Enlightened Cooking

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3

Glazed Grilled Salmon & Easy Baked Risotto
2008-05-06 18:18:00
I know that fall and winter holidays are touted as the ideal time for cooking and entertaining, but the pressure and the presents, not to mention the dark, cold days, make the prospect daunting, the tasks overwhelming. But give me some sunshine, flip-flops and a grill, and I?m ready for a great time, anytime, with little to no planning (and similarly, little to no housekeeping?I just herd everyone and everything outside). As the days stretch longer and the breezes blow warmer, I can think of few things better than impromptu get-togethers, to cook lavishly or simply, and welcome in the budding new season and usher out the old.It's the end of the semester here, so as good a time as any to let the summer grilling festivities begin (despite mountains of grading). I mentioned on Sunday that a friend brought back fresh salmon from Central Market in Houston this weekend, so we?ve been eating like middle-class royalty for the past few nights.I decided not to mess around too much, and stuck...
More About: Baked , Risotto , Easy , Grilled

Perfectly Cooked Fish, plus an Easy Mediterranean Recipe
2008-05-04 22:10:00
I?m amazed to see that it?s already 3 pm on a Sunday; I?ve been meaning to post for two days. But I made the mistake of taking my (new! I?m so excited) laptop computer to a local coffeeshop on Friday to ?work? while my babysitter watched Nick. I ended up scanning the newspapers and ordering more and more coffee, waiting for a crowd of boisterous students to leave. There was no sound once they left, save for the hiss of the espresso machines, and, distracted by my thoughts and the tuneless whistling of one of the workers, I accomplished next to nothing. I ended up contemplating the small vase of rather exhausted flowers on my table, then packed my bags and left, restless and post-less.My intended subject is still on my mind, and the photos still on my hard drive, so now, refreshed from two days of beautiful weather, some rest, and lots of cooking, I?m ready to write about fish.This isn't the fish dish I mentioned the other day (that one's coming), but is instead one that came toget...
More About: Recipe , Fish , Easy , Mediterranean

Blogging Awards
2008-05-02 04:53:00
While on leave last week, I received two compliments from fellow blog-friends in the form of awards.The first is from PatsyK at Family, Friends and Food , who bestowed the Blogging with a Purpose award. Thank you Patsy! I am honored. Patsy's blog is always an inspiring read. Think fuzzy slippers, comfy chair, awaited book, and a dinner tray decked out with favorite foods--that's how I feel when I pop in for a visit to Patsy's site. Open another browser window and visit right now.The second award comes by way of Recipegirl, namely a Blog of Distinction Award. Thank you so much, Recipe Girl! Recipe girl has such a fun blog. I feel especially akin to her since she is a fellow Californian (granted, I'm a displaced Californian--but as the current governor is famous for saying, "I'll be back.") You need to check out her past two posts in particular. The first is for an edamame dumpling (easy, healthy, delicious--what more could you ask for?) made with wonton wrappers and frozen shell...
More About: Awards

Butter vs Shortening in Baking
2008-04-30 18:04:00
Yesterday, Judi.0044 asked me about whether and when you can substitute shortening for butter in baked goods. I have a lot of experience in this area with cookies, and some with cakes, so I?m happy to pass along what I know.In general, you can substitute shortening for butter in equal amounts in baking recipes (not the frosting or icing, though?yuck). Shortening yields higher, lighter-textured baked goods, which is sometimes preferable to butter (depending on what you?re making).Butter naturally has some water in it; shortening doesn?t. Cookies made with shortening and no extra water added, for example, are higher and lighter, while butter cookies are flatter and crispier. This is because butter has a lower melting point than shortening, causing them to spread faster and more in the short time it takes to bake a cookie. If you use shortening, but want an effect closer to butter, add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons water for every 1/4 cup of shortening.But, of course, the elephant in the room he...
More About: Baking

