Cooking Adventures, Part Deuce

Wednesday was my first day off for the summer (6 weeks, baby!). In my typical style, I tried to pack too many things into that first day. I have a list of things to accomplish, things that have been thwarted by 8-hour work days. I set out very early Wednesday to make that day count!


After an early work out session, I headed to the store to buy ingredients to make my own pesto. A few years ago, my lovely sister helped me out by making Lana-friendly pesto with organic produce from the farm where she was working. It was divine! And, since I cannot eat store-bought or restaurant-served pesto, I really wanted some more. It's a great addition to so many things: pasta, sandwiches, and the new discovery: pizza. The real reason I needed pesto pronto was due to Kim's recently posted pizza recipe. I wanted it. And my first day off was the day to do it. Kyle was off that day, so I knew he could knead pizza dough for me (something I sadly cannot do on my own). 


The grocery was very disappointing. No bulk basil for pesto. But I bought some spinach (because I had a hunch that could substitute in a pinch) and the remaining ingredients for the pizza. This meant I had to make the pizza before the produce went bad. Where to find massive quantities of basil? Where else but the farm! I stopped by and found out they were in desperate need of someone to basically groom the basil so it could grow bigger and more full. I did just that and scored probably 3 cups of teeny tiny basil leaves. Plus, I scored some spinach. This entire process took me until 2pm from grocery (10a) to returning from the farm. I was hot and tired, but very excited for pesto. So I began washing and rewashing and drying the spinach and basil. I picked the tiny stems from the tiny leaves. I de-stemmed the spinach. I gathered all of my ingredients and began to process the pesto. Our food processor is tiny, so it took several batches to get all the leaves ground down. Then, I added the garlic, oil, salt and pepper, and Parmesan. Group #1 of the pesto included all of the farm spinach and some basil. Group #2 included a larger proportion of basil and store-bought spinach. 


Here was my set up for this whole mess: 

 Yes, it was very messy.

But here's the finished product! I had two little jars like this and one large jar. 

I froze the two smaller ones and used the large one to make dinner.


The whole process ended around 4pm, at which point I collapsed of exhaustion on the floor, vegged out in front of the computer, and then took a shower to get ready for the next phase, which began a short two-hours later. We had to make dinner, people. And it was homemade Pizza. Something I had never done before. Luckily, I'm married to former pizza maker extraordinaire, so we were in good hands. 


Although not the best picture, this was Kim's recipe for Kale, Tomato, Pesto Pizza. (See here for what to do with the leftover pesto, tomato, and gouda.)

It boasts a whole wheat crust (so yum), pesto for the sauce, then completely covered in gouda (oh, heavenly), then tomatoes and kale piled on top. We added some shredded Italian cheese to the top because we love cheese. 


It was unbelievable. We will be eating this again. We also used this time to see how our pizza stone works. Fairly well, if I do say so myself. I even ate two leftover pieces of pizza for lunch today and they were good reheated. What?! I doubted, but I was wrong. Mmm, mmm, good. 


Another cooking success, and with 3 jars of pesto to show for the day, I feel completely satisfied with my first day off. Oh, and by the way, I also made chicken and bean tacos in the crock pot that morning and tuna salad for lunch. It's like I love the kitchen or something (no, I don't). 

Cooking Adventures, Part 1

I really enjoy cooking. I wouldn't say that I'm always creative or that I even always feed Kyle and myself well. However, when I have time to try something new and it sounds divine or has gotten a good rating from friends, I actually get excited!


In the past few weeks, we've tried several new dishes. The best by far turned out to be the Prosciutto-wrapped pork chops, rosemary roasted potatoes (a new recipe), and broiled asparagus. The desert suggested with it was Red wine Pear Sorbet. We found this recipe while watching a show one random Saturday in the fall. It was intimidating. I had never heard of Prosciutto before and while the woman on the show made it look SO stinking easy, I knew that couldn't be true. But, we were pumped and embarked on this cooking adventure together (thankfully, as there was rubbing raw meat with spices involved; and we all know I don't do that). 


