Archive for September, 2007

September 28th, 2007

Surviving a Kitchen Renovation, Part I

Today is my last day with a kitchen. True, there is little left it in as of now, but my range is still there and functioning, which gives me great comfort. But tomorrow? Tomorrow it will be gone. Everything will be gone. We will be down to studs. No cabinets, no appliances, no lighting, no sheet rock. To make matters worse, we are currently without a living room as well, so we’re living out of bedrooms. Luckily, we have four, plus a laundry room with a sink, which will become our dishes and microwave area. The guest room is serving as our coffee and tea bar, my husband’s office is being used as a dining room/storage/food preparation area, my office now includes half of the living room, and our master suite has become our main living space, with the couch and television set.

As for how I plan to cook during this ordeal? Let’s see. I have a microwave, a toaster oven, a waffle iron, a crock pot, and an outdoor grill. I may end up purchasing an electric wok as well, but as you can see, cooking will have to be creative and limited.

How long will I be without a kitchen you ask? At a bare minimum, three weeks. More than likely, 5-6 weeks. Ouch. I’m very likely to go mad during this process. The kitchen is my refuge. Clearly I love to cook, but it’s more than that. You know how most people space out in front of the TV? Well, I space out while chopping vegetables, boiling noodles, roasting chicken, washing salad greens. It’s a chance for my mind to relax, regroup. Rejuvenate, if you will. My kitchen, and its rituals, are an important part of my day, my life, my very sanity. I feel anxious just writing this, knowing that I am going to lose my center for a period of time.

But I must go on…

Last week, I compiled a list of easy meal ideas so I wouldn’t panic when the time came. Hot meals, because after all, it is fall. We’ll need the extra warmth, the heartiness, to sustain us during this time. And I will need to cook, and not just assemble, even if it is in the barest of fashions.

Here is what I came up with:

On the waffle iron, I can make, well, yes, waffles, but also, on the griddle side, hot sandwiches like smoked turkey, grilled cheese, and fontina, roasted peppers and salami. Quesadillas are possible, too.

In the toaster oven, which is not big enough, nor functions well enough, to actually serve as an oven, I can pretty much toast bread. But! That does allow me to make Bread and Tomato Salad, which is a wonderful dish, and garlic toast, and peanut butter toast, and cinnamon and sugar toast, and… well, the list could go on. I also like to use it to reheat pizza, as the microwave tends to make it soggy.

In the microwave: There are many people who live by their microwave. I’m not one of them. I know people who cook everything from bacon to eggs to rice to vegetables in their microwave. I wouldn’t even know where to begin using my microwave in this capacity. I can’t envision using it for anything other than heating water, defrosting meat, and reheating leftovers. I guess there is the whole TV dinner thing, but, truthfully, I’m more likely to eat dirt. Okay not really, but… Bottom line is I don’t see myself cooking in my microwave. It just isn’t going to happen. Sorry.

So, how about the crock pot? This looks more promising. Stew is the obvious answer. Roasts, too. I’m going to try and make pork adobo in the crock pot, and I really don’t see why you couldn’t make soup in it too…

And as for that grill… Ah, yes, thank heavens for this, right? Kebobs, chicken, pork chops. Steaks and burgers for my husband, salmon on a cedar plank for me. Grilled vegetables for sandwiches, Rachel Ray’s Mayan Chicken Burgers, russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob (thought it’s out of season), and more. The grill, I think we’ll be our life saver.

I should also say I have a fondue pot. In addition to the usual fondue favorites of chocolate and cheese, you can also cook a wide variety of foods in savory oil. Fresh ravioli, filet mignon, lobster. Sounds like a fun night to me!

And if I bought an electric wok? Stir-fry for sure. Lemongrass chicken, Thai chicken, curry, shrimp with chiles in coconut milk. Ah, it looks like I will have to learn how to microwave rice after all…

All of these items, in addition to main dish salads which we eat once or twice a week, seemed like a good start, but I wanted back-up, so I turned my question over to the community at Serious Eats. HERE is the advice they gave me. I thank each and every one of them for their time and thoughts.

If you have any ideas for me, please post them here! And stay tuned for Surviving a Kitchen Remodel Part II.

Posted By: Kelly |  Filed Under: Kitchen Remodel  |  3 Comments  |  Permalink

September 20th, 2007

The Brown Bag Lunch #4: Granola for Chris

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My friend Chris recently asked me if making granola was hard. I told her no, and to prove it, I’m posting a recipe here for her to try.

