As I think of my little adventures, I realize that frugality is woven into my life. This morning, I headed to the public library (very close) to return a few DVDs. While there I picked up a few books that were being held for me. I also perused the Cook's Illustrated that was on the shelf.
Hmmmm. II wonder if one can compute the savings from this one errand.
DVDS: save $7.50 on 3 rental fees.
Books: I requested two books on braising, and the accommodating book buyer, bought them! Let's see how much they are on Amazon: Molly Stevens: All About Braising.
I also picked up Jean Anderson's Falling Off the Bone.
As usual, I am drawn to the cheapest recipes. While I may make duck ragu one of these days, right now I am putting this cabbage recipe on the menu. Molly Stevens calls it World's Best Braised Green Cabbage.
Total time: 2 1/2 hours
1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and thickly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and cut in 1/4-inch coins
1/4 cup chicken stock or water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly oil a large gratin dish or baking dish (13-by-9-inch works well).
Peel off and discard any bruised or ragged outer leaves from the cabbage. Cut cabbage in half, then into 8 wedges. (Don't trim away the cabbage heart.) Arrange the wedges in the baking dish on their sides, overlapping a little but trying for a single layer. Scatter the onion and carrot over the cabbage. Drizzle with stock or water and oil. Season with salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Cover tightly with foil and transfer to the oven.
Braise for 1 hour. Uncover and gently turn the wedges with tongs, keeping them as intact as possible. Add a little water if pan is drying out. Cover pan and return to oven. Bake 1 hour.
Remove the foil, increase the heat to 400 and roast until vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Not only is braised cabbage the cheapest of the cheap, but also I still have 4 cabbages that were thrown to us during the St Patrick's Day Parade.
I guess I saved a bunch on the cookbooks. My cabbage dish will be almost free. Molly Stevens is an eater after my own heart: she suggests serving the cabbage with mashed potatoes as "an appealing vegetarian supper."
The Cook's Illustrated had this on the cover: Is a toaster oven really worth $250.00? You may remember my toaster oven dilemma, followed by a toaster oven disappointment. According to the magazine, the desired-by-many Breville toaster oven is indeed a wonder. Can't wait till the death of my Black and Decker.
My little adventures, which involved less than $1.00 in gas, should, if I put the savings in a jar, add up to that expensive toaster oven in a year or so.
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Sunday, 20 March 2011
Food Inflation: Any Strategies?
Even I, the Pollyanna of inflation, see the dreaded signs. Mostly, I see that the advertised sale prices are what used to be regular prices. Now I remember, from my reading of that inspirational tome Your Money or Your Life, the idea that we need not fear inflation. The authors said we were SMARTER than inflation: if apples go up, eat oranges. Changing behavior can help to a certain extent.
I also remember that the authors said that merely being conscious about spending would save the average person 20%. Well, I already am conscious. Do you think that being even more conscious will save me an additional 20%?
Right now I am insulated from food inflation because I have amassed about 40 packs of coffee, 15 jars of peanut butter, 20 cans of tomatoes, and more. But when I run low, I will have to use my wits.
Like: drink less coffee? That's the only thing I can think of right now.
What are your strategies? I need to expand my consciousness.
I also remember that the authors said that merely being conscious about spending would save the average person 20%. Well, I already am conscious. Do you think that being even more conscious will save me an additional 20%?
Right now I am insulated from food inflation because I have amassed about 40 packs of coffee, 15 jars of peanut butter, 20 cans of tomatoes, and more. But when I run low, I will have to use my wits.
Like: drink less coffee? That's the only thing I can think of right now.
What are your strategies? I need to expand my consciousness.
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Worried About Rising Food Costs: Go to a Parade and Make Colcannon
Miss Em came home yesterday and the first thing she said was "I want to go to the St Patrick's Day Parade." Mardi Gras may be over, but we have another parade.
And guess what? You don't get beads and (if you're lucky) plastic spears, footballs, and underwear, you get cabbage! potatoes! carrots!
Luckily, Miss Em is not only tall, but has red hair, courtesy of Revlon. The marchers always ask her if she's Irish. Of course she says yes. I anticipate enough for colcannon, favorite dish. It's cheap, even if you have to buy the ingredients.
Ingredients
* 1 pound cabbage
* 1 pound potatoes
* 2 leeks
* 1 cup milk
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 pinch ground mace
* 1/2 cup butter
Directions
1. In a large saucepan, boil cabbage until tender; remove and chop or blend well. Set aside and keep warm. Boil potatoes until tender. Remove from heat and drain.
2. Chop leeks, green parts as well as white, and simmer them in just enough milk to cover, until they are soft.
3. Season and mash potatoes well. Stir in cooked leeks and milk. Blend in the kale or cabbage and heat until the whole is a pale green fluff. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted butter. Mix well.
As it happens, the parade route is near Buffalo Exchange. So Miss Em and I will wander in with a bag or two and try our luck. I figure getting a cabbage is luck enough; anything more is lagniappe.
Erin go bragh!
Do you have a favorite cabbage dish?
And guess what? You don't get beads and (if you're lucky) plastic spears, footballs, and underwear, you get cabbage! potatoes! carrots!
Luckily, Miss Em is not only tall, but has red hair, courtesy of Revlon. The marchers always ask her if she's Irish. Of course she says yes. I anticipate enough for colcannon, favorite dish. It's cheap, even if you have to buy the ingredients.
Ingredients
* 1 pound cabbage
* 1 pound potatoes
* 2 leeks
* 1 cup milk
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 pinch ground mace
* 1/2 cup butter
Directions
1. In a large saucepan, boil cabbage until tender; remove and chop or blend well. Set aside and keep warm. Boil potatoes until tender. Remove from heat and drain.
2. Chop leeks, green parts as well as white, and simmer them in just enough milk to cover, until they are soft.
3. Season and mash potatoes well. Stir in cooked leeks and milk. Blend in the kale or cabbage and heat until the whole is a pale green fluff. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted butter. Mix well.
As it happens, the parade route is near Buffalo Exchange. So Miss Em and I will wander in with a bag or two and try our luck. I figure getting a cabbage is luck enough; anything more is lagniappe.
Erin go bragh!
Do you have a favorite cabbage dish?
Sunday, 13 February 2011
What I have in common with the Editor of Architectural Digest: Thrift!
Every now and again, I get a free subscription to this luxury magazine via unusable Frequent Flier miles. My subscription just ended, and I'm too cheap to subscribe; I can always read it at the library.
I was interested in this article about the chic and beautiful new editor, who is supposed to bring the magazine to a younger, hipper readership. I guess that is not me.
Read this piece on the New editor
Another frugal soul mate: I eat peanut butter sandwiches for lunch every day.
