Remember last week when I was bouncing around in my sandals in the sunshine proclaiming that Spring was here? Well, then March started in like a lion with 50 mph winds and it snowed this morning.
We should all be used to this already, North Carolina weather is notoriously fickle year-round. There have been years where I've worn short sleeves at Christmas and shivered through snow in my Easter dress. And I guarantee that those instances were met with drastically different weather the days before and after. It's just madness down here. So I'm officially withdrawing my Spring pronouncement and cancelling all spring menus until further proof of season-change is provided. I take back last week's bright surf 'n' turf salad and suggestions that you look for fresh produce and instead dive head first into warm, cheesy recipes. Let's start with a bowl of chili.
I recently bragged that I was proud to have found two recipes to claim as my own; one for chicken noodle soup and the other for chili. I was saving my chili recipe so as to not give it away before my church's annual chili cook off; you know, because I was going to win. Spoiler alert: I didn't win, I didn't get honorable mention, but almost all of it was scraped out of the Crock Pot when we got ready to leave. It may not have won me another Summit Church title (still proud of being the Dessert Queen), but it is a tasty recipe.
Chili is contentious. Folks like what they like and they don't want to deal with any nonsense outside of their chili definition. My dad's chili always has mushrooms, J's is made with beef and local sausage, a Texan girlfriend lives for no-bean chili. Up until recently, my chili loyalty went to whoever fed me the most (generally my dad #onlychildperks), but now I can boast a preference for my recipe. It started as a ground turkey chili, but is also good with lean beef; it's made with black beans; and you have to top it with green onions and sour cream.
Because of my dad's kitchen sink chili - with meat, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, and onions - I tend to drift to a chunkier style of chili. Some recipes are more watery (and I mean that in the best way possible) with fewer ingredients beyond meat and tomatoes. That's edging into soup territory for me, so I appreciate that this recipe has lots of bits and pieces and retains a heartiness. Plus, the "secret" or at the very least, unexpected, ingredient - crushed tortilla chips - thickens the liquid further and pulls all the flavors together.
Food Network magazine, who originally produced what I'm now calling "my" chili, called this recipe "Quick Turkey Chili" and they were spot on. This recipe takes hardly any time and only one pot to prepare. Several years ago, I was the Fellowship Coordinator at our church and I had to organize all our monthly meals, including the Chili Cookoff. I remember a lady rushed in right before church started. She'd had a family emergency the night before and was frantically making her chili in front of me. She threw canned veggies, tomatoes, spices (including a Hidden Valley ranch packet?!?) into a Crock Pot, cranked it to High and left it to simmer for the hour-long worship service. And she won. By a landslide, according to our judges. I've rolled my eyes at that performance for years, but now, my recipe doesn't take much more effort. First you muddle the tomato paste and spices together to make a really aromatic lump, for lack of a better word, to create a flavorful base. You then literally dump everything else in to cook off (like your raw meat) or to simmer and meld together. The starch from the tortilla chips acts as a binder and pulls everything together as it simmers. Then you add a punch of flavor with some extra green onions. It couldn't be easier. Unless of course it was... but you have to be extra thoughtful in your grocery shopping and meal prepping. As you may know, J & I are on different work schedules which saves us a bundle on day care costs, but also means we have to be incredibly organized in our meal planning for everyone to eat healthy, homemade food. To do so, we plan out a week's worth of lunches and dinners and make one big weekly shopping trip (goal: bi-monthly or even monthly shopping excursions). We peruse sale papers; make monthly trips to a bigger city to hit Aldi, Trader Joes, and/or Sam's Club; and try to get the best deals on what we think are smart purchases. We try to stick to our weekly lists, but especially on our monthly Asheville trips, we'll stock up on items that are on a good sale or we know we'll use. You have to be smart and think big picture. If peppers are on sale [often Aldi will have them for $1.50/3-pack (even the more pricey colored ones!)], buy several to bring home, dice, and freeze in one-pepper-portions for later. In dishes like chili, peppers will be soft anyway, you don't lose any texture by pre-freezing (and you won't need to thaw them, either). Also, this recipe (and most soup recipes) makes around a half-gallon of finished product. I divide it right away into freezer-safe quart containers (these are 50 cents each at Dollar Tree or use freezer bags and lay flat on cookie sheets in the freezer, then you can stack them like books!). One quart usually feeds us for a lunch and dinner apiece (plus a baked potato) and I can immediately freeze the other quart for later. If you think making this chili is fast, you won't believe how fast it is to just thaw a quart!
Since our sweet boy was born a month ago (yes, I'm crying on the inside), we have been blessed with an outpouring of meals from our friends and family. This has saved us from having to cook the majority of the time. I'm still on maternity leave; but with J back working nights, preparing meals while watching/soothing/changing/feeding/entertaining a newborn is low on my priority list. I think the most ambitious thing I've "cooked" since his birth is a batch of ranch party mix for Book Club.
Our "Hungry Caterpillar"
Tuesday night was our last meal delivery and we finished the leftovers off this afternoon. The end of the lifesaving gravy train, a desire for some of our old pre-pregnancy normalcy, my breastfeeding-induced need to eat EVERYTHING and a killer issue of Food Network magazine, pushed me to actually cook dinner tonight. Although making a hearty salad isn't what I'd normally consider difficult "cooking," this was quite an adventure and lead me to create a list of tips for mamas and daddies reentering the kitchen.
1. The grill is your friend. Especially in summer, you want to avoid overheating your house or yourself. Moms, I know you feel me; our internal thermometers are all out of whack and standing over a hot stove isn't ideal. But perhaps even more important than keeping cool, is avoiding dishes. This salad didn't make a big mess with prep or presentation, but anything you can toss on the grill - especially in foil packets - will make your life exponentially easier. The same goes for your Crock Pot.
