I have a thing about buying ingredients I don't regularly use. When I'm reading through a new recipe, if it calls for an ingredient I don't normally have on hand, or regularly buy, I usually skip it. It has to sound really, really good for me to buy something I may not be able to use up. For some reason, one ingredient I've held off on buying for a long time was whole wheat pastry flour. A recipe that called for it was immediately glossed over. I bookmarked a few, just in case, but mostly I just moved on.
Read moreKitchen Basics: How to make stock.
Making stock always seemed to me to be one of those things that people did when they had an abundance of time, a greater abundance of skill, and a certain touch of fussiness to their cooking preferences. The first time I made it myself, I was shocked how easy making stock really was. It came out watery and a bit weaker than I expected, but I had made it all by myself, using things I would normally have thrown away. I've learned, since that time, how to make the stock rich and full of flavor.
Read moreKitchen Basics: How to make Nut Butter.
My son is a peanut butter fiend. His current favorite breakfast is a tortilla rolled up, filled with peanut butter and either sprinkles, honey, or sometimes nothing at all added. Therefore, we go through a LOT of peanut butter in this house. (And tortillas, consequently.) One morning, while making breakfast, I realized I was out of peanut butter. Thankfully I had a bag of peanuts in the freezer that could work rather well.
Read moreSwiss Chard Gratin.
I did not grow up loving greens. Collard greens are not comfort food for me. I had no idea what swiss chard was, and I have never really liked kale. Spinach was not worth the chewing. You could get me to eat lettuce then, but it was never something I'd ask for. Now, as an adult, I'm a bit more adventurous in trying new things, (and I actually like salads now!), so when I saw swiss chard at our lovely farmer's market about two years ago, I bought some and asked the farmer what exactly I should do with it.
Read moreFamily Recipes.
This Easter, my entire family on my mom's side gathered together to celebrate my parent's 40th anniversary. For one day we rented the town's fire hall, which is basically their community center, but for the rest of the time, we were together in my Grandma Eva's home. Usually while there, I like to look through Grandma's cookbook collection, (It's massive! I discover something new each time I look.) or through her photo albums.
Read moreKitchen Basics: How to Roast and Carve a Chicken.
I used to look at the packaged whole chickens and wonder, 'what in the world do I even do with that?' Never mind that I had no idea how to cook it, they were usually way too much meat for my family, even taking into account that the weight of the bones were factored into total poundage. Anyway, I figured, why pay for bones when I can just buy boneless skinless chicken breasts?
I have since learned that bones lend flavor, and they make wonderful stock. (More on that in another post.) What's more, one chicken doesn't just feed my family for one night, it often lasts through three nights of meals, if I don't make chicken noodle soup, and if I do, it's even more! It's worth the investment, and, frankly, it's just plain tasty.
Read moreHorchata.
Horchata is a drink that is made differently depending on what country you're from or happen to be in, and often depending on whose house or restaurant you happen to be sitting in at the time. It can be made from almonds, cashews, tigernuts, sesame seeds, rice, and even, rarely, barley. In my home, it's made from rice, cinnamon, water, a bit of vanilla, and some milk, though sometimes cream, if I want it to be rich. You can follow exact measurements, or you can mix to taste each time you make it. My favorite part about horchata, besides of course the fact that mine tastes like drinkable rice pudding, is that it's ridiculously easy to make, as long as you have a blender, and you think ahead.
Read moreGranola Love.
I'm not a big fan of breakfast cereal. For a few different reasons, I've just never taken to much more than the super sweet, brightly colored "kid cereal". However, were I to eat that every day, (or really ever, let's be honest), it'd be really bad for me. So, for the mornings when I don't have a lot of time to make breakfast, I choose granola.
Read moreCinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Muffins.
These muffins are delicious, slightly chewy and mildly sweet. They are quite easy to make, though I would recommend either doubling the batch or making another item to go with them. These are not the sort of muffins that have staying power all on their own to get you through a busy morning, but more the type that wonderfully complement some sausage, eggs or other sort of filling breakfast.
Read moreKitchen Basics: How to read a recipe.
I know, I know. To some of you, this is silly. You know how to read, so what's the problem? Here's the thing — I know how to read, too. Yet, I've made so many mistakes that could have been solved if I had carefully read, rather than skimmed, the recipe in question.
Read more