Do you have a frugal soul mate?
I was interested in this article about the chic and beautiful new editor, who is supposed to bring the magazine to a younger, hipper readership. I guess that is not me.
Read this piece on the New editor
Another frugal soul mate: I eat peanut butter sandwiches for lunch every day.
Do you have a frugal soul mate?
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Little Bargains Here and There
I have learned--as have many others--that WHAT YOU SPEND is more important than HOW MUCH YOU SAVE. So "saving" 50% on a $300 sweater may not be better than SPENDING $40 on a sweater. Sad but true: the price to value ratio is not always what one would hope. I seldom find that you get what you pay for.
Also, I KNOW that many--and that includes me--buy TOO much. Still--and just ignore the following two tips if you want--most of us do buy things both necesssary and discretionary now and again.
In the NECESSARY category. I noticed that Amazon had a crazy low price on Community Coffee Instant with chicory.
Both my children use instant in their college dorms and Mr. FS and I bring instant to work. These are $9.99 for FOUR 7 oz. We bought enough for free shipping. These "expire" in March, but I scoff at such dates. Hopefully, not to my peril--or worse.
In the DISCRETIONARY: Garnet Hill, the elegant and funky catalog, has FREE SHIPPING, TODAY ONLY and ONLY if you click through their FACEBOOK page.
I have discovered that occasional good deals are offered on Facebook. I'm not even ON Facebook and I certainly don't want to "FRIEND" a store. Still, it's worth an occasional glance to see, especially if, like me, you don't look at very many places.
Also, I KNOW that many--and that includes me--buy TOO much. Still--and just ignore the following two tips if you want--most of us do buy things both necesssary and discretionary now and again.
In the NECESSARY category. I noticed that Amazon had a crazy low price on Community Coffee Instant with chicory.
Both my children use instant in their college dorms and Mr. FS and I bring instant to work. These are $9.99 for FOUR 7 oz. We bought enough for free shipping. These "expire" in March, but I scoff at such dates. Hopefully, not to my peril--or worse.
In the DISCRETIONARY: Garnet Hill, the elegant and funky catalog, has FREE SHIPPING, TODAY ONLY and ONLY if you click through their FACEBOOK page.
I have discovered that occasional good deals are offered on Facebook. I'm not even ON Facebook and I certainly don't want to "FRIEND" a store. Still, it's worth an occasional glance to see, especially if, like me, you don't look at very many places.
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Drugstores for Groceries? YES!
I just posted this over on College Cooking. I thought this might also be news for my FRUGAL followers.
This comes under the category: I thought everyone knew this. However, since most of my peers don't know this, I can only assume most College Cooks are likewise unaware of the riches (or staples) lurking in the drugstore.
This may be news you can use. For many, grocery stores are at a distance from campus, a problem for the time-challenged College Cook. There seem to be drugstores on every corner. In my town of 8500, there are often two drugstores on every corner, as CVS and Walgreens are facing off.
Now you may suppose that drugstores only carry overpriced convenience foods or snack items. Not so, College Cooks. They carry more staples than you might think, AND (for after all, I am FRUGAL) they have good WEEKLY SALES.
Just for a glimpse at my Walgreens this week*:
tuna 69 cents
peanuts 1.99/lb
cereal (cheerios, fiber1) 2.50
Kraft mayo 2.99
butter 2.50/lb
bacon 2.50**
coffee of various kinds, instant and regular
Not to be mentioned in polite company, box mac and cheese (69 cents) and those bowl things that you can microwave (99 cents).
They always have pasta, milk, and eggs also, the latter two at decent prices.
Now, for the **:
* You may need a coupon. The coupons are in the ads at the front of the store. Ask a cashier for help if you can't handle this task.
** The ad says "ready-to-serve bacon." Could this be the pre-cooked slices? I've never used the product, but I would think this would be great for the College Cook. It does not require refrigeration, and can be sprinkled on some of your soups and pastas. Must check on this, faithful readers.
CVS and Rite-Aid have similar sales.
This comes under the category: I thought everyone knew this. However, since most of my peers don't know this, I can only assume most College Cooks are likewise unaware of the riches (or staples) lurking in the drugstore.
This may be news you can use. For many, grocery stores are at a distance from campus, a problem for the time-challenged College Cook. There seem to be drugstores on every corner. In my town of 8500, there are often two drugstores on every corner, as CVS and Walgreens are facing off.
Now you may suppose that drugstores only carry overpriced convenience foods or snack items. Not so, College Cooks. They carry more staples than you might think, AND (for after all, I am FRUGAL) they have good WEEKLY SALES.
Just for a glimpse at my Walgreens this week*:
tuna 69 cents
peanuts 1.99/lb
cereal (cheerios, fiber1) 2.50
Kraft mayo 2.99
butter 2.50/lb
bacon 2.50**
coffee of various kinds, instant and regular
Not to be mentioned in polite company, box mac and cheese (69 cents) and those bowl things that you can microwave (99 cents).
They always have pasta, milk, and eggs also, the latter two at decent prices.
Now, for the **:
* You may need a coupon. The coupons are in the ads at the front of the store. Ask a cashier for help if you can't handle this task.
** The ad says "ready-to-serve bacon." Could this be the pre-cooked slices? I've never used the product, but I would think this would be great for the College Cook. It does not require refrigeration, and can be sprinkled on some of your soups and pastas. Must check on this, faithful readers.
CVS and Rite-Aid have similar sales.
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Waste Not: Cheese, Parmesan Rinds
By popular demand (two comments), I will soon post occasionally on ways to use dried bread. Right now, though, I feel the urge to inform (or remind, if you already knew this) that dried CHEESE is also a treasure.
I'm not talking about soft cheese covered with pink mold. I hope you never let your cheese get like that. I'm talking about dried out hard cheese. A little truc that I first learned about from one of Martha Shulman's old cookbooks is to throw parmesan rinds into your soup. Most recommend this for minestrone, where it provides an obviously compatible enrichment.
This is, of course, great with parmesano reggiano (almost as expensive in Italy as here), but it's also good with any block parmesan or its relatives asiago and pecorino. I saw a tub of reggiano ends at Whole Foods a while back: I think it was priced at $8.99/lb, so the secret is out.
You can also use dried up cheddar and the like in any soup where it suits your fancy.
The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story on winter greens, which had a recipe that used parmesan ends.
Parmesan broth with Swiss chard and white beans
A deeply satisfying soup that can compete with chicken noodle as a winter cure-all.Serves 4 to 6.