Crust or Bust
2008-04-28 22:41:00
I married a crusty man.Tetchy and surly he is not, but smitten by toothsome sourdough, ciabatta, and most any filling?sweet or savory?encased in flaky layers of dough he is.He considers mile high pies an affront ("why skew the filling-to-crust ratio to such ridiculous proportions?!") and was thrilled when, last summer, a friend presented him with a slice of apple pie and an apology for ?making too little apple filling?; he later proclaimed it the best apple pie he?d ever eaten.I?m happy to oblige his crust predilections in most instances, largely because I?m likewise love-struck, but I?m ready to draw the line with strawberry shortcake.What do crust and strawberry shortcake have in common? Nothing, and that?s my point. Little girls don?t play with Strawberry Crust dolls, and the American classic calls for cake, not crust. But as sad as it may sound, Kevin grew up with strawberries & crust?pieces of pie crust, cream and strawberries (puréed strawberries, no less! But that's anot...
More About: Bust

A Return...to Chocolate
2008-04-25 20:58:00
Hi all! I?m so happy to be back to the blog!I?d like to say that I?m well-rested?honestly, it?s been a good week for catching up on everything from sleep to editing. But this morning I awoke at 3 am to prepare for, and then drive 80 miles to, a cooking demonstration on a local morning TV show. I?d planned a nap while my babysitter sat with (chased) Nick; but she phoned to let me know she wouldn?t be in today. I stifled a scream and said "ok."So here I yawn.But no worries. Somehow it wouldn?t have felt right to return to blogging in anything other than my typical heavy-eyed humor.The temptation to re-enter the blogworld a few days early was intense; a week-long break felt like laziness, going soft. I tend towards leniency with most everyone, but with myself, it?s all oblique manipulations and pawky obstinacy. A brief reminder of the events leading to my self-imposed absence was enough to keep me away. Here?s an abbreviated list of what suggested a break in my routine was necessary:(1...
More About: Chocolate , Return

A Brief Blogging Furlough...
2008-04-17 21:40:00
The other day I mentioned, in passing, several looming deadlines. Well, today I mapped out a precise schedule and came to the following realization: I will need to stop sleeping (and possibly showering and eating) to get what needs doing done.Or, I can follow plan B: cut back on my nutty schedule for a week to save my sanity (and all those around me). There was a time in the not-so-distant past when I would have automatically gone with plan A. But now there is a precious baby and kind, loving husband to consider.So while it pains me to do so, I will be taking a week-long break from blogging to edit galleys, test some recipes, and otherwise tidy up some projects.Rest assured, I will be back in a week's time, armed with more tales from my kitchen and some fresh ideas for spring eats.Camilla :)
More About: Blogging

A Shepherd's Pie for Spring
2008-04-15 21:58:00
Friendship Fiesta was an annual event at my elementary school, a weeklong celebration of the diversity of cultures and ethnic groups represented by students, faculty and administrators. We sang songs from Israel, played games from Kenya, made our own Peruvian flutes (I think some toilet paper tubes were involved), danced Russian folk dances, participated in Japanese tea ceremonies, and generally exhausted ourselves with the excitement and novelty of the week?s events.The culmination of each Friendship Fiesta was an an all-school family potluck dinner, where students brought dishes representative of their cultural background; every year my mother meticulously planned and prepared a showstopper.Well, every year but one. That was the year her endless list of responsibilities associated with working and raising a family managed to squelch any and all thoughts of the dinner until an hour before commencement.Panic reigned for a good five minutes before she regained her composure and confi...
More About: Spring

Happy New Year! (Thai New Year, That is...)
2008-04-14 01:08:00
The resolutions I haven?t been keeping have a second chance because today marks the start of the Thai New Year , Songkran.Songkran is an ancient celebration of the start of a new farming cycle, and it always falls sometime between the 10th and the 18th of April; this year, the celebration starts on the thirteenth (today!) and lasts for three days.To inaugurate the festivities here at Enlightened Cooking, I offer a Thai-inspired mango and chicken salad with an oil-free dressing. The latter is based on a more traditional Thai sauce made with palm sugar (the original is oil-free as well); it gets its oomph from brown sugar, quickly carmelized in a skillet, and further enhanced with lime and fresh ginger. It is scandalously delicious, particularly for brown sugar addicts like myself.But the fun doesn?t stop there: Songkran is a water festival, a theme symbolizing the cleansing and renewal necessary for the start of a new year. Multiple sources indicate that locals will use anything from ...
More About: Happy , Happy New Year