2. Plan your meals. You should seriously consider making a weekly meal plan that covers what your family is eating at every meal. We've always made vague plans to help with grocery shopping, but when J completed the Whole 30 this summer we had to make very specific calendars which really helped organize our shopping, cooking and eating. This month, we mapped out our meal deliveries and planned accordingly for breakfasts, lunches and weekends; but now we have to consider what's actually doable when I'm home with baby. Knowing what you're eating each night relieves a lot of stress, especially if you're like us and are constantly in a passive-aggressive battle of "I don't know, what do you want?" But it will also save you time and money, two things you're sure to be short of with a newborn in tow.
3. Read your recipes thoroughly...twice. When you've picked what you want to cook/eat, read the recipes all the way through, double-check the pantry for ingredients and make a detailed shopping list. As we learned today, it's a real pain in the rear to have to go back to the store for a forgotten ingredient, especially if you have to load up baby. When you're making something new (like I tried to do for some reason), make sure you know what you'll need to do ahead of time - like marinating etc.- and do any pre-prep that you can do while your partner is at home or baby is napping.
4. Avoid the "high risk" cooking until your mom-brain is cured (or you get used to it). From the moment sperm hits egg, mommy's brain begins deteriorating. My memory, ability to talk without stumbling, and attention span have all suffered since I became a mom; but apparently it will get better or at least I'll adapt. So bear in mind that now - while you're sleep deprived, stressed and lost in motherhood - you shouldn't use dangerous cooking methods or tools/techniques that require finesse.
Here's a hypothetical example: if you're attempting to make delicious grilled surf and turf salads with Dijon vinaigrette, don't overdo it by trying to make crisp garlic croutons, too. You may just forget them under the broiler, fill the kitchen with smoke, burn yourself reaching in the oven and end up leaving the scarred pan on the porch to finish smoldering...hypothetically, that is. But while we're on that subject, maybe now's the time to freshen up the batteries in your smoke detector.
5. Be kind to the cook - yourself or your partner. Being a new parent is hard. You are trying to keep a small creature alive while running on no sleep; you think you're doing everything wrong; and if you're a mother, your body and mind are probably fighting you, too. But every day that you get up and take care of that little critter is a victory. And I know that deep down, but I forget it a lot and end up beating myself up that I'm not being a good enough mom to him or wife to J. So, focus on what's important - your family - not the (allegedly) burnt bread, bland burger or ugly, fallen cake. My dad sent me this video a week or so ago, mocking my mom's meatloaf, but the sentiment is true. It's not about the burnt toast, it's about the person who tried to put something on the table for you. Don't be so hard on them/yourself; it's just dinner.
And here's a bonus tip for the folks wanting to support new parents:
Please organize meal delivery. This was seriously a lifesaver for us. Having one less thing to worry about, especially a "thing" that makes a mess, costs money and requires sanity to complete, made our days so much easier. Our church and friends organized themselves using Take Them A Meal's service, which is free and doesn't require a log-in, but allows participants to create a calendar, list directions/requests from the family and include information from the donors. This helps parents know when guests are coming - especially important to mommies with their boobs out - and prevents the delivery of eleven lasagnas in a row.
And even beyond the delicious (free) food, it's really nice for the parents to have scheduled visits with people who care about them. I have had a serious case of cabin fever but knowing we'd be having company, even just brief visits to drop off a casserole, was a helpful glimpse into the outside world.
This was our third Valentine's Day together as a couple and our track record for celebrating is pretty weird.
Year One: matinee viewing of "A Good Day to Die Hard;" fun, but not a 10 on the sexy-ometer.
Year Two: I ditched a sniffling, sick J to rush to my best friend's side and watched her give birth to her third daughter, aptly called Potbelly; J cooked a lovely dinner while I rushed home totally in a tizzy with a flat tire.
And here we are at Year Three - wanting to do something truly special without shelling out a lot of money or having to make elaborate plans. So what did we do? We cooked a delicious dinner at home that was simple, yet elegant and then tackled one of our bucket list recipes - French macarons.
Of course, the evening was not without a theatrical twist. A huge wind storm with gusts upwards of 40 mph ascended on our neighborhood and we frantically tried to batten down the hatches and get our outside cats inside. Which meant J was running around moving lawn tools and wood to keep it from blowing away Twister-style and I had to make a mid-gale run to the store for cat litter. Quite sexy, really.
GoJoe quickly made herself comfortable & began shedding everywhere.
But even with the dramatic interlude, dinner still turned out great and we had a wonderful evening together cooking, eating, Scrabble-ing and praying our house wouldn't blow away.
And that brings me to my first Date Night (at Home) Tip:
If you're wanting to have a special evening together, you don't need to go for something super complicated. Life happens and gets in the way and if you choose a classic, easy-to-prepare menu it will probably stand up against obstacles or be easily repaired.
We chose dishes that we love and have mastered, but added some new twists and cooking methods. For dinner we had ribeye steak with herb butter, cauliflower puree and sweet glazed carrots. These carrots are J's speciality; my mom requests them every time we have a big family meal together. And making cauliflower puree couldn't be more simple (steam cauliflower florets, blend in food processor with 2 T butter and/or EVOO, s&p and any other flavorings you'd like). We experimented a little with the steaks.
Date Night (at Home) Tip: Valentine's Day means BIG sales at grocery stores on normally expensive items like steak, lobster, shellfish, fresh salmon etc. This is a great opportunity for Date Night and to 1. keep an eye on your store's meat counter near the end of the sale, they'll reduce "older" items on top of the sale price, and 2. stock up and freeze extra meat. Now you'll have cheap supplies for V-day and your next romantic night in, too!
