My Adventures in the Kitchen

Bread

2011-01-16T18:12:00.000-08:00

I'm starting out the new year as a real baker! I have finally learned how to bake bread! For Thanksgiving I volunteered to make rolls so I could get in some more practice; and I baked my very first successful batch of dinner rolls, they were delicious. I went on to bake my very first loaf of bread successfully. There are some very important elements I had to learn to finally produce a great loaf of bread.

First of all it is important to add the right amount of water, depending on the weather and humidity of your location the amount of water you'll need varies. Second, you have to kneed bread until it is soft and smooth, enough to activate the glutten and aerate the dough. Third, you must not let the bread raise too much during the first sitting; otherwise, the yeast will eat up all the sugar and you won't have enough left for the second raise.

What really helped me to learn all of these key components; and how to make bread, was good ol' King Arthur Flour and the recipe for Soft White Dinner Rolls. These dinner rolls are wonderful tasty and simple to make, and I do make them from time to time.

Amazing how some simple understanding can make all the difference! Knowledge really is power! Now I have homemade bread in my own home whenever I feel like baking. What a blessing it is!

Innovative Inspiration for my Kitchen

2010-10-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

Last month I became a Pampered Chef consultant and I bet you can't guess the reason.. ;) Yep, now I get to talk about food and kitchen tools to lots of people in person! In addition, I get to grow my own kitchen supplies and try out even more new recipes and techniques. If I make any money at it, that's just bonus, I really just want the opportunity to talk with other people about cooking!
I have been really enjoying my new Season's Best cookbook and New Consultant recipe cards. I made Strawberry Amaretto Pastries, Mini Chocolate Tiramisu Cakes (with Coffee substituted), Taffy Apple Tartlets, Caramel-Banana Ravioli and Three-Cheese Garden Pizza so far. All sounds delectable and fattening doesn't it? I love that these recipes are made in small portions and when I make them I get to share them with a group of people. I've also found that I can freeze a few and they keep just great until I need a treat to serve some other day!
Another thing I've really enjoyed is that the Pampered Chef recipes are so versitale they are great for putting my own twist on. For example, after making the Three-Cheese Garden Pizza I thought, "Gee, that pizza would probably be great with chicken on it." One thought led to another and I ended up making a delicious Barbeque Chicken Pizza for dinner the next week!
Here's how I did it; first I oiled my baking stone, rolled out some homemade pizza crust, basted it with a mixture of oil and fresh pressed garlic, and smoothed on a somewhat generous helping of my favorite barbeque sauce to the edges of the dough. Over the sauce, I spread some chicken I had pan fried in coconut oil and chopped into bite size squares, and topped it with some shedded mozzerella cheese and crumbled 3-4 fresh crisp bacon strips on top.(Not too crisp because the baking will make it even crunchier.) Baked at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. It was delicious with a great big helping of garden salad and ranch dressing! Are you hungry yet? Good! Make it, it's easy and you'll love it! ;)

How about some Chocolate Cake!

2010-05-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law's birthday was last month and I volunteered to make her cake. She loves chocolate so I tried making Julia's Le Marquis (Chocolate Spongecake.) It was not the best chocolate cake I ever had so I ended up buying and making a chocoalate cake mix last minute. The ganache from Julia's Kitchen Wisdom is super dark chocolate, and I over overcooked the spongecake so it was too dry and tuff. *sigh* It's probably a good cake when someone makes it right. Oh well, you win some, you loose some. The Betty Crocker Chocolate cake mix turned out moist and soft and decadent with Pillsbury Fudge Frosting on it. A ready mix saved the night!
Pity my Le Marquis was literally a bitter disappointment; although, it does look pretty don't you think?
The chocolate spongecake is levened with egg whites so I imagine if made right this cake would be light and fluffy. I will have to try again!

Junior's Cheesecake

2010-05-08T00:35:00.001-07:00

My husband is a New York Style Cheesecake buff. If we go to the cheesecake factory he will only order the plain cheesecake every time. I have made a fair amount of cheesecake being the amateur cook I am, some have been excellent and some have been a bitter disappointment.

