Weekend Wrap-Up (Sept 4-6 & Sept 11-12)

Lard Rendering and Tomatoes Dehydrating

Since it's still technically summer, we're still busy, so I'm combining two weekends into this one post.



July Wrap-Up (July 1-17)

Happy Birthday Tom!

Hey all, sorry it's been awhile since I put up a post here (although Tom's been keeping up with it). Its summer, when we all get lazy (and in our case, busy). Plus, Tom hasn't been cooking too much, or that much interesting stuff, its mostly CSA vegetables that run our life during the summer, and this season its no different.

Weekend Wrap-Up (June 5-6)

Banger, Mashed Turnip and Turnip Greens with Onion Gravy

The amount of cooking taking place in our apartment is going to be steadily increasing over the summer because our CSA share has started up again. Every Thursday, we get a box full of veggies and fruits, and Tom has to figure out something to do with it all. It's been warm so far this year, so hopefully we'll get a good variety of things. Last year we got a lot of the same things, like cabbage (not one of my favorites), so that wasn't very fun.

For the most part, the CSA share is a good thing because we eat a lot of veggies and try some things we might never purchase at the farmer's market or grocery store. When was the last time you purchased daikon or watermelon radishes?

Weekend Evaluation: I heard if you don't use it, you'll lose it

I was out all day on Saturday at a cooking demonstration and a party.  On Sunday we were at the Mets game; so I didn't get make a ton of stuff.  Also we're moving soon, so I've been trying to clear out the freezer.

Weekend Evaluation: I Was Hot and I Was Hungry

Sometimes cooking is a great feeling.  There's an awareness and confidence that you can feel while cooking, it seems like you can't make a mistake. You know exactly what is happening and why - the cause and effect are completely linked.  Your evaluation of the ingredients, the plan you put in place, and the techniques you apply to achieve the final product is all are very clear.  

You feel in complete control of what's happening and everything works out exactly how you want with very little effort.  

This effortless feeling is why I cook.   

This weekend was not effortless.

Weekend Wrap-Up (May 15-16)

Sometimes things just don't go as smoothly as you'd like, even though you've planned for days to make sure everything goes ok. Sometimes you accidentally cut yourself when you're only washing the knife and not actually cutting. Sometimes you use the wrong ingredient. Sometimes the blade on your Kitchenaid food processor gets jammed, and no amount of hammering, drilling, pulling, heating, soaking or other form of destruction will get it off (seriously, why is this so hard to pry off?). Sometimes things just go wrong, and unfortunately this was one of those weekends in our kitchen. A lot of beer was consumed in the aftermath.

Here's what Tom made this weekend:

- Harissa (a North African hot chili sauce)
- Biscuits (for the bangers)
- Sausages - Merguez; Bangers (pork); Mint, Thyme, and White Wine Mutton Sausage
- Mutton Chop with Mint Spring Onion Burre Blanc, Potatoes a la Boulangere, and Sugar Snaps
- Sourdough Rhubarb Whole Wheat Coffee Cake
- Rolls (Kolsch, Pale Ale)
- Asparagus and Spring Onion Tart, with Carrot Top and Pea Pesto
- Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Roasted Radishes
- Hummus (for my lunch during the week)

And now for the problems: