Readers,
Yes, I know. It's been forever. Blogging started to be a chore- just another thing that I needed to get done and that's no way to go about a project. Worse, the cooking started to be that way as well.
Tonight I went to the grocery store. No real problem there, right? But, it was. I won't go in to the problem where they didn't have any of the agile smaller carts. You know the ones I'm talking about, and you have to admit they're far superior.
The problem comes in my realization that the world is against us. All of us. The world I'm talking about is the connventional food industry, and the us I"m talking about is everyone who cares enough about themselves to think about what they put into their bodies.
How many of you, dear readers, have enjoyed the fresh healthy feeling of blending fresh fruits, juice, ice (whatever) and created your own smoothie. A great way to use fresh fruits, have something sweet and convince yourself that you've created something in the kitchen. I'm sorry to report that the freezer aisle at your local Kroger now carries a premade fruit smoothie. And it's in some sort of plastic bag in the freezer (next to the frozen fruits). A premade fruit smoothie in a bag. Am I the only one finds this out of line? I stood in front of the freezer staring at it for 30 whole seconds trying to figure out why you would ever let go of the joy of "cooking" your own smoothie and getting the kitchen all dirty with fruit juice all over the place for a nice bagged high fructose corn syrup frozen treat. Even now, sitting at home, I'm a little baffled.
A big part of this experiment for me is about leaving the store with actual ingredients. Actual raw, uncooked, unprocessed, unsliced, unshelled, un-everything'd food ingredients. I'm attempting to bring them home, process them myself, combine them, apply heat and eat the resulting combination. If you pay careful attention in the store, you may find it harder and harder to find the original ingredients. This, I'm prepared to argue, is a problem. I have virtually no idea how to solve this problem, but it is dramatically cutting my ability to conduct my experiement and, frankly, I'm a little perturbed.
Or, perhaps I'm in a sour mood because I'm a little hungry. I wonder if I could make something in under 60 seconds?
Jo
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
May 4, 2010
Readers,
I've noticed that I was starting to get set in my ways. Now that I'd learned a small menu for myself, I was tending to rely on those things when pressed for time. I suppose that's inevitable, but I wasn't to continue to introduce new things. Of course, the only drawback to that you put yourself in the position of eating something you don't like! It's like I''m back to the very beginning again from January.
I have ventured out just a bit though. I've even ventured out beyond the textbook and attempted some things from Food Network. I made Moroccan chicken which was all dried spices and came with an all fresh herb sauce. (ok, I'm not at all if it was a sauce. First, it didn't have any butter in it and it wasn't reduced down from anything- so it couldn't have been a "sauce"!) But, it was some sort of dressing; and , whatever it was, it fabulous! I used cilantro for the first time. That little herb can really hold it's own, that's for sure. I briefly considered not making the herb dressing but it was crucial.
I am also finding myself overusing ingredients; case in point: peas. Come to my house and you'll find peas in everything. I think it is my effort to include something green and something healthy on the plate. I need to branch out. Broccoli perhaps???
Oh, and I'm happy to report, I'm getting over my fear of the oven. It is still dark and mysterious, but I'm starting to believe food can go in and still be edible when it comes out.
A little more later, readers....
Jo
I've noticed that I was starting to get set in my ways. Now that I'd learned a small menu for myself, I was tending to rely on those things when pressed for time. I suppose that's inevitable, but I wasn't to continue to introduce new things. Of course, the only drawback to that you put yourself in the position of eating something you don't like! It's like I''m back to the very beginning again from January.
I have ventured out just a bit though. I've even ventured out beyond the textbook and attempted some things from Food Network. I made Moroccan chicken which was all dried spices and came with an all fresh herb sauce. (ok, I'm not at all if it was a sauce. First, it didn't have any butter in it and it wasn't reduced down from anything- so it couldn't have been a "sauce"!) But, it was some sort of dressing; and , whatever it was, it fabulous! I used cilantro for the first time. That little herb can really hold it's own, that's for sure. I briefly considered not making the herb dressing but it was crucial.
I am also finding myself overusing ingredients; case in point: peas. Come to my house and you'll find peas in everything. I think it is my effort to include something green and something healthy on the plate. I need to branch out. Broccoli perhaps???
Oh, and I'm happy to report, I'm getting over my fear of the oven. It is still dark and mysterious, but I'm starting to believe food can go in and still be edible when it comes out.
