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.

Cookalong Live - ugh

MotH and I watched Gordon Ramsay's Cookalong Live last night on TiVo. I've never seen any of his television shows before - yelling isn't my thing, unless I'm the one yelling. So it's apparent from comments that he yells and curses a good bit and had to refrain from doing so -- and this is where it gets bad -- by laughing like a crazed psycho. What was wrong with him?
Whoopie Goldberg and her annoying daughter aside, the most objectional part of the show was the food - it looked terrible. There was no crust on the steak - no browning, barely cooked - who would eat that? ugh. I'm hoping this isn't a show that gets repeated - it was banal and certain no way to encourage people to want to make good food at home  - with or without flambe.

Happy Birthday

Jane Austen. By far the best, funniest, sharpest writer to ever type out a plot pick up a pen or quill or whatever. Damn to be half that sharp would be a wonder indeed.

Treviso

Every wonder how something becomes over used - over hyped - just plain done to death. That's currently going on with Treviso -- heard about it on a food show and next thing I know it's everywhere -- now, perhaps some of that is time of year - Treviso is a type of radicchio - not one of my favorite things to eat, but that aside - it's the right time of year for greens -- I get that, but every.fricking.where.I.turn ---- it's treviso.  Does it even grow in Treviso? What's the big deal and when will this trend die? not soon enough. 


Same feelings - bacon, love bacon, hate bacon hype
Snooty, multi-coloured French macarons - they are friging everywhere too - what's up w/that?


(Photo: Italianfood.about.com)
Hate about.com, but it was a neat picture

Dressing

Dressing (not stuffing, damn it!) is, for me anyway, just elusive. I can't get it right. My mom has a recipe in her head, but no matter what I do, I can't replicate what I remember from childhood. This year I decided to try and just not do that -- but I was disappointed. I made a dressing that was good - it was different for me with apples and bacon in it, but I was disappointed. I was fine - really, I mean it, but it wasn't the dressing I'm used to. Even my bad attempts at cornbread dressing are decent, but I can't get back to what's in my food memory. So, this year, we'll be having dressing every so often to try and get back to those details. I'll talk to my mom some more and see what I'm missing and hope for a better showing from the dressing next year.

Kitchen

As I type the refrigerator is going back into the kitchen - after wandering through the desert for 7 weeks... we're almost there. I get to start cooking in there tonight - still some work to be done, but ... finally.*


* Almost - a few small thing to be done post Thanksgiving, but... I can at least cook in my own kitchen again - yeah!

Timing is Everything ...

Monday - Cranberry/Horseradish relish, Pecan Tassie Dough
Tuesday - Boil Sweet Potatoes, Spiced (maple-glazed?) nuts, fresh cheese, cheese straws
Wednesday - Bacon caramels (if weather permits), assemble bacon-wrapped apricots, leave bread out to dry for dressing, cook bacon for salads/dressing
Thursday - Turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, salad, key lime bars


What am I missing - I'm sure there is something ... ugh.

Thanksgiving - how far have we sunk?

It's a sad thing to look at grocery store advertising right before Thanksgiving. Take Target for example - yes, I realize it's not a grocery store in the strict sense of the word, but it's this ad that sent me off --Front Page "Hot Deals are Served" Del Monte canned green beans, Heinz home style gravy "roasted turkey" flavor, Kraft Stove top stuffing mix "For Turkey," Betty Crocker Au Gratin "Made with 100% read potatoes - disgusting.
And it gets worse Back Page of flyer: Pepperidge Farm herb seasoned stuffing, Ocean Spray cranberry sauce, French's french fried onions and the worst - Chinet Classic White plates.
Now a couple of these things I purchase - such as whole berry cranberry sauce - I use it in a recipe for BBQ chuck and it adds a nice sweet/sour taste. We also buy Del Monte green beans in a can ... TO. FEED. THE. DOGS.
Is Stove top on Chinet what people really serve on Thanksgiving? Lord help our civilization if that's the case. Maybe my family was an exception. My mom made real dressing - She made the cornbread on the days leading up to T-day and the smell of celery and onion to me is the smell of Thanksgiving. Now we had jellied cranberry sauce (with the convenient lines for slicing) but everything else was homemade - like it's supposed to be.

Thanksgiving Planning

It's difficult to plan for Thanksgiving when:
1. You don't have a kitchen
2. You're not sure if you will have a kitchen
There are a couple of necessities for me for Thanksgiving - cranberry with horseradish and sweet potatoes from Wanda's recipe. But I'm not sure what else to do. Turkey - duh! but I want to have something special, plus I need to decide on apps and dessert as well. Won't be a large group, esp. will be missing Walt. Kids can eat at the bar IF it's finished.