So, I have been really silent recently. And that's because of school. It's hard to balance writing essays and studying for tests with writing a cooking blog. So the blog had to go on the back burner. But now, I've turned in my last essay, and don't have another test for 2 weeks. So I think that calls for celebration. And you know what goes great with celebration? Cookies.
I love cookies and always have (I mean, who doesn't like cookies?). I would often make a batch (or two) of chocolate chip cookies and bring them into high school, just cause I could (or for a class party or whatever). Bu after a while, I got tired of the chocolate chips. I know, blasphemy! But I've always found that I prefer the cookie part of the chocolate chip cookie. And then I realized, the chocolate chips didn't have to be there. I was in charge of my cookie fate, so I took the chocolate out. And I loved it. Soft and chewy brown sugar cookies with delightfully crisp edges.
And since it's December, I decided to throw some Christmas spice in the mix (because it makes everything better). And by Christmas spice, I mean cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Around this time of year, I find myself want to put it on absolutely everything.
Brown Sugar Spice Cookies
FYI, this makes a lot of cookies. Like, 4 dozen cookies. you have been warned (though I doubt you'll have a problem eating them all)
1/2 cup butter (slightly softened in the microwave)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
one small pinch (less than 1/8 tsp) each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
Cream the butter and sugar together. The end result of this step is a butter-sugar paste, pretty much. To achieve this, you have to mash the butter against the side of the bowl with the back of the spoon until it's soft. Or, if you have some sort of electric mixer, just blend the butter, then add the sugar and blend (which requires much less arm work).
Once the butter and suger are creamed together, add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until well combined and smooth. Then slowly add the salt, baking soda, spices, and flour in little increments, mixing well after each addition. If you are using an electric mixer, make sure to turn down the speed, or there will be flour everywhere, trust me.
Once this mixture resembles, you know, cookie dough, you're all set. Just dollop them onto your baking sheet (coated in butter so they don't stick) with a tablespoon. Bake for 9-11 minutes (until crisp around the edged, but still soft in the middle).
Tada! Now you have a buttload of cookies! Go share them with your friends, and make their day.
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Today, I am going to tell you Hadestown. Hadestown is a "folk opera" (which is what everyone calls it, but it kinda fits) put together by Anais Mitchell. This album tells the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, but set in some sort of dystopian, poverty stricken South. This album has a surprising amount of fantastic artists working on it. Ani DiFranco sings the part of Persephone. Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) sings the part of Orpheus. Ben Knox Miller (of The Low Anthem, which deserves it's own review, because it's fantastic) makes a couple of appearances as well. Most striking, however, is Greg Brown's Hades. This man's growl could move mountains. With it, Browns portrays a fantastic world-weary Hades. Each character has a distinct style, and in other hands it might even seem cacophanous, but Mitchell melds them all together into a fantastic tapestry of musical styles. From the upbeat bluesy "Way Down Hadestown" to the almost gospel chanting of "Why We Build the Wall" to Greg Brown's almost spoken word performance of Hades to however you would describe "Wait For Me" (which is definitely one of my favorite tracks, though choosing a favorite is hard out of so many songs. In fact, this is one of the few albums where I can say that I don't dislike any single track.) So if you like ancient Greek mythology, eclectic mixes of styles and unique voices, or just good music in general, check out Hadestown.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Steel Cut Oats
For the longest time, I was convinced that I didn't like oatmeal (which is silly, because oatmeal is delicious and hearty and simple and just lovely in so many ways). What I now realize is that I don't like the traditional "Quaker Oats" type of oatmeal. It tastes fine, but the texture is what got me. It was like eating thick paste, and no matter how tasty it is, I don't really want to eat paste.
But then, I saw Alton Brown make this recipe for steel cut oats, and it opened my eyes. (Also, if you have never heard of Alton Brown and Good Eats, you should fix that. He's like the Bill Nye of food). This oatmeal looks more like risotto than the usual pasty stuff you get, which makes sense, because it's kind of prepared like risotto.
Now, steel cut oats may not be as easy to find as traditional oats, but they should be nearby in the supermarket (sometimes there's an area that has less popular grains, like quinoa and bulgur and whatnot, and sometimes steel cut oats are there. Or I usually get them in the bulk grains area of the health food market in Kensington where I get my herbs and grains and stuff).
Steel Cut Oats
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk
a pinch of salt (it really helps to bring out the flavor of the oats)
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, and just starting to bubble, add the oats, and saute/toast for a few minutes. (I always do this step, because I think it adds a hint of nuttiness to the final product. However, if you want to skip this step, you totally can.)
Once the oats smell toasty, add the water and the salt, and simmer, stirring occasionally (the stirring is what makes the texture of these oats.) Simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Then add the milk, and simmer again, stirring occasionally. Simmer until it has reached your desired consistency. Remove from the heat and serve.
Since it's oatmeal, you can do just about whatever you like with it. Do you like raisins in your oatmeal? Throw some in! Like maple oatmeal? Pour in some maple syrup! The possibilities are endless (well, maybe not endless, but certainly very numerous). My usual combination of toppings is ~1tbsp of brown sugar, and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.
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So today, I'm gonna talk about something new: a graphic novel. I know, there are a whole bunch of great movies that just came out that I could be talking about (like Cloud Atlas and Skyfall and Seven Psychopaths), but I haven't seen any of them yet, so instead I'm going to talk about how much I like one of my course books for my graphic novels class. It's called Truth Serum, and it takes the idea of deconstructing the superhero to the extreme. It is set in a suburb in Connecticut where almost every person is a costume (ie, a superhero or villain). But none of these characters are particularly heroic or villainous. One of the major heroes, Captain Force, is incredibly petty, and is willing to let a group of (admittedly obnoxious) youths get hit by a truck because they mocked his choice of music. Truth Serum shows that the superheroes that we might idolize from comics are really, in the end, just people, with problems just like all people have. They have to wait in line at the bank and try to deal with awkward social calls. Part of what makes Truth Serum so good is it's sense of humor. It's quite understated, which I find very appealing. In a way, it reminds me of the show The Venture Bros (which is awesome, if a ridiculous), but much less over the top.