In January my husband watched a segment on the food network and then advised me to buy a Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook. After researching it a bit I discovered I would need an 8-9" Spring form pan to make the cheesecake that had been featured and caught my husband's interest. I ordered the pan and cookbook online and they arrived about a week before Valentines Day. Guess what I made my husband for Valentine's Day. The best cheesecake there has ever been! Junior's Cheesecake is smooth and light and rich and beyond delicious. It was by far the best cheesecake I have ever had the pleasure of eating and it needed no topping. There is a slightly lemony sponge cake for a crust instead of graham crackers and the cheesecake is wrapped in foil and steamed in the oven and then cools overnight. I cut the cake and froze half of it, because I knew we'd either eat the whole thing, or we would leave most of it to go to waste and neither scenario would be healthy. We ate half of that cheesecake in 2-3 days and then defrosted the other half (which kept perfectly when I followed the storing directions given in the book.) about two weeks later and finished it off.

Thank you Junior's Cheesecake for sharing your delectable secrets!

Dear Reader, if you ever by any cookbook in your life, buy this book and make this cheesecake yourself, it's worth every penny and all the effort! You will be the new Cheesecake Queen my friend!

Poached Fish and Hollandaise

2010-05-07T22:57:00.000-07:00

I finally had the chance to make a hollandaise sauce! Last month I decided to poach some fish and serve it with hollandaise sauce and vegetables for dinner one night. It was my first time poaching fish as well as making the sauce.
I don't like to cook with wine because I don't drink it, and what will I do with it after I've used what I needed to cook with! So I substituted white grape juice for white wine in the poached fish recipe. First I caramelized shallots in butter in a oven proof skillet. After arranging the sole evenly over the onions, I poured on the sparkling white grape juice, let it simmer a while then covered it all with buttered parchment paper and set it in the oven to finish cooking. I have to say I loved the poached fish part but the Dover sole I had chosen for the project was pretty bitter and I think I'd choose a real "sole" next time or an entirely different kind of fish.
The hollandaise sauce was shockingly a cinch to make! I have no idea why I should have been so intimidated by it before. It requires a lot of stirring and I think I would be more stingy with the lemon juice next time I make it. For the purpose of the fish I made the hollandaise into a Sauce Chantilly (made with whipped cream.) and enjoyed every bite except for the bitter after-taste the chosen fish emitted. As a whole I consider the experience a success and thank Julia Child for showing me how easy it is to make Hollandaise Sauce and how delicious poached fish can be. I am looking forward to learning to make an omelet her way and grace it with another batch of hollandaise. Mmm.

Bread Making

2010-01-27T20:55:00.000-08:00

I am sorry to say I have neglected this blog because I have been too busy working, and because all this thinking about food is making me fatter and fatter. I have, however, been endeavoring to learn how to make a good loaf of sandwich bread. So far I have made two loaves that fell during the baking process. The first loaf I thought was too wet, but may have fallen because I allowed it to raise too long. Then, because I thought the first loaf was too wet, I made the second loaf too dry and it did not raise enough. Bread winning has taken on a whole new meaning, but I am determined to prevail. Although both of my efforts ended in dumpy loaves the flavor and texture were very good, and so I will recommend the recipe I used for sandwich bread here. I did make some pretty yummy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with my first loaf which held together beautifully. King Arthur Flour has many delicious recipes and another recipe I tried for soup was so delicious it is going into my own recipe book for frequent use.

Sauces

2009-10-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

The next chapter is on sauces. Sauces are essential to french cooking, so I have learned. Take a nice omelet, add hollandaise sauce and viola! Something simple and and nice becomes something delectable and savorable. My experience was with meatballs.
My husband and I wanted to have Swedish meatballs unfortunately I had no recipe to go by, but the Swedish meatballs that I've had have always had a sweet brown sauce. So I turned to my Julia Child Cookbook. I learned a sauce consists of a few important components: a good roux, hot liquid, enrichment's and time. The most delicate sauces are cooked for 2 hours or as long as a whole day! The roux is made with fat (or butter) and flour. No more than 3 Tbsp of flour per cup of liquid for a thick sauce. For a good sauce I had to first cook the roux for several minutes (little bubbles) this step is key because if I didn't cook the roux long enough it would make the sauce pasty and raw tasting. Next I stirred in the beef stock and other seasonings, and let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken to the desired consistency. Adding butter or cream to enrich the sauce a few minutes before serving.
I dumped the hot meatballs into the sauce and served them spilling over the edge of mashed potatoes with salad on the side. It was delicious and I was impressed with how simple it was to make such a top notch sauce.
Sauces come in many forms, there are marinara sauces, brown sauces, white sauces, and gravy. I look forward to making hollandaise and Mayonnaise.

