AN EXPLORATION OF ALL THINGS FOOD
So the other day my dad was talking about meatballs that his mother use to make (she was Norwegian) and that started some meatball research. I finally found a recipe that would be simple and would have a powerful flavor punch! This is definitely a …
The last day or so my dad and I have been cooking up a storm in his kitchen. We made a Shepard’s pie from the cookbook we got from Scotland last fall, and was it ever so delicious!! Shepard’s pie is such a great comfort …
The past couple of years I've heard a lot about the cooking method "sous vide" and just dismissed it thinking it was just a cooking fad and will be gone soon. I didn't fully understand it- cook everything in water?! what?! so are you boiling it?! What I gathered you are cooking in water making sure the meat, in a vacuum sealed bag is submerged and the temperature is low and constant ensuring that the inside is properly cooked without overcooking the outside, and to retain moisture.
We have done pork a number of times and its so moist and tender its absolutely insane how good it is. We did a lamb for Easter and it cooked for about 23 hours- it was insanely tender and delicious!!
So after my hesitation with sous vide for so long and cooking with it for a few months, I can safely say I'm hooked! its an amazing little tool!!
the picture is the lamb we cooked for Easter, 23 hours of pure deliciousness!!
For the past couple of weeks my dad has been making dinner on Sundays for us to join him. Its been quite the treat- the first one was chicken and dumplings, and the second was lasagna. He hit it out of the park with that! …
Cooking food and photographing food are so different. I love cooking and I thought- what can be so hard with photographing food. Everything! There’s the lighting, the angle, shutter speed, styling food to make it appetizing….Phew…who knew? I didn’t, but its a learning process and …
The taste tester and I have been to New Orleans a number of times and I just can’t get enough of all the deliciousness the city offers. Red beans and rice, jambalaya, gumbo, shrimp and grits, beignets, muffulettas….Just to name a few. I started with trying to recreate the red beans and rice-I thought, red beans and rice, easy enough…..well, kind of. If its done right this dish really packs a powerful flavor punch. All throughout New Orleans there’s a buzz- a savory buzz – of roux’s and the holy trinity- I’ve heard arguments that someone had the better roux.-(that was an interesting conversation I happened to over hear) Apparently, roux’s are the absolute base of jambalayas and gumbos- and you have to use the holy trinity in your cooking- which is onion, celery and green pepper.
This dish I didn’t make a roux, but I did use the holy trinity with other spices and the taste tester was in complete flavor awe! Plus, it came together rather quickly. I made it the day before so all the flavors can mingle and in hopes it would be all that more delicious the next day. It was. I would definitely do that again.
Some dishes are all about the sauce and this one is no different. A good sauce can make or break a good dish. I like the creamy-ness of this sauce (I would have liked it with a little more kick ) but for the general …
The other day I saw this recipe and thought it looked good and healthy. Plus, I was thinking about what to make for dinner that night as well- it appeared my thoughts were answered. Sweet!
I got home with the ingredients and started cooking. I honestly thought it was going to take awhile but it didn’t. I would say, tops 30 minutes- and that includes prep. There’s not a lot of ingredients and it comes together quickly. I turned down the pan to low to keep it warm and not over cook it while I wait for my taste tester/husband to get home. Sometimes he just won’t eat the stuff I cook – not often but when I do go out on the adventurous side of cooking I really have to hide (mix it into the rest of the dish) Unfortunately, he finds it and over dramatizes eating it. He will say, “I know what you are doing- You’re trying to kill me” and all it did was hide some vegetables in the dish. But the whole meal I heard that. He ate it and I chucked it up as a success!
So, I plated the meal and heard no comments except that it was really good! I would definitely make this again.
I was first introduced to the lentil in college, and it was made into a soup. I learned using the whole celery (leaves and all) they said it adds more depth of flavor. I took that bit of information and ran with it as well …