In the summer time, a grilled steak is wonderful. However, after using this method, we believe pan searing and basting is the best way to cook a steak. Period. We consulted this super handy article from Buzzfeed for instructions.
Here are the highlights:
Forty-five minutes before cooking dab any excess moisture off of your steak and season liberally with salt & pepper. Leave on a plate for at least 45 minutes to come to room temp.
Twenty minutes before cooking, start heating your cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to get it screaming hot. Yes, they are serious when they say cover your smoke detector; I'd like to add you should open a window or two...
Pat dry your steak again of any moisture the salt pulled out.
Add 2T vegetable oil (not EVOO) to your pan and get the oil hot - shimmery and just beginning to smoke.
Turn the heat to high and add your steak. Leave it alone for two minutes - DO NOT TOUCH IT!
Flip and sear the other side. Again, LEAVE IT ALONE.
Continue flipping every few minutes until it reaches 120 at its thickest point.
Lower the heat and add 3 T butter to the pan and let it melt. Then, add around 5 sprigs of fresh thyme (rosemary or sage would also be yummy - be creative!)
Spoon the butter and herbs over the steak until it reaches your desired internal temp.
Remove from heat and let your steak rest for at least five minutes.
Since we were going for super decadent steaks, I also prepared an herb butter earlier in the day. This is an incredibly easy way to impart extra flavor and juiciness to a steak. I stirred half a stick of softened unsalted butter with about 3 T of chopped fresh thyme (removed from the twiggy part); rolled it into a log in plastic wrap and returned it to the fridge. When plating your hot steak (or mashed potatoes or anything you'd like herb butter on) place a 1/4" medallion on top and let it melt all over the food.
Date Night (at home) Tip: Even if you're eating take out, never underestimate how much a cute tablescape can "set the mood." Take the time to set the table with nice plates (use the good china, why else do you have it?!), pretty glasses, and unscented candles. I even broke out our cloth napkins and my cat napkin rings! A little effort goes a long way - that goes for dinner, romance, manners and so many other areas of our relationships!
For the "entertainment" portion of our evening, we decided to attempt to make French macarons.
Via pastrygene.com
These are allegedly one of the hardest, most finicky pastry recipes out there. Food Network magazine (where we got our recipe) actually devoted an article to their difficulty and explained the immense struggles of their test kitchen in preparing the meringue sandwiches. So, we were nervous. But we'd seen a boy on MasterChef Junior make them, and he's 15+ years younger than us and that was somehow comforting.
After making them I will say that it's more trouble to find inexpensive almond flour than to make the macarons. They are undoubtedly time consuming and it takes some skill to make uniformly shaped wafers, but if you can make meringue you can do this! And, pretty much anyone can make meringue.
P.S. They're gluten-free, filled with fruit preserves
& use very little sugar. I think these count as healthy..
Last year, in my frantic excitement over a new niece, I flubbed the chocolate souffles I had planned to accompany J's V-day menu. I actually was "cooking" the mixture on the stove for 5+ minutes before I realized the eye was off. But this dessert was a success!
We made the blueberry cheesecake and pineapple versions featured in the FN recipe. And they were delicious. Furthermore, I don't know why I haven't been blending cream cheese and jam all these years! The wafers are crispy and light with very subtle flavor and the creamy filling is so sweet but still delicate. This is tea party food at its finest! I can only imagine how big of a hit these beauties would be at a brunch!
Quick tip: Macarons don't store well as sandwiches,
so if you're not eating them right away, hold off on the filing.
Fill immediately before serving.
While they were delicious, it's more important to me how much fun we had together making them. We were talking while we measured, dancing as we mixed and playing Scrabble when they were in the oven. It was good, quality time together sharing something we both enjoy.
And that's my final tip:
Date Night (at home) Tip: You don't have to be cliche or meet archaic romance standards. Do something you enjoy. That could be something you share a passion for, like cooking, or have your partner teach you about something they love but you know little about, say salsa dancing. It's all about sharing experience and joy.
I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day and hope this article inspires more romance (or at least better food) in your life.
I could watch cooking shows all day. Seriously, I could and, actually, I probably have. Thankfully, there are two channels devoted exclusively to all things yummy - the Food Network, who shaped my interest in cooking from a young age, and their sister station The Cooking Channel, which features less-commercial programming, and more literal cooking shows than FN (it's the way FN used to be). But, building on the success of these two channels, many other networks have jumped on the food-show trend and I couldn't be happier!
There are all kinds of food programs to watch from the basic how-to's, the first of which that I remember watching was literally called How to Boil Waterthat introduced the world to Tyler Florence; competitions like Cupcake Warsor The Taste; did-you-know shows like Unwrapped, that explain where our favorite foods come from; foodie talk shows such as The Kitchen; and the ever-popular tour shows, like Diners, Drive-ins & Divesor Bizarre Foods, that show you where to find the best (or weirdest) grub (sometimes literally, in the case of Bizarre). And I love all of them! I love to learn new things about food - not just how to prepare it, but how it's made and where to find it, and I find great joy in watching people excel as chefs.
I want to share some of my favorite shows with you and encourage you to watch an episode or two.
We recently "cut the cord" and only subscribe to online streaming services for TV, so I've included a variety of shows that are available either online, on cable or both. Unfortunately, a lot of shows from The Cooking Channel and Food Network are slow to join the streaming world, but it's happening. The Netflix acquisition of Chopped and a few other FN titles has happened within the last two months. I've listed each show's viewing options and if they are currently showing new episodes, I've listed their airing day/time; most shows are also now available on YouTube for a fee.
Ravioli is such a fun show. The premise is that Mo Rocca, comedian and pundit often on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, used to love the ravioli his grandmother made. But he wasn't able to capture all her cooking lessons before she passed away. So now, as an adult, seeking to learn more about how to cook and the history of other families' favorite dishes, he visits other people's nanas, grandpoppas, mamaws and abuelos. He cooks a few dishes with the grandparent (or grandparents) and then their families and friends gather for a feast. The show never fails to bring laughter and some of the most poignant moments on TV - like the Italian man who was going to show Mo how to make mozzerella with his father who made it by hand for 50+ years, but the father died a few weeks before taping and they continued on, with a picture of Pops taped to the kitchen cabinet. If you're looking to learn something new, but truly appreciate the feelings that make a good dish, tune in to this show.
Gordon Ramsey has to be one of the most feared chefs in the world, not just from his intimidating career, but from the absolute tyrant he is on shows like Hell's Kitchen, where he whips chefs into shape to compete for jobs at his restaurants. His language is beyond rude and he's absolutely hateful to the contestants. On MasterChef he's a little kinder; he's dealing with untrained home cooks who are looking for success and to win a cookbook deal and major money. But the newest of his competition shows, MasterChef Junior, takes the cake. He and his fellow chef judges, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich are downright adorable, nurturing, even, of their contestants ages 8 to 13. The gruff, tense Ramsey is softer, sweeter and quite dreamy as he cuddles the kids, jokes with them and leads them to grow. And as a former teacher, I truly enjoy seeing shows where kids shine. These children are remarkable - making creme anglaise and chiffon cakes before they even hit puberty! I didn't even know what those things were at that time; my all-star dish at 10 was cornflake-coated chicken breasts. These children are unbelievably talented, but also so adorable, quirky and fun!
This show, produced by fierce foodie Anthony Bourdain, takes you literally into the minds of chefs around the world. The episodes go into the stories of chefs that weave colorful explainations of their culinary points of view and how they operate their kitchens. So it's part bio-pic, part learning channel (this is PBS, after all) and part travel show. I've learned a lot about chefs I'd never heard of, such as Southern food "activist" Sean Brock, and their unique perspectives on food. For example, in Brock's episodes he explains his mission to protect and reinvigorate Southern recipes by saving our agriculture. In his kitchens (Husk restaurants in Nashville, TN and in Charleston, SC) NO non-Southern ingredients are used - so no olive oil, no herbs de provence; and the ingredients that are used are sourced from farms as close to home as possible, or in the restaurant itself - they make their own lard and cured meats. These episodes taught me more about where my traditions (and ingredients) come from and what they mean to me beyond flavor and better informed me on restaurant menu choices. It's a very thought-provoking show.
The Chew - ABC (weekdays at 1:00 p.m.) and on HuluPlus
This is daytime TV at its finest. They aren't talking about who cheated on who in Hollywood or pleading "help! My son is a _______" but rather talking about the food issues we all deal with; like what to bring to a potluck, what's a good hostess gift, how can I decorate the Thanksgiving table for under $20 and how do I convince my kids to eat their veggies. The hosts include Iron Chefs Mario Batali and Michael Symon; health-food diva (and daughter of Dr.Oz) Daphne Oz; Top Chef contestant Carla Hall and What Not to Wear star Clinton Kelly. Each of these hosts offers a unique perspective into eating well - Symon's all about the pork, Batali loves all things Italian, Daphne has the best healthy tips, Carla is the baked goods queen and Clinton pulls everything together into a tasteful, entertaining package. Out of all the talk-show format food shows, this one is my favorite with the best hosts and guests, most relevant themes and easiest and most delicious recipes.
Top Chef began when there were few, if any, food competition shows on the air. Its pits well-established professional chefs against each other to win a huge check and the title of Top Chef. This competition has had the power to accelerate careers on a drastic scale. What I loved most about Top Chef in the beginning (they've got 12+ seasons now) was how elegant everything was. When they started, there wasn't a lot of fine dining represented on tv shows, it was still more about how-to spots than showcasing some truly talented people. One of my favorite episodes (see below) was promoting the film Snow White and the Huntsman and each contestant had to make a wicked dish for Charlize Theron who played the evil queen. The creativity on this show is limitless, they combine amazing techniques with unmatched imagination. Plus the judges are terrific - other shows have lost me because of their permanent cast, but Padma Lakshimi, Tom Colicchio and Gale Simmons are perfectly matched with sass, calm and brilliant critiques.
I don't know how you can't enjoy sabotage cooking - where chefs, who are daily dealt a new hand at their restaurants, are practically tortured with obscure ingredients, impossible deadlines and bizarre punishments. That may sound dramatic, but imagine trying to cook a meal only using the bottom side of pots and pans or where you have to make 100 year-old eggs appealing. Good luck! My imagination is tested with these challenges and it's even inspired our own Chopped cook-offs. I find these absurd competitions entertaining but also inspiring; if they can do impossible-seeming task x, I can certainly do y.
Now, as much as I enjoy the hour-long Food Network games I listed above, I also love the season-long games where contestants are whittled down slowly to one supreme winner. Next Food Network Star determines who will be the next person to develop their own FN show; Guy Fiere was their first winner. Worst Cooks in America rehabilitates those people we all know.. the dreadful cooks. We all have one in our family; that person whose food is never touched at a potluck and whose dinner invitations are always refused... those people compete to improve with the tutelage of two FN superstars. And one of our favorites, The Great Food Truck Race, sends teams with dreams of owning a food truck clear across the country, competing in challenges and learning about the business. The winning team gets to keep their tricked out truck to go home and start their businesses; we take notes during this show!
