It is cold here in Chicago. Nasty cold. The windy kind of cold that wouldn't really be so cold if it weren't for the damned wind! Every year about this time I am reminded that while I own elebenty million coats/jackets (seems like it anyway), I do not own the right kind of jacket for this kind of weather. A windbreaker with fleece lining. Maybe a little bit of batting in there for extra warmth. I have wind breakers. I have fleece jackets. But one does not fit so easily under the other. So, maybe this year I'll finally get that holy grail of jackets.
In the plan for today is SOUP! (What else would you have expected from me?) But I'm switching up the recipe. I'm making a butternut squash soup, just not exactly according to the book. I figure I'll roast the squash, then simmer it in broth with onion and seasonings. Once the squash is really tender, I'll add some cream and puree the stuff. If it works, I'll be sure to tell you what exactly I did (if I can). If it doesn't, I'll.... I'll... figure something out.
Mama Bird and Co. are in New Mexico again. I'm only slightly jealous this time. They've been on the land, they've been to a party (Mama Birds birthday was Sunday), they had to get pulled out of a ditch. Dirt/gravel roads don't really have a shoulder, just ditches. Luckily, no one was injured, not even the car. They're there for a few more days, enjoying the quiet and the views. I used to think that the desert (in this case the high desert) would be an ugly place. Dry, barren, with nothing to see. It is dry, but that's the only thing I got right, and even that was only half right. There is a small river near where we stay, and a reservoir big enough to go boating on. There are colors in the mountains that you might not expect, pinks, yellows, and deep reds. When the sun hits them at sunset, they're amazing. (I'm told that they are equally amazing at sunrise, but I can't confirm that. I don't get up that early unless forced to. And then I'm so bleary eyed and cranky, the landscape is the last thing I'm paying attention to.)
I recently figured out that the tomato tart might not be the best idea to cook for Whirly Bird and her boyfriend while I'm in St. Louis, so I need some suggestions. Got any?
Little Bird is on a quest
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy
My bestest friend ever (the one I've known for 17 years now, and known from now on as Whirly Bird) came in to town early Tuesday morning. WAY early. 4 a.m. early. She and her boyfriend slept on the inflatables out in the living room while I went back to bed and got some more sleep. Later that day I had to run an errand so they went to the Museum of Science and Industry, to see the U-505. It rained. Of course it rained. In spite of the rain a good time was had by all and we spent much time after errands and nazi u-boats sitting around talking.
Whirly Bird gets her name from the fact that she teaches pole dancing classes (therefor she "whirls" around the pole). Also she and I are actually veeeerrrrrryy distantly related. She is the most fun, thoughtful, and caring person I think I know. She knows more about me than anyone on the planet. Thankfully, she did not share all that knowledge with my movie friend (who we will now refer to as Rooster). At least not the embarrassing stuff.
Wednesday morning we got up and went out into the city. We stopped at La Perla (just to browse) and decided that, at best, we could afford maybe half a bra. A bra and panty set there costs more than some mortgages! And no, I am not exaggerating! From there it was through Millennium Park and up the lake path to Navy Pier. After lunch we walked around the outside of Navy Pier, the weather cooperated and it was lovely. Now, when we were walking on the north side of the pier, Whirly Bird's boyfriend and I were talking and she was pretty quiet... until.... WB's boyfriend saw the splash of a large fish and commented on it. I , of course, missed it entirely. All of the sudden, we hear this quiet little voice say "Here, fishy, fishy, fishy, fishy!" There was a moment of silence while we processed what we had just heard. We laughed so hard we nearly fell in the water! Whirly Bird is like that, you never really know what she might say. Or do. And that is one of the many reasons I love hanging out with her!
That night we all went out for mexican food and that was when she and her boyfriend met Rooster. Rooster and Whirly Bird's boyfriend got along great which is good because Whirly Bird is hosting myself and Rooster over Halloween later this month, back in St. Louis. I can't wait!
--Little Bird plays hostess
Whirly Bird gets her name from the fact that she teaches pole dancing classes (therefor she "whirls" around the pole). Also she and I are actually veeeerrrrrryy distantly related. She is the most fun, thoughtful, and caring person I think I know. She knows more about me than anyone on the planet. Thankfully, she did not share all that knowledge with my movie friend (who we will now refer to as Rooster). At least not the embarrassing stuff.