Baby Artichokes: Postscript
2008-04-13 19:48:00
So what does a woman do with a heap of leftover carciofata (see yesterday's post) and a husband grumbling about the tupperware traffic in the refrigerator? She brings a large pot of salted water to a boil, cooks a fistful of whole grain fettucine until al dente, then tosses said carciofata (plus some leftover grilled asparagus hanging around, too) with the drained noodles for a fast lunch. It brought smiles to all, and launched me on a refrigerator purge & scrub that has left me with a flush of righteousness I do not deserve (because I've done little else beyond swilling coffee and skipping church). The carciofata fettucine (I like the way that rolls off the tongue) will go on my list of easy-yet-impressive dishes for company. Cheers!
More About: Baby

Babysitting: My Evening with Baby Artichokes
2008-04-12 23:14:00
I?m keeping it simple this afternoon with a post inspired by the beautiful babies my friend Alva picked up for me in Dallas. Here they are. Gorgeous, yes?I have eaten baby artichokes in restaurants, but never prepared them, so I turned to an expert: Mario Batali. I found his recipe for carciofata (an Italian vegetable appetizer rich with sundried tomatoes, baby artichokes, currants and fresh herbs) on the Food Network website and felt certain of impending success. The dish sounded like everything I love to eat, plus the prep time of 15 minutes, cook time of 20, matched my Wednesday evening attention span. Here?s the link:Mario Batali's Carciofata RecipeCleaning the artichokes wasn?t the daunting task I expected: simply snap off the lower petals until you reach the yellow-green core, then cut off the top half inch of the leaves (just below the green tips). Finally, trim all of the remaining green areas from the base and slice in half?that?s it. I found the repetition therapeutic. He...
More About: Baby , Evening , Babysitting

Saved by Salsa
2008-04-10 22:55:00
There comes a time in most every home cook?s life when the thought of setting foot in the kitchen seems abominable. The feeling may strike at any time; it bears no correlation to the home cook's love or loathing of assembling a meal. It can last a few hours, a few days or several weeks and will arrive suddenly, without warning, like a case of flu or your husband's college roommate, looking for a place to crash for a few weeks. It can also come slowly, creeping up until even the most mundane tasks, like operating a can opener, seem daunting, dreary or both.I have several solutions. One is to ?hrrumph? loudly and curl up on the sofa with a bowl of cereal. Falling asleep works well, too, as does complaining until someone else orders a pizza. Or I can stock the cupboard with a few cans and jars of quick-fix meal ingredients. If I were to limit yourself to one such ingredient, it would be a jar of salsa.In an age of slow food and cooking snottiness, foods from cans and jars rank low on...
More About: Salsa

Superfoods 101
2008-04-08 18:44:00
I find the concept of superfoods irresistible. Forget deprivation, elimination of entire food groups, and/or the tricking, smashing, and brain-washing of fat cells. Instead, fill your life, and your bowl, with foods loaded with super-levels of nutrition and taste; these superfoods will make you feel good, look great, and rejoice, rather than despair, come breakfast, lunch, and dinner.The premise is simple: certain foods are nutritional powerhouses, and incorporating them into your meals can make profound differences in overall health and well-being. Superfoods tend to come in bright bold colors and flavors, and rich textures?for example, blueberries, leafy greens, pomegranates, whole grains, and (Hallelujah), dark chocolate. Here?s a list of a few more that top most nutritionists? lists:AvocadoesBarleyBeansBerries of all varietiesBroccoli ChocolateCarrotsOatsOrangesPumpkinKiwiLen tilsSalmonSoySpinachTea (green or black)TomatoesTurkeyWalnutsAlmondsSeedsRe d wineYogurtSeveral best-selli...