Little did we know what was in store for us. The meat and potatoes were stove-based, so we had three pans going at once. And the oil spatter started early. Hot, searing pings of sizzling oil...all over everything. Gross. Then, because we have a stupid, old coil stove, they didn't cook evenly and one was scorching while the other was just okay. Kyle would have thrown in the towel, well he kind of did emotionally when he checked the first pan of 2 pork chops. He tossed the tongs and said, "That's it. Ruined. Stupid stove!" I wasn't ready to give in to despair just yet. I had shelled out a lot of money for these chops and the wrapping Prosciutto. Plus, even if it's gross, I actually really liked charred food. 


So we continued in this atmosphere: 

 Scared and nervous, yet hopeful.

The whole house became engulfed in smoke from the stove. We opened 'er up and had fans going at both doors. I was bound and determined to win against this meal! In the midst of this fog, we heated up the oven to 450 for asparagus. What were we thinking?! It was HOT.


As it turned out, I hadn't read the directions very closely. The potatoes took 30 minutes (duh! Of course they would.) and everything else about 10. Plus, the dessert took over night. Epic fail by Lana! We ended up with pork chops and asparagus together, let it sit for a while and then had a few potato pieces. We were stuffed by this time. No room for the dessert that was waiting in the freezer for the next day when we had round 2 of this meal: 

Our assessment of the meal was: delicious! The char was perfect (I wouldn't have it any other way). The asparagus (olive oil and sea salt) gave a totally new texture and color to the plate, which was fun. The potatoes had just a hint of rosemary, which is different from how we normally make them. And the subtlety worked for this dish. Kyle did mention he'd prefer our other method for the potatoes next time, but all in all...yums!


Truth be told, it was just as good, if not better the next day. Even I was skeptical about that, and I will eat anything for leftovers. The dessert was phenomenal, too. Mmmm. I love pears (right, Grandpa?!)!


This cooking success made me even more eager to try out some other new dishes that I've gleaned from friends' and cousins' blogs. Yesterday was another cooking adventure, but more on that later.


Email me if you want these recipes. They are SO worth it.

A new hobby?

I've discovered that I love creating things in the kitchen. I won't do it blindly, but if I have a recipe, it's inevitable that I'll follow most of it and then do my own thing towards the end.

Last weekend we had friends over for dinner. I wanted to make something new--which seems uncharacteristic, but I was getting really tired of the old standbys.

I found a recipe for spinach and ham lasagna with white sauce and I knew that was the dish. As Les and I had been talking about what veggies were available on the farm, I gave her a call about some basil (for something else) and asked about spinach. Turned out, she had beet greens, which taste exactly the same.

I made the lasagna according to the recipe, substituting beet greens for spinach, and then adding in some broccoli and mushrooms for substance. It was a hit.

Since Leslie has been talking about basil so much these days (the farm is overflowing, apparently), we both wondered about making pesto. I love pesto, but hadn't had it in a long time and found out in my research that nearly ALL pesto has some sort of nut. That, in and of itself, excludes it from my diet. Unless we start messing with the recipes.

Les tried her hand at it today -- making two batches -- one for me, nutless, and one for her, with nuts. She also brought over some zucchini and a tiny misshapen yellow squash. As the pasta was cooking for dinner, I decided to saute some onion with the zucchini and squash. When it was almost done, I threw in some leftover mushrooms. I tossed the pesto with the veggies and pasta and voila! a new dish was born. It was GOOO-OOOD.

I never would have guessed myself a cook-type. I never had any interest. But it turns out, it's really fun and making stuff up is phenomenal!
Tomorrow I get to try my hand at the Amish Friendship bread. I've had it stewing on my counter for 10 days. I found a blog that listed the innumerable varieties that you can make, simply by changing the flavor of pudding, or adding cream cheese, different spices or fruits or toppings. Sounds awesome. I'm so glad it's the gift that keeps on giving, so that I can try out as many different kinds as possible. Sweet!

