I learned a great lesson tonight. When chopping up really spicy peppers, you might think you've washed your hands good enough, but you'd probably be very wrong. Oh, when you rub your eyes, you'll find out VERY quickly. The burn eventually goes away--- give it a couple of hours. Also, watch what you eat after chopping them up. Cherries that you think would taste really fresh end up burning your tongue. Super special.
Painful burning aside, this tilapia dish is super DELICIOUS and really quite healthy --- no processed foods, it's all vegetables and fish. Be aware that it's not a spur-of-the-moment dish. It takes a good 24 hours to complete, but is WELL worth the wait. And it's SUPER easy to throw together. The 24 hours is required because the lime juice needs the time to fully cook the fish. The fish comes out quite tasty, and really tones down the sourness of the limes, making a good delicious mix of sweet from the tomatoes, avocado-ish, and tart from the limes.
Ceviche de Tilapia
a Friderici family recipe
10 tilapia filets (approximately 4-5" in length)
15 limes (yes, you need this many, and it's not going to taste like fish swimming in limeade)
2 large garlic cloves, finely diced (I just squish mine through a garlic press, easier)
1 small yellow onion, diced
4 Tbsp cilantro, finely diced
2 large serrano peppers, finely diced (this ingredient was the source of my pain for the evening)
1/4 cup orange juice
5 large tomatoes, diced
3 large avocados, diced
salt to taste
Make sure to clean and dry the fish thoroughly. I like the tilapia filets from costco, though this time I just got some frozen ones and thawed them in the sink. After drying the fish, you chop up into 1/2 inch cubes. Mine ended up being more like 1/4 inch cubes, but that's because I get overzealous and kept chopping them just a tad smaller. I also wanted more bite-sized pieces, and wanted to make sure the lime juice cooked the fish all the way through before I served it.
After I chopped up the fish and put it in a bowl (make sure it's a GLASS or PLASTIC bowl--- the lime juice may corrode a metal bowl), I used a lime press (definitely worth the 5 bucks) and squeezed the limes (yes, 15 limes) into the bowl. Add the garlic, yellow onion, cilantro, serrano peppers (make sure to dice them finely--- I'm not a fan of a gigantic piece of hot pepper myself) and the orange juice. Cover with plastic, and put it in the fridge overnight.
Right before you serve it the next day, add the tomatoes and avocados. Add salt to taste. It can be served with chips like a dip or a salsa, or served up in bowls. Everyone will be amazed that you produced a great tasting dish, and you can secretly smile at how easy it was.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Alton Brown's brussels sprouts delicious-style
About a year ago, I had a roommate named Jesse. He and I would watch the Food Network sometimes. One of our favorite shows was called Good Eats, hosted by Alton Brown. Alton is a bit of a nerd (probably why I feel an affinity to him), but really knows his stuff, and makes the foods he talks about really interesting. I'd recommend watching --- it's kinda fun to see how cheesy goofy he can be.
One week, Alton did a show on brussels sprouts. I don't know that Jesse had ever had them before, but the first time I had sprouts was when I was living in Belgium. Kinda funny that I had to basically go to Brussels to find brussels sprouts. I liked the slightly bitter flavor they give, and enjoyed them in the many ways they cooked them. However, after Jesse made this recipe, and I tried it, I much preferred them this style. Jesse didn't find them that great, but I thought the flavors Alton had combined really brought out the good flavor brussels sprouts provide. I'd recommend at least trying them out if you are a decent vegetable eater. If you're picky about anything leafy that you put in your mouth, you might want to just go to McDonald's and get some Chicken McNuggets or something.
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Cheese
Alton Brown, Food Network
6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 small onion, julienned (this just means long strips)
1 tsp salt
1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
1 lb cooked brussels sprouts (see below for how to do those)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 oz blue cheese, crumbled
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
Just a note: when I make this again, I'm going to have all my ingredients cut right before I make the dish. I thought I could chop them while I was cooking it, and it turned into a big rush to try and make everything work out right. It'd just be easier to have everything ready to go before you start making the dish.
Cook the bacon in a 10-inch sauté pan with straight sides until it's crispy and brown. Remove the bacon and most of the grease, leaving about 1 Tbsp of the fat in the pan. Turn the heat to low, and put the onions, cooking them until they're almost translucent (about 3-4 minutes). Add the salt and the apple, and cook for another minute or so. Then add the cooked brussels sprouts, heavy cream, and mustard, and I basically simmered it for a minute or two, until everything was heated through. Remove from heat, and stir in the nutmeg, bacon, and blue cheese --- serve right away.
in cooking the brussels sprouts, I prefer to steam them. I got a small stainless steel steamer that just slips into any size pan and fans out or in to fit the pan. I think I paid 4 bucks for it. It really helps when you're cooking vegetables--- I rarely boil vegetables anymore, I prefer steaming them. Anyway, I tried Alton's method for cooking these, and I ran out of water and started charring the bottom of the pan, so next time I'll steam them. I would clean and prepare the sprouts the same way though. His method:
1 lb brussels sprouts, rinsed
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
Cut off the stems and remove any yellow outer leaves. Cut each brussels sprout in half from top to bottom. Place the brussels sprouts, water, and salt in a 3-4 quart saucier and cover. Place over high heat and cook for 5 minutes or until tender.
I thoroughly enjoyed this dish--- combines some really good flavors for a unique taste. I think it would go really well with grilled steak or chicken as a good tasting vegetable side.
One week, Alton did a show on brussels sprouts. I don't know that Jesse had ever had them before, but the first time I had sprouts was when I was living in Belgium. Kinda funny that I had to basically go to Brussels to find brussels sprouts. I liked the slightly bitter flavor they give, and enjoyed them in the many ways they cooked them. However, after Jesse made this recipe, and I tried it, I much preferred them this style. Jesse didn't find them that great, but I thought the flavors Alton had combined really brought out the good flavor brussels sprouts provide. I'd recommend at least trying them out if you are a decent vegetable eater. If you're picky about anything leafy that you put in your mouth, you might want to just go to McDonald's and get some Chicken McNuggets or something.