A little more later, readers....
Jo
Sunday, April 18, 2010
April 18, 2010
Readers,
I'm afraid I may not be a Yaghooti any more. Is that something that somehow rubs off? I seem to have lost a key component if Yaghootiness. I don't know where it went; in fact, it could be even worse. I may have never had it in the first place.
I can't steam rice. Basmati, Texmati, nothing.These rices are not supposed to be sticky sushi rice. Maybe the cooking gods are trying to tell me to branch out into sushi. I highly doubt that though. Highly.
The oven doesn't seem to hate me anymore though. Several times now I've successfully placed uncooked food in there, turned it, on and removed cooked food that I could eat. It was amazing.
Today I bought hoisin sauce. I had no idea what it would look like, what package it would come in, or whether or not it should be refrigerated. It turns out it's a little bit white, jarred and chilled. (Readers, in case this isn't true, I've bought the wrong item. Please let me know. I'm using it Wednesday night.)
There are still so many areas to cover. For example, the textbook (America's Test Kitchen) diagrams all the different cuts of beef and I'm starting to get the feeling that there is a correlation between the cut of beef and the intended result. This is merely a theory though. I'll check back with you if it proves to be true.
Joanna
I'm afraid I may not be a Yaghooti any more. Is that something that somehow rubs off? I seem to have lost a key component if Yaghootiness. I don't know where it went; in fact, it could be even worse. I may have never had it in the first place.
I can't steam rice. Basmati, Texmati, nothing.These rices are not supposed to be sticky sushi rice. Maybe the cooking gods are trying to tell me to branch out into sushi. I highly doubt that though. Highly.
The oven doesn't seem to hate me anymore though. Several times now I've successfully placed uncooked food in there, turned it, on and removed cooked food that I could eat. It was amazing.
Today I bought hoisin sauce. I had no idea what it would look like, what package it would come in, or whether or not it should be refrigerated. It turns out it's a little bit white, jarred and chilled. (Readers, in case this isn't true, I've bought the wrong item. Please let me know. I'm using it Wednesday night.)
There are still so many areas to cover. For example, the textbook (America's Test Kitchen) diagrams all the different cuts of beef and I'm starting to get the feeling that there is a correlation between the cut of beef and the intended result. This is merely a theory though. I'll check back with you if it proves to be true.
Joanna
Friday, April 9, 2010
April 8, 2010
Dear Readers,
I just noticed it has been a while since I've posted. I haven't stopped cooking though.
A special thanks goes to Andrea and Jeff for moving on to bigger and better cookware in their new home. They've allowed my experiment to continue uninterrupted by letting me keep most of their cookware (plus all sorts of spices).
This isn't really an experiment though. An experiment is somehow temporary and this is anything but temporary. Going on nearly 3 1/2 months now and it is very natural for me to cook for myself. I really don't see how I could go back to all the takeout.
What has all this cooking done? Some of you may wonder if I've lost weight. I have lost some and I continue to monitor this, but don't think that is what this is about. Originally, it was about feeling a sense of personal fulfillment over my ability to sustain myself without the help of others. It was about totally controlling what I consume, not in a bad or manipulative or psychologically unhealthy way, but in a way that is empowering. One result which is hard to ignore is that I feel much better and I continue to feel better each day.
There are more subtle results though,too. Cooking forces you to slow down. Now, I have arrived at numerous ways to save time by preparing things ahead of time, but generally, the act of cooking forces you to actually address the food you're eating. You're forced to engage with the ingredients in their natural, pre-cooked state. In some cases, this is fascinating, like the inside of a shallot. In other cases, a carrot is still just a carrot. But, at least the carrot isn't mixed up with any preservatives or high fructose corn syrup or anything else.
The threat of losing my way does present itself sometimes. I've started to rely on store bought items instead of making them myself. This week I had to succumb to the lure of store bought pesto. I've made this several times with great inconsistency. My best one was actually my first one way back in January. I'll need to try it again though. I can do better than Butoni if I try!
There are a few other aspects that have been miserable failures. I've just killed my third attempt at growing basil. Is growing herbs really that hard? I've tried inside- I've tried outside. It's just too delicate for my gardening capabilities. Perhaps that's for later in journey.
