Mindful cooking

I want to discuss mindful cooking with you in this post. It's a concept which has been rolling around in my head for awhile. What does it mean to be mindful in general? Does your attitude and state of mind even matter in the kitchen? And if so, how does one become a more mindful cook?

Most of the time, cooking is a chore. It's a necessary evil, done at the end of the day when you're exhausted and irritated. I admit that I fall into that rut as well. I much prefer to cook on my terms, when I feel like it. The problem is, when you approach any task with a bad attitude, that attitude shows in the end results. I've eaten food prepared by people who hate what they do and I could tell. I've made food for people when I've been in a bad way emotionally and they could tell. Currently, the dishes I make for family and friends are consistently praised as delicious because I love cooking for people I love and it shows. The ultimate goal in cooking should be to make the absolute best dish every time regardless of ingredient variations, different cooking environments, distractions, and lack of spices.  A good cook, a mindful cook, can improvise and think on their feet.

Some time ago, I made a pot of beef stew and my friend asked me (as she was eating her second bowl) what recipe I used.  Kind of taken aback, I said, “Well, I don’t have a recipe, I just know how to make it”, which I think astounded her.  Her husband a few days later asked me how long I cooked pasta and my knee jerk response was “until it’s done”, which I said in a much more diplomatic way—I think I said that I used the cooking time on the package as a guideline but I always checked it before draining so it was al dente.  After thinking about both interactions for a little while, I decided that the majority of people don’t know how ingredients go together or what flavors complement one another so they have to follow a recipe each and every time they make a dish. 

So, what does it mean to be a mindful cook? Miriam-Webster defines "mindful" as "bearing (or keeping) in mind" or "inclined to be aware". So, being a mindful cook means to pay attention to what's going on in front of you. Start with your attitude. If you really don't want to cook and you're just going to bang around in the kitchen, don't bother. The meat will be tough, the veggies soggy, and the potatoes gluey and bland. Order a pizza. Seriously.

Now, if you're in the right mood to cook, be in right mood. Call it zen, call it mystical, call it weird, but be in the moment. Turn off your phone; no Instagramming, no tweeting--pay attention to what you're doing. It's okay to be alone with your thoughts. It's okay to be completely focused on how a dish smells, looks, tastes, and even how it sounds. It's more than okay, it's vital. Be observant. Take notes in a notebook. Writing things down with an actual pen on actual paper helps your brain retain that information; it reinforces neural pathways. And please don't whine to me about your ADD/ADHD. Yes, it's a legitimate condition and yes, it can make things more difficult, but there are professional cooks who have ADD/ADHD with chef Jamie Oliver perhaps the most well known. If you want to cook, you will cook. No excuses.

But before you start cooking, you need to prepare. Did you read that recipe all the way through so you know you have all the ingredients and you're familiar with all the techniques? Are your ingredients prepped? Do you have all your seasonings? Is your oven preheated and is your knife sharp? Is your head in the right place? Have you put aside those distractions and are you ready to create?

Here's my point: as in painting, photography, knitting, sewing, or woodwork, once you have learned the rules, then you can break them. Great chefs have a solid foundations in cooking techniques which allows them to to create delicious new dishes. If you don't know how to properly season and cook a chicken breast, then don't try to cook any other kind of poultry. Baffled by a beef roast? Don't even touch that venison your hunter friends gave you. Just...don't.

If you're serious about learning to be a more mindful cook, don't neglect your education. And don't you dare tell me you don't like to read. You're reading this, aren't you? The more you read and the more you watch, the more information you'll internalize and then be inspired to try. Subscribe to cooking and food magazines; Bon Appetit, Saveur, Food & Wine, Cooking Light, Cooks' Illustrated. Search out cookbooks at your library, local bookstores, garage sales, and thrift stores. Watch cooking shows; there's a cooking show for everyone! If you're like me and need to know the science behind the ingredients and techniques, watch Alton Brown's "Good Eats". Don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen? Check out Rachael Ray's "30 Minute Meals" and Sandra Lee's "Semi Homemade". There's Italian cooking shows and Southern comfort food shows and grilling shows and on and on and on. A good beginner's resource is your local PBS station. Our station here in the Seattle area has a day-long cooking show every Saturday, called, "KCTS Cooks" and they hawk their cookbook, they also demonstrate many of the recipes. What's nice about KCTS is that the cooks featured on the program are local as are many of the ingredients and if you pledge to the station, you receive the cookbook in return. Many of the featured cooks are regular people, so they tend to stick to more common techniques; no sous vide or molecular gastronomy here!

One of my favorite things to do is to go to different grocery stores. Ethnic stores, definitely, but also change up the regular stores you go to. Stuck on Safeway? Try Albertson's. A die-hard fan of Fred Meyer? Take a walk through Haggen's or QFC or IGA. While the major chain stores carry the same national brands, some have better deli cases or bakeries, better stocked spice sections, or bulk food areas. My favorite bulk sausage is made at IGA, my favorite sourdough bread is baked at Haggen's, and Safeway has a nice antipasto bar. I was in Connecticut over a decade ago to be in a friend's wedding. One of my clearest memories is of the different varieties of apples and pears at her local market. I was astounded! I mean, taking the train to Manhattan was pretty awesome and visiting Ground Zero was emotional, but when I remember Connecticut, I recall the fruit. Sometimes, walking up and down unfamiliar aisles will trigger your creative juices and shake you out of your same old dinner time rut.

Is it easy to be a mindful cook? No. It's like any discipline, it takes practice and dedication to become better. And you know what? There will always be someone who is a better cook than you and you will always be a better cook than someone else. There is no ultimate pinnacle, no unbreakable record, no limit to what you can learn. Even for celebrity chefs and experienced restaurateurs, hard fought for Michelin stars are awarded one year and might disappear the next. Zagat's might tout your restaurant for a few years and then drop you for the bistro two doors down.

Look. I don't expect you to suddenly become a kitchen diva if you've never had any interest in cooking. This is simply my advice for those who have a passion to do better in the kitchen. And like advice, it's just that--advice. It's not a list of rules, it's not carved in stone, and parts of it may not even be relevant to you.  What I want you to walk away with is a better understanding of yourself as a cook. 

Ruth's Orange-Cranberry Relish

Let me start off by saying that I have no idea who the "Ruth" of this recipe is. All I know is that my grandma knew her at one point, probably back in the 1960s, and ended up with a copy of her recipe. Several years ago, I went through some of my grandma's tried'n'true recipes because I wanted my own copies. The recipe makes a generous quantity, more than enough for the family Thanksgiving dinner, which means since I make the relish, I get to take the remainder home and enjoy it on sandwiches for the next week--yum! 

Ingredients:

1 pound/4 cups fresh cranberries

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup water

2 tsps orange zest

1/2 cup blanched, slivered almonds

Combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, water, and orange zest in a large saucepan. Cook over medium high heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cranberries pop open. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully skim off the foam. Add the almonds, stir well, and allow to cool before chilling.

Yields about 2 cups.

Cook's Notes:

1. I'm kind of on the fence about the amount of sugar in this recipe. On the one hand, cranberries are rather tart in their natural state. On the other hand, the orange juice adds sweetness & flavor so I think the amount of sugar could probably be reduced. I haven't altered the amounts at all to test this hypothesis, so if you want to change it up, go for it.

2. You can either subsititute pecans or omit the nuts completely. I like the texture; a little crunch to counter the squishy berries but it's up to you.

3. If you don't have a Microplane grater, buy one or put it on your Amazon wish list for Christmas. I use mine for zesting citrus peels, whole nutmeg, chunks of ginger, garlic cloves, & even chili peppers for adding a teeny bit of heat.

Trust me, Ruth's Orange-Cranberry Relish is nothing like the canned sauce. Make up a batch & try it yourself! It also pairs well with pork chops or a pork roast if you get tired of turkey.

Healing Homemade Lotion

With the change of seasons in full swing, the cold temperatures & the wind, it's time to show your skin some love. I learned this recipe from an acquaintance & have adapted it a bit for you. It yields about 2 cups; the exact amount will vary depending on how much water you add & how longer you blend it. And very super important: PLEASE read through the entire post before making a batch.  It's a good habit to develop as a cook; you should make sure you have all the ingredients on hand & that you're familiar with all the steps.

You will need a medium heavy bowl (glass or ceramic) or saucepan, an immersion blender, & one or more small glass or plastic container(s).

Ingredients:

3 TBSPS grated beeswax (or pellets)

6 TBSPS coconut oil

12 TBSPS olive oil

1/2 cup water

35 to 45 drops of essential oils

Notes first:

1. The first time I made lotion, I used beeswax pellets.  Much easier to measure than trying to grated beeswax by hand but it can be done!  I have a cheap grater that I use for only for beeswax.

2. I use Trader Joe's coconut oil.  It's inexpensive & I like the way it smells, just the slightest hint of coconut.

3. I also use Trader Joe's olive oil.  Like the coconut oil, I use the same olive oil for making lotion as I do for cooking.  If you consume quality oils, why wouldn't you put quality oils on your skin which, after all, is the largest organ in (on?) your body?  And Trader Joe's carries quality yet inexpensive ingredients.  

4. Let's discuss essential oils for a minute.  Not only are they great for aromatherapy, there are also proven benefits to using them for various ailments.  When I have a migraine, I dab peppermint & lavender oils on my temples.  Lavender oil is probably the best all-purpose oil to use: it's soothing & it's anti-bacterial.  I burned myself pretty badly while catering a wedding, like, instant puffy blisters.  One of the groom's relatives had a little vial of lavender oil in her purse & she applied it right away.  After a few days, I didn't have scars at all.  Serious convert here!  I also like sweet orange & lemon oils for a uplifting scent; rosemary oil is also anti-bacterial, although not everyone cares for the smell; use peppermint oil if you make a batch of lotion for your feet & legs.  Basically, figure out what scents YOU like as it's YOUR lotion.

5. You can certainly order everything on-line.  Mountain Rose Herbs carries high quality supplies.  I prefer to buy in person so I can smell everything.  I get my oils at either Super Supplements or O'Malley & Potter, located in Country Village in Bothell. 

6. Calendula.  Also known as "pot marigold", calendula is a lovely orange flower with wonderful healing properties, especially for skin.  I grew calendula for the first time last year.  It's quite prolific & I harvested & dried enough heads to infuse a good two cups of coconut oil, which I then used instead of the plain coconut oil in my last three batches of lotion.  We'll discuss infusions in another post.  

So.  Here's how you make the lotion.

Place the beeswax, olive oil, & coconut oil in your bowl & microwave on low for 20 seconds at a time until the beeswax & coconut oils have melted.  You can also melt the oils in a small saucepan over low heat & then carefully transfer the oil mixture to a medium bowl.

Add your essential oils til it smells the way you want it to smell.  

Let the mixture cool.  Seriously.  It needs to congeal & cool down before we start emulsifying.  I'll put my bowl in front of the window fan, in the fridge, or even in the freezer.  Check it every few minutes because if the beeswax sets up too much, you'll have to remelt the oils or your resulting lotion will be grainy.

Once the oils are cool, fire up your immersion blender.  This is why you need a deeper/bigger bowl than you may think you do because as you whip the oils & emulsify the water, the mixture with double in volume.  SLOWLY dribble in the water as you blend.  The less water you add, the thicker the lotion will be, which is really nice in winter when you want to slather your body in moisture.  If you don't have an immersion blender, you really should get one, but in the meantime, you can use a blender.  You just may not be able to scrape out all the lotion because of the shape of the blender jar & the blades.

Once you're done blending, check the scent & add more essential oils if you'd like a stronger scent.  At this point, the lotion will be on the liquid side.  Carefully transfer to the clean containers.  I found some quarter cup Gladware containers so I could give some to friends.  For myself, I use a pint jar.  

And label the containers.  Seriously.  You don't really want to spread lotion on your sandwich when you were expecting mayo.

Put the containers in the fridge!  If you keep your house cool, the lotion will remain thicker, but if your house is warmer & during the summer, keep the lotion in the fridge.  

I've made four batches of lotion in the past year & not one of them as turned out exactly the same.  It depends on how cool the oil/wax mixture is before adding water, how much water you add, and the kind & amount of essential oils you use.  

Each type of oil & the beeswax contributes great healing & soothing properties.  And you can change the types of oil if you want as long as you have a liquid oil (olive, hazelnut, macadamia, walnut) & a semi-solid fat (coconut, tallow, lard).  The person who I got the recipe from uses deer tallow which she receives from friends who hunt & she renders it out herself.  

