The Magic of an Ordinary Day

Thanksgiving

It's all about the food.  And the family, of course.  But for me, it's about cooking up a storm!

Dwayne was scheduled to work on Wednesday & Thursday, so we scheduled our Thanksgiving meal on Friday so we could have a nice day and not a hurried meal.  Because it's all about being thankful for having each other around (Dwayne's parents are here from Tucson) and who cares what day we eat the turkey, right?

So yesterday I as a nod to something traditionally Thanksgivingish I made the fabulous Smitten Kitchen pumpkin waffles I made a few weeks ago.  Wonderful!  We just had Hannah's favorite meal, Spaghetti, for dinner as I had some prep work to do for the real Thanksgiving meal, which is today. 

So here is my menu for the day, along with a link to recipies if they are online (which many of them are).  If you have never checked out Epicurious.com do so now!  I have my own recipe box there and many of my standards come from there.

Breakfast this morning is Cheese and Sausage breakfast casserole.  I've been making this for years, and there are two things I really like about it: 1) you make it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning so you can drink coffee and blog while breakfast cooks itself and 2) you can vary the ingredients according to what strikes your fancy or what you have in the house and it consistently turns out good.  Just stick with the same amount of eggs, milk, cheese and bread.  (And you can use 2% milk, I always do, and it turns out great!)

On to the turkey:  I have been brining my turkey in the past using Alton Brown's recipe and have had great success with it but I decided to shake things up a bit this year.  So I found this killer recipe for Adobo Turkey with Red Chile Gravy that I'm making this year.  I made up the adobo paste yesterday and the turkey is slathered in now, marinating away.  I always make a side of red chile sauce to go with my turkey anyway, so why not just make it in the gravy?  I can't wait to try it!

In the trying something new category, I was having a dilemma about the cranberry sauce.  I love cranberries...baked in things.  That big sugary, gloopy thing on the plate I always found very unappetizing. No one ever eats it.  But everyone thinks they have to have it because it's Thanksgiving. 

What I do like, however, is chutney.  So when I came across this recipe for cranberry, pear and ginger chutney I was all over it.  I made it on Wednesday and it was great---sweet, tart, peppery, gingery.  A few days for the flavors to mellow together and it should be fabulous. 

I have two more of the usual suspects: mashed potatoes, oven roasted vegetables, biscuits and cornbread stuffing.  I always have cornbread stuffing (recipe from the Joy of Cooking) because it holds it's texture up nicely.  I can't stand bread stuffing.  I know it's my personal opinion only but, really the texture? Kindergarten paste.  Same goes for cooking anything in that bird, a swarm of bacteria (shudder).  Yes, I know that millions of children my age all lived through Thanksgiving eating bread stuffing soaked in turkey juices but ever since I had microbiology it just grosses me out. 

Anyway.  On to desert. Pumpkin pie is another one of those "eh-- take it or leave it" kind of foods associated with Thanksgiving.  I don't like to serve "eh" kinds of foods so I found this Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe I'm making this morning.  I know that is kind of a late start, but I don't have enough eggs, and even after raiding our neighbor's pantry (we are watching their dogs) I still didn't have enough eggs so Dwayne has to go on a store run this morning.  But it is a high-altitude recipe (I have well-documented problems baking at our almost 7,000 feet of altitude) and I like saying "b-b-b-bunnnt cake" like in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" to amuse myself.  

And the best news?  Dwayne got put on standby last night, and when I woke up he was still in bed with me!  So I have a sous chef!!  I love cooking with him!

Another project

Because that's just what I need: another project.  But if you know me, you know I always want to be trying something new and different.  Maybe that's good, or maybe it's a lack of focus: I don't know.  But I found something last week that was very intriguing.

It's called Around the World in 80 Dishes, a food blog that explores the classic dishes from around the world.  It's from my friends at Epicurious, which besides my dog-eared copy of The Joy of Cooking is my go-to source for recipes and inspiration.  So here's my idea: cook my way through the blog a` la Julie & Julia.  Except not every night.  And not cracking open bones and eating marrow and brains and stuff like that.  And not all that butter, I have to lose 20 pounds, remember?

I was thinking of a more relaxed pace, like once or twice a week when I have a decent schedule and my husband is actually home to share the meal with me.  I think it would be totally fun.

Looking at the list, there are several that I've made already and a couple that are already favorites:

Posole (favorite)
Pierogies (favorite)
Pad Thai (favorite)
Crepes (favorite)
Bouillabaisse (made before)
Paella (made before)
Cheese fondue (made before)
Risotto (made before)
Seviche (made before)
Empanadas (made before)
Ropa Vieja (made before)
Fish Tacos (made before)
Cedar-planked salmon (made before)

So I'll share when I start my project, which I would like to do this week.  I'm actually scheduled to do an all day Pierogi cook-off with my friend Jeffery next Sunday, so there's already one off the list without even trying!  You see how easy this all is?

Pancakes

Can you stand another food post?

