I've Been Bad

I could tell you why I haven't been posting. I could also tell you why I've gained a few pounds; but I don't want to. Let's just say it involves a pair of pee-coloured arches. Bad Mojo.

I really want to return to my healthy (ish) ways in the kitchen. The way I see it, butter cooked properly is better than trans fat any day, am I right? Especially with the winter rain coming, I am feeling the need to dive back into the kitchen and make sure I am creating savoury morsels to cheer us up after a long chilly day. Trying to fit cooking in is challenging, but I want to be committed.

I'm thinking today might be a good day for French Onion Soup. I have the broth, just need the onions, the cheese and the bread. I suppose it depends what time work ends today. I will keep you posted. Keep me away from those arches!!

Rainy Day Comfort Food

Today was not a pleasant day outside.  Let's just say the Ark was brought up on more than one occasion.  That fact also seemed to make lots of people want to console themselves with food, which really, is OK with me.  The more foodie consolation they seek, the fatter my pocketbook is when I head home for the day.  

Tonight I decided on my own brand of comfort food.  Fettucini Alfredo.  Though, it must be admitted, I technically do not know the definition of Alfredo sauce.  I make it up, often, and different every time.  Tonight's Alfredo consisted of heavy cream (I think, does 18% qualify as heavy?) butter, garlic salt, chicken stock, two boiled and minced cloves of garlic, and fat free cream cheese.  Quiet in the peanut gallery! How I choose to justify my butter addiction is none of your beeswax.   I then sauteed green peppers, sausage, and canned mushrooms in a small amount of butter (rehab?) with some chili peppers and what I thought was chili powder, but turned out to be paprika.  The mushrooms, after a taste test, were not tasty at all, so I did my best to separate them out and use only the sausage and peppers.  

I let the sauce reduce until it thickened, though I should have waited for optimal thickness, I suppose hunger got the better of me.  Does anybody have tips for cooking fettucini so it doesn't clump together and not soften?  I used olive oil in the water and stirred with one of those funky separating spoons, which was an improvement on my last attempt, though still not up to company standards.  I threw all ingredients together and tossed, then served.  I was lacking a parmesan or reggiano garnish, but I made due.  It was quite tasty, if not a little rich, but I ate less than my usual half ton pasta portion so in my head it all balances out.  Please don't tell the Wii Fit about my reasoning methods.

My charming husband is only now on his way home from work.  Another hazard of the rain, he was force to work four extra hours today.  Hopefully along with revenge, Fettucini Alfredo is a dish best served cold.

The *Absent* Gourmet

I know all one of you who reads this blog is wondering if I died.  No would be the answer, but I've had a cooking hiatus.  Call it laziness, call it a bad week, call it sinking into the abyss of leftovers and fast food.  That aside I am back.

I burnt my arm at work.  Not just a little red spot and stinging, I'm talking a blistering send you the ER burn.  I'd post pictures, but this blog is supposed to be about the appetizing, not the disgusting.  However my arm is all dressed and pressed and ready for some non-action.

Today I made spagetti and meatballs.  The meatballs were ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, SnP and some spices, rolled into inch width balls.  I browned the outsides, then boiled until they were cooked through.  The sauce was tomato paste, crushed tomatos, oregano, marjoram, Montreal steak spice, boiled garlic, garlic salt, Worcester, Burgundy cooking wine and parsley.  I added water to reduce the thickness slightly and simmered for about an hour.  I added some ground beef and eventually the meatballs to simmer.  Then I remembered that I forgot onions of any kind.  I could feel the real Italians rallying outside my door, pitchforks in hand so I quickly diced some onions, browned them and tossed them in.

Tonight my charming husband is heading out with some chums and my girls are coming over, so it will be appy's and cocktails. I think I may try a naan thai chicken pizza, homemade salsa with taco chips, and possibly edamame. Yum.

I will let you know how it turns out.  Thanks for your patience in my absence.

All Quiet on the Western Stove

Nothing new to report.  Here's why.