This show resonates with me for so many reasons: the host Haylie Duff, is the older sister to my teen idol Lizzie McGuire star Hilary Duff; we're relatively the same age with the same priorities of being able to cook like an adult without being too formal or frumpy, and we have a similar culinary perspective. The recipes are simple and informative and she tries to add a trendy element to it too, like going to a hip burger joint or infusing fun flavors like bourbon into her dishes. If you're looking for a relaxing cooking show that won't make you feel overwhelmed, this one is for you.
Good Eats is the go-to show if you want to learn anything about cooking. One of the earliest successes of Food Network, Eats is approachable and beyond informative. Host Alton Brown discusses how to make good food better and the science behind why you need to store, cook and eat it a certain way. He breaks down the chemistry of ingredients, the physics of heat and more, in a way that is easy to understand and perhaps more importantly, replicate. I remember watching this show a lot as a child to learn the basics of cooking. His tips, if followed, can set you up to be a stellar cook without having formal training, frou frou ingredients or a panic attack. Whether you're just learning to cook or wanting to understand the craft better, Good Eats is an invaluable resource.
The only caveat of having an appetite for cooking shows, is the literal hunger they cause! I can't sit down to watch an episode of a tasty show without an equally delicious snack. So be sure your binge watching doesn't turn into binge eating! So grab something yummy (and reasonably sized) and relax for some delicious television!
The holiday season is nothing short of chaotic in our family with a minimum of three, and often upwards of five, gatherings to attend per holiday. They're also nothing short of interesting and lively; what with so many personalities, people we love, joyful moods and great food - lots and lots of food.
Our first Thanksgiving together - 2012
And this year, to capitalize on those quirky personalities, love of food and a desire to have a unique experience, my dad, J and I have created our own "game" for our Thanksgiving Weekend Meal.
It's a little bit like our Grocery Outlet Chopped Challenge; because we will be at the mercy of each other for our star ingredient but will still have lots of flexibility and thankfully (no pun intended), planning time.
We drew names and were each granted the power to declare an ingredient for our chosen chef to use to create a side dish. I picked Dad, J got me and Dad chose J.
Here are the rules we're using:
Ingredient:
Will be announced on the Friday before Thanksgiving (November 21).
Can be a "category" (like pasta) or a specific item (like carrots)
Should be reasonably priced (no caviar or black truffles) and limited in freakiness (Sorry, Mom; no root beer-flavored Magic Shell)
Should be featured but not required to be the predominant ingredient
May be a traditional Thanksgiving ingredient, but the dish should be non-traditional (like sweet potato gnocchi) OR the dish can be a twist on a classic T-giving dish (like a savory sweet potato "hot dish" instead of candied sweet potato casserole).
We have a few dietary restrictions (no caffeine or chocolate) and we know each others' palates and preferences well enough to not choose a total sabotage ingredient that the person won't enjoy cooking or eating (ex: Dad DESPISES tuna).
My inner Martha Stewart has been buzzing for weeks with the ever-growing list of items I want to cook for Thanksgiving, so I'm excited to have a more focused mission than "COOK ALL THE THINGS," with which to make something creative and delicious.
Dad proposed this idea less than 24 hours ago, but I'm already brainstorming - I'm thinking of the ingredient I want, and resisting the urge to pressure Honey Dearest into choosing it; how to handle the ingredient I do get and what to assign Dad.
And don't you worry dear readers; I'll keep you updated on the progress of this event AND on the recipes we're making for the 3+ other gatherings next week. There's plenty to come!
And I'm not saying it because he's my husband and the light of my life, but J really got screwed with the sabotage ingredient - root beer-flavored Magic Shell. He'd bought an interesting set of groceries to begin with (with which I wouldn't have known what to make), but this ingredient was downright gross, even in the dessert round. Mom and I are the only ones who even enjoy root beer and certainly not outside of a glass or a float, but J was very creative!
Here's the lowdown on J's menu:
Appetizer: Vegetarian taquitos made with flour tortillas, homemade refried beans (from a can of baked beans), Queso Suave canned "cheese," Zatarain's rice and onions, and topped with a crumble of spicy Cheez-It snack mix. I loved this! You all know I'm a sucker for Mexican-style dishes and this was no exception. Using the baked beans lent the taquito a very smoky flavor, almost like barbeque, which made it feel more hearty. The only thing that could've made it better would be guacamole, but we're guac snobs and only eat Wholly Guacamole's Organic guac anymore.
Entree: A pork chop filled with an apricot preserve and onion stuffing, J's signature sweet carrots and steamed broccoli with "cheese." This was a great meal and is something we would easily cook, and eat, any day of the week. And I think that gets to the heart of this challenge. It's a lot of fun to goof off and cook with crazy ingredients, but it shows us how resourceful we can be to make $16 go a long way. Feeding your family can be made easier with creativity and making wise choices. (Note: this is not to say that there isn't still food insecurity, food deserts and hunger issues nationwide; or that it can be solved with a trip to GO).
Dessert: J used hamburger buns and canned strawberries to make bread pudding dressed with a homemade caramel made from the Magic Shell and a berry meal replacement shake. It was a beautiful caramel, with perfect consistency and a terrific coloring, but it tasted like licorice, or maybe Nyquil. I liked the bread pudding itself, it was warm and gooey and the strawberries added great flavor. But that Shell -- one hell of a blow.
