Get Ready to Get Cooking

Moving

2008-07-29T01:31:08Z

I have moved this blog to pinchofkaty.blogspot.com. It's more accessible since I can get on blogger at work. I hope to see you there. :)

Recipe: Pasta Salad

2008-06-13T01:55:46Z

I don't even want to look at the thing that tells me how long it's been since I last updated. Evan and I just moved into our new house (!) on Friday, so the past two weeks have all been packing and moving and unpacking and cleaning and packing some more and moving some more and . . . you get the idea.

But, I actually got a chance to cook tonight. I made this cake, which may have been an unmitigated disaster. I haven't had the guts to take it out of the pan yet. I did something really stupid and put it in a springform pan. Word to the wise: those things leak. Don't pour cherries in a liquid in the bottom of one of them. Especially when you are out of paper towels and will therefore stain one of your dishcloths.

On to happier news, I made a kick-ass pasta salad tonight. I'd never attempted a pasta salad before. My mother often told me of how she could never get a pasta salad to work for her, so I had kind of developed a fear of making pasta salad. Well, it's actually pretty easy. I don't know what I was afraid of. Here's what I put in it, but I don't think it really needs a recipe. I just looked in my fridge for what looked good and threw it all together. Based on my admittedly limited experience, I would suggest 1 part pasta, 1 part veggies, 1/4-1/2 part cheese, and 1/4-1/2 part meat (if you wish).

Dressing:
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced

Salad:
3/4 lb cooked pasta (I used bowtie. Fusili or penne would also be good.)
2 oz pepperoni, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 oz provolone, cubed
1 cucumber, peeled, quartered and sliced
A few grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, and pepperoncini, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 sun-dried tomato, cut into bite-sized pieces

Method:
1. Whisk together vinegar, oil, and garlic until it has a uniform consistency. You don't need to bother drizzling the oil into the vinegar.
2. Toss dressing with the rest of the ingredients.

Most of the time taken by this recipe is taken by cutting stuff up, which can be done while the pasta cooks. If you cook the pasta while you're prepping the rest of the ingredients, rinse the pasta in cold water before adding it to the rest of the ingredients so it's easier to work with.

Link Soup

2008-05-27T22:35:27Z

Untried Sweet Recipe of the Week
Brownies from Mark Bittman

Untried Savory Recipe of the Week
Pasta with Spinach, Chickpeas, and Bacon from Serious Eats

Internet Tool of the Week
Food Blog Search

Cooking Tip of the Week
How to Make Grilled Pizza via Serious Eats - This makes me even more eager to move into our house so we can actually use our grill. (The city we live in does not allow propane grills in aparment complexes.)

Food News of the Week
Craft Brewers Reformulate Beer to Cope With Hops Shortage - I thought my favorite beers tasted different.

Funny Food of the Week
Steve Carell's SNL Monologue via Serious Eats

for your recipe collection:
Raspberry Pecan Blondies
Recipes for the beginning cook
A Healthier Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie
Beef Braciole, Pinwheel Style
Easy Ricotta Gnocchi
Sweet Potato Salad with Caramelized Onions and Guajillo Chile Dressing
Spanish Tortilla
Breakfast Fried Rice
Two blended salsas

for your edification:
Green Ways to Disinfect Your Sink
What's in Season Now?
Build a Better Salad
Chocolate's Numbers Game - In other words, chocolate with 70% cocoa content is not necessarily the best chocolate.
How to Remove the Skins from Nuts
Dairy Co-op Faces Investigations

for your amusement:
Samuel L. Jackson beer commercial parody
BBQ Donut raft
Crazy Food Art - The last one is a little disturbing. Consider yourself forewarned.

Kitchen Essentials: Equipment

2008-05-24T01:24:44Z

Getting started in a kitchen is hard. If you don't have a lot of experience cooking, how do you know what you need to buy now, what can wait for later, and what will go unused? I already had a fair amount of cooking experience when I got married and moved out of my parents' house, but I still messed up. There were quite a few things that I wished I had put on our wedding registry and a few that I look at now and go, "Why did I want that?" For example? An iced tea maker. I had an idea that since my husband--good southern boy that he is--liked sweet tea, I could make it at home with an iced tea maker. I used it once. It's still taking up space in my small appliance area in the pantry. I honestly don't know why I haven't gotten rid of it.

Now let me preface this list by saying that I normally cook for myself and my husband only. The following list of equipment has served me well in this capacity. I feel that it would still translate well to larger families, but I can't know for sure. I've divided the list into three parts. I would recommend buying everything in the first list before attempting to cook in your kitchen. (You should be able to do this with good quality equipment for less than $300. Yes, you can buy the cheap stuff and save some money, but you'll just end up buying it over and over. Get some good quality, durable equipment, please.) The other two lists I have put approximately in the order in which you should buy them.

The Bare Bones Kitchen
7"-9" chef's knife, paring knife, serrated bread knife - We've been over this one.
2 cutting boards - You need two for food safety reasons-one for meat, one for veggies. You can use a wooden cutting board for veggies, but I would recommend plastic or silicone for meat. Don't use glass or marble cutting boards period. They will dull your knives.
10" saute pan - Non-stick or not, it's really your choice. I have both, but I only end up using the non-stick pan for eggs. Most foods will let go of the pan if you let them sit long enough and start them on a pan that's already heated. If you go with a pan without a non-stick coating, don't buy one that is copper or aluminum. Both metals will leach into acidic foods and make it taste weird. However, if you're into candy making, copper is great. You'll use this to sear meat, saute vegetables, pan fry, and make some sauces.
stock pot and/or dutch oven - I like cast iron dutch ovens over enameled ones. I'm paranoid that the enamel will chip, and besides, cast iron pans enrich your food with iron. When I was little, I was
anemic at one point. The doctor told my mother to cook my food on cast iron. Crazy, isn't it? You'll use this to make soups, cook pasta, deep fry, and braise.
8" square baking pan - I like pyrex best. It's easier to tell when food is done and harder to burn it. You'll use this for cakes and casseroles. It also works as a roasting pan in a pinch if you don't
need to cover what you're cooking. For that, you can use the dutch oven.
Utensils - Silicone spatula, can opener, mixing bowls, and measuring cups and spoons (Oxo good grip ones are great. For liquids I have an adjustable one that's basically a tube on a gasket.)

