Make Do .... and books

Use it Up
Wear it Out
Make Do, Or
Do Without


This was posted on Not Dabbling in Normal today and made me think about the fact that I do this for some things, but not for others. I do wear clothes out - I'm not a clothes horse to begin with, but I'll wear something until it's done - largely because I hate shopping for clothes.
I do a good bit of making do ... I try not to buy unitaskers, esp for the kitchen, but I start a lot of things and don't finish them - which is a rather annoying habit... kind of depressing too when you think about it. Part of it is space - I like being downstairs w/the guys not off in my office - but my office is right now a huge mess ... so it's a vicious little cycle.


The hardest part about doing w/out is that I am fascinated with books - esp. of late Georgette Heyer and always - cookbooks.
I've gone though all the local library cookbooks - and all the downtown library preserving books and most of the cookbooks and garden books - so what's  a girl to do but order from Amazon too often.


Just received from Amazon yesterday: In a Cheesemaker's Kitchen: Celebrating  25 Years of Artisanal Cheesemaking from Vermont Butter & Cheese Company (obligatory cookbook). I so want to learn how to make cheese, but just love the idea of a small cheese farm/store (just like Sweet Home Farm - sigh). 


Georgette Heyer books - These Old Shades and An Infamous Army: A Novel of Wellington, Waterloo, Love and War. 


These Old Shades and An Infamous Army because I had already purchased Devil's Cub and didn't realize it was part of the Alastair trilogy. So now I have the whole trilogy and can read it in order ... hate reading books out of order - it's irksome.

How to decide what's for dinner

Gave stickies, purple no less, to MotH to mark recipes for things he would like me to make for dinner and there were fifty (50! no kidding, exactly fifty) in More Best Recipes (America's Test Kitchen). So I've done two and have on the list one more this weekend and so far (along w/the key lime bar recipe I made at Christmas - v.v.g.) they have been fairly straight forward, as always, easy to follow, and good. Too bad MotH marked so many recipes for pizza, but eventually I'll get him redirected.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken pg. 240
What worked: cruchy, cheesy, rather tasty

What didn't: it needed something - you know that something that makes you think - this was really worth the effort. The chives (or in my case finely minced scallions) didn't stick so there was none of that flavor. Perhaps they should be put in with the shredded parm? not sure.

What else: I made a pan sauce of white wine, lemon juice, veg broth and 3 T of butter. I may have done this because I'm used to my Chicken Francese with Lemon and Pecorino recipe inspired by David Rosengarten.

What now: I'll probably make again, if just to figure out where to put the chives in. But will certainly make a pan sauce with it.

Words that shall be banished

Several blogs have lately been noting "food" words that should be removed from our lexicon. There are several that come to mind when I think of it - which is more often when I'm watching something on the food network.* Sammie - needs to go - what kind of stupid baby word is that and yes, I'm thinking whomever at Quizno's thought that was a good idea, was, in fact, an idiot. Mouthfeel - that's another one that annoys me - in a pervy gross kind of way. I know what they mean, but there must be a better way to say it. Foodie - what are we supposed to do with that - it's deragatory to be sure, at least it is unless you refer to yourself as one (if you do, you're a loser). Foodie - what does it mean anyway, some concieted person who takes an interest in food fads, not trends, mind you, just fads. A bigger insult I can scarsely imagine. Sous vide - yes, I realize it's a cooking method and a bit of silly one at that, but I don't like to hear it. It's just brings to mind sea urchin or pasty, pale-looking pork - I don't know - probably an undiagnosed mental illness that I have, but honestly, ugh. Offal, is ... well ... awful.


I have an idea that this will be a continuing commentary.




* Food Network has become increasingly disappointing lately - not that it's stellar stuff in the first place but I've deleted more off TiVo lately than I thought possible.