So...my friend Ken's birthday was on Sunday, but we (myself and a mutual friend) kind of threw him a bit of a dinner party on Saturday night....my first dinner party EVER....and it was quite an experience.
Firstly, the mutual friend - let's call her Lisa (it is, after all, her name) - is house-sitting for other friends (my, we are a friendly bunch, aren't we?)...so we were cooking in their kitchen. I got more than I bargained for there....it's one thing to cook in one's own kitchen where one knows where everything is...but cooking in a kitchen where you have no idea where things are kept, and then find that there are some basic kitchen tools not even present is another. So, for my first real sojourn into cooking, I did so without measuring cups or measuring spoons.
"So what?!", I hear some of you remarking. Yes, a great number of cooks don't bother with measuring implements...but I, at least at this stage of the game, am not at that point.
The good news is that in relying on visual measuring, and by taste, it turned out to be quite delicious. The two stars of the show were:
1. Rolled Asparagus appetizer - Steamed asparagus wrapped in smoked turkey, Havarti, and flat bread...baked in the oven until melty and crisp. I imagine this would also be good in a puffed pastry, or made with prosciutto.
2. Supremes de Volaille aux Champignons (Chicken breasts with mushrooms, port, and cream) - from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking....I opted to use vermouth instead of port, as port wouldn't be something otherwise used in my house. This is a recipe that I am looking forward to trying again with proper measurements...it was astoundingly tasty, but I want to see what it tastes like with all proper ratios.
No pictures, I'm afraid....there was a camera, but everyone was too busy eating to take any pics!
Not sure what this coming weekend holds...excited at the possibilities!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Things not to do when hungry...
We've all heard that one of the worst situations is grocery shopping when hungry...and it's true...it can be catastrophic to the pocket-book, and wasteful (if buying a bunch of stuff one doesn't even need). I think working, though, is the worst place to be when hungry...
I don't eat breakfast. I know that makes me a monster, but there it is. I'm never hungry in the morning. So, because I'm always trying to be quiet in the morning as to not wake up my household, I don't make lunch to bring to work (and I don't make it the night before because I always forget). In addition to that, there is no fridge at work...and most of the things that I would bring for lunch (left-overs, meat/cheese sandwich, salad) are things I am uncomfortable leaving unrefrigerated....so that, essentially, leaves me with peanut butter......and as much as I adore it, I don't want it everyday.....and I would have no place to keep the milk I would have to have with it.
So, usually, it isn't a huge deal...I work through the day foodless without any problems...that is, until I am bored at work....like today...
There are "down days" on the stock market...days when the majority of stocks are down because that exchange is down, or correcting...days like today. The TSX is down because of lowering commodity prices, and disappointing quarterly results from Alcoa...get the drift? So these are good days to buy because the majority of stocks will bounce back, and will allow me to make some nice cashola for the boss. On "up days", it is a much busier time here...there are more constant buying/selling opportunities as the stocks fluctuate in an upward motion...not the case for down days....so once I have spent the money on the stock picks of the day, there is nothing to do but wait. I try to stay as busy as possible, but when the accounting is already done, there is little to do but, say, write my blog...
So, I started thinking about what I would write about today...it was going to start off with how I slacked again last night, and didn't look at my cookbooks...but I thought I would do some looking at recipes online to make up for it (at least, in my mind). Sadly, I started at the place I always start: braised lamb shanks. There is a blog out there called "Souperior" which features one of the most delicious pictures I've ever seen (and other fabulous recipes). I attach that picture here:
I don't eat breakfast. I know that makes me a monster, but there it is. I'm never hungry in the morning. So, because I'm always trying to be quiet in the morning as to not wake up my household, I don't make lunch to bring to work (and I don't make it the night before because I always forget). In addition to that, there is no fridge at work...and most of the things that I would bring for lunch (left-overs, meat/cheese sandwich, salad) are things I am uncomfortable leaving unrefrigerated....so that, essentially, leaves me with peanut butter......and as much as I adore it, I don't want it everyday.....and I would have no place to keep the milk I would have to have with it.
So, usually, it isn't a huge deal...I work through the day foodless without any problems...that is, until I am bored at work....like today...