So if you are interested in the idea of completely deconstructing the trope of the super hero, you should check out Truth Serum. But don't come complaining to me when not much happens plotwise (because this isn't that kind of story).
But then, I saw Alton Brown make this recipe for steel cut oats, and it opened my eyes. (Also, if you have never heard of Alton Brown and Good Eats, you should fix that. He's like the Bill Nye of food). This oatmeal looks more like risotto than the usual pasty stuff you get, which makes sense, because it's kind of prepared like risotto.
Now, steel cut oats may not be as easy to find as traditional oats, but they should be nearby in the supermarket (sometimes there's an area that has less popular grains, like quinoa and bulgur and whatnot, and sometimes steel cut oats are there. Or I usually get them in the bulk grains area of the health food market in Kensington where I get my herbs and grains and stuff).
Steel Cut Oats
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk
a pinch of salt (it really helps to bring out the flavor of the oats)
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, and just starting to bubble, add the oats, and saute/toast for a few minutes. (I always do this step, because I think it adds a hint of nuttiness to the final product. However, if you want to skip this step, you totally can.)
Once the oats smell toasty, add the water and the salt, and simmer, stirring occasionally (the stirring is what makes the texture of these oats.) Simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Then add the milk, and simmer again, stirring occasionally. Simmer until it has reached your desired consistency. Remove from the heat and serve.
Since it's oatmeal, you can do just about whatever you like with it. Do you like raisins in your oatmeal? Throw some in! Like maple oatmeal? Pour in some maple syrup! The possibilities are endless (well, maybe not endless, but certainly very numerous). My usual combination of toppings is ~1tbsp of brown sugar, and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.
-----
So today, I'm gonna talk about something new: a graphic novel. I know, there are a whole bunch of great movies that just came out that I could be talking about (like Cloud Atlas and Skyfall and Seven Psychopaths), but I haven't seen any of them yet, so instead I'm going to talk about how much I like one of my course books for my graphic novels class. It's called Truth Serum, and it takes the idea of deconstructing the superhero to the extreme. It is set in a suburb in Connecticut where almost every person is a costume (ie, a superhero or villain). But none of these characters are particularly heroic or villainous. One of the major heroes, Captain Force, is incredibly petty, and is willing to let a group of (admittedly obnoxious) youths get hit by a truck because they mocked his choice of music. Truth Serum shows that the superheroes that we might idolize from comics are really, in the end, just people, with problems just like all people have. They have to wait in line at the bank and try to deal with awkward social calls. Part of what makes Truth Serum so good is it's sense of humor. It's quite understated, which I find very appealing. In a way, it reminds me of the show The Venture Bros (which is awesome, if a ridiculous), but much less over the top.
So if you are interested in the idea of completely deconstructing the trope of the super hero, you should check out Truth Serum. But don't come complaining to me when not much happens plotwise (because this isn't that kind of story).
Friday, October 26, 2012
Roasted Squash and Grain Salad
I should probably admit right now, I love fall. It is absolutely my favorite season, hands down. The weather is perfect (cool and crisp, but not too cold. "Sweater weather", as people say), the leaves turn in a perfect display of complementary colors, and the food is delicious. Roast veggies and squash, apple cider (and fresh apples themselves), hearty soups. And everything is so comforting and filling, it's perfect for those times when something like a salad just won't cut it.
So you might be confused, I guess, as to why I'm giving you a recipe for a salad. Well, that's because this is a different kind of salad. Instead of being based on leafy greens, or crunchy veggies, it's based on whole grains and chunks of roasted squash. And in addition to the incredibly sustaining base of the salad, the spices (though not the traditional accompaniments to roast squash, the chili spice goes incredibly well with the savory-sweetness of the squash) will warm you right up on a chilly day.
Add in the tang of feta cheese, and you've got yourself one heck of a winter salad on your hands.
Also, this recipe has an intentionally vague name. This can be made with many types of winter squash (I've used acorn and butternut squash, and both were delicious. Pumpkin would also probably work, though I've never tried it). And this recipe can use just about any type of hearty whole grain. The original recipe that gave me the idea (over at Smitten Kitchen, as always) used farro. I didn't have farro, but I did have a bag of barley that had been kicking around for ages waiting for me to find a use for, so that's what I used and it was great. And again, the cheese is highly customizable as well. If you prefer goat cheese, go ahead and use it. The Smitten Kitchen recipe uses ricotta salata. Any cheese that is suitably tangy will work wonderfully in this salad. Let your taste-buds lead the way.
(And sorry about the lack of photos. As usual, I totally forgot to take pictures, so you'll just have to use your imagination)
Roasted Squash and Grain Salad
This recipe might seem complicated, but it is not as intense as it might look. There are three major parts of the this salad (the grain, the squash, and the "dressing") that are being made simultaneously, but they are easy to manage because each steps requires a lot of waiting.
1 winter squash (I used butternut squash this time, because it is easier to peel and cut into uniform chunks)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp chipotle powder
1/3 cup bulgur (or any other grain)
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
Preheat the oven to 375.
Peel the squash, remove the innards and seeds (if you like pumpkin seeds, you should try roasting the squash seeds. Just let them dry, then spread them on a pan, coat with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 375 oven for 7-10 minutes). Cut the squash into 3/4 inch cubes (it doesn't need to be perfect, but the pieces will cook more uniformly if they are all the same size).