Not Quite so Bare Bones
baking equipment - 2 half sheet pans or cookie sheets, pie pan, muffin tin, loaf pan, whisk and/or hand mixer, rolling pin
vegetable peeler - Buy one with a comfy handle, not one of those cheap metal things. You know what I'm talking about.
tongs - I use these all the time - to stir pasta, to flip solid food, to toss salads, etc.
wire mesh strainer- Use it to drain pasta, strain sauces/custards/etc, sift flour, decorate cakes with powdered sugar.
cast iron skillet - I use if for pan frying, cooking high-fat meat (helps keep the seasoning), and pancakes. Nothing in your kitchen will heat as evenly. It's a champ.
grater

Time to Trick it out
digital probe thermometer - get one that has a digital readout where you plug in the thermometer which is attached to a cord (like
this). That way, when you're cooking something in the oven, you don't have to open the door to see how close it is to being done. Plus, it has an alarm that will go off when the thermometer reads a
certain temperature.
toaster or toaster oven - I like the toasters with big openings so you're less limited with what you can put in there.
crock pot - Put food in there and leave it all day. Low maintenance cooking at its best.
9"x13" cake pan and/or 2 9" round cake pans and/or springform pan - if you're into astetics when you bake or like cheesecake
stand mixer - I'll just say this. There's a reason KitchenAid is the gold standard. I hear Cuisinart also makes a good one. Look for one with a planetary motion (it orbits while it's spinning). There should
be one beater, not two. They generally come with a whisk, a paddle, and a dough hook. I got my KitchenAid for $100 off Amazon (they have them on sale every once and a while. Be patient and wait for the
sale.)
roasting pan - If you plan to ever make Thanksgiving dinner, you will need one. Get one with a rack. I like the flat ones best.
blender or immersion blender - If you're into smoothies, buy a regular blender. Otherwise, I'd go with the immersion one. Immersion blenders are especially good for making milkshakes and pureeing soups.
food processor - I use mine mostly for making pastry dough and bread crumbs and grating veggies. If you're going to buy a food processor, get the grating and slicing blades. You'll thank me later.
ice cream maker - I have the Cuisinart version where you put the core in the freezer overnight and it sits on a rotating base. It hasn't failed me yet.
coffee grinder - I really want one of those coffee makers that grinds the coffee for you. Anyway, this is nice for having nice, fresh coffee in the morning or for grinding whole spices.
salad spinner - It's good to get the moisture off the surface of greens before storing them. It helps them stay good longer.
pizza stone - The best homemade pizza comes off a pizza stone.

Link Soup

2008-05-18T20:44:31Z

Untried Sweet Recipe of the Week
Chocolate and Raspberry Cake with Chocolate Glaze from Use Real Butter - Oh my goodness. I need to be careful to protect the keyboard from all the drooling.

Untried Savory Recipe of the Week
Grilled Sweet Potato Salad - I love, I mean love, sweet potatoes. It's like the perfect food. You can make it into a side dish or dessert. Mash it. Bake it. Fry it. Put it in a pie. And it's good for you too. Good stuff.

Cooking Tip of the Week
Your One-Stop Shop for Work Lunch Ideas from Cheap Healthy Good

Internet Tool of the Week
Eats.com - Share local restaurant reviews with fellow eaters.

Food News of the Week
They took all the risk out of eating fugu (poisonous blowfish - Does that mean they took out all the fun? Apparently the best sushi chefs will allow a tiny bit of poison (it's in the liver) to get into the meat of the fish, thus giving you a tingling sensation. Will people want it without the tingle?

Funny Food of the Week
An introduction to the world of cheese racing from Serious Eats

for your recipe collection
Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
Dried Fig and Nut Bars
Hummus
Cherry Cornmeal Upside Down Cake
Foccacia with Onion and Rosemary
Balsamic-Glazed Brussels Sprouts
Breakfast Pizza
Chinese Cold Noodles
Strawberry Basil Granita
Chocolate Whiskey Cake
Skewered Pineapple Shrimp
Ricotta Torte

for your edification
How to Hold Your Knife
How to Render Lard
Tips for timing a dinner party
Prefermentation explained
Quick Desserts
How to Blanch Vegetables
Blowdry your chicken for extra-crispy crust
On Tasting While Cooking - The jist? Do it.
Latin American Ingredients and Flavors
French Ingredients and Flavors
Parties on the Cheap

for your amusement
Singing Human Sushi
Target: Women, Yogurt Edition
John Belushi in Little Chocolate Donuts
Japanese Boob Pudding - I don't think it needs to be said that this is NSFW

cookingwithkaty @ 2008-05-17T14:02:00

2008-05-17T23:01:17Z

This post is really just an excuse to teach you how to make tomato sauce. Though Italian sausage is certainly a yummy way to augment your tomato sauce. I confess that I do not often make my tomato sauce. I don't know why. You can make it in giant batches for way cheaper, especially if you use herbs from your garden. Unfortunately, a batch large enough to use an entire package of fresh herbs would be ridiculous. Alternatively, you could also use dried herbs, but it won't taste as good. Seriously, plant an herb garden. Basil, oregano, and thyme are great and quite versatile. I could eat basil straight off the plant. Seriously.

Okay, so I don't actually have an herb garden right now. We're moving from an apartment to a house in less than a month, and it would be a serious pain to move it. I want one so bad. :( I got the herbs from my very first CSA box. The basil was so beautiful I could cry.

So, how do you make tomato sauce?

You can make a basic tomato sauce with just olive oil, garlic, onion, and tomatoes. You saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil. (Most recipes require you to sweat the garlic and onions, meaning you cook them slowly until they turn transparent without letting them brown. I like sauting better. Letting the onion get a little bit of color makes it more flavorful.) Then, you add the tomatoes and simmer. You can augment it by adding bell pepper (with the garlic and onions), oregano, thyme, basil, and/or parsley (at the end), and/or crushed red pepper (whenever, pretty much). I put all of these in my tomato sauce, and I am glad to say that my husband said it was his favorite. I use a mixture of diced and crushed tomatoes because I like the consistency of the sauce at the end, but you can use any that you want. Or even fresh ones.

Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
enough fresh basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley for a handful (about 1/4-1/3 c)
1 t red pepper flakes

Method:
1. Saute the garlic, onion, and bell pepper in the olive oil over medium-low to medium heat until the onions are transparent.
2. Add the tomatoes and simmer over medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes.
3. Just before serving or storing, add the herbs and red pepper flakes. You just want the herbs to wilt before serving, no more, especially if you're storing it to serve later. I freeze tomato sauce in a muffin tin and then transfer the sauce to a ziptop bag.

To make the spaghetti and italian sausage, cut up one link of sweet italian sausage into bite sized pieces (or use bulk sausage). Brown the sausage over medium-high heat (use a little oil or non-stick spray) until cooked. It shouldn't take long, maybe three minutes. Add 1 1/2 c of sauce, and heat through. Meanwhile, boil 1/2 lb of spaghetti in salted water. When the pasta is done, drain and toss with the sauce.

