Catching up

Ok, I'm sorry.  I told you I would have the leftover recipe posted by now.... Surprise to those who know me (sarcasm) I forgot to write it down.... I do remember it, I just have to test it one more time to make sure I get the measurements accurate.

On the up side, you may have noticed some changes I my blog. I'm trying to post calorie counts for all of my recipes. There are a few that I have not done yet, I have to retest the recipes to see exactly how many servings it will make. I hope this helps out those like me and Paul who are trying to be conscious of what we eat. In my cooking, I always try to focus on flavor, but also trying to only add as much butter, oil, sugar etc as needed. But still, some recipes are healthier than others, this will just be a way to help sort them out!

Also, I made risotto for Paul and I a couple days ago, and I retested my recipe.   I realized that I needed to make some changes to what I originally wrote.  Nothing was completely wrong, some things just needed better clarification.  Learning to write down a recipe is a learning process. I am committed to continue improving it.

Now that summer is coming to a close, I am excited to have the time to share more of my food with you, and create even more! Future posts will include, duck, fish, beer bird, fruit crisps and more. I'm finishing up my busy work schedule now, so still have quite a few no cook dinners like this one.  Mixed bag lettuce (butter lettuce and dark greens mix), Trader Joe's pear vinaigrette, and some meats and cheeses.  Very satisfying and feels more indulgent than it is. 

I have a close friend that loves layer dips and horseradish. Right now my biggest creativity project is trying to come up with a way to change a Mexican style 7 layer dip into a healthy dip with horseradish. That one is still a long way from a completed recipe, but something to look forward to if you like horseradish like I do!

More posts soon.  I am so excited by the response I have gotten by this blog.  Thank you guys for your interest.  It's so cool to hear that I have people I've never even met checking in to see the new recipes.  Friend or stranger, leave a comment and tell me what kind of food you like.

Bit off more that I could chew.....

A picture of my kitchen in the middle of cooking a celebration dinner.

Paul and I had a celebration dinner for an accomplishment he had at work.  I made a marinated flank steak, caramelized pearl onions with mushrooms, mashed red potatoes, and a gluten free strawberry blueberry crumble for dessert.  It was fun to make, great to eat, but hard to juggle all the dishes at once!

Making all those things at once though is kinda how I'm feeling in life right now.  I'm working a full time job, and two other part time jobs that take several hours a week.  So between working, family, and church, when I think of blogging, I think, Ahh!  where will I get the time?!  This craziness is only temporary, and I will go back to my preferred schedule when the school year starts back up in the fall.

I will try to keep posting recipes about once a week, until then.  So know that I haven't quit or given up, just slowing down my posts for a couple months.  When August comes around I'm looking forward to posting more frequently.  I'll have plenty of quick and easy meals I used to get me through the summer to share when this craziness is over.

Disney! …..I mean Jungle Jim’s

So, If I have a food happy place it is Jungle Jim’s in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Paul and I went on a day road trip there this last weekend.  It is a place for those who like all things food.  Think Disneyland for foodies.  It is an international market.  They have all kinds of groceries from all sorts of countries.  A HUGE selection of everything from produce to meats and cheeses to candy. 

The first time I went, I was in information overload!  I was trying to read each package in each aisle.  I think I drove Paul crazy, but I loved it!  I still try to see everything, but I have learned that it is humanly impossible to see every product in the store, that is just how big it is. 

The reason I get so excited to go, is to get the chance to buy and try foods that I can’t get at the regular grocery store.  Middle Eastern spice blends, to authentic Japanese noodles, to chocolate from Russia, rice from South America, chilies from all over!  …..The list keeps going.  Some things taste unusual to me, like the chocolate from Russia, Paul LOVED it, but I didn’t really like it, but it is all part of the experience.  Same thing with getting unusual cheeses from all over the world to try.  I bought a duck this time.  I’m really excited to try and cook it soon.  I will have to let you know how that goes.  I’m hoping it’s not a complete flop, because I really like duck, but I’ve never tried cooking it myself before. 

I forgot to get pictures from the inside of the store, but I’m sure if you go to their website you can see some of it.  The store is broken into sections my country.  They also have fun things along the way, like a talking Robin Hood in the Great Britain section, and I believe it is singing corn in the entrance.  That may sound really stupid to you, but I find it very entertaining!  I do kinda feel like a kid at Disney when I am there. :-)

Paul and I go a couple times a year probably, and there are a couple things I always look for.  I like getting the Asian noodles, because they are a great gluten free option.  I also like getting the cornmeal from South America, because it makes great polenta.  (more on polenta soon in a future post).  A new staple in my kitchen is parboiled rice.  A friend from Venezuela introduced me to it.  It’s great!  You cook it like regular rice, but it seems to turn out perfect every time!  The grains stay separate, never sticky, so it isn’t good for risotto or sushi rice, but for so many other things, it is just great!  I know that sometime it can be found in other international food shops, so if you ever come across it, it is worth trying!

