Tortilla de Patate, otra vez

I am working on a new post about Momofuku, but it is taking some time & energy. In the mean time, I encourage you to revisit this recipe from Carmen, if you are looking for something to make for dinner or lunch.

Celebrity Chef David Chang

Very rarely is there a male celebrity who makes me swoon like a teenager. Some of my past loves have been: Fred Astaire, Rod Stewart, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Also Vince D'Onofrio, in certain roles. I hesitate to write about my new smittenly love, David Chang. My younger self would've probably become his groupie and followed him around begging him to love me, even though he was a total asshole. I am now old enough to know better. (Plus, he is much younger than I, so it's just weird to be thinking of him that way. I'm more comfortable having carnal thoughts about Patrick Stewart.)

If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, the way to MY heart is through noodle. I fell in love with David Chang because his passion in life was noodles. He sought out noodles in Japan, as many people do, with a singular passion. I admire this quest in ways I cannot express, because it is a thing deep inside my soul. I know it's goofy, and it sounds pretty stupid coming from a Midwest farmer's granddaughter, but David Chang's story appeals to me on many levels. Three of the levels are 1) obsession with noodles, 2) aimlessly trying to figure out what to do in life, and 3) travel based mostly on eating cultural delicacies.

I had vaguely encountered Momofuku by surfing the 'net about food. It was when I was armed with a gift card at Barnes & Noble that I saw the book, "Momofuku," and had the means to buy it. It is part memoir, part cookbook, part photography, and part comical. I so admired the book that I stayed with a cashier for at least 15 minutes while he tried to take the smudge off the cover, couldn't, and then called other stores to see if they had a pristine copy, which I then drove all the way across town, from St. Louis Park to St. Paul, to buy. It's sounds silly, I know, but it is so neat to find a restauranteur and food lover who cares about simple noodles. During that 15 minutes, I watched a woman lose her misbehaved child, helped her look for him, witnessed some near-abuse followed by gift-buying for said child, and saw a homeless guy kicked out of the store. Good times! Just being-in-waiting has its rewards. Cultural entertainment is all around you.

Back to Momofuku. You have to read the story to know where the name comes from. The short version is that it's the name of the guy who invented packaged ramen noodles. What a cool legacy that is! Anyway, crazy David Chang, who has few friends willing to go into business with him, opened a noodle bar in NY, called "Noodle Bar," which was quite close to failing, and now he has at least 5 restaurants that are beloved darlings of New Yorkers. He is famous. He was on the David Letterman show. And he's super-cute (you know, in a younger-brother sort of way). One of my favorite stories from the book is how he describes his marketing plan for Noodle Bar: he brought lots of money to a strip club full of Japanese female strippers, paid for lap dances and gave them his Noodle Bar business card, figuring that if he filled his restaurant with hot Japanese women, the clientele would follow. Hee-hee! Sexploitation aside, that's genius, you have to admit.

What impresses me so much about Momofuku is the simplicity of the menus. Noodle Bar opened with a few versions of noodles and pickled vegetables. Beverages were severely limited. Exchange was cash only. I think that restaurants often have WAY too many things on the menu. In other cases, too few (Craftsman, take note). When I go to a restaurant it is an event, and I want to know, at least in part, what I'm about to put into my mouth. I don't want oodles of flourishing descriptions to read about the main course; I rely on my waitron to clue me in on the details. When I read one of those descriptions, I ask the waitron, "So, what does it TASTE like?" Hello! Please don't go on and on and on about tarragon-infused blah blah blah... you know? Speaking of blah blah blah... there I go again off on a tangent.

Now David Chang is rich & famous, and his restaurants are hard to get into. Oh, well. Here is a recipe from the book, which is so simple and so enlightened.

BUTTERMILK DRESSING
makes 1/2 cup

Whisk together:

1/2 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 T sour cream
scant 1/2 t kosher salt, or more if needed
generous 1/4 t sriracha (rooster sauce), or more if needed

In the book, this is served with raw fluke, soy & poppy seeds. When he invented the dressing, he and his staff ate it on leftover baked potatoes. That is pretty darn good. WAY better than ranch dressing on potatoes.

In the coming months of darkness, I will be adding sunshine to my world by cooking from the inspiration of David Chang. Look for more neat ideas. Also, Chinese New Year is coming on February 3rd, and I will be creating another fabulous feast that will include egg rolls, which I just made all by myself. And they are way better than what you can get in a restaurant. Also a future post about paladares.

Dump Soup

The photos above were taken this morning, and Ariel inspired this post. She brought a variety of things to my bed (a ball, some blocks, paper, toys) and told me she was making soup. Things kept being added to the soup, and stirred. Also, a photo of my pantry, which is right now totally random and messy.

I learned this recipe from a music teacher I worked with when I was teaching in the public schools. She was an unusual woman, a big woman, not exactly fat (although she did talk about Weight Watchers points during lunch every day), just large and intense. She was older than me, lived alone and was concentrating on earning her Masters in Education. Her thesis was on the power of music education in increasing math test scores. She was so passionate about her vocation, that while teaching a roomful of disrespectful, wild, obnoxious kids, her enthusiasm made her sweat profusely.

I liked her a lot, and she was very smart, if a tad socially inept. The kind of person I enjoy working with, but wouldn't really want to hang out with. You know what I mean. When she told me about Dump Soup, I admit I thought it was sort of low-class. I was a bit of a food snob at that time. Nevertheless, I tried it and loved it!