Since we're using minimal & pretty much all natural ingredients, there's no stabilizer which means that the lotion will "weep" water if not kept cold or after a few weeks.  It's a natural separation of the emulsified fats & water, just like in a vinaigrette.

Making lotion isn't hard.  It's knowing what you're doing & how the ingredients act & interact that's important.

Pumpkin Honey Scrub

Although this blog is about food, I've decided to share the occasional skin care recipe with you. As you may or may not remember from school, your skin is the largest organ of your body & it absorbs nutrients. I love the idea of making my own lotions & scrubs; I control what goes into the finished product & it costs much less than buying a commercial product. I'm not a complete "crunchy mama", but since I have oily skin, making some products to alleviate excess oils & acne saves me money, plus, I just plain enjoy the process! I'm not militant about using organic ingredients, although I do purchase them if they're not much more expensive than regular ingredients & I figure if you're going to be slathering food on your body, you should probably use the highest quality you can afford. 

I love baking soda for facial exfoliation. It's gentle but effective & I really like how I can get right into the crease between my nose & cheek. Anyway, pumpkin is full of pro-vitamin A which is another name for beta carotene & your body converts that pro-vitamin to Retinol which is great for your skin! Ground cinnamon, besides adding a yummy scent & a little extra scrubbing action, is a source of anti-inflammatory properties. And finally, raw honey. Honey has been used in traditional medicine & food preservation from the beginning of time & it smells incredible. It's also has hygroscopic properties which is the scientific way of saying that honey, like sugar & salt, has the ability to attract moisture directly from the air. Adding honey to the mix increases the amount of moisture in the scrub which is excellent for your skin.

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup baking soda

1/4 cup raw honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Transfer to clean storage containers, label, & store in fridge between uses.

Yields approximately 2 cups.

Cook's Notes:

1. You probably don't need to be told how to use an exfoliating scrub--get wet, gently scrub, & rinse with tepid water. This scrub is gentle enough to use on your face & you can also use it on other body parts: on your legs before shaving, under your arms (which you should exfoliate to remove dead skin & deodorant residue), on your elbows, & of course your hands.

2. Honey attracts water (as we just discussed) & diluting honey can cause fermentation which will ruin the scrub. I highly recommend storing the scrub in the fridge to retard spoilage & just scooping some into a smaller container to use in the bathroom.

3. As delicious as Pumpkin Honey scrub smells, do not eat it. Baking soda is not tasty.

I have to admit, this is another exception to my "anti-pumpkin flavored everything" issue, mainly because I'm not ingesting it. Drop me a line if you make & use the scrub; I'd love to hear what you think about it.

Tawny Pumpkin Pie

You know how I was ranting about not liking pumpkin flavored everything? Well, pumpkin pie is the exception and so were some muffins from Albertson's that had cream cheese in them--yum! I generally don't buy baked goods, except for doughnuts and Danishes, but those muffins were amazing. 

Thanksgiving is early for me this year; it's this coming Sunday, the 15th. As my siblings have plans for the actual day with their in-laws, it's become our tradition to gather together either on a weekend before or after Thanksgiving Thursday. I don't mind celebrating on a different day because all that matters is family and food. And Scrabble. And coffee. 

Anyway, I called my grandma to see if she was willing to host and the first thing she asked was if I would make the pies because she loves my pies. And that's a great thing to hear from anyone but especially from a grandma! We call my grandma, Nana (pronounced Naah-naah) and she has cooked family dinners for years. Decades actually. So, we told Nana that us grand-kids would do all the cooking and provide all the food this year. She's still making her scalloped corn because she is constitutionally incapable of not making one or more dishes for a gathering, but we're providing every thing else.

As for this recipe, I'm not entirely sure why it's called "tawny" other than the fact that most pumpkin pies bake up a nice tawny brown. Which is silly because it's like calling broccoli, "emerald broccoli" or white rice, "ivory rice". At any rate, I received a copy of the recipe from a former co-worker who had found it in a community cookbook from 1977. 

Ingredients:

One unbaked pie crust (at least 9 inch) in a glass dish

1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup evaporated milk

2 eggs

3/4 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet for stability and carefully pour the mixture into the unbaked crust.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the middle just barely jiggles and is no longer wet.

Cook's Notes:

1. It is perfectly acceptable to use frozen pie crust. Lightening will not strike you down. I like the Marie Callender pie crusts when I don't have the time (or the energy) to make my own from scratch.

2. Some of the ingredients might seem odd, like flour and water. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure why it calls for water unless the creator of the recipe needed more liquid and didn't have any more evaporated milk. The flour, even the small amount called for, contributes some starch to the filling which helps it set. I haven't messed with any of the proportions because baking requires more precision than cooking does as far as swapping ingredients. If you or a loved one needs the filling to be gluten-free, you could use arrowroot powder instead or omit it all together and it'll probably be just fine.

3. The absolute best topping ever for a pumpkin pie is whipped cream, ideally, freshly made whipped cream. Although, you really can't go wrong with classic Cool Whip or even the canned stuff.

A Brief Overview of Arizona and Washington State Culinary Traditions

Quite a few months ago, I took an informal poll on my Facebook page asking my loyal followers what foods, cuisines or techniques they were interested in learning more about. My cousin suggested a comparison of Sonoran and Pacific Northwest foods as she lives in Arizona and enjoys visiting family in Washington State. It's taken me longer than expected to complete this essay but I hope you enjoy it.

The indigenous peoples of Northern Mexico have traditionally been hunter-gathers due to the arid climate and limited water and any agriculture was likewise limited. Wheat, which thrives in warm days and cool nights, was introduced by the Spanish in the mid-1500s and flourished in the state of Sonora, located just south of the Arizona border. Sonora is still a wheat-producing region and flour tortillas are a staple of mealtime. The huge thin flour tortillas used for burritos originated in Sonora and are instantly recognizable as the wraps used by Taco Del Mar.

Other European settlers discovered that cattle, sheep and goats flourished in the region and over time, the ranch culture began to produce fresh cheeses as a way to preserve milk. Because of the desert region, there is a more limited variety of foods than in the southern states and preservation techniques are primarily cheese making (as mentioned above), dehydration and drying (which are not the same thing) and canning. Since preserving foods alters the flavor of the foods,dried chilies are less spicy than fresh and they add depth of flavor and heat to braised dishes and sauces.