I took the weekend off.  We ate junk food, then went to my Grandparents house where they spoiled us with a Turkey dinner and copious leftovers to sustain us for the rest of the weekend.  

I work tonight.

More to come when I get off my butt, do my dishes, and start creating again.  Also, I just saw the WORST Dairy Milk commercial ever, with the creepiest kids.  Yuck.

Chicken Little

This morning, my friends, I have achieved yet another raw meat victory.  I have, in fact, held, cleaned and prepared a raw chicken in its entirety.  Disturbingly enough it made me think of holding a baby, but Freudian issues aside, I am very pleased with myself.  I defrosted the chicken last night, and washed it this morning (I don't even know if you need to wash a grocery store chicken, but I figured better safe than sorry). Then I took a tip from a foodie at work and pushed peeled garlic cloves under its skin, I can only imagine the garlicky goodness that shal result from this innovation.  Next, I rubbed paprika, SnP, garlic salt and Montreal Steak Spice (don't say it) over it, and stuffed it tenderly in the crock pot where it will simmer gloriously on low whilst I venture out to make money today.  I have some Yukon gold potatoes, the small ones, that I am deciding what to do with for a side dish; currently I'm leaning towards mashed.  I will pick up some green beans or other related vegetable on the way home from work.

My charming husband told me to take an extra day off in order to have one more summer weekend with him - what a gem.  I am hoping to make a strata on Saturday or Sunday morning.  Savory style a la Rachael Ray.  I have to pick up some cheeses to make a go of this - but should be fun.  

I have the before picture available currently for the chicken, please note my shining achievement of the lumpy garlic cloves, should you be able to see them despite the obvious blackberry-esque photo quality.  Would you also judge me severely if I mentioned that I've still been too lazy to plug the camera in to charge?  Its alright, I'm judging myself.

Happy Friday to you all. 

Coconut Cream

This morning I got up at 7:30.  My mom was coming to pick me up at 10, since my charming husband had our car for the day, and she didn't want me to take an hour train ride on my day off.  I had much to do before she arrived.  There were copious amounts of dishes from my second attempt at the pate brisee last night that needed to get done.  The pate brisee had to be baked into a pie shell, and cooled, then filled with the filling that I had yet to make (sidebar: the filling is Shirriff, not Sherriff, as I had mistakenly been spelling it) and topped with the whipped cream I had yet to beat.  There also had to be a shower and some getting ready thrown in there as well as breakfast.

The pie crust burnt.  

Fortunately I had enough pate brisee left over to make two mini pie shells, about muffin tin size.  I filled one with the filling, which had thickened splendidly, and topped with whipped cream. This was my first ever non-can variety that has not been essentially whipped soup.  On the filling it needs to be said that stirring constantly just plain sucks.  After my hand cooled (perhaps I should try a longer spoon next time) I re-read the package and decided to opt for the cheat-y microwave method next time.  I think I went astray in two places with the pie crust.  First, I took a page from the mini quiche recipe that said you need to leave the pate brisee hanging over the edge of each muffin indent by about 1/2 inch.  It seems with pie crust, any hanging bits will burn.  Secondly, when weighting the bottom of the crust down with rice (which incidentally you should do with a tinfoil buffer, not a wax paper buffer.  Wax paper? Not so pleasant when it begins to cook) you take the rice off once the bottom has formed, approximately halfway through the baking time.  This I learned when sharing my woes over lunch with my mother, aunt and grandmother today.  Also, you should poke holes in the bottom of the pie crust so it doesn't poof up.  Who knew?  Apparently they all did.  

Either way I was satisfied by bringing one mini pie to my grandma for her birthday, and leaving one in the fridge for my husband, for his dessert tonight.  Tomorrow I will make more pate brisee in the morning, leave it to chill while I work, and make mini pies for the rest of the filling, which are actually much more conveniently mobile than one silly large pie anyway.  Of course, I'm not jaded in the slightest by this experience. ...