The DUMP SOUP recipe is this: Dump 5 cans of stuff from the pantry into a large pot on the stove. Cook until hot enough to eat.


This is my preferred Dump Soup:

1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can green beans
1 can chicken broth

These days, I don't keep canned corn or green beans or chicken stock in my pantry, so I have to improvise. As always, I'm not going to tell you how to improvise, because I know y'all know how to cook!

I know you don't believe me; I'm telling you: it's good! One time a few winters ago, we had a visitor stop by on a 3-hour layover. I had no time to make something elegant and fabulous for my foodie food snob friend, so I made Dump Soup and didn't tell him what it was. And by god to hell, he loved it! He said it was PERFECT! So, modestly I said, "Oh, I just whipped this up," like, "Oh, this old thing? I just threw this on." And it was true!

Dear readers, that visitor was one of YOU. Do you remember?

The moral of the story is: the flavor of food is about perception. Surrounded by loving friends and family, food can always taste exquisite. Especially if it is pretend food.

Favorite New Products

Have you tried my Sexy Smoked Salmon Sandwich? I've been eating it frequently since that post, with modifications. I love mixing wasabi mayonnaise from this little can of wasabi powder, and I use it instead of dijon mustard in many things. Goes great with fish!

Some of my readers don't like mayonnaise. Well, that just sucks for you.

Some recent time ago, I had some alone time to shop at the famous Mall of America. I purchased some much-needed boots. Then I was allowed more time alone at the famous Mall of America. There is a great kitchen store there, where I always find something I didn't know I needed. I got this little vegetable scrubber gadget that hooks onto my finger. The bristles are good and stiff, and it is SO comfortable. Great for potatoes.

One of my readers just LOVES potatoes. This gadget is for YOU.

Also at that store I found honeycomb silicone pot holders that are pliable, and dishwasher safe! I love those things!

It's been a while since I bought the lucky elephant salt & pepper shakers, but I still love them every day. Some of my readers think that goofy salt & pepper shakers are really nerdy. If that's you, well, you didn't have an Aunt Minnie who had a collection of character salt & pepper shakers, that were kept in a glass case. I did. I admired that collection with awe. Unfortunately, it was not passed down in the family.

Don't Mess With Thanksgiving!

Leafing through my food magazines this month I found all sorts of extravagant gourmet ideas for Thanksgiving. At the ripe old age of 43, I have settled down to this one very important and basic understanding of Thanksgiving dinner: we all want to eat the same thing every single year. Here is what we want:

Turkey -- a very large bird, oven-cooked, hopefully with moisture in the meat. Please present the bird whole, because that's how you celebrate thanks to the bird whose life was sacrificed.

Stuffing -- sure, go ahead and try your variations, but we really just want something quite close in taste to Stove Top.

Gravy -- made from the turkey meat juices.

Mashed Potatoes -- sans garlic.

Vegetables -- green bean casserole (the recipe invented by the Campbell's soup company, not your fresh version with homemade bechamel), cauliflower & cheese casserole, and also something whipped & orange (yams and/or squash).

Other great additions are cranberry sauce, jello, and a fresh green salad with vinaigrette. I like lots of pomegranate seeds too. They make a meal totally festive.

I feel very certain in this proclamation this year, because I have learned about tasting research you might find interesting. It turns out that tasting enjoyment is almost completely psychological. In a beautiful setting, especially if surrounded with love, food will be delicious. You will not know that your mashed potatoes came from a box. If you believe the mashed potatoes are homemade, they will taste that way. The distortion of reality is quite fascinating, is it not?

Maybe that could take some of the pressure off of holiday meals. Please, dear readers, relax, make the Thanksgiving basics, have a glass of wine, and enjoy the love that surrounds you.

For more on the psychology of tasting, read Laura Esquivel, author of "Like Water for Chocolate." "Between Two Fires" is one of my favorite books.

The Rant About American Media and Consumerism

I took a non-fiction writing class at The Loft a few years ago. One of the aspects of non-fiction writing was The Rant. I love to rant about the media. Here ensues a rant.

There is a TV in my kitchen. Unfortunately, during most cooking hours there is nothing on TV (we don't have cable). I was watching the local news while cooking dinner this evening. A reporter came on to tell about a study that somehow predicts that Americans are going to shop this year, for Christmas. The newscaster responds with, "That IS good news," and the reporter goes, "Yes, it is." Then he goes on to report on this whatever made-up study, and says, "This is the KEY to the holiday season."

Well, I had to switch off the television and rant out loud to my husband about how much I hate local news, because, really? That's the KEY to our economic woes? Shopping?? And here I thought that Americans were getting a dose of reality with all the foreclosures and excessive debt, and that we are shopping LESS, in order to preserve what we have. What's that blues song? "I don't want anything for Christmas, I just want to keep what I have."

Don't take me the wrong way. I like shopping. I like buying stuff, like any red-blooded American. (Where did that term "red-blooded American" come from anyway?) The thing is, if you read this blog, and any other mlogs (that's mom-blog, in case you didn't know), it's apparent that red-blooded American women are DIY-ing it in every arena of life, including Christmas gifts. I could probably point to half of my readers who would prefer my home-grown, home-pickled green beans to anything I could buy at a store. Am I right? The difference is that those pickled beans are a product of hard work, and they are made with love. I can see it in the recipient's eyes: love.