Blog Party: The Buffy Bash

2008-05-15T01:39:48Z

Stephanie, over at Dispensing Happiness is hosting a Blog Party with a Buffy theme this month. How could I possibly resist? I thought ideas would come to me easily since I was only obsessed with the show for six years, but I haven't watched in almost as long. (When did it go off the air?) I need to go back and watch some, especially the good ole old school second and third season episodes. And call me crazy, but I love me some season four as well. Yea, I know. Adam was lame, but it had some of the best episodes. Beer Bad, anyone? Something Blue? Fear Itself? Hush? = possibly the best episode of the entire show.

Anyway, to the food.

I'd say the inspiration is pretty obvious, wouldn't you? I felt so clever when I came up with it. I used a panini press, but you don't really need one. Just make sure you press down well with a spatula and cook it like a grilled cheese. Or you can just go crazy and use two pans like Alton Brown does. Crazy dude. *hearts* I ate the panini with a salad and called it dinner, but they also make for tasty finger food - depending on the bread, of course. Skinny baguette=finger food. Big fat round loaf=meal.

Ingredients:
French bread, sliced diagonally
Olive oil
Provolone cheese, either sliced or shredded
Roast beef
Chicken breast
Sundried tomatoes
Caesar salad dressing

Directions:
Chop up the tomatoes very finely and mix with the caesar dressing.
Brush the bread on one side with olive oil.
Assemble the sandwiches thusly, from bottom to top: bread (oil side down), tomato/dressing concoction, beef, chicken, provolone, bread (oil side up).
Place on a pre-heated panini press or skillet over medium to medium-high heat and cook until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. 3-5 minutes on the panini press.

And to drink with it? A stake driver! What's in it? Why, vodka and orange juice, of course. I know, clever.

I also tried to make red velvet cupcakes with a red filling so it would "bleed" when you bit into it, but the filling fell to the bottom . . . so that didn't work. Put one in the lesson learned column.

Link Soup: Only Six Days Late

2008-05-10T13:48:07Z

Untried Sweet Recipe of the Week
Nutella Ice Cream originally from Chocolate and Zucchini - It seems like it would be pretty rich, but who can resist Nutella?

Untried Savory Recipe of the Week
Bourek bil Kefta from 64 sq ft kitchen - It's a North African spring roll type concoction, and it looks really yummy. I have a fascination with Middle Eastern flavors, but I've never tried them. (Well, actually, I did go to an Israeli restaurant in New York. Oh man, that was good.)

Cooking Tip of the Week
How Does Brining Work? from The Kitchn- Brining works great on poultry, pork, and shellfish. It helps the meat stay juicy and infuses it with flavor. This post explains why.

Internet Tool of the Week
Cookthink - Plug in what you're in the mood for, and it will spit out recipes to satisfy that mood.

Funny Food of the Week
Cigarettea via Slashfood - Basically a teabag shaped like a cigarette. I suppose it can soothe the oral fixation and feel of the cigarette in the hand for people who are trying to quit smoking.

For Your Recipe Collection
Roasted Chickpeas
Steamed Mashed Potatoes
Homemade Energy Bars
Lemon Chicken
Hush Puppies - I have such a weakness for them.
Flower Pot Desserts - This one goes against my from scratch sensibilities, but when the end result is this cute, who cares?
Scallion Pancakes
Homemade Oreo Cookies

For Your Edification
Asian Flavor Combinations
Italian Pasta Template
Indian Ingredients and Flavors
What is Spelt?
How to Decode PLU Stickers

For Your Entertainment
Culinary Brain Teaser: The Incompatible Food Triad
A Dishwasher for Your Wall

Red Beans and Rice

2008-05-10T00:39:18Z

All right. This is going to be the beginning of a mini-marathon of
posts. I have indeed been cooking and taking pictures and such, but I
have just not had time to actually post any of it what with looking
for a house and everything. I figured that we'd have more time since
we bid on a house and our offer was accepted, but we're having
problems with the contract. So, ugh.

In happier news, red beans and rice is yummy.

Let's start(ish) this out with a little lesson in Creole cooking, of
which red beans and rice is a part. Apparently, it is not Cajun.
Personally, I find Cajun and Creole nearly indistinguishable since
they share very similar flavor profiles. Does that make me a bad
southerner? Perhaps. I can, however, tell you a bit about the
history of the two cuisines. Cajuns - or Acadians - came from Canada.
They have French roots, and therefore Cajun cooking is French cooking
adapted to locally available ingredients. Hence you have the
ubiquitous presence of roux (a thickening agent based on flour and
butter or oil), stock, and their adaptation of mirepoix called the
holy trinity. Mirepoix consists of two parts onion, one part celery,
and one part carrot. The holy trinity simply replaces the carrot with
bell pepper.

Creole cooking originated in New Orleans. It also uses French
techniques, but blends other European, African, and American
influences. It also has different origins in that Cajun cooking
originated from peasant food while Creole cooking originated with
aristocrats.

Along with roux, chicken stock, shellfish stock, onion, celery, and
bell pepper, there are several ingredients you will commonly find in
Cajun and/or Creole cooking. These include garlic, green onions,
cayenne pepper, bay leaf, shellfish (esp. crawfish (crawfish etoufee
is friggin yummy)), smoked sausage (esp. andouille), and white rice.
You can pretty successfully fake a Cajun/Creole dish by including the
holy trinity and some of the other ingredients.

Now let me say that I am not an expert on these cuisines. I've
learned what I have by looking for recipes to satisfy the tastes of my
Southern boy of a husband and talking to my history buff and
Louisiana-living father in law.

Now that the background is over, let's get to the cooking.

Traditionally, the beans, rice, and sausage are cooked separately and
combined at the dinner table, but I don't do that. I mean, why dirty
up three pots when you can dirty up just one? So I throw it all in
the Crock Pot. This is also often made with a pork bone or ham hock,
but I don't do that either. I find the andouille sausage imparts
plenty of meaty flavor to the beans. If you are a vegetarian, I would
suggest adding some liquid smoke or smoked meat substitute as the
smoky flavor of the sausage is very important to the dish. This makes
a ton, and it's even better as leftovers, so freeze it for later.