Hot and Steamy Liquid Love

2009-09-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

The Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and rice was absolutely delicious, so tasty in fact, that I didn't have enough time to take a picture before it was all gone. The chicken was marinated in a coconut and fish sauce mixture with some herbs and curry powder for about an hour, and then cooked on the grill outside in the pouring rain. Thankfully the grill is on the porch so the down pouring didn't ruin my Malaysian/Indonesian-barbecued-chicken-kabob-plans. The Peanut Sauce is where the real effort was in preparing. Many ingredients and techniques are called for; first pounding in a mortar with pestle, then sauteing, and last simmering. Next time I make Satay I now know I can make the Peanut sauce ahead of time. The Lemon Grass added a subtle tangy ..green-leafy flavor to the Peanut sauce that I admit doesn't sound altogether appetizing, but really was very pleasant.
It's nice to have something unusual for dinner from time to time, and I feel making it at home is much more healthy and satisfying than going out to eat (not to mention spending half as much money on the meal.) It's much more rewarding too, when my husband enjoys the meal that I prepared instead of a high end restaurant meal. For example; we never go out for curry, or mango and sticky rice anymore (one of our favorite meals and dessert) because I now can make it at home just as well as the restaurant. Curry and Mango with Sticky Rice is so simple and cheap to make, so I can spend ten dollars making it at home instead of thirty dollars plus tip to eat it at a restaurant! Learning to cook ethnic foods has definitely made my life a little bit easier and more fun.

I finished reading the first chapter of Mastering the Art of French Cooking entitled Soups. My family have never been big soup eaters; although I do enjoy soup, beyond what comes in a can I have just never had much exposure to making soup or the varieties available. Growing up, my mother would make potato soup from time to time, or a pot of beans, or a minestrone soup from scratch, but it just was not a big part of my meals. As an adult, when eating out, I hesitatingly would order a soup from time to time to see what as out there: French Onion, Clam Chowder, and Tortilla Soup but it was either a hit or miss as to which restaurants had good soup. So it was with courage I took on the task of choosing and making a soup last night. There were Potato and Leek Soup, Watercress, Vichyssoise, Garlic, Onion, Mushroom, and Fish Soups recipes to choose from. I have come to the unfortunate discovery that I dislike Leeks very much. I am not very picky as a rule and generally force myself to give all food a fair chance to win my taste buds over so I will allow myself to dislike leeks. Needless to say I did not want to make a leek soup, and I want to make sure I can make good soup before I take on a Vichyssoise, so since my husband and I both love mushrooms I settled on a Cream of Mushroom Soup.
It took an hour of my careful and inexperienced preparation, a half a cup of some Wanna-Be European Butter (I bought special for the occasion,) and about half a cup of cream to make the rich "Grand Occasion or.. Sunday Supper" soup. It was divine. Not bland and viscous like that canned stuff you buy at the store for a dollar and a quarter, but steamy with a soft liquid creamy richness that makes one pause after a sip to savor and ponder the experience. I toasted some white bread and melted some real butter on it as an accompaniment to the lovely soup. Soup and bread was just the thing after a rainy day and a chest cold! Other than adding a bit too much salt at the end I would have to say my hard work definitely paid off. I think I will try making a Potato and Onion soup soon and maybe a fish soup as well. Mrs. Child said, "Once you have mastered a technique, you hardly need look at a recipe again." and I mean to master Soups.
The next chapter is on Sauces and I am so looking forward to making Hollandaise for the first time as well as Mayonnaise! Yippee!