Fun with Farro
2008-04-06 19:56:00
So last night I finally got around to using the farro that?s been sitting in my pantry for several months. I've been hearing and reading farro fanfare and praise for a few years, but had yet to taste it, so when I spotted it last summer (on a visit to the Whole Foods mothership store in Austin) I snatched up two boxes for future experimentation.You may be asking yourself ?what the heck is farro,? a question that was on my mind for some time. The short answer is that it?s a grain. Beyond that, the definition gets trickier. Simple searches bring mixed results; some claim it?s spelt, others that it?s wheat, but neither is the case. It?s similar to both, but farro (pronounced FAHR-oh) is a distinct plant and grain all its own known as emmer.Poured straight from the package, farro looks a lot like brown rice, or, as Kevin noted when he wandered into the kitchen, ?It looks?biblical.?His wrinkled nose was a hieroglyph of his disdain; I knew he wasn?t envisioning a side-dish miracle akin t...

Spud Love
2008-04-04 21:19:00
I have made a lot of mistakes falling in love, and regretted most of them, but never the potatoes that went with them. --Nora EphronI have long felt that the potato is a friendly vegetable. Unassuming, dependable, its carbohydrate-packed goodness puts you at ease. It?s not fussy; in fact, the potato is equally happy in posh surroundings, dressed to the nines, as it is in a down-home diner, blanketed with country gravy.The typical potato may endure any number of indignities, far more than most other vegetables: poked before baking, roasted until its skin blisters, suffocated with mayonnaise, cut with sharp implements, and in trendy culinary circles, ?smashed,? all by people who simultaneously proclaim their love and affection.But the potato is unwavering in its desire to please. You can subject potatoes to all varieties of manipulations and mistreatments and still be hard-pressed to find a dud of a spud.Despite their rough-and-tumble appearance, potatoes require a dose of TLC to keep...
More About: Love

Mediterranean Meatballs with Couscous, Chickpeas & Herb Salad
2008-04-03 03:56:00
Sometimes a food blogger feels compelled to post a recipe, even if she does not quite know what else to say, besides ?ta-da!?I planned the last week of meals carefully; not so tonight. By the time the light had gone, the evening was underway and my supper ideas were scarce. I headed to the deep freezer, peered in, and found an excess of frozen ground beef. What to do with that? Something quick, no doubt, but in the best possible taste for a fifteen minute (could I cut it to ten?) preparation. I pulled a pack from the frozen depths and headed to the microwave for a quick defrost.Meatballs suddenly seemed just the thing: undemanding, but a step up from burgers or meatloaf. Once I had gathered what I needed from the pantry and produce drawer?raisins, couscous, a half a container of leftover fresh mint, and a few more bits & pieces?and Nick was playing in another room with Kevin, the kitchen felt transformed to a haven of plain dealing, the tile floor, smooth counters, and utensils ...
More About: Couscous , Salad , Mediterranean , Herb

A Fool for April Fool's
2008-04-01 20:35:00
Happy April everyone, and in particular, April Fool ?s!I can?t resist the opportunity to serve fool on fool?s day, but before I do, allow me to offer some seasonal folly to inaugurate a new month.For whatever reason (procrastination, perhaps?) I went on a mid-morning quest today, looking for April holidays pertaining to food and drink. Could April be national strawberry month? Might it include international asparagus day? I Googled with baited breath; I'm thrilled to report the results. First, the food:April Food ObservancesNational Soy Month (hoo-ha! you know I?ll be doing some things with this one)National Pecan MonthFresh Florida Tomatoes MonthApril 17th-April 23rd: National Egg Salad WeekApril 21st-26th: National Fish Fry WeekApril 5th: National Raisin & Spice Bar Day (huh?)April 6th: Three notable anniversaries: (1) Teflon was invented by Roy Plunkett on April 6, 1938; (2) The TV Dinner was introduced by Swanson on April 6, 1954; (3) The Hostess Twinkie was sold for the fir...