I have had some success though. Last weekend I made a turkey breast for Easter dinner. Elizabeth helped. It is wonderful what can happen when you follow a good recipe very closely; things come out pretty good. I even inserted, then proceeded to read and monitor, a meat thermometer for the first time. I'm not sure you've cooked until you've timed something according to it's internal temperature.
Tonight I saw a program called Jamie Oliver's food revolution. He's a British TV chef who's come to West Virginia to the "unhealthiest town in America" to try and teach people how to be self sufficient and live healthier lives. It seems I'm not the only one who's lost her way and felt disconnected to the food I eat. It seems we're a nation of people which has virtually no idea what it is to buy and store food, combine ingredients and apply heat to them, then portion a meal for themselves and their families. We didn't used to be this helpless. I'm not going to pretend that I know how we've lost our way, or even how I lost my way. What I do know is that my personal journey towards self sufficient nutrition is being, and needs to be, done my millions of others.
Good night now. I think I'll make a perfect hard boiled egg in the morning. Did you know you're not actually supposed to boil the egg? Who knew?
Til next time.
Jo
I just noticed it has been a while since I've posted. I haven't stopped cooking though.
A special thanks goes to Andrea and Jeff for moving on to bigger and better cookware in their new home. They've allowed my experiment to continue uninterrupted by letting me keep most of their cookware (plus all sorts of spices).
This isn't really an experiment though. An experiment is somehow temporary and this is anything but temporary. Going on nearly 3 1/2 months now and it is very natural for me to cook for myself. I really don't see how I could go back to all the takeout.
What has all this cooking done? Some of you may wonder if I've lost weight. I have lost some and I continue to monitor this, but don't think that is what this is about. Originally, it was about feeling a sense of personal fulfillment over my ability to sustain myself without the help of others. It was about totally controlling what I consume, not in a bad or manipulative or psychologically unhealthy way, but in a way that is empowering. One result which is hard to ignore is that I feel much better and I continue to feel better each day.
There are more subtle results though,too. Cooking forces you to slow down. Now, I have arrived at numerous ways to save time by preparing things ahead of time, but generally, the act of cooking forces you to actually address the food you're eating. You're forced to engage with the ingredients in their natural, pre-cooked state. In some cases, this is fascinating, like the inside of a shallot. In other cases, a carrot is still just a carrot. But, at least the carrot isn't mixed up with any preservatives or high fructose corn syrup or anything else.
The threat of losing my way does present itself sometimes. I've started to rely on store bought items instead of making them myself. This week I had to succumb to the lure of store bought pesto. I've made this several times with great inconsistency. My best one was actually my first one way back in January. I'll need to try it again though. I can do better than Butoni if I try!
There are a few other aspects that have been miserable failures. I've just killed my third attempt at growing basil. Is growing herbs really that hard? I've tried inside- I've tried outside. It's just too delicate for my gardening capabilities. Perhaps that's for later in journey.
I have had some success though. Last weekend I made a turkey breast for Easter dinner. Elizabeth helped. It is wonderful what can happen when you follow a good recipe very closely; things come out pretty good. I even inserted, then proceeded to read and monitor, a meat thermometer for the first time. I'm not sure you've cooked until you've timed something according to it's internal temperature.
Tonight I saw a program called Jamie Oliver's food revolution. He's a British TV chef who's come to West Virginia to the "unhealthiest town in America" to try and teach people how to be self sufficient and live healthier lives. It seems I'm not the only one who's lost her way and felt disconnected to the food I eat. It seems we're a nation of people which has virtually no idea what it is to buy and store food, combine ingredients and apply heat to them, then portion a meal for themselves and their families. We didn't used to be this helpless. I'm not going to pretend that I know how we've lost our way, or even how I lost my way. What I do know is that my personal journey towards self sufficient nutrition is being, and needs to be, done my millions of others.
Good night now. I think I'll make a perfect hard boiled egg in the morning. Did you know you're not actually supposed to boil the egg? Who knew?
Til next time.
Jo
Monday, March 15, 2010
March 15, 2010
Readers,
Ok. I may have just made my first real sauce. Up until now I've been cooking using various techniques. I've tried soups, stews and other stuff. But, I've been eyeing the page that addresses sauce making for several weeks without truly committing to one. But, tonight, I tackled Basic Pan Sauce with Balsamic and Caper "add-in". I have very little idea how it was supposed to turn out, but I must admit, I ate it all up! I'm sure the texture and consistency wasn't quite right, but the flavor was quite nice. There seem to be a few universe rules about sauces, but by far the dominant theme appears to be this: there is no such thing as a sauce without butter.