Over low heat, steep 8 cups chicken stock with 8 ounces Parmesan rinds for about 45 minutes, until the rinds are soft. Strain the liquid and reserve. // In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, sauté 1 smashed garlic clove in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until garlic just begins to color. Add 1 dried red chili, crumbled; 4 cups loosely packed Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves cut into ribbons; and stir to coat. //Add the warm, strained stock and 2 cups canned cannellini beans and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and add a teaspoon lemon zest. To serve, ladle soup over a slice of toasted country bread and drizzle with olive oil. —Sara Jenkins of Porsena and Porchetta, New York
Hmmmm. Strange to think of finding recipes in the WSJ. I'd rather read a recipe than the self-aggrandizing essay on the Tiger Mother (how to raise superior children the Chinese mother way) that is THE MOST READ ARTICLE in the history of the on-line WSJ.
Which would you rather read?
I'm not talking about soft cheese covered with pink mold. I hope you never let your cheese get like that. I'm talking about dried out hard cheese. A little truc that I first learned about from one of Martha Shulman's old cookbooks is to throw parmesan rinds into your soup. Most recommend this for minestrone, where it provides an obviously compatible enrichment.
This is, of course, great with parmesano reggiano (almost as expensive in Italy as here), but it's also good with any block parmesan or its relatives asiago and pecorino. I saw a tub of reggiano ends at Whole Foods a while back: I think it was priced at $8.99/lb, so the secret is out.
You can also use dried up cheddar and the like in any soup where it suits your fancy.
The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story on winter greens, which had a recipe that used parmesan ends.
Parmesan broth with Swiss chard and white beans
A deeply satisfying soup that can compete with chicken noodle as a winter cure-all.Serves 4 to 6.
Over low heat, steep 8 cups chicken stock with 8 ounces Parmesan rinds for about 45 minutes, until the rinds are soft. Strain the liquid and reserve. // In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, sauté 1 smashed garlic clove in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until garlic just begins to color. Add 1 dried red chili, crumbled; 4 cups loosely packed Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves cut into ribbons; and stir to coat. //Add the warm, strained stock and 2 cups canned cannellini beans and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and add a teaspoon lemon zest. To serve, ladle soup over a slice of toasted country bread and drizzle with olive oil. —Sara Jenkins of Porsena and Porchetta, New York
Hmmmm. Strange to think of finding recipes in the WSJ. I'd rather read a recipe than the self-aggrandizing essay on the Tiger Mother (how to raise superior children the Chinese mother way) that is THE MOST READ ARTICLE in the history of the on-line WSJ.
Which would you rather read?
Saturday, 15 January 2011
Waste Not: Food
Am I late to the party? Not surprising. The party I didn't know about concerns WASTING FOOD. This is not on the micro-level of family tales (there are starving children), but on the macro-level. Here is a piece by Jonathan Bloom on the topic (now we're all in the party).
Wow. So 40% of food produced in the United States is wasted. The author makes the point that, while we all talk about getting energy-efficient cars and so on, we don't talk about--or think about--the energy involved in getting food to us. Not to mention in packaging it.
Interestingly, we were the recipients of food largesse from some friends of Frugal Son: we received a giant bag of crawfish and a big bag of pecans. Both were "free" to those who gave them to us. And then we had "free" food.
Now that I've read the essay, I realize all the ways this most virtuous of food was not really free. Multiply by a zillion times and that's grocery food.
How do you feel about these findings?
I must say that I am feeling even more appreciative of my gifts.
Jonathan Bloom wrote a book!
Wow. So 40% of food produced in the United States is wasted. The author makes the point that, while we all talk about getting energy-efficient cars and so on, we don't talk about--or think about--the energy involved in getting food to us. Not to mention in packaging it.
Interestingly, we were the recipients of food largesse from some friends of Frugal Son: we received a giant bag of crawfish and a big bag of pecans. Both were "free" to those who gave them to us. And then we had "free" food.
Now that I've read the essay, I realize all the ways this most virtuous of food was not really free. Multiply by a zillion times and that's grocery food.
How do you feel about these findings?
I must say that I am feeling even more appreciative of my gifts.
Jonathan Bloom wrote a book!
Monday, 3 January 2011
First Bit of Luck for the New Year
On New Year's morn, I cooked up some lentils. I got a little nervous. Later, I asked Frugal Son if it HAD to be black-eyed peas for the new year or would lentils suffice? Black-eyed peas, he averred.
I never ate the things before I moved to the South. I think the black-eyed peas are optional anywhere else, but I did not want to bring the bad karma down on me. We need that gris-gris.
Our first dinner was traditional: black-eyed peas, greens (still from the garden!), a little bacon. I think rice is traditional, but I made mashed potatoes anyway because I love them.
Next day: Miss Em inserts DVD into drive on our Mac. Mac goes crazy. This happened before. The nice people at Best Buy removed the DVD at no charge and we forgot about the problem.
Mr. FS very gloomy: We need to get this fixed. It will cost hundreds of dollars. Me: gloomy too.
Sunday at noon: Mr. FS sets out on the sad journey to Best Buy. Guess what? Our Mac is under warranty for SEVEN MORE DAYS.
MORAL: Eat your black-eyed peas. Eat your greens. No matter how you cook this traditional fare, it will be frugal. And what could be more frugal than good luck?
The best Louisiana cookbooks are the ones put together by the various service organizations around the state.
I never ate the things before I moved to the South. I think the black-eyed peas are optional anywhere else, but I did not want to bring the bad karma down on me. We need that gris-gris.
Our first dinner was traditional: black-eyed peas, greens (still from the garden!), a little bacon. I think rice is traditional, but I made mashed potatoes anyway because I love them.
Next day: Miss Em inserts DVD into drive on our Mac. Mac goes crazy. This happened before. The nice people at Best Buy removed the DVD at no charge and we forgot about the problem.
Mr. FS very gloomy: We need to get this fixed. It will cost hundreds of dollars. Me: gloomy too.
Sunday at noon: Mr. FS sets out on the sad journey to Best Buy. Guess what? Our Mac is under warranty for SEVEN MORE DAYS.
MORAL: Eat your black-eyed peas. Eat your greens. No matter how you cook this traditional fare, it will be frugal. And what could be more frugal than good luck?
The best Louisiana cookbooks are the ones put together by the various service organizations around the state.
Sunday, 26 December 2010
Supper of the Lamb: Day 3
Day 1 was the lamb with couscous and greens. In retrospect, this was the least interesting so far.
Day 2 was lamb with Diana Kennedy's Syrian yogurt sauce, far more sublime than the chicken version we've had (still good, of course). One of Frugal Son's high school friends (a picky eater from way back) showed up at dinner time. He deigned to eat some and pronounced it good.
Day 3 was lamb in Thai curry sauce. Even more sublime.