As you can see, this very brief overview indicates the range of cultural influences on the cuisine of Arizona and I didn't even discuss the full extent of the Spanish influence on Mexico. Trying to distill all the culinary history of any region into a short essay is difficult so you’re just getting some of the highlights. In short,Arizona is known for Mexican-American food but it comes closer to actual Mexican cuisine than say, Texas does.

Arizona has mild winters which produce beautiful crops of “cold” weather crops such as broccoli, bok choy, carrots, parsnips, onions, and cabbage. Like Washington has apple trees, Arizona has citrus trees; on every street corner and backyard and taken for granted. Lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit, harvested in the winter months, get their sweetness from the long hot summers which also produce spicy chilies of all varieties, sweet dates, and stone fruits such as apricots, peaches and pluots. I would venture to say that Arizona has a greater variety of produce available year-round because of the mild to hot climate while Western Washington with its shorter growing season has a high yield in a shorter time span. Eastern Washington is notable for apple and cherry orchards, vineyards, potatoes, onions, wheat and lentils. There is a remarkable diversity of produce to be found in a relatively small radius from Seattle and on that note, let’s move up the coast and look at the Pacific Northwest.

Western Washington is home to several distinct ethnic groups such as the Native Peoples and the descendants of Swedish and Norwegian fishermen and loggers. Various Asian populations have also contributed greatly to Pacific Northwest cuisine beginning with the Chinese who worked on the railroads as well as Japanese and Korean immigrants.

One could argue that PNW is too “young” to have established a regional cuisine although Washington has been a state longer than Arizona. I think that because of the wide range of ethnicities of Washington State, it has taken longer to establish a regional cuisine than it has in Arizona where the immigrants until recently have primarily come from Mexico and Central and South America.

But take a look at the profusion of local cheese makers, brewers,wineries, produce co-ops and fisheries. We may not have a specific dish like Chicago deep dish, Southern barbecue or Boston brown bread but we have an abundance of fresh ingredients. Salmon, geoducks,oysters from Willapa Bay, Dungeness crab and rockfish of all kinds from the deep cold Pacific, apples, cherries, potatoes, asparagus, lentils and wheat from east of the Cascades, cranberries from the bogs along the coast, mushrooms, nettles and fiddlehead ferns foraged in early spring…are you hungry yet? What about the eponymous Tillamook cheddar cheese? Smoked trout from Idaho? Walla Walla sweet onions? Blackberries that grow in every ditch and backyard? You could even argue that we have rediscovered and reinvented charcuterie with Salumi in the Pike Place Market which is owned and operated by the Batali family (yes, that Batali family). There is a welcome influx of neighborhood butchers being opened by Bill the Butcher who offers fresh local organic meats in addition to cheeses, eggs and their own charcuterie made on-site.

With the emphasis on fresh ingredients, Sonoran dishes and the cuisine of the Pacific Northwest both rely on simple techniques which showcase the foods. In Arizona, grilling over mesquite adds flavor to thin cuts of beef and salmon fillets pair beautifully with both alder and cedar which are found in every Pacific Northwest backyard. Sauces in both regions are exclamations points highlighting the flavors of the dishes rather than disguising them. Ready for dessert? Fresh fruits and cheeses are a perfectly acceptable alternative to more  traditional desserts but if you do crave a sweet ending to your meal,flaky pumpkin empanadas or fresh churros and a cup of Mexican hot chocolate round out a meal in Arizona. In the PNW, try a slice of blackberry or apple pie, a silky pannacotta made with local organic milk and a cup of coffee from a local roaster.

As I was researching Sonoran cuisine, I realized that I’ve cooked Mexican food this way all along, thanks to my dad. Dad moved to Arizona in the early 1970s to work construction with his dad (my grandpa) and that’s where my parents met. Dad was influenced,unconsciously I suspect, by the “roach coaches” (his term for taco trucks and yes, I know it’s not a particularly nice phrase!). I remember helping him make fresh salsa (pico de gallo is probably more accurate) with ripe Roma tomatoes, sweet onions and fat jalapeños with lots of cilantro and lime juice. Dad was primarily self-taught as a cook. His mom, my grandma (who we call Nana), made sure her three boys knew how to cook at least the basics and my dad and my uncles took it to the next level. John is married to a Norwegian woman and he’s learned to make an assortment of Scandinavian foods while Dave is married to a part Native American woman who is a dietitian so he cooks more vegetarian dishes.

I'm very fortunate that I have family who are just as food-obsessed as I am. My nieces and nephews all love fresh fruit and raw veggies, my brother-in-law makes a killer salsa and my younger brother and his wife are vegetarians; they continually inspire me to try new recipes. My other brother is a meat-cutter and an excellent resource for when I need to know how to prepare a certain cut of meat. We patronize farmers' markets and join co-ops and CSAs. We share recipes, cooking techniques and swap produce and dry goods if one of us has an abundance.

Food, for me, is more than a source of energy. It's a way of life. It's what I dream and think and read about. It's established traditions such as Christmas Eve dinner and it's a new tradition of Mexican food at every sibling get-together. I'm blessed to be able to draw on the foods of the Pacific Northwest and Arizona's Sonoran cuisine as I create my own traditions.

Greek Salad made with Israeli couscous

A couple years ago, I was browsing the "ethnic foods" section in Albertson's. It's small because I live in a predominantly Caucasian area but I was pleasantly surprised to find some food stuffs I wasn't familiar with such as Israeli couscous. Naturally, I bought a box to try out. Israeli couscous is larger in diameter than what most people are used to because it's not true couscous; it's made from hard wheat and is more like pasta. Created during the "austerity" period in Israel, 1949 to 1959, "ptitim" was developed as a substitute for rice. I like Israeli couscous because it's sturdier than some of the smaller pastas like orzo and even better, it doesn't clump. It remains fluffy rather than merging into one dense mass in the bottom of the bowl. Ptitim also has a chewier texture so if texture is an issue for you, don't even bother. Seriously. 

This is yet another recipe which I threw together late one night for a family dinner the following day, so it's been recreated as well as I can. 