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Cheese
Alton Brown, Food Network
6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 small onion, julienned (this just means long strips)
1 tsp salt
1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
1 lb cooked brussels sprouts (see below for how to do those)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 oz blue cheese, crumbled
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
Just a note: when I make this again, I'm going to have all my ingredients cut right before I make the dish. I thought I could chop them while I was cooking it, and it turned into a big rush to try and make everything work out right. It'd just be easier to have everything ready to go before you start making the dish.
Cook the bacon in a 10-inch sauté pan with straight sides until it's crispy and brown. Remove the bacon and most of the grease, leaving about 1 Tbsp of the fat in the pan. Turn the heat to low, and put the onions, cooking them until they're almost translucent (about 3-4 minutes). Add the salt and the apple, and cook for another minute or so. Then add the cooked brussels sprouts, heavy cream, and mustard, and I basically simmered it for a minute or two, until everything was heated through. Remove from heat, and stir in the nutmeg, bacon, and blue cheese --- serve right away.
in cooking the brussels sprouts, I prefer to steam them. I got a small stainless steel steamer that just slips into any size pan and fans out or in to fit the pan. I think I paid 4 bucks for it. It really helps when you're cooking vegetables--- I rarely boil vegetables anymore, I prefer steaming them. Anyway, I tried Alton's method for cooking these, and I ran out of water and started charring the bottom of the pan, so next time I'll steam them. I would clean and prepare the sprouts the same way though. His method:
1 lb brussels sprouts, rinsed
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
Cut off the stems and remove any yellow outer leaves. Cut each brussels sprout in half from top to bottom. Place the brussels sprouts, water, and salt in a 3-4 quart saucier and cover. Place over high heat and cook for 5 minutes or until tender.
I thoroughly enjoyed this dish--- combines some really good flavors for a unique taste. I think it would go really well with grilled steak or chicken as a good tasting vegetable side.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Grandma Gubler's lemon chicken
I just spent an awesome evening talking with my Grandma Gubler, and watching the rain fall in the desert heat. She's 89 years old, and has led a life that frankly amazes me. She raised 11 children, was a registered nurse, and still managed to create what was my childhood fantasy land in her orchard. The orchard is gone now, but she still lives in the 3-story house that my mom grew up in. We just sat and talked on the swing under the back porch, listening to the wind and the rain as they gently came and went. It brought back one of my favorite memories.
I was visiting Grandma, alone, and I must have been eight. There was a terrible storm that blew in that day. We had gone to some fast food restaurant, I forget which, and midway through the power went out. We then went to the store, and I thought it was so weird how some of the lights were on, and some were off. (Coming from a small town, with no backup electrical plan, I thought it was SO strange how the store was powered by two separate power boxes. I had bizarre ideas for the world back then.) We went back to grandma's house, and we sat on her front porch, watching this massive rainstorm blow through the valley, with lightning and thunder everywhere, eating her homemade banana slush.
I don't have the recipe for the banana slush, but when I get it, I'm going to post it. In the meantime, I'll post one of my favorite recipes that she has given me. I don't know where she got it, but I got it from her, so...
Lemon Chicken
from Ella Gubler
3-4 chicken breasts, cubed (I usually cube it into about 3/4" cubes)
1/4 cup butter (please don't cook with margarine. It's not the 80s anymore.)
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp terragon (very important, I bought terragon just for this dish and have never regretted it)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cube chicken bouillon (I use the Knorr powered bouillon, and just add it by taste)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh is by FAR the best)
Cube the chicken, and cut off the excess fat. Preheat the pan, and melt the butter in it. cook the chicken in the butter until it's done. I like to fry it a bit after it's cooked in the butter, just to brown the chicken a bit. I then mix the flour, terragon, and salt in a small ramekin until that's blended, then I sprinkle it over the chicken. I coat the chicken with it, and cook it for just a minute, to brown the flour and get a good crust on the chicken cubes. Then add 3/4 cup water to the bouillon and dissolve it to make a chicken broth (I just pour the water in the chicken pan, and then sprinkle the powdered bouillon on until it tastes good), and add the juice. Cook it a few minutes, until you get a really nice gravy going. I love serving it with my really good rice recipe (to follow soon)--- makes a delicious dinner, easy to make, and takes very little time.
Grandma gave me this dish when I asked her for a simple, good meal I could impress a date with. It's never failed. Now I can toss the receipt from Target that I wrote the recipe on.
I was visiting Grandma, alone, and I must have been eight. There was a terrible storm that blew in that day. We had gone to some fast food restaurant, I forget which, and midway through the power went out. We then went to the store, and I thought it was so weird how some of the lights were on, and some were off. (Coming from a small town, with no backup electrical plan, I thought it was SO strange how the store was powered by two separate power boxes. I had bizarre ideas for the world back then.) We went back to grandma's house, and we sat on her front porch, watching this massive rainstorm blow through the valley, with lightning and thunder everywhere, eating her homemade banana slush.
I don't have the recipe for the banana slush, but when I get it, I'm going to post it. In the meantime, I'll post one of my favorite recipes that she has given me. I don't know where she got it, but I got it from her, so...
Lemon Chicken
from Ella Gubler
3-4 chicken breasts, cubed (I usually cube it into about 3/4" cubes)
1/4 cup butter (please don't cook with margarine. It's not the 80s anymore.)
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp terragon (very important, I bought terragon just for this dish and have never regretted it)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cube chicken bouillon (I use the Knorr powered bouillon, and just add it by taste)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh is by FAR the best)
Cube the chicken, and cut off the excess fat. Preheat the pan, and melt the butter in it. cook the chicken in the butter until it's done. I like to fry it a bit after it's cooked in the butter, just to brown the chicken a bit. I then mix the flour, terragon, and salt in a small ramekin until that's blended, then I sprinkle it over the chicken. I coat the chicken with it, and cook it for just a minute, to brown the flour and get a good crust on the chicken cubes. Then add 3/4 cup water to the bouillon and dissolve it to make a chicken broth (I just pour the water in the chicken pan, and then sprinkle the powdered bouillon on until it tastes good), and add the juice. Cook it a few minutes, until you get a really nice gravy going. I love serving it with my really good rice recipe (to follow soon)--- makes a delicious dinner, easy to make, and takes very little time.
Grandma gave me this dish when I asked her for a simple, good meal I could impress a date with. It's never failed. Now I can toss the receipt from Target that I wrote the recipe on.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon
Today I had a kitchen fire.
I've never had one before. It was somewhat exciting. Actually, it was more annoying than exciting, because no matter how much I blew on it, to put out the fire, it kept popping up. I guess it didn't help I poured a bunch of butter/oil down into the burner well--- aparently oil ignites fairly easily. Only after I realized the burner was on HI did I figure that turning that off would help as well. I'm just glad I didn't overreact and spray fire retardant all over my meal. That does a lot to dampen the flavors of anything you make.
Michelle is coming over tonight, and I thought I'd make my pièce de résistance--- Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. The day after I'd gotten Julia's cookbook for Christmas (and watched the movie), I just HAD to try it. The fanciest beef dish I'd had before that was our weekly dinner, Boeuf de Sunday Roast, which after 15 years had gotten a trifle old. Boeuf Bourguignon sounded, well, better. And BOY was it ever.
WARNING: This dish should not be done as a spur-of-the-moment sort of thing. It takes a good 2 hours to prepare--- even with help--- and it'll be done about 4 hours after you start. You'll also need some kitchen supplies. Most important is a good pot that you can use both on the kitchen top and in the oven. The first time I made it, I used a Dutch oven, which worked pretty well (except the clean-up was hard). Knowing it would be a dish I'd make more often, I invested in a really nice porcelain Dutch oven (about $60 bucks at Wal-mart). It was pricy, but I LOVE my new Boeuf pan. It works *perfectly*.
On with the recipe. It's involved, so follow it pretty closely.
BOEUF BOURGUIGNON
by Julia Childs, Mastering the Art of French Cooking
ingredients:
6 oz bacon lardons (see below)
1 Tb olive oil
3 lbs lean stewing beef cut into 2 inch cubes
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tb flour
3 cups of a full-bodied wine -- see next paragraph for types
2-3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
1 Tb tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
crumbled bay leaf
Julia Child recommends the following wine: "a full-bodied, young young red wine, such as Beauolais, Côtes du Rhone, Bordeaux-St-Émilion, or Burgundy. I used one I found at the local wine store-- a 2007 Côtes du Rhone-Villages wine by Louis Bernard, costing me about 11 bucks. I think a wine in any of the classes above in the $10 range should be ok. I wouldn't go with the cheapest, but that's just me.
Pre-heat the oven to 425°. First you need 6 oz "lardons" which are like 1/4" x 1/4" by 1 1/2" pieces of bacon. I got the thickest cut bacon slices I could find, and just sliced the bacon into 1/4 inch strips. You *MUST* gently boil them for 10 minutes--- I found out later that American bacon is smoked, while French bacon is not, and if you don't boil the bacon pieces, your bourguignon will be compromised by the overwhelming taste of smoked bacon.
While the bacon was boiling, I dried off the pieces of stewing meat. I just got the meat at the grocery store, and tried to find the best and biggest pieces of meat. Try to avoid the small ones--- you will understand later on in the cooking process. The bigger the better. I just used paper towel to dry them off. Again, this is an important step--- if they're not dry, they will not brown, and you won't get the crispy sides that just add a lot of dimension to the final dish. After the meat was dried, the bacon was ready to cook.
The olive oil goes into the big dutch oven, on the stove, and I cooked the bacon in it, just barely browning it, not crisping it. I took it out, and then came the worst part of the whole process: browning the meat. It pretty much splattered grease all over everywhere--- but trust me, it's worth it. I definitely used more oil than Julia stated in her recipe, but I wonder if it's because the meat soaks up some of it, or more likely it splattered all over the stove. In any case, I got the meat browned, and cut up the carrot and onion, and got them browned too. Then I dumped the meat and bacon back in. I mixed the dry ingredients together (flour, salt, pepper), and tossed the meat in it. Itmade a nice paste looking coating on the meat. I then put the whole pot in the oven for 4 minutes on the middle rack (to brown the flour --- helps get a nice crust on the meat). I took it out, tossed again, and then put it in the oven again for 4 minutes (browning it again). IMMEDIATELY turn the oven down to 325°.
Then came the fun part. You get to pour 3 cups of the wine in the pot (make sure to measure, you'll want the rest for the onions), then poured in enough beef stock in to barely cover the meat (I flattened out the meat too, so I wouldn't get too much gravy to have to reduce). Then throw everything else in (I used fresh thyme--- I think it tastes better, and it's cheap to get if you have some growing in your garden) and simmer it. Once it's simmering, it goes in the oven for 2 1/2 hours on the bottom rack --- I just removed the top rack and put it on the very bottom rack. Once it's in, it just simmers until it's done.
While it was simmering, I made the brown-braised white onions and the fresh mushrooms sautéed in butter. Those go in right before you serve it and make this dish really shine. Those recipes will follow on this blog.
After the meat is simmered and is really tender (a fork should pierce it easily), I removed the dish, and poured the meat into a colander and strained the sauce into a pan. I heated the sauce and reduced it just a bit until it was fairly thick --- enough to coat a spoon lightly. There was a bit of oil on the top, but I just skimmed it off. I put the meat back in the pot, put the onions and mushrooms on top of the meat, and then poured the sauce over the meat and vegetables. After bringing it to a simmer again, I simmered it for a couple of minutes, letting the flavors mix a final time. And now it's ready to serve.
I'd better go try to get the burnt smell out of the house. She'll be here in an hour.
I've never had one before. It was somewhat exciting. Actually, it was more annoying than exciting, because no matter how much I blew on it, to put out the fire, it kept popping up. I guess it didn't help I poured a bunch of butter/oil down into the burner well--- aparently oil ignites fairly easily. Only after I realized the burner was on HI did I figure that turning that off would help as well. I'm just glad I didn't overreact and spray fire retardant all over my meal. That does a lot to dampen the flavors of anything you make.
Michelle is coming over tonight, and I thought I'd make my pièce de résistance--- Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. The day after I'd gotten Julia's cookbook for Christmas (and watched the movie), I just HAD to try it. The fanciest beef dish I'd had before that was our weekly dinner, Boeuf de Sunday Roast, which after 15 years had gotten a trifle old. Boeuf Bourguignon sounded, well, better. And BOY was it ever.
WARNING: This dish should not be done as a spur-of-the-moment sort of thing. It takes a good 2 hours to prepare--- even with help--- and it'll be done about 4 hours after you start. You'll also need some kitchen supplies. Most important is a good pot that you can use both on the kitchen top and in the oven. The first time I made it, I used a Dutch oven, which worked pretty well (except the clean-up was hard). Knowing it would be a dish I'd make more often, I invested in a really nice porcelain Dutch oven (about $60 bucks at Wal-mart). It was pricy, but I LOVE my new Boeuf pan. It works *perfectly*.
On with the recipe. It's involved, so follow it pretty closely.
BOEUF BOURGUIGNON
by Julia Childs, Mastering the Art of French Cooking
ingredients:
6 oz bacon lardons (see below)
1 Tb olive oil
3 lbs lean stewing beef cut into 2 inch cubes
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tb flour
3 cups of a full-bodied wine -- see next paragraph for types
2-3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
1 Tb tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
crumbled bay leaf
Julia Child recommends the following wine: "a full-bodied, young young red wine, such as Beauolais, Côtes du Rhone, Bordeaux-St-Émilion, or Burgundy. I used one I found at the local wine store-- a 2007 Côtes du Rhone-Villages wine by Louis Bernard, costing me about 11 bucks. I think a wine in any of the classes above in the $10 range should be ok. I wouldn't go with the cheapest, but that's just me.
Pre-heat the oven to 425°. First you need 6 oz "lardons" which are like 1/4" x 1/4" by 1 1/2" pieces of bacon. I got the thickest cut bacon slices I could find, and just sliced the bacon into 1/4 inch strips. You *MUST* gently boil them for 10 minutes--- I found out later that American bacon is smoked, while French bacon is not, and if you don't boil the bacon pieces, your bourguignon will be compromised by the overwhelming taste of smoked bacon.
While the bacon was boiling, I dried off the pieces of stewing meat. I just got the meat at the grocery store, and tried to find the best and biggest pieces of meat. Try to avoid the small ones--- you will understand later on in the cooking process. The bigger the better. I just used paper towel to dry them off. Again, this is an important step--- if they're not dry, they will not brown, and you won't get the crispy sides that just add a lot of dimension to the final dish. After the meat was dried, the bacon was ready to cook.
The olive oil goes into the big dutch oven, on the stove, and I cooked the bacon in it, just barely browning it, not crisping it. I took it out, and then came the worst part of the whole process: browning the meat. It pretty much splattered grease all over everywhere--- but trust me, it's worth it. I definitely used more oil than Julia stated in her recipe, but I wonder if it's because the meat soaks up some of it, or more likely it splattered all over the stove. In any case, I got the meat browned, and cut up the carrot and onion, and got them browned too. Then I dumped the meat and bacon back in. I mixed the dry ingredients together (flour, salt, pepper), and tossed the meat in it. Itmade a nice paste looking coating on the meat. I then put the whole pot in the oven for 4 minutes on the middle rack (to brown the flour --- helps get a nice crust on the meat). I took it out, tossed again, and then put it in the oven again for 4 minutes (browning it again). IMMEDIATELY turn the oven down to 325°.
Then came the fun part. You get to pour 3 cups of the wine in the pot (make sure to measure, you'll want the rest for the onions), then poured in enough beef stock in to barely cover the meat (I flattened out the meat too, so I wouldn't get too much gravy to have to reduce). Then throw everything else in (I used fresh thyme--- I think it tastes better, and it's cheap to get if you have some growing in your garden) and simmer it. Once it's simmering, it goes in the oven for 2 1/2 hours on the bottom rack --- I just removed the top rack and put it on the very bottom rack. Once it's in, it just simmers until it's done.
While it was simmering, I made the brown-braised white onions and the fresh mushrooms sautéed in butter. Those go in right before you serve it and make this dish really shine. Those recipes will follow on this blog.
After the meat is simmered and is really tender (a fork should pierce it easily), I removed the dish, and poured the meat into a colander and strained the sauce into a pan. I heated the sauce and reduced it just a bit until it was fairly thick --- enough to coat a spoon lightly. There was a bit of oil on the top, but I just skimmed it off. I put the meat back in the pot, put the onions and mushrooms on top of the meat, and then poured the sauce over the meat and vegetables. After bringing it to a simmer again, I simmered it for a couple of minutes, letting the flavors mix a final time. And now it's ready to serve.
I'd better go try to get the burnt smell out of the house. She'll be here in an hour.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Swiss carrot cake
Years ago, when I was a new student at BYU, I really wanted to learn German and move to Switzerland. My ancestors on both sides are Swiss, and I had been enamored with the country since I could remember. I joined a Swiss-American organization, and saw that they had this English version of a cookbook featuring authentic Swiss recipes. I jumped on that immediately. The book arrived--- a very nicely published and illustrated volume. There was one problem: all the measurements were in METRIC. Like I knew what 300 grams of something translated into "real" American measurements would be. I was so disappointed. The cookbook sat unused.
Fast forward a few years. My good friend from Switzerland, Regina, had come to visit me for a few weeks in the states, and we had decided to do an ethnic Swiss dessert selection. I whipped out the scale that I had purchased since college, and Regina went to work. The result? Pure deliciousness. So I decided that when the time arose, I would make it again.
I invited my cousin Michelle and her brood to dinner tomorrow night, and decided to make this carrot cake for dessert. As I didn't want to cook ALL day tomorrow, I made it tonight. The recipe book maintains that the cake is better the next day because the carrots keep the cake moist. I don't know about that, but I do know it's really yummy.
I've attempted to provide *rough* estimates to the American equivalents of the measurements of this recipe. NOTE: I am not responsible for any cooking mishap that results in the use of these equivalents, because I MUCH prefer to measure the ingredients out as outlined in the book. Any serious cook should have a digital scale in the house, with the ability to measure in both ounces and grams.
Carrot Cake, Aargau recipe
from Culinary Art and Traditions of Switzerland
5 eggs, separated (this is the same in both metric and American)
300 grams sugar (this is between 1 1/3 and 1 1/2 cups of sugar)
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 2 lemons, grated
300 grams ground almonds (about 1 2/3 cup *AFTER* they are ground)
300 grams finely grated carrots (between 1 1/3 and 1 1/2 cups *after* they are grated --- I ended up using 4 average sized store-bought carrots)
75 grams corn flour (I'm assuming this is corn meal, and it was right between 1/3 and 1/2 cup in my pyrex cup measure)
a pinch of cinnamon
a pinch of ground cloves
10 grams baking powder (approx. 1 Tbsp)
a pinch of salt
apricot jam (for glazing)
50 ml kirsch --- this measurement will be on your pyrex cup measure as well
fondant icing (I didn't use this)
marzipan carrots (I didn't use this either, but they are really good with it-- Regina spent a couple of hours and made some really awesome looking marzipan carrots with marzipan, red/yellow food coloring, and green food coloring. At this point, the available effort in my body was too low to begin that task. I'd recommend if you are taking this dish to a fancy party, or if you really like marzipan.)
THANKFULLY I have a food processor (another must in my kitchen gadget repertoire). I did the almonds first because they wouldn't get as wet as the carrots, so I'd only have to wash the thing once. I just weighed out the 300 grams of almonds (again, LOVE the digital scale) and dumped them in the processor with the knife blade attachment. I turned it on. Don't be alarmed at the sound, the almonds will calm down and be quieter when they are more finely ground. I kept going until it began to coagulate. I don't recommend grinding it that much--- it just started to make a paste which was a bit harder to work with. I'd just grind them down to very fine particles but it's not going to be a true powder.
I then grated the carrots with the cheese grater attachment first, then put them in with the knife blade attachment. They came out perfect --- very small pieces but still pieces, it wasn't a soupy mess. I weighed out 300 grams and set it aside. I then separated the eggs, putting the whites in my mixer (another kitchen appliance I completely LOVE) and set aside for later.
The egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest are all to be beaten together until it's all the same pale yellow color. I used my AWESOME zester I got for about 10 bucks (I will never use another zester again, it works like velvet). I then dumped the ground almonds and carrots in the mix, and blended those together. I read somewhere that you're supposed to mix all dry ingredients together, so I mixed the corn meal, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, and salt in a bowl before adding it to the batter. It makes sense to me--- before I started doing that, I'd just dump each dry ingredient in and then beat it. Besides saving a buttload of time, it also means you're not going to get a big mouthful of unmixed cinnamon. or cloves. or worse yet, baking powder. It's just a good idea, I recommend it. Then I beat in the kirsch. I flipped the switch on my mixer, and in a few minutes (with NO effort on my part), I had some really lovely looking egg white foam, which I folded in the batter. It was ready to go into the oven.
The pan I used for this dish is an 8 inch round springform pan. I would recommend this, as it makes it easiest to remove it from the pan, for presentation. The cake really is not supposed to be served from a cake pan --- I suppose you could do it, but it seems SO anti-Swiss to do such a thing to a really beautiful dessert. These aren't terribly expensive, and if you have a friend who bought a few once and then never used them (or got them for wedding gifts), you might luck out like I did and get them for free.
The book claims that baking it at 350 for an hour will produce the cake. Mine was done in 40 minutes. I'd probably just check it with a toothpick and if it comes out clean, it's done. Popped mine out--- and make sure to use a knife to loosen the edges before you remove it from the springform pan, or part of it might cling to it. Just a note--- I can't figure out why mine collapsed in the middle. I'm kinda bummed about it, but it still tastes great. Don't go into a depression spiral because of it--- things aren't supposed to work *all* the time, unless you are Emeril or something. If that is you, you probably should stop reading this blog, and start cooking at high end restaurants and/or start your own TV show.
I just used homemade apricot jam (heated) to glaze the cake (which is a fancy way to say I frosted it with the stuff). I didn't use the fondant--- I wasn't sure what that was supposed to be but I'm guessing from the picture it's not the nasty stuff they put on wedding cakes. I basically just served it as is.
The cake is DELICIOUS. Moist, almondy, the flavors just really pop out. Children don't seem to enjoy it because it's not your typical Betty Crocker cake mix texture--- this one is a bit more dense, but tastes... I dunno... more real. Now that I can operate in metric, I will be making this cake when I want to impress my guests with how international I can be.
Fast forward a few years. My good friend from Switzerland, Regina, had come to visit me for a few weeks in the states, and we had decided to do an ethnic Swiss dessert selection. I whipped out the scale that I had purchased since college, and Regina went to work. The result? Pure deliciousness. So I decided that when the time arose, I would make it again.
I invited my cousin Michelle and her brood to dinner tomorrow night, and decided to make this carrot cake for dessert. As I didn't want to cook ALL day tomorrow, I made it tonight. The recipe book maintains that the cake is better the next day because the carrots keep the cake moist. I don't know about that, but I do know it's really yummy.
I've attempted to provide *rough* estimates to the American equivalents of the measurements of this recipe. NOTE: I am not responsible for any cooking mishap that results in the use of these equivalents, because I MUCH prefer to measure the ingredients out as outlined in the book. Any serious cook should have a digital scale in the house, with the ability to measure in both ounces and grams.
Carrot Cake, Aargau recipe
from Culinary Art and Traditions of Switzerland
5 eggs, separated (this is the same in both metric and American)
300 grams sugar (this is between 1 1/3 and 1 1/2 cups of sugar)
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 2 lemons, grated
300 grams ground almonds (about 1 2/3 cup *AFTER* they are ground)
300 grams finely grated carrots (between 1 1/3 and 1 1/2 cups *after* they are grated --- I ended up using 4 average sized store-bought carrots)
75 grams corn flour (I'm assuming this is corn meal, and it was right between 1/3 and 1/2 cup in my pyrex cup measure)
a pinch of cinnamon
a pinch of ground cloves
10 grams baking powder (approx. 1 Tbsp)
a pinch of salt
apricot jam (for glazing)
50 ml kirsch --- this measurement will be on your pyrex cup measure as well
fondant icing (I didn't use this)
marzipan carrots (I didn't use this either, but they are really good with it-- Regina spent a couple of hours and made some really awesome looking marzipan carrots with marzipan, red/yellow food coloring, and green food coloring. At this point, the available effort in my body was too low to begin that task. I'd recommend if you are taking this dish to a fancy party, or if you really like marzipan.)