I don't have any ideas for dinner tomorrow at this moment, but it needs to be something quick as it will be a long day at work and I will be hungry (read: ravenous and likely cranky) when I get home.  Suggestions would be welcome.

So funny story...

...Actually it's really not funny.  I failed to complete the coconut cream pie.  What's this, you ask? Well, really I'm just a big lazy slob.  Truth be told, after serving until 4:30 on the first day of school (which incidentally involves kids actually being in attendance at the school for an hour, and then heading out to lunch at a less than kid-friendly establishment, and all sitting in my section) and then transiting home, I bailed on the completion.  Instead, I heated up last night's hamburger soup, which I then served with a loaf of Safeway's "french" bread, and some olive oil and balsamic.  Then I vegged.  Until 10PM when I thought to myself - crap, I'd better at least make the pate brisee so it can chill, and I can get up ridiculously early to finish it before heading out for a ladies lunch with my x chromosome family members tomorrow.

So. The Pate Brisee.  This went marginally well again, though I had one false start when I quadrupled the salt instead of double checking the quantity before charging ahead and dumping it in.  Fortunately only the salt and some flour were wasted.  On the plus side, I actually had wax paper for the kneading and the chilling tonight.  This is to be continued when we see if I have the culinary savvy to handle the Sherriff coconut cream filling, and the pie shell pre-bake.  Until tomorrow then.

Two Soups for YOU!

Tonight I went grocery shopping.  I spent twice as much as I'd hoped to, but a large shop was in order, so it worked out OK.  Instead of coming home to put the groceries away and relax like any normal person would on a holiday Monday, I decided to make not one, but two kinds of soup.  I have completed a hamburger soup, which I am currently scarfing down a bowl of.  I used extra lean ground beef, beef stock (I am not at the level of boiling beef knuckles, or whatever higher planes of yuck await when making your own stock) crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, hot sauce, canned peas, onions celery and macaroni.  I sauteed the beef and onions together, then added the broth and tomatoes with a bay leaf, basil, boiled grated garlic, seasoning salt and then the peas and macaroni a bit later.  It is yummy.  Due to a slight over-pour on the chili powder, it also has quite a kick to it.

I am currently mid simmer on what I hope to be Minestrone - Isis style.  I've already ruined the beans I bought to use.  Apparently dried beans require something other than a simple boil - duly noted.  I've never cooked barley before, so I'm hoping that works out, otherwise I'm going to have tomato vegetable water. Awesome.

***

Ok, so I've completely finished.  The vegetable soup worked well enough, the barley added substance and the soup is colorful, if not a little bland.  Or perhaps I think its bland because I don't generally consume things that lack a maimed animal of some sort. I may not like the raw meat, but once its cooked, it becomes my BFF.   It is now 9:45 PM, I still have laundry to do (though all the machines in our building are currently occupied) and I have just now sat down to relax.  Upshot, I have dinner cooked and ready for tomorrow, all I have to worry about is some bread to go with, and I can take some veggie soup for lunch.  Maybe they'll even let me borrow (read: take at my leisure) some cheese to spice it up.  

Tomorrow night - coconut cream pie!  My charming husband's weakness of weaknesses.  I am cheating and going the easy route, having purchased the custard mix in Sherriff form, but I will be making the pate brisee (pie crust) from scratch, and blending the whipped cream myself - so its not a complete cheat.  I will let you know the result...or not, if the result is extra good! ;-)

Happy Labour Day!

Saturday Traditions

I work every Saturday.  I hate working Saturday's.  My tradition is, when I get off on time, to come home and make KD.  I love Saturday KD.  This time, though, we had no KD so I pulled my culinary skills out of the lazy cupboard they've been kept in this week, and put them to use.  I made shell pasta, and drowned them in a sauce of 3 TBLSP whipping cream (unwhipped) 1/2 cup grated marble cheese, 2 TBLSP Cheez Whiz, and 2 TBLSP Butter, melted and stirred.  I added some SnP and hot sauce to taste.  Then, the best part, I served myself and drowned it in KETCHUP, essentially ruining the sauce but making it taste so good.

That's all for today. Happy Labour Day Weekend.

Definitely Slacking

This morning I made carrot muffins with cream cheese icing.  Nothing like grating carrots for twenty minutes before nine in the morning.  I thought the muffins were a bit dry, but I added a bit more frosting and they went over well at work.

Got something that can only be called migraine-esque mid afternoon at work, and even though my charming husband spent time rubbing my temples, I couldn't be bothered being fancy for dinner.  I completely copped out with shake and bake drumsticks (in the microwave, no less) frozen corn, and instant potatoes.  Nothing to write home about.  Really shouldn't even be blogging about it, but here we are.

Hopefully I can be a little more inventive tomorrow.

Stovetop Beef Stroganoff

Tonight, after a day of ridiculous demands, frustrating public, and rain during my transit ride I was in the mood for something quick.  I had put some beef stir-fry strips in the fridge to thaw and they were ready by the time I got home.  I browned them, added cream of mushroom soup, 1/4 cup of half and half, worcester sauce and some of the starchy water from some boiled pasta.  I also used some various salts n spices on the meat.  I added a can of sliced mushrooms and some steamed broccoli to one of my favorite time-crunch recipes.  I have no picture for you as I was too hungry and grumpy to bother with the camera. 

I considered making cinnamon buns tonight, but the second wind has bailed on its scheduled start time, so I am sitting here watching my charming husband play Metal Gear Solid on our PS3, and avoiding getting out of my chair at all costs.  Hopefully more motivation tomorrow.

**EDIT**

Apparently its "worcestershire".  Where's the audio pronunciation guide when you need it?

Salmon on Saturday

Saturday afternoon and I'm at the grocery store. I can't decide what to cook.  In my arms I have ingredients for homemade pizza crust, I'm looking at a full chicken I want to roast, and the salmon steaks are on sale.  I believe I mentioned that we are on a budget, so I give up on two out of the three and go with the salmon.  What I don't realize is that the salmon that I'm contemplating not only has the skin on (I do,in fact, realize that) but it is still full of bones and not fully prepared.  We've covered my aversion to raw meat, and salmon is no exception. Nonetheless, I dutifully cut off the skin, and removed every bone I could find with my hands.  I did not enjoy it, but breaking the barriers of the ook-factor make me happy. Then I proceeded to create poached salmon with a TRUE Bearnaise sauce (which worked out better than the last, but not Le Cordon Bleu good).  Also, I didn't know that whisking could count as cardio, but going solely based on the sweat I broke, here's hoping I worked off even an ounce of the butter I ate this week.

I made the sauce out of white wine, vinegar, vermouth, tarragon, and green onion, simmered and reduced, then blended with egg yolk, and boiled butter, and whisked until frothy.  I simmered leeks and carrots in chicken stock and mushrooms and tomatoes in butter.  Added rice to the leek/carrot mixture.   The salmon was the best part, I wish I'd done potatoes again instead of the rice concoction. I do have a picture but its on my blackberry (camera is still out of batteries) and my blackberry is in the bedroom with my still sleeping husband.   

After five days of working and cooking, you may not hear from me for a couple days or so.  I am craving cinnamon buns, so I will post the triumphs and fails of my first real attempt, if there happens to be one, but otherwise its grilled cheese and tomato soup for a couple days.  Next week's challenge - gourmet on a budget, using ingredients out of the fridge and freezer, supplemented only with fresh produce and spices.  I think I spent about 3 weeks worth of grocery money this week. 

A Change of Plans

So here I am.  Its Friday night.  We were planning to go out tonight to pick up a hot jacket for my charming husband, my thought was if we're going downtown, why not get some sushi? Vancouver has fabulous sushi, and we don't enjoy it often enough.  But, me being me, the plans have changed.  I made a deal with my charming husband.  He is in charge of renting 3 movies, and I am in charge of dinner.

Dinner.

