TS is quite happy with the international flair developing in our kitchen. In recent weeks, we've had chicken tikka masala (with homemade Afghan bread standing in for nan), huevos rancheros, boeuf bourguignon, lettuce wraps, linguine with blue cheese Alfredo and meatballs, eggs Florentine, and barbecued chicken with scalloped potatoes. These are all mixed up with entirely uninteresting meals, but it's so much fun to see something that looks good, decide to give it a whirl, and have it turn out well!
It has an unexpected downside, though. We recently went out for Mexican food, and I actually skimmed right over some items on the menu. I figured, why order those when I can make them at home? You'd think narrowing my options would make it easier to eat out, but really it just made me worry that someday I won't want to eat out at all...
After some soul-searching, though, I'm quite confident that will never happen. As much as I love to cook, I promise to never turn down a restaurant invitation! It's going to be a tough promise to keep, but I'll do my very best.
In the meantime, I'm hosting brunch this weekend, so I have a whole to-do list to tackle...
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Taste o' the Irish
Since this blog is supposed to be about kitchen adventures, I think it's only fair to post the good ones as well as the bad...
Yesterday's festive meal was a total success: corned beef, cabbage, and, yes, green mashed potatoes. It was the first time I'd made corned beef, which turned out to be ridiculously easy.
But the most important part of the meal was the chocolate stout cake for dessert.
Yesterday's festive meal was a total success: corned beef, cabbage, and, yes, green mashed potatoes. It was the first time I'd made corned beef, which turned out to be ridiculously easy.
But the most important part of the meal was the chocolate stout cake for dessert.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Don't salt the rice
Because TS likes it, and because it's healthy, we picked up some brown rice recently. I, personally, hadn't eaten brown rice in about 15 years -- I think it's disgustingly bland, and I hate the chewy consistency. But smothered in stir-fry, I figured it might be manageable. And I could take comfort in knowing how healthy it is.
Since I've never made it myself (I'm a jasmine rice + rice cooker girl), I actually read the instructions on the bag. Besides the normal 2-1 ratio of water and rice, the recipe also suggested adding some salt for flavor. Bingo! Maybe that's what was missing in my childhood.
Even as I read, though, I frowned a bit. A whole teaspoon of salt for just one cup of rice? That seemed like a lot. But it wouldn't be in the "recipe" if it didn't taste right...right? So I grabbed the teaspoon measure and poured out the salt. And I hesitated again, over the pot, thinking that looked like an awful lot of salt for the amount of rice. But again, what do I know? I've never cooked brown rice, and my major complaint is its lack of taste. So in went the salt.
45 minutes later, TS and I settled down with a movie and plates of stir-fry and brown rice. It smelled good. It looked right. It tasted...salty.
Turns out a full teaspoon of salt is a bit much for just one cup of rice. About 3/4 of a teaspoon too much. Especially with a stir-fry that includes soy sauce.
We still ate it (why waste food?), but I chased dinner with two full glasses of water. Lesson learned -- although I think the idea of some salt has merit. Next time I'll try a pinch, instead of a teaspoon...
Since I've never made it myself (I'm a jasmine rice + rice cooker girl), I actually read the instructions on the bag. Besides the normal 2-1 ratio of water and rice, the recipe also suggested adding some salt for flavor. Bingo! Maybe that's what was missing in my childhood.
Even as I read, though, I frowned a bit. A whole teaspoon of salt for just one cup of rice? That seemed like a lot. But it wouldn't be in the "recipe" if it didn't taste right...right? So I grabbed the teaspoon measure and poured out the salt. And I hesitated again, over the pot, thinking that looked like an awful lot of salt for the amount of rice. But again, what do I know? I've never cooked brown rice, and my major complaint is its lack of taste. So in went the salt.
45 minutes later, TS and I settled down with a movie and plates of stir-fry and brown rice. It smelled good. It looked right. It tasted...salty.
Turns out a full teaspoon of salt is a bit much for just one cup of rice. About 3/4 of a teaspoon too much. Especially with a stir-fry that includes soy sauce.
We still ate it (why waste food?), but I chased dinner with two full glasses of water. Lesson learned -- although I think the idea of some salt has merit. Next time I'll try a pinch, instead of a teaspoon...
Monday, January 18, 2010
Bacon Danger
Crepes are a Christmas tradition in our house. It's one started by Troublesmith's parents; growing up, his family always had crepes for Christmas breakfast, and we decided to keep that going when we moved away. (Our addition, in a nod to our current home, is mimosas with fresh California orange juice.)
Since he was the one with 20+ years of watching at his mother's elbow, TS became the de facto crepemaker in our house -- which makes me the de facto prep cook. This year, I also made the bacon to go with the crepes.
Everything went just fine until the very, very end. Apparently I had the pan hotter than necessary, because the bacon grease was popping a little more than usual. As I was picking up the very last piece of meat, a splatter of grease hit me high on the arm, above my elbow. Even as my brain was warning me not to flinch, my reflexes kicked in, and I jerked the arm holding the bacon. That caused the dripping slice to swing toward me, and sent hot drops of grease flying toward my face and neck.
Luckily the bacon platter was sitting on the counter, because I immediately dropped everything I was holding and raced to the sink to splash cold water on my neck. Poor TS had no idea what happened; he just saw me screech and leap for the sink. I didn't get any real burns, but for the start of the new year, I had a nice red mark on my neck.
Fortunately, that mark has since faded, so there isn't a permanent scar. But there is a lesson here: when cooking bacon, don't flinch!
Since he was the one with 20+ years of watching at his mother's elbow, TS became the de facto crepemaker in our house -- which makes me the de facto prep cook. This year, I also made the bacon to go with the crepes.
Everything went just fine until the very, very end. Apparently I had the pan hotter than necessary, because the bacon grease was popping a little more than usual. As I was picking up the very last piece of meat, a splatter of grease hit me high on the arm, above my elbow. Even as my brain was warning me not to flinch, my reflexes kicked in, and I jerked the arm holding the bacon. That caused the dripping slice to swing toward me, and sent hot drops of grease flying toward my face and neck.
Luckily the bacon platter was sitting on the counter, because I immediately dropped everything I was holding and raced to the sink to splash cold water on my neck. Poor TS had no idea what happened; he just saw me screech and leap for the sink. I didn't get any real burns, but for the start of the new year, I had a nice red mark on my neck.
Fortunately, that mark has since faded, so there isn't a permanent scar. But there is a lesson here: when cooking bacon, don't flinch!
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