This has been so much fun for all of us - the cooking and the eating! And it's so do-able for any family. Consider doing one round a month, a Chopped progressive dinner or making your own creative twists; we've already thought of other sneaky games like doing our own shopping, then flipping a coin to see if we switch carts. I encourage you and your families or friends to give it a go; you may just surprise yourself with your own ingenuity and skill!
And yes, I did apologize to the boys for whipping them so badly. And no, I don't think it was beginner's luck.
Tonight is Night Two of our Chopped-style competition, wherein each of us (me, Dad and J) cooked a three course meal for our family of four using only $16 worth of GO Grocery Outlet goodies.
Here are our basic rules:
We must make three courses for four people.
There can only be 60 minutes between courses. Pre-prep is allowed.
We can only spend $16 at Grocery Outlet for all of our main ingredients (tax not included).
Cannot use coffee/caffeinated items (including chocolate) for dietary restriction reasons.
We must include Mom's sabotage item - course and item chosen sight unseen.
The following pantry staples are allowed free of charge:
Up to 2 c. flour
Sugars/honey
"Basic" spices - not things like zatar or Chinese five spice
Onions
Up to 4 eggs
Milk
Oils/butter
"Basic" condiments - ketchup, mayo, mustard
I cooked last night, and set a damn fine example. Tonight, it was Dad's turn.
He did a very technique-savvy menu that was pretty impressive using this $16 set of ingredients.
Including Mom's diabolical mystery ingredient - Little Debbie Starfish Cookies - in the appetizer round!
Appetizer: A chorizo-style Scotch egg with deep fried pickles and honey vinaigrette. Normally, a Scotch egg is made with a boiled egg cased in sausage breading. Dad took the time to scrape the blue icing off of the starfish and crumbled them with oyster crackers and mixed it with pre-cooked, frozen chorizo breakfast sausage - now that's working through adversity! And, I have to hand it to him because I despise pickles but actually enjoyed the thin, not overly sour fried pickles.
Entree: Italian sausage stuffed cabbage and zucchini boats with smoked oysters and habenero cheese. The cabbage reminded me a lot of our Russian favorite, golubtsi. It was filled with sausage, spices and rice (another pre-cooked, frozen ingredient!) and was so hearty. Instead of individual rolls, dad was really creative and stuffed the entire cabbage, wrapped it in cheese cloth and served it like big slices of cake! The zucchini boats were refreshing and full of flavor - that cheese was SPICY! This was such a filling course for so little cost; I couldn't even finish my plate.
Dessert: Now this is exactly why I was terrified to compete against J and Dad. They've both worked in a variety of food service jobs and are stellar cooks with great technical skill. So, I wasn't surprised that Dad made a pear and mini cinnamon donut gallete (homemade pie crust of course). We actually started a movie while he finished up his dish and the smell of cinnamon, roasting fruit and toasty crust filled the house. It was an intoxicating scent and the flavor didn't disappoint, either. We added a spoonful of vanilla ice cream (not from his items) to each plate, just to finish off the quart - had he included a whipped cream or ice cream this would have been sheer perfection (or that's what I tell myself to feel better).
I was thoroughly impressed with this meal; especially the creativity and technical skill.
J is our final chef-testant tomorrow night and we're all excited to see what he makes. Because of the sheer awfulness of the sabotage item, he was given it early and has been frantically rearranging his groceries and scouring the web for recipes. We shall see!
Tune in tomorrow for another installment of good family-food-fun!
I gave you the down-low on our Chopped challenge already, and you can click here for more information. But here's the gist of competition:
We must make three courses for four people.
There can only be 60 minutes between courses. Pre-prep is allowed.
We can only spend $16 at Grocery Outlet for all of our main ingredients (tax not included).
Cannot use coffee/caffeinated items (including chocolate) for dietary restriction reasons.
We must include Mom's GO sabotage item - course and item chosen sight unseen.
The following pantry staples are allowed free of charge:
Up to 2 c. flour
Sugar
"Basic" spices - not things like zatar or Chinese five spice
Onions
Up to 4 eggs
Milk
Oils/butter
"Basic" condiments - ketchup, mayo, mustard
I was the first chef-testant and here's what I was working with.
And yes, I got all of this for less than $16! Seriously, GO is full of great deals. Each box of loaded mashed potatoes was only 33 cents. My most expensive ingredient was the 1.27 lb Butterball turkey breast for $3.39.
But let us not forget my demented mother's mystery item.
The only beets I've ever eaten are some of my dad's pickled beets. He loves to eat them with cornbread and pinto beans; I was always disgusted by the tart orbs that dyed everything pink. So, let's just say I was less than thrilled to get this ingredient. I much prefer the "Killer Tofu" type of Beets (90's kids, you feel me).
But, luckily, I drew "entree," so I didn't have to reconfigure my dessert; which would undoubtedly be a disaster.
And let me say - mom let me look at the other goodies after I blindly picked mine and I may have gotten the best ingredient. The other two, depending on their course, could make for a nightmare.
With beets in tow, here's my menu:
Appetizer: Italian stuffed mushrooms made with Italian sausage, button mushrooms, onions, herbs and oyster crackers. Two of the four shrooms had a garnish of julienned beet. This was my quickest, easiest recipe and it was a delicious start. I used my Ninja to crush the crackers and then did a quick pulse to break up the cooked sausage, which made for a fine crumbly filling that absorbed the butter and drizzled olive oil nicely.
