Some Foodie Reviews

I like when things I’m reading and watching and talking about with friends all seem to jive. That was the case on vacation as I read The Sharper The Knife, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn, and then went to see Julie and Julia on the big screen. All this after spending a few hours with a foodie friend the day before leaving for vacation – a dear friend who is a great chef as well.

Kathleen’s story is one of those ones we love, where someone steps through an  open door of opportunity and things work out well. When laid off from her corporate journalist job, her boyfriend suggests she go ahead with her dream of enrolling in Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. I love that she undertook this endeavor just for the love of cooking and in hopes of improving as a food writer. Armed only with a smattering of French and her knives, she plunges into the world of French cooking. Mornings were spent watching one of the esteemed French chefs demonstrate a technique, such as pastry or filleting fish or boning and stuffing meat, used in a recipe. In the afternoons, they headed for the kitchen, where they attempted to recreate the recipe, under the demanding and watchful eye of another French chef. The book is peppered with her insights into life and relationships, and each chapter wraps up with a noted French recipe.

I haven’t read Julie and Julia, but my interest was piqued by the story of a blogger (Julie, played by Amy Adams) who made it big, cooking and blogging her way through Julia Child’s Mastering The Art of French Cooking. Meryl Streep was marvelous as Julia Child, that inimitable kitchen personality whom my 5’0 – 100 lb gram nevertheless loved to imitate, from shaky voice to c’est la vie attitude! Stanley Tucci was equally charming as Julia Child’s husband Paul. I won’t spoil the movie for anyone who hasn’t seen it –

At one point, Julia Child becomes discouraged about the publishing process and asks Paul why she’s doing all this. He replies that it’s all about the connections – the friends she had made, the inspiration her book would bring to other women –  and I thought to myself – that’s it! I just finished reading through The Jesus Creed again this summer and, as I read through the gospel passages, realized how important the idea of “coming to the table” and sharing meals was to Jesus. So important that one of his parting instructions was to remember his life and death through the simple act of breaking bread together. It’s in Jesus that we find connection, and we are called to live into this life through our connections with one another. Basic sustenance is the one thing that ties us all together – whether it’s in the preparation, the serving, the eating or the sharing together, whether it’s one basic life-sustaining meal in some parts of the world, a holiday meal shared with family or coffee and a muffin with a friend – each offers opportunity for meaningful connection, if we’re aware and willing to engage.

Thoughts on Spring Cleaning

1. It takes me extremely long to get started. That alone delays the inevitable.
2. For example, I suddenly need to make a list. Which reminds me of the 6 page spring cleaning list I found online. Now would be a good time to go print that off. And while I’m at it, perhaps I’ll print a few other things and finally put together that household notebook I’ve been meaning to assemble. I better eat breakfast first. While I eat, I might as well catch up on my magazine reading. Would now be a good time to plan menus for the next 2 months? (I’m joking but the thought did tiptoe across my mind!) Oops, I’m out of breakfast before I’m out of reading material. I better make myself some coffee . . . don’t want to be thwarted in my efforts by a headache! You get the drift.
3. About 7 hours later (not sequential), I’m almost done with the kitchen (except for the stove and refrigerator but neither are that bad so they can wait). That’s just the kitchen and it’s small as kitchens go.
4. Do you think my fear that, by time I finish, it will no longer be spring, is a legitimate one?
5. Unfortunately, I have yet to put the snowmen (a recurring theme) away. At least I have removed them from display and toted them all to the gameroom.
6. How do you moms with little ones under foot do it? I only have to navigate a dog (easily occupied with a toy) and a grown man who unfortunately (but perhaps conveniently) laid up with a bad ankle!
7. My favorite saying these days: “do a little more than you think you possibly can.” (saying printed on a Dove Promises dark chocolate wrapper).
8. Hm, perhaps I should have been rewarding myself along the way with bits of dark chocolate. I’m sure that would have made a difference.
9. I’m seriously considering starting a business called House-Swapping. The theory is people always enjoy cleaning someone else’s house more than their own. So for a small fee, people can register with me and I will match them with someone to swap houses with for a cleaning session. First though, they will have to prove their cleaning prowess to me – gotta be bonifide, you know. That will entail a mere test clean. The test site – my home of course! Brilliant, don’t you agree?
10. Last thought on spring cleaning. It helps if you lay the 6 page cleaning list in a prominent site, where your husband can see it. Even if he doesn’t choose to (or can’t) pitch in, he will at least make the connection between the work you are doing and the list that threatens to overwhelm you. He will be sure to take you out to dinner so you don’t need to dirty the kitchen you worked so hard to clean. In the end, it makes it worth the effort!

Dinner Disaster

I’ve been on a crockpot kick for about a year now. For me, the amazing little appliance timer has been the ticket. I prepare the food the night before or even pull cooked chicken breast or ground meat out of the freezer, so the food’s good and cold when I put it in the crockpot. I set the timer to start cooking several hours after I leave for work and to stop right around the time Mike should get home. That way it doesn’t cook for ten hours and all turn to mush.