When the DIY-ers are reported on in the media, it's like, quaint. Like, isn't it quaint how she pickles beans or sews children's clothes or knits hats & mittens? Isn't it so cute & quaint? And oh, the money-saving part of it... well, whatever. It's like they are saying, we all know that overworked moms do this kind of shit to have a creative outlet to make them feel better about themselves. And isn't it cute? Something to admire, to be sure. But obviously a throw-back to "more simpler times," in a romantic way.

What's my point? you want to know. I don't really have one. But if I must sharpen it, I will say that I'm just so mad at our terrible news media. I said to my husband, "What gives them the right to say it's good news that people are going to shop?"

I must tell you that I recently watched "What Would Jesus Buy?" on Netflix. It's a documentary about The Church of Stop Shopping, starring Reverend Billy. I thought it would be a knee-jerk liberal reaction to consumerism, so I had low expectations, but it was heart-warming and funny. Reverend Billy is an actor, but he actually takes his message to the people very seriously. His choir is 100% behind him, and it's a beautiful thing to watch. They stage events where he preaches to the people, "Stop shopping!" And then he gets arrested.

I didn't grow green beans this year. I didn't pickle green beans this year. I don't know what gifts I will be giving to the people I care about. I have made one decision: I am giving up the "green" wrapping, and I am trading it in for shiny expensive paper and luxury ribbons. Because I do know one thing: it's not only the thought that counts, it's the presentation.

I Can Do It, Yes I Can!

I made a pot-luck dish that was completely gone, and I got to take home an empty Pyrex! People, I made a pot-luck dish that got completely eaten. I am telling you the truth. Me. I did that.

How? you say, How? did I, Jocinda, the health nut, make a pot-luck dish that got completely eaten? Well, I will tell you. I googled "potluck dishes" and "casserole recipes." Yeah, dude, the Internet. I used it, and I used it well.

The problem with being a health nut is that most people do not prefer your food. Yes, you. Your food. It's too healthy, too good for you, too "green" (or brown, as the case may be). Food needs fat, salt, and sugar. Fat in the form of dairy (cheese + cream + butter), sugar in any form, and salt in any form, but mostly table salt. Have you ever eaten "Ambrosia Salad?" I rest my case. (BTW if you have never had Ambrosia Salad, then you have a cultural deficit.)

I don't make casseroles because they always have some form of lactose, and my DH is lactose intolerant. Pot-lucks, in general, can be a smorgasbord of lactose-laden foods. "That was super-lactosen," as DH would say. And then we go home with gas.

However, being stumped with how to provide for the pre-school co-op pot-luck last Wednesday, I googled and came up with this recipe. Which was, did I mention? ALL EATEN.

What's it called again? Oh, yeah...


CHEESY RANCH POTATO BAKE

4 lbs potatoes (I used 7 potatoes, because I couldn't stand the idea of only 4 potatoes swimming in the lactose)

1/2 t salt (totally unnecessary)

2 t chilli pepper - that's a lot!

6 T butter - what???!!! No! Don't do that!

8 oz pkg pre-shredded colby-jack cheese

8 oz bottle Ranch dressing


Sounds easy, right? It totally is! Okay, so, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cube the potatoes real small, like, 1/2 inch dice. And I love this direction: "Lightly grease a 9x13inch casserole dish." Lightly! Don't overdo it! Place potatoes, salt, and chilli powder in dish, dot with butter, cover with tin foil, and bake for 1 hour.

By now my mouth is totally watering from the fragrance of these chilli-bake potatoes. I swear to you, it felt like sacrilege adding the lactosen stuff. So next time, I am just going to eat these blessed potatoes by themselves. Anyway, you take out the dish and mix in the remaining ingredients, cook for 10 minutes. Oui La!

Link, you ask?

Bonus for readers: count the hyphens in this post and receive a special prize from me!

Sexy Smoked Salmon Sandwich

This sandwich is so good, I forgot to photograph it before I chowed it down.

Toast English muffins to your preferred crispness.
Layer on preferred amount of sliced smoked salmon (lox).
Spoon dressing on top of salmon.
Add preferred greens (e.g. arugula, watercress, frisee, mesclun).

Dressing:
Mayonnaise, dijon mustard, dried dill.

Let the Sky Rain Potatoes

M.F.K. Fisher is an American icon of food writing. I know very little about her, having just discovered her. She lived from 1908-1992, in California and France. Despite her pedigree, she was a very down-to-earth person when it came to food. She reminds me a little bit of Arianna Huffington. Someone who has the privileges of the rich, yet remains an advocate for the less rich. Rare.

M.F.K. wrote about potatoes more than once. At first, it seemed she despised the tuber, because it was served unceremoniously at every meal of her childhood. Meat & potatoes, meat & potatoes, meat & potatoes. Later, she wrote about its discovery. The glorious discovery of the potato, and then the monarchy that pushed its edibility on the poor, who then starved to death when the potato curated its own disease. And then later, she wrote about the wonder of the potato, describing its fluffiness with a sensuality I will probably never achieve on this blog.

Let me try to tell you about my own experience of potatoes, and then give you a new recipe.

My first intense potato experience was when I had my wisdom teeth out, at about age 13. All I wanted to eat was mashed potatoes, soft enough with cream & butter to be practically put through a straw. That magical food saved my life. I didn't want to die as long as I had mashed potatoes, with black pepper. I think there is somewhere a picture of me in bed recovering, with an almost-smile on my face, only because of mashed potatoes.