But first, let me ask you all this: have you ever looked at the nutritional label on a box of standard granola? Loaded with fat and sugar, right? No wonder you feel like a lead weight after eating a bowl of it. I make mine a bit different. While most recipes I’ve seen call for butter and brown sugar, I use olive oil and honey. The key to these two ingredients is quality. You don’t want to use a bitter or rancid tasting olive oil. Most standard supermarket brands are, in my opinion, inadvisable, but maybe you have one that you can recommend to me. Personally, I buy my olive oil from Trader Joes. I like their Extra Virgin Kalamata, as well as the Extra Virgin Santini’s. Both have a very clean, fresh flavor. I’m not an expert on olive oil by any means, but I do know that it’s heart healthy, and extra virgin is the best. Extra virgin is like the green tea of olive oil, which means that it undergoes very little processing. Also, you used to always hear that Italian olive oil was the way to go. That’s not so true now. Many fine olive oils are being produced all over the world, including Spain, Greece, and California. Don’t rule them out.

Now, for a short bit about honey. More and more, honey is being touted for its health benefits. Again, I like to use my ingredients in their purest form, which in this case is raw honey. I’m not sure if you can buy raw honey at your supermarket, but a health food store or a farmer’s market might carry it. If not, and you don’t know of a specialty store, or a beekeeper in your area, the usual pasteurized will do.

So, what about those health benefits? Honey is loaded with antioxidants. What does that mean? Antioxidants protect your cells from damage by free radicals. Free radicals are created when molecules split—during normal metabolic processes, or precipitated from environmental pollutants–leaving an unpaired electron. That odd electron goes searching for another electron to gain stability. This process leads to cell damage, which plays a role in diseases like cancer, and aging. Antioxidants lend those free radials an electron, so they don’t steal one from elsewhere in your body. I’m not a doctor, so don’t quote me on that, but that’s my understanding anyway. Pretty cool, huh? In this capacity, honey has been shown to possess cancer-preventing and anti-tumor properties.

Honey has also been shown to lower cholesterol, help in the absorption of calcium, and nourish the skin and hair. And that’s just to get started. But this is becoming long, so if you’re interested, I encourage you to do some research on your own.

I’ve read that honey is sweeter than sugar, and to use less, about half, what you would sugar. I find this untrue. To me, honey tastes less sweet than sugar, which is part of what I like about it. Or maybe it’s just a different sweetness? In any event, I substitute straight across–one for one. But, obviously, do what you like.

And now for that recipe!

Dried Fruit and Almond Granola

Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned oats
½ cup sliced raw almonds
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup dried apricots, diced
1/3 cup honey
¼ cup olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Mix first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Toss well.

3. In a small saucepan, warm olive oil and honey until liquid. Pour over ingredients in bowl, and toss to coat.

4. Spread mixture on a cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add dried fruit to mixture on cookie sheet, mix well, then bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. Watch carefully and stir often during this last process.

6. Remove from oven. Let cool thoroughly. Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

My husband takes this in his lunch every day and puts it in his yogurt. You could, of course, eat it as cereal, or straight out of the container. Another idea? Try it on salads! It adds a nice crunch and a slight sweetness. Experiment with different fruit and nut combinations, too. Option: dried blueberries, cherries and cashews.

Now tell me, how easy is that?

Posted By: Kelly |  Filed Under: The Brown Bag Lunch  |  1 Comment  |  Permalink

September 14th, 2007

Ode to a Stove

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The time has arrived. The paint color has been decided, the layout committed to paper. The cabinets have been measured and ordered, the countertops pondered. Lighting schemes are underway, plans for the floor determined. And yes, appliances, of the trendy stainless steel variety, have been selected and quoted. They only await our order. But herein lies the problem. I am in love with my current stove, a 40 inch 1959 GE that, I believe for reasons unknown to me, belongs in this house more than I do. Both ovens are 25-50 degrees off, depending on what day it is, and in order to cook the perfect pancake, you must switch the burner between 2 and 3 every couple of minutes. My husband curses it. I admire its temperament, have, from day one, felt a kinship with it. At least, I think, its quirks are consistent.

Keeping it in use, however, is no longer an option. Like I said, the cabinets have been ordered, the slot for the stove reduced to a standard 30 inches. But I cannot give my ’59 up that easily. Everyday I think of new places to put it. In my office as a bookcase. In the guest bedroom as a dresser. In the bathroom as a sinkless vanity. My husband will fight me on this, I know, but the one place I’m unwilling to have my stove live is in my heart as a memory.

Oh, the food we have cooked together. The pepperoni and fresh garlic pizzas. The Penne Norma, Porkchop Chile, Coconut Chicken Curry. We’ve baked hams and roasted turkeys, steamed veggies and canned jelly. Without you, will I ever look forward to cooking again? Will my new oven doors creak the way yours do? Will it perfectly dry out my bread and burn my granola if left unattended to? Will the timer, if bumped, send out an eerie buzz, like lights zapping bugs, the way yours does?