Ingredients:

1 box of Israeli couscous, cooked according to the directions on the box

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

3 medium tomatoes, diced

quarter cup or so of sliced kalamata olives

half cup or so of crumbled feta cheese

half a red onion, diced

juice from 1 lemon

quarter cup or so of good olive oil

2 TBSPS or so of fresh dill, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Cook couscous according to the directions on the box OR boil 2 cups of water with a pinch of salt, add 1 1/4 cups of Israeli couscous, bring back to a boil, cover, turn down to a simmer and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Don't drain--all the liquid should be absorbed. Let cool. Put in a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix thoroughly, taste, and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Cook's Notes:

1. Seriously, use FRESH dill and FRESH lemon juice for the dressing.  If you don't, may the fleas of a thousand camels infest your underwear.  Neither item is very expensive and the dill will last a couple weeks if you keep it in its original packaging and store it in the fridge.

2. When I tell you to taste and adjust your seasonings, there's a couple reasons for it. One is because seasonings added at different points in cooking taste different. Fresh pepper loses its bite when added at the beginning stages of a dish whereas if you add it at the end of cooking or right before serving the dish, you're able to appreciate to taste and appreciate the flavor. Dried herbs need to be added earlier in the cooking process in order to extract their full measure of flavor and fresh herbs are used more as a garnish or a finishing touch otherwise they lose all their brightness and taste.

Another reason you need to taste and adjust is because taste is subjective. What I like is not necessarily what you like. You're making the recipe, you make it taste how you want it to taste.

Mo's Banana Bread

Quick breads are pretty amazing. You mix up the batter in one bowl in a matter of minutes, pour it in a loaf pan or two, and then let it bake for an hour. Simple. 

I can't recall where I ran across the framework for this banana bread recipe. I read so many recipes that I lose track of where I find them, and I do mean "read". I read the intro, I read the ingredient list, I read the notes, I read the feedback. I have to visualize all of it and then I have to decide if the recipe is feasible: availability of ingredients, ease of making, weird techniques, and so on.

I do know that I was searching for a lower fat, lower sugar, possibly gluten-free banana bread. Because the bananas have natural sweetness and even unsweetened applesauce is sweet, there's very little sugar in the recipe. I named the recipe for a friend of mine who needed gluten-free options for herself and her son.

Ingredients:

4 very ripe bananas

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup applesauce

1 TBSP baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 cups flour

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease one standard loaf pan and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas well with the brown sugar and vanilla extract. Add the remainder of the ingredients. Mix thoroughly but quickly to incorporate all the dry ingredients. Scrape into the prepared loaf pan and gently tap the pan against the counter to distribute the thick batter more evenly.

Bake for about an hour or until a knife or skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes or so and then gently turn the loaf out of the pan and allow it to cool completely before serving and storing.

Cook's Notes:

1. As always, you can add about a 1/2 cup of nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruits. If you add in too many goodies, the bread be as moist nor will it hold together.

2. Applesauce is used instead of any fats in this recipe. While it's a good substitute in small batch recipes such as this banana bread, applesauce is not oil and therefore it will not behave as oil. Oil in baked goods coats the flour and helps prevent starches from forming which inhibits the creation of gluten. However, if you mix any batter long enough, you can push through and develop gluten which will cause your quick bread (or brownies or birthday cake) to be tough and dry. Applesauce contains pectin. Pectin gels to a certain extent, but it simply doesn't have the same properties as oil. To that end, like brownies, don't over mix the batter!

3. Let's discuss flour. I think the best proportion of flours for this recipe is one cup of all purpose flour and one cup of whole wheat flour. The whole wheat flour adds a nice nutty flavor as well as some fiber but I've found that using all whole wheat flour makes the quick bread too dense and dry. You can also substitute a gluten-free flour blend with pretty good results.

Zippy Shrimp

I am a bad Norwegian. I don't care for seafood at all and the fact that I recently ate and enjoyed a bowl of salmon chowder is a major milestone. And I try, you guys. I have tried baked fish, roasted fish, smoked fish, raw fish, imitation fish, seafood chowders and soups and even tuna casserole. Nope. Although I admit, there are a few exceptions: fried clam strips, my friend's kick-ass clam chowder, and the occasional tuna sandwich. And I do cook fish and seafood for other people, but the smell generally turns my stomach. And the weird bit? I love to peruse the fish counter at the Asian markets and at Pike Place because I love sea life in all it's multitudinous shapes, species, and colors--I just don't like eating them!

"Zippy" refers to both the speed of the dish and the bite of the red pepper flakes; pretty ingenious, huh?

Ingredients:

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1/3 cup light olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 cloves of garlic, mashed

2 TBSPS fresh basil, chopped

2 tsps paprika

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Briefly saute the garlic until translucent but be very careful not to burn it. Add the pepper flakes and paprika and cook for about 30 seconds to release the flavor. Gently slide the shrimp in, making sure they're coated in the seasoned oil and then add the fresh lemon juice. Cook for a few minutes longer until the shrimps are pink. Remove from the heat immediately and transfer to a nice serving bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the chopped basil before serving.

Cook's Notes:

1. Have everything prepped and ready to go because this dish is done in like five minutes. Seriously. Once the oil's heated, each ingredient added to the oil only needs a brief cooking time. Garlic burns quickly, spices will lose their flavor, shrimp turns rubber in the blink of an eye.

2. Guys. Lemon juice. Don't ever buy the bottled stuff. Fresh lemon juice contains just fresh lemon juice and maybe a little lemon oil from the peel. Bottled lemon juice contains preservatives (which no one needs). Besides, your hands smell delicious after cutting and squeezing fresh lemons and really, who doesn't want to smell delicious!

3. While you can serve the shrimp as a separate main dish with a starch on the side, you can also add a little heavy cream to make a sauce and toss with the pasta or stir it into the risotto. I've served zippy shrimp skewered with toothpicks as an appetizer for a family dinner I catered for friends and I've also made the dish as a main meal for my previous meal clients several times.

Holly's Potato Salad

Summer is nearly done as I write this and it may actually be fall by the time I publish it. Potato salad is a quintessential summer food, present at barbecues, picnics, and tailgating parties throughout the hot summer months. Speaking of tailgating, this is a great recipe for all you football fans out there. I am not a football fan (is there such thing as an anti-fan?) but I'm more than happy to provide you with recipes.

As some of you may know, I don’t have specific recipes for any of my potato or pasta salads, so this is how I’d talk you through it if I was in the kitchen with you. I think it's a better way to learn how to cook because then you have to rely on your instincts which makes you a better cook in the long run. But that's a completely different post.