My Fleeting Career as a Kitchen Professional
2008-03-31 03:05:00
Time to confess: I?ve worked in a professional kitchen.Granted it was a mere five weeks, but it felt like a perpetuity.I was eighteen, a first year student at college. Given that my brother and sister were also in college, and that my family is not landed gentry, I was on scholarship and, hence, granted work-study as part of my financial aid package. My duty? Report to the cafeteria, post-haste.It sounded like a reasonable gig. I loved to cook, and was used to helping in the kitchen at home. So with a smile and a hairnet, I set to mopping floors, serving lasagna, and stocking and cleaning the salad bar like nobody?s business. I found the institutional smell of the place?an unforgettable combination of industrial cleaner, fetid cooking oil, and warmed-over food?revolting, but I made myself buck up and get the job done. I was a good worker; or so I thought.Frances had a different opinion. Frances was my manager, and it didn?t take long for me to learn that the college cafeteria was a ...
More About: Kitchen , Career , Professional

Side Salads
2008-03-29 02:18:00
?To make a good salad is to be a brilliant diplomatist -- the problem is entirely the same in both cases. To know exactly how much oil one must put with one's vinegar.? -- Oscar WildeTired of eating the same old chopped romaine with a squirt of low-calorie ranch? Then don't. It?s time to re-think side-salads as dinner stars, not sad associates.This post was inspired by Robin, who recently requested ideas for making side salads that inspire great eating, not sleeping. I am happy to oblige, because I love a good side salad. I owe it all to my mother, who made all varieties of accompanying salads for most every meal of my youth, for reasons of good taste and nutrition, sure, but also to stretch her budget.I have one more reason for adding plenty of side salads to my regular menus: they make the rest of the meal a no-brainer. With an interesting and flavorful side salad, the main part of the meal can be basic. Simple chicken breasts, broiled fish, grilled tofu, or pan-fried pork chops...
More About: Salads , Side

Bye-Bye Cardboard: The New Breed of Whole Grain Pastas
2008-03-27 03:36:00
Hi everyone.It?s been a wild and wacky day, so my original posting plans were obliterated by a slew of tiny errands and must-dos. In particular, I spent too much time teaching myself some advanced pilates tricks with the latex band (to share with my class). Think Elmer Fudd meets Cirque de Soleil.But in between the teaching, grading, recipe testing, and a trip to the park with the Nickster, I was scheming about dinner. Once I settled on an easy option, I decided it was post-worthy (I?ll let you be he final judges; feel free to hit the gong). Moreover, my pledge for a month of dinner posts is almost up, so I need to hop to it and squeeze in a few final offerings.On tonight?s menu? An easy dish prepared from the pantry (and the basil plant in the backyard?yes, it?s warm enough for basil here in Texas): whole grain fettuccine with sundried tomato pesto and olives. It takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.I haven?t always been a fan of whole grain pasta. My first encounter was mem...
More About: Grain , Cardboard , Breed

Spring Azaleas and Lentil Soup
2008-03-25 02:48:00
This morning I awoke with a cheesecake hangover. It wasn?t altogether unpleasant.In review, it was more accurately a ham, jellybean, cheesecake, chocolate, and bacon-wrapped green beans hangover. Rising at 5:30 to teach was a minor agony, but I felt worlds better post-workout (although I felt decidedly salty/pickled?was I perspiring brine?).Perhaps I?m giving my Easter day a negative spin; I don?t mean to. It was beautiful here in Texas, bright, sunny and cool, and the azaleas (we?re known for them round these parts; oh heavens, I almost felt a ?y?all? coming on) are in full bloom.Church was good (Easter hymns are some of my favorite) but I grumbled at Kevin on the way, petulant from failing to iron my clothes the night before and, consequently, not having time to eat breakfast nor properly smear on some makeup. But once settled into the pew, I was cheered, a state elevated further post-service watching Nick hunt for eggs. We later ate with gusto with some good friends (enter ham an...
More About: Spring , Soup

Becky's Easter Asparagus
2008-03-22 19:30:00
Easter is almost here, which means my mind is on Becky?s Easter Asparagus .Becky is my brother?s godmother, and my parents are godparents to Becky?s son Matthew. Further, Becky divorced and remarried my godfather (who had also divorced). I guess that makes Becky my step-godmother? Once removed? It's tricky. Oh, those crazy Episcopalians.Anyway, Becky is a dear family friend (our families spent a lot of time camping together; there?s something about living in tents and being grungy that brings you closer), and every year she hosts a post-church, potluck Easter lunch at her beautiful, brown-shingled house nestled in the Berkeley hills.I haven?t been to Becky?s party for many years (my parents still go, though), but I have fond memories of those Easters past. In true bay area fashion, most every one felt more like Christmas, blanketed with fog and chilly with damp and dew. Yet everyone at Becky?s gathered outside, huddled in groups of three or more for heat as much as for conversation....
More About: Easter