Years later, I tried to understand how to cook potatoes. My, my, my... they are hard to cook. Consider the varieties. I read "The Man Who Ate Everything" by Jeffrey Steingarten, who, in journalistic fashion, tried to master potato cooking, and dissected the starch content down to a science. It confused me more.

DH prefers long-cooked oven baked potatoes with thick skins. I prefer fresh red potatoes boiled softly.

My friend, who was a chef at the Modern Cafe for years, told me that he can easily cook gnocchi. "Oh, my!" I said, "Gnocchi is easy?"

"Yes, totally easy," he said. And then he went into all the complications of picking the proper potato. He warned me about farmer's market potatoes (too fresh), and of grocery store potatoes (too old). After a few minutes of this, I was tuning out. Because really, how can you know a proper potato for gnocchi? Please, spare me.


POTATOES WITH ROSEMARY & GARLIC

In a pan, heat olive oil.
Add diced potatoes.
Saute, adding a lot of rosemary and fresh crushed garlic, and of course, salt. Cover the pan and cook, stirring ocassionaly, for however long it takes, because as I've said before, I know y'all know how to cook!

It is an oily dish, but delicious!

I love potatoes, so much. Today at the grocery store I perused all the frozen types of potatoes, and I was totally grossed out. Let's just review a few of the grossest things available for purchase.

sweet potato fries
hash browns
tater tots
potato pancakes

None of these are good food. Even though I am a mom who wants desperately to make food more instant, I cannot, will not, serve this crap to my kid. And neither should you.

Except once in a while.

Noodle!

This morning as I was brushing my teeth, I was reminiscing that before Ariel spoke English, she would mimic noises to perfection, including the electric toothbrush. She has perfect pitch. A very reputable source told me that 95% of Asians have perfect pitch, compared with about 9% of Westerners. Can you say tonal language?

Not much of a segue here, but have I told you that Ariel's first English word was "noodle!"?

I am obsessed with noodles, so when I found out that was her favorite food, I swooned. Oh, yes, we will stay home all day eating noodles! My life will be perfect. And we, did in fact, stay home a lot, eating all day. It wasn't as romantic as I pictured it. My fantasy neglected to include cleaning the kitchen.

Her love for noodles has since been replaced by a variety of foodstuffs. But my obsession remains. The newest book I bought is Takashi's Noodles, a complex compilation of recipes, many of which seem to resemble fusion cooking, though poring through it again and again, I have yet to figure out Takashi's genius. It's like there's a ghost in the book that is trying to talk to me, but I'm not getting the signals. For example, "Corned Beef with Rice Noodles." ???

One problem is the ingredients. In the Japanese recipes, exotic fresh mushrooms and particular seaweeds are required. Also, things like Japanese mountain yam, and quail eggs. Even though I can get them, I don't know how to really use them, and they taste funny to my Western palate (and just forget about trying to sell this stuff to my family). I want to say it's earthy, but really it tastes quite like dirt and seaweed. I like a seaweed broth, but seaweed... well, let's just say, it's really good for you!

I bought the book on the recommendation of one of my favorite bloggers, and I really want to master yaki udon. Takashi's recipe has 18 ingredients, including finely sliced lotus root. A lot of ingredients I can get in a can, but compared to fresh, canned vegetables have a profound effect on the flavor of finely crafted Japanese food.

That, my friends, is why we go to restaurants. Let's all take a moment to be thankful for all the chefs who feed us better food than we can cook at home.

[insert moment]

Nevertheless, I have found several new ways to use ramen noodles, and I will tell you a secret. I have tasted many imported brands of ramen noodles, and Top Ramen kicks it for only 33 cents, or 10/$1 on sale. They are the best. But you don't have to use the MSG sugar packet for flavor. For a more fresh tasting instant (practically) meal, try minced garlic, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, miso, sugar, and a few fresh green veggies like peas, cabbage, or bok choy.

My current favorite curry is on page 99 of Takashi's Noodles. I use half the amount of chicken stock, and twice the coconut milk, because I only use the cream off the top of the can, and discard the water (don't shake the can before opening). Bamboo shoots come in a can, and are a great addition to any curry. Curry, I think, is pretty darn good wherever you get it, homemade or otherwise. It's even good from a package. I like cooking, so I make my own, and these days, DH likes making it too.

Soba noodles are featured prominently in the book, and I love them. They are delicious just with soy sauce and pickled ginger. Peanut sauce works well too, but instead of pouring sauce on these buckwheat noodles, which tend to get gloppy (you know how I hate gloppy Asian food!), use chopsticks to dip noodles into a small bowl of thin peanut sauce.

Lastly, I will leave you with something to ponder:

"Soba Gnocchi with Scallops and Celery Root Foam." (page 49)

Root Veg

Adapted from page 435 of "The Joy of Cooking": Winter Root Vegetable Braise.

This differs considerably from the Joy recipe, mainly because my cooking method was in the oven instead of on the stove. As always, do it your way! I will let you know the essentials to making a dish taste good. Also, I don't follow measurements very carefully, because who knows how much is a pound of turnips? So again, do it your way. Because I know y'all know how to cook.

INGREDIENTS

root vegetables (I used parsnips, potatoes, japanese yams, and onions)
garlic
butter, olive oil
herbs
white wine
chicken stock
flour
cream
dijon mustard
chopped parsley
s&p

PROCEDURE

Preheat oven to 375F. Cut vegetables as you wish. I cut large pieces. Place in a baking dish. Add 2-4 T butter, and some olive oil. Include about 4 whole cloves of garlic (no need to peel! I love that!)