Arrival of a Long Awaited Package

2009-08-31T22:35:00.000-07:00

My Julia Child cookbooks finally arrived this afternoon! They were shipped late so I had to wait an extra four days for them. My fingers trembled with excitement, as I opened the cover of Julia's Kitchen Wisdom, eager to absorb all of the experience and instruction she had so meticulously and thoughtfully measured into it. (I know not everyone gets this excited about cook books, but cum' on it was a package! Alright, I know I'm a dork so get over it.) I eventually set Julia's Kitchen Wisdom down after reading the introduction, as it is mostly a reference book, and soon began to devour Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The "Introduction" is an appropriate title because I was introduced to Julia Child, the circumstances which led her and her associates to writing this book together, and Mrs. Child's successes thereafter.
Next I read the "Forward" in which Mrs. Child explains her purpose of writing and the most effective way in which to read Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which led me to believe it was really a textbook. I intend to treat it as a textbook at any rate. I will carefully read through the instruction and recipes of each section, and then selecting recipes out of each category to fit my needs and pocketbook, I will test my comprehension and practice what I have learned. I'm so excited to broaden by abilities in cooking; Julia says that French Cooking provides a skill level that will act as a foundation to many other ethnic cooking. I believe it will; if only to help me take cooking more seriously -pushing me to sacrifice the time to make a dish excellent instead of opting for a shortcut, as Julia says, and hoping no one notices the difference.
Reading through the techniques and processes remind me of times when, as a child, I watched my mother from the kitchen table or received instruction from her that I had long forgotten until now. How to fold egg whites in properly for example, or when my father taught me to slice and chop vegetables so as not to cut myself or fear the knife. I wonder to myself; as I read, absorb, and reflect, whether my mother or father had ever read these things themselves or if they had learned it from their parents. Maybe my grandparents had read it! How much has this book really influenced our world and we don't even realize it because it is just a trifle like a cookbook. But, deeper thoughts are for other writings and so my friends until next posting, Happy Cooking!

Finding Oil that Won't Smoke or Burn

2009-08-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

When buying oil for cooking and baking it's important to consider the smoking point of an oil and what oil will contribute the best flavor at the temperature you will be cooking or baking at. The media and health experts are always promoting olive oil for good health, but my husband can't stand the flavor. I never noticed the bitter flavor until I tried to fry pancakes in olive oil (aw, don't snicker at my naivety) and they were just aweful! As a newly wed wife it is important for a woman to feel like her husband can appreciate her efforts in the kitchen. (At least a woman like ME feels that way.) So I threw out the olive oil altogether and looked up cooking oils on the internet to educate myself after crying on the phone to my mother about my failure. Soon after reading about "smoking points" I went out and bought a gallon of Peanut oil. I'd heard it makes everything taste like peanuts, but that doesn't bother me and hasn't bothered my husband. However, when deep fat frying foods I found that Peanut oil does not flatter all foods, especially doughnuts so I will have to try Almond oil sometime because it seems to me that it wouldn't taste so bitter. I'm looking forward to trying several different oils for different things. Walnut oil is supposed to be highly healthful (with omega 3 and 6 that olive oil is revered for) and is recommended drizzled on salad. So I may be able to avoid Olive oil altogether and still get the benifits desired! I found on line, "The cost of walnut oil is higher than that of most other oils, but the payoff is worth it. In addition to providing a delicate flavor that enhances many foods, walnut oil also has therapeutic properties when applied to the skin, and may even act to ward off both cancer and heart disease." Excellent! I'll take a double serving for MY family!
I added a link with a chart of Smoking Points but here's another from Wikipedia that shows more of them.

A Matter of Altitude

2009-08-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

An important thing to consider in your kitchen activities, is elevation. I found this to be a tedious section in Better Homes and Gardens, so I condensed it into a simpler list for quick reference. Basically; since water boils at lower temperatures 3,000 feet above sea level or higher, moisture evaporates faster and can cause cooking food to dry out. Elevation can also effect the leavening in baked goods causing them to "fall," this explains a lot of the problems I had making biscuits when I moved to go to college! I'll have to invest in a meat thermometer so I can check the temperature for doneness since it takes longer to cook meat at higher altitude. After I moved to "the Valley" I noticed meat cooks allot faster; I love it, but now I have to be careful to not over cook dinner. Adjusting to altitude seems to be one among many of the challenges of moving.
A couple of days ago my sister sent me an e-mail about Allspice and it's origin she looked it up out of curiosity. I've heard Allspice is it's own spice, but I've also heard otherwise so I thought I'd share our findings with you. Wikipedia says, "Ground allspice is not, as some people believe, a mixture of spices. Rather, it is the dried fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant. The fruit is picked when it is green and unripe and traditionally dried in the sun. When dry, the fruits are brown and resemble large brown peppercorns. The whole fruits have a longer shelf life than the powdered product and produce a more aromatic product when freshly ground before use." Many spices are better freshly ground; therefore, a great appliance for a serious cook to have on hand is a spice grinder.
My husband bought me a mortar and pestle for my birthday earlier this year (a much longed for kitchen item), but I will soon be investing in a spice grinder or coffee grinder for finer textures. I am also excited to be able to produce my own nut fours, (such as almond flour) which are sometimes hard to find and an adequate grinder may be used for.
A helpful convenience, if you only want to try a spice without buying the bottle, is to buy only a measure of a spice. Several farmers markets carry an assortment of herbs and spices to measure out a desired quantity to purchase. I've found even irregular items such as chamomile flowers at a farmers market! I feel it's worth the extra effort to find and take advantage local farmers markets, they carry fresher ingredients at lower cost and it's usually grown locally so you know what your eating and cooking with. I love to experiment, find new things to try, and ask questions! I've found it's the best way to learn about food and it's potential.