Ulitmate Recipe Showdown: Cookies... oh, & Dinner, Too
2008-03-21 03:45:00
Hello, all. Two orders of business this evening; it won?t take long.First, a head?s up for this Sunday: C is for cookie, a cookie showdown, my friends. Witness me and seven others duke it out with rolling pins, sticks of butter, and bars of chocolate. I?ll be making both my Exotic Spice Cookies (photo below) and Oaxaca Fudge Bars with Cashew Topping (before hopes rise and dreams blossom, I can tell you that neither is low fat). Tune in to watch me cover myself with flour.Fingers crossed that they use our most flattering angles; much of the filming day is a blur, but I have vague memories of multiple cameras filming straight up my nose (they get very, very close). I can?t tell you the results?you?ll just have to watch! The show premieres Easter Sunday at 8 p.m. central, 9 p.m. eastern & pacific on the Food Network. Here?s the link:Ultimate Recipe Showdown: Cookies!Second on the agenda is dinner, which brings me, with great pleasure, to my grape and chicken salad, a meal that garn...
More About: Dinner

A Kitchen Oath
2008-03-19 17:18:00
How many times has this happened to you?You reach into the oven for that sheet of cookies or bubbling baked pasta, accidentally touch the side of the pan and, in reaction, knock your hand, fingers, arm against the hot rack or broiler element? This form of searing is one of my cooking specialties (along with my knack for burning oven mitts and mats); I performed this little trick no less than three times last night, then once again this morning when pulling a slice of soda bread from the toaster oven.In light of my blunders (this is but one of the many encountered at Chez Saulsbury on a daily basis), I offer a few of my preferred euphemistic expletives?they are far more fun, and infinitely more satisfying and civilized than the real thing.And unless you operate with the perfection of Martha Stewart (and I suspect she would enjoy them, too?or, at least, her staff), I consider them essential for the home cook?s (especially this home cook?s) pantry of prose. Enjoy, and please post other...
More About: Kitchen , Oath

Sweet Onion Soup with Goat Cheese Croutons
2008-03-18 17:05:00
Thousands of poets have sung the praises of the rose, but as far as I know, only Robert Louis Stevenson has eulogized the onion in verse. In ?To a Gardener,? he writes:First let the onion flourish there,Rose among roots, the maiden fairWine-scented and poetic soulOf the capacious salad bowl.Moved by the same sentiments?and the 4 pound bag of marked-down Vidalia onions I threw into the shopping cart on Sunday?I decided to pay homage to onions today, sweet onions in particular.Sweet onions are just that, in more ways than one. Their thin translucent wrappings shed to reveal fragrant, full-bodied flavor and sweetness for a few coins more than ordinary onions and their versatility extends far beyond humdrum hamburger garnish. Given the opportunity, they can star in everything from starters, to soups to salads, and, because their flavor is milder and sweeter than ordinary white and yellow onions, they perform beautifully in supporting roles for chutneys, fresh relishes, entrees and pickl...
More About: Soup , Cheese , Onion

Happy Saint Patty's Day!
2008-03-17 22:57:00
Well here I am, purposely disavowing my pledge of a month of dinner posts. But considering I had not planned to post today, I proclaim it justifiable. Treat it as a bonus, a Saint Patty?s Day bonus, no less.We grilled steaks for dinner last night (one night of vegetarian entrees was enough for Kevin), and because they were Flintstones?-size, we have more than enough for tonight, too. A night of leftovers means I?ve been free to bake this afternoon, so despite the 80+ degrees outside, I gathered flour and baking soda and set to baking a batch of Irish soda bread.Irish soda bread could, and perhaps should, be re-named; I suggest ?I can?t believe I just made this incredibly delicious bread in 5 minutes.? A ridiculous mouthful, but it?s true. Soda bread has no yeast, no rising, no kneading, just a cursory stir, plunk and bake. It?s worth the minimal effort, even on a hot & humid Texas day.James Beard, who I otherwise revere as one the greatest American cooks and food writers, ends h...
More About: Happy

