This weekend was a busy one for recipes. The above titled recipe actually has 3 recipes from the same book as components of the final product. The Salad, as it will here to be named, is from Frank Stitt's Southern Table.
On Sunday the 13th our family had a Mardi Gras/birthday party to attend. Being the good friend I am (I try!) I offered to bring something to the party. The hostess requested salad, as she hates making salad? Who hates making salad? My friend, I guess. She also gave me the option of bringing something kid friendly instead, as she was concerned that some of the kids might not like the gumbo she was going to serve. As a fan of making kids eat fun and interesting things, I opted not to make kid food, and to make a yummy salad. My husband was amused I picked a salad with beets as I think they taste like dirt. Ever the grown up, I resolved to try them again for the sake of the blog.
The salad consisted of gold and red beets, freshly roasted, mixed green lettuce, Bartlett pears, spiced pecans, some Fourme d'Ambert blue cheese, and slab bacon. Not a low-cal salad, but this is for a party! When cooking for parties, rules go out the window, do they not? Unless, of course, it's for a diet party. That's not the type of party I'd like to attend. The dressing for the salad was Mr. Stitts sherry vinaigrette. The Spiced Pecans were also from a recipe on a different part of the book. Handily, the husband had made these previously for a gift and had leftovers hanging around.
The recipe was easy and straight forward. I think the only drawback to the recipe was the wait time for the beets to roast. We baked ours fro 60 minutes (the recipe stated 45-60 minutes) and ours still turned our a bit on the firm side. But we had a party to get to, so we played it off as intentional.
The salad was well received by the hostess and the guests alike. The hostess gave due credit whenever someone complimented her on the salad. My landlords wife came up to me specifically to tell me how much she enjoyed it. Heck, even I ate the beets. They were delicious. I liked the firm texture, but I'm a beet novice, so someone else might not be as enthusiastic about them.
My husband liked the salad, I think. Didn't really get to see him much at the party. My kids did not try the salad (both enjoyed the gumbo, though). I guess I'll have to take others compliments to heart that this was a successful salad.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Buttermilk Muffins
On Saturday January 12th a muffin was needed. Sometimes that happens. You wake up, and think, "Hey, I need a muffin." That's what happened to me.
Since the purpose of this blog is to try out new a different recipes from my cookbooks. So, that meant I could NOT make a muffin recipe I had already tried, as sad as that is. My husband suggested Buttermilk muffins, but I was wary. Buttermilk biscuits, hell yeah, buttermilk pancakes are a favorite. Buttermilk Muffins? I was intrigued, if only mildly.
The recipe was chosen from the Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book. It is a spiral bound style cookbook, with some very basic, but delicious recipes. They supply one basic muffin recipe with many variations. This is a recipe that can be used to suit whatever one had on hand, from blueberries to apples with cinnamon. The recipe was straight forward and very easy. The cooking time was also accurate.
My husband ate three. Need I say more?
My daughter spread hers with lemon curd. She was skeptical of the name, but once tasted, they were devoured.
My 12 month old son didn't say much other than, "mmmmmmnnnn", over and over again. I think that meant he liked them. I would definitely try this recipe again.
Since the purpose of this blog is to try out new a different recipes from my cookbooks. So, that meant I could NOT make a muffin recipe I had already tried, as sad as that is. My husband suggested Buttermilk muffins, but I was wary. Buttermilk biscuits, hell yeah, buttermilk pancakes are a favorite. Buttermilk Muffins? I was intrigued, if only mildly.
The recipe was chosen from the Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book. It is a spiral bound style cookbook, with some very basic, but delicious recipes. They supply one basic muffin recipe with many variations. This is a recipe that can be used to suit whatever one had on hand, from blueberries to apples with cinnamon. The recipe was straight forward and very easy. The cooking time was also accurate.
My husband ate three. Need I say more?
My daughter spread hers with lemon curd. She was skeptical of the name, but once tasted, they were devoured.
My 12 month old son didn't say much other than, "mmmmmmnnnn", over and over again. I think that meant he liked them. I would definitely try this recipe again.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Salsa All'amatriciana (Pasta Sauce)
In a complete departure from yesterday's Indian meal, today I attempted a basic, but authentic, Italian recipe. I have to admit I went searching for a recipe to suit what I already had on hand. I did not pick a recipe first, then go purchase ingredients. I am one of those people that often has too much food on hand. My best friend calls attention to the fact that I have a nut section in my cupboard, with probably at least 10 types of nuts. She's the kind of gal who rarely shops in advance (at least to my knowledge), but rather shops as the need arises. I often too much food on hand, of varying commonness and rarity.
Today's recipe, Salsa All'amatriciana was chosen from Everyday Italian, by Giada DeLaurentiis. It was chosen mainly because I had pancetta on hand that needed to be use. Also, tomorrow is grocery store day, so today's fridge inhaibtants were sparse. Giada descibes the recipe as such, "This is Rome's famous pasta sauce, but the recipe actually originated in a town outside Rome, called amatrice. This sauce is bold and perfectly balances with tangy tomatoes, sweet onion, and the salty meatiness of pancetta. In the time it takes to boil the water (for the pasta) the sauce is finished."