Let me know if you want some. It'll be in my freezer.

7 months later...repeat the process

For my birthday this past year, Elaine gave me the greatest present ever...She taught me how to make jam. Our efforts were quite rewarding, I must say, and we had a blast messing around in the kitchen.

Because I've shared the end result from that batch with several people, I found myself without jam recently and decided to fix that with another jam-making session. This time, I chose Rochester as my location and my mom as my cooking partner (she also has some knowledge on the process of jam concoction, so choosing her was a wise choice, if I do say so myself).

I had the great idea to make three kinds: red raspberry (because I know so many people who love it), strawberry (because I love it), and triple berry (because mom had suggested a berry medley).

I purchased a dozen small jars and all sorts of frozen fruit, the necessary pectin (which makes the jam part), and we commenced jam activities around 10:30 on Saturday. What I forgot was two extra bags of sugar (do you know how much sugar it takes for jam? Okay, don't ask.) and I lacked the mental capacity to realize that I had far too many ingredients for twelve small jars.

The first batch of raspberry jam not only caused a great mess, actually forming small burns on my arms from the popping and boiling magma on the stove, but it also filled EIGHT jars. We had only four left! mom descended to the basement and emerged with at least twice as many jars as I had bought. We filled them all.

Our triple berry (black, blue, and rasp) turned into quadruple when we found we needed to add more fruit and dumped in the leftover strawberries. I do believe that it turned out to be my favorite.

If anyone is in need of jam, look me up. I have enough to last me at least three years, I think.
Mom snapped some photos to document the immensity of our end product. She captured some great perspectives here. Well done!

As I was cooking...

Last night I made Mom's potato soup. This is, currently, my favorite soup, as my previous favorite (black bean) was ruined perhaps forever during a failed attempt by me to make it in January. Thus, potato has moved up from the #2 favorite slot, to #1.

It's probably about the easiest thing to make ever. So I can't really pretend to have accomplished anything fantastic with its successful making, unless of course you count the food turning out at all. Which I do since the dismal failure of soup #1 and the subsequent stench of soup that pervaded my home and very existence for at least a week following said attempt.

As I was grating a carrot to put it into the concoction, and I must admit I've never used my grater before, I ended up grating the knuckle of my middle finger. I injured myself doing the most basic cooking skill ever. This morning, it's all swollen and gross.

I'm such a klutz.

Feeling completely domesticated...

I baked cookies last night, my favorite kind: molasses crinkles, with the intention of giving them to my neighbors who are my friends, that is my friendly neighbors.

The list is...well...short. Mary Ellen, my 70-something duplex-sharer who is so sweet, whose children refurbished the outside of my home when they did her's, and who has a tiny mini-yorkie named Ginger who is so adorable I almost can't stand it. Dereck, my across the street, caddy-corner neighbor who has been a friend since we lived in the same dorm my sophomore year of college, that is to say, five years ago. Liz & Chalupa, my dear friends who keep me sane and who have fed me and entertained me more than anyone else here in Upland. I've known Liz since Freshman year and Chalupa since she married him last year. I love them both.

As Dereck is rarely home due to his somewhat schizophrenic job, I couldn't deliver the cookies to him last night. But I did visit Mary Ellen and Ginger, where we exchanged phone numbers and had a pleasant chat about Christmas/winter plans. I really want to be this woman's friend. I think we should play dominoes or scrabble this winter. How fun would that be?

When I got to Liz & Chalupa's, I was greeted by four people--Sara & Landon were there--which was very exciting. I'm not sure I've seen much of them since they got married in July. Sara made me a besprinkled and frosted snowman cookie before I left.

At work yesterday, I discovered a co-worker loves molasses cookies and he told me if I brought him even a half of a cookie it would make his month. I brought him six. He's happy.

Being neighborly is fun. You learn interesting things about people and are given cookies in exchange for your cookies. I remember when I used to think fostering relationships was a waste of my time. It wasn't even that long ago. I'm glad I got over that. Loving people, in whatever way you can, makes a difference for them, but also in you. Loving people has changed me, even if it's as simple as walking next door.