Entree: A take on chicken and waffles with cheesy, green onion potato cake waffle and fried turkey breast sliders dressed with honey and hot sauce and tempura onion rings and beets. I also marinated the turkey in milk, which is traditional, but this was laced with beet juice. I was so pleased with this dish, the flavors worked as perfectly as I'd hoped. Spicy, sweet, savory with crispy and tender notes. I was even more excited because I'd only ever made one of these components before - this was my first go at fried "chicken," onion rings and certainly beet fritters. The only things I'd change would be putting the chicken on a rack after searing it, so that the bottom got crunchier than putting it straight on a baking sheet, and I'd have made some ritzy sauce for the onion rings.
Dessert: Fried carrot cake ice cream with chantilly cream. This was the real awe-inspiring dish. I was petrified it would explode in our deep fryer (which I've never used) and be an utter disaster. I pre-prepped two portions per person just in case of disaster, but it was so successful and delicious! The animal cracker coating, which I feared might be bland, browned nicely and complimented the very flavorful ice cream - it tasted just like funnel cake! Also, I learned an amazing new technique for making whipped cream; I used my immersion blender (the Kitchen Aid doesn't work well with such small quantities, the beaters don't quite reach) and it took less than one minute!
Don't mind the little bit of cream - this is J's SECOND portion and I ran out!
I am so utterly proud of myself. I am confident in my baking skills and ability to follow a recipe, but I was really afraid of grasping at straws at GO to create a menu and even more terrified of going up against the big dogs of improvisation and technique. But I did it! And damn well, if I do say so myself.
I know they're afraid of the mystery ingredients they're going to be saddled with, but now, I think they're scared of reaching my high standard, too. Bring it on, boys!
I'll be sure to keep you up-to-date on the rest of the challenge tomorrow (Dad) and Monday (J).
On Chopped, four chef-testants are given "mystery boxes" containing 3-4 ingredients which they must use in a corresponding course (appetizer, entree and dessert); one contestant is eliminated after each course with the winner taking home $10,000. The mystery boxes are complicated at best and disturbing at worst with ingredients that don't fit the course like Parmesan cheese for dessert or are weird (bull testicles), foreign (piloncillo) or gross (canned whole chicken).
This show resonates so well with our family since my dad and I used to play very similar make-believe kitchen games. One, which started when I was very little, involved making up random, gross ice cream flavors that only Oscar the Grouch could enjoy, like saw dust ice cream with a motor oil swirl or pork and bean frozen yogurt. My parent also have an open pantry in their kitchen packed with all sorts of random goodies, and while we ate in the kitchen we'd pick an ingredient from each shelf and try to figure out how to make a meal from ingredients like sweetened condensed milk, Spaghetti-O's, kosher dills and butterscotch chips.
Now that all of our cooking skills (and palates) have improved and we have a chef in the family, we've started taking these childhood games and TV shows into our own kitchens.
About a year ago, J and Dad did a Chopped-style challenge where they had to feed all four of us three courses by spending only $15 at our local discount grocery store, GO Grocery Outlet. GO fits the Chopped bill perfectly because while their chefs never know what will be in their baskets, GO shoppers never know what they'll find.
GO stocks a variety of products that were surplus at big box stores; have appearance flaws (crooked labels etc.); non-perishable seasonal goods (Christmas cupcake mix available in February); new and/or weird products that are too risky or flopped in traditional stores (like Sunmaid's barbeque flavored raisins); and items close to their expiration date at deep discounts. We love shopping here regularly for the exact reason that you never know what they'll have. You can try new products that you're unsure of at little cost or stock up on your favorite products without breaking the bank (I bought 10 boxes of Oat Revolution! instant oatmeal for 50 cents apiece).
One of those "weird' items...
Last night we went shopping and tonight, we start our new round of Chopped competition. I'm cooking tonight, Dad has tomorrow and J's doing Monday night.
Here are our rules:
We must make three courses for four people.
There can only be 60 minutes between courses. Pre-prep is allowed.
We can only spend $16 at GO for all of our main ingredients.
Cannot use coffee/caffeinated items (including chocolate) for dietary restriction reasons
The following pantry staples are allowed free of charge
Up to 2 c. flour
sugar
"basic" spices - not things like zatar or Chinese five spice
onions
Up to 4 eggs
milk
oils/butter
"basic" condiments - ketchup, mustard, mayo
And, our family saboteur added in a Cutthroat Kitchen-style twist. Mom purchased three items at GO; we each draw a course from a hat in which we must use the ingredient (options are re-entered, so we may all get dessert etc.), then we choose a colored bag and must use the item within. She is evil.
J and Dad do have the advantage of doing this before (minus mom's curveball) and they did a great job last time. They both came up with good meals that were filling and delicious and really creative! J actually made the coolest dessert ever - he blended Little Debbie Nutty Bars into powder, made them into balls with chocolate syrup, chilled then dipped them in pancake batter and deep fried them to make delicious peanut butter fritters. Quite a high standard to live up to.
I'm starting some of my prep now, and praying a lot, for tonight's meal. I'll keep you all posted on our exciting meals and feel free to let us know who YOU think the clear winner is!
I've mentioned time and again that I'm not the best improvisational cook but I do love and excel at following recipes. I love to perusing periodicals to find good-looking recipes to test out.
This may be a genetic affliction because my mother is a first-class cookbook hoarder. She loves looking at all of the beautiful pictures, imagining the dishes and making a to-do list of recipes for my dad to make; every year we have to sort through them to clear space on the bookcase.
Right now, I've only commandeered one shelf (of our 5+ bookcases) for cookbooks, but I also subscribe to two cooking/food magazines, listen to culinary podcasts and regularly review a foodie website. Here are a few recommendations of my favorite recipe resources that provide relevant, interesting and delicious information on cooking (and eating)!