Ms. DeLaurentiis' claim that the sauce is quick and easy was quite accurate. While it took me a little longer to prep the ingredients than it took her, the sauce was perfectly finished by the time the pasta was cooked. The pancetta could be easily substituted with bacon for an easy everyday meal. Not everyone has pancetta just lying around.
The family's reaction:
My husband again went back for seconds as he did the night before with the cauliflower. I joked that he was not going to make it through the year if he keeps having second helpings. His NYR next year might to be to eat less of my cooking. He said he liked the authentic taste of the sauce. It tasted simple, but very real.
My daughter, aged 6, said it was "really good". She ate almost her entire serving. She might have continued had I not brought out the ice cream to the table. My bad.
My son, aged 12 months, seemed uninterested in food all together. He did take a few bites. No pasta was through over the side of the highchair. I take this as a good sign in babyworld.
This is definitely a recipe that lives up to the title of the book, Everyday Italian. It's a great variation on the standard red sauce. I estimate that I will now make this meal once a month.
Today's recipe, Salsa All'amatriciana was chosen from Everyday Italian, by Giada DeLaurentiis. It was chosen mainly because I had pancetta on hand that needed to be use. Also, tomorrow is grocery store day, so today's fridge inhaibtants were sparse. Giada descibes the recipe as such, "This is Rome's famous pasta sauce, but the recipe actually originated in a town outside Rome, called amatrice. This sauce is bold and perfectly balances with tangy tomatoes, sweet onion, and the salty meatiness of pancetta. In the time it takes to boil the water (for the pasta) the sauce is finished."
Ms. DeLaurentiis' claim that the sauce is quick and easy was quite accurate. While it took me a little longer to prep the ingredients than it took her, the sauce was perfectly finished by the time the pasta was cooked. The pancetta could be easily substituted with bacon for an easy everyday meal. Not everyone has pancetta just lying around.
The family's reaction:
My husband again went back for seconds as he did the night before with the cauliflower. I joked that he was not going to make it through the year if he keeps having second helpings. His NYR next year might to be to eat less of my cooking. He said he liked the authentic taste of the sauce. It tasted simple, but very real.
My daughter, aged 6, said it was "really good". She ate almost her entire serving. She might have continued had I not brought out the ice cream to the table. My bad.
My son, aged 12 months, seemed uninterested in food all together. He did take a few bites. No pasta was through over the side of the highchair. I take this as a good sign in babyworld.
This is definitely a recipe that lives up to the title of the book, Everyday Italian. It's a great variation on the standard red sauce. I estimate that I will now make this meal once a month.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Whole Cauliflower in Traditional Curry Sauce
Perhaps Indian cooking is a bit more ambitious of a beginning than some might choose. Many home cooks are familiar with French, Italian, even Chinese cooking (for those not natively of those origins). My parents are English, known the world over as bad cooks, so I have learned to look elsewhere for my culinary skills. I must give props to my mother, though. She is a wonderful, if not intuitive cook. What I mean by intuitive is this: My mother rarely uses recipes. she can somehow cook by intuitive and experience to create wonderful meals. I hope that I can honestly say that I have gained a little bit of this type of cooking myself.
This brings me back to my NYR to actually use the cookbooks at my hands to follow time tested techniques and recipes, rather than relying on intuition alone. Intuition does not always serve me well. In a previous incarnation of my desire to steer away from my intuitive cooking, I took a Indian Dahl class in Los Angeles. It was taught by a most wonderful lady, Neelam Batra. She forced me to be more patient with my cooking, to let things sit and brown, to develop flavor. It was a great class, albeit too short. Three hours, including the time to feast upon the products of our lesson.
I felt it only apropos to start my Year Of Recipes with a book I purchased from that class. The purpose of this blog is to try at least one recipe from each of my cookbooks in my collection, and one recipe a month from either Bon Appetit or Gourmet. I chose Whole Cauliflower in Traditional Curry Sauce. To quote from Ms. Batra's book, "In this recipe, a whole head of cauliflower, smothered in a fragrant curry sauce, makes for a dinner party dish par excellence." The curry itself is made of a onion, ginger, garlic paste, pureed fresh tomatoes, yogurt, and various spices. From start to finish, this recipe took a little under one hour. To make it fair, though, I was also cooking the rest of the meal that would accompany the cauliflower dish. Had I focused solely on the one item, I might have cut the cooking time to 45 minutes. The the main reason the recipe took me so long is the long simmering time in between the addition of three separate componets, the ginger/garlic/onion (10 minutes), the tomato puree (10 minutes), the spices and yogurt with the cauliflower (20 minutes).