Shove some herbs in there. I used fresh tarragon, dried thyme, and a bay leaf. Oh, and some dried dill.

Bake until sort of bubbling/sizzling but not burning, about 10-15 minutes.

Stir. Add 1/4 c wine. Stir. Cook until alcohol cooks off. Stir in 1 T flour.

Add 2 - 2 1/2 c. chicken stock. Stir. Bake about 20-35 minutes. Cooking time totally depends on your baking dish, oven, amount of veg, etc. You know this. You want the veg to be tender. This is great if it turns out like a meatless stew.

When looking good (I mean the dish, not you. Of course, you may be looking real good by now if you are drinking the wine. Whatever!), reduce heat to 310F. Combine 3 T cream + 1 T dijon mustard with chopped parsley. Add to pot. Stir. Cook about 5 minutes. Taste & add salt & pepper to taste.

It's done!

Truly, you could make this dish countless different ways. Honestly, it's the flour thickener and the cream/mustard/parsley that really make it. If you skip that, you are making something different.

Bon appetit!

P.S. Still taking contestants on the turnip butt pun contest.

A Post on Seasonal Disorders

I had lost my way. I stopped posting on facebook, quit checking email, and even told the preschool co-op that I really do NOT want to be part of a yahoo group. I lost touch with the world on the Internet, only occasionally posting on this blog, and doing it reluctantly. I confess, I am Old School. I prefer to call people on the phone, and I prefer that they call me (on my land-line, please). I'm sorry; I just got so bored with all the trivialities. I got a new iPod so that I could listen to podcasts in the kitchen, and hell if I can figure the damn thing out. I start to relate to "old people" who think computers are just too hard. I'm a slow-paced gal. I read books. I rest. If I'm up in the middle of the night, I worry. I don't get on my computer and do stuff. I don't sew cute clothes until I drop from fatigue.

Then autumn hit. Suddenly. And I, suddenly, went into Winter mode. Laying in bed, doing nothing. I was in shock. My personal problems seemed about a hundred times amplified. Scared, tired, scared. Winter is coming.

If you live here in Minnesota, you know that the coming of winter is very, very scary. We don't go around exhibiting these fears out loud, like, "I am so frightened! Do you know what's coming?! Shut all the doors and batten the hatches! Aghhhh...!!!!!" But deep down inside, that's what we are feeling. We communicate about it by saying, "Boy, it's gettin' cold out," or "Yeah, fall's on it's way," or "Soon, we'll be raking all these damn leaves." And as you know, I am very in touch with myself, and so I, like, FREAK OUT when something disturbs me. And then I get over it.

I'm over it now (hey, only 2 weeks)! Also, I get to go to North Carolina to see my new niece this weekend, and it's hot there. Yay! I watched NewScandCook and learned about fall root vegetables. I bought this crazy-ass turnip at the farmer's market. (Note the pun. If you mention the pun in a comment, I will send you an original artwork made only by me. I promise.)

I have been thinking a lot about you, and how to help you with dinner. My experimentation lately has been rather unsuccessful, and yet, fun! You will be the first to know when I have a recipe that will actually help you in your day-to-day life. I promise.

Actual Recipes

Oh, you wanted some recipes?

CHICKEN IN A CROCKPOT

Sear chicken parts until brown on both sides. Saute onions. And some garlic.
Put in crockpot. Add water (or broth).
Spices: turmeric & paprika, and green olives.

Yum yum yum 6-8 hours later!


CAMPFIRE BURRITOS

Make burritos. Wrap in foil. Place on camp stove or fire or grill or whatever heat source.

Serve. Careful, they're HOT!


FRESH CORN, GRILLED

Buy fresh corn. DO NOT OPEN THE CORN UNTIL READY TO COOK.
Heat grill (or whatever heat source, etc.). Remove excess husk that might burn; cut off tips of corn (where the silk is & worms might be).
Grill about 30-44 minutes, remembering to turn the corn for even cooking.
Find yourself a really good way to butter the corn on the cob. If you look it up on the Internet you will find many patents for corn butter applications. I prefer the device featured above.

Cutting Fruit is About All I Can Muster Up

Folks, I have been really struggling with keeping my interest in cooking. It feels very tedious a lot of the time. And when I do get inspired to make a new dish, well, it doesn't seem to turn out right. I am not zenning it.

(Note: "zenning it" is to be in zen. Zenning it is absolutely essential for, say, grilling a steak. Zenning it really makes food turn out well. And if you don't have it, well, you don't have it.)

It's just been so hot. I don't really want to sweat while working in the kitchen, or to faint and hit my head on the granite island. Ouch! So, I have been rather lame and neglectful of this very important part of my life and my identity. Oh, well!

I am, however, making a better effort at taking pictures. Today I display for you some recent results. Also see my friend Jeanette's picture of cute bento rice balls, which she made for her child's entire classroom. Wha?!

So Many Tomatoes!

It's that time of year! Hip hip hooray! Too many tomatoes to pick, too many to eat, too many to can or freeze. Home grown tomatoes have become god's jewels to all foodies, and to non-foodies as well. Heirloom tomatoes have gained in popularity at a rate I can't even fathom. They are amazing in variety, and somehow seem to be fairly disease-resistant. My neighbors grow some that are so incredibly beautiful with yellow, peach, and pink streaks, they should take the place of a flower bouquet centerpiece on your table or kitchen island.