Ingredients:

8 or 10 small red or yellow potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled, cut into uniform chunks (depends on how many people you’ll be feeding)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
Five or six slices of good bacon, sliced into uniform pieces
about 1/2 cup Best Foods mayo (my preferred brand of mayo)
about 1/2 cup sour cream (I like "Daisy" brand because it's just cream.  No weird additives.)
about 1 teaspoon spicy brown or Dijon mustard (if you want a little more "tang")
about 1/4 cup white vinegar
about 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill (or chives)

Boil the potatoes in a large stockpot and make sure you heavily salt the water so the potatoes absorb it (I personally don’t add extra salt to the salad later on but always taste and adjust the seasonings to your personal preference). The potatoes are done when you can easily pierce one with a paring knife. Drain the potatoes but DO NOT rinse them. Pour the white vinegar over the potatoes, transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet, and let them cool for 20 minutes or so in the fridge. While they cool, fry up the bacon pieces til they’re nice and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out and drain on some paper towels. When you’re ready to finish assembling the salad, transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and add most of the bacon and dill (or chives), reserving some of each to garnish the top. Add the mustard and equal amounts of the mayo and sour cream; I use a silicone spatula and just kinda gob it in the bowl. Mix everything together gently but thoroughly, sprinkle the reserved bacon bits and dill (or chives) over the top and refrigerate for a couple hours or until ready to eat.

Cook’s notes:

1.  The vinegar adds a nice base flavor to the potatoes which, let’s face, can be really bland even with various dressings.

2.  I like to use equal parts sour cream and mayo (and there’s is only one kind of mayo, people!) as the sour cream adds a tangy flavor whereas just mayo can be too rich. Use the best bacon you can afford; I like to buy it from the butcher block at Albertson’s when it’s on sale and freeze it.

3.  As for the dill or chives, I am fortunate enough to grow both in my little herb garden so I can walk right out and snip some. If you don’t have that option, you can find fresh herbs in little plastic containers in the produce section. You’re unlikely to use all the herbs in the containers before they wilt or rot, so my side note to you is to use the dill on salmon or chicken and if you buy chives, try them in a green salad or mixed into a simple biscuit recipe (heck, use Bisquick!).

4.  Reading through the “recipe”, I noticed that I specified “uniform” pieces twice. The first reason is so that the food cooks uniformly (ha!); but seriously, you want all your potatoes to be the same consistency and not have some mushy, some perfect and some “bony”. The second reason is aesthetics; it’s all about the presentation.

5.  One other thing; if you don’t have a Dijon mustard, use what you have. If you really like Miracle Whip, well, you have issues, but by all means, use that instead. Love onions?  Finely dice a slice or two and toss them in. Garnish your salad with sliced hard-boiled eggs. Add black or green olives. Potatoes are versatile and can take just about anything you throw at them.

I made a batch of this potato salad for the cast and crew of a web series last time I catered their shoot and the director told me how much they loved it. I'm always a little amazed that such a simple recipe can elicit such praise, and on the other hand, that's exactly what I strive to do: use a handful of great ingredients to make delicious food.

Tomato Basil Soup with Ricotta-Parmesan Dumplings

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we've had an amazing summer! But I'm a true Washingtonian native in that I'm eagerly awaiting cooler weather and yes, rain. It helps that the nights are cooling down so we get some relief from the unfamiliar heat. I'm planning on making soup at least once a week from now until spring. Soup is the ultimate comfort food and it can so easily be doubled or tripled if you're feeding a crowd. I made this tomato soup last year and it made enough to feed nine people and there were still leftovers. And listen, unless you have a bumper crop of tomatoes from your garden or if someone gives you a bunch of them, it's perfectly acceptable to use canned tomatoes to make soup or pasta sauces. 

Soup:

• 2 (28 oz) cans, crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups stock, vegetable is preferred
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• pinch of red pepper flakes (adds flavor but not heat)
• some olive oil
• juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, minced or 2 TBSPS dried basil

Dumplings:

• 1 cup ricotta
• 1 cup parmesan
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup basil, minced

In a large stockpot, heat a couple splashes of olive oil over medium & add the minced garlic & chili pepper flakes along with a pinch of salt.  Cook for a few minutes & don't allow the garlic to brown.  Add the canned tomatoes, juice & all and the stock.  Allow soup to simmer over medium-low heat; don't let it come to a boil.  We'll come back to taste & season in a few minutes.  While it's simmering, make the dumplings.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, flour, at least 1/2 tsp of salt & a few grinds of black pepper & minced basil.  Stir to combine.  The dough will be both stiff & sticky; don't be afraid to use your hands to finish kneading it.  Divide into 4 equal pieces & roll into "snakes", then slice into equal pieces.  Set aside for a few minutes while you taste the soup.

Taste & adjust the seasonings to the soup as needed.  I added more salt to mine as well as some fresh squeezed lemon juice which added the brightness that was lacking.  If you prefer a spicier soup, add more red pepper flakes.With the soup still at a simmer, carefully add the dumplings & the minced basil.  The dumplings will cook quickly--2 to 5 minutes depending on what size you made them.  Serve with more basil & parm for topping & a good bread to soak up the broth.


Not the best lighting, but that's one delicious ricotta-parm dumpling right there!

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I find it very easy to not get sucked in to the pumpkin flavored everything frenzy which occurs every autumn. While I like pumpkin pie with loads of fresh whipped cream and the occasional piece of pumpkin cake slathered in cream cheese frosting, I've never had a pumpkin spice latte or a pumpkin spice Oreo. I just don't see (or maybe it should be "taste") the appeal. Perhaps it's because I prefer smaller quantities of the warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; I think they can quickly become overpowering in a recipe and many people don't understand that in some cases, less of something is actually better. It's also entirely possible that I'm too stubborn to give into the pumpkin spice trend.

Despite my adamant food beliefs, I have many people in my life who adore pumpkin desserts and drinks. I love these people so I make them what they desire. I'm willing to admit that this cake is one of the exceptions to my rule. It's moist, not cloyingly sweet despite the amount of sugar nor is it too heavily spiced. And it's covered in cream cheese frosting. I love a good cream cheese frosting.

I slightly adapted the following recipe from a "Taste of Home" recipe for a family dinner last year. It's a quick cake to make, no fancy ingredients, and no special techniques.