This is a totally flexible recipe as long as you have Thai curry paste and a can of coconut milk. The nice thing about Thai curries is that you can make it a sort of stew. You don't need to worry about overcooking as you do with stir-frying. You can use any combo of veggies you want (or even no veggies). In a pinch, even frozen vegetables would be pretty good.
We are STILL trying to use things up, so we sauteed scallions, cauliflower, pepper, and greens--all from our garden. (Cauliflower was an experiment and it got those little mold spots, which we had to cut off, shrinking the vegetable considerably.) When all was done, we stirred in about 3 TBS red curry paste (though yellow or green would be good too) and a can of coconut milk. Then we stirred in chunks of lamb and some of the broth that remained in the roasting pan.
Of course, we cooked our rice in a rice cooker.
It's this kind of meal that makes me reluctant to spend big bucks at restaurants. It was so easy and so good and so cheap. The conversation was excellent.
I should have taken a picture. We ate it all up. Luckily, Frugal Son eats a lot and fast and is still growing. Coconut milk is verrrrry high in fat.
Day 2 was lamb with Diana Kennedy's Syrian yogurt sauce, far more sublime than the chicken version we've had (still good, of course). One of Frugal Son's high school friends (a picky eater from way back) showed up at dinner time. He deigned to eat some and pronounced it good.
Day 3 was lamb in Thai curry sauce. Even more sublime.
This is a totally flexible recipe as long as you have Thai curry paste and a can of coconut milk. The nice thing about Thai curries is that you can make it a sort of stew. You don't need to worry about overcooking as you do with stir-frying. You can use any combo of veggies you want (or even no veggies). In a pinch, even frozen vegetables would be pretty good.
We are STILL trying to use things up, so we sauteed scallions, cauliflower, pepper, and greens--all from our garden. (Cauliflower was an experiment and it got those little mold spots, which we had to cut off, shrinking the vegetable considerably.) When all was done, we stirred in about 3 TBS red curry paste (though yellow or green would be good too) and a can of coconut milk. Then we stirred in chunks of lamb and some of the broth that remained in the roasting pan.
Of course, we cooked our rice in a rice cooker.
It's this kind of meal that makes me reluctant to spend big bucks at restaurants. It was so easy and so good and so cheap. The conversation was excellent.
I should have taken a picture. We ate it all up. Luckily, Frugal Son eats a lot and fast and is still growing. Coconut milk is verrrrry high in fat.
Sunday, 19 December 2010
The Supper of the Lamb Chez Nous: Leftover Love
The Supper of the Lamb: That is a famous book by the Episcopal priest/cook Robert Farrar Capon (his real name!). It is a wonderful read: Capon cooks some lamb, and then provides recipes for several more meals with the leftovers. As might be expected from his vocation and from the title of the book, Capon includes lots of spiritual content. He also provides lots of opinionated information on knives, stoves, and the like. So wonderful is The Supper of the Lamb that it was reprinted in the Modern Library series of food writing.
We had a leg of lamb last night, thanks to the Dairy Store at LSU, which sells the products of the Ag School. It was fine. Frugal Son braised it and we had garden greens and couscous on the side. Now comes my favorite part: leftovers. Although I don't share Capon's religion, I do find cooking--especially with humble ingredients and leftovers of luxurious ingredients--an enterprise imbued with spirituality.
Eventually, we will have Scotch Broth, which means we will make stock from the bone, add onion, carrots and barley, plus whatever scraps of meat remain.
Tonight, I am thinking of making Diana Kennedy's yogurt sauce, which I've written about before. I've only had it with chicken, though she says it's good with lamb too. Here's the recipe, copied from my blog post of yore.
From Nothing Fancy: Recipes and Recollections of Soul-Satisfying Food. It's called Syrian Yogurt Sauce with Cooked Meat. Kennedy notes that it's especially good with cooked lamb or chicken. Hence it would be great for a rotisserie chicken, a fairly cheap boon for college students and harried working people.
Cook 1 onion in 2 TBS butter--caramelize it.
Put 1 beaten egg in 2 cups plain yogurt. Cook over lowish heat, stirring till it bubbles and thickens.
Add 1/4 cup (optional) broth to yogurt mix.
Add 2 cups cubed, cooked meat, salt and pepper. Stir till heated through. Sprinkle with dried mint.
Kennedy forgets to mention the onion again, but either stir it into the melange or use as a topping.
Serve with bulgur or brown rice...or white rice...or couscous. All would be better than pasta.
The next day, I will make pita sandwiches with lamb, feta, yogurt, maybe some olives and roasted peppers. The best thing is that none of the lamb recipes requires any shopping. We will be cleaning out the cupboards too.
The only other thing I want to make is a Chinese dish. I seem to remember reading a recipe for Hunan lamb somewhere. I just found a recipe, which I can adapt to leftovers.
How I love leftovers. I have had acquaintances who throw leftovers away as unworthy of a second chance. Are leftovers coded poor? perhaps, like beans and greens, they deserve another chance.
I look forward to my upcoming meals.
We had a leg of lamb last night, thanks to the Dairy Store at LSU, which sells the products of the Ag School. It was fine. Frugal Son braised it and we had garden greens and couscous on the side. Now comes my favorite part: leftovers. Although I don't share Capon's religion, I do find cooking--especially with humble ingredients and leftovers of luxurious ingredients--an enterprise imbued with spirituality.
Eventually, we will have Scotch Broth, which means we will make stock from the bone, add onion, carrots and barley, plus whatever scraps of meat remain.
Tonight, I am thinking of making Diana Kennedy's yogurt sauce, which I've written about before. I've only had it with chicken, though she says it's good with lamb too. Here's the recipe, copied from my blog post of yore.
From Nothing Fancy: Recipes and Recollections of Soul-Satisfying Food. It's called Syrian Yogurt Sauce with Cooked Meat. Kennedy notes that it's especially good with cooked lamb or chicken. Hence it would be great for a rotisserie chicken, a fairly cheap boon for college students and harried working people.
Cook 1 onion in 2 TBS butter--caramelize it.
Put 1 beaten egg in 2 cups plain yogurt. Cook over lowish heat, stirring till it bubbles and thickens.
Add 1/4 cup (optional) broth to yogurt mix.
Add 2 cups cubed, cooked meat, salt and pepper. Stir till heated through. Sprinkle with dried mint.
Kennedy forgets to mention the onion again, but either stir it into the melange or use as a topping.
Serve with bulgur or brown rice...or white rice...or couscous. All would be better than pasta.
The next day, I will make pita sandwiches with lamb, feta, yogurt, maybe some olives and roasted peppers. The best thing is that none of the lamb recipes requires any shopping. We will be cleaning out the cupboards too.