I am a huge fan of Green Zebras, which freeze very, very well, and make a fantastic pasta sauce in winter. This is an essential part of living well. I put in 3 plants that I bought from the farmer's market in spring, and one of the plants is producing something different. Its fruit is almost purple, bigger, and less globular than a green zebra. Maybe a Cherokee Purple?

Oh, how delightful, the surprises that come up from the ground.

For those of you who need another use for your tomato bounty, I offer this recipe. It is an old-fashioned recipe, and I'm not really sure where I got it. It is delicious on English muffins.


TOMATO JAM

Ingredients:

1 lb. tomatoes, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
3/4 c. sugar
juice of one lemon
2 t. grated ginger root
1/2 t. cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a 2-3 qt. saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the consistency reaches a thin jam. Let cool. Refrigerate in a tightly sealed container.

Here's a tip: fresh homegrown tomatoes can be watery. You might drain the chopped tomatoes before cooking.

Something Funny

Here's something funny: I composted a beet that had dehydrated in my fridge, and it grew again! I think I will continue this practice with all dehydrated beets.

Weird Pizza Hut Invention vs. Tree Bark for Food

This new form of pizza is being advertised on TV, and it is really freaking me out. I post these pictures so that you, too, can freak out.

I really don't know what to say about such an invention made from pizza-type food. Except that, yes, we do have an obesity epidemic.

And yes, people will dip those weird little cheese-filled things into Ranch dressing.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, have you read "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck? Well, I recently read "Pearl of China" by Anchee Min, and so I became very interested in Pearl Buck's life. She was an American (white/German) daughter of missionaries who worked in China. She grew up there, and therefore considered herself Chinese. When she was an adult, political events forced her to leave China, and spend the rest of her life in the U.S. She won the Nobel Peace Prize and a Pulitzer for "The Good Earth," which was also made into a movie.

I'm on page 96 of "The Good Earth," and boy, is it depressing! It is just like reading "The Grapes of Wrath," a book forced on teenage Americans in high school. I understand why this is a great work of literature, but oh, boy! Only one-third through the book, the family is starving and eating grass and tree bark, and taking a walking trip to lands south where there might be more food. I don't think this is a summer read.

I am not a religious person, but I am thankful every day of my life for the luck I have in food. We are growing totally delicious and healthy vegetables, I know how to cook them, and we are never, ever bored of the available bounty. I am totally aware that it may not last for my whole life, or for my daughter's whole life. So each day, I am thankful for my food.

Tandoori Chicken, and Swimming

I had tandoori chicken for the first time about 10 years ago. My friend, Debra, who is a really, really, great cook, served it at her home. Now that I think about it, my best friends are really great cooks. They can make something spectacular from scratch in no time at all. I continue to be amazed by my friends, who are just regular weirdos, by the way they cook truly delicious meals inspired by recipes from all over the world. How blessed I am to know such people.

Indian cooking requires many ingredients, though the cooking is actually very simple. You just have to have the spices on hand. You can make an out-of-this-world cauliflower dish, very simply, if you just have the spices on hand. If you read an Indian recipe, you may be put off by the list of ingredients; once you get that under control, you can cook anything quickly, and simply, without much prep.

For some reason, tandoori marinade has always scared me. It seems so exotic and complicated. Ten years ago, Debra told me it was easy. And yet....
But the real truth is that the DH is lactose-intolerant, and therefore I avoid cooking with dairy. Yogurt is the main ingredient in tandoori marinade.

The chicken is marinating right now, and I just hope I can cook it properly on the grill. Friday is always a very good day. My daughter has a new saying this week; each morning she says to me, "Mommy, I am so happy today!" She has such joie de vivre, and has brought so much joy to our home. And why wouldn't she be happy? She has a great life. Check out the video of her swimming this morning.

For the Love of Oceans

As you may know, I am very concerned about vanishing fish. It still seems like few people know that all of the fish in the world are disappearing at a disturbingly rapid rate. Many people do know about this, and yet choose to do nothing to sustain seafood populations. If you, too, are concerned and want some advice on choosing what fish you eat, Chef Reinvented has written recently on this topic.

And BTW, good luck with that!

Muggy, Not Sultry

Did you know that "muggy" is an Old Norse word "mugga," meaning "mist or drizzle"? I bet you didn't!

Today is a muggy day in Minnesota, and I got to wondering where that word came from. I really prefer a sultry day to a muggy one, but this is what we got.

I haven't posted in a a while because it has been so hot this summer, and the kitchen is really not where I want to spend my time. But we gotta eat! This is how I have been compensating for my lack of culinary magic:

1. Getting more take out.
2. Telling my family to fend for themselves.
3. Getting my calories from liquids.

However, because of this hot, rainy summer, the garden is going crazy, and so I am forced to harvest vegetables much earlier than I am ready. For example, our beets are big enough to pluck from the ground, but who wants to cook beets when it's hot? It takes like an hour to cook them!

Anybody out there who knows how to store root vegetables, please advise. I picked about 10 of them, rinsed them and cut off the leaves, leaving an inch of stem. I stored them in the basement, in a wire basket. A few days later, I did the same thing, and discovered the previous batch was starting to degrade already. So I decided to cook them all today, on the grill. I have no choice but to eat beets every day, and to pickle the rest.


CZECH BEET SALAD
Recipe from my mom & dad's next-door neighbors

Cooked beets, peeled and shredded
fresh dill weed, chopped
sour cream
lime juice

Mix all ingredients together. Serve cold.