Ingredients:
1 c diced onion
1/2 c diced celery
1/2 c diced bell pepper (color doesn't really matter, I use green
because it's cheap)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 c kidney beans
2 links of andouille sausage, quartered and cut in 1/2 inch slices (I
want to say that's 4 oz)
1 q chicken stock
2-4 c water
salt and pepper, to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 c uncooked long grain white rice

Method:
1. Rinse the beans and pick out any non-bean matter. I find that
there is no need to soak them since they will be cooking for so long.
2. Toss everything but the rice into a slow cooker. Stir, cover, and
cook on low all day.
3. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the rice.
4. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Offer hot sauce at the table.

Wasn't that easy?

Link Soup: Now coming to you weekly!

2008-04-27T16:32:54Z

Untried sweet recipe of the week
Chocolate Buttermilk Cake from Food & Wine - It has a blackberry filling and sounds, just, yummy.

Untried savory recipe of the week
Roasted Asparagus with Parmigiano Reggiano from Serious Eats - I usually saute my asparagus in butter or olive oil to the "tender crisp" stage, but this recipe cooks the asparagus far past that point. I've never tried it that way, but it sounds intriguing.

Cooking tip of the week
Tips for squeezing extra value out of ordinary kitchen items from Serious Eats

Internet tool of the week
FOODPAIRING - You can pick ingredients from a list, and it will tell you what goes with it and how well.

Food news of the week
Who says you need eight glasses a day? from Slate - an interesting look at the origins of the "8x8" myth. I don't think it really hurts anybody to drink eight glasses of water a day unless they don't get enough salt in their diet, but it annoys the crap out of me when people wear it like a badge of honor that they drink 64 oz of water a day. Whoop-dee-doo. It reminds me of a Jim Gaffigan sketch where he talks about vegetarians bragging about not eating meat, but that'll get me into this whole thing about people bragging about making lateral changes in lifestyle. Let's just suffice to say that I don't like it. But I do like Jim Gaffigan.

Funny food of the week
Optimus Prime assembled out of tin cans from Neatorama

For your recipe collection:
Kohlrabi & Apple Slaw with Creamy Cole Slaw Dressing from A Veggie Venture
Migas from Serious Eats (A great way to use up stale tortilla chips)
Sweet Potato Bread Pudding from The Kitchn
Poppy Seed Pancakes from 101 Cookbooks
Hash Browns from Simply Recipes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies from Pip in the City
Chile con Queso from Homesick Texan
102 Light Salad Dressing Recipes from Cheap Healthy Good

For your edification:
How to Make a Mini S'mores Grill from Serious Eats
Guide to storing cheese from The Kitchn
Hot to Brine Meat from The Kitchn
How to store fresh herbs from Simply Recipes
How to Mix by Folding from The Kitchn
A Beginner's Guide to TV Chefs from Cheap Healthy Good

For your amusement:
Marijuana Laced "Happy Pizza" Taken off the Market in Cambodia via Serious Eats
The Kitchen of the Future ca. 1999 (video from 1967) from Serious Eats
Fresh, Homemade Rick Rolls via Slashfood

Chicken and Noodles

2008-04-25T23:22:28Z

Tupperware is giving away $1 for every purchase of selected items to Boys and Girls Club. In celebration/to bring attention to this, What's Cooking? is hosting a cooking challenge. The challenge was to make something that you loved from your childhood or that your kids love.

The first thing I thought of was chicken and noodles. It was my favorite meal growing up. Somehow, I don't seem to have any special memories to share about it. Unfortunately, my mother used boxed Lipton butter noodles and canned chicken to make it. My foodie sensibilities just will not allow me to make it that way. (Yes, I am a snob.) So, what you see below is my interpretation of a childhood classic in my house. I tried more to imitate the looks of it than the taste. I chose to use a bechamel(milk sauce) for the creamy sauce, though a combination of chicken stock or vegetable stock and milk would work just as well. A chicken stock would be especially nice since it would make the dish taste more chicken-y. I mostly chose the herbs to mimic the green speckled look of the sauce that I remember, but they still go quite well with garlic. I would suggest using leftover chicken for this, mostly because otherwise, you need three pots/pans to make it.

Chicken and Noodles

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, cooked and cubed or shredded
1 T butter
1 T flour
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c milk (for a less rich version, try 3/4 c stock and 1/4 c milk)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 handfuls (about 1 cup, I think) of bow tie pasta or egg noodles
1 pinch each of dried parsley, thyme, and oregano
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
1/3 c frozen peas

Method:
1) Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until it just starts to brown. I would suggest using a whisk to stir since you will need to do so later. No need to dirty up more than you have to.
2) Stir in the flour to make a roux. It should be about the consistency of peanut butter. Stir it around for about 2 minutes. You're just trying to get rid of the taste of raw flour in the final sauce.
3) Whisk in the milk, salt, and pepper, and add the chicken. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4) While the sauce and chicken are simmering, cook the noodles in a large pot of salted, boiling water. (Bring the water to a boil and add salt before you put in the pasta.)
5) Once the pasta is done, strain it and add it to the saucepan. Add the herbs, cheese, and peas at this time as well. Simmer until the peas are heated through.

Kitchen Essentials: The Pantry

2008-04-19T16:04:49Z

I can't lie. This has been a difficult one for me. It's hard to come up with a pantry that will work for everyone. Personal taste and dietary restrictions certainly play into what goes into a pantry quite a bit, but this should be a pretty good multipurpose pantry, especially if you're stocking it for the first time. This pantry will include perishable items, but only those that should be in your fridge most, if not all, of the time.

Shelf-Stable General Pantry Items
Beans, dried and/or canned – I suggest kidney, pinto, chickpeas, split peas, and black beans
Oils – canola oil for frying, sautéing & baking, extra virgin olive oil for sautéing & salad dressing
Garlic
Onion
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Pasta – spaghetti, linguine, lasagna, macaroni
Pasta sauce
Tomatoes – fresh or canned (diced & crushed is what I suggest); keep only canned tomatoes during fall and spring, fresh tomatoes at that time are pretty bad
Broth or stock
Rice – long grain white, long grain brown, Arborio
Oats – rolled, steel-cut, instant
Tomato paste
Couscous - I choose whole wheat
Vinegar – white, balsamic, cider
Sesame oil - great for Asian dishes
Nuts
Artichoke hearts
Sun-dried tomatoes
Roasted peppers - this and the previous two go great in pasta
Canned veggies - I'll admit it. I keep them around for a quick side dish. I even cook them in the microwave. (What kind of foodie am I?)
Tea - I'll restore my cred here by telling you that I brew loose leaf tea. Make chai this way. You will never go back.
Coffee
Tortilla chips
Canned fish - tuna, salmon, anchovies if you eat Italian a lot