The only other thing I want to make is a Chinese dish. I seem to remember reading a recipe for Hunan lamb somewhere. I just found a recipe, which I can adapt to leftovers.
How I love leftovers. I have had acquaintances who throw leftovers away as unworthy of a second chance. Are leftovers coded poor? perhaps, like beans and greens, they deserve another chance.
I look forward to my upcoming meals.
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
How to Cook: An Answer
Not THE answer, of course. In my strolls through the blogosphere, not to mention real life, I am always meeting people with the same lament: I CAN'T COOK.
Helpful types are always proffering advice: Get Mark Bittman's cookbook. It's so easy. It's true. It is. But giving someone such a massive tome is often counterproductive: all those recipes are intimidating.
So here's how to begin, carnivore version. Get a slow cooker. Buy a piece of pot roast beef (chuck, brisket,whatever). Put it in the cooker with a little water and an onion. Too hard? Throw in some of that dried onion soup mix. Cook for a long time. This will give you enough for several meals.
Are you a vegetarian or a vegetarian wannabe? Mash up some beans (drain them!). Put on a tortilla with some cheese. Roll it up. Heat in the oven, the microwave, or in a pan. Serve with salsa.
See? It is not a big deal. If you eat both items, you have the basis for 3 meals--half the week.
If I had to recommend one cookbook for the timid cook, vegetarian or otherwise, it would be Jeanne Lemlin's Quick Vegetarian Pleasures. This is not as well known as other veggie cookbooks that, to my mind, are far inferior. (Mollie Katzen comes to mind.) Everything is good and easy. Many of her pastas and grain dishes are one-dish meals. Some are so simple: rice mixed with broccoli and feta, for instance.
The book is short so it doesn't provoke a panic attack or send one back to reading The Paradox of Choice.
If you MUST get the Bittman, this is what it looks like.
The Lemlin (or the Bittman, really) would make a great gift for the holidays. Lemlin lives in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, near where I visit every summer. I wonder if I've ever caught a glimpse of her strolling through the wonderful downtown.
Helpful types are always proffering advice: Get Mark Bittman's cookbook. It's so easy. It's true. It is. But giving someone such a massive tome is often counterproductive: all those recipes are intimidating.
So here's how to begin, carnivore version. Get a slow cooker. Buy a piece of pot roast beef (chuck, brisket,whatever). Put it in the cooker with a little water and an onion. Too hard? Throw in some of that dried onion soup mix. Cook for a long time. This will give you enough for several meals.
Are you a vegetarian or a vegetarian wannabe? Mash up some beans (drain them!). Put on a tortilla with some cheese. Roll it up. Heat in the oven, the microwave, or in a pan. Serve with salsa.
See? It is not a big deal. If you eat both items, you have the basis for 3 meals--half the week.
If I had to recommend one cookbook for the timid cook, vegetarian or otherwise, it would be Jeanne Lemlin's Quick Vegetarian Pleasures. This is not as well known as other veggie cookbooks that, to my mind, are far inferior. (Mollie Katzen comes to mind.) Everything is good and easy. Many of her pastas and grain dishes are one-dish meals. Some are so simple: rice mixed with broccoli and feta, for instance.
The book is short so it doesn't provoke a panic attack or send one back to reading The Paradox of Choice.
If you MUST get the Bittman, this is what it looks like.
The Lemlin (or the Bittman, really) would make a great gift for the holidays. Lemlin lives in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, near where I visit every summer. I wonder if I've ever caught a glimpse of her strolling through the wonderful downtown.
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Peanut Corn Chowder: To take Your Mind Off Stressful Things
So much stress! The Thanksgiving break is followed by the end of the semester: Frugal Son and Miss Em return to papers and finals; Mr. FS and I return to stressed-out students and lots of grading.
Then we have stress from the news. Just sticking to the financial front: a U of Chicago economist (very conservative institutional affiliation) attributes the lingering unemployment situation and other bad things to income inequality in the United States.
The most emailed article from the New York Times (now #2, behind something on vitamins) concerns a former Goldman-Sachs employee who made zillions of dollars and is now dying of brain cancer. He wrote a book counseling a common-sense approach to investing, with a mix of stocks and bonds. In index funds. Shades of John Bogle. Both Mr. FS and Frugal Son read this before I did. They marveled at the fact that the G-S employee didn't know much about personal finance: he just worked at a big money-making machine. He's now sharing what he learned since an early retirement. See below for Amazon link to the book.
And--not to mention--all the rumblings about insider trading that have been filling the Wall Street Journal.
I'm sure no one wants my opinion on all this. Instead of railing against the system (which would, no doubt, be very boring), I will share a recipe I made with some Thanksgiving stock. Frugal Son went a little wild chopping celery. Looking at the pile of neatly-cut pieces, I thought of this soup.
PEANUT CORN CHOWDER
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups canned corn, drained
1 cup light cream or half-and-half
Salt to taste
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped celery and onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter until it has melted.
Return the pan to the heat and gradually stir in the stock and corn. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the cream or half-and-half and heat gently. Add salt to taste.
Ladle into warm bowls, garnish with celery leaves and serve.
From The Best American Recipes 1999 edited by Fran McCullough and Suzanne Hamlin (Houghton Mifflin). Originally copyrighted 1998 by Trisha Meckler and published in More White Trash Cooking (Ten Speed Press).
Then we have stress from the news. Just sticking to the financial front: a U of Chicago economist (very conservative institutional affiliation) attributes the lingering unemployment situation and other bad things to income inequality in the United States.
The most emailed article from the New York Times (now #2, behind something on vitamins) concerns a former Goldman-Sachs employee who made zillions of dollars and is now dying of brain cancer. He wrote a book counseling a common-sense approach to investing, with a mix of stocks and bonds. In index funds. Shades of John Bogle. Both Mr. FS and Frugal Son read this before I did. They marveled at the fact that the G-S employee didn't know much about personal finance: he just worked at a big money-making machine. He's now sharing what he learned since an early retirement. See below for Amazon link to the book.
And--not to mention--all the rumblings about insider trading that have been filling the Wall Street Journal.
I'm sure no one wants my opinion on all this. Instead of railing against the system (which would, no doubt, be very boring), I will share a recipe I made with some Thanksgiving stock. Frugal Son went a little wild chopping celery. Looking at the pile of neatly-cut pieces, I thought of this soup.
PEANUT CORN CHOWDER
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups canned corn, drained
1 cup light cream or half-and-half
Salt to taste
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped celery and onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter until it has melted.
Return the pan to the heat and gradually stir in the stock and corn. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the cream or half-and-half and heat gently. Add salt to taste.