Welsh Rarebit
2008-03-16 20:20:00
For my entire childhood, I had a week's notice of my dinner fare. Every Saturday morning, my mother plunked a pile of cookbooks and her overstuffed recipe box on the dining room table and mapped out a week of dinner menus before heading to the local co-op. It helped her manage her budget, shopping and sanity, but left her open to scrutiny."Welsh rabbit? What's that?" I quizzed her, when, at about age 6, the odd entree item was written on her menu and posted on the kitchen corkboard. Visions of Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, braised or boiled, came to mind."Not Rabbit, rare-bit, and Welsh as in 'from Wales,' dear.""Whales?" I squeaked. The bunnies turned to blubber and baleen."Wales, the country," she sighed, eyeing my blank expression and returning it with one of her exasperated "heavens, what are they not teaching you in school" looks."It's cheese, it's toast, you'll like it," she assured.And I did. Thick slabs of sturdy bread, crisply toasted before being napped in a melted ...

Smoked Paprika Chickpea & Sausage Stew
2008-03-14 18:26:00
The making of a good stew depends less on talent and more on will. Specifically, are you willing to let go and create disorder in the kitchen?Take my friend, Katy, for example. Katy is a baking marvel. She is the Muhammad Ali of the convection oven, pitying the fool who dares rival her in the éclair, financier, and cream puff arena. But she is no stew-maker. She follows recipes the way literalists follow the letter of the law, and measures herbs and spices with the exactitude of a Swiss watchmaker. Such methodology renders perfect pastry, but as Katy is the first to laughingly admit, yields sterile stews.The ?kitchen as clinic? approach will not do for stew. Stew is at heart a flexible dish, willing to bend and bow to whimsy as much as tradition; and to achieve greatness, it requires liberal zeal, regardless of political leanings.To begin, locate a stew recipe that appeals, then use it as a point of orientation, a stovetop roadmap for proportion, flavor, technique, and timing. From ...
More About: Sausage , Paprika

Here's the Deal
2008-03-13 17:10:00
Native Californians have their share of regional expressions, but in terms of interest, variety, and color, we can?t begin to compete with Southerners.Sadly, years of graduate school have expunged most of the phrases from my husband?s vernacular, but they always return, at least in small measure, when we spend time with my in-laws. I have a few favorites.Topping my list is ?bless your heart.? My husband's grandmothers and aunties use this one, often. According to my anecdotal evidence, this idiom is exclusive to Southern women. Used in response to information of all kinds, ?bless your heart? can express deepest sympathy or concern, but Yankees beware: it has additional meanings including, but not limited to, ?how appalling,? ?how very pitiful,? and ?darlin?, you?re crazy.?Next up is one of my mother-law?s favored turns-of-phrase, ?fixin? to.? If you?re fixin? to do something, you?re getting ready to, planning to, and/or intending to do something. The potential ambiguity of this phr...
More About: Deal

From Arkansas, with Love
2008-03-12 02:47:00
This morning Kevin loaded suitcases, snacks, Nick, a scatterbrained wife, and two large travel mugs of coffee into the car. We were off on a whirlwind visit to my inlaws in Arkansas .It took 6 hours of Barney and Sesame Street to get here, but we survived, and baby is now blissfully asleep. My husband was born and raised here. I have particular affection for the town because it is where I discovered that Piggly Wiggly is a real grocery store (I thought it was a made up name when I saw Fried Green Tomatoes back in college).No cooking to report today, but it was a ridiculous eating day, so I thought I'd offer up the absurdity of my ways for a few laughs. For those of you interested in such things, this was inspired by the blog option on the food and drink forum egullet, where people chronicle every morsel of food and drink that passes their palates for at least a week or two at a time. I won't make you suffer through a fortnight of my food ways, just one day of my unenlightened condu...
More About: Love , With Love