A Case of Pots, Pans and Poison!

2009-08-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

Choosing the right cookware is very important especially when starting out. I don't want to go buy just whatever, and it matters a lot because I don't want to waste my money, so I'm finding out what items are going to give me the results I like best.
Some pointers I picked up in the BHG cookbook are:

Shiny metals reflect heat and result in a lighter thinner crust.
These are Aluminum, Stainless Steel, and Tin.
So I'm going to want to buy shiny stainless steel pans for cookies, cheesecake, cake, bread, muffins, bundts, and brownies.
"Dark or dull-finished bake ware, such as tin, glass, and many non-stick pans, absorbs more heat, increasing the amount of browning." If you use these check the directions for decreased heat and bake time.
I'll use these for pie (since I'll need the [extra browning factor so the bottom does not become soggy]) and any goods with acidic ingredients which can react with other bake wares. I found out I need to be sure to remove baked goods (such as lasagna or lemon bars) from the pan and not leave them overnight, since acidity strips non-stick off of my pans.

Another helpful hint my husband discovered and shared with me the other day:
If I use a non-stick pan to fry, say.. eggs, wait for the pan to get hot before putting anything in it. What happens is the non-stick molecules are spread out when they are cool and get close and tight together when they are hot, so if you put something in there during the shrinking process, it will stick in my non-stick pan. Wish I'd known that a long time ago!
Last week while grocery shopping I made an important discovery. While looking at some Balsamic Vinegar I found a bottle that had printed on it, approved under California Proposition 65, containing no lead. What!!! So I went home and looked up California Proposition 65 which states that food products containing certain contaminants must be made known to California consumers. Every year California has a list made of all the contaminants in consumed goods, and they have a department that takes care of the whole operation of finding these facts and making them known to California residents. A couple of questions come to mind; first of all, why isn't this a nationwide proposition, and secondly, why are goods with harmful elements even sold in stores for consumption! What an outrage! Just so we all know, Red wine vinegar and Balsamic Vinegar contain lead which can result in birth defects and reproductive problems, and it's due to the grapes.
Here are some other helpful facts I have found for the health conscious:
Some High Fructose Corn Syrup contains mercury- the fish lovers' bane of existence. So guess what, we can run from tuna but we can't hide from mercury because high fructose corn syrup is found in just about everything sweet now from cookies to applesauce. In fact, I heard on the news that our country's the sugar resources are upset we haven't been purchasing as much sugar from them (because we are using high fructose corn syrup) and they will be inflicting a sugar shortage on us. So sugar prices are about to go up. Great fun!
Aspartame, which is so abundant in sweet drinks and chewing gum, turns to formaldehyde when it's being digested. Yummy! So good news America, we're all being poisoned!
I've been reading the ingredients labels on everything I buy much more religiously now, and I do encourage others to do the same. It's amazing how many additives are put into store bought foods just to preserve them and keep them looking appetizing. That just goes to show that looks aren't everything, and here's another good reason to make your own instead of buying pre-made. Not to mention, the satisfaction of the success and the creation of food.
Happy Cooking!