I’m afraid not. It will be new and shiny and stylish. It won’t talk back or even hum to let me know I’ve left it on. It will be silent. Stoic. Alien.

I will approach this new stove like a child approaches lima beans or broccoli—with a crinkled nose, a screwed up mouth, a staunch refusal to dig in, to just try it.

Oh, my stove, if you go, take me with you…

The question is: will I be the child who grows up to like lima beans and broccoli, or even just one or the other? Or will that childhood disgust continue into adulthood, color me like a birthmark, brand me like a deep and abiding scar?

Posted By: Kelly |  Filed Under: Food Writing  |  10 Comments  |  Permalink

September 5th, 2007

The Brown Bag Lunch #3: Let’s Talk Burritos

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Sack lunches always have to have a main element, don’t they? Peanut butter and jelly. Turkey on wheat. Instant noodles. Soup. Leftovers that no one wanted to eat. In this house, we’ve been through them all. I don’t recall when or how I came up with the concept of burritos, but they are easy to make, and you can prepare large batches, freeze them, and have instant lunch for several weeks. Even if you don’t have a microwave at work or school, there are some burritos, or wraps as you may want to call them, that are good cold. Just be sure to thoroughly thaw any that you won’t be heating!

What I like about burritos, or wraps, is the fact that the tortilla is so versatile. More so than bread? I think so. You can put sandwich type items, like ham and swiss, inside a tortilla, but try and put ground beef and beans between two slices, and you’re instantly screwed. You can wrap a tortilla in a nice, tight bundle. Bread is just bread—two floppy slices of grain. Yes, the tortilla trumps all. Wahahahaha.

I can envision countless possibilities for the lunch burrito. Unfortunately, my husband is stuck on two—the taco burrito and barbeque chicken and cheddar. He’s been eating these for a year plus now and hasn’t tired of them. Ah, well. I must be thankful for that, even if it doesn’t allow me to branch out much.

Here is a full list of the burritos I’ve made, however. Maybe one or two, or all!, will spark your interest. I’m also including the recipe for the taco burrito and the barbeque chicken and cheddar, as they are the easiest and will please almost anyone. All right, here we go.

Taco Burrito
Barbeque Chicken and Cheddar Burrito
Pizza Burrito
Mole Burrito (there is a recipe on the site for mole; check under Mexican)
Creamy Refried Bean and Cheese Burrito
and two from Moosewood: Burritos from New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant, and one of my all time favorites: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos from Moosewood Restaurant Lo-Fat Favorites. Serve this latter burrito with Moosewood’s Guacamole with Roasted Corn. Delish!

How to make the Taco Burrito:

Cook 1 lb. of ground beef, along with 1 small onion. (Substitute turkey burger, if desired) Add the following spices to taste: red chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and cinnamon. For an extra bit of heat, throw in a pinch of cayenne pepper, or a chipotle with a teaspoon or so of the adobo sauce they come in. (Chipotles are smoked jalapenos. You can purchase them in the Hispanic section of your supermarket.)

Once the beef is nearly cooked through, add 1 can of beans, either kidney, pinto or black.

Add 1 cup of corn kernels and cook mixture until warmed through.

Grate ½ lb. of cheddar cheese.

Warm your tortillas, either in the oven or microwave for easier folding. You will need 12-18, depending on the size of your burritos. I like whole grain or whole wheat. Jalapeno is good for this burrito, as well. Experiment and have fun!

On a large working surface, make an assembly line: beef mixture, cheese, stack of tortillas, and enough space to roll burritos on.

Depending on the size of your tortillas, place between ¼ and 1/3 cup of beef mixture at the end of each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll by folding over the bottom, then the sides, then rolling up.

When all the burritos are assembled, wrap them in wax paper then place them in a large Ziploc bag for freezer storage.

How to make Barbeque Chicken and Cheddar Burritos:

Poach 4 chicken breasts. (Place in a pot of simmering waterm, seasoned with salt and pepper, for about 45 minutes, or until cooked through and easy to tear apart.)

Meanwhile, cook ½ cup of brown rice according to package directions.

Grate ½ lb. cheddar cheese.

Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from pot and shred. In a large bowl, toss the shredded chicken with your favorite barbeque sauce. Add rice and mix thoroughly.

Assemble burritos as described above.

Wallah. Really, what could be simpler than that? Anyone could make these burritos! Even your kids! (Sounds like a good weekend project, doesn’t it?)

Posted By: Kelly |  Filed Under: The Brown Bag Lunch  |  3 Comments  |  Permalink