I've been thinking about whether or not I've made progress. I know that I have, but I don't consider myself to be truly cooking yet. It's more like I'm taking two or more ingredients, combining them with heat to create a third component which I then eat. The main difference is that none of the original ingredients were cooked already when I started. In fact, they all start in their original form with no processing whatsoever.
The lack of processing in my food is really a large part of this experiment. I know I'm taking in very few preservatives and other processing agents and that feels quite good. It feels like I'm giving a whole new meaning to the term 'whole foods". I've progressed beyond learning how to buy and store ingredients and I've moved on to learning which things are good the next day (a surprising number of things!) and which things are terrible the next day (almost all pastas).
There are obstacles, of course. I'm afraid of the oven. At least, I think I may be. So far, nearly every meal I've made (which to date numbers around 100 meals) has been made on the stovetop. The few times I've introduced the oven into the equation, things haven't turn out well. Who knows what happens to food in there? There's just no telling. You put raw food in, and what comes out... well, there is no guarantee. You can't watch the change as it's happening and that apparent lack of control over the process is not for me.
I know this may be hard to believe, but it took me nearly two weeks at the beginning of this extravaganza to learn exactly how hot a pan should be for things. Is it different for onions as for proteins? At what point is it ok to turn the heat down? I've started to identify these things, but the heat of an oven is just too much. Yes, the cookbook does tell me, of course, how to address this issue. But, my oven is a classic. It is the original oven with the house meaning it is 35 years old. Boy, did they know how to make appliances back then! The thing is an absolute champ. The problem is that I am under the impression that it runs hot. This means I cannot follow instructions exactly, I need to make adjustments. I'll have to work up to that.
The only other thing to report this week is that this experiment has started to result in additions to the kitchen. One of the signs in the grocery store the other day read "kitchen gadgets". Now, tell me, how could I resist! The word "gadget" alone is enough to entice anyone! I now have a meat pounder thingy and an honest to good-ness mandoline (for when it is time to stop ignoring the scalloped potatoes recipe). Oh, and I almost forgot, an immersion blender for when I get over my fear of soups.
That's all for now. The kitchen is clean so it's time to give LuLu an evening treat.
Good night readers everywhere.
Jo
Ok. I may have just made my first real sauce. Up until now I've been cooking using various techniques. I've tried soups, stews and other stuff. But, I've been eyeing the page that addresses sauce making for several weeks without truly committing to one. But, tonight, I tackled Basic Pan Sauce with Balsamic and Caper "add-in". I have very little idea how it was supposed to turn out, but I must admit, I ate it all up! I'm sure the texture and consistency wasn't quite right, but the flavor was quite nice. There seem to be a few universe rules about sauces, but by far the dominant theme appears to be this: there is no such thing as a sauce without butter.
I've been thinking about whether or not I've made progress. I know that I have, but I don't consider myself to be truly cooking yet. It's more like I'm taking two or more ingredients, combining them with heat to create a third component which I then eat. The main difference is that none of the original ingredients were cooked already when I started. In fact, they all start in their original form with no processing whatsoever.
The lack of processing in my food is really a large part of this experiment. I know I'm taking in very few preservatives and other processing agents and that feels quite good. It feels like I'm giving a whole new meaning to the term 'whole foods". I've progressed beyond learning how to buy and store ingredients and I've moved on to learning which things are good the next day (a surprising number of things!) and which things are terrible the next day (almost all pastas).
There are obstacles, of course. I'm afraid of the oven. At least, I think I may be. So far, nearly every meal I've made (which to date numbers around 100 meals) has been made on the stovetop. The few times I've introduced the oven into the equation, things haven't turn out well. Who knows what happens to food in there? There's just no telling. You put raw food in, and what comes out... well, there is no guarantee. You can't watch the change as it's happening and that apparent lack of control over the process is not for me.