Wednesday morning we got up and went out into the city. We stopped at La Perla (just to browse) and decided that, at best, we could afford maybe half a bra. A bra and panty set there costs more than some mortgages! And no, I am not exaggerating! From there it was through Millennium Park and up the lake path to Navy Pier. After lunch we walked around the outside of Navy Pier, the weather cooperated and it was lovely. Now, when we were walking on the north side of the pier, Whirly Bird's boyfriend and I were talking and she was pretty quiet... until.... WB's boyfriend saw the splash of a large fish and commented on it. I , of course, missed it entirely. All of the sudden, we hear this quiet little voice say "Here, fishy, fishy, fishy, fishy!" There was a moment of silence while we processed what we had just heard. We laughed so hard we nearly fell in the water! Whirly Bird is like that, you never really know what she might say. Or do. And that is one of the many reasons I love hanging out with her!
That night we all went out for mexican food and that was when she and her boyfriend met Rooster. Rooster and Whirly Bird's boyfriend got along great which is good because Whirly Bird is hosting myself and Rooster over Halloween later this month, back in St. Louis. I can't wait!
--Little Bird plays hostess
Monday, October 5, 2009
A Misunderestimation
Bread takes a lot longer to make than you might think. A LOT longer. Hours longer! And apparently you have to pray. At least according to the recipe Mama Bird and I used. Mama Bird decided yesterday was the day to bake bread and found a recipe to use. We got the ingredients along with a few other items we needed for the rest of the meal and a next few days. And eggs. When we got home she read the recipe to me, and we decided to sit and rest a bit before starting the cooking process. After all the soup we were going to make wouldn't really take all that much time and the bread, well the bread should be a snap! (Oh how I wish there were a font for sarcasm!)
The first thing about this bread recipe I noticed was the fact that it tells you to pray during the kneading process. The second thing I noticed (when I finally read it myself) was that there is no ingredient list. I know that I don't always include one, but this recipe appeared to NOT come from someone's personal blog (there is too a difference!). Then sometime later as we were actually making the bread we noticed that this was a really lengthy project. Mix, set aside, knead, set aside, punch, set aside, divide, set aside, put in pans, set aside, bake, set aside. Every time we "set aside" it was a 20 minute to 1 hour wait, with two minor exceptions. It took us FOUR freaking hours to bake two loaves of bread! I mean it was good bread, and we learned that my metal mixing bowl could be used as an impromptu loaf pan, but really? Four hours? Maybe we should have prayed.
The soup was creamy potato & leek. And that also was a learning experience. For instance, you need to not let it cook for, say, four hours. And if you do, you will need a lot of milk to help thin it out once all those potatoes release all that starch into the broth. Seriously? The mixing spoon stood straight up in the middle of this stuff. It was more like slightly runny mashed potatoes than soup. Hence the milk. Again it tasted great, but clearly we need to try again another time. I don't think there'll be any complaints about that! Once again, I think it needs bacon! Maybe as a crumble topper.
My best friend from back home is coming up for a visit tomorrow, waaaaaaay early in the a.m. I'm looking forward to seeing her again, and then again at Halloween when I go visit her!
This year's costume is in the bag (no literally, it's all packaged up and ready to go)! I'm going to dress up as Julia Child (I can't remember if I mentioned that or not). And If I can ever figure out the posting pictures thing I will post some from that trip. I will be joined on this trip by a friend, and am very much looking forward to that too!
-Little Bird was not compelled by the power of prayer
The first thing about this bread recipe I noticed was the fact that it tells you to pray during the kneading process. The second thing I noticed (when I finally read it myself) was that there is no ingredient list. I know that I don't always include one, but this recipe appeared to NOT come from someone's personal blog (there is too a difference!). Then sometime later as we were actually making the bread we noticed that this was a really lengthy project. Mix, set aside, knead, set aside, punch, set aside, divide, set aside, put in pans, set aside, bake, set aside. Every time we "set aside" it was a 20 minute to 1 hour wait, with two minor exceptions. It took us FOUR freaking hours to bake two loaves of bread! I mean it was good bread, and we learned that my metal mixing bowl could be used as an impromptu loaf pan, but really? Four hours? Maybe we should have prayed.
The soup was creamy potato & leek. And that also was a learning experience. For instance, you need to not let it cook for, say, four hours. And if you do, you will need a lot of milk to help thin it out once all those potatoes release all that starch into the broth. Seriously? The mixing spoon stood straight up in the middle of this stuff. It was more like slightly runny mashed potatoes than soup. Hence the milk. Again it tasted great, but clearly we need to try again another time. I don't think there'll be any complaints about that! Once again, I think it needs bacon! Maybe as a crumble topper.
My best friend from back home is coming up for a visit tomorrow, waaaaaaay early in the a.m. I'm looking forward to seeing her again, and then again at Halloween when I go visit her!
