Saturday, January 2, 2010
Home Cooking I've Never ...
Posted by Susan Ellis on Sat, Jan 2, 2010 at 5:49 PM
It was early afternoon New Year's Eve at the insanely large Kroger at Kirby Parkway and I was feeling lucky already. The place was packed, and I had managed to snag the last bag of black-eyed peas from the freezer.
As I was standing in the checkout line, the woman behind me asked me about the kale in my cart. She wanted to know how I was going to cook it and then confessed that she had bought the greens before but only to use as decoration.
The conversation struck me as both charming and silly ... and it got me to thinking about all the things I've never done ...
Such as ...
1. Poached an egg
2. Made a pie crust from scratch
3. Used rutabagas or turnips
4. Made hummus, or ...
5. Cheesecake
6. A decent stir-fry
7. A souffle
8. Gnocchi
9. Tamales
10. A tofu dish worth talking about.
So there it is. Maybe I'll give it go in 2010. Maybe I won't. Anybody out there have culinary goals for this year?
As for the kale, I told her I saute garlic and onions in olive oil and add the kale (sans stems) until it wilts and then spritz it with lemon juice.
When I was eating my black-eyed peas and kale, I was half-hoping that my line-mate didn't take my advice. This particular bunch of kale refused to wilt. It was tasty but tough. Perhaps I'd used up my luck with the peas.
Comments (12)
Showing 1-12 of 12
I'm making greens and black-eye peas tomorrow, so I'll let you know how it goes. Adding vinegar and bacon fat always helps.
Concerning cooking goals for the year, for me, it's all about the pies: souffle, tarts, quiche. fruit pies. I might even really seal the deal with my husband and tackle chicken pot pie. Beyond that, I'll be putting in a vegetable garden for the first time since the sixth grade.
like
dislikeThis holiday break has been all about quiche. I've made four my mom made two. I'm through with that for a while.
Susan, the gnocci is an elusive critter. It's hard to get the potato flour ratio right. For me, anyway.
I've had really good success using potatoes as a binder eliminating the need for eggs & breadcrumbs in some very lovely seafood croquettes. It's my favorite use for the potato these days.
I bought a potato ricer over the holidays with the goal of making good, diner-style hashbrowns. Third try (second with ricer) was the charm.
I want to master — or as close as I can get — paella without buying some really expensive new pot for it.
A nice big stainless-steel or aluminum skillet will make a perfectly good paella.
Sheesh! Don't/can't you guys talk to each other in the office? Wait, wait; I'll bet you "tweet" each other all the time too, right? Pitiful.
As for kale, here's my story: I used to have a dog (Bernie) who would eat anything we left on our plates, until one day, I left some kale on the plate. I've never seen a dog turn his nose up as dramatically as he did when he sniffed that kale. My motto from then on: if it isn't good enough for Bernie, it isn't good enough for me.
I did black eyed peas, fresh turnip greens (very labor intensive to de-stalk and clean), turnips, ham hocks, jowl, hoppin'john, onion- intense slaw, and corn sticks for the 1st.
Rutabagas and turnips are great together.
As for kale, it's a hearty leaf. I like to run it through the food processor and add it to white bean soup.
I'm pretty proud of the white wine pasta sauce I made last night, a first for me. Usually I go for a marinara or some such. (I hope Alias won't mind if I share that pithy thought among friends.)
Ok, can't resist joining in. New Year's Day it was slices of pork loin stuffed with oyster dressing on a bed of cajun black-eyed peas and sausage. Last night a Rachael Ray burger recipe my wife picked out (Gotta say R.R.'s burger recipes are ALL good), and today apple-smoked baby backs on the grill with homemade potato salad and Phlo's "can't miss" barbecue sauce. Tomorrow it's a 5 mile morning run.
nothing like roasted turnips, rutabagas, shallots, parsnips, golden beets and carrots for a winter vegetable dish. mmm...
This year's holiday regarding food revolved around visiting old haunts and finding new ones. I made a visit to Quetzel, Fresh Slices, Ground Zero (Clarksdale Miller Lite is exceptional this time of year) and the Silly Goose. I found this place, Pizze Stone, on Overton Park near Fresh Slices where Marina's used to be that I am trying out next weekend (they make their own Mozzarella and the Pizza is thin crust-just the way I like it).
The only thing I actually made this holiday season was soup from leftovers that I commandeered from other folks houses. I put some turnip greens, sweet taters and pork chops together to make a really awesome soup and froze it in portions to eat at my whim. Just had a bowl and I am in HEA-VaaaaN!
As far as resolutions...I am itching to go to Japan and find chicken shashimi and those square watermelons. Two things that I'll have to see to believe!
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