ITALIAN BEET & CUCUMBER SALAD
Recipe from Georgio's on Hennepin, our favorite restaurant ever, now closed

Cooked beets, peeled and sliced
sliced cucumbers
blue cheese, or gorgonzola

Layer ingredients on a plate. Drizzle your favorite vinaigrette (but it must include mustard) over the top. Serve at room temperature.


Yes, I used the kiddie pool to wash my veg.

You Can't Buy This

My favorite dish this week is blueberries & cream for breakfast. We went to our friends' "farm" on Saturday to pick fresh blueberries.

Celebrate American Eats!

Have you read "French Women Don't Get Fat"? Neither have I. Browsing the display books at the library recently, I came across Mireille Guiliano's follow-up book, "French Women For All Seasons," and I took it home.

I remember when "French Women Don't Get Fat" was published. It caused a stir because it was basically a treatise on how much more superior French women are to Americans, because they are far more cultured and intelligent than us, and therefore don't get fat. Her big contribution to the American diet was "Magical Leek Soup," which is really a broth made from leeks and water. Apparently, French women drink this exclusively for 3 days every quarter, and it keeps them slender. I guess it's their version of the lemon juice diet, or something. And you know how I feel about fasting.

"French Women For All Seasons" begins with an introduction titled "Something I Forgot to Mention," in which Guiliano defends her previous book, sort of apologizing for claiming total superiority above American women (the fat ones or all of us? I never figure that out), and then she outlines how even though that seemed to offend some people, and it was sort of rude, it's really okay because it's true!

It's just so French.

It reminds me of an episode of "Oprah" a few years back, when fabulous women from all over the world revealed their secrets of being fabulous. There was a gorgeous, curvy Mexican woman in a low-cut red dress and high heels, claiming that Mexican women don't get fat, and they never exercise!

I actually kind-of enjoyed the book, as something to skim while sitting on the beach. It's really all about style, and how to be carefully care-free in every season, always looking and feeling fabulous (she should spend a winter in Minnesota). There are some touching anecdotes about the women in her family who taught her all about entertaining, and the importance of making your guests feel special. It's the little things that count. Unfortunately I didn't really find the recipes very inspiring. My family is just not going to accept "Brown Rice with Peas" as a meal (or even a side dish for that matter).

Despite all of her negativity towards American eaters, she does concede one thing: we can barbecue better than the French. And she admits that there is some beauty in being able to simply grill some burgers, use ketchup as a condiment, and eat off paper plates. And that's exactly what we did for 4th of July. The kids had hot dogs, and the hors d'oeuvres were potato chips & ranch dip. (Okay, it was a little more special that that.)

Baby Beets

Lately I am feeling like an inadequate food blogger. I am just not a good food photographer. I know that the number 1 reason for success as a food blogger is in the pictures. For example, check out these photos. Ridiculous! I am going to have to work on this little problem.

Anyway, let me tell you about my baby beets. They are so delicious and tender! And they cook very quickly in a saute pan. Butter. Yummy with baby cucumbers, fresh dill, and sour cream. I just love thinning out the beet rows!

Also noted this week: Ariel had her first ice cream sandwich, my favorite childhood treat.

Worries & Fish Cakes

As most of you know, my daughter, Ariel, is the most awesomest person on the planet. I am so proud of her all the time. She is beautiful, joyful, friendly, caring, and intelligent. Most of all, she is beautiful. That is because she is so joyful, caring, and intelligent.

After spending time with her for a year and three months, I had to send her into the outside world, to preschool. You know, to broaden her horizons and such. I know she needs it; she needs more than me. But it has been painful and worrisome to me. How will other people react to her? How will she react to others? Will she be excluded? Will there be racism? etc. etc.

Raising a child brings out the best in me. It is also a mirror to my fears and my self-esteem. When her teacher told me some things about her that I had not seen as problems, they seemed like problems, and I took it personally. I worried all day about whether or not my daughter was going to be okay at preschool. So I did something even more worrisome: I made fish cakes!

I have eaten great fish cakes, and awful fish cakes. I have watched them made on TV, and read recipes on how to make them. Once, I was at a company Christmas party where we made fish cakes as an activity. I have to tell you, it has never, ever looked easy.

But WTH! I tried it last night. And they were damn good.

More with tilapia from CostCo!!!

FISH CAKES

Use frozen fish; thaw it half-way. I used tilapia and shrimp.

Process in a food processor, on pulse: 1/2 of the fish & bread crumbs. Keep it chunky.

Process the rest of the very cold (partially frozen) fish, plus one egg.

Process with more bread crumbs.

Mmmm... this paste looks good. Handle with care. Make cakes, and pat with Saltine cracker crumbs. Fry in oil.

Oh, it's amazing, and it has no mayonnaise. BTW, I used my strawberry-dill sauce for dipping.

Side Dish: SAUTEED FRESH CHARD

Fish On!

In celebration of Father's Day, my mom and I arranged for my husband and my dad to take the boat out on Lake Johanna. You see, the first boat trip of the season is an event full of frustration and foul language, and I didn't want to go this year. So, it worked out great! DH caught a fish on his first cast: a very nice bass. He brought it home for dinner. It tasted like fresh spring water, which is not always the case, but we've had so much rain this year that the fish tasted very clean. DH pan-fried it covered in Saltine cracker crumbs. I made the side dish.

This is a classic recipe my mom used to make when we were kids. I have always loved it. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to cook, but it is worth it.