Baking Staples
Flour – all-purpose, whole wheat
Baking powder
Baking soda
Sugar
Powdered Sugar
Brown Sugar
Honey
Cocoa powder
Chocolate chips
Baking chocolate
Yeast
Maple syrup
Vanilla extract
Cornmeal
Raisins
Cornstarch

Dried Herbs & Spices
Chili powder - It's a good multipurpose spice mix for chili (of course), barbecue, etc.
Cinnamon
Ginger
Allspice
Cloves
Nutmeg - I like buying them whole. They're the easiest to grind. You can just use a grater.
Paprika - Once again, good for a lot of things. My favorite use for it is fried chicken.
Cayenne - Good for cajun cookery and chili
Cumin - Good for mexican food and chili
Oregano
Peppercorns - I keep them whole becuase they are so much more versatile than ground.
Salt
Rosemary
Thyme
Poppy seeds
Sesame seeds
Red pepper flakes
Mustard powder

Refrigerator Items
Carrots
Celery - mixed with carrots and onions, you get the basis of just about all French cooking
Milk
Eggs
Bell peppers - mixed with celery and onions, you get the basis of just about all Cajun cooking
Peanut butter or other nut butter
Bread
Pickles
Ketchup
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Soy sauce
Worcestershire
Salad dressing
Butter
Cheese – mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar
Cream cheese
Orange juice
Tortillas
Basil
Parsley
Salad greens
Apples and/or pears
Prepared horseradish
Olives
Salsa
Cottage cheese
Green onions
Lemons

Freezer Items
Frozen fruit – berries, cherries, and peaches
Frozen veggies – spinach, peas, fries
Chicken breasts
Sausage

I'll be sure in the future to indicate any recipes you can cook from the pantry or by adding 3 or fewer ingredients to what is on this list.

Strawberry Sorbet

2008-04-16T01:41:54Z

See up there? That's my first foray into the world of food photography. Not bad for a first attempt if I do say so myself. (Though I have to admit to a little post-camera tweaking.) That lovely looking strawberry sorbet you see above is what I made tonight. It's so so yummy. And it's really not that hard . . . assuming you have an ice cream maker. It would be rather difficult if you didn't. I have this one, and I very much enjoy it. To get it ready for the sorbet, the core has to go into the freezer the day before.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to tell you that I used some leftover strawberries that were in my freezer as well as some in my fridge. So the amount on the strawberries is purely an estimate. However, I think it's pretty close thanks to the gauge on the side of my blender.

You'll notice the presence of alcohol in the sorbet. Don't worry. You can't taste it. It's just there to lower the melting point of the sorbet and therefore help keep it from freezing into a strawberry-flavored block of ice. If you wanted to be able to taste the alcohol you add, I would recommend orange liqueur or brandy. If you use those, I would up the alcohol content a tad and lower the sugar content to keep it from becoming too sweet and preserve the texture. Other ways to tweak? Lemon juice and/or zest or balsamic vinegar.

Strawberry Sorbet

Ingredients:
1.5 pints strawberries
2/3 c sugar
2 Tbsp vodka

Method:
1) Cut the leaves off the tops of the strawberries and slice in half.
2) Put all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. If you wish to, you can strain it. (I didn't.)
3) Start up your ice cream maker and pour the base from the blender into the ice cream maker.
4) Freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. I let mine run for 15 minutes.
5) Put into a container and leave in the freezer for at least 3 hours before serving. Or eat it straight out of the ice cream maker if you just can't wait.

Chicken Stock

2008-04-12T16:18:54Z

I made stock yesterday. Stock is a strange dichotomy for me. It's really quite simple to make, but it makes me feel like an accomplished cook when I see water turn into a rich, golden liquid because of something I did. It might also have something to do with the fact that when I make stock, it means I have cooked with a whole chicken, which means I have cut it into pretty little pieces of drumsticks, thighs, and boneless-skinless chicken breasts. This is a somewhat complex process, so I won't get into it now. But if you'd like to make your own stock without starting with a whole chicken, I would suggest using chicken wings or chicken feet. Most supermarkets will not have these on display, but you should be able to get them if you ask the butcher. In fact, they will probably be glad to get rid of them. If you roast a whole chicken, you can also use the leftover bones for the stock. The bones from a roasted chicken will yield a slightly different result. The stock will be darker and a bit more flavorful than a stock that starts with raw bones. They both have their place in the kitchen.

Chemistry 101
When you make stock, you are infusing the water with the flavor of chicken and your choice of vegetables, yes, but mostly you are working magic with the bones. See, bones are full of collagen, and when you cook collagen slowly with a wet cooking method, the collagen dissolves and becomes gelatin. Gelatin, the thing that makes Jell-O possible, gives stock a rich, meaty mouthfeel. It's also why soup turns into goo when you put it in the refrigerator.

Basic Chicken Stock

Ingredients:
1 chicken carcass, broken down into small pieces or 1 lb of chicken wings and/or feet (cut wings at joints, cut claws off feet)
2 carrots, cut into large chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into large chunks
1/2 onion, layers separated
Optional: herbs (1 bay leaf, a sprig of thyme, a couple sprigs of parsley, and a couple peppercorns would be what I suggest. I usually leave them out. I prefer to not risk the clash of seasonings when I put stock in a dish. Some people also put salt in their stock, but I do not. That's mostly a personal preference, but if this stock is ever going to be reduces, salting it would be a bad idea.)
Water

Method:
1) Toss all ingredients into a large pot and pour in enough cold water to cover everything.
2) Put the pot on a burner set to medium-high, and let it come to a boil.
3) Once it has come to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low. You want it to just be at a simmer - bubbles slowly coming to the surface.
4) Let it simmer for at least 2 hours. 4-8 hours is ideal. Check on it every once in a while to make sure it hasn't come to a boil and to remove any scum that has risen to the surface with a slotted spoon or a wire strainer.
5) When the stock is done, fill a large bowl or your sink with ice and water and place a container big enough to hold the stock in the middle. This step is not completely necessary for a batch this size, but it is reassuring from a food safety standpoint. Also, if you make a batch much larger than this, putting hot stock into your refrigerator will raise the temperature of the fridge into the "danger zone". Letting the stock cool on the stove top is also a bad idea, therefore, ice bath.
6) Place a fine strainer on top of your container, and ladle stock over the strainer into the container until the water level in the pot is low enough that you feel confident pouring the stock from the pot. You can also siphon it, but be careful not to burn yourself.
7) Stir the stock to help it cool quickly, then cover and store in the refrigerator.
8) The next day, there should be a layer of fat on the top. You should be able to just pull it off. Now your stock is done. Use it within the next few days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.

