Excerpt from Recipe Journal: Potato Salad

It's the wrong time of year, but I don't care - I think I'll eat this year round. The thing about potato salad is that I don't like it, except that I love the potato salad from Steven's Market Deli. I ordered it by accident - I thought it was German potato salad (which I do, indeed love, but Steven's doesn't carry it anymore), but went ahead and tried it and was amazing. So my thought is... can I make a better potato salad?
We watched Cook's Country and they made ranch potato salad which sound good but not like Steven's  - however Steven's potatoes, though cooked perfectly, don't in themselves taste like anything - so I'll try the method of adding vinegar and dijon mustard to the hot potatoes, a la the Cook's Country recipe... and then what?
Celery cut the right size is key and I'm expecting everyone has their idea of what the correct size is. Steven's adds carrots, but they are the little pre-cut ones - kinds of grated pieces - so they are dried out, which is good in a way. There is boiled egg which I like in small quantities. What I can't really tell is what they use as a binding agent. I want to figure it out and not ask Steven. It's creamy but doesn't seem like mayo, but it's not sour cream. So what the heck is it?
One of the things I love about Steven's is the fresh dill - yum - just enough to be perfect... but how much is that? Experimentation is in order - @ least when I stop buying from Steven's (never).

Pickled Ginger & the Weather - what the ...??

What's up with the prevalence of pickled ginger lately?

How does this happen? Two weeks ago, I had a bunch of ginger - okay, I bought it because I thought about pickling it since there isn't much going on in the pickle department this time of year. But instead, I ended up preserving it per Kitchen Quick Tips from Cook's Illustrated - one of my nifty Christmas presents from MotH. I've preserved it in sherry (p. 254-5). I tried the sherry before doing so ... the ginger is only going to make the sherry better. Not my thing and I wonder how all those little old ladies drink it -- maybe it's better cold... but - blech. I have recently found a couple of recipes using sherry and ginger so that should prove beneficial.
So yesterday -- I'm reading Fine Cooking (Feb/Mar 2010) and there is a great little article (page 18)  on pickled ginger....

and then today -- there's this...

So I guess I'll be buying some more ginger to try pickling. I do make sushi at home, so it won't just be for show, but how strange is this... anyway. Back to the store for more ginger. I wonder if I can grow some here that's edible. I'll have to find out...

So Friday, it snowed (if 5 flakes count - and I think they do) and was miserable and gray and in return we were rewarded with a BEAUTIFUL Saturday and Sunday. Sunday was windows open, short sleeved shirt, blue sky kind of perfect. Winter in North Gulf Coast Florida - that's how it should be.

Super Bowl Sunday Recap

Victims of my overzealous menu:
Baked Brie - boo - that was the one thing I was making for me...but that doesn't mean it won't be made at some point this week -- for dinner - how evil.
Sun-dried tomato thing - not a big deal, just had an idea of what I wanted in my head, so the fact that it wasn't made isn't the end of the earth.
Ate hot pepper jelly for lunch this week, so wasn't jonesing for it quite so much by Sunday - gave it a miss.
Totally forgot to make fries. By that time I didn't much care and I don't thinkk anyone missed them anyways.
So the review of those that survived... (including the Saints - that was great!)

Cajun Popcorn - outstanding! I mean really good. I wasn't sure it was going to work, esp after pouring the hot sugar mixture on the popcorn - and making popcorn the old way was great and the house didn't have the fake chemical smell the micro-popcorn does.
Spinach / Artichoke dip - v.g. worth the effort - makes a lot of dip!
Sausage Balls - good as always - froze remaining for easy breakfast. I always have to look this recipe up on the internet... don't know why I don't have a copy - random.
Gouda / crackers - if you like Gouda, you're happy.
Buffalo Chicken dip - again makes way too much. Used can chicken hesitantly as I think that's kind of weird. Not bad, but next time I'll poach a chicken breast or use a rotisserie chicken.
Sliders - easy recipe and I'll make that again this week.
Mini Cheesecakes - excellent - no really, just easy and excellent.

P'butt Dog Biscuits

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits - dogs now officially love me (when I'm in the kitchen).

2 3/4 c whole wheat flour
2 3/4 c all purpose flour
2 T brown sugar
1 t sea salt
1 c peanut butter
3 eggs
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 c H20


375 degrees
Combine flours, brown sugar & salt in large mixing bowl. Add eggs and p'butt and mix to incorporated. Mix in oil and add water as needed to develop a smooth dough. Set aside for 15-20 minutes to relax (covered). Roll out dough to 3/8 - 1/2" thick. Cut to desired shape. Arrange on parchment-lined pan. Bake approximately 40 minutes until slightly brown and fairly hard. Set aside to cool.


Source: White on Rice Couple

Notes: mixing the p'butt, wasn't easy, but it eventually came together. Ended up needing more than 1 cup of H20, but just a bit more. Easy easy to roll out. Cut into half dollar size (w/biscuit cutter). Added a score line so they can be broken in half. Made two heart shapes for Valentine's Day for Big and Little.