I give high marks to this recipe, it was flavorful and interesting. My husband actually went back for seconds. My six year old pronounced it disgusting, and my 1 year old took a few bites. I do not think this is a stand alone dish. It is a side dish, even for the most avid vegetarian. I would definately make it again, but probably not often. It will definately not make it into my everyday rotation.
This brings me back to my NYR to actually use the cookbooks at my hands to follow time tested techniques and recipes, rather than relying on intuition alone. Intuition does not always serve me well. In a previous incarnation of my desire to steer away from my intuitive cooking, I took a Indian Dahl class in Los Angeles. It was taught by a most wonderful lady, Neelam Batra. She forced me to be more patient with my cooking, to let things sit and brown, to develop flavor. It was a great class, albeit too short. Three hours, including the time to feast upon the products of our lesson.
I felt it only apropos to start my Year Of Recipes with a book I purchased from that class. The purpose of this blog is to try at least one recipe from each of my cookbooks in my collection, and one recipe a month from either Bon Appetit or Gourmet. I chose Whole Cauliflower in Traditional Curry Sauce. To quote from Ms. Batra's book, "In this recipe, a whole head of cauliflower, smothered in a fragrant curry sauce, makes for a dinner party dish par excellence." The curry itself is made of a onion, ginger, garlic paste, pureed fresh tomatoes, yogurt, and various spices. From start to finish, this recipe took a little under one hour. To make it fair, though, I was also cooking the rest of the meal that would accompany the cauliflower dish. Had I focused solely on the one item, I might have cut the cooking time to 45 minutes. The the main reason the recipe took me so long is the long simmering time in between the addition of three separate componets, the ginger/garlic/onion (10 minutes), the tomato puree (10 minutes), the spices and yogurt with the cauliflower (20 minutes).
I give high marks to this recipe, it was flavorful and interesting. My husband actually went back for seconds. My six year old pronounced it disgusting, and my 1 year old took a few bites. I do not think this is a stand alone dish. It is a side dish, even for the most avid vegetarian. I would definately make it again, but probably not often. It will definately not make it into my everyday rotation.
A Year Of Recipes-Introduction
New Years Resolutions are not my thing. They are for people that need to improve themselves. Heck, I'm not saying that I don't have some improvements to make, but a NYR just seemed like such a forced way to change oneself. Also, they often don't seem to have a startling success rate. The most popular NYR seems to encompass dieting. Again, losing weight is something I surely could stand to do, but when I decided to make my very first NYR, I went in the opposite direction, as it were.
I love to cook and love all things relating to food. Correction: I love MOST things culinary. I am not an avid consumer of jellied eel, for instance. S0, within reason, I might be considered a foodie. I love trying new restaurants, especially ethnically diverse ones. I read the food section of the local newspaper, and often peruse the SF Chronicle and NY Times food sections when time permits. I subscribe to Bon Appetit and Gourmet, but rarely make the recipes in them. I realized recently that this might be a short coming of mine. What's the point of subscribing to the magazine if I wasn't going to USE it?
My New Year's Resolution: To make at least one recipe from each of my cookbooks in 2008. Also, to make at least on recipe a month from Gourmet or Bon Appetit.
I'm not exactly sure how many cookbooks I own, but it's no small change, I assure you. I hope at some point to get down to the knitty gritty of the matter and count them, but that will have to come later. The cookbooks I own range from 1000 Indian Recipes by a woman that I took a cooking class from, to a whole cookbook about corn that I received from a friend when they were moving.It is an eclectic assortment, to be sure. My husband, always the supportive chap, is interested and mildly amused to see what recipes I end up choosing. Some of these books were his before our marriage, and while they are shared property, still are his in an emotional way. He is eager to see how I utilize these books, as he is as much, or more so, a foodie as I.
I love to cook and love all things relating to food. Correction: I love MOST things culinary. I am not an avid consumer of jellied eel, for instance. S0, within reason, I might be considered a foodie. I love trying new restaurants, especially ethnically diverse ones. I read the food section of the local newspaper, and often peruse the SF Chronicle and NY Times food sections when time permits. I subscribe to Bon Appetit and Gourmet, but rarely make the recipes in them. I realized recently that this might be a short coming of mine. What's the point of subscribing to the magazine if I wasn't going to USE it?
My New Year's Resolution: To make at least one recipe from each of my cookbooks in 2008. Also, to make at least on recipe a month from Gourmet or Bon Appetit.
I'm not exactly sure how many cookbooks I own, but it's no small change, I assure you. I hope at some point to get down to the knitty gritty of the matter and count them, but that will have to come later. The cookbooks I own range from 1000 Indian Recipes by a woman that I took a cooking class from, to a whole cookbook about corn that I received from a friend when they were moving.It is an eclectic assortment, to be sure. My husband, always the supportive chap, is interested and mildly amused to see what recipes I end up choosing. Some of these books were his before our marriage, and while they are shared property, still are his in an emotional way. He is eager to see how I utilize these books, as he is as much, or more so, a foodie as I.
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