In a large bowl, mix the squash cubes, oil, salt, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and chipotle, until the squash it thoroughly coated. Spread the squash cubes evenly on a baking sheet (I cover mine with aluminum foil for ease of clean-up), and roast for 10 minutes. Then flip the pieces over, and cook for about 10 more minutes, or until they are tender to a fork.
While the squash is roasting, boil the bulgur in 1 cup of water. Once the bulgur is boiling, let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes until it is tender. Drain any remaining water and let cool slightly.
While the bulgur is boiling, combine the shallot and the vinegar. This will slightly "pickle" the shallots, and the vinegar will act almost as a kind of dressing for the salad. Let the shallots sit until all the parts of the salad are ready to assemble.
Once all the components are prepared, it's just a matter of combining them. In a large bowl, toss the squash, bulgur, shallots, and feta cheese. You may want to add more olive oil, but that's just preference (I usually don't, but whatever).
This salad also keeps very well (which greatly adds to its appeal for me). You could probably store it in the fridge for a week.
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While I really want to review the movie Looper (because I saw it recently, and it was fantastic and I really think that everyone should see it). However, I'm not sure how I can review it without spoiling it entirely). I want to talk about the plot, and how it showed a fantastic use of time travel in narrative story-telling. I want to talk about how the antagonists in the film use time-travel to apprehend a character in the most terrifying way (seriously, that scene with Seth was super creepy. Anyone who has seen the movie will know what I'm talking about). I wish I could discuss my theories about what happened, because I love discussing theories about slightly ambiguous stories (and you often get slightly ambiguous stories with time travel).
But I really don't want to ruin the movie, so I guess all I can do is say that I recommend it highly. If you like time travel, you should see this movie. If you like crime/mob drama, you should see this movie.
If you like Bruce Willis, you should see this movie (since you have Bruce Willis, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt acting like Bruce Willis). So, once again, you should all see this movie.
So you might be confused, I guess, as to why I'm giving you a recipe for a salad. Well, that's because this is a different kind of salad. Instead of being based on leafy greens, or crunchy veggies, it's based on whole grains and chunks of roasted squash. And in addition to the incredibly sustaining base of the salad, the spices (though not the traditional accompaniments to roast squash, the chili spice goes incredibly well with the savory-sweetness of the squash) will warm you right up on a chilly day.
Add in the tang of feta cheese, and you've got yourself one heck of a winter salad on your hands.
Also, this recipe has an intentionally vague name. This can be made with many types of winter squash (I've used acorn and butternut squash, and both were delicious. Pumpkin would also probably work, though I've never tried it). And this recipe can use just about any type of hearty whole grain. The original recipe that gave me the idea (over at Smitten Kitchen, as always) used farro. I didn't have farro, but I did have a bag of barley that had been kicking around for ages waiting for me to find a use for, so that's what I used and it was great. And again, the cheese is highly customizable as well. If you prefer goat cheese, go ahead and use it. The Smitten Kitchen recipe uses ricotta salata. Any cheese that is suitably tangy will work wonderfully in this salad. Let your taste-buds lead the way.
(And sorry about the lack of photos. As usual, I totally forgot to take pictures, so you'll just have to use your imagination)
Roasted Squash and Grain Salad
This recipe might seem complicated, but it is not as intense as it might look. There are three major parts of the this salad (the grain, the squash, and the "dressing") that are being made simultaneously, but they are easy to manage because each steps requires a lot of waiting.
1 winter squash (I used butternut squash this time, because it is easier to peel and cut into uniform chunks)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp chipotle powder
1/3 cup bulgur (or any other grain)
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
Preheat the oven to 375.
Peel the squash, remove the innards and seeds (if you like pumpkin seeds, you should try roasting the squash seeds. Just let them dry, then spread them on a pan, coat with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 375 oven for 7-10 minutes). Cut the squash into 3/4 inch cubes (it doesn't need to be perfect, but the pieces will cook more uniformly if they are all the same size).
In a large bowl, mix the squash cubes, oil, salt, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and chipotle, until the squash it thoroughly coated. Spread the squash cubes evenly on a baking sheet (I cover mine with aluminum foil for ease of clean-up), and roast for 10 minutes. Then flip the pieces over, and cook for about 10 more minutes, or until they are tender to a fork.
While the squash is roasting, boil the bulgur in 1 cup of water. Once the bulgur is boiling, let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes until it is tender. Drain any remaining water and let cool slightly.
While the bulgur is boiling, combine the shallot and the vinegar. This will slightly "pickle" the shallots, and the vinegar will act almost as a kind of dressing for the salad. Let the shallots sit until all the parts of the salad are ready to assemble.
Once all the components are prepared, it's just a matter of combining them. In a large bowl, toss the squash, bulgur, shallots, and feta cheese. You may want to add more olive oil, but that's just preference (I usually don't, but whatever).
This salad also keeps very well (which greatly adds to its appeal for me). You could probably store it in the fridge for a week.
-----
While I really want to review the movie Looper (because I saw it recently, and it was fantastic and I really think that everyone should see it). However, I'm not sure how I can review it without spoiling it entirely). I want to talk about the plot, and how it showed a fantastic use of time travel in narrative story-telling. I want to talk about how the antagonists in the film use time-travel to apprehend a character in the most terrifying way (seriously, that scene with Seth was super creepy. Anyone who has seen the movie will know what I'm talking about). I wish I could discuss my theories about what happened, because I love discussing theories about slightly ambiguous stories (and you often get slightly ambiguous stories with time travel).
But I really don't want to ruin the movie, so I guess all I can do is say that I recommend it highly. If you like time travel, you should see this movie. If you like crime/mob drama, you should see this movie.