I am attempting sirloin in "shoot me I didn't have any tarragon" bearnaise sauce with brown mushrooms, green beans, and boiled new potatoes.  If it works out, he will be a happy camper.  I've already opened the wine.  I'm not sure if that's a sign or not.  More on the outcome after a second (read: fourth) glass.

***

Ok, too many glasses later and the supposed bearnaise sauce has adapted into what can only be called a bastardized bechamel with the addition of white wine, and cream cheese.  Don't even start with me on the calories - it was this or McDonald's, at least this will look fabulous (I hope). On that note, I've realized that the key to successful cooking is butter.  Everything turns out beautifully with real butter, except my ass.  But who's talking about that? Let us discuss this instead.  My charming husband is still at the movie store and all the food is ready.  I called him and he is almost finished up, so my task is to keep the steaks from overcooking, the mushrooms from going cold, the sauce from separating, and myself from eating all the bread. So far only one of the above is successfully happening, and I can tell you it ain't the bread.  My biggest problem whilst cooking is timing, I blame it on the size of my kitchen, but really I think its due to lack of organization, or the order of the battle, as it were. 

No picture tonight as the camera is out of batteries and we're starving.  

**EDIT** Whoo Blackberry picture saves the day, though it doesn't do the buttery goodness justice.

Discovery Channel & Pate Brisee

There is something incredibly relaxing about entering the kitchen around 8:30 at night to the sound of my husband watching a PBS Frontline documentary, or a Discovery show about the history of the Mayan 2012 revelation.  Our kitchen is semi-open into our living room, with the perturbing quality of being out of the direct line of the television sight, however I can still listen to whatever is on the nightly rotation.

Tonight I decided that it was high time for me to learn pastry.  I began with pate brisee, known to us french language mutilators as pie crust.  I have grandiose ideas of using the leftovers from tonight's bruschetta and turning out a delightful tomato-mushroom quiche to take to work in the morning.  Another part of me wants to make mango tarts.  The fact that I triumphed over the unequivocally terrifying undertaking that is pastry is success in itself, but I can't help desiring a small bit of recognition when I walk into work bearing breakfast for all tomorrow morning.  Prepare for the tantrum if my pie-in-the-sky plans fall through.

DIY Disaster

So I just tried to make pesto.  I bought fresh basil, olive oil, and...sunflower seeds? (Ok, the pine nuts were really expensive and we are on a budget).  Perhaps the seeds were a bad choice, or perhaps my blender just can't hack it anymore, needless to say it did not turn out.  I managed to chip one of my best knives by trying to stuff down the basil leaves that weren't catching the blades of the blender, while it was blending.  Before you say anything, I realized it was not a good decision when one of the blender blades caught the knife and whipped my hand back.  No fingers were harmed though I can't vouch for the blender or knife, I think the blender won this round.  Anyhow, visions of metal knife chips in the batch of unprocessed pesto caused me to throw the whole batch down the loo,  and reassure my husband that no one is suffering the effects of a nuclear attack, its just pesto.

So. Dinner.  Tonight will be spicy pancetta bruschetta.  I will update with picture if everything turns out.  

Day Two: Crock Pot Copout

It is 8:45 in the morning and I have already sauteed onions and grated garlic.  Also, I have had a VERY large victory, for me.  I took the skin off chicken thighs.  That's correct, skin = off.  Anyone who knows me knows that I DO NOT touch raw meat.  I use a fork and knife if I'm slicing, dicing, spicing or removing from the package.  I use tongs when transferring from chopping board to cooking surface.  I whine piteously until my charming husband reaches in to remove "the treat bag" from the turkey and dispose of it.  Looking at the chicken thighs I had purchased for my attempt at Chicken Cacciatore at the time blissfully unaware that the recipe called for no skin, I realized tongs would not help me here.  Having embarked on this new vision for my accent into le bon vivant, I ponied up, and plunged my fingers into the mess of unfortunate poultry.  It was sort of like peeling wallpaper. Wallpaper that somebody had vomited on.  Thankfully when cooking for two, you don't need a lot of meat.  Four pieces later I had ascended to my next zen level.  Success!  The chicken is skinned, hands are washed, and cacciatore is simmering away in the crock pot.  

