and chamomile.)

By request

Quoting FC:

I was thinking about you the other day...in Walmart. I saw the game cameras and it made me wonder about your sneaky game camera. Are y'all still using it?
Since it's triggered by body heat, it doesn't work so well in the summer. Not in Alabama, anyway. We have taken pictures mostly of ourselves going to check the camera. The only other thing was this, in late April:


Chupacabra, maybe?

...and what has Jasmine been up to?
In this time of fireworks, she's been hiding most thoroughly. Deer nibbled the garden last night.

...and how are those baby catfish doing?



Happy 4th!

Weekend food post

Some fresh veggies from our garden. Those are lemon cucumbers. When I first heard of them I thought they'd taste like lemons - but the name just refers to the shape.


A simple appetizer: Bread, tomato, cheese, basil.


What to do with too much okra: make gumbo.

Yum

My Mom gave me the recipe for this yummy shrimp dish last time she was here.

1 1/2 T garlic, chopped
1 medium onion
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
8 oz can Italian whole plum tomatoes
(We used 15 oz can diced tomatoes instead & added 1 tsp Italian seasoning.)
1 lb cooked shelled shrimp
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
8 oz crumbled feta cheese (we used less than this.)
8 oz uncooked linguini
salt & pepper to taste

Cook linguini in salted water.
Saute garlic & onion in olive oil 3 - 5 min on Med High heat (until tender).
Add cooked shrimp, saute for 2 min, remove from pan but leave garlic & onion. Add tomatoes & liquid & stir.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Add shrimp, oregano & basil, salt & pepper. Simmer 3 - 5 min. Pour over drained linguini & toss.
Add crumbled feta cheese at the table.

I think this would also work well with tofu instead of shrimp, if you're a vegetarian.

She Bake

Chicken Noodle Soup

I'm feeling a little under the weather.

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CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

3 chicken breast halves
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup
6 - 12 ounces (dry) dumpling egg noodles
salt & pepper to taste
minced garlic to taste (can use 1 teaspoon minced garlic in a jar)
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon granulated chicken bouillon

Cook chicken in a large pot, approximately 3/4 full of water. After chicken is cooked, remove from pot and set aside to cool. Using the chicken broth in the pan, add the chopped celery and carrots. Cook until tender. Add the noodles to the broth and cook until tender. Stir in the cans of soup. Chop the chicken and add back into the other ingredients. Add the butter and other seasonings.
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I'm not sure where the recipe came from originally. My friend B.J. made it for us one time when we were both sick. Her friend Pat had made it for her, and so on.

Last night I made it for myself.

I used the lesser amount of noodles, which is about half of a package. The more you add, the thicker the soup becomes. I normally add mushrooms also. And if I'm feeling picky I like the chicken torn rather than chopped.

The butter and the bouillon probably aren't really necessary but I add them anyway most of the time, just in case they contain extra healing power.

The first time I made it, the "large pot" instruction frustrated me a little... How large is large? I use my 4.5 Quart pot and it works out just fine.

Weekend food blogging again

Grilled salmon, mmmm!

Marinate some salmon filets or steaks in olive oil, a little lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and parsley. I was out of fresh garlic so I just used the powder.

The original recipe called for twice as much thyme as rosemary and parsley, but I tend to use equal amounts.

Marinate for about 30 minutes, then grill or bake. (It's much better grilled over charcoal for a smoky taste.) We always leave the skin on while cooking, but usually don't eat it.

I had just bought a 4-rice blend at Publix (white, brown, red, wild). It's fantastic, with a wonderful flavor and texture.



A little salad (with Vidalia onions on top for me) completed the meal. Looking back, a white wine would have been a good idea too. But we live in a dry county, so it's not the kind of thing you can just pop down to the corner to get. Not that there's a store at the corner anyway.

Weekend food blogging

After talking to a couple of people last week about Heart-healthy Spa Chicken I had to make it again myself.

I usually make a recipe as written the first time, then make changes if I like it enough to try again. I now use double the amount of black beans, and about one and a half times the salsa of the original recipe. (We like it saucy.)

I love this recipe because
1) it's easy,
2) it's healthy,
3) it's tasty,
4) it's quick to prepare (although it cooks about an hour).

You can use canned beans and salsa, or get all Martha and make everything from scratch if you've got the time.



This one is my husband's creation. You need:
deep pie shell
6 eggs
diced tomatoes
diced onion
shredded cheese
about 1/2 Cup milk
small amount ham
garlic
parsley
pepper
salt

Pre-cook the pie shell 15 - 20 min at 350 degrees. Scramble the eggs, mix with other ingredients, and pour into the shell. Cook about 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until firm.

He used about 2 slices of tomato and one slice of onion chopped up.

Weekend food blogging

With everything that's gone wrong this week, at least the squash came out well.




If only there were a Photoshop button for "make it look like I didn't put quite so much butter on it".

Take some summer squash or zucchini, and boil them until the skin pierces easily with a fork. Cut the stem end off, slice in half lengthwise, and make a few light cross-cuts on the open faces. Spread with butter and sprinkle with seasoned salt and a little shredded cheese (Parmesan or Mozzarella). Broil until the cheese is browned, about 5 minutes.

Chicken and Couscous Salad

One of my resolutions for 2005 is to cook more from Cooking Light magazine.

Earlier this month, Marsha over at Hot Water Bath wrote about her "rigorous aesthetic," which reminded me that I need to be more rigorous with my resolutions.

I was hungry and only took one photo. The picture didn't turn out quite as well as the meal did.




Sometimes I cook like this and sometimes my aesthetic isn't quite so rigorous. And sometimes I manage to trick my husband into cooking.

The Chicken and Couscous Salad is wonderful, and somehow manages to be light and filling at the same time.

The wonderful people at Cooking Light gave me permission to share the recipe. After clicking here, enter the code word "cheesecake" in the newstand buyers' section. You'll be able to read the salad recipe, as well as have access to the whole web site through the first of June.

Thanks Cooking Light! I love it when great products turn out to be made by nice people.

I've never made anything from Cooking Light that I disliked. I should probably qualify that to add "when I follow the directions".

The other salad in the picture is Garden Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette.