The title conjures up visions of mouse poop on the counter, aluminum coffee percolators and old, small refrigerators with a freezer so full of frost that there is no room for ice! Well, that's not the kind of camp kitchen that I am pondering. Think tents, coolers, butane camp stoves, cast iron pans. As I get psyched up for the three days of Mountain Jam in early June, I find myself considering how I will organize my camp kitchen as much as how I will catch both Lettuce and Dark Star Orchestra scheduled in the same time slot.
When one is living primitively in a tent on the side of a mountain for four days and three nights, is it even conceivable to expect gourmet breakfast from the campsite? I think yes. Eggs can arrive already scrambled, pancake batter is ready to pour, and coffee can be brewed in a French press, just like at home! Mountain Jam, like most festivals, has no shortage of food and drink vendors. Although I do not feel like I need to cook three square meals a day, breakfast will be a welcome tummy filler when the sun starts beating down on the tent telling us that 8 am is way too late to be sleeping. My menu for Saturday morning breakfast is Blueberry Pancakes with Real Vermont Maple Syrup and Vermont Maple Sausage Links. On Sunday morning I will be making Huevos Rancheros with Cornbread, Avocado, Green Mountain Salsa, and Vermont Cheddar.
My second favorite meal of the day is Tea or better known in these parts as Happy Hour. While I don't exect to be cooking this meal, it is very important that I be prepared with nice munchies to go with our fresh mojitos and micro brews. Vermont products will highlight the spread in the form of cheese, salsa, blanched asparagus, bread, apples,and hummus.
So how will I outfit my camp kitchen? Will I pack way too much stuff and end up doing dishes when I should be dancing to Zach Deputy? That would NEVER happen. I plan on bringing a butane stove, a frying pan, a saucepot, tongs, spatula, a roll of aluminium foil, olive oil, and salt and pepper. No dinner bell necessary. I have a feeling the neighbors will come running as soon as they smell the syrup.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Comfort Food Isn't Always American
Comfort food to Americans is mac and cheese, meatloaf, lasagne and fried chicken, to name a few. But what about the comfort food of other regions of the world? We, as cooks, seeking a recipe for the ultimate family pleaser, tend to overlook the "pizza" and "chicken pot pie" of other countries. This weekend I decided to try my hand at comforting my family with North African comfort food. A bit of a surprise to them, but nonetheless thoroughly enjoyed, even by my 7 year old son, Duncan.
Duncan and I went to Florida for a week last week. We stayed with my dad and step mom for a few days in Jensen Beach and then the four of us drove to Disney World for three days. It was fun in the sun, but it certainly tuckered us out. We flew home into Albany on Thursday night and were met at the airport by my husband, Geoff, who whisked Duncan away for another 4 days of vacation, in New York City.
During my four days of independence I worked at the restaurant, but being in the house alone on my off time I was able to relax if I so chose. Come Sunday I was anxious to see my baby. I knew that both Geoff and Duncan would be exhausted! I knew a good homecooked meal is just what they would need.
I spent a good part of Sunday afternoon flipping through cookbooks to find the right mix of healthy, what a 7 year old would eat, and easy to make. Chicken Tagine, a North African dish, in James Peterson's "Splendid Soups", won my attention and I peeled myself off the couch to go the store and the restaurant to shop for ingredients.
The chicken was simmering by the time the guys got home from baseball practice (yes- off to baseball practice 5 minutes after arriving home!), filling the house with aromas of cinnamon, clove and saffron. Within an hour we were sitting at the dinner table together, spooning this fragrant stew into our sleepy heads. The tagine woke up our mouths and we spent dinner time excitedly sharing stories of our vacations. We were eating North African chicken stew and we were all very comfortable.
Case in point, mix it up a little with flavors that may seem a little uncomfortable. You'd be amazed at how easy it is to make Flemish Beef Stew or Greek Moussaka. Just start flipping through some cookbooks. Before you know it your family might start asking for Coq au Vin more often than they ask for Mac and Cheese!
I almost started typing this recipe onto this page when it occured to me that it may already be on the internet...and voila! It is! I served this dish with cous cous and an arugula and spinach salad. We even had enough left over for lunch the next day. Heaven!
Duncan and I went to Florida for a week last week. We stayed with my dad and step mom for a few days in Jensen Beach and then the four of us drove to Disney World for three days. It was fun in the sun, but it certainly tuckered us out. We flew home into Albany on Thursday night and were met at the airport by my husband, Geoff, who whisked Duncan away for another 4 days of vacation, in New York City.
During my four days of independence I worked at the restaurant, but being in the house alone on my off time I was able to relax if I so chose. Come Sunday I was anxious to see my baby. I knew that both Geoff and Duncan would be exhausted! I knew a good homecooked meal is just what they would need.
I spent a good part of Sunday afternoon flipping through cookbooks to find the right mix of healthy, what a 7 year old would eat, and easy to make. Chicken Tagine, a North African dish, in James Peterson's "Splendid Soups", won my attention and I peeled myself off the couch to go the store and the restaurant to shop for ingredients.
The chicken was simmering by the time the guys got home from baseball practice (yes- off to baseball practice 5 minutes after arriving home!), filling the house with aromas of cinnamon, clove and saffron. Within an hour we were sitting at the dinner table together, spooning this fragrant stew into our sleepy heads. The tagine woke up our mouths and we spent dinner time excitedly sharing stories of our vacations. We were eating North African chicken stew and we were all very comfortable.
Case in point, mix it up a little with flavors that may seem a little uncomfortable. You'd be amazed at how easy it is to make Flemish Beef Stew or Greek Moussaka. Just start flipping through some cookbooks. Before you know it your family might start asking for Coq au Vin more often than they ask for Mac and Cheese!
I almost started typing this recipe onto this page when it occured to me that it may already be on the internet...and voila! It is! I served this dish with cous cous and an arugula and spinach salad. We even had enough left over for lunch the next day. Heaven!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Mud Pie for Betsy
My last post, Mud Season in VT, didn't have much to do with food and I wasn't sure how to integrate food into the story. My mind was obviously not on eating or cooking at the time. As luck should have it, I have a very witty friend, Betsy, a blogger herself. (Check out her blogs at
http://blogs.babycenter.com/momformation or numbmum.blogspot.com. Good stuff.) Upon reading my last installment, Betsy text-blurted out, "What! No recipe for Mud Pie?!" So here it is. It's an easy one, 'cause if it's nice out, you won't want to be hanging around in the kitchen.
In and Out of the Kitchen Mud Pie
1 store bought chocolate cookie crust
1 pint of Hagen Dazs Coffee Ice Cream
1 pint of Starbuck's Mocha Latte Ice Cream
1 jar of Mrs. Richardson's Hot Fudge
Whipped cream
Let the pints of ice cream sit on the counter for about 15 minutes. Put them individually into a mixer to temper them until they are spreadable. Spread one layer of ice cream, then the next. It will be sort of messy. Who cares? Lick your fingers, the spoon, the counter. Freeze the pie for at least 4 hours. When it is time to serve it, heat up the hot fudge, pour it over the pie and top it with a huge dollop of freshly whipped cream. Don't skimp on real whipped cream. You will ruin the pie. And for the record, Betsy...this will be better than the Sirloin's!
http://blogs.babycenter.com/momformation or numbmum.blogspot.com. Good stuff.) Upon reading my last installment, Betsy text-blurted out, "What! No recipe for Mud Pie?!" So here it is. It's an easy one, 'cause if it's nice out, you won't want to be hanging around in the kitchen.
In and Out of the Kitchen Mud Pie
1 store bought chocolate cookie crust
1 pint of Hagen Dazs Coffee Ice Cream
1 pint of Starbuck's Mocha Latte Ice Cream
1 jar of Mrs. Richardson's Hot Fudge
Whipped cream
Let the pints of ice cream sit on the counter for about 15 minutes. Put them individually into a mixer to temper them until they are spreadable. Spread one layer of ice cream, then the next. It will be sort of messy. Who cares? Lick your fingers, the spoon, the counter. Freeze the pie for at least 4 hours. When it is time to serve it, heat up the hot fudge, pour it over the pie and top it with a huge dollop of freshly whipped cream. Don't skimp on real whipped cream. You will ruin the pie. And for the record, Betsy...this will be better than the Sirloin's!
Monday, March 22, 2010
It's Mudseason in VeeTee!
We have just come down from the best week of weather that we have seen since November. Temps in the 60's, lots of snow on the mountains, steam pouring from every sugar house, and now, tulip and hyacinth bulbs popping up. I even saw a bluebird this morning! What do Vermonters do when hit by the Spring bug (besides wash their cars every other day)? We all go directly outside. This Vermonter prefers her out of doors time on a deck at the base of Bromley Mountain with the music of the Grateful Dead vibrating through the head of her beer.
Music is an essential part of my spring. It brings me back to my roots. Each year, on the first gorgeous day of spring, I automatically feel like I am back in my senior year of high school. I open all of my car windows and drive fast. I play the music loudly. I giggle a lot. I deeply inhale the air every two minutes. Oh, the mud! The scent of the spring earth is powerful! The lyrics to this song that my son, Duncan, came home with from pre-school a few years ago might put my joy into perspective. It's still a house favorite.
Mud, mud, I love mud.
I'm absolutely, positively wild about mud.
I can't go around it, I have to go through it.
Mud, mud, glorious mud!
Now is the time when most of us start planning our gardens, contemplating how we are going to serve the Easter lamb, and consider changing our closets from winter to summer. I think about music. What shows can I see on this summer's tours? What festivals will I be able to sneak away for? Music is a huge part of what keeps me smiling every day. Mud season, albeit messy, is what reminds me that sunshine and daydreams are just a month and a half away!
Music is an essential part of my spring. It brings me back to my roots. Each year, on the first gorgeous day of spring, I automatically feel like I am back in my senior year of high school. I open all of my car windows and drive fast. I play the music loudly. I giggle a lot. I deeply inhale the air every two minutes. Oh, the mud! The scent of the spring earth is powerful! The lyrics to this song that my son, Duncan, came home with from pre-school a few years ago might put my joy into perspective. It's still a house favorite.
Mud, mud, I love mud.
I'm absolutely, positively wild about mud.
I can't go around it, I have to go through it.
Mud, mud, glorious mud!
Now is the time when most of us start planning our gardens, contemplating how we are going to serve the Easter lamb, and consider changing our closets from winter to summer. I think about music. What shows can I see on this summer's tours? What festivals will I be able to sneak away for? Music is a huge part of what keeps me smiling every day. Mud season, albeit messy, is what reminds me that sunshine and daydreams are just a month and a half away!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Vermont Turkeys in the Pot
The first weekend of March my friends, Amanda and Kelly, and I threw a Jam Cruise reunion party. Our amazing friends came from Atlanta, Philly, Rochester, Boston and Northern Vermont. These, our new best friends forever, are friends that we made in January on Jam Cruise (the funkiest vacation and music festival ever!). Just like Jam Cruise, this weekend was jam packed with dancing, laughing, crying (because we were laughing so hard), and eating. Our first meal was at The Perfect Wife, a large and civilized (I use that term loosely) sit down (again- loose) dinner for thirteen. This was followed by some dancing in the tavern to the incredibly groovy sounds of Otis Grove. It was a big night out for us and dinner the next night was a "sit around the woodstove and relax" type of meal. Hello Vermont raised turkey.
For the last few months my friend, Tom Biggs, has been bringing me two turkeys every couple of weeks, his Thankgiving culinary overstock, if you will. I use the breast meat for our Turkey Schnitzel and have made soups, pastas, and stews with the legs. When I found out that we needed dinner for our Saturday night of the weekend, I became very excited to make Turkey Pot Pie. It is very simple to make and so delicious and hearty. Here's what I did:
After I had taken the breast meat out of the carcass for the schnitzel, I pulled the legs and the wings off of it. I put the carcass and the legs and wings, minus as much fat and skin as I could pull off of it, in a pot with roughly chopped celery, onions, and carrots, a couple of bay leaves, a few peppercorns, and some fresh thyme sprigs. I covered it with cold water and simmered this for about two and a half hours. (There's another amazing smell for your home.) I then strained the stock, saving the broth and pulling all of the meat from the bones of the turkey. For the body of the pot pie I diced carrots, celery, and onions and sweat them in a large, heavy bottomed pot.* Once the veggies became soft (in about 15 minutes) I added some stock, the pulled turkey meat and frozen corn and peas. I brought this to a boil and thickened it with a roux.** Once I achieved the velvety thickness that I wanted, I seasoned the pot pie with fresh chopped sage and salt and pepper. You could finish it with a dash of heavy cream, top it with mashed potatoes and bake it or serve it as is with a nice loaf of fresh bread and the best tossed salad ever.*** That's what we did. That Saturday evening supper warmed our bellies and our hearts. Cooking with love will do that every time.
* Sweating is a term that means to saute slowly, covered, so that you get no color on the veggies and the steamed essence of them falls back into the pot.
** A 1:1 combination of butter and flour cooked together over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Count on a stick of butter and a 1/2 cup of flour per quart of liquid. Make sure that the roux is not piping hot when adding it to the boiling stock, slowly while whisking. Once the stock has come back up to a boil, you can assume that it won't get any thicker. Don't boil anything thickened with a roux for more than a couple of minutes .
*** Look for Amanda's salad in a future blog post!
For the last few months my friend, Tom Biggs, has been bringing me two turkeys every couple of weeks, his Thankgiving culinary overstock, if you will. I use the breast meat for our Turkey Schnitzel and have made soups, pastas, and stews with the legs. When I found out that we needed dinner for our Saturday night of the weekend, I became very excited to make Turkey Pot Pie. It is very simple to make and so delicious and hearty. Here's what I did:
After I had taken the breast meat out of the carcass for the schnitzel, I pulled the legs and the wings off of it. I put the carcass and the legs and wings, minus as much fat and skin as I could pull off of it, in a pot with roughly chopped celery, onions, and carrots, a couple of bay leaves, a few peppercorns, and some fresh thyme sprigs. I covered it with cold water and simmered this for about two and a half hours. (There's another amazing smell for your home.) I then strained the stock, saving the broth and pulling all of the meat from the bones of the turkey. For the body of the pot pie I diced carrots, celery, and onions and sweat them in a large, heavy bottomed pot.* Once the veggies became soft (in about 15 minutes) I added some stock, the pulled turkey meat and frozen corn and peas. I brought this to a boil and thickened it with a roux.** Once I achieved the velvety thickness that I wanted, I seasoned the pot pie with fresh chopped sage and salt and pepper. You could finish it with a dash of heavy cream, top it with mashed potatoes and bake it or serve it as is with a nice loaf of fresh bread and the best tossed salad ever.*** That's what we did. That Saturday evening supper warmed our bellies and our hearts. Cooking with love will do that every time.
* Sweating is a term that means to saute slowly, covered, so that you get no color on the veggies and the steamed essence of them falls back into the pot.
** A 1:1 combination of butter and flour cooked together over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Count on a stick of butter and a 1/2 cup of flour per quart of liquid. Make sure that the roux is not piping hot when adding it to the boiling stock, slowly while whisking. Once the stock has come back up to a boil, you can assume that it won't get any thicker. Don't boil anything thickened with a roux for more than a couple of minutes .
*** Look for Amanda's salad in a future blog post!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Remember when there were only two kinds of pasta- spaghetti and macaroni? These days farfalle and orchiette are household names and the novice cook tosses his/her pasta with broccoli rabe, artichoke hearts, roasted garlic, and pancetta! It may be progress, but still nothing says dinner like a big heaping plate of good, old fashioned spaghetti and meatballs.
Last night was all about spaghetti and meatballs. At the Perfect Wife we did a fundraiser for our local elementary school. Spaghetti and meatballs, salad, and bread for $5. Yeah, five bucks. This evening obviously wasn't about restaurant profits. But how do I make something good, worthy of my name and not spend the whole day in the kitchen? The way I decided to go was to buy the balls, make the sauce. Admittedly, I should have spent time to make my own meatballs, but this was Sunday and I like my one day to spend with my family. So I bought frozen meatballs. They were decent meatballs, but in my homemade sauce they were awesome! I thought it important to spend time on the sauce at least. I made it in about 2 hours, active time being about 10 minutes. Here's what I did, in a smaller quantity. These amounts have not been tested so use your best judgement when following (and I use that term loosely) this recipe.
Quick and Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1 T. dried basil
1 T. dried oregano
1 small can tomato paste (6 oz.?)
2 cans tomato sauce (28 oz.?)
1 can 1/4" diced tomatoes (28 oz.?)
3 T. sugar
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper (FGBP)
Heat a heavy bottomed pot with extra virgin olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Chop the garlic in a food processor. Scrape into the pot. Quickly chop the onions in the food processor. Scrape those into the pot. Let the onions and garlic cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the onions look translucent. Add the tomato sauce and cook for another few minutes, stirring frequently. Add the basil and oregano. Cook for another couple of minutes. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Stir and turn the heat to low and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for another 20 minutes or so. Check seasoning. Add good quality frozen meatballs and simmer for 1 hour. Serve over spaghetti with lots of good grated cheese.
I do make meatballs from scratch at the restaurant every week. Those meatballs are the recipe of an Italian/Puerto Rican friend of mine. The recipe calls for ground pork and beef, lots of fresh chopped parsley, raisins, breadcrumbs (1 c. per pound of meat), eggs( 1 per pound of meat) and s&p. The balls are formed and then baked in the oven at 400 for 10 or so minutes. Finish cooking the meatballs in the sauce, stirring gently every so often. Raisins, you say? The raisins make the meatballs delicious! I highly recommend putting raisins in your meatballs the next time you make them.
So do a little reminiscing next Sunday. Make a salad with iceberg lettuce, heat up some garlic bread and serve it up with your own spaghetti and meatballs. Heck, buy a Pepperidge Farm layer cake for dessert! The quintessential '70's supper...
Last night was all about spaghetti and meatballs. At the Perfect Wife we did a fundraiser for our local elementary school. Spaghetti and meatballs, salad, and bread for $5. Yeah, five bucks. This evening obviously wasn't about restaurant profits. But how do I make something good, worthy of my name and not spend the whole day in the kitchen? The way I decided to go was to buy the balls, make the sauce. Admittedly, I should have spent time to make my own meatballs, but this was Sunday and I like my one day to spend with my family. So I bought frozen meatballs. They were decent meatballs, but in my homemade sauce they were awesome! I thought it important to spend time on the sauce at least. I made it in about 2 hours, active time being about 10 minutes. Here's what I did, in a smaller quantity. These amounts have not been tested so use your best judgement when following (and I use that term loosely) this recipe.
Quick and Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1 T. dried basil
1 T. dried oregano
1 small can tomato paste (6 oz.?)
2 cans tomato sauce (28 oz.?)
1 can 1/4" diced tomatoes (28 oz.?)
3 T. sugar
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper (FGBP)
Heat a heavy bottomed pot with extra virgin olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Chop the garlic in a food processor. Scrape into the pot. Quickly chop the onions in the food processor. Scrape those into the pot. Let the onions and garlic cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the onions look translucent. Add the tomato sauce and cook for another few minutes, stirring frequently. Add the basil and oregano. Cook for another couple of minutes. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Stir and turn the heat to low and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for another 20 minutes or so. Check seasoning. Add good quality frozen meatballs and simmer for 1 hour. Serve over spaghetti with lots of good grated cheese.
I do make meatballs from scratch at the restaurant every week. Those meatballs are the recipe of an Italian/Puerto Rican friend of mine. The recipe calls for ground pork and beef, lots of fresh chopped parsley, raisins, breadcrumbs (1 c. per pound of meat), eggs( 1 per pound of meat) and s&p. The balls are formed and then baked in the oven at 400 for 10 or so minutes. Finish cooking the meatballs in the sauce, stirring gently every so often. Raisins, you say? The raisins make the meatballs delicious! I highly recommend putting raisins in your meatballs the next time you make them.
So do a little reminiscing next Sunday. Make a salad with iceberg lettuce, heat up some garlic bread and serve it up with your own spaghetti and meatballs. Heck, buy a Pepperidge Farm layer cake for dessert! The quintessential '70's supper...
Monday, February 22, 2010
Cooking by the Book
As a chef who cooks pretty much every day, I am in constant need of inspiration. I do about four specials a night and although some are repeated favorites, it is a constant challenge to create fresh and interesting dishes. I do hop up on the computer often, doing an advance search on www.epicurious.com, but a couple of times a week I do it the old fashioned way...I thumb through a few cookbooks.
Cookbooks are irreplacable, in my opinion. From the pictures to the index, a book can provide so much more than a computer screen is able to. This past week was very busy with the President's Day holiday. I needed to make specials that were both familiar (for families with teenagers) and creative. I have about ten cookbooks on the shelf in the kitchen; There are about one hundred up here in my office. Those ten books are my go to regional cookbooks. Last week my mentors were Julia Child and Madhur Jaffrey.
I find that it is very important to stick with ingredients that are classic to the region. Much like the Indian-style Ice Dance last night of Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White, I want to be true to the original. A cookbook is essential for this. In Indian Cooking, Madhur Jaffrey is so down to earth in her explanation of Indian food that I feel comfortable attempting a dish like Lamb in Creamy Almond Sauce and pairing it with Lentils with Mushrooms and Ginger.
Julia Child is my favorite of all television chefs. She invented the role, and with such confidence! Her cookbook, The French Chef Cookbook, based on her television series, is perfect for those classic French dishes that you just don't see much anymore with our country's "new American" cuisine. In the past few weeks I have made Beef Bourguignon, Blanquette du Veau, and Chocolate Mousse. I had a blast! Sure, I am not really used to looking at a recipe and following it to the letter, but if any cookbook can reward meticulous execution with fabulous results, it's Julia's book. Her recipes are concise, simple to understand, and thorough.
Do you have a cut of meat in your refrigerator that you need to cook tonight? Have a little fun with it. Leave your mystery novel at home today and take a cookbook on the commute with you. By the time you get home from work you will be so full of power and inspiration that you will want to video tape yourself cooking!
Cookbooks are irreplacable, in my opinion. From the pictures to the index, a book can provide so much more than a computer screen is able to. This past week was very busy with the President's Day holiday. I needed to make specials that were both familiar (for families with teenagers) and creative. I have about ten cookbooks on the shelf in the kitchen; There are about one hundred up here in my office. Those ten books are my go to regional cookbooks. Last week my mentors were Julia Child and Madhur Jaffrey.
I find that it is very important to stick with ingredients that are classic to the region. Much like the Indian-style Ice Dance last night of Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White, I want to be true to the original. A cookbook is essential for this. In Indian Cooking, Madhur Jaffrey is so down to earth in her explanation of Indian food that I feel comfortable attempting a dish like Lamb in Creamy Almond Sauce and pairing it with Lentils with Mushrooms and Ginger.
Julia Child is my favorite of all television chefs. She invented the role, and with such confidence! Her cookbook, The French Chef Cookbook, based on her television series, is perfect for those classic French dishes that you just don't see much anymore with our country's "new American" cuisine. In the past few weeks I have made Beef Bourguignon, Blanquette du Veau, and Chocolate Mousse. I had a blast! Sure, I am not really used to looking at a recipe and following it to the letter, but if any cookbook can reward meticulous execution with fabulous results, it's Julia's book. Her recipes are concise, simple to understand, and thorough.
Do you have a cut of meat in your refrigerator that you need to cook tonight? Have a little fun with it. Leave your mystery novel at home today and take a cookbook on the commute with you. By the time you get home from work you will be so full of power and inspiration that you will want to video tape yourself cooking!
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