Emma - Masterpiece Theatre conclusion

Emma concluded last night and what do we think? Well, I'll admit that in general it was enjoyable. I'm just such a sap that a happy ending makes me like something a little better no matter what. Everyone wonders how Marianne in Sense and Sensibility marries Colonel Brandon... is she really happy? I wonder the same about Emma - Knightley is handsome and charming and genuine to be sure, but he's a homebody. Doesn't Emma need to go and do ...  somthing? anything? Realizing the honeymoon by the sea is lovely, but Emma needs to go to Bath and London and experience life. Not stay in Highbury and be self important. Obviously, this has to do with the story in and of itself not this latest video edition of it, but still... What would happen if Emma went to London for a season?
Again, I think my feelings for the actors from the first session of Emma 2009 have remained the same. Johnny Lee Miller - superior, very well done - suprisingly so. Tamsin Greig was perfect as Miss Bates - truley a talented performance of a role that EASY to get wrong. Romola Garai - she got better over time, but not an easy role to play because the character is, herself, hard to like. Blake Ritson and Christina Cole - how hard is it to be so snooty and annoying... they did well. Although I like Ritson more when he's a nice guy. Louise Dylan as Harriet - the natural daughter of nobody know who...and a bit too much of a simpleton in this case. Too bad, because Harriet moves the story along, but when she's this inspid, who cares? Laura Pyper as Jane Fairfax - plain Jane in this case and why has no movie given more time to the attempts that Emma finally does make to be a friend to Jane - this version did more than most, but still not enough. Rupert Evans as Frank Churchill - blech - enough said. Jodhi May not my ideal Miss Taylor/Mrs. Weston, but she did well - on the whole. Unfortunately MIA Dan Fredenburgh - we need more of John Knightely -The Voice of Reason.


Well, next week it's Northanger Abbey or Mansfield Park or something like that and we'll have to be satisifed with one and a half hours instead of four hours... sigh.

Super Bowl Sunday

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! (sorry - had to). Not that I care about football... but I do love me some commercials.


MENU (likely to be revised as I realize I've taking on too much as usual)


Cajun Popcorn*
Spinach / Artichoke Dip* w/ Stacey's pita chips "The hype is not unfounded."
Baked Brie
Sausage Balls
Gouda / Crackers (Gouda from MURRAY'S!) What?
Buffalo Dip *
Meatball/Marinara Slides with fries *
Hot Pepper Jelly / Cream Cheese (home made - the jelly, not the cream cheese)
Mini Cheesecake *


Need something with sun-dried tomatoes... will try to find something acceptable. 


* New


Shopping list is made and will be handled on Friday to avoid people...a goal I always have :)
Hopefully, will not add anything, but who knows... the Buffalo Bleu Cheese Slider looked good too...


Cajun Popcorn, Jenny McCoy
Spinach/Artichoke Dip, Kristen Swensson
Sliders, Publix
check out the links...they're good stuff.

Carrots

Looking back at my recipe journal, it seems that on 28 August 2009, while in the midst of pickling more cukes than truly necessary and okra, and tomatoes, etc.  I considered pickling carrots... so maybe I did think about it a bit. Memory loss of most things pre new kitchen... as if.
Flavor Bible recommended some ideas for things that play well with carrots (I keep trying to add an extra t to carrotts  - a little more balanced it kinda works for me). Okay, flavors are: chili, coriander, cumin, dill, GINGER, LEMON, thyme.


Here's what I came up with: white wine vinegar, hot pepper (serrano), blk pepper, salt, garlic, mustard seed, lemon zest.
Perhaps we'll try a little bit of my ideas and the recipe I picked and see what we come up with...


What I really wish is I had some heirloom carrots -- burgundy, black, red... THAT would be cool.