THANKFULLY I have a food processor (another must in my kitchen gadget repertoire). I did the almonds first because they wouldn't get as wet as the carrots, so I'd only have to wash the thing once. I just weighed out the 300 grams of almonds (again, LOVE the digital scale) and dumped them in the processor with the knife blade attachment. I turned it on. Don't be alarmed at the sound, the almonds will calm down and be quieter when they are more finely ground. I kept going until it began to coagulate. I don't recommend grinding it that much--- it just started to make a paste which was a bit harder to work with. I'd just grind them down to very fine particles but it's not going to be a true powder.
I then grated the carrots with the cheese grater attachment first, then put them in with the knife blade attachment. They came out perfect --- very small pieces but still pieces, it wasn't a soupy mess. I weighed out 300 grams and set it aside. I then separated the eggs, putting the whites in my mixer (another kitchen appliance I completely LOVE) and set aside for later.
The egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest are all to be beaten together until it's all the same pale yellow color. I used my AWESOME zester I got for about 10 bucks (I will never use another zester again, it works like velvet). I then dumped the ground almonds and carrots in the mix, and blended those together. I read somewhere that you're supposed to mix all dry ingredients together, so I mixed the corn meal, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, and salt in a bowl before adding it to the batter. It makes sense to me--- before I started doing that, I'd just dump each dry ingredient in and then beat it. Besides saving a buttload of time, it also means you're not going to get a big mouthful of unmixed cinnamon. or cloves. or worse yet, baking powder. It's just a good idea, I recommend it. Then I beat in the kirsch. I flipped the switch on my mixer, and in a few minutes (with NO effort on my part), I had some really lovely looking egg white foam, which I folded in the batter. It was ready to go into the oven.
The pan I used for this dish is an 8 inch round springform pan. I would recommend this, as it makes it easiest to remove it from the pan, for presentation. The cake really is not supposed to be served from a cake pan --- I suppose you could do it, but it seems SO anti-Swiss to do such a thing to a really beautiful dessert. These aren't terribly expensive, and if you have a friend who bought a few once and then never used them (or got them for wedding gifts), you might luck out like I did and get them for free.
The book claims that baking it at 350 for an hour will produce the cake. Mine was done in 40 minutes. I'd probably just check it with a toothpick and if it comes out clean, it's done. Popped mine out--- and make sure to use a knife to loosen the edges before you remove it from the springform pan, or part of it might cling to it. Just a note--- I can't figure out why mine collapsed in the middle. I'm kinda bummed about it, but it still tastes great. Don't go into a depression spiral because of it--- things aren't supposed to work *all* the time, unless you are Emeril or something. If that is you, you probably should stop reading this blog, and start cooking at high end restaurants and/or start your own TV show.
I just used homemade apricot jam (heated) to glaze the cake (which is a fancy way to say I frosted it with the stuff). I didn't use the fondant--- I wasn't sure what that was supposed to be but I'm guessing from the picture it's not the nasty stuff they put on wedding cakes. I basically just served it as is.
The cake is DELICIOUS. Moist, almondy, the flavors just really pop out. Children don't seem to enjoy it because it's not your typical Betty Crocker cake mix texture--- this one is a bit more dense, but tastes... I dunno... more real. Now that I can operate in metric, I will be making this cake when I want to impress my guests with how international I can be.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Black Beans -- pressure cooker style
This recipe is FREAKING GOOD.
I first tasted them when I lived in Draper. The moment the first spoonful touched my lips, my life was forever altered. I later got the recipe from a cooking class I attended in Park City. (FYI, those cooking classes are FANTASTIC, and are held at Park City at No Place Like Home (1685 Bonanza Drive.) Since then, it's been a FAVORITE of mine. A few people have asked for this recipe, so here it is for your enjoyment. You will need a pressure cooker, because I don't know how to make it otherwise... or else you can figure out how to cook it for the few days normal beans take.
Frijoles Negros --- a Friderici family recipe
1 16 oz black beans (not pre-cooked)
1 16 oz package smoked bacon, cooked and diced
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1/4 green pepper, diced
3 large garlic cloves, finely diced
2.5 oz pepperoni (approx. 35 slices), finely diced
5 Tbsp bacon grease
2 1/2 tablespoons powdered chicken bouillon, or to taste (I like to use the Knorr Caldo con sabor de Pollo one. Tastes fantastic.)
8 cups water (can substitute 8 cups chicken stock for the bouillon and water)
1 lime
1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large tomatoes, pureed
couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce
3 dried chile de arbol peppers
Pick through the beans and wash thoroughly. THIS IS IMPORTANT. No matter how clean your beans look, I have always found a rock in them. It's cheaper to just do this step instead of replacing someone's crown. In a large pressure cooker, cook the bacon, and drain it on paper towels. Reserve 5 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pressure cooker. While the bacon is cooking, I will use a food processor and mince the pepperoni pretty finely (not into a mash --- you want some sort of texture) and chop up the onions and green pepper. For the garlic, I just use one of those garlic presses -- just so much easier than trying to chop the crap out of it. By the time that's done, the bacon is usually done. I'll just dump most of the grease out, leaving enough to cook the stuff I've chopped, and put all that in on medium heat. After letting the bacon drain for a bit, I throw that in the food processor and mince it up about the size of bacon bits. After that mix is pretty much cooked, I'll dump the bacno back in, and add about 6 cups of the water to get it more soupy (so I don't burn anything). I'll add the beans in as well, and puree the tomatoes in the food processor after the bacon's out (why dirty anything else), and just put the rest of the ingredients in. I'll bring it all to a boil, then gently place the chile de arbol peppers on top of everything (so I don't have to go hunting for it after they're cooked --- you take them out when it's done; they're just for added flavoring). When it's cooking, I'll put the pressure cooker lid on, and cook for between 1 1/4 hours to 1 1/2 hours. REMEMBER when the pressure cooker has fully pressurized, to turn the heat DOWN to low. Once I forgot this... and ended up with Charred Bean Mush. I don't recommend trying that recipe. The beans are done when they're soft, so if they are crunchy, turn them back on and re-pressurize the cooker.