FISHERMAN'S POTATOES
Serves 3-4 people

3-4 potatoes (I like gold or yellow potatoes)
1 large onion (I like Vidallia sweets)
1 stalk celery, sliced or diced
2-4 T vegetable oil
herbs (I used rosemary, oregano, and tarragon; you can use whatever you like!)
salt & pepper

Cut onion into dice. Saute in oil in a cast iron pan. Add celery. Saute until transparent and soft.
Wash and peel, if necessary, potatoes. Cut into chunks. Add to pan and use additional oil if necessary.
Add salt to bring the water out of the vegetables.
When the pan is almost dry (but not burning; this takes about 5 minutes) add water to cover, just barely. You can always keep adding water. The more water you have to continue adding, the more the potatoes will break up and become mushy and sloppy. I recommend putting in just enough water the first time.
Add delicious herbs; I prefer dried herbs for this dish.
This dish requires a lot of stirring, that's why the potatoes break down.
When the potatoes are cooked and the consistency looks good to you, remove from heat and serve.

Speechless

Quickie redirect for you:

I don't read Spanish, but my friend Carmen alerted me to this link.

I am sort-of speechless when I look at that blog. Be sure to click on 12 Meses 12 Platos.

Spring Harvest

The cucumbers are never ready when the dill is, but the strawberries are! For a couple of spring harvests I have been wondering if a strawberry-dill sauce would be good. Guess what? It is!

STRAWBERRY DILL SAUCE
Use for fish, I think. I don't know yet; I just made it.

Blend strawberries, dill, lemon juice, and sugar in a blender. Taste.
Add garlic chives to taste.

Really good chefs (for fancy restaurants) have "laboratories" in which they experiment with ingredients. They put all sorts of items on the counters, rub them between the fingers, smell and taste them, and then try to make new and interesting combinations, that, of course, must also taste good. If I had any time to mess around this way, I would be messing around with:

strawberries
sage
winter savory
summer savory
chives
nasturtium
radishes
beet greens
dandelion greens
parsley
tarragon

Life is good.

Sometimes a Sandwich is Just a Sandwich

My daughter is getting kind of sloppy with her food. She makes messes of her meals now. On purpose. I'm all in favor of creativity and everything, but sometimes a sandwich is just a sandwich. Up till now she has been a very, very neat eater. She is careful, wipes her hands and mouth, and rarely spills crumbs. If she came close to making the slightest mistake (such as missing her mouth with the spoon) her dad would have a spike in his blood pressure. We used to argue a little bit about it, because I didn't want her to feel afraid to make mistakes. Ever. Ever in life. And often I would smile that knowing little smile to myself because I clean the table, and his spot is often messier than hers.

So I've been pretty loose about food rules. But there is a time and a place to play with your food, and it's not all the time. And it's starting to bug me. Take the sandwich example. As requested by my beloved daughter, I made her a sandwich. I love sandwiches. They are like architecture sometimes. And every bite can be different. I love that. Anyway, she promptly took the sandwich apart, tore the bread into pieces, and arranged the other ingredients on her plate as she saw fit. And I could just tell she was going to sit there and move it all around for about 6 minutes, and then say, "I'm done!"

Well, I just couldn't have this. I built that sandwich with my own two hands! I think the thing that makes me the most angry in this household is when I lovingly and sometimes laboriously prepare food for the other people who live here, and then they don't appreciate it. It makes me burn. I think there is a chapter in the "How to Make Your Wife Really Pissed Off" manual for men that addresses this tactic head on. "After your wife makes your favorite meal (but more healthy, because she cares about you so much), serves it at the time when you are ready for it, and then sits down with you to listen to your mind-numbing work stories, then you should go grab the barbecue flavored chips, because that is just what this meal needs." And that, my fellow man, is how you piss off your wife.

I'm not naming names, I'm just saying, that happened to someone I know.

Food issues, food issues. There are countless things going on in my head when I attempt to write about food. Food is symbolic of so many cultural and psychological things. It has an immense amount of meaning, every thing that you put in your mouth. Think about it. But you just came her to see pictures of Ariel & the cake.

As long as your still here, slogging through my "brain traffic," as MamaLucy's blog is titled, I will continue with my literary tidings.

I spend much of my brain power thinking about what, when, and where to feed my child. She is hungry almost all of the time. This is a good thing. Food makes her grow, and it's my job to provide. These are the things modern moms think about: hormones, pesticides, herbicides, bacteria, factory farming, price, high fructose corn syrup, whole grains, how to get to the store, frequency & quality of bowel movements, water intake, hand washing, and how to get them to eat vegetables. To name a few.

Yesterday Ariel and I had a wonderfully blissful morning, the kind of morning mothers dream about before we are mothers. I was elated, and so when she asked for cake at 10:00 AM, I said, "Sure! Why not?"

This morning at 10:00 AM she asked for ice cream.

ME: "No, we can't have ice cream for breakfast."

ARIEL: "Why not?"

ME: ?????... I read somewhere that people in China sometimes have ice cream for breakfast. Why not? "Um... because we have to eat other healthy food first. I'll tell you what: if you eat some broccoli for breakfast, then you can have ice cream." Of course she will forget all about this ridiculous promise.

A half hour later, Ariel is asking for broccoli. She eats broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, and red bell peppers. Plain and just par-boiled. I am astounded, having forgotten about my earlier promise.

ARIEL: "I want ice cream."