There are "down days" on the stock market...days when the majority of stocks are down because that exchange is down, or correcting...days like today. The TSX is down because of lowering commodity prices, and disappointing quarterly results from Alcoa...get the drift? So these are good days to buy because the majority of stocks will bounce back, and will allow me to make some nice cashola for the boss. On "up days", it is a much busier time here...there are more constant buying/selling opportunities as the stocks fluctuate in an upward motion...not the case for down days....so once I have spent the money on the stock picks of the day, there is nothing to do but wait. I try to stay as busy as possible, but when the accounting is already done, there is little to do but, say, write my blog...
So, I started thinking about what I would write about today...it was going to start off with how I slacked again last night, and didn't look at my cookbooks...but I thought I would do some looking at recipes online to make up for it (at least, in my mind). Sadly, I started at the place I always start: braised lamb shanks. There is a blog out there called "Souperior" which features one of the most delicious pictures I've ever seen (and other fabulous recipes). I attach that picture here:
Can't you just imagine how syrupy the surface of that lamb shank is, covered in fond? So, then I hit YouTube for some instructional videos on braising lamb shanks...then, it happened.......I realized that I was starving...and all I have at work in case of emergency is some oatmeal.
Now, if you can eat oatmeal and be satisfied after seeing that lamb shank, you're a better woman than I am. Sadly, I am nowhere near a place that serves lamb shanks for lunch, nor do I think that if there was, they would look nearly as good as the one in the photo...but the onslaught of hunger made me realize a couple of things:
1. I am not about to eat that lamb shank...nor can I smell it. It was, in fact, cooked over 4 years ago...but I desperately want it. This speaks volumes to the power of presentation. Nothing on that plate is difficult to make (store-bought baguette, lamb's lettuce in a simple vinegrette, and a slow-braised lamb shank that basically takes care of itself in the oven), but it has been presented in such a way that makes it seem like a work of art, and a culinary miracle. We do eat with our eyes, it seems...
2. I have been doing myself a disservice by not having lunch here, or not having something better in the "emergency" cupboard aside from oatmeal. Luckily, there is a Subway restaurant close by, so a sandwich and bowl of soup are easily attainable....but I'm cheap, and don't want to buy my lunch everyday. Maybe my thrify side can take over on this....
3. I am going to have to find some lamb shanks, and attempt this recipe...easier said that done in this town. There are local farmers who raise sheep, and yet all of the lamb in all of our stores is from New Zealand...I wouldn't call that fresh obsessed!!
On to the second place I go.....risotto...
Hmm....braised lamb shank on a bed of mushroom risotto.....methinks I may be on to something...
Monday, April 12, 2010
The girl is back in town....
Ok...it has been months now since I have been here...not that it matters a great deal, as I only know of one person who reads this, and she just started. I know that I don't need to explain, and perhaps any explanation would seem as an excuse uttered out of guilt for my slackingness...but here's the deal...
Sure, I have the new job, and that really took some time adjusting to...and the complications at my musical job really killed me up until Christmas...then, after Christmas, I was working on a CD (2-disc set, to be fair)....so I have had some very good reasons to not be writing, and even better ones for not cooking...
However, the weather is wonderful, the lists of annoying responsibilities are getting easier to handle, and I sense that change is coming.
Tonight, my task is to go through my collection of cookbooks to plan for upcoming culinary adventures...
Fingers crossed :)
Sure, I have the new job, and that really took some time adjusting to...and the complications at my musical job really killed me up until Christmas...then, after Christmas, I was working on a CD (2-disc set, to be fair)....so I have had some very good reasons to not be writing, and even better ones for not cooking...
However, the weather is wonderful, the lists of annoying responsibilities are getting easier to handle, and I sense that change is coming.
Tonight, my task is to go through my collection of cookbooks to plan for upcoming culinary adventures...
Fingers crossed :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Saturday Night Was Lively!
So...my friend Ken's birthday was on Sunday, but we (myself and a mutual friend) kind of threw him a bit of a dinner party on Saturday night....my first dinner party EVER....and it was quite an experience.
Firstly, the mutual friend - let's call her Lisa (it is, after all, her name) - is house-sitting for other friends (my, we are a friendly bunch, aren't we?)...so we were cooking in their kitchen. I got more than I bargained for there....it's one thing to cook in one's own kitchen where one knows where everything is...but cooking in a kitchen where you have no idea where things are kept, and then find that there are some basic kitchen tools not even present is another. So, for my first real sojourn into cooking, I did so without measuring cups or measuring spoons.