I LOVE serving them soup-style, with some homemade pico de gallo salsa and some sour cream. This is one of my top favorites, and I make this about once a month.
I first tasted them when I lived in Draper. The moment the first spoonful touched my lips, my life was forever altered. I later got the recipe from a cooking class I attended in Park City. (FYI, those cooking classes are FANTASTIC, and are held at Park City at No Place Like Home (1685 Bonanza Drive.) Since then, it's been a FAVORITE of mine. A few people have asked for this recipe, so here it is for your enjoyment. You will need a pressure cooker, because I don't know how to make it otherwise... or else you can figure out how to cook it for the few days normal beans take.
Frijoles Negros --- a Friderici family recipe
1 16 oz black beans (not pre-cooked)
1 16 oz package smoked bacon, cooked and diced
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1/4 green pepper, diced
3 large garlic cloves, finely diced
2.5 oz pepperoni (approx. 35 slices), finely diced
5 Tbsp bacon grease
2 1/2 tablespoons powdered chicken bouillon, or to taste (I like to use the Knorr Caldo con sabor de Pollo one. Tastes fantastic.)
8 cups water (can substitute 8 cups chicken stock for the bouillon and water)
1 lime
1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large tomatoes, pureed
couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce
3 dried chile de arbol peppers
Pick through the beans and wash thoroughly. THIS IS IMPORTANT. No matter how clean your beans look, I have always found a rock in them. It's cheaper to just do this step instead of replacing someone's crown. In a large pressure cooker, cook the bacon, and drain it on paper towels. Reserve 5 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pressure cooker. While the bacon is cooking, I will use a food processor and mince the pepperoni pretty finely (not into a mash --- you want some sort of texture) and chop up the onions and green pepper. For the garlic, I just use one of those garlic presses -- just so much easier than trying to chop the crap out of it. By the time that's done, the bacon is usually done. I'll just dump most of the grease out, leaving enough to cook the stuff I've chopped, and put all that in on medium heat. After letting the bacon drain for a bit, I throw that in the food processor and mince it up about the size of bacon bits. After that mix is pretty much cooked, I'll dump the bacno back in, and add about 6 cups of the water to get it more soupy (so I don't burn anything). I'll add the beans in as well, and puree the tomatoes in the food processor after the bacon's out (why dirty anything else), and just put the rest of the ingredients in. I'll bring it all to a boil, then gently place the chile de arbol peppers on top of everything (so I don't have to go hunting for it after they're cooked --- you take them out when it's done; they're just for added flavoring). When it's cooking, I'll put the pressure cooker lid on, and cook for between 1 1/4 hours to 1 1/2 hours. REMEMBER when the pressure cooker has fully pressurized, to turn the heat DOWN to low. Once I forgot this... and ended up with Charred Bean Mush. I don't recommend trying that recipe. The beans are done when they're soft, so if they are crunchy, turn them back on and re-pressurize the cooker.
I LOVE serving them soup-style, with some homemade pico de gallo salsa and some sour cream. This is one of my top favorites, and I make this about once a month.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Clafouti --- Julia Child style
I got a Julia Child recipe book for Christmas. Ok I got THE Julia Child recipe book for Christmas. I immediately set out to try out the hallmark dish of the book (and the movie --- pretty good flick I must add) --- boeuf bourgignonne, and have made it several times since. I also tried the Bavarian Cream... which is well worth the effort. And I'm sure I'll talk about those in later posts when I make them again.
I was leafing through the cookbook the other day with my friend Jamon and we of course had turned to the dessert section (I'm rather partial to sugar). I also had a hunkering for cherries. Jamon had told me he'd had a clafouti and didn't really care for it much... but then again, he told me that about Boeuf Bourgignon, and he'd done a 180 on it after I'd cooked him some. So, after a few weeks of thinking... and thinking... and thinking... about it, I decided to make it. After all, Julia claims that it is a super simple dish. Sometimes the simplest ones are the tastiest.
Clafouti [Cherry Flan]
from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking
3 cups pitted black cherries
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 Tb vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup flour
Basically you are supposed to blend all the ingredients (except the cherries) in a blender, pour a bit of batter in the bottom of a 7-8 cup pan (I used an 8x8" square pyrex dish), get that a bit cooked, pour the cherries in, shake 1/3 cup granulated sugar over the cherries, and pour the rest of the batter over it. You're then supposed to bake it at 350 for about an hour.
Well, her variation sounded interesting... Clafouti à la Liqueur... in which you soak the cherries in 1/4 cup kirsch (a cherry liqueur) and the 1/3 cup sugar for an hour, then put the rest in, but omitting 1/4 cup of the milk and the 1/3 cup sugar you're supposed to shake on top. (See here for a champion blogger's discussion on kirsch.) I decided to try it.
Pitting the cherries was kinda fun. I didn't feel like spending $10 on a cherry pitter (I'd just bought the kirsch), and after googling some other people's experiences, I just opted to use some scissors to pop them out. I poked a hole in the bottom of the cherry, then pushed the pit out from the top after removing the stem. It actually went really quickly, and though I was sad to see those cherries with holes torn in them, I figured my teeth would thank me for removing the pits. I stirred the kirsch and the sugar together, then poured it over the cherries. I also read somewhere on google (sorry citation police, I have no idea where) that soaking the pits in the kirsch mixture would add a sort of almond undertone to the dessert. I figured, what the heck.
While I soaked it, I made some dinner, relaxed, and started this blog.
I dusted off the blender and whipped up the batter. It's a bit on the runny side. I coated the bottom bit and put it in the oven to create the cake bottom (I guess that's what I am supposed to be doing with it) while I extracted the pits from the cherry mix. I think next time I'll either omit the pits, or put them in cheesecloth so they can't wander back up inside the cherries. I thought the batter bit would be done, but it wasn't, so I waited a bit longer. I might have made it too thick, but after maybe 7 minutes it came out pretty firm. I put the cherry syrup mixture on, then poured the rest of the batter, and popped it in the oven.