It's Christmas. Do something kind and generous for someone else. See if it brightens their face and your mood.

On a roll

Perhaps I'm on an upswing right now. Let's hope so.

Evidence of such:

Today I cleaned my house, I picked up my sewing project that had been on a two to three month hold, walked five miles, bought a loaf pan, and have banana bread in the oven. Shortly, I plan to continue with the sewing project, hopefully finishing up the major portion (if not the entire top) of the quilt tonight.

Oh, and I also killed three spiders today. That's always a great feeling.

Maybe I'm more like Emily than I thought. Maybe I have to have a project to work on or I feel directionless and lost. Maybe I do find my identity in how much or what I can create. I simply have never had the chance to find that out.

I'm glad I have this time to myself - living on my own, doing my own, individual things - to figure who I am apart from academics, grades, studies, etc. I was a studying machine, and being that person or that thing, is not fun. It was never fun. It was life. And not a great one at that.

Thank GOD there is more to Life than what I had seen by the age of 23. Thank God I have this time to sort it all out. To search for meaning in other places, to focus on relationships rather than the next test or assignment, to collect myself into who I am in preparation for the next step in my journey.

Thank God for that.

Kind of a really big deal

Last night I cooked. Now, I've done that before, so that in and of itself is not the big deal. It's what I cooked.

I bought some raw chicken. And I put it on a grill. And I cooked it.

I don't do raw meat, especially not raw chicken. That's enough to make me gag even just thinking about it. But I was starving for meat yesterday. It happens sometimes, as I rarely eat it.

When Evan graduated from college and again later when he got married, he gave me several kitchen-y things: a toaster, old pots and pans, and a tiny George Foreman grill. I've never used the grill because, like I said, I don't do meat.

Last night was my first try with it. The chicken was brilliant and I'm sold. I think I can do it. I even picked up the chicken and placed it on the grill with my bare fingers. No gloves, to utensils. It was gross, but bearable.

I must be growing up. When I do things like get over a major hang-up in my life...

I can't lie. I like my weirdnesses. Many of those "major hang-ups" are things I actually don't want to get rid of. Produces a lot more stories in my life.

Cooking Fever

Today was officially designated "Cooking Day". In order to properly celebrate the end of a quite stressful time period of studying for the MCAT by my friend Danny, I volunteered to make him dinner. This idea was initially discussed in February - and before I knew it, it's mid-April, and I was responsible for producing a huge dinner.

When I asked Danny what he wanted to eat, in my mind I'm thinking pasta or chicken and pasta or chicken enchiladas; in other words, things I already know how to prepare. But he wanted meat. I don't really do meat. I rarely cook anything other than ground beef (which then is only for tacos). I knew I was in trouble. Especially when he specified he wanted a Roast.

Who cooks a roast? Mothers. Grandmothers. Aunts. Not me!

But, my mom has a recipe called Best Ever Chuck Roast. And it was upon that meal that we feasted today. Chuck roast, mashed potatoes, green beans and Kahlua cake for dessert.

As an attestation to how well I showed my skills in the kitchen - almost everything I made was devoured, and I can barely move due to fullness at this point. The after-dinner-lethargy definitely set in a few hours post-mealtime.

What I discovered today was that I really enjoy cooking when other people are around to partake and when they truly enjoy themselves. To hear their gratitude, or actually, to see it in their faces while eating and afterwards in their posture while relaxing...it's kind of a high.

None of the recipes used for this meal were of my own design. Therefore, I must thank Mom, Kelly, and the Joy of Cooking cookbook for their aid in my preparations. But ultimately, I was the one who followed the directions and pulled the dishes off. Great feeling.

Even after doing dishes 3 times today in order to keep the kitchen in working order and then to clean up from the last-minute rush to the table, I'm still satisfied and happy with how it all turned out.

And I must admit that eating more than a burrito and some cooked vegetables for dinner is great. Being full is quite satisfying.