Ingredients for the CAKE:

4 eggs
1-2/3 cups sugar
1 cup melted butter
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of allspice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for the FROSTING:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

MAKE THE CAKE:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9" by 13" baking dish.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, butter, and pumpkin until well-blended.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, and add slowly to the wet ingredients, mixing well.

Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Let cool completely before frosting.

MAKE THE FROSTING:

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter thoroughly, then add the powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.  Add the vanilla extract and 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk, adding more milk for a thinner consistency as desired or adding more powdered sugar for a thicker frosting.

Cook's Notes:

1. You can certainly add up to a cup of "extras" (raisins, craisins, walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips) to the batter if you'd like.  I recommend toasting the nuts before adding them to either the batter or scattering over the top of the frosting.

2. Have we ever talked about having your ingredients at room temperature before baking? Butter and eggs both benefit from sitting on the counter for about 15 minutes and warming up before you incorporate them in the batter. Softened butter creams with sugar better and more quickly; you want the end result to be super fluffy and very pale. At room temp, eggs are more easily mixed into your cake batter. Eggs are hardier than we give them credit for. Technically, as long as they're stored in a cool location and used promptly, they don't even need to be refrigerated. Modern fridges are kept much colder than they really need to be. So, before you preheat the oven and start assembling the rest of your ingredients, pull the eggs and butter from the fridge and let them come up to room temp.

3. You can add spices to the frosting if you want to; a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg. Just remember you can always add more spice but you can't remove it, so start with a very small amount and taste as you go.

The cake tastes even better the day after and if you miraculously have leftovers, it remains moist up to a week later.

Mexican White Bean & Chicken Soup

Rain has returned to the Pacific Northwest in full force. It's not particularly cold but it's back to being gray and wet all day long, which means it's soup weather. Soup is miraculous; you can make it out of anything, extend it with more stock or veggies if you end up with a crowd, it warms your body and soul, and it makes your house smell amazing! I've made cream of celery soup when I was gifted with several bunches of celery. I made turkey stock from the carcass of the bird my grandma roasted for Thanksgiving. I developed my borscht recipe as a result of someone giving me beets (see a pattern?).

In this case, no one gave me any of the ingredients. I was trawling through the fridge and the pantry, looking for inspiration, and my eye was caught by the green chilies and the white beans. I remembered I had some chicken in the fridge I needed to use up and I realized I could make a Mexican seasoned soup.

Ingredients:

About a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cubed

One onion, diced

A teaspoon or so of minced garlic

1 small can of minced green chilies

2 cans of white beans

About 8 cups of chicken stock

Cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh lime juice, to taste

Sour cream on the side for garnish

In a large stockpot over medium high heat, heat a little oil and saute the chicken with the onion, until the chicken is lightly browned and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and about a teaspoon each of the cumin and oregano, a sprinkle of chili powder and a pinch or two of salt (you'll taste and adjust the seasonings after the soup has simmered and before serving).  Add the canned chilies and canned beans, including the liquid and then add the chicken stock. Bring the soup to a simmer--don't boil it.  Let it simmer for 10 or 15 minutes and then taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Let simmer for another 10 or 15 minutes. Add fresh squeezed lime juice immediately before serving.

Serve tortilla chips and sour cream on the side as a garnish. 

Cook's Notes:

1. Let's discuss body part: chicken thighs versus chicken breasts. Chicken thighs are less expensive and they're more flavorful and more moist. Chicken breasts are more expensive, don't have as much inherent flavor and they dry out more quickly. If you don't know how to properly cook chicken breasts, you end up with dry, flavorless chicken jerky. Ick. However. I like chicken breast meat in soup and if you gently saute the cubed chicken and then let it simmer in well seasoned liquid, the chunks should be tender and flavorful. 

2. Make sure you don't over-salt the soup. Cans and cartons of stock and paste and cubes of bouillon tends to be quite high in sodium. Look for low-sodium options and then taste BEFORE you add more salt.

3. I gave you general guidelines for the amounts of cumin, oregano, and chili powder. Taste is subjective. I may have said that before and I know I'll repeat myself in the future. Start with less because you can always add more. That goes for the lime juice and the garlic as well. 

4. Unless I'm making a salad of some kind, I don't rinse canned beans since the liquid is starchy and it helps thicken the soup. And yes, I use canned beans. I know cooking my own from "scratch" is probably less expensive but I have extremely limited counter space and storage areas at this point in my life. If you watch the sales, you can find great deals on canned beans and stock up.

I hope you like the soup. I initially made it for my previous meal clients and they enjoyed it so much that she called me in the middle of their dinner to compliment me and then texted me later for the recipe so she could pass it along to her stepfather. Add a green salad and fresh cornbread to make a simple, delicious meal.

Teriyaki Meatballs

Meatballs are probably one of the most perfect foods and one of the most versatile. You can use any type of ground meat or even a combination of meats for more flavor, you can season them up any way you want, and you can use them in pasta dishes, soups, sandwiches, or simply serve them as appetizers. 

I created this recipe a couple years ago. I was tired of making teriyaki chicken (which, to be fair, is not difficult, just boring) and I thought, well, why not use ground chicken instead and make meatballs? I wanted the meatballs to have a lot of flavor, so I included the traditional Asian seasonings of garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and scallions. With the addition of bottled teriyaki sauce (don't judge me!), both in the meatball mix and then as a glaze before baking, I ended up with a flavorful alternative for dinner.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground turkey or chicken

1 bunch of scallions, chopped

1 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled & minced

4 garlic cloves, peeled, mashed & chopped

2 TBSPS sesame oil

3 TBSPS teriyaki sauce

1 egg

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.  Form into balls (I used my portion scoop and they were about 2 inches).  Place in a large baking dish and then add some more teriyaki sauce over top, maybe a 1/4 cup or so.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. After you remove them from the oven, leave the foil on and let them sit while you make some roasted broccoli with sesame oil (roast at 350 for 20 minutes). Serve with brown rice.

Cook's notes:

1. If you have never cooked with sesame oil, DO IT. But do not buy those teeny overpriced bottles at your regular grocery store. You can buy higher quality oil in larger amounts for less money at any Asian market, such as Uwajimaya or H-Mart. Sesame oil is used in marinades, dipping sauces, and it's added at the end of cooking or as a garnish. Otherwise, the lovely nutty flavor cooks out in high heat and you've essentially wasted the oil.