I love pancakes.  I remember getting pancakes for supper at home and thinking it was so special.  (Turns out we were just poor.)  Whatever the reason, I have always loved them but have always been a complete failure at making them from scratch, and that has always bothered me.  I know, I need to get a life if being a from-scratch pancake failure is a lingering disappointment.

But I decided to give it another go a few weeks ago and I am so glad I did.  I have been really into food blogs lately and discovered this recipe for blueberry pancakes at the completely delightful blog Smitten Kitchen.  They are, without a doubt, the best pancakes I have ever had.  Period. My family agrees, and even Hannah (who is not a huge pancake eater) ate several.

I think the trouble I was having was that I could not get my hospital corner, type A self to leave the batter all lumpy and glumpy like I was supposed to. 

I'm more of a crepes kind of girl where I can put everything in my Kitchen Aid and whip it up for a good, long while. 

At any rate, the other thing I am crediting to the success of the recipe is buttermilk.  And the light brushing of the melted butter on the skillet so you don't get grease-soaked pancakes. 

 

They were just perfection on a plate, and in fact I am making them again for dinner tonight.  I'm getting hungry just looking at them.

Back in the Kitchen

One of the things I have missed the most this past year has been cooking for my family.  I love to cook, and try new things in the kitchen.  I've also found out this last year (through meticulous examination of my diet) that a lot of preservatives in foods were the cause of many of my headaches.  So scratch-made is the best thing for me, but I had difficulty finding the time to do that.

Tonight I made one of my favorite things from one of my favorite cuisines: Vietnamese Noodle Salad.  Blame it on the Anthony Bourdain episodes I was watching last night: they kept going back to Vietnam and eating noodles. 

   

So here is the recipe, adapted from  Epicurious.com:

Vietnamese Noodle Salad

• 4 oz thin rice noodles
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce 
• 1 carrot, coarsely shredded
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 English cucumber, julienned
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• siracha sauce to taste 
• fresh cilantro for garnish
• chopped dry roasted peanuts for garnish
• Chinese style roast pork loin, grilled and sliced

 

Soak noodles in hot water 10 minutes, then drain in a large sieve.

Cook noodles in a 4-quart pot of boiling water, uncovered, until tender, about 1 minute. Drain in sieve and rinse under cold water until cold. Drain well and pat noodles dry.

Whisk together vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, siracha sauce (if desired) and soy sauce in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved.  Add vegetables to sauce and let sit for a few minutes.

Layer in individual bows the vegetable mixture, the noodles, meat and top with cilantro and peanuts. 

Note: the "Chinese" style pork loin was simply a pork loin with a quick marinade with Teriaki sauce, grilled.  I use Soy Vey, it's preservative-free and very tasty.   

So there you have it!  It is perfectly tasty, fresh, cool for a warm day and I was done with the whole meal (outside of the 30 seconds it took for me to pour the marinade over the pork loin ahead of time) in 40 minutes.  If you are a fan of Asian cuisine like me all of the condiments are in the pantry. 

Enjoy!

Heaven on a cooling rack

I played the part of a flight nurse yesterday (yeah me!) and flew a patient to Phoenix at 4 a.m. yesterday.  It was a nice quick trip and I was back at the office by 8 a.m.  Unshowered, baseball cap in place but in the office.  So I did some essential stuff that I needed to see to and left about 12:30, pretty tired out.

But the great news is that I got to come home and spend the afternoon with my family!  I took a quick power snooze in the hammock while Dwayne took Hannah for a ride in her wagon then had a huge hankering for oatmeal cookies.  I was all energized by my half hour nap so I got busy making cookies.  Yes, I know it's summer and it's hot (it was 75 degrees when I was in Phoenix at 0530...yikes!) but it's so nice and breezy up here in the mountains I can get away with it.

Now I have been on a quest for the perfect oatmeal raisin cookie and I think I have found it.  I tweaked a recipe from Epicurious.com and came up with this winner.  They are perfectly yummy, chewy and spicy.  Try them at home, they are totally worth it! 

 

Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• dash ground cloves
• dash ground nutmeg

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup craisins
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with foil; butter foil. Blend first 8 ingredients in medium bowl.

Using electric mixer, beat butter, vegetable shortening, and both sugars in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in honey, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, raisins, craisins and pecans. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing mounds 2 inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly.

Bake cookies until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Enjoy!!

a blast from the past

Here is a vintage photo sent to me from a classmate I have reconnected with via facebook.  It is from 8th grade marching band and I am playing the bells.  My friend Jim is playing the snare drum right next to me.  It brought back a lot of happy memories.

 

We are having a relaxing day watching football today.  I'd love to see an all Pennsylvania Superbowl.  Wouldn't that be cool?

The crepes were wonderful, by the way.  And yes, I had to throw the first one out but after that they were perfect! 

crepes 101

I am making one of my favorite suppers tonight: crepes.  I've never made crepes before, but have a renewed interest in trying new things a la Julie & Julia since I don't have time to cook during the week any more.   One of my fondest memories of Paris was the crepes we got from a street vendor. Soft, fluffy yet substantial, it was heaven.  Crepes is one of those things I adore and have never made so I have a well-rated crepes recipe from my go-to site, epicurious.com that I am trying tonight.  