- From Julia Child's Kitchen& Mastering the Art of French Cooking: I've read two books about Julia Child's life and adventures in becoming one of the forefront starts of cooking and one of the first famous female chefs and I've come to idolize her and her cookbooks. Her recipes are timeless and reading the biographies of her that I have, I know how much work - including tinkering, testing and reformulating - she puts into her cookbooks to make sure the recipes are precise and work perfectly. I do find her recipes hard to read sometimes because they are so detailed (partly because of the nature of French cooking itself) but the results are nothing short of remarkable. Her cookbooks inspired how I present recipes here, with a list of ingredients followed by a detailed "method" timeline.
- Taste of Home magazine: TOH is a great magazine for beginners or those who need to make quick, inexpensive, crowd-pleasing meals (don't we all?). The majority, if not all, of the featured recipes are submitted by readers (who can win competitions for cash!) and are tested by their staff and editors. I love the personal quality of the recipes - each reader-submitted one includes a 1-2 line intro from the home cook - that shows someone out there actually makes this recipe for people they care about! This mag relies heavily on Crock Pots, make ahead and easy-to-freeze meals.
- The Hungry Girl series of cookbooks and website: I've found this product line to be the most accessible and successful series of healthy, diet recipes. Unlike other lines, such as the super witty but overdone Skinny Bitch In the Kitch books, Hungry Girl uses common, inexpensive ingredients to create figure-friendly recipes that taste as good, if not better than the full-fat, high calorie versions. For example, the recipe for rich, pumpkin chocolate muffins is amazing and is so customizable. The website offers weekly updates about new grocery products and helpful suggestions so users can make informed, healthy choices at home, at the store or in restaurants.
- Food Network Magazine: I didn't buy this subscription myself, but my mother got so tired of me stealing her back editions that she opted to make sure I had my own copies. I love this magazine. After working on a newspaper for my whole college career, I have an eye for good layout and engaging content - this magazine pulls you in. The food artistry is great, they have stories about current trends in kitchen supplies and menus, and great features like "He Made She Made" which pits two Food Network cooks against each other making a simple dish. Unlike Taste of Home, Food Network seems to assume its readers aren't novices, but are at least watching Food Network shows and know the basics. They include more complicated and exotic recipes with less common ingredients; but it's all do-able. This might be right between Taste of Home and Bon Appetit.
- The Salt: This is the quirkiest of my recommendations. It doesn't offer a regular, standardized product but is merely the grouping of all food-related NPR material. That includes audio clips (and transcripts) of their stories from shows like All Things Considered, Fresh Air and Morning Edition, infographics and a "For Foodies" section that includes weekly features like "Sandwich Monday" where staff members of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me try random meals that could loosely be described as sandwiches and provide a satirical play-by-play. It often features recipes (usually in "Found Recipes"), but I appreciate the up-to-date news about food issues including issues of hunger, climate change affecting produce, diet trends etc.
- Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2: I don't know how this happened but my family ended up with two copies of this cookbook and no one has the first. However, judging by the recipes in the sequel, I imagine TSRR 1 is pretty good too. This book if full of restaurant secrets - either ripped off by former employees or tested and tweaked to be mirrored meals of franchise favorites. I can attest that some of these recipes are just as good as you'd get in a brick-and-mortar location, including the Red Robin fry seasoning that we now use on a number of things. For me, it's also helpful for figuring out "what is that flavor?" in restaurant dishes and gives a good starting point for improving on your favorite dishes. My only complaint is the organization of the book. All recipes are grouped according to original restaurant (Chilis, PF Changs etc.) which is helpful if you know an exact dish you want to duplicate (like Chili's molten lava cake) however, if you just know you want to make chicken salad you have to do some searching.
-Better Homes and Gardens' New Cookbook: According to the Amazon description, the New Cookbook (now on its 15th edition) has been a staple in American households since 1930. I know that the red-and-white plaid book has been a constant feature of our home since the early 80s (but our ragged copy looks even older than that). Like Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the recipes in New aren't actually new - they're classic dishes that teach you basic techniques and meals that are always enjoyable. We had a children's version that I used when I first learned to cook and I was so proud when I could graduate to the big three ring copy. This is a great cookbook to get started with - you're making fancy dishes but it talks you through it as a learner.
- The Splendid Table: A staple of public radio, TST is a wonderful hour-long show hosted by Lynne Rosetto Kasper who has a voice made for NPR - soft and quiet with a descriptive vocabulary that brings the food to your own home. They feature great stories from journalists around the world, interviews with chefs and an awesome segment where callers name a few items in their fridge and Lynne suggests a recipe. Lynne makes food accessible and callers are able to get a personable answer to their most pressing cooking queries. The show airs weekly but podcasts and recipes are available online.
- Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter : This book isn't a cookbook, doesn't include any recipes or many helpful cooking tips. However, it is a non-fiction book about the adventures of working in Thomas Keller's uber-fancy Per Se restaurant. I learned so much about working in kitchens, and how I should be acting as a diner from this book. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in food.
We should all be used to this already, North Carolina weather is notoriously fickle year-round. There have been years where I've worn short sleeves at Christmas and shivered through snow in my Easter dress. And I guarantee that those instances were met with drastically different weather the days before and after. It's just madness down here. 
Several years ago, I was the Fellowship Coordinator at our church and I had to organize all our monthly meals, including the Chili Cookoff. I remember a lady rushed in right before church started. She'd had a family emergency the night before and was frantically making her chili in front of me. She threw canned veggies, tomatoes, spices (including a Hidden Valley ranch packet?!?) into a Crock Pot, cranked it to High and left it to simmer for the hour-long worship service. And she won. By a landslide, according to our judges. I've rolled my eyes at that performance for years, but now, my recipe doesn't take much more effort. 
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