Link Soup

2008-04-06T15:19:53Z

Kitchen Essentials: Cutting Stuff Up

2008-02-09T17:45:41Z

The Grip

There are two main ways to hold your knife. First, for ease of understanding, let's call your thumb finger #1 and your pinky finger #5. I think you can figure out the rest. In the first grip, you wrap fingers 2-5 around the handle and stabilize the blade with your thumb at the base of the blade. In the second grip, you wrap fingers 3-5 around the handle and grip the base of the blade between your first and second fingers. Personally, I prefer the second grip. It feels a little awkward at first, but I feel I have better control of the knife with that one.

Don't Cut Yourself!

The first way to prevent kitchen cuts is to make sure your cutting board doesn't slide around. A lot of wooden cutting boards have grippers on the bottom. If your cutting board does not have grippers on the bottom, there are a couple of ways to keep your board from sliding: get a tea towel damp and put it under the board, or get some grippy shelf liner and cut it up.

Secondly, whenever possible, keep your knife in contact with the cutting board. When you cut into an item, you'll roll the knife into it. You obviously can't do that when you cut into a large item or cut horizontally, so when you're doing that, just make sure that the item is stable. When cutting an item horizontally, press your palm against it and cut parallel to your palm.

Finally, move the food, not the knife. Curl your fingers under and use your knuckles as a guide, kind of like this. Just make sure the blade never comes above your knuckles.

What does chop/mince/dice mean?

Chop just means to cut it up. It doesn't have to be small or square, just cut into manageable or bite-sized pieces.

Dice means cut it into squares. If size is not indicated, 1/4" squares are pretty standard. 3/4" is large dice, 1/2" medium dice, and 1/4" small dice. When dicing a round object, at least square up the bottom so it doesn't roll around. Truth be told, unless you're trying to impress someone, I think it's a waste of time and food to cut things into perfect cubes. Just make sure every piece is close to the same size so it cooks evenly.

Mincing is fun. You cut things into tiny pieces. To do so, first you thinly slice the item. Then you'll want to grip the knife like this, with one hand gripping the base like normal and the other hand at the top of the blade near the tip. Then you'll rock the blade back and forth, rotating around the tip, until you achieve a mince.

Here's a pretty good video about correctly using a knife. The only problem I have is that she moves the knife instead of the food. It's much safer to move the food.

What's in Season? What Can I Do With It?

2008-02-03T22:25:49Z

I try to buy what's in season whenever possible, but sometimes that can be very difficult. If you don't have a farmer's market or CSA convenient to you, it can be almost impossible to tell what is in season. Supermarkets keep almost everything in stock all year. It's a great convenience when you want a nice fresh salad in November, but it's expensive. And, the amount of fuel needed to move all that food has become so much that they estimate that it actually impacts the environment less to drive a mile than to use the calories from food to walk a mile.

So, support local farmers, save the environment, save money, and get better tasting, more nutrient-rich food to boot: buy in season. To help you do so, every month, I will list what is in season and a few ways to prepare them.

BROCCOLI

Picking the best: Look for dark green, compact clusters of florets and firm stalks.
Preparation before cooking: Cut off the stalk and leaves. Dived the rest of the head into florets. If the stalk is included in the recipe, peel it first. Broccoli benefits greatly from blanching (dropping it briefly into boiling water and "shocking" it in an ice water bath to quickly stop the cooking). Blanching helps it maintain its color, making for a much prettier dish.
Eating it by itself: Eat it raw, steamed, microwaved, or sauteed. I like it best steamed. Put a small amount of water in a saucepan over medium heat. When the water boils, add the broccoli (if you use a steamer basket, you will lose fewer nutrients, but the end taste and texture will be essentially the same either way). Cover and cook until you can easily pierce it with a fork.
In other dishes: Broccoli Salad, Beef and Broccoli, Cream of Broccoli Soup

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Picking the best: Look for small, firm, bright green sprouts. The best size is about 1" in diameter.
Preparation before cooking: Remove any wilted leaves from the outside. I usually cut them in half lengthwise as well. They say to put an "X" in the bottom to help ensure even cooking, but I think that's an old wives' tale.
Eating it by itself: I love me some roasted brussel sprouts. Yum-mee. Melt a tablespoon of butter per pound of brussel sprouts in the bottom of the pan of your choice. I use a Pyrex pie pan so I can melt the butter in the microwave. Cut the brussel sprouts in half, and toss in the butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss again. Roast at 350 degrees until the leaves start to brown and the sprouts are fork tender. Be careful. Overcooked brussel sprouts are nasty.
In other dishes: I honestly can't think of any.

CABBAGE

Picking the best: Look for firm heads.
Preparation before cooking: Remove any wilted leaves from the outside. It is usually shredded or cut into strips before cooking.
Eating it by itself: It can be braised, steamed, or stir-fried. Braised red cabbage is a popular choice. Or, you can make sauerkraut!
In other dishes: Bierrocks, Coleslaw, Eggrolls or Asian stir-fry or noodle dishes, Corned Beef and Cabbage, Corned Beef Hash, Cabbage Rolls

CELERY ROOT

Disclaimer: I'm not familiar with this vegetable
Picking the best: Look for small to medium-sized roots that are firm and clean with a pungent smell.
Preparation before cooking: The stalks and leaves are not eaten. Peel away the thick outer skin.
Eating it by itself: It is usually eaten raw but can also be baked, steamed or boiled.
In other dishes: Used in soups and stews

CITRUS

Picking the best: Look for fruits that feel heavy for their size and have smooth skin.
Preparation before cooking: If the recipe calls for zest, use a small grater to take off just the outermost part of the skin. You want as little pith as possible. If you need to juice the fruit, hold it cut-side up as you squeeze so you won't get seeds in what you're making.
Eating it by itself: Eat it out of hand, juice it and perhaps use the juice to make an ade. (1 part citrus juice, 5 parts water, and 1 part sugar is a general ade recipe you can tinker with.)
In other dishes: Put segments into a salad, use the zest and/or juice to flavor baked goods, make Lemon Curd for a lemon meringue pie or as a filling for a cake

LEEKS

Picking the best: Look for stiff roots and stems. Avoid dry leaves, soft spots, or browning.
Preparation for cooking: Cut off the root and the dark green top. Cut in half lengthwise and rinse carefully. It tends to get dirt stuck in it.
Eating it by itself: They can be baked, braised, or grilled; or this looks interesting: fry 'em up like onion rings
In other dishes: Use as a replacement for onions (it has a milder flavor), Leek Potato Soup

PEARS

Picking the best: Look for smooth skin and stems that are still attached. It should indent a bit when you press it near the stem before you eat it. They ripen well off the tree, so it is not necessary to buy them completely ripe.
Preparation for cooking: Cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds, stem and base.
Eating it by itself: Eat it raw or poach it in syrup.
In other dishes: Scoop cottage cheese into the cavity left by the seeds, make a tart, put in a salad,

RHUBARB

Picking the best: Look for crisp, unflemished stalks.
Preparation for cooking: Don't eat the leaves. They are poisonous. I've never seen them sold with the leaves on, so you probably don't need to worry about it.
Eating it by itself: Make a pie, tart, or preserves. It is very acidic, so it requires a lot of sugar to achieve a pleasant tart taste.
In other dishes: Once again, make a pie, tart, or preserves. Rhubarb pairs especially well with cinnamon, ginger, oranges, peaches, and strawberries.