If you like Bruce Willis, you should see this movie (since you have Bruce Willis, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt acting like Bruce Willis). So, once again, you should all see this movie.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Chili
Sometimes I feel kind of silly giving you a strict recipe to follow (well, often actually, because I think cooking is such a personal and experimental process). For certain things, like salad or salsa, or in this case, chili, everyone has their own way of making. My friend Diana doesn't eat meat and makes a killer veggie chili. My mom, however, makes a more traditional chili that consists mainly of chunks of beef simmered in spicy liquid until they fall apart. My recipe is kind of a happy medium, I guess. It has lots of ground beef in it, but also lots of beans and tomatoes, and of course lots of spices.
As I said at the beginning, this is how I make chili. Feel free to change this around. If you have some jalapenos (or chipotle in adobo sauce, which is like my favorite thing) sitting around that need to be used up, throw those in. Or if you have an open jar of salsa that no one is finishing fast enough, toss that in too. If you don't like things so spicy, cut down on the spices. If you like more veggies in your chili, you can add some chopped bell peppers (be aware that this will probably make your chili quite a bit sweeter). It's chili, not brain surgery. Go crazy with it.
Also, in this blog you get to see the first pictures I've taken of my Toronto kitchen for this blog. So instead of the lovely commercial range and marble countertops of my parents' kitchen, you can now be treated to my less-lovely Ikea pots and white plastic counters. But the food will be just as delicious.
Beef and Bean Chili
1 medium onion (or half a large onion), diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 can (~19 fl oz) kidney beans, drain off the liquid
1 can (~19 fl oz) black beans, drain off the liquid
1 can (~19 fl oz) crushed tomatoes
juice of 1/2 lime
Saute the onion and garlic until softened and just starting to turn transparent.
 |
| FYI, I probably should have used less onion |
Add the ground beef, and cook until about halfway cooked.
Add the spices, and saute until the beef is pretty much fully cooked.
Add the beans, tomatoes, and lime juice.
 |
| For this picture, I used whole canned tomatoes that I chopped into chunks, because that's what I had. If you like chunky chili, you can definitely use this approach. |
You can serve this in a bowl and eat it with a spoon, or you can eat it with tortilla chips like I do. Also, I almost always grate some cheddar over the top, because it's delicious. Any leftovers you have can be frozen for later consumption. Or, if you only have a little bit left, make nachos.
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Today I'm going to review Yeasayer's Fragrant World, which is their newest album (which was released earlier this summer). Yeasayer is one of my favorite bands, because their sound is so interesting. They blend pop aspects with much more esoteric elements, like afrobeat and intricately layered tracks. Fragrant world is their third studio album, and while it is quite good, it isn't my favorite album of theirs (In case you are interested, my favorite album by them is probably Odd Blood, but All Hour Cymbals has some fantastic tracks as well). Fragrant World is weaker, in my opinion, because their sound has become more straight-forward pop, or maybe more like house music (I'm not sure what words to use to describe the type of music I'm thinking of). Well, this isn't to say that it sounds like anything in the Top 40 (or whatever it's called). I just miss the wonderful excursions into different types of sounds that I'd never heard before.
However, this stylistic shift does mean that almost every track from Fragrant World is a whole lot of fun to dance to. This is the kind of music that could make me actually enjoy clubbing (which I usually avoid like the plague). It's infectious and almost impossible to resist at least tapping your foot along, if not shamelessly dancing along. While Fragrant World is great for this, I just miss some of their more far-out stuff.
While maybe this change will benefit them as a band, making them more accessible to a wider audience, I miss their more experimental roots, and hope that they head back in that direction for their next album.
And here is a taste of some of their music, for those who are interested.
From Fragrant World: Reagan's Skeleton
From All Hour Cymbals (though really this is a studio session for a radio station): Wait for the Summer
Monday, September 3, 2012
Lazy Pasta
Sorry for the random long break in posts. I had been traveling a lot, and subsequently not making my own food. Part of my travels included moving back up to my Toronto apartment. While it's exciting to be back, it does mean I have to say goodbye to my parent's lovely kitchen (with it's marble countertops and it's commercial size range and it's extensive, always stocked pantry).
So, since I've just recently moved in, I'm don't really feel up for cooking anything to intensive, so I'm going to tell you my favorite lazy (and cheap) dish. It's something I can easily whip up in less than a half hour, and can feed a lot of people.
This recipe uses a combination of veggies that looked good at the supermarket today, but you can (as usual), use whatever you want. I often use bell peppers, eggplant, asparagus, olives, etc.
Oh, and of course, I forgot to take pictures because I'm a fool. I promise I'll start making more legitimate posts soon.
Veggie Pasta
Makes 3-4 servings
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 zucchini
4 crimini mushrooms
1/2 pound pasta
1/2 jar tomato sauce (or if you're feeling adventurous, you can make your own. I'll give some guidelines on pasta sauce recipe further down)
Boil ~5 cups water in a large pot. Add a large pinch of salt to the water.
Dice onions, mince the garlic, and chop the zucchini and mushrooms.
Saute the onions in a large skillet until translucent. Then add the minced garlic.
Once the salted water is boiling, add the pasta, and cook for the recommended time (or until it's your favorite texture)
To the sauteed onions and garlic, add the zucchini and mushrooms. Cook until veggies are your desired doneness (I really don't cook the veggies down that much, because I love fresh/crunchy veggies). Add the tomato sauce, and heat through.
When the pasta is done to your liking, strain out the water.
Serve the pasta and the veggie sauce, and if you want, you can top it with some cheese.
Quick Tomato Sauce
This recipe will probably make more sauce than you need for the pasta recipe above, but whatever is left over you can just put in the fridge and use later. And then you'll have delicious home-made sauce and you won't even have to worry about it.