Sharpening My Knife

2009-08-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

To begin my education I decided to start by reading the Cooking Basics found in the front of my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. Most people probably already know most of the basics like: Measure dry or solid ingredients with Graduated Measuring Cups, and measure liquids with Liquid Measuring cups. Level off dry ingredients with a straight edge, such as the back of a table knife as my grandmother did, and place liquid measurements on a flat surface bending yourself down to eye level to read the right amount. I personally use the shake method for dry ingredients I watched my mother do; fill the cup and shake it back and forth until the excess falls back into the flour bin and your left with a level cup of flour, of coarse it is not always the most precise measurement. Sifting ingredients is not necessary except with cake flour as long as you give it (flour or whatever) a stir before scooping out your measurement. Always pack brown sugar so that it has the form of the cup when you dump it out, unless the recipe directs otherwise, which you may not ever see in your lifetime. Here's a new slice I hadn't known about and actually wondered about before; when measuring dried herbs, fill the measuring spoon until it is level and then if the recipe calls for it, crush it with your other hand or with a mortar and pestle. You should "refrigerate red spices, such as paprika, to preserve their flavor and color." Store other herbs and spices in a cool spot away from sunlight in airtight containers. I once left Cayenne Pepper out on the counter and it got sun bleached, I haven't opened it yet to see if the flavor was effected.
The next section was on kitchen appliances and equipment, beginning with knives. Julia Child said "Yes, you've got to have good knives that will sharpen and that can cut. You should be able to do all the dog work very fast. You need a great big chef's knife, a medium one, and a paring knife. You could get along with three. I have dozens because I'm a knife freak. " Better Homes and Gardens suggest making sure you have: a bread knife (serrated blade), a Chef's or cook's knife (8 inch wedge shape blade), a paring knife (3-4 inch blade), and a utility knife (6 inch thin blade good for soft foods such as sandwiches fruit and cheese.) I also find a carving knife to be necessary (10 inch blade) if you plan to ever have roast or turkey, and if you plan on cooking fish, a fillet knife will come in handy (7 inch blade), a boning knife is also mentioned (5 inch blade) maybe someday I will find it useful to have if I ever finally get a chance to bone a duck. Keep a wet stone in your kitchen because a dull knife is the most dangerous, and be sure to straighten your blades with a sharpening steel from time to time. BHG says to always clean knives with hot soapy water directly after use to preserve the blade. I also heard that you shouldn't use soap with citrus in it because it will ruin the blade.
On that thought (boning a duck) if you have an interest in cooking you should definitely see the new movie that came out to theaters, Julie & Julia. I especially enjoyed the parts about Julia Child, but the whole movie was cute and a laugh. It gave me extra encouragement to take on this cooking education project and to cook MY way through some of my own cookbooks! Not to mention the Julia Child cookbooks I am so impatiently awaiting the arrival of!
Next comes thermometers and I didn't realize it was so important to double check with a thermometer that your oven, refrigerator and freezer are at the right temperatures! I will have to buy some for the oven, refrigerator and freezer now, I suppose. Your refrigerator should never be above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and your freezer should be zero or below for food safety. Food Safety is VERY IMPORTANT! So remember to check your temperatures. Happy Cooking! I'll be back with more about pots and pans later!

Spices and Herbs

2009-08-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

I think my love of culinary arts started when I was a little girl. I was often in the kitchen helping my mother slicing olives, stirring batter, or reading off a recipe to her. I don't have my own kitchen right now since I live with my mother-in-law. To me, sharing a kitchen is one of the hardest things to do. Ask any of my college roommates, if I were an animal I would mark the kitchen perimeter with a stream of urine. (Maybe that's to vulgar talk around food.) For some reason, when I'm in the kitchen, I am the alpha female and any other woman needs to get out. I don't really do anything mean, I just seem to put off this vibe like some sort of repelling chemical to ward off potential crowding bodies. I don't mean any rudeness by it you know, I only need room to create and focus on my project is all! Anyone is welcome to the kitchen when I'm through.. just so long as they clean up after themselves.. Alright I admit it; I'm a kitchen Nazi, and I'm a terrible little beast for being so. Will you forgive me if I bake brownies for you?
Ever since I discovered spices I've been determined to learn to use them all. I have accumulated quite a collection now, so many that I can't fit them all into a spice rack. Since I don't have a kitchen of my own right now, it's okay I don't have a spice rack big enough, because I keep them nestled contently in a cardboard box for the present. Since I still have plenty of room in my "spice" box I bought a few new additions that I have never tried before and I am so excited to see what I can make with them: Whole Nutmeg, Lemon Grass, Whole Cloves, Cardamom, and Arrowroot! Not to mention Seasoned Salt. Now there is a very yummy Texas caviar recipe I got from a former co-worker that I can use my new Seasoned Salt for, and a fabulous recipe for pear bread to try my Cardamom in, and we all know that whole cloves go well in a Christmas Ham. There are several Asian recipes that call for Lemon Grass, and Whole Nutmeg is used just like preground Nutmeg only in smaller doses and I hear the taste is a bit spicier which I am looking forward to trying. But, what in the world is Arrowroot! Culinary Cafe says: "Arrowroot is a white powder extracted from the root of a West Indian plant, Marantha arundinacea. It looks and feels like cornstarch... Arrowroot is used as a thickening agent for sauces, fruit pie fillings and glazes, and puddings. " Okay so if I have cornstarch and Tapioca Flour already what do I need Arrowroot for? Skipping down to the end, "Arrowroot mixtures thicken at a lower temperature than mixtures made with flour or cornstarch. Mix Arrowroot with cool liquids before adding hot liquids, then cook until mixture thickens. Remove immediately to prevent mixture from thinning. Two teaspoons of Arrowroot can be substituted for 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. One teaspoon of Arrowroot can be substituted for 1 tablespoon of flour. Arrowroot makes clear, shimmering fruit gels and prevents ice crystals from forming in homemade ice cream. " Oh goodie! What could be more enticing than a glossy lake of raspberry sauce on top of a cake covered in creamy frosting! Oh thank you gut, for telling me I would like to have Arrowroot in my pantry! I know just the cake to make for this project too, Perfect Party Cake. Doesn't it look just delectable? Thank you Tuesdays with Dorie!
First thing is first, you cannot have dessert until you have had dinner. How about Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce from my Williams-Sonoma Asian cookbook using my new Lemon Grass and served with rice and bell peppers. I can almost smell it now.