An hour later... and the clafouti is out of the oven. Don't be alarmed when it falls after you take it out--- Julia assured me that it's supposed to be that way.
VERDICT: *really* good. The cherries still are firm and have that really good crunch to them, and the custard really complements the dish. It's very best eaten right out of the oven. And it was really easy to make... just pit the cherries, and blend the rest of the ingredients together. I might try it without the kirsch, to see if there is a big difference in it, but it tastes REALLY good. I'll be making this again.
I was leafing through the cookbook the other day with my friend Jamon and we of course had turned to the dessert section (I'm rather partial to sugar). I also had a hunkering for cherries. Jamon had told me he'd had a clafouti and didn't really care for it much... but then again, he told me that about Boeuf Bourgignon, and he'd done a 180 on it after I'd cooked him some. So, after a few weeks of thinking... and thinking... and thinking... about it, I decided to make it. After all, Julia claims that it is a super simple dish. Sometimes the simplest ones are the tastiest.
Clafouti [Cherry Flan]
from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking
3 cups pitted black cherries
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 Tb vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup flour
Basically you are supposed to blend all the ingredients (except the cherries) in a blender, pour a bit of batter in the bottom of a 7-8 cup pan (I used an 8x8" square pyrex dish), get that a bit cooked, pour the cherries in, shake 1/3 cup granulated sugar over the cherries, and pour the rest of the batter over it. You're then supposed to bake it at 350 for about an hour.
Well, her variation sounded interesting... Clafouti à la Liqueur... in which you soak the cherries in 1/4 cup kirsch (a cherry liqueur) and the 1/3 cup sugar for an hour, then put the rest in, but omitting 1/4 cup of the milk and the 1/3 cup sugar you're supposed to shake on top. (See here for a champion blogger's discussion on kirsch.) I decided to try it.
Pitting the cherries was kinda fun. I didn't feel like spending $10 on a cherry pitter (I'd just bought the kirsch), and after googling some other people's experiences, I just opted to use some scissors to pop them out. I poked a hole in the bottom of the cherry, then pushed the pit out from the top after removing the stem. It actually went really quickly, and though I was sad to see those cherries with holes torn in them, I figured my teeth would thank me for removing the pits. I stirred the kirsch and the sugar together, then poured it over the cherries. I also read somewhere on google (sorry citation police, I have no idea where) that soaking the pits in the kirsch mixture would add a sort of almond undertone to the dessert. I figured, what the heck.
While I soaked it, I made some dinner, relaxed, and started this blog.
I dusted off the blender and whipped up the batter. It's a bit on the runny side. I coated the bottom bit and put it in the oven to create the cake bottom (I guess that's what I am supposed to be doing with it) while I extracted the pits from the cherry mix. I think next time I'll either omit the pits, or put them in cheesecloth so they can't wander back up inside the cherries. I thought the batter bit would be done, but it wasn't, so I waited a bit longer. I might have made it too thick, but after maybe 7 minutes it came out pretty firm. I put the cherry syrup mixture on, then poured the rest of the batter, and popped it in the oven.
An hour later... and the clafouti is out of the oven. Don't be alarmed when it falls after you take it out--- Julia assured me that it's supposed to be that way.
VERDICT: *really* good. The cherries still are firm and have that really good crunch to them, and the custard really complements the dish. It's very best eaten right out of the oven. And it was really easy to make... just pit the cherries, and blend the rest of the ingredients together. I might try it without the kirsch, to see if there is a big difference in it, but it tastes REALLY good. I'll be making this again.
Hello everyone (emphasis on the "one")
I am not a chef.
I just want to get that out now. I've never gone to cooking school (though that sounds fun), I've actually never even taken a cooking class. Ok that's a lie, once right after high school I enrolled in some college classes for the summer, and ended up taking a cooking class with my friend (now cousin-in-law) Ryan. I didn't even get college credit, so maybe it didn't count after all. I just know I like to cook. Growing up, I'd try to spice up our typical American fare with international recipes. I don't know why I was fascinated with them--- I think it's because my dad's idea of summer vacation was usually to go to the nearest swimming pool the second town down the road. I dreamed of traveling the world, and the kitchen was the only way I could express that desire.
After graduation, my cooking desires came in spurts. It was hard to cook for just myself... I mean it tasted good, but who wants 6 meals in a row of the same thing? And so I dabbled. And picked up some really good recipes along the way, from friends from all over the world. I guess part of me is still wanting to taste what people eat all over the globe.
My friend Serena apparently keeps a cooking blog, and that inspired me to start doing the same. That and a few people I know have asked me for some of the recipes I make. So I thought I'd put them here. I will give credit wherever I can, otherwise, for example if I make something my mom used to make, I guess I'll credit her. Please don't sue her, she was just trying to feed the six of us for heck's sakes.
That's about all the introduction I need, I guess. Shall we start cooking?
I just want to get that out now. I've never gone to cooking school (though that sounds fun), I've actually never even taken a cooking class. Ok that's a lie, once right after high school I enrolled in some college classes for the summer, and ended up taking a cooking class with my friend (now cousin-in-law) Ryan. I didn't even get college credit, so maybe it didn't count after all. I just know I like to cook. Growing up, I'd try to spice up our typical American fare with international recipes. I don't know why I was fascinated with them--- I think it's because my dad's idea of summer vacation was usually to go to the nearest swimming pool the second town down the road. I dreamed of traveling the world, and the kitchen was the only way I could express that desire.
After graduation, my cooking desires came in spurts. It was hard to cook for just myself... I mean it tasted good, but who wants 6 meals in a row of the same thing? And so I dabbled. And picked up some really good recipes along the way, from friends from all over the world. I guess part of me is still wanting to taste what people eat all over the globe.
My friend Serena apparently keeps a cooking blog, and that inspired me to start doing the same. That and a few people I know have asked me for some of the recipes I make. So I thought I'd put them here. I will give credit wherever I can, otherwise, for example if I make something my mom used to make, I guess I'll credit her. Please don't sue her, she was just trying to feed the six of us for heck's sakes.
That's about all the introduction I need, I guess. Shall we start cooking?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)