1 16 ounce can of tomatoes (diced or crushed, depending on how chunky you like your sauce. Or if you really like chunky, you could get canned whole ones and mush them up for a bit in the can)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil (or fresh, if you have it)
1/2 tsp red peppers flakes
Saute the onion and garlic in some olive oil in a saucepan.
Add the canned tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Add the herbs and spices.
Here is where the recipe gets fun. You can make whatever kind of sauce you like. Do you want cheese in your sauce? Add some grated parmesan or romano. Want to make an artichoke sauce? Take a can of artichoke hearts and throw it in. If you happen to have prosciutto, you could totally add it in, and it would be delicious. Basically, now it the time to add whatever makes you think "Mmmm, that tomato sauce looks fantastic".
And you can specialize the spices as well. Do you think that rosemary would be really good in pasta sauce? Go for it! Do you like spicy tomato sauce. Add more pepper flakes, or some chili powder. If you hate spicy food, leave it out, no worries.
However, if you're feeling pretty lazy, you can just stick with tomatoes and herbs. And the one herb that I recommend not leaving out is oregano. That's what makes people think stuff tastes like Italian food (in my experience), and also it's just delicious.
So hopefully this post/recipe will remind you that cooking doesn't really need to be hard and intimidating. It can be really easy to make yourself a good meal with minimal effort when all you really want to be doing is sitting on the couch avoiding unpacking all your stuff.
So, since I've just recently moved in, I'm don't really feel up for cooking anything to intensive, so I'm going to tell you my favorite lazy (and cheap) dish. It's something I can easily whip up in less than a half hour, and can feed a lot of people.
This recipe uses a combination of veggies that looked good at the supermarket today, but you can (as usual), use whatever you want. I often use bell peppers, eggplant, asparagus, olives, etc.
Oh, and of course, I forgot to take pictures because I'm a fool. I promise I'll start making more legitimate posts soon.
Veggie Pasta
Makes 3-4 servings
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 zucchini
4 crimini mushrooms
1/2 pound pasta
1/2 jar tomato sauce (or if you're feeling adventurous, you can make your own. I'll give some guidelines on pasta sauce recipe further down)
Boil ~5 cups water in a large pot. Add a large pinch of salt to the water.
Dice onions, mince the garlic, and chop the zucchini and mushrooms.
Saute the onions in a large skillet until translucent. Then add the minced garlic.
Once the salted water is boiling, add the pasta, and cook for the recommended time (or until it's your favorite texture)
To the sauteed onions and garlic, add the zucchini and mushrooms. Cook until veggies are your desired doneness (I really don't cook the veggies down that much, because I love fresh/crunchy veggies). Add the tomato sauce, and heat through.
When the pasta is done to your liking, strain out the water.
Serve the pasta and the veggie sauce, and if you want, you can top it with some cheese.
Quick Tomato Sauce
This recipe will probably make more sauce than you need for the pasta recipe above, but whatever is left over you can just put in the fridge and use later. And then you'll have delicious home-made sauce and you won't even have to worry about it.
1 16 ounce can of tomatoes (diced or crushed, depending on how chunky you like your sauce. Or if you really like chunky, you could get canned whole ones and mush them up for a bit in the can)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil (or fresh, if you have it)
1/2 tsp red peppers flakes
Saute the onion and garlic in some olive oil in a saucepan.
Add the canned tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Add the herbs and spices.
Here is where the recipe gets fun. You can make whatever kind of sauce you like. Do you want cheese in your sauce? Add some grated parmesan or romano. Want to make an artichoke sauce? Take a can of artichoke hearts and throw it in. If you happen to have prosciutto, you could totally add it in, and it would be delicious. Basically, now it the time to add whatever makes you think "Mmmm, that tomato sauce looks fantastic".
And you can specialize the spices as well. Do you think that rosemary would be really good in pasta sauce? Go for it! Do you like spicy tomato sauce. Add more pepper flakes, or some chili powder. If you hate spicy food, leave it out, no worries.
However, if you're feeling pretty lazy, you can just stick with tomatoes and herbs. And the one herb that I recommend not leaving out is oregano. That's what makes people think stuff tastes like Italian food (in my experience), and also it's just delicious.
So hopefully this post/recipe will remind you that cooking doesn't really need to be hard and intimidating. It can be really easy to make yourself a good meal with minimal effort when all you really want to be doing is sitting on the couch avoiding unpacking all your stuff.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Ratatouille Redux
Do you like Pixar? What a silly question, of course you do! Everyone likes Pixar! While there are the super famous ones everyone knows about, like Up and Toy Story and whatnot, they've made other good movies that less people have seen, like Ratatouille. And it's a shame that less people have seen this adorable movie, because it's a good Pixar movie with an uplifting message, but mostly because it focuses on delicious food. And that movie is the inspiration for this dish.
Ratatouille is usually a sort of stew-like dish of heart veggies in a tomato sauce, which can be kinda heavy and lack-luster. But this is a more delicate dish that still retains all the delicious flavors of the original.
Also, as a disclaimer, this recipe is blatantly taken from Smitten Kitchen with pretty much no alterations, because Smitten Kitchen is a fantastic source for good recipes. I highly recommend you check it out.
Also, another disclaimer, the pictures accompanying this recipe might be a little misleading, because I made a few adjustments. First, I put in a tomato (because it was about to go bad. If you're in a similar situation, try it out). Also, I ended up with way too much veggie slices, so I made a double layer instead of just one. So don't be discouraged if your dish doesn't look like the photos. It will be just as tasty (and more true to the movie recipe). But then again, if you end up with way to many veggies, like I did, know that this is a viable option (as long as your dish is deep enough).
And this isn't really a disclaimer as much as a bonus: this recipe is vegan! (which I guess shouldn't be surprising since it is composed pretty much solely of veggies)
Pixar Ratatouille
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup tomato sauce (you can use whatever kind of tomato sauce you want. As usual, I used whatever I had lying around)
1 small eggplant (I used a bunch of little heirloom eggplants that I got from Verrill Farm, because they were so cute)
2 small zucchinis
1 long red bell pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375.