I used this recipe adding only a little bit of burgundy cooking wine and some grated garlic - two little changes is a record in my house!  Tonight I will update this post with results and a picture.  I can't wait to walk in the door and smell the simmering spices (or pleasantly greet the firemen as they clear out my charred house). I can go to work knowing that I only need to worry about the complimentary pasta when I get home. 

Crap.  Dessert.

I promised something espresso related.  Time to go Google some delicacy, preferably involving copious amounts of whipped cream.  

**EDIT**

Cacciatore turned out well, husband is devouring as we speak.  I think I used too much thyme, and the sauce didn't thicken enough for my liking, but a little cornstarch and water and we're back in business.  It was a good first attempt.  Salad is romaine, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and some lemon juice (I may have cheated and added a tiny bit of eating right dressing - one table spoon max).  Chocolate espresso cake is in the oven.  If it turns out, I will link to the recipe.

Never Start with Fish

I'm off to an interesting start. The kitchen is full of unwashed dishes and I woke up feeling like Paris Hilton's private jet used me as a runway. Still, I couldn't bear to push back day one, so I carried on. I slugged through work, thinking about what may or may not be for dinner when I finally made it home.

I went to the library and checked out a Rachael Ray cookbook with 365 recipes, and easy recipes from Le Cordon Bleu. I selected a fish dish and walked to the grocery store. Then I proceeded to not buy anything the recipe called for, and bought a bunch of stuff I wanted to experiment with but have no idea how to use. Its as though I'm a compulsive liar, except that I change recipes instead of telling lies. I wonder if I'll follow even one to the letter in the next 30 days.

The result of tonight's experiment was sub-optimal. Alaskan Pollock in ginger-honey-soy glaze. Portobello mushrooms in a garlic red wine sauce, and white rice. Random items which did not compliment each other and tasted more like a sad TV dinner. I really think Rachael Ray's "Sole and Aspargus" would have been a far better option. Serves me right. Also, it doesn't help that the photo seems to have a perma-yellow sheen and looks like dinner cooked in a trailer in 1975. Yuck. Sorry about the craptastic picture, I'm still learning this camera's quirks. I will improve, promise.

Bailed on making dessert tonight. Tomorrow - espresso cake of some kind.

Beginnings

Tonight I gave up Facebook for 30 days, and 5 minutes later this blog was born. A little history: I am 26 years old, and semi-newly married. I am Canadian and I am learning to cook. I live on the west coast, and find living a balanced lifestyle very challenging, with 24 hour a day access to easy fast food, and an existance that is constantly passing me by at the speed of light. One of my favourite things to do is enjoy a meal. With my husband, with family & friends, or just solo. My title this past year has become "the adventurous cook". This is the gentle way of saying that I can't follow a recipe to save my life, and everyime I even look one up I change the ingredients before I even begin. I am completely accident prone, and live in a small apartment with a tiny kitchen and no dishwasher. This is my beginning.

My goal here is to learn to cook, properly. Not just to make delicious (read: edible) dishes, but to figure out what "folding" means, what a pine nut is, and to learn to use my shiny electric mixer. In true Canuck fashion, I've decided to start with Jean Pare's Company's Coming franchise, the first cookbook I came to know and love, and to date one of Canada's top selling series'. I've chosen "The Rookie Cook" as it seems appropriate. Over the next 30 days, I plan to eat out as little as possible, and cook as much as I can stand. What follows are my culinary exploits, uncensored, as I learn to become "The Reluctant Gourmet".


**EDIT**
After reading through some of the entree recipes in The Rookie Cook, I have decided to choose a different cookbook (note to self: reading through cookbook prior to blog post would be helpful). So tomorrow I will annouce which cook book I've selected. I am not going to start Rookie, I'm going straight to Pro.