SPINACH

Picking the best: Look for bunches with crisp, deep green leaves.
Preparation for cooking: Remove the stems and rinse thoroughly. They grow in sandy soil.
Eating it by itself: Eat it raw, steam or braise it. Or make creamed spinach. Only cook spinach until it wilts.
In other dishes: Put it in pasta (Here's a good one: cook spaghetti; drain; put it back in the pot with spinach, creme fraiche or cream, and parmesan, romano, or asiago cheese; stir until the residual heat wilts the spinach and melts the cheese; if necessary turn the stove on low heat), stuff it into pasta shells, put it in soups or stews, eat it in a salad

WINTER SQUASH: ACORN, BANANA, BUTTERNUT, HUBBARD, PUMPKIN, SPAGHETTI

Picking the best: Look for unbroken skins and good color
Preparation for cooking: Slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
Eating it by itself: Roast it, butter it, and eat it out of the shell.
In other dishes: Treat spaghetti squash like pasta (after roasting squash, remove flesh with a fork. It will come out in strings.), puree it and make pie or soup.

Kitchen Essentials: The Care and Feeding of Knives

2008-02-02T03:16:55Z

Here are the top four rules for caring for your kitchen knives.

1. Do not wash them in the dishwasher.
2. Learn to love your honing steel.
3. Choose your cutting board carefully.
4. Don't store knives in a drawer where they can go clanking against each other.

Now to expound upon those rules.

1. If you wash your knives in the dishwasher, they will chip. This dulls your knife, and if a knife gets dull enough, there's no going back. At the same time, don't just throw your knife in the soapy water. I wouldn't want you to cut yourself. (Related: If your knife falls, let it drop. Don't try to catch it.) The knife should be in your hand from the moment it goes into the soapy water until the moment it is dry and back in storage.
2. The cardinal rule of this is to keep the knife at a 20 degree angle to the honing steel. You'll also want to move the knife down the steel from the base to the tip. The easiest way to do this is to hold the steel vertical against a table or counter. Start with the heel of the blade near the top (handle) of the steel and rotate it downward. Do this a few times on one side of the blade and then switch sides. When you feel more confident in your honing skills, you can get all fancy and hold them both in the air like the chefs on TV. :) Here's a dude showing you how to do it the fancy TV chef way.
3. Basically, don't use a glass cutting board. They'll dull your knives. I don't even know why the sell them. I would suggest a plastic one for meat and a wood or plastic one for vegetables. I'll get into why in the kitchen gear post.
4. This is why it's a good idea to buy knives in a set. You'll save money over buying the knives individually, and most come with a handy dandy knife block. If you buy your knives separately, there's always the option of a tray for your drawers, a magnetic holder for your wall, or you can buy an empty knife block.

Next time on Cooking With Katy: Using your knives (yes, they are so important that they get three entries)

Kitchen Essentials: Knife Skills

2008-01-21T22:52:34Z

Disclaimer: The knives to which I have linked do not necessary represent a knife I recommend. They are just meant to be examples.

I've started with knives because I believe they are the most important tools in the kitchen. A good set of knives and knowing how to properly use them can make the difference between a successful, satisfying kitchen experience and a frustrating, unevenly cooked meal. I also believe that if you have more confidence in your knife skills, you'll have more confidence to cook from scratch. I know it seems that I placing too much emphasis on this, and I might be. But it's still important. Both for better meals and fewer cut fingers.

So let's get this party started.

Buying the knives

Your #1 priority when picking out knives should be a comfortable grip. A lot of stores will have their knives locked up, but you should be able to get a salesperson to unlock them for you. If they won't do it, don't buy your knife there. It doesn't matter how nice and expensive your knives are if you never use them.

If you're looking to go bare bones, you need a 7"-9" chef's knife*, a paring knife, a serrated knife, and a honing steel. The chef's knife is a good multi-purpose tool. You can use it for chopping vegetables, cubing meat, smashing garlic clove, making a paste out of garlic and fresh herbs, etc. You'll want the paring knife for cutting things while holding them in your hands, i.e. cutting the tops off strawberries, peeling fruit, cutting apples into wedges, etc. The serrated knife is mostly for cutting bread, but you can also use it in lieu of a carving knife.

The honing steel gets its own paragraph. A sharp knife is a happy knife, though a honing steel doesn't technically sharpen a knife. When you're using a knife the edge will get kind of bent over. The honing steel takes out the kinks. We'll get into how to use it later.

If you want something a little more extensive, you can get a carving knife, a boning knife, and/or a pair of kitchen shears. Or you can buy a set. This is the one I have.

You should also periodically have your knives sharpened. You can never get an edge a good as the one a professional sharpener (as in the person, not the tool . . . unless the person is a tool (oh how funny)). But if you're anything like me, you don't want to spend the money, so you go out and buy this. I feel in my heart that it's not much better than a honing steel, but it does me just fine. On the other hand, if you're going to be more demanding of your knife than the average cook, you should take your knives to a professional every 6 months to a year.

*It's becoming more and more popular to put wells--or a scalloped edge--on chef's knives. It helps keep food from sticking to the knife by allowing air between the knife and the food. It's traditionally found on carving knives.

Next time: Care and feeding of your knives.

Recipe reposted from personal journal 6

2008-01-21T17:57:14Z

Granola Bars

3 c rolled oats
2 c nuts (I used almonds and pecans and crushed them with a mallet)
3/4 c shredded coconut
6 T brown sugar
6 T maple syrup
1/4 c vegetable oil
3/4 t salt
1 c raisins

Mix together oats, nuts, coconut and brown sugar in a large bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix together maple syrup, oil, and salt. Mix into dry ingredients.