2. Homemade teriyaki sauce isn't difficult to make and I really should make my own. But instead, I reach for the bottle (so to speak). Because I patronize Asian marts, I can buy great tasting teriyaki sauce. Use whatever brand you like and don't feel bad about it!

3. Fresh ginger root. I am in LOVE with fresh ginger. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love it: the spicy scent which stays on my fingers long after I've peeled and grated chunks for a dish, the warming flavor which adds so much depth to a dish or jazzes up a plain chicken stock, and even the medicinal aspects of taming nausea and soothing sore throats. I suffer from migraines and motion sickness, so I keep ginger candies on hand for those times when I'm nauseated. Which is probably more than you need to know, but hey. No one is forcing you to read this blog. Or if someone is forcing you to read it, they're guilty of human rights violations.

I'm thinking that I'll need to do more recipes on meatballs in the future. I've made koftas, which are Middle Eastern flavored meatballs; I've made Italian seasoned meatballs for pasta dishes; I've even gone the retro route and simmered meatballs in a mixture of chili sauce and grape jelly (hello, 1960s!). Those were a huge hit, prompting someone to ask me for the secret; I was almost ashamed to pass along the "recipe".

Vegetarian Borscht

I don't like beets at all in any form, so I find it quite amusing that this borscht is one of my most requested recipes. Since I created the recipe from an amalgamation of a dozen or so that I had read, I didn’t have measurements for the ingredients. I've tried to recreate it here for you and I think I've got it down. I've also included two methods to prepare the borscht, both of which I've tried with great results.

• 3 or 4 carrots, peeled & sliced
• 3 or 4  stalks of celery, sliced
• 4 or 5 waxy potatoes, cubed or 1 large russet, peeled & cubed
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 to 4 beets (depending on what size you can get), peeled and cubed
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• 1 head of cabbage, shredded (optional)
• 2 quarts vegetable stock
• 2 TBSPS butter, melted
• sea salt & pepper to taste
• dried dill weed to taste
• A couple large dollops of sour cream (optional), to be served on the side

Option #1: 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place the cubed beets in a large dutch oven and drizzle with butter.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir.  Roast, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until the beets are tender when pierced with a fork.  Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven and place on cook top over medium high heat.  Add the remainder of the veggies & canned tomatoes, the vegetable stock and cabbage, if using, and simmer for 15 minutes or so until the tomatoes break down and the cabbage is soft. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Option #2: 

Heat butter in a large stockpot & briefly saute the onion, beets, carrots, and potatoes with a sprinkle of salt. Add the canned tomatoes, vegetable stock, and cabbage (if using). Taste and season with the salt, pepper, and dried dill. Bring soup to a low boil then cover and immediately turn down to simmer for a couple hours or until the veggies are soft enough to pierce with a fork. Taste again and adjust the seasonings as necessary. 

Recipe Notes:

1. The amount of vegetables to use is up to you and how many people you’ll be feeding; that’s the great thing about soups–they’re guidelines!  You could include parsnips as well since they’ll caramelize nicely when roasted and add an extra dimension of flavor.  Same with the amount of stock; it’s equal to 8 cups of liquid which will make a large batch.  If you use less stock, it’ll be a thicker soup.  Up to you!
2. Cabbage is traditional in Middle European dishes and I’ve run across several other borscht recipes in which it’s an integral ingredient.  I happen to like it but I know that not everyone does. You can just use a prepackaged bag of the angel hair coleslaw mix sold at grocery stores.
3. Beets.  If you buy young or small beets and then roast them which causes the sugars to caramelize, you end up with a completely different and more complex flavor than the more earthy flavor with which you may be familiar.  Beets WILL stain your hands and clothes and counter tops and cutting boards; peel them over some old newspapers, wear disposable gloves if you have them and don’t wear a favorite shirt.  If you use an acrylic cutting board, scrub it down with a handful of salt after cubing the beets and let it soak in a mild bleach water solution.  As for your hands; I just read a tip that if you soak your hands in Polident (or a generic brand), it will even get the stains out from under your nails.  I don’t worry about my hands because by the time I get done in the kitchen, I’ve washed so many pots and pans, the color’s all but gone by then.
4. Dill is a traditional seasoning used in the European cuisines of Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Serbia. It can be overpowering if you're not used to the taste, so add it in small quantities; you can always add more but you can't remove it.

Serve your borscht with slices of rye bread and cured meats or as a starter to a meal of beer braised short ribs and mashed potatoes. 

Welcome to my new food blog, Enhance + Enrich.

Well, hi there! I've had a few people ask me repeatedly if I had a food blog. Yes and no. I have tried this blogging thing a few times in the past; a personal one, a garden one, and my previous NiteOwl food blog and I've let them all lapse for various reasons. The personal one? I'm not a sharing type of person. The garden one? I'm not involved anymore. The NiteOwl one? I loved it, but a friend was maintaining the fees for the site and we decided to just let the domain name lapse. I'm totally fine using a free blog platform. At any rate, you may run across the first two defunct blogs here on Blogger; ignore them. I may bring over some of my posts from the NiteOwl blog at some point, so keep an eye out for them.

I chose the name, Enhance + Enrich, because both words refer to learning and to seasoning foods. I love to read about and research food--the history of cuisines, different techniques, seasonings and ingredients. I also have a passion for educating people about food. There is so much to know and so much new information which comes out about nutrition, new varieties of produce, different cuts of meat, obscure seasonings from around the globe, and new super-foods as well as basic techniques for those who are not as confident in the kitchen.

Cooking doesn't need to be a big production with dozens of ingredients and unfamiliar terms. It should be (relatively) relaxing rather than stressful. It should be a celebration of a few good seasonal ingredients or a bubbling casserole of comfort food. As much as I admire molecular gastronomists, I have no desire to cook like them; I cook like me. And that's what I want to teach you; how to cook like you, according to your tastes, your preferences, and your dietary needs.

So, to that end, I want you to ask me cooking questions. I want to teach you how to be a more confident cook and to rely on your instincts. I want you to try a new recipe and make it your own. I want to show you that veggies can be amazing and not just boring after-thoughts to a meal. I want you to be inspired and I want you to enjoy your food.

In the meantime, let me leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the incomparable Julia Child; "People who love to eat are the best people."