Cooked in volume: stock in a slow-cooker and a large root vegetable/lamb braise still doing its slow magic in a stovetop Dutch oven. Plenty washing-up today, more to come.
Category: Cook
Back to Basics
I’ve lived longer than the allotted three score and ten, but don’t recall ever cooking with a vanilla bean. Today, I threw caution to the wind and used one in an ice cream base. It was spendy, so expectations are high.
Inbound Turnip and Apple
Ham shank, cushioned by kale, awaiting inbound turnip and apple. Dinner tonight.
Semifreddo 3.0
This summer’s go-to dessert is semifreddo. It’s easy to make, but it does use a lot of bowls. But then, it’s all the more bowls to scrape and taste with the spatula. I sterilized egg whites and yolks, mixed with sugar, continuously beaten, in bowls over boiling water.
Semifreddo 2.0
Tonight for dessert: salty caramel/Oreo Semifreddo. Heavy cream, crème fraîche, dulce de leche, salt, thin Oreos. The texture was quite decent without the egg custard and whipped egg whites I incorporated in last week’s Semifreddo. It’s dangerously too easy to make.
Ambivalent about Rain
Walked in heavy rain to the farmers market at Mill City Museum. Filled a pack with local produce: bacon brats for Sausage Saturday, tomatoes, green beans, and Indian eggplant. Today’s rain deterred shoppers while making a dent in the drought: farmers are always at the mercy of the weather.
Deconstructed, Reconstructed Eggplant Parmesan
Deconstructed eggplant Parmesan while retaining most of the ingredients. I enjoy this dish, but would prefer the breading not to be soggy. Breading: Mixture of panko and grated Parmesan Reggiano. Red sauce addition: Crumbles of Montamore Cheddar from Wisconsin, providing more of a taste punch than mozzarella. At the table, knives and forks assembled eggplant… Continue reading Deconstructed, Reconstructed Eggplant Parmesan
The Smear
Sometimes I feel we live in an alternate reality where “plate” is a culinary verb. Yesterday I made peanut-butter-flavored semifreddo. Tonight it was time to remove it from the freezer, plate it, then let it warm up a bit in the fridge. I had fun with The Smear, one method for plating a sauce. The… Continue reading The Smear
Veg-Forward
At the end of our walk, stopped in to Trader’s for enough fresh food to get us through the day. After 3 weeks of too much eating out, we’re craving veg-forward meals. Tonight: stir-fried veggies over brown rice.
Lime Jell-O Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise
I’m anticipating some meals with interesting ingredient combinations: we’re running the freezer down before a trip next week. Cue the song, “Lime Jell-O Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise.”