Pour the tomato sauce into the bottom of your baking dish (it should be around 8"x11", but use whatever you have that's around that size). Sprinkle in the onions and garlic and stir in with ~1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Slice all of the veggies as thin as possible (if you're lucky enough to own a mandoline, this is a perfect time to use it).
Arrange these veggie slices on top of the tomato sauce in layers. You can do them in rows, or if you really want to emulate the movie dish, you can make concentric rings with the veggies. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with another tablespoon of olive oil. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs by running your fingers down the stem from top to bottom. Sprinkle the thyme leaves over the top of the veggies.
Put in the oven for 45 - 55 minutes. The veggies should still have some structure to them, but they should obviously be cooked.
You can serve this with rice, couscous, crusty toast, or whatever you little heart desires.
-----
Continuing in my theme of reviewing critically acclaimed movies for you guys, today I'm gonna tell you about Searching for Sugarman.
This movie is a documentary about a 1970's musician called Rodriguez. Never heard of him? Not surprising. He was a massive failure in the US, but a huge success in South Africa (he was more popular than Elvis and the Rolling Stones). However, due to political censoring and other various reasons, Rodriguez was a complete enigma to all of his fans in South Africa. No one knew who he was or wehre he was from, or even how he died. There were many conflicting stories about how Rodriguez died, the most gruesome story being that he set himself on fire on stage at a gig. All of this mystery led to some fans starting to investigate the truth about Rodriguez, and they find more than they could ever imagine.
Now, I don't want you to get discouraged by the fact that this movie is a documentary (I know lots of people think that documentaries are boring). It's very visually interesting, (though I wish they utilized more of the original animations they occasionally used to portray Rodriguez from the past) and the soundtrack is lovely (which shouldn't be surprising, since it's composed entirely of Rodriguez' songs).
And, of course, you can't get past the fact that the story that unfolds is so fantastic it is hard to believe. But even when the main mystery is solved ("How did Rodriguez die?"), many more questions remain unanswered.
And one little detail that perfectly encapsulated the continuing enigma of this film is the fact that there is never an image of Rodriguez without sunglasses, except for one scene where you can see his entire face after the main mystery has been solved. I think that's a wonderful visual representation of the mystery of the film.
So if you are interested in 70's music or crazy real life mytseries or just like watching good movies, you should definitely check out Searching for Sugarman.
Ratatouille is usually a sort of stew-like dish of heart veggies in a tomato sauce, which can be kinda heavy and lack-luster. But this is a more delicate dish that still retains all the delicious flavors of the original.
Also, as a disclaimer, this recipe is blatantly taken from Smitten Kitchen with pretty much no alterations, because Smitten Kitchen is a fantastic source for good recipes. I highly recommend you check it out.
Also, another disclaimer, the pictures accompanying this recipe might be a little misleading, because I made a few adjustments. First, I put in a tomato (because it was about to go bad. If you're in a similar situation, try it out). Also, I ended up with way too much veggie slices, so I made a double layer instead of just one. So don't be discouraged if your dish doesn't look like the photos. It will be just as tasty (and more true to the movie recipe). But then again, if you end up with way to many veggies, like I did, know that this is a viable option (as long as your dish is deep enough).
And this isn't really a disclaimer as much as a bonus: this recipe is vegan! (which I guess shouldn't be surprising since it is composed pretty much solely of veggies)
Pixar Ratatouille
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup tomato sauce (you can use whatever kind of tomato sauce you want. As usual, I used whatever I had lying around)
1 small eggplant (I used a bunch of little heirloom eggplants that I got from Verrill Farm, because they were so cute)
2 small zucchinis
1 long red bell pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375.
Pour the tomato sauce into the bottom of your baking dish (it should be around 8"x11", but use whatever you have that's around that size). Sprinkle in the onions and garlic and stir in with ~1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Slice all of the veggies as thin as possible (if you're lucky enough to own a mandoline, this is a perfect time to use it).
Arrange these veggie slices on top of the tomato sauce in layers. You can do them in rows, or if you really want to emulate the movie dish, you can make concentric rings with the veggies. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with another tablespoon of olive oil. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs by running your fingers down the stem from top to bottom. Sprinkle the thyme leaves over the top of the veggies.
Put in the oven for 45 - 55 minutes. The veggies should still have some structure to them, but they should obviously be cooked.
You can serve this with rice, couscous, crusty toast, or whatever you little heart desires.
-----
Continuing in my theme of reviewing critically acclaimed movies for you guys, today I'm gonna tell you about Searching for Sugarman.
This movie is a documentary about a 1970's musician called Rodriguez. Never heard of him? Not surprising. He was a massive failure in the US, but a huge success in South Africa (he was more popular than Elvis and the Rolling Stones). However, due to political censoring and other various reasons, Rodriguez was a complete enigma to all of his fans in South Africa. No one knew who he was or wehre he was from, or even how he died. There were many conflicting stories about how Rodriguez died, the most gruesome story being that he set himself on fire on stage at a gig. All of this mystery led to some fans starting to investigate the truth about Rodriguez, and they find more than they could ever imagine.
Now, I don't want you to get discouraged by the fact that this movie is a documentary (I know lots of people think that documentaries are boring). It's very visually interesting, (though I wish they utilized more of the original animations they occasionally used to portray Rodriguez from the past) and the soundtrack is lovely (which shouldn't be surprising, since it's composed entirely of Rodriguez' songs).
And, of course, you can't get past the fact that the story that unfolds is so fantastic it is hard to believe. But even when the main mystery is solved ("How did Rodriguez die?"), many more questions remain unanswered.