"So what?!", I hear some of you remarking. Yes, a great number of cooks don't bother with measuring implements...but I, at least at this stage of the game, am not at that point.
The good news is that in relying on visual measuring, and by taste, it turned out to be quite delicious. The two stars of the show were:
1. Rolled Asparagus appetizer - Steamed asparagus wrapped in smoked turkey, Havarti, and flat bread...baked in the oven until melty and crisp. I imagine this would also be good in a puffed pastry, or made with prosciutto.
2. Supremes de Volaille aux Champignons (Chicken breasts with mushrooms, port, and cream) - from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking....I opted to use vermouth instead of port, as port wouldn't be something otherwise used in my house. This is a recipe that I am looking forward to trying again with proper measurements...it was astoundingly tasty, but I want to see what it tastes like with all proper ratios.
No pictures, I'm afraid....there was a camera, but everyone was too busy eating to take any pics!
Not sure what this coming weekend holds...excited at the possibilities!
Firstly, the mutual friend - let's call her Lisa (it is, after all, her name) - is house-sitting for other friends (my, we are a friendly bunch, aren't we?)...so we were cooking in their kitchen. I got more than I bargained for there....it's one thing to cook in one's own kitchen where one knows where everything is...but cooking in a kitchen where you have no idea where things are kept, and then find that there are some basic kitchen tools not even present is another. So, for my first real sojourn into cooking, I did so without measuring cups or measuring spoons.
"So what?!", I hear some of you remarking. Yes, a great number of cooks don't bother with measuring implements...but I, at least at this stage of the game, am not at that point.
The good news is that in relying on visual measuring, and by taste, it turned out to be quite delicious. The two stars of the show were:
1. Rolled Asparagus appetizer - Steamed asparagus wrapped in smoked turkey, Havarti, and flat bread...baked in the oven until melty and crisp. I imagine this would also be good in a puffed pastry, or made with prosciutto.
2. Supremes de Volaille aux Champignons (Chicken breasts with mushrooms, port, and cream) - from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking....I opted to use vermouth instead of port, as port wouldn't be something otherwise used in my house. This is a recipe that I am looking forward to trying again with proper measurements...it was astoundingly tasty, but I want to see what it tastes like with all proper ratios.
No pictures, I'm afraid....there was a camera, but everyone was too busy eating to take any pics!
Not sure what this coming weekend holds...excited at the possibilities!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Things not to do when hungry...
We've all heard that one of the worst situations is grocery shopping when hungry...and it's true...it can be catastrophic to the pocket-book, and wasteful (if buying a bunch of stuff one doesn't even need). I think working, though, is the worst place to be when hungry...
I don't eat breakfast. I know that makes me a monster, but there it is. I'm never hungry in the morning. So, because I'm always trying to be quiet in the morning as to not wake up my household, I don't make lunch to bring to work (and I don't make it the night before because I always forget). In addition to that, there is no fridge at work...and most of the things that I would bring for lunch (left-overs, meat/cheese sandwich, salad) are things I am uncomfortable leaving unrefrigerated....so that, essentially, leaves me with peanut butter......and as much as I adore it, I don't want it everyday.....and I would have no place to keep the milk I would have to have with it.
So, usually, it isn't a huge deal...I work through the day foodless without any problems...that is, until I am bored at work....like today...
There are "down days" on the stock market...days when the majority of stocks are down because that exchange is down, or correcting...days like today. The TSX is down because of lowering commodity prices, and disappointing quarterly results from Alcoa...get the drift? So these are good days to buy because the majority of stocks will bounce back, and will allow me to make some nice cashola for the boss. On "up days", it is a much busier time here...there are more constant buying/selling opportunities as the stocks fluctuate in an upward motion...not the case for down days....so once I have spent the money on the stock picks of the day, there is nothing to do but wait. I try to stay as busy as possible, but when the accounting is already done, there is little to do but, say, write my blog...
So, I started thinking about what I would write about today...it was going to start off with how I slacked again last night, and didn't look at my cookbooks...but I thought I would do some looking at recipes online to make up for it (at least, in my mind). Sadly, I started at the place I always start: braised lamb shanks. There is a blog out there called "Souperior" which features one of the most delicious pictures I've ever seen (and other fabulous recipes). I attach that picture here:
I don't eat breakfast. I know that makes me a monster, but there it is. I'm never hungry in the morning. So, because I'm always trying to be quiet in the morning as to not wake up my household, I don't make lunch to bring to work (and I don't make it the night before because I always forget). In addition to that, there is no fridge at work...and most of the things that I would bring for lunch (left-overs, meat/cheese sandwich, salad) are things I am uncomfortable leaving unrefrigerated....so that, essentially, leaves me with peanut butter......and as much as I adore it, I don't want it everyday.....and I would have no place to keep the milk I would have to have with it.