This year's costume is in the bag (no literally, it's all packaged up and ready to go)! I'm going to dress up as Julia Child (I can't remember if I mentioned that or not). And If I can ever figure out the posting pictures thing I will post some from that trip. I will be joined on this trip by a friend, and am very much looking forward to that too!
-Little Bird was not compelled by the power of prayer
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
As Per Request
Apparently, the word "soup" means different things to different people. To me, "soup" means pretty much anything that must be eaten with a spoon (cereal and ice cream being obvious exceptions). Stew is essentially a soup as far as I am concerned, so is bisque. My step-father, on the other hand, equates the word "soup" with "broth", which is another thing altogether. "Broth" is the stuff that when you add stuff to it, becomes soup. At least, that's how it works in my mind. So when I offered him some of the roasted eggplant parmesan soup I made yesterday, he was expecting something a little less.... hearty.
Have you ever had eggplant parmesan? This was like that but more liquidy. It definitely needs to be eaten with a spoon, but this stuff is a meal unto itself. You could have it with bread, and I would recommend that, but you don't need the bread to fill out the meal like you might with a "thinner" soup. My step-father was surprised that it was so filing and informed me that he very much enjoyed it. He had two helpings, so I think it was a success.
I used the recipe from "The Daily Soup Cookbook" and only tweaked it a little. And most of the soups look fantastic in that book, if you like soup, and can find the book, get it. It's well written and has interjections of humo(u)r throughout.
Roasted Eggplant Parmesan Soup
3 medium eggplants, halved
3 large tomatoes
2 Tbs butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
3 celery stalks chopped
2 Tbs thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
2 Tbs kosher or coarse sea salt
1/4 ts cayenne
4 to 6 cups vegetable broth or stock
1 (28oz) can whole tomatoes, drained and diced
1 (3-inch) hunk of parmesan rind
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut one of the eggplants into 1 inch cubes, spread the cubed eggplant, and the other two eggplants (halved) AND the tomatoes on a baking sheet coated with non-stick spray. Brush the veggies with olive oil for good measure. ( The book didn't say anything about peeling the eggplants or the tomatoes so, I didn't) Roast in the oven for about thirty minutes.
Remove from oven and when you can touch them without burning yourself, core the eggplant halves and puree the centers, then cut the remaining shells into cubes (1 inch).
Melt the butter in a large stockpot (think 6 qts plus) over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, shallot and one of the garlic cloves and sweat until just translucent.
Add the thyme, bay leaves, salt, and cayenne and stir well, you want to coat the vegetables.
Add the eggplant cubes, and puree, and the tomatoes both roasted and canned, and the parmesan rind, AND the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and add both the basil and the parmesan.
Remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind before serving.
The above was adapted from the one in the book. I added my tweaks, since that was how I made it.
Today's endeavor? The poblano corn chowder. With minor tweaks (I can't find all the ingredients).
It's a good thing soup freezes well. I think I need to set up a sort of soup-schedule. Make a few different soups one week, freeze it in small(ish) batches and use when needed. It really only is good for a month, so two or three different soups ought to do it.
I think next week I'll try the Cheddar cheese with potatoes and bacon!
--Little bird aims to please
Have you ever had eggplant parmesan? This was like that but more liquidy. It definitely needs to be eaten with a spoon, but this stuff is a meal unto itself. You could have it with bread, and I would recommend that, but you don't need the bread to fill out the meal like you might with a "thinner" soup. My step-father was surprised that it was so filing and informed me that he very much enjoyed it. He had two helpings, so I think it was a success.
I used the recipe from "The Daily Soup Cookbook" and only tweaked it a little. And most of the soups look fantastic in that book, if you like soup, and can find the book, get it. It's well written and has interjections of humo(u)r throughout.
Roasted Eggplant Parmesan Soup
3 medium eggplants, halved
3 large tomatoes
2 Tbs butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
3 celery stalks chopped
2 Tbs thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
2 Tbs kosher or coarse sea salt
1/4 ts cayenne
4 to 6 cups vegetable broth or stock
1 (28oz) can whole tomatoes, drained and diced
1 (3-inch) hunk of parmesan rind
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut one of the eggplants into 1 inch cubes, spread the cubed eggplant, and the other two eggplants (halved) AND the tomatoes on a baking sheet coated with non-stick spray. Brush the veggies with olive oil for good measure. ( The book didn't say anything about peeling the eggplants or the tomatoes so, I didn't) Roast in the oven for about thirty minutes.
Remove from oven and when you can touch them without burning yourself, core the eggplant halves and puree the centers, then cut the remaining shells into cubes (1 inch).
Melt the butter in a large stockpot (think 6 qts plus) over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, shallot and one of the garlic cloves and sweat until just translucent.
Add the thyme, bay leaves, salt, and cayenne and stir well, you want to coat the vegetables.
Add the eggplant cubes, and puree, and the tomatoes both roasted and canned, and the parmesan rind, AND the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and add both the basil and the parmesan.
Remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind before serving.
The above was adapted from the one in the book. I added my tweaks, since that was how I made it.
Today's endeavor? The poblano corn chowder. With minor tweaks (I can't find all the ingredients).
It's a good thing soup freezes well. I think I need to set up a sort of soup-schedule. Make a few different soups one week, freeze it in small(ish) batches and use when needed. It really only is good for a month, so two or three different soups ought to do it.
I think next week I'll try the Cheddar cheese with potatoes and bacon!
--Little bird aims to please
Monday, September 28, 2009
Soup On The Brain
The weather has turned cold again, so thoughts have turned towards soups. After making the tomato basil soup, and the french onion as well, I realized I like making my own soup. It tastes better than the stuff in cans. So this week I think I'll try a roasted eggplant parmesan soup. And maybe a poblano corn chowder. I have a cook book that is devoted entirely to soup, and I think I've really only made one of the recipes in it. And that was chili, so it's time to get my money's worth out of the book!
I've also made those tarts again, the new one- the one with the apples and brie, turned out incredibly good. So good I cannot make it again. So good, it likely has 5000 calories per whole tart. But Mama Bird and I picked up some more veggies at the farmer's market to try still more variations of the tart. Leeks, sweet red peppers, mizzuna (we have no idea how that will turn out) and eggplant. The eggplant probably won't make it to the tart, but rather the soup.
This past weekend I went to a friends house and we made pot roast, a dish that I normally don't really like all that much. It turned out pretty good! We started out with what looked to be a 5 pound chunk of chuck roast and added potatoes and onions and carrots. You know, along with the beef stock, wine and spices. He (the friend) now has enough food to last the rest of the week! Of course, he also made chili the next day. Not my chili recipe but his own. The words "Melt Your Face Off" appear in the title of his version of chili. I'm a little afraid to try it.
I haven't been getting my 4 hours a day in the kitchen in every day, but this Thanksgiving ought to help me average it out a bit. So will Christmas. Did I mention that this Thanksgiving I'll be roasting a Turducken? I will be. For the staff at my building again. One of the guys on the staff buys the ingredients, I cook it and he keeps whatever leftovers are, well, leftover. For this service I have asked for a $40 gift card to Sur La Table. That way I can get some more fun kitchen gear. I will also get to have some of the Turducken, something I have never had the opportunity to try. It ought to be.... interesting.
Yesterday Mama Bird and I went to IKEA. Amazingly we spent little more than an hour and less than $100!!! And we are already talking about going back. I'm sure my step-father will request to be left out of that trip. There are stlll some things we need to get, and a few items we just plain want. Really, one should only go if one has a set list and amazing will power. And really good walking shoes.
--Little Bird is grinning
I've also made those tarts again, the new one- the one with the apples and brie, turned out incredibly good. So good I cannot make it again. So good, it likely has 5000 calories per whole tart. But Mama Bird and I picked up some more veggies at the farmer's market to try still more variations of the tart. Leeks, sweet red peppers, mizzuna (we have no idea how that will turn out) and eggplant. The eggplant probably won't make it to the tart, but rather the soup.
This past weekend I went to a friends house and we made pot roast, a dish that I normally don't really like all that much. It turned out pretty good! We started out with what looked to be a 5 pound chunk of chuck roast and added potatoes and onions and carrots. You know, along with the beef stock, wine and spices. He (the friend) now has enough food to last the rest of the week! Of course, he also made chili the next day. Not my chili recipe but his own. The words "Melt Your Face Off" appear in the title of his version of chili. I'm a little afraid to try it.
I haven't been getting my 4 hours a day in the kitchen in every day, but this Thanksgiving ought to help me average it out a bit. So will Christmas. Did I mention that this Thanksgiving I'll be roasting a Turducken? I will be. For the staff at my building again. One of the guys on the staff buys the ingredients, I cook it and he keeps whatever leftovers are, well, leftover. For this service I have asked for a $40 gift card to Sur La Table. That way I can get some more fun kitchen gear. I will also get to have some of the Turducken, something I have never had the opportunity to try. It ought to be.... interesting.