I know this may be hard to believe, but it took me nearly two weeks at the beginning of this extravaganza to learn exactly how hot a pan should be for things. Is it different for onions as for proteins? At what point is it ok to turn the heat down? I've started to identify these things, but the heat of an oven is just too much. Yes, the cookbook does tell me, of course, how to address this issue. But, my oven is a classic. It is the original oven with the house meaning it is 35 years old. Boy, did they know how to make appliances back then! The thing is an absolute champ. The problem is that I am under the impression that it runs hot. This means I cannot follow instructions exactly, I need to make adjustments. I'll have to work up to that.
The only other thing to report this week is that this experiment has started to result in additions to the kitchen. One of the signs in the grocery store the other day read "kitchen gadgets". Now, tell me, how could I resist! The word "gadget" alone is enough to entice anyone! I now have a meat pounder thingy and an honest to good-ness mandoline (for when it is time to stop ignoring the scalloped potatoes recipe). Oh, and I almost forgot, an immersion blender for when I get over my fear of soups.
That's all for now. The kitchen is clean so it's time to give LuLu an evening treat.
Good night readers everywhere.
Jo
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Feb 28
Readers,
Well, this is the end of the second month of the great cooking extravaganza of 2010 and I have made some improvements. I no longer burn things as much, and I no longer guess at how much oil to put in a pan for sauteeing. I'm almost afraid to say this, but I haven't cut myself with a knife yet. Did I just jinx myself?
I tried the corn chowder again and again I failed. I'm 0 for 2. Either the recipe in the America's Test Kitchen cookbook (the reference manual for my project) or I'm just not following it closely enough. If anyone has a better or reliable recipe, please let me know. Alternatively, I did make it right and I just don't like corn chowder. That is always a possibility.
And, there is no reason for me to doubt the ATK cookbook, it hasn't let me down otherwise.
Tonight I tried something new that I really was unsure about: Cajun chicken and corn. This was a bit of a departure for me, and you'll probably find the reason pretty funny. This recipe was one of the few recipes in the book without a picture. Now, all of you out there who actually cook can stop laughing now, but seriously, that's why they put pictures in cookbooks! To inspire, yes, but mostly to instruct what the thing is supposed to look like!
The best improvement I've seen is in my increased use of fresh herbs (and not dried) and I have actually improved the flavor of things coming out of the kitchen. At first, my creations were pretty lacking in flavor and I realized developing flavors was going to be a challenge.
Next up? Continuing to test new waters (or broths as the case may be). Later, I'll work on developing consistency-something that obviously eludes me still!
Happy cooking to you all.
Jo
Well, this is the end of the second month of the great cooking extravaganza of 2010 and I have made some improvements. I no longer burn things as much, and I no longer guess at how much oil to put in a pan for sauteeing. I'm almost afraid to say this, but I haven't cut myself with a knife yet. Did I just jinx myself?
I tried the corn chowder again and again I failed. I'm 0 for 2. Either the recipe in the America's Test Kitchen cookbook (the reference manual for my project) or I'm just not following it closely enough. If anyone has a better or reliable recipe, please let me know. Alternatively, I did make it right and I just don't like corn chowder. That is always a possibility.
And, there is no reason for me to doubt the ATK cookbook, it hasn't let me down otherwise.
Tonight I tried something new that I really was unsure about: Cajun chicken and corn. This was a bit of a departure for me, and you'll probably find the reason pretty funny. This recipe was one of the few recipes in the book without a picture. Now, all of you out there who actually cook can stop laughing now, but seriously, that's why they put pictures in cookbooks! To inspire, yes, but mostly to instruct what the thing is supposed to look like!
The best improvement I've seen is in my increased use of fresh herbs (and not dried) and I have actually improved the flavor of things coming out of the kitchen. At first, my creations were pretty lacking in flavor and I realized developing flavors was going to be a challenge.
Next up? Continuing to test new waters (or broths as the case may be). Later, I'll work on developing consistency-something that obviously eludes me still!
Happy cooking to you all.
Jo
Monday, February 15, 2010
Feb 15, 2010
Readers,
I've discovered some things about cooking for myself the past few days.
1. I really need to expand the repertoire. I boring myself sooner than I anticipated.
2. Cooking causes leftovers. Leftovers are inevitable. It is inevitable that I do not want to eat the leftovers.
3. Yet, I continue to cook fresh stuff and the timing of things is getting complicated. Tonight I cooked something new for tomorrow, yet ate my leftovers from the weekend. Why does that seem unfair?