So, usually, it isn't a huge deal...I work through the day foodless without any problems...that is, until I am bored at work....like today...
There are "down days" on the stock market...days when the majority of stocks are down because that exchange is down, or correcting...days like today. The TSX is down because of lowering commodity prices, and disappointing quarterly results from Alcoa...get the drift? So these are good days to buy because the majority of stocks will bounce back, and will allow me to make some nice cashola for the boss. On "up days", it is a much busier time here...there are more constant buying/selling opportunities as the stocks fluctuate in an upward motion...not the case for down days....so once I have spent the money on the stock picks of the day, there is nothing to do but wait. I try to stay as busy as possible, but when the accounting is already done, there is little to do but, say, write my blog...
So, I started thinking about what I would write about today...it was going to start off with how I slacked again last night, and didn't look at my cookbooks...but I thought I would do some looking at recipes online to make up for it (at least, in my mind). Sadly, I started at the place I always start: braised lamb shanks. There is a blog out there called "Souperior" which features one of the most delicious pictures I've ever seen (and other fabulous recipes). I attach that picture here:
Can't you just imagine how syrupy the surface of that lamb shank is, covered in fond? So, then I hit YouTube for some instructional videos on braising lamb shanks...then, it happened.......I realized that I was starving...and all I have at work in case of emergency is some oatmeal.
Now, if you can eat oatmeal and be satisfied after seeing that lamb shank, you're a better woman than I am. Sadly, I am nowhere near a place that serves lamb shanks for lunch, nor do I think that if there was, they would look nearly as good as the one in the photo...but the onslaught of hunger made me realize a couple of things:
1. I am not about to eat that lamb shank...nor can I smell it. It was, in fact, cooked over 4 years ago...but I desperately want it. This speaks volumes to the power of presentation. Nothing on that plate is difficult to make (store-bought baguette, lamb's lettuce in a simple vinegrette, and a slow-braised lamb shank that basically takes care of itself in the oven), but it has been presented in such a way that makes it seem like a work of art, and a culinary miracle. We do eat with our eyes, it seems...
2. I have been doing myself a disservice by not having lunch here, or not having something better in the "emergency" cupboard aside from oatmeal. Luckily, there is a Subway restaurant close by, so a sandwich and bowl of soup are easily attainable....but I'm cheap, and don't want to buy my lunch everyday. Maybe my thrify side can take over on this....
3. I am going to have to find some lamb shanks, and attempt this recipe...easier said that done in this town. There are local farmers who raise sheep, and yet all of the lamb in all of our stores is from New Zealand...I wouldn't call that fresh obsessed!!
On to the second place I go.....risotto...
Hmm....braised lamb shank on a bed of mushroom risotto.....methinks I may be on to something...
Monday, April 12, 2010
The girl is back in town....
Ok...it has been months now since I have been here...not that it matters a great deal, as I only know of one person who reads this, and she just started. I know that I don't need to explain, and perhaps any explanation would seem as an excuse uttered out of guilt for my slackingness...but here's the deal...
Sure, I have the new job, and that really took some time adjusting to...and the complications at my musical job really killed me up until Christmas...then, after Christmas, I was working on a CD (2-disc set, to be fair)....so I have had some very good reasons to not be writing, and even better ones for not cooking...
However, the weather is wonderful, the lists of annoying responsibilities are getting easier to handle, and I sense that change is coming.
Tonight, my task is to go through my collection of cookbooks to plan for upcoming culinary adventures...
Fingers crossed :)
Sure, I have the new job, and that really took some time adjusting to...and the complications at my musical job really killed me up until Christmas...then, after Christmas, I was working on a CD (2-disc set, to be fair)....so I have had some very good reasons to not be writing, and even better ones for not cooking...
However, the weather is wonderful, the lists of annoying responsibilities are getting easier to handle, and I sense that change is coming.
Tonight, my task is to go through my collection of cookbooks to plan for upcoming culinary adventures...
Fingers crossed :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)