Yesterday Mama Bird and I went to IKEA. Amazingly we spent little more than an hour and less than $100!!! And we are already talking about going back. I'm sure my step-father will request to be left out of that trip. There are stlll some things we need to get, and a few items we just plain want. Really, one should only go if one has a set list and amazing will power. And really good walking shoes.
--Little Bird is grinning
Thursday, September 17, 2009
When Tomatoes Attack
The past few days have been an extravaganza of tomatoes. Canning tomatoes, oven roasting (or attempting to) tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato basil soup (fabulous) and then, the best thing EVER. Rustic tomato tart. Hand made pastry crust (1 &1/3 cup flour and 9 tablespoons of cold butter, plus just a bit of water) topped with ricotta, chopped thyme, oregano, italian parsley, and basil, shredded caramelized onion cheddar, tomatoes (both fresh and roasted), and MORE of the cheddar. All baked at 375 for about half an hour. I got one piece. I took the whole thing over for my folks to have for dinner, asking that they leave me some. Apparently it went over so well Mama Bird had to stop my step-father from finishing it off! And I just ate the piece that was left me. It was like pizza, but better. Soooooo much better. I wish I had made another one! This Sunday I'll try a variation, same crust with brie and apples and watercress. I intend to use that cheddar again too. If you have access to a Trader Joe's, that is where the cheddar was obtained. And, dear GOD, is it good! I highly recommend it for any number of dishes. A grilled cheese sandwich with that cheese would be just this side of heaven. And no, not THAT type of grilled cheese sandwich! Ooh, and add bacon! That would be drool inducing!
See, last weekend Mama Bird and I got it into our heads that we would can tomatoes. Our plan was to go to a farm and pick 'em ourselves. Well, life got in the way of that plan so we got our tomatoes at the farmers market. All 25 pounds of them. Yes, 25 pounds of tomatoes. The idea was that we could can them and then make chili and pasta all winter without resorting to cans from the store. Interesting thing about tomatoes, they cook way down when you can them. We need at least ten more pounds to even try to make it through the winter.
But just since Sunday (I also made chili - with the help of a friend - that day) I have logged about 15 hours in the kitchen. I didn't do much today but warm things up for my meals. This coming week I have a few more dishes I'd like to make, and at least one of those Mama Bird wants to try. She never got any of the french onion soup, so that's on the list. Any diet plans I had have flown right out the window.
--Little Bird is getting fat, again.
See, last weekend Mama Bird and I got it into our heads that we would can tomatoes. Our plan was to go to a farm and pick 'em ourselves. Well, life got in the way of that plan so we got our tomatoes at the farmers market. All 25 pounds of them. Yes, 25 pounds of tomatoes. The idea was that we could can them and then make chili and pasta all winter without resorting to cans from the store. Interesting thing about tomatoes, they cook way down when you can them. We need at least ten more pounds to even try to make it through the winter.
But just since Sunday (I also made chili - with the help of a friend - that day) I have logged about 15 hours in the kitchen. I didn't do much today but warm things up for my meals. This coming week I have a few more dishes I'd like to make, and at least one of those Mama Bird wants to try. She never got any of the french onion soup, so that's on the list. Any diet plans I had have flown right out the window.
--Little Bird is getting fat, again.
Friday, September 4, 2009
It's a Learning Experience
As with everything in life cooking is a learning experience. Sometimes you don't know until you taste what you've made to know if it turned out right. Other times you can tell right away what you're doing wrong. The learning curve varies.
Fried green tomatoes is one of those things that you figure out right away what's wrong. So last night when I made them, you could tell which ones were done first, and which ones were done right. To make them, one must dip the slices in egg and milk, then in flour and bread crumbs before frying. But they were not coming out as fully breaded as I wanted. So I dipped them in those things twice, and lo and behold! Perfectly fried green tomatoes! I did the same thing with a couple of kosher dill pickle "chips" and they were even BETTER!
Also learned last night was that if you add a bit of milk and some minced cucumber to sour cream and onion dip (made from scratch) you get a reasonable approximation of ranch dressing. Who knew?
--Little Bird keeps learning
Fried green tomatoes is one of those things that you figure out right away what's wrong. So last night when I made them, you could tell which ones were done first, and which ones were done right. To make them, one must dip the slices in egg and milk, then in flour and bread crumbs before frying. But they were not coming out as fully breaded as I wanted. So I dipped them in those things twice, and lo and behold! Perfectly fried green tomatoes! I did the same thing with a couple of kosher dill pickle "chips" and they were even BETTER!
Also learned last night was that if you add a bit of milk and some minced cucumber to sour cream and onion dip (made from scratch) you get a reasonable approximation of ranch dressing. Who knew?
--Little Bird keeps learning
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