4. I'm not very good at this, and consistency remains very elusive. I can make the same thing two and three times over the course of a week or two and it will come out completely different. But, it feels like I'm following the recipes each time!
5. Eating only items that I actually cook for myself does continue to keep me mindful of portions and nutrition. I have yet to graduate to higher concerns like the balance of flavors. I'm lucky to have any flavor at all sometimes.
6. I seem to have completely forgotten that I have a dishwasher.
7. I seem to have completely forgotten why anyone would go to a restaurant.
8. I'm actually a little surprised that I haven't cut or burned myself yet. (Did I just jinx myself?)
9. I'd like to work on vegetarian meals. It seems like I shouldn't need to eat meat twice a day every day. Does anyone else feel that way? Am I going to be kicked out of Texas for even thinking that?
10. And, finally, I've actually started to add to the toolkit. An immersion blender. Oh, boy. Tomato soup, here I come!
Be well everyone. Thanks for reading.
I've discovered some things about cooking for myself the past few days.
1. I really need to expand the repertoire. I boring myself sooner than I anticipated.
2. Cooking causes leftovers. Leftovers are inevitable. It is inevitable that I do not want to eat the leftovers.
3. Yet, I continue to cook fresh stuff and the timing of things is getting complicated. Tonight I cooked something new for tomorrow, yet ate my leftovers from the weekend. Why does that seem unfair?
4. I'm not very good at this, and consistency remains very elusive. I can make the same thing two and three times over the course of a week or two and it will come out completely different. But, it feels like I'm following the recipes each time!
5. Eating only items that I actually cook for myself does continue to keep me mindful of portions and nutrition. I have yet to graduate to higher concerns like the balance of flavors. I'm lucky to have any flavor at all sometimes.
6. I seem to have completely forgotten that I have a dishwasher.
7. I seem to have completely forgotten why anyone would go to a restaurant.
8. I'm actually a little surprised that I haven't cut or burned myself yet. (Did I just jinx myself?)
9. I'd like to work on vegetarian meals. It seems like I shouldn't need to eat meat twice a day every day. Does anyone else feel that way? Am I going to be kicked out of Texas for even thinking that?
10. And, finally, I've actually started to add to the toolkit. An immersion blender. Oh, boy. Tomato soup, here I come!
Be well everyone. Thanks for reading.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Feb 8, 2010
Readers,
I thought this might happen. I just had a feeling this might happen. I'm starting, slowly, to plan ahead. There is a small difference in when I get home for the night depending on which martial arts classes I go to. There is slightly more coordination involved with cooking for myself than I realized.
At first, there was the coordination of planning ahead and buying the right ingredients for selected meals. Then, you need to decide how long things will last in the fridge and how long they'll last cooked. This week, I'm working on figuring out the frequency with which I need thawed meat. Since I did not take meat out this morning for tonight, I'm thawing now and will perform prep in the morning. Not ideal, but workable.
I did make the pesto that I was planning on making, but learned that 3 cups of basil in really an incredible amount of basil. The amounts of things actually surprise me slightly. When I think I need a lot of something I need very little and visa versa. This goes for several things ranging from time spent in the oven to amounts of spices. As good as America's Test Kitchen cookbook is, I still managed to burn chicken this past weekend. For those of you who know me well, you'll recognize that as an inherited trait. At least I wasn't burning bread simultaneously.
Which brings me to bread baking. I haven't gotten brave enough for bread yet, but I'm thinking about it. But, I have one question: what's sourdough starter? Is something actually going sour in order to make sourdough? Why does it seem that half the recipes out there are intended to combat the unhealthy effects of rotting or rotten food? Very unsettling actually. Will keep you posted.
Jo
I thought this might happen. I just had a feeling this might happen. I'm starting, slowly, to plan ahead. There is a small difference in when I get home for the night depending on which martial arts classes I go to. There is slightly more coordination involved with cooking for myself than I realized.
At first, there was the coordination of planning ahead and buying the right ingredients for selected meals. Then, you need to decide how long things will last in the fridge and how long they'll last cooked. This week, I'm working on figuring out the frequency with which I need thawed meat. Since I did not take meat out this morning for tonight, I'm thawing now and will perform prep in the morning. Not ideal, but workable.