A New Approach

2009-08-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

I've decided to try a new approach.. I'm 27 years old and have been married for nearly two years. I thought I knew how to cook until I got married. My husband is a very thoughtful and particular eater, he knows more about flavor and texture than I've ever thought about in my whole life. I have therefore come to the conclusion I need to learn how to REALLY cook. I usually just take what knowledge I have and wing it with a new recipe, but I'm going to start doing some studying of proper cooking skills and techniques and learn how to make meals without a recipe.
Don't get me wrong, I know more than just how to boil an egg and make macaroni and cheese. In fact, it didn't take long for me, during college, to earn the title of Betty Crocker. I was always baking a cobbler or a cake or bar cookies in order to stave off hunger and homesickness. I can also make a salad as well as the next going-on-30-year-old-woman. But, although my mother trained me how to bake and my father taught me how to make gravy; and it was enough to get me through college and even single-hood-dom, it isn't enough to get me through life. Since I don't have a personal cheif and we can't eat out half the time, I am going to have to learn how to cook.
Okay so I'm not going to just blog about my experiences in the kitchen, although entertaining they may be. I've realized that not many people I know are as intrigued, no, obsessed with kitchen activities as I am. And can I just say, the kitchen has to be my most favorite room in the whole house; in my mind, it is it's own dwelling apart from the rest of the house, a refuge of flavor, aroma, and magic from the ever so discouraging unextraordinariment of life. So as there is no one for me to really bond my culinary zeal with, I thought at least I can journal my thoughts off into the void of the Internet to perhaps find some kind of validation with myself.
No other occupation in this life gives me more satisfaction than to place something I've created in front of a loved one and to hear that irrepressible Mmmmmm resonate through his or her nasal passages at first bite. Baking is a noble work indeed, it brings smiles to a child's face, comfort to a lonely heart, and warms the soul that's been left out in the cold unkind world. If you want to make a friend out of an enemy, bake him something! As wonderful as baking is, and I do adore it, there is an area of my education that until now has been left to chance. Cooking dinner. Now I don't claim for an instant to know everything about baking or even enough, so I will be schooling myself in this art as well, and I'm sure you will be able to read plenty about it. I am going to try to focus on cooking and invite it to win my heart. I have too much of a sweet tooth that my thighs will tell you I've indulged too much, so I am switching gears and looking forward to a courtship with cooking and thinner years ahead.
I've ordered myself a couple cook books by Julia Child : Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume 1 and Julia's Kitchen Wisdom. I also have a Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book Special Edition given to me as a wedding gift, three french cookbooks, a couple Williams-Sonoma, and a Yogurt cookbook. I recently read the French Women Don't Get Fat books and have tried a few recipes included in them, and I will probably try a few more on my new cooking journey. A Betty Crocker Cookbook will have to be added to my collection later, but for now these are what I have to work with. Happy Cooking! I've some reading to do tonight!