photo: Americanfest.com

Food Calendar

I'm not the first person to think about this (surely), but every January (or in this case early February), I wonder about how we cook our way through a year. It all starts on New Year's Day - with traditional food that brings good luck - here it is collards and black-eyed peas. I'm sure there is some historical meaning, I think if I remember correctly, the collards are supposed to represent money. In FIL's culture is was sauerkraut, which I like, but never heard of until we started hanging out w/the parents for New Year's Day. 
Next up... Super Bowl in late January or in this case early February. It's an evening of overdoing, snack food, hopefully good commercials, not any football (who cares), a joke of a half time show, and swilling beer  responsible drinking (and hopefully good commercials!!). I enjoy this one a great deal because I really like making appetizers for dinner or for anything really.
 Then the magazines/websites turn to Valentine's Day - make your lover something lovely ... or something equally hokey. That's one I skip because I'm not much into greeting card created holidays. I expect to be loved everyday even though I may not deserve it :). 
Speeding on from V-Day is something, I think that's depending on where you live. Here in the Gulf Coast Mardi Gras is a big (BIG!) deal. New Orleans is surely what's most thought of, but it's huge in Mobile and Pensacola too (Krewe de la stupid people who like to dress up and act stupid? nope, the name is too long...). Not being from here it seems a little cheesy thing and I'm not sure it's a food holiday when drinking and throwing moon pies are key activities*. So officially, the next food holiday is also not much of a food holiday, though I treat it as such is St. Patrick's Day**. mmmm Guinness brownies. 
Then we officially welcome spring with Easter - asparagus, eggs, all things springy, pastel, small lambs, bunnies, and baby chicks (though we eat their brethern). 
What's next... of course it's College Graduation Parties (yeah) and quickly into Memorial Day and bringing out the grill... it's the official start of summer. Get the grill out add steak, burgers, dogs, or chicken and have a picnic w/ potato salad and chips and dip and get in the pool. Hell, we've been in the pool more than a month by then... and we know what's coming next... start of the season. ugh.*** High School graduations are next and largely and rightly looked over by those it does not apply to... I mean what is graduation food - everyone goes out to eat anway. 
The big show of the summer is 4th of July. Spend time w/your grill in the middle of the friggin hot, humid backyard, being eaten by mosquitoes. But we do it anyway because, by god!, it's a tradition - I'm sure Patton would make a good speech about it... I can almost hear it (not quite because I'm not crazy la la). Blue Angels weekend quickly follows on the beach - sand, noise, heat, I'll stick to the end of year show on the base.  4th of July will be bittersweet this year.
August is the cruelest month. Labor Day marks the beginning of fall or in our case part-way through the season. It's an extra day off so cooking is always a good thing, but to be honest the grilling experience is largely the same as it is at 4th of July - there's not a hint of fall anywhere and the mosquitoes are usually worse. So full on fall kicks in whether the weater cooperates or not.
And on to...Halloween with all the gross stuff that comes with it - coffin-shapped cookies, eyeballs, blech. That said, soup recipes appear even if the fall weater still doens't. And now it rush rush rush to the end of the year w/more cooking, baking and candy making. 
All this crammed into a still warm month listening (Way. To. Early) to Christmas carols. Thanksgiving - American approved gulttony just preceeded by the release of the beaujolis nouveau (if you're a fan). Thanksgiving is fun, but not for the novice - you're asked to balance several skills and it's the one time of year that two ovens would help. So ... you need a turkey and dressing and cranberry something - these are required - then sides... and starters and which beer/wine to drink and new table linens and in my cases coordinating glass wear and flowers for the table and buffet and and and ....
Finally, it's December and it's cookie swaps and parties. Plus Christmas eve - which for me is appetizer buffet and Christmas day dinner - another turkey - perhaps, or ham or some large joint of meat appropriately cooked and whatever sides you thought about making for Thanksgiving but ran out of time and said screw it. You now have one week to get your New Year's Eve party planning - elegant, sophisticated New Year's Eve... champagne is de rigeur of course - or beer in my case (hey - it's bubbly and can be pour into cute little glasses).


And that's a wrap ... whew. I'm tired and it's only early February...


* If this doesn't make sense, you don't want to know.
** It's important for other reasons known only to two.
*** If you have to ask, you're not from 'round here.

Emma - Masterpiece Theatre

Well part two and part three (inexplicably) were on last night. How great to get two episodes when you're only expecting one. Nifty. That said, since I'll have to watch episode three next week :), this will just be my thoughts about last night's episode. Frank is still only just tolerable -- just. And Mrs. Elton (Christina Cole) is just so smug .. ugh. But that's what she's supposed to be ... base, vulgar, common, nothing to recommend her excepting she as somewhere near ten thousand pounds. That said, the film seems to perfectly match Mr. Elton and his wife. They are a perfect combination of smugness, self satisfaction, and superiority where none exists as I have seen lately. The problem is she's a comic character and this just makes her look mean -- nuance is lost (boo). Mr Knightley's firm character reappears as he denounced the surprise gift to Jane Fairfax and in his calmly telling Mrs. Elton to bugger off (which is really what he should have said...). Still a fan of Tamsin Greig as Miss Bates. She annoying (and that's the point), but somehow is still a feeling creature - even more so than in the book. I wish there had been more of Mr. John Knightley (Dan Fredenburgh) - his character is worth the time -- one of the few people in the book that wasn't afraid by convention or otherwise to say what he thought about things. Laura Pyper is just not pretty enough to be Jane Fairfax -- if she's held up, as implied, as Emma's rival of accomplishment and beauty -- it's just not working for me. Emma 1996 (Paltrow/Northam) with Polly Walker as Jane Fairfax - that worked. This time ... not so much.


We'll see how it ends up (as if we don't already know).

Spring?

It's hard to believe it, but I noticed the leaves are starting to bud out on the trees in the parking lot of the office. Does it always happen this early? Or is it because we've been comparatively mild since the 13 day long hellish deep freeze at the beginning of the month? Now we just have to cross fingers for no serious freeze or all that will be for nought.


The daffodils are blooming, but that's normal. We have daffs that bloom here in December. We're expecting more rain. We've had way to much for the fall/winter, I can only imagine when the spring rains come what it will be like.