And one little detail that perfectly encapsulated the continuing enigma of this film is the fact that there is never an image of Rodriguez without sunglasses, except for one scene where you can see his entire face after the main mystery has been solved. I think that's a wonderful visual representation of the mystery of the film.
So if you are interested in 70's music or crazy real life mytseries or just like watching good movies, you should definitely check out Searching for Sugarman.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Banana bread
This blog has yet to showcase one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen: baking. I love making bread, cookies, brownies, tarts, whatever. I love that you can basically do chemistry and get delicious food out of it. Or, as this apron puts it:
Do you ever forget about bananas for a while, and they end up looking like this?
If so, you shouldn't throw them out, you should make banana bread! Once bananas reach this point of brownness, they are bursting with banana flavor and sweetness, and they are basically mush anyway, so you don't need to work hard to make them into mush to make the batter.
This recipe makes 2 loaves of banana bread, so you have a few options once they're done. If you feel like you have more willpower than I do, you can wrap one up and freeze it for later. Or, if you're like me, you can leave them both out and devour them in a matter of days, before they get a chance to go stale. Your choice.
Banana Bread
2 1/2 cups flour (if you want, you can use whole wheat flour, or a mix of whole wheat and all purpose)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter (softened in the microwave for about 10 seconds, so it's soft but not melted)
2 cups sugar
2 cups mashed bananas (for me, it usually takes about 4 bananas, but it definitely depends on the size of your bananas)
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat your oven to 350. Butter and flour 2 loaf pans. You do this by spreading a thin layer of butter over every surface of the pan that the batter will come in contact in (this means the corners, the edges, everything). Then you take a large pinch of flour and shake it around so that it sticks to all of the greasy parts of the pan (this is always where you can see what part of the pan you missed with the butter). Any extra flour left kicking around in your pans can be put back in the bag (or just dumped in the batter, it doesn't really matter).
In a large bowl (and I mean a large bowl. Use the biggest one you have), mash the bananas with a fork. Depending on their ripeness, this could be pretty easy, or require more effort. Once those mare mashed to a nice mush, add the sugar, butter, and eggs. Mix this all together as well as you can.
Now comes the time where I have to introduce the most important rule of baking (well cooking in general, but baking more often than not): DON'T PANIC! Things will usually look kinda funky in the intermediate steps between start and finish, but you should never think you've messed up. You can always salvage mistakes you make, and most of time it's actually supposed to look like that. For example, at this point in the recipe, my batter looked like this:
Now, you take this batter and pour it into your prepped loaf pans. Try to split it in half as evenly as possible, but some variation isn't going to ruin it.
Put these pans side by side on the same rack in the preheated oven for 70-80 minutes. This doesn't, however, mean that you get to put the pans in the oven and then leave for the gym for a hour or whatever. You should check the loaves about halfway through the baking process and see if they're baking evenly (well, really they'll just look like pans of batter, but it's good to check). Also, at this point, you'll want to rotate the pans. Ovens always heat unevenly, and you don't want one side of one of your loaves to be cooked and the rest of them uncooked. So you should shuffle them around in the oven. Take the pan that was on the left and put it on the right, and vice versa. Also rotate the pans so that what was the front is now the back.
Once you rotate them, let them cook until they're done. You can tell when they're done by sticking a knife or a toothpick into the center of a loaf and pulling it out. If it comes out clean, it's done. It it comes out with batter stuck to it, it's not done, and you can put it in for like 10 more minutes (it's ok if there's melted chocolate on the knife. That's inevitable).
Now comes the hard part. You should really let the banana bread rest for like 10 minutes before you try to get it out of the pan and eat it. I know it looks and smells delicious, but trust me, it will be so much better to wait.
And for a serving suggestion, try spreading nutella (store-bought or homemade) over a thick slice (this may seem like overkill, since it already has chocolate chips in it, but I don't care, it's delicious).
-----
Today, I'm going to tell you about something that I've always been interested in, but let fall by the wayside until recently: poetry. I love poetry, but for some reason I haven't been reading it too much recently.
This changed when I saw the movie Midnight in Paris (which, on a sidenote, is a cute movie, and Owen Wilson does a fantastic job of channeling Woody Allen's nebbish character). In this movie, the main character briefly meets T S Eliot, and gushes about how much he like Prufrock, which reminded me that I wanted to check out The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. And when I finally did, I was not disappointed. There is a reason it is a classic of the modern age. His portrayal of love and life and the world is so realistic but also so beautiful, you can't help but get sucked into the world he creates. And in amongst this beautiful portrayal of love and life, he has this lingering self doubt ("Do I dare/Disturb the universe?). I think anyone who reads this poem could find something that resonates with them in it.
Another poet that comes to mind when I think of Eliot is W H Auden (I'm not sure why I think of him, but I do. It's like how my mind associates Hemingway and Melville. But I digress). My favorite poem of Auden's is As I Walked Out One Evening. It, too, deals with love, but in a more detached way. Auden describes lovers sitting down by the river, professing their love forever. However, Auden points out that forever is a very, very, VERY long time, and they are making promises that they cannot keep. A pair of stanzas that sum up the feel of the poem perfectly are:
The years shall run like rabbits,
For in my arms I hold
The Flower of the Ages,
And the first love of the world.
But all the clocks in the city
Began to whirr and chime:
O let not time deceive you,
You cannot conquer time.
Auden understands that human love cannot outlast forever, because forever will outlast all of humanity's existence. Everything we know will fall apart before time ends. And while this may seem like a bleak view, it is told in such a beautiful way, you just have to agree with it (also, it's true).
So go find some poems that you love, and curl up and enjoy the beauty our language can produce.
Do you ever forget about bananas for a while, and they end up looking like this?