Spread mixture onto two sheet pans and bake in a 250 deg. oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Remove to a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

To make bars:
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c honey
1/3 c peanut butter
3 1/2 c granola
6 oz. chocolate chips

Mix together first four ingredients. Microwave for two minutes, stirring halfway and at the end. (If I were making this again, I'd probably leave out the oil.)

Mix into the granola. I mixed the chocolate chips in at this point, so they melted. Wait for it to cool some if you don't want this result.

Press into the bottom of an 8"x8" square pan. I used the back of a spoon. You can use your hands, but you'll want to grease them up first.

Recipe reposted from personal journal 5

2008-01-21T17:45:57Z

Balsamic Chicken Caesar Salad

1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 c milk
1-2 T balsamic vinegar
paprika
salt and pepper
italian dressing mix
1/4 c flour
1 romaine lettuce heart
1 cucumber
parmesan cheese
Newman's Own Caesar salad dressing

Pour the milk and vinegar into a ziploc bag. Shake to combine and let sit for about five minutes. Add the chicken and marinate for at least 1 hr. Longer is better.
When the chicken is done marinating, take out of the liquid and sprinkle liberally with paprika. Also sprinkle on salt and pepper and just a little italian dressing mix. Pat the chicken to make sure the spices adhere.
Pour flour into a large ziploc bag. Add chicken and shake to dredge.
Cook the chicken over medium on a cast iron skillet in a combination of butter and canola oil, just enough to fully coat the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile, cut the romaine into strips and peel, quarter and cut the cucumber into 1/2" pieces. Add these, cheese, and dressing to a large bowl.
When the chicken is done, cut into bite size cubes. Add to the salad and toss.

Recipe reposted from personal journal 4

2008-01-21T17:42:04Z

Spaghetti and Italian Sausage

3 links of sweet Italian sausage, casing removed, quartered, and cut into half inch slices
Half an onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
A handful of fresh basil, torn into pieces
Half a 28 oz jar of spaghetti sauce (I used sun dried tomato pesto from Whole Foods)
1 lb spaghetti

Heat a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle enough olive oil to coat the pan. Add the onion and garlic and saute until onions are soft and have taken on some color.
Add sausage and cook until browned.
At this point, I would have loved to have some white wine with which to deglaze the pan (that's where you add liquid to the pan to help you scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan. There's a lot of flavor there), but I didn't so I ended up using the liquid from the canned tomatoes.
Once the pan is deglazed, add the tomatoes and sauce. Stir to combine and simmer covered, stirring occasionally.
As soon as you've covered the sauce, start the water for the pasta. Make sure you use a lot of water. The pasta needs room to move around, plus there needs to be enough water that adding the pasta won't cool the water enough to make the temperature drop below boiling. Once the water is boiling, add salt. This is your only chance to season the pasta.
Cook to al dente. I test it by pulling out a noodle with tongs and tasting it.
Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the sauce. Stir to combine.
Enjoy.

Recipe reposted from personal journal 3

2008-01-21T17:39:20Z

Beef Stew

1 lb stew meat, cut into cubes
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 carrots, peeled and sliced thick
3 ribs celery, sliced thick
1/4 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 cups broth of your choosing (I used chicken)
1 small can tomato paste

Heat a pan on medium-high and pour in enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. If you're using a non-stick pan, a spray of Pam will be enough to keep it from sticking, but the sear won't be as nice. Sear the meat on all sides. You may have to work in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan. You're not trying to cook the meat all the way through; you're just putting a nice crust on the meat and adding some flavor.

Once the meat is seared, add it to a crockpot set on high and pour broth over meat. Drain any remaining fat off the searing pan being sure to keep all the fond (the crusty bits on the bottom of the pan), and turn the heat up to high. Add liquid to deglaze the pan. I used pomegranate juice, but you couldn't really taste it in the final product. I would suggest red wine or apple cider. Once the pan is deglazed, pour the contents in the crock pot.

Add vegetables to the crock pot and stir to combine. I start the crock pot on high until the stew is heated through and then turn it on low. If you're going to start this and then leave it for the rest of the day, start it on low. Add tomato paste near the end of the cooking process.

Recipe re-posted from my personal journal 2

2008-01-21T17:34:42Z

"You Can Convince Yourself It's Healthy" Double Berry Pie

Crust:
1/2 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c butter
1/4 c ice water

Filling:
2 1/2 c strawberries
2 1/2 c blueberries
1/2 c sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch

Topping:
3/4 c rolled oats
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash salt
2 Tbsp butter

1. For crust, cube butter and combine with flours and salt in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water a little bit at a time until dough comes together. It may not necessary form a dough ball in the food processor, but it should hold together if you squeeze it.
2. Chill dough in a plastic zip top bag for at least 30 minutes. Roll out dough in the plastic bag. Cut off 3 sides and invert over a pie pan and press into place. Prick crust with a fork and cover with a double layer of foil. Blind bake crust for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
3. For filling, mix together all ingredients. I would suggest sifting the cornstarch into the sugar and berries to help prevent cornstarch clumps in your pie.
4. For topping, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. You can also add a pinch of nutmeg if you'd like. Cube the butter and cut into the other ingredients until mixture (excluding the oats) resembles coarse crumbs. I start by using my fingers and then cut in the rest of the butter in with a fork.
5. Once the crust comes out of the oven, turn it down to 375 degrees. Remove foil, add filling, and top with oatmeal topping. Bake at 375 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool at least 1 hour before eating.

Recipe re-posted from personal journal 1

2008-01-21T17:31:23Z

Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Bisque

1/4 c butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 c flour
1 q chicken broth
1 14 oz can tomatoes
1 12 oz jar roasted red peppers (in water, not oil)
3/4 c half and half
1/2 c parmesan cheese

1. Melt the butter in a soup pot or dutch oven (gotta love the dutch oven) over medium heat. Saute the onion, carrot, and garlic until almost tender, about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the flour to create a roux. Make sure all the flour is coated in fat before slowly whisking in the chicken broth.
2. Add the tomatoes and peppers, and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. At this point you have a couple of options. If you have an immersion blender, have at it. Puree the stuff right in the pan. (I just got an immersion blender for Christmas, and I freakin' love it.) If not, puree it in a blender or food processor. If you go with this option, you should either let the soup cool first or make sure to leave a place for steam to escape. Blenders usually have a little plastic piece that you can leave out of the top, or you can take out the feeder tube on the food processor. At this point, you may want to strain the soup through a wire mesh strainer for a nice, smooth texture.
4. If the previous step called for you to take the soup out of the pan, return it to the pan. Add the half and half and the parmesan. Cook until heated through. Eat and enjoy. :)