Ladle into warm bowls, garnish with celery leaves and serve.
From The Best American Recipes 1999 edited by Fran McCullough and Suzanne Hamlin (Houghton Mifflin). Originally copyrighted 1998 by Trisha Meckler and published in More White Trash Cooking (Ten Speed Press).
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Coffee, Tea, and Me
The above title is an allusion to a scandalous book of the 1960s titled Coffee, Tea, or Me. This book--unread by me--detailed the sexual adventures of flight attendants (then called stewardesses) and pilots in the swinging 60s. Evidently one of our neighbors (a pilot, never seen by me) was a character in it. His disguise was transparent and his wife Lillian divorced him and moved away with their 6 kids.
My Frugal Son has been home for a few days. He has been maligning me for buying too much (good) stuff at Goodwill. He has a point. But watch out for the forces of thrift store karma.
Frugal Son has become interested in loose tea. We searched--to no avail--for our tea strainer. So...when I went to Goodwill, what do I find?
Of course, this item was greeted with ecstasy by Frugal Son.
On to coffee. I made some nasty comments about the now ubiquitous coffee pods. Funny About Money replied with a survey of coffee making methods and paean to the French press, which is what I use.
This inspired me to waste some time--I mean, research--coffee making methods. I discovered this, which seems pricy for what it is. It seems like it would be less messy than the French press, however.
Has anyone used it?
My Frugal Son has been home for a few days. He has been maligning me for buying too much (good) stuff at Goodwill. He has a point. But watch out for the forces of thrift store karma.
Frugal Son has become interested in loose tea. We searched--to no avail--for our tea strainer. So...when I went to Goodwill, what do I find?
Of course, this item was greeted with ecstasy by Frugal Son.
On to coffee. I made some nasty comments about the now ubiquitous coffee pods. Funny About Money replied with a survey of coffee making methods and paean to the French press, which is what I use.
This inspired me to waste some time--I mean, research--coffee making methods. I discovered this, which seems pricy for what it is. It seems like it would be less messy than the French press, however.
Has anyone used it?
Thursday, 25 November 2010
No-Stress Thanksgiving: The Menu
I don't find Thanksgiving all that stressful. It is a low cost meal and the traditional items are EASY. I used to make the beautiful vegetable purees from The Silver Palate Cookbook, but no more. I hate cleaning the food processer.
We decided to spread the side dishes out over two days; this met with approval from the visiting children.
I did manage to spread some Thanksgiving cheer, by developing (extemporaneously, in a split second) the easiest menu imaginable. I wended my way to CVS this morning to get some of their fantastic freebies. While there, I said hi to Gary, one of my favorite former students. Then I checked out.
The woman at the register told me her meal was being prepared by her mother and daughter. She told me she couldn't cook. In fact, she got that panicked look that one gets encountering something that most people find easy but that brings chills and fear and inevitable failure. (This is different for everyone. For me, it's directions. For Mr. FS, it's matching shirt to pants. Whatever.)
I told her what to do: Heat your oven and when it's 350 degrees, put the turkey in. Basting is unnecessary. After a while, put in some sweet potatoes and white potatoes. They will take a bit over an hour. When the turkey skin is brownish, take it out and check. It won't take as long as you think if you don't baste. Open a can of cranberry sauce. Prepare a salad using one of those mixes at the grocery that come with dressing and all. Buy something for dessert.
In all my years of teaching, I have never seen a light bulb moment like I did with my cashier. She told me that she would try next year.
My menu is more complex, of course, but the above menu follows the 80/20 ratio of the Pareto Principle, whereby you get 80% of the benefit from 20% of the effort.
I guess I should have told her to buy some stuffing mix too. Oops!
Have a good day everybody.
We decided to spread the side dishes out over two days; this met with approval from the visiting children.
I did manage to spread some Thanksgiving cheer, by developing (extemporaneously, in a split second) the easiest menu imaginable. I wended my way to CVS this morning to get some of their fantastic freebies. While there, I said hi to Gary, one of my favorite former students. Then I checked out.
The woman at the register told me her meal was being prepared by her mother and daughter. She told me she couldn't cook. In fact, she got that panicked look that one gets encountering something that most people find easy but that brings chills and fear and inevitable failure. (This is different for everyone. For me, it's directions. For Mr. FS, it's matching shirt to pants. Whatever.)
I told her what to do: Heat your oven and when it's 350 degrees, put the turkey in. Basting is unnecessary. After a while, put in some sweet potatoes and white potatoes. They will take a bit over an hour. When the turkey skin is brownish, take it out and check. It won't take as long as you think if you don't baste. Open a can of cranberry sauce. Prepare a salad using one of those mixes at the grocery that come with dressing and all. Buy something for dessert.
In all my years of teaching, I have never seen a light bulb moment like I did with my cashier. She told me that she would try next year.
My menu is more complex, of course, but the above menu follows the 80/20 ratio of the Pareto Principle, whereby you get 80% of the benefit from 20% of the effort.
I guess I should have told her to buy some stuffing mix too. Oops!
Have a good day everybody.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Chocolate-Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Coconut Milk
I love finding recipes that use things I already have and NEED TO USE UP. The bread pudding below (copied from New York Times) was part of a feature on a vegan Thanksgiving. The coconut milk subs for the dairy--milk and eggs--that makes a bread pudding bread pudding.
Has anyone tried this? Does it sound tempting to you?
Chloe Coscarelli’s
Chocolate-Pumpkin Bread Pudding
This warm pumpkin bread pudding has a dash of spice and is studded with chocolate chips. It’s a rich and creamy dessert that’s free of dairy and eggs but will leave everyone feeling indulged.
1 cup coconut milk
1 15 ounce can organic pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar (can use maple syrup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
10 cups cubed day-old bread of your choice (about 10 to 12 slices of sandwich bread, depending on the thickness of slices)
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (Guittard and Ghirardelli are among those that are nondairy)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 14 4-ounce ramekins (single-serving ceramic dishes) or a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish.
2. In a blender, process coconut milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt and spices until smooth. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the pumpkin mixture and chocolate chips until each bread cube is coated.
3. If using ramekins: Evenly sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar into the bottom of each greased ramekin. Fill each ramekin to the top with the mixture and lightly press it down with the back of a spoon. If using a 9-by-13 baking dish: Fill the baking dish with the mixture and lightly press it down with the back of a spoon. Evenly sprinkle about 2 tablespoons brown sugar over the top of the bread pudding. The brown sugar will help the pudding to caramelize on the edges. (Steps 1 through 3 can be done up to three days in advance; store covered in the refrigerator.)