The ingredients are pretty straightforward: eggs, milk, flour, salt and beer.  Yes, beer.

  

I had to pick just the right beer to go into my batter, you see.  Of the six different beers I had in my refrigerator (don't ask) I went with a nice Scottish Ale from a fine Wisconsin Brewery, Sprecher.  It will go fine with the Black Forest Ham and gruyere cheese I plan to tuck into the crepes.  

I plan to serve them with a salad and a cold Chardonnay.

Hannah informs me, of course, that she wants sprinkles on her crepes.    What can I say?  Her four year old palate has some developing to do. 

Bon Appetit!

meat pies and airplanes

I didn't do my usual Sunday update because my friend Jeffrey and I were having a meat pie making extravaganza! He's French Canadian and apparently you need a dozen or so of these to get through the holiday season.  They are totally yummy and after I tasted the ones he made last year demanded that he teach me how to do it. 

Of course, you can't cook in my kitchen without consuming several bottles of wine along the way.  Part of the holiday tradition as well.  I considered it a a cultural experience. 

He brought one of his dogs, Toby, over to play.  I'm not really a small dog kind of girl but this little dog was so cute and has such a sweet personality. 

The meat pies turned out great and we both have a stockpile in our freezer.

Yesterday there was some sort of plumbing emergency at Hannah's preschool so I took her to work with me for the morning until Dwayne could get some sleep and then pick her up.  How awesome that I can take her!  I took her out to the hanger to see the Lear jets. 

Here she is in the left (Captain's) seat...

New Mexinnati Chile

I made a hybrid between New Mexican style chile and Cincinnati Chili yesterday and it turned out great!  I hadn't set out to be all that creative, but had started my chile and realized I was missing some key ingredients.  So I improvised.

So here's my New Mexiannati Chile recipe:

1 pound ground beef, extra lean   
1 large onion, chopped      
6 cloves garlic
-------------------------------------------> combine in a pot with 4 cups water.  bring to a boil then simmer for an hour.

Add:
2 TB cider vinegar
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp.Mexican oregano
2 T New Mexican red chile powder
1 can refried beans (it thickens the chile)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Simmer another hour.

Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles with shredded cheddar cheese over the top.

Tastes best accompanied by a football game.  Enjoy.

Mac 'n Cheese

It's recently come to my attention that some people think that Macaroni and Cheese comes exclusively from a box.  They've never enjoyed the rich, comforting cheesy goodness of homemade Macaroni and Cheese.  What a travesty.

This is the most often requested recipe from the pot luck gang at the CCU.  I'll list the bare-bones recipe first then add the commentary.  It is adapted from the fabulous, can't-do-without Joy of Cooking.

This recipe makes a pot-luck sized batch (a deep 13 by 9 inch baking pan).  Set oven at 350 degrees.

1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 bay leaves
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 13 oz container frozen green chile, thawed and drained ( I use Bueno hot autumn roast)
Hot sauce ( I use Cholula)
Salt to taste
4 1/2 cup shredded cheese ( I usually use a Colby-Monterrey jack mix, but will usually throw in whatever I have in the house.  Adding a little  smoked provolone adds a great flavor)
1 pound uncooked pasta
3/4 cups buttered Panko bread crumbs.  (1 1/2 TB melted butter combined with 3/4 cups bread crumbs).

1.  Make the Bechamel Sauce:  Melt the butter on medium heat and stir in the flour when the butter is melted.  Add the paprika to the butter/flour mixture.  Whisk it continuously for a few minutes to get the raw flour taste out of it. Then whisk in the milk gradually.  Classic french cuisine would have you scald the milk first, but if you add it gradually -- maybe 1/3 of the milk at a time -- it will be fine. 

2.  Once the sauce is slightly thickened, you can switch your whisk out for a spoon and add the onion, bay leaf and green chile.  Add a few shakes of the hot sauce.  I do seven shakes myself but it is all personal preference.  Cook it on medium low for about 20 minutes, stirring often.  You don't have to have the sauce boiling away, just keep it so that a few bubbles appear on the edge.  If it seems to get a little thick, thin it out with some milk.

3.  While you are lovingly stirring your sauce, cook and drain the pasta, leaving it the tiniest bit underdone.  It's okay, it will cook more in the oven.

4.  When the sauce and pasta are both done, remove the sauce from the heat and stir in about 3 cups of cheese.  Taste and salt to taste after adding the cheese.  Find the bay leaves if you can and pull them out. Combine the pasta and the cheese sauce and stir gently.

5.  Have your big ole baking dish ready and sprayed with Pam.  Put half the mac n cheese mixture in the pan, then sprinkle on half the remaining cheese.  Add the other half of the pasta, then the rest of the cheese and top with the bread crumbs. 

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until it's all bubbly and the bread crumbs are toasty looking.  Take it to work and be the Rock Star of the potluck.

Bon Appetit!