Well, yesterday I had my first official dinner disaster. When I set the timer, I noticed the digital read-out was not so legible. But I was still able to figure it out and set it. I plugged it in, turned on the crockpot and was on my merry way. On the way to work it briefly occurred to me that perhaps more than the digital display was not working. But I quickly dismissed the thought and was soon inundated with the day’s work.

I was almost home when Mike called me and said he and the dog were wondering what to do about dinner. (He was kidding – the dog doesn’t get people food!) Uh oh. The crockpot full of tomatoes, potatoes and ham (green beans to be added) was sitting just as I’d left it, cold and lonely. Confirmed – the timer is broken. So he made do with frozen pizza and nachos and I made a mental note to get myself a new timer. I think it must have gotten wet sitting near the dish drain. Undaunted though, I still am a committed crockpot user. I’m leaving later for work this morning so we’ll try some chicken soup for tonight.

So what about you – ever had a dinner disaster? Are you a crockpot cooker? Do you ever use an appliance timer?

$26 Bucks Later . . . and I’m a Coffee Snob!

Those are two separate topics! The first and most important being that for a mere $26, my laptop is back in working order. It was indeed just a power supply. That Mac will have to wait a bit longer, I’m afraid. But oh how good it is to be working on a laptop again – my laptop.

I’m working on a book review and I’ll post that tomorrow. But first, I need to toss in my cap as a coffee snob. I’m blaming it on Jane. Every month or so, a few of us gather at her house for some dialogue around the topic of spiritual formation. I love this group of people and I so look forward to our meetings. But secretly, one of my favorite parts is the coffee. Jane uses a French press to make coffee (she herself is a diehard tea drinker). And I have simply fallen in love with French press coffee. And amazingly enough, one appeared under the Christmas tree this year! (Okay, I exaggerate – we didn’t have a tree!) After convincing my husband we could forever do away with paper filters, and there would be less danger of me leaving the coffee maker on in my haste to get out the door in the mornings, he researched (and when he starts to research something, look out!) and came up with this little number for me. (I did specify the kind with plastic, as it just seemed safer).

I had to make a run to Starbucks this afternoon to get the coffee that came with it ground. I am kind of anti-appliance, and although I know that freshly ground beans are another key to fine coffee, I refuse to add another step – and appliance – to the process. Starbucks grind works just fine for me.

Anyways, I made my first cup tonight. Generally I like cream in my coffee but let me tell you, this is the most beautiful, mellow coffee you ever tasted and it may not be long before my tastebuds mature into drinking my coffee black. It’s hard to describe such a wonderful taste. It’s not something I’m proud of but I think I’m becoming a coffee snob! Oh well, there could be worse appellations, right? No filters, no appliance, just the right amount of coffee brewed perfectly each time and the most amazing coffee I ever had – it doesn’t get much better. Unless you toss in a few leftover Christmas cookies!

The Art of Crockpot Cooking

Last Sunday, I made French Onion soup in the crockpot, thinking I’d have it for Monday dinner as well, along with some sandwiches. Not. I did not know it was my husband’s favorite soup meal. It was gone by Sunday night. So I made more today. And know better than to hope there’ll be much left for tomorrow. But hey – that’s okay. When you hit on a favorite, it’s rewarding enough to see it disappear.

I’ve been trying to master the art of crockpot cooking. Easier said than done when I leave by 7:30 am and neither of us is rarely home before 6:00 pm. So . . .

• I bought a new crockpot, the kind with the removable crock (after 18 years with my old one, I figured I could splurge on a new one!)
• And because the models with the built-in timer are entirely too big for the two of us, I bought a $10 appliance timer from the hardware store, the kind you can use to turn your lights on when you’re away from home. I set it to start around 9:00 am and shut off around 5:30 pm.
• I also started browning and cutting up ingredients the night before and putting them in the crockpot in the fridge overnight. I set the cold crock into the heating unit in the morning and add any liquid ingredients at that time.

Obviously recipes with the longest cooking times, and without rice, noodles or cream bases work the best. I’m constantly on the lookout for good recipes to try. We both seem to prefer soups and stews right now so if you have some suggestions, I’m open!

Oh, and here’s the French Onion soup recipe. I prefer to top the soup with croutons and cheese shavings, as opposed to toasting French bread and topping it with messy slabs of mozzarella. Less complicated and messy – does anyone really enjoy eating soup with cheese hanging out of their mouth? Does the lack of French bread make this un-French onion soup? I think not!

Ingredients:
6 large onions (I’ve been using 3 large Vidalia or Mayan onions, much better flavor)
1 stick butter
6 cans beef broth
2-3 bay leaves
2-3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Croutons (use the best you can find, I like the Rothsberry Farms brand best)
Fontinella cheese, shaved (can also use Parmesan or other hard cheeses)

Saute onions in butter until tender and sweet. (I’ve been doing this step on Saturday night and putting it together on Sunday morning). Add onions, broth, bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce to crockpot and cook on low for 5-7 hours. Serve with croutons topped with cheese shavings. Enjoy!