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until top is lightly browned. If using ramekins: Let the pudding cool a few minutes, then carve around the edges with a knife to loosen and unmold. Garnish with powdered sugar if desired and serve warm. If using a 9-by-13 baking dish: Let the pudding cool a few minutes before serving. Cut into portions, then garnish with powdered sugar if desired and serve warm. The pudding can be baked right before serving or earlier that day and then reheated for 8 to 10 more minutes right before serving.
Yield: Serves 14.
Or should I make the traditional (in my family) pumpkin brulee?
Has anyone tried this? Does it sound tempting to you?
Chloe Coscarelli’s
Chocolate-Pumpkin Bread Pudding
This warm pumpkin bread pudding has a dash of spice and is studded with chocolate chips. It’s a rich and creamy dessert that’s free of dairy and eggs but will leave everyone feeling indulged.
1 cup coconut milk
1 15 ounce can organic pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar (can use maple syrup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
10 cups cubed day-old bread of your choice (about 10 to 12 slices of sandwich bread, depending on the thickness of slices)
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (Guittard and Ghirardelli are among those that are nondairy)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 14 4-ounce ramekins (single-serving ceramic dishes) or a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish.
2. In a blender, process coconut milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt and spices until smooth. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the pumpkin mixture and chocolate chips until each bread cube is coated.
3. If using ramekins: Evenly sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar into the bottom of each greased ramekin. Fill each ramekin to the top with the mixture and lightly press it down with the back of a spoon. If using a 9-by-13 baking dish: Fill the baking dish with the mixture and lightly press it down with the back of a spoon. Evenly sprinkle about 2 tablespoons brown sugar over the top of the bread pudding. The brown sugar will help the pudding to caramelize on the edges. (Steps 1 through 3 can be done up to three days in advance; store covered in the refrigerator.)
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until top is lightly browned. If using ramekins: Let the pudding cool a few minutes, then carve around the edges with a knife to loosen and unmold. Garnish with powdered sugar if desired and serve warm. If using a 9-by-13 baking dish: Let the pudding cool a few minutes before serving. Cut into portions, then garnish with powdered sugar if desired and serve warm. The pudding can be baked right before serving or earlier that day and then reheated for 8 to 10 more minutes right before serving.
Yield: Serves 14.
Or should I make the traditional (in my family) pumpkin brulee?
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Local Cooking vs Frugal Cooking: Can the Twain Meet?
Miss Em is lucky enough to be in a college program that involves an occasional invitation to a catered meal at a faculty home. These have themes and, being a hungry girl with an interest in food, she recently chose one on eating with locally sourced products. (UGH--I can't believe I just used the word "sourced"--so pretentious.)
The food, as expected, was great: catfish po-boys, marinated cabbage, and other items I can't remember.
While she was there, Miss Em got into a conversation with a proponent of local eating. She mentioned that she came from a frugal family that liked to cook and eat. The expert opined that cheap food was part of the problem: the Dollar Burger masks its true costs, which include health and environmental costs, in the way that the food is raised, produced, processed, transported, and so on.
Meanwhile, in a frugal and environmental move, I took a New York Times Magazine from the free bin at the library. The magazine, from the depths of the financial crisis, had an article about a New York City family that TRIED to eat local and organic foods from the Farmer's Market. In that quest, they purchased a chicken that cost $35.00! The article also mentioned that their toddler-son chugged through a half-gallon of farm milk ($14.00/gallon!) a day. I'm not even going to get into the question of whether anyone should be drinking that much milk (I say no). Anyway, the family had to give up these pure foods in the face of financial woes.
I think the University locavore was conflating CHEAP food and FRUGAL food. CHEAP food is not good in large quantities: hot pockets, pizza bites, and the like, in addition to fast food items.
FRUGAL food can include local food. I can buy local seafood, greens, and citrus. I do, all the time. Perhaps I SHOULD buy local dairy items, but I have a cheap attack on these.
At the same time, I would faint if my dear spouse purchased a $35.00 chicken. Or if my children consumed $7.00 worth of milk per diem, each.
If it's true though that local food really is better for you (aside from being better tasting) and if the prices mentioned in the New York Times article are on the level, then there may be a food and nutrition gap between richest and poorest much like the widening income gap that has been in the news so much of late.
AND NOW FOR the $64,000 question: would you spend $35.00 on a chicken?
The food, as expected, was great: catfish po-boys, marinated cabbage, and other items I can't remember.
While she was there, Miss Em got into a conversation with a proponent of local eating. She mentioned that she came from a frugal family that liked to cook and eat. The expert opined that cheap food was part of the problem: the Dollar Burger masks its true costs, which include health and environmental costs, in the way that the food is raised, produced, processed, transported, and so on.
Meanwhile, in a frugal and environmental move, I took a New York Times Magazine from the free bin at the library. The magazine, from the depths of the financial crisis, had an article about a New York City family that TRIED to eat local and organic foods from the Farmer's Market. In that quest, they purchased a chicken that cost $35.00! The article also mentioned that their toddler-son chugged through a half-gallon of farm milk ($14.00/gallon!) a day. I'm not even going to get into the question of whether anyone should be drinking that much milk (I say no). Anyway, the family had to give up these pure foods in the face of financial woes.
I think the University locavore was conflating CHEAP food and FRUGAL food. CHEAP food is not good in large quantities: hot pockets, pizza bites, and the like, in addition to fast food items.
FRUGAL food can include local food. I can buy local seafood, greens, and citrus. I do, all the time. Perhaps I SHOULD buy local dairy items, but I have a cheap attack on these.
At the same time, I would faint if my dear spouse purchased a $35.00 chicken. Or if my children consumed $7.00 worth of milk per diem, each.
If it's true though that local food really is better for you (aside from being better tasting) and if the prices mentioned in the New York Times article are on the level, then there may be a food and nutrition gap between richest and poorest much like the widening income gap that has been in the news so much of late.
AND NOW FOR the $64,000 question: would you spend $35.00 on a chicken?
Sunday, 17 October 2010
The Egg and I: For College Cooks and Others
I am going to start posting my College Cooking posts here too. Not to name any names, but CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP ME HAVE NOT DONE SO.
EGGS just seem to be in the air these days. On the College Cooking front, I have this report. Always on the lookout for stove-free cooking options, I discovered this little item.
Really, this is silly. However, I spotted one at Goodwill for 99 cents, so I bought it. It's definitely worth 99 cents. I put some of the beaten egg for the pasta frittata in each side, cooked for a minute, added some cooked pasta and cheese, and finished it up. Then I folded it closed: tada! a very pretty fake omelet.
I think this would actually be good for microwave-only cooks: there is little clean up, really; it produces an attractive item (so important for solo eaters); it can accommodate all kinds of leftovers, and so on. Next time I use it, I'm going to try beating the eggs IN the contraption, for even less clean up.