If so, you shouldn't throw them out, you should make banana bread! Once bananas reach this point of brownness, they are bursting with banana flavor and sweetness, and they are basically mush anyway, so you don't need to work hard to make them into mush to make the batter.
This recipe makes 2 loaves of banana bread, so you have a few options once they're done. If you feel like you have more willpower than I do, you can wrap one up and freeze it for later. Or, if you're like me, you can leave them both out and devour them in a matter of days, before they get a chance to go stale. Your choice.
Banana Bread
2 1/2 cups flour (if you want, you can use whole wheat flour, or a mix of whole wheat and all purpose)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter (softened in the microwave for about 10 seconds, so it's soft but not melted)
2 cups sugar
2 cups mashed bananas (for me, it usually takes about 4 bananas, but it definitely depends on the size of your bananas)
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat your oven to 350. Butter and flour 2 loaf pans. You do this by spreading a thin layer of butter over every surface of the pan that the batter will come in contact in (this means the corners, the edges, everything). Then you take a large pinch of flour and shake it around so that it sticks to all of the greasy parts of the pan (this is always where you can see what part of the pan you missed with the butter). Any extra flour left kicking around in your pans can be put back in the bag (or just dumped in the batter, it doesn't really matter).
In a large bowl (and I mean a large bowl. Use the biggest one you have), mash the bananas with a fork. Depending on their ripeness, this could be pretty easy, or require more effort. Once those mare mashed to a nice mush, add the sugar, butter, and eggs. Mix this all together as well as you can.
Now comes the time where I have to introduce the most important rule of baking (well cooking in general, but baking more often than not): DON'T PANIC! Things will usually look kinda funky in the intermediate steps between start and finish, but you should never think you've messed up. You can always salvage mistakes you make, and most of time it's actually supposed to look like that. For example, at this point in the recipe, my batter looked like this:
It's all lumpy and kinda looks like snot, but that's fine. You haven't made a horrible mistake, it's supposed to look like this (or maybe not, but this is how mine always looks. Maybe a professional baker can make banana bread batter look appetizing, but I can't). So now we move on to the next step, adding the dry ingredients.
Add all the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon to your current mushy batter. This is another point where you might think something has gone horribly wrong. It will look like you have put in way too much flour, but that is actually the right amount of flour. All the liquid in the bananas and eggs and stuff will soak up that flour in a jiffy. Now, once you add the flour, you don't want to stir it too much. Obviously you want to get everything mixed together, but if you stir the batter with the flour in it for too long, it will get tough when you cook it. So just mix it until it looks kind of homogenous (it will still be lumpy, but that's ok, banana bread batter is allowed to be lumpy).
Now the final step with the batter is to stir in the chocolate chips. After this step, your batter should look like this:
Put these pans side by side on the same rack in the preheated oven for 70-80 minutes. This doesn't, however, mean that you get to put the pans in the oven and then leave for the gym for a hour or whatever. You should check the loaves about halfway through the baking process and see if they're baking evenly (well, really they'll just look like pans of batter, but it's good to check). Also, at this point, you'll want to rotate the pans. Ovens always heat unevenly, and you don't want one side of one of your loaves to be cooked and the rest of them uncooked. So you should shuffle them around in the oven. Take the pan that was on the left and put it on the right, and vice versa. Also rotate the pans so that what was the front is now the back.
Once you rotate them, let them cook until they're done. You can tell when they're done by sticking a knife or a toothpick into the center of a loaf and pulling it out. If it comes out clean, it's done. It it comes out with batter stuck to it, it's not done, and you can put it in for like 10 more minutes (it's ok if there's melted chocolate on the knife. That's inevitable).
Now comes the hard part. You should really let the banana bread rest for like 10 minutes before you try to get it out of the pan and eat it. I know it looks and smells delicious, but trust me, it will be so much better to wait.
And for a serving suggestion, try spreading nutella (store-bought or homemade) over a thick slice (this may seem like overkill, since it already has chocolate chips in it, but I don't care, it's delicious).
-----
Today, I'm going to tell you about something that I've always been interested in, but let fall by the wayside until recently: poetry. I love poetry, but for some reason I haven't been reading it too much recently.
This changed when I saw the movie Midnight in Paris (which, on a sidenote, is a cute movie, and Owen Wilson does a fantastic job of channeling Woody Allen's nebbish character). In this movie, the main character briefly meets T S Eliot, and gushes about how much he like Prufrock, which reminded me that I wanted to check out The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. And when I finally did, I was not disappointed. There is a reason it is a classic of the modern age. His portrayal of love and life and the world is so realistic but also so beautiful, you can't help but get sucked into the world he creates. And in amongst this beautiful portrayal of love and life, he has this lingering self doubt ("Do I dare/Disturb the universe?). I think anyone who reads this poem could find something that resonates with them in it.
Another poet that comes to mind when I think of Eliot is W H Auden (I'm not sure why I think of him, but I do. It's like how my mind associates Hemingway and Melville. But I digress). My favorite poem of Auden's is As I Walked Out One Evening. It, too, deals with love, but in a more detached way. Auden describes lovers sitting down by the river, professing their love forever. However, Auden points out that forever is a very, very, VERY long time, and they are making promises that they cannot keep. A pair of stanzas that sum up the feel of the poem perfectly are:
The years shall run like rabbits,
For in my arms I hold
The Flower of the Ages,
And the first love of the world.
But all the clocks in the city
Began to whirr and chime:
O let not time deceive you,
You cannot conquer time.
Auden understands that human love cannot outlast forever, because forever will outlast all of humanity's existence. Everything we know will fall apart before time ends. And while this may seem like a bleak view, it is told in such a beautiful way, you just have to agree with it (also, it's true).
So go find some poems that you love, and curl up and enjoy the beauty our language can produce.
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