 

I also like to go to get new spices and sauces.  Some are authentic from other countries, and some are made for the grocery, but all are interesting.  I’m really excited to try Harissa paste in my cooking soon.  It is a North African spice mix with chilies, garlic , and spices.  I’m also really excited to use authentic paprika, that’s the box labeled Pimenton.  I think some of the paprika in regular groceries don’t taste like much at all.

If all this talk about food has gotten you excited and you live no where near Cincinatti, I’m sorry, I do think they ship some of their things though.  I’ll stop going on and on about food now.  I just wanted to share this with you in case you were in need or a road trip like I was.  It’s worth it!  I’ll stop talking about it and let you check it out!  http://www.junglejims.com/index.asp 

Enjoy!

Alison

How I Learned To Cook

I love food!  I love trying new recipes, flavors, ingredients.  But unlike what many people think, I didn’t grow up knowing about gruyere cheese, chipotle peppers, prosciutto, or anything leafy green, (see Kale, Swiss chard, spinach etc).  I remember the first time I went out to a restaurant with a friend and they ordered a steak.  When I saw it was pink inside, I was convinced they were crazy and going to get very sick! (if my parents read this… sorry)

I started really getting into food in college.  I was introduced to things like homemade alfredo sauce, authentic Latin cuisine, and chocolate mousse!  I had to learn more.  I started watching the Food Network. Okay, I started watching the Food Network a lot.  I learned about Thai food for the first time.   I learned real Italian food was more than spaghetti noodles with a jar of sauce on top, and that over well done is not the proper way to cook a steak.  And then, I started to cook.

There was a lot of trial and error, emphasis on the error.  I never really liked following a recipe completely (my husband says it’s something about control), so it may have taken me some extra time and errors, but I finally feel like I’m starting to get a handle on some things. I love recipes and there is nothing wrong with them, I just enjoy tailoring them to my specific tastes.   I still have the errors at times, which taught me not to try something new and adventurous for the first time when friends are coming for dinner.  But I was watching the food network one day and Guy Fieri said something to the effect of, if you aren’t making mistakes in the kitchen, you aren’t trying enough.  That has become very encouraging for me.

What taught me the most was watching Good Eats.  It is a 30 minute cooking show on the Food Network by Alton Brown.  What is unique about this show, is it actually goes into the science of cooking. Things like why you should brown meat first, why you shouldn’t over stir mashed potatoes, why salt is important, and many more.  I’m a bit of a geek, studying science in college, so I could really relate to these shows.  If you have never seen an episode, you should really check it out.  It’s quirky, entertaining, and you learn a lot.  Watching these episodes, are reading his books taught me HOW to cook.  I was also watching Rachel Ray, and still do.  Her cooking shows often have interesting, inventive ingredient combinations.  She showed me WHAT to cook when I wanted to be creative. 

Over the past couple years, I have also read a lot of cookbooks.  I like to read them cover to cover, even though I know that’s weird.   Food magazines are good too.  I read these to get ideas.  Sometimes I will make a recipe as is (with at least one change), sometimes I just pull something out of a random place inside my brain.  Most of the time, I read it and think, oh, it would be so good if I added this, took out that, swapped this, made it into a soup, etc.  I also like looking at the pictures of recipes.  I don’t much like recipe books without them.  Believe it or not, pictures give me a lot of ideas too. 

I write all this to say, I’m not some cook who went away to culinary school to learn this. I’ve just spent time watching shows and reading about food because it is my favorite hobby.   My recipes aren’t ‘inspired’ by any means either.  I just like to compile what I read and make something I want out of it.  You won’t see me using strange intimidating ingredients.  I use what I can find at the regular grocery with the rare exception of some international ingredients.  My techniques are also things anyone can do… I learned them from watching TV.  It’s just me sharing my food, the way I like it, so you can enjoy it too!

Per chef's whim

I was at a restaurant with my husband a while back, and on the menu, under soup of the day was the remark: per chef's whim.  The phrase struck me, because that is how I cook.  This blog will be a collection of food I like, and I hope that you will like it to.  My cooking is usually healthy, often gluten free, and most importantly, I hope you find, it is really good!  

I don't like to follow recipes, I usually find that I will like it better if I just add this... or take out that..... or turn it into a soup/ main dish/ salad/ what have you.  My friends have asked for my "recipes", so here they are, as I make and test them over over again (I have a bad habit of not writing anything down!)  I hope you enjoy!

On a side note, my husband is gluten intolerant, so many of my recipes will be gluten free.  If you can eat wheat, don't be turned off by this.  My goal is good food first, and you will find, you won't even miss the wheat (many recipes I make didn't need wheat in the first place!).  For those with Celiac disease....you've got to try these! My husband has started calling his diet gluten freedom instead of gluten free he has been enjoying the food so much!

I will start posting recipes up here soon...let me know what you think!

~Alison