Further on the egg front. I unearthed a cookbook I've never used.
Here is a knock-off of one of their recipes. I have probably already revealed my insane love of mashed potatoes, so it should come as no surprise that this one is on my to-do list.
Ingredients
* 3 cups mashed potatoes, heated through
* 4 eggs
* Coarse salt and cracked black pepper
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, oregano, or thyme
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Divide the mashed potatoes into four individual baking dishes. Make a deep well in the center of the mashed potatoes. Crack an egg directly into each well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese over each egg. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until eggs are done to your likeness.
Remove from oven, garnish with fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
EGGS just seem to be in the air these days. On the College Cooking front, I have this report. Always on the lookout for stove-free cooking options, I discovered this little item.
Really, this is silly. However, I spotted one at Goodwill for 99 cents, so I bought it. It's definitely worth 99 cents. I put some of the beaten egg for the pasta frittata in each side, cooked for a minute, added some cooked pasta and cheese, and finished it up. Then I folded it closed: tada! a very pretty fake omelet.
I think this would actually be good for microwave-only cooks: there is little clean up, really; it produces an attractive item (so important for solo eaters); it can accommodate all kinds of leftovers, and so on. Next time I use it, I'm going to try beating the eggs IN the contraption, for even less clean up.
Further on the egg front. I unearthed a cookbook I've never used.
Here is a knock-off of one of their recipes. I have probably already revealed my insane love of mashed potatoes, so it should come as no surprise that this one is on my to-do list.
Ingredients
* 3 cups mashed potatoes, heated through
* 4 eggs
* Coarse salt and cracked black pepper
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, oregano, or thyme
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Divide the mashed potatoes into four individual baking dishes. Make a deep well in the center of the mashed potatoes. Crack an egg directly into each well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese over each egg. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until eggs are done to your likeness.
Remove from oven, garnish with fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
Saturday, 16 October 2010
The Egg and I: Pasta Frittata
Last month, I reported my pot luck triumph with egg salad. As a rule, I wouldn't bring egg salad to a pot luck, but it was on the list of items from which to choose. It happened that I was the maker of the BEST egg salad.
Tonight we are going to a music event, organized by some wonderful people we know. Mark and Peggy are music lovers who were habitues of a jazz cafe just minutes from their home. Post-Katrina, the cafe was no more. So instead of griping (my usual response), they created a monthly musical evening, at the home of a volunteer. Everyone chips in for the musicians and brings a dish.
We used to be on the alternate list, but we have ascended to the regular list.
Because we are near New Orleans, we get some wonderful and well-known musicians.
I am making pasta frittata, which you are supposed to do with leftovers, but I had to start from scratch.
Ingredients:
12 eggs
half pound of linguine, cooked
some tomato sauce
some homemade pesto
parmesan
In case you don't know how to make one, here is a frittata recipe.
This made a big sucker, but I have the coordinated Mr. FS to help me. He is very proud of his ability to flip a frittata.
Last time I brought a frittata (this was potato/leek) to one of these events, it was a success. Another benefit is that the frittata is easy to transport and tastes good at room temperature. No one else has ever brought one.
Now, of course, I want to re-read The Egg and I.
Or how about the book my friend Charlotte gave my baby boy?
Tonight we are going to a music event, organized by some wonderful people we know. Mark and Peggy are music lovers who were habitues of a jazz cafe just minutes from their home. Post-Katrina, the cafe was no more. So instead of griping (my usual response), they created a monthly musical evening, at the home of a volunteer. Everyone chips in for the musicians and brings a dish.
We used to be on the alternate list, but we have ascended to the regular list.
Because we are near New Orleans, we get some wonderful and well-known musicians.
I am making pasta frittata, which you are supposed to do with leftovers, but I had to start from scratch.
Ingredients:
12 eggs
half pound of linguine, cooked
some tomato sauce
some homemade pesto
parmesan
In case you don't know how to make one, here is a frittata recipe.
This made a big sucker, but I have the coordinated Mr. FS to help me. He is very proud of his ability to flip a frittata.
Last time I brought a frittata (this was potato/leek) to one of these events, it was a success. Another benefit is that the frittata is easy to transport and tastes good at room temperature. No one else has ever brought one.
Now, of course, I want to re-read The Egg and I.
Or how about the book my friend Charlotte gave my baby boy?
Thursday, 14 October 2010
Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Greens, Breadcrumbs
Since I learned how to make caramelized onions in my slow cooker, I have been on the lookout for recipes using them. Today I saw one in the New York Times.
3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
5 anchovy fillets
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
1 yellow onion, halved from stem to root and thinly sliced crosswise
Kosher salt and pepper
1 pound Swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped
1/2 pound whole-wheat pasta, such as fusilli.
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add 3 anchovies to the skillet; cook until melted, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the bread crumbs and toast until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Wipe the skillet clean and return it to a medium-high heat. Add the oil, the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Chop the remaining 2 anchovies and add them to the skillet. Cook until melted. Add the Swiss chard, a handful at a time, and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain well. Toss with the chard mixture and bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
Yield: 2 to 3 servings.
This is a treasure of the recipe because it has more than one frugal component: in addition to the onions, it uses breadcrumbs. PLUS greens. We always have breadcrumbs because Mr. FS is a long-time baker. And it just so happens we have greens in the garden, though not chard.
Needless to say, I plan to make changes: regular old pasta and no anchovies. I am going to make this in a few days, but the recipe looks so interesting that I wanted to share.
Also, see how much time you save by having caramelized a bunch of onions in your slow cooker? Life is good.
3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
5 anchovy fillets
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
1 yellow onion, halved from stem to root and thinly sliced crosswise
Kosher salt and pepper
1 pound Swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped
1/2 pound whole-wheat pasta, such as fusilli.
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add 3 anchovies to the skillet; cook until melted, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the bread crumbs and toast until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Wipe the skillet clean and return it to a medium-high heat. Add the oil, the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Chop the remaining 2 anchovies and add them to the skillet. Cook until melted. Add the Swiss chard, a handful at a time, and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain well. Toss with the chard mixture and bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
Yield: 2 to 3 servings.
This is a treasure of the recipe because it has more than one frugal component: in addition to the onions, it uses breadcrumbs. PLUS greens. We always have breadcrumbs because Mr. FS is a long-time baker. And it just so happens we have greens in the garden, though not chard.
Needless to say, I plan to make changes: regular old pasta and no anchovies. I am going to make this in a few days, but the recipe looks so interesting that I wanted to share.
Also, see how much time you save by having caramelized a bunch of onions in your slow cooker? Life is good.
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