I did make the pesto that I was planning on making, but learned that 3 cups of basil in really an incredible amount of basil. The amounts of things actually surprise me slightly. When I think I need a lot of something I need very little and visa versa. This goes for several things ranging from time spent in the oven to amounts of spices. As good as America's Test Kitchen cookbook is, I still managed to burn chicken this past weekend. For those of you who know me well, you'll recognize that as an inherited trait. At least I wasn't burning bread simultaneously.
Which brings me to bread baking. I haven't gotten brave enough for bread yet, but I'm thinking about it. But, I have one question: what's sourdough starter? Is something actually going sour in order to make sourdough? Why does it seem that half the recipes out there are intended to combat the unhealthy effects of rotting or rotten food? Very unsettling actually. Will keep you posted.
Jo
Friday, February 5, 2010
Feb 5, 2010
Reader,
Got home from Kuk Sool tonight. Dinner: lemon chicken with risotto and peas.
I have to admit, I learned to make this watching Jeff. Mine was super delicious. Mine was finished with evaporated milk instead of with heavy cream which was the "original" Jeff method.
At some point, I need to start expanding the menu, but I'm going to take thing slowly and perfect the things I am taking on. Tonight was mistake free, the kitchen didn't catch on fire or anything. But, I still don't understand how the kitchen ends us such a disaster area when he's finished.
Be kind to yourself friends.
Jo
Got home from Kuk Sool tonight. Dinner: lemon chicken with risotto and peas.
I have to admit, I learned to make this watching Jeff. Mine was super delicious. Mine was finished with evaporated milk instead of with heavy cream which was the "original" Jeff method.
At some point, I need to start expanding the menu, but I'm going to take thing slowly and perfect the things I am taking on. Tonight was mistake free, the kitchen didn't catch on fire or anything. But, I still don't understand how the kitchen ends us such a disaster area when he's finished.
Be kind to yourself friends.
Jo
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Feb 4, 2010
Dear Reader,
It has been a month now since I was left with a stocked pantry, a stocked freezer, a stocked spice rack, Calphalon cookware and America's Test Kitchen cookbook. And Lulu.
I thought I really should do something with these things, and I also really wanted to take control of my health.
At this point, I can't even remember the first meal I made in the incredible cooking extravaganza of 2010, but I can give you an update on what's happened so far.
I decided to embark on this journey for one simple reason. It wasn't to have something to blog about. It wasn't to lose weight. It wasn't even to learn to cook. I literally started to have an emotional reaction to eating food that I'd prepared from scratch. It felt like I was taking care of myself in a way that I never had before.
So far, I've made beef stew, Bolognese sauce, pizza dough, lemon chicken, pasta with chicken and broccoli, chicken stew, corn chowder, and chocolate mousse.
The corn chowder didn't work out. Not even close, it isn't an easy thing, but I'll try it again one day. This is the only thing I threw out. What can I say, it was that bad. The corn wasn't cooked, it was watery, had no taste and no consistency. And, I even started out with real corn on the cob, too! I even removed the husk thingys myself!
This week, I'm making my own pesto, my own oatmeal cookies and chicken piccata.
I'll let you know how it works!
Jo
It has been a month now since I was left with a stocked pantry, a stocked freezer, a stocked spice rack, Calphalon cookware and America's Test Kitchen cookbook. And Lulu.
I thought I really should do something with these things, and I also really wanted to take control of my health.
At this point, I can't even remember the first meal I made in the incredible cooking extravaganza of 2010, but I can give you an update on what's happened so far.
I decided to embark on this journey for one simple reason. It wasn't to have something to blog about. It wasn't to lose weight. It wasn't even to learn to cook. I literally started to have an emotional reaction to eating food that I'd prepared from scratch. It felt like I was taking care of myself in a way that I never had before.
So far, I've made beef stew, Bolognese sauce, pizza dough, lemon chicken, pasta with chicken and broccoli, chicken stew, corn chowder, and chocolate mousse.
The corn chowder didn't work out. Not even close, it isn't an easy thing, but I'll try it again one day. This is the only thing I threw out. What can I say, it was that bad. The corn wasn't cooked, it was watery, had no taste and no consistency. And, I even started out with real corn on the cob, too! I even removed the husk thingys myself!
This week, I'm making my own pesto, my own oatmeal cookies and chicken piccata.
I'll let you know how it works!
Jo
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