The 30-Recipe Project: Recipes 5-10

The 30-Recipe Project: Recipes 5-10

Friday, February 26, 2021

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As a still-relatively-new cook & baker, I'm on a mission to make 30 new-to-me recipes in 2021. I shared my first five recipes of the year, plus a few holdovers, in mid-January, & now I'm back with five more. I've slowed down my cooking & baking in February, but I expect it to pick back up when my seasonal affective disorder lifts a little bit. 

Here we go, recipes five through 10. I have a feeling I'll hit 30 pretty easily... & then keep going!

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The 30-Recipe Project: My First 5 Recipes of the Year

The 30-Recipe Project: My First 5 Recipes of the Year

Sunday, January 17, 2021

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Each year, I set a Goodreads goal for myself: How many books am I going to read this year? My 2021 goal is 55 books, up 10 from my 2020 goal. Back in 2018, I set a goal of 80 & read a whopping 101. I decided to take the same approach this year toward cooking & baking. 

As I've shared here before, I've finally learned how to do a little bit of both since the start of the pandemic – & while I'm nowhere near becoming an Ina Garten or a Mary Berry, I have started to enjoy exploring new-to-me recipes & trying my hand at getting things right. I'm setting my cooking goals a little bit lower than my reading goals, though: In 2021, I'd like to try at least 30 new-to-me recipes.

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Autumn in Northeast Ohio: Pandemic-Safe Adventures in CLE & Beyond

Autumn in Northeast Ohio: Pandemic-Safe Adventures in CLE & Beyond

Monday, November 16, 2020

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We're fortunate to be able to experience all four seasons here in Northeast Ohio, but the one I consider to be the best of them – autumn – is also the most fleeting.

This year, it seems 2020 has thrown us a bit of a bone (finally), giving us what feels like slightly more autumn than usual, & I, for one, have been trying to make the most of it before cold(er) weather sets in for good. 

Here's what I've been up to as the air gets crisper & the leaves start change color (OK, fine, most of them have fallen by now...) How about you?

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What We're Eating: Another Quarantine Cooking Roundup

What We're Eating: Another Quarantine Cooking Roundup

Monday, July 6, 2020

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Heyyyyy, I'm still makin' food over here! Although restaurants have largely reopened, we're still basically not comfortable going anywhere unless it's outdoors and hella-distanced, so it's either homemade or delivery for us.

Here's a little recap of what I've been making lately, with links to recipes where applicable. Got any recommendations for me? I'm hoping to try making some more new-to-me stuff... but here's what we've been up to for now.

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I Have Hobbies Now

I Have Hobbies Now

Monday, June 22, 2020

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Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, if you'd asked me what my hobbies were, I would've said reading & writing; I would've said that I don't have any other hobbies. But you know what I haven't done much of of under quarantine? Reading or writing. 

I've read just five books since this began, but four were reread on audiobook, which doesn't seem to count? My lack of writing speaks for itself, too, evidenced by the minimal posts seen here as of late.

Instead, I've been... you know, trying other stuff. I've been working a lot, & while I feel extremely fortunate to be employed, I've been working so much that I don't want to spend any of my free time in front of a screen if I don't have to.

Here's what I've been up to instead.

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On a Roll: My Quest to Bake Allll the Carbs While Quarantined

On a Roll: My Quest to Bake Allll the Carbs While Quarantined

Saturday, May 16, 2020

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Hello again, from my surprisingly active adventures in quarantine baking!

These locked-down weekends have been spent whipping up all the carbs & breads I could ever dream of, & more than I could ever consume on my own. Luckily, between putting some in my freezer & participating in exchanges with friends, I've been able to experiment my heart out while making sure none of it goes to waste.

Last month, I received my first box from Love Local CLE, which I first told you about in a recent post. A project of Central Kitchen, they've partnered with local farms to create weekly bundles of fresh produce, meats, & more, originally intended for restaurants - with contact-free pick-up near downtown Cleveland.

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Learning to Cook Under Quarantine: 9 Things I've Made Recently

Learning to Cook Under Quarantine: 9 Things I've Made Recently

Sunday, April 12, 2020

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What are you up to under quarantine? I know we're all sick of being asked that, but I, for one, am a little surprised how I've been spending my time: I haven't been reading. I've barely been watching TV. I've been working & playing Words with Friends. And in between, I've been cooking.

I've never enjoyed cooking, & for the most part, I never needed to do much of it. Mike cooks at home, & we live in a restaurant-heavy area so until now, I got by on eating what he makes, going out, & ordering in.

But we're not going out or ordering in right now, & Mike can't be expected to do all the cooking under quarantine - so here I am, learning to cook, & feeling surprisingly enthusiastic about it.

Here are a few of the best things I've made lately, including links to recipes & behind-the-scenes tips where applicable. Tell me: Whatcha makin'?

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Quarantine Life: A List of 8 Good Things During Bad Times

Quarantine Life: A List of 8 Good Things During Bad Times

Monday, April 6, 2020

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The world is bonkers right now. You don't need me to tell you why. No matter where you are, we are all in some sort of similar situation right now, the world over.

I mean, sort of - in a general way.

I know, of course, that all of our specifics scenarios & circumstances vary greatly, & know, too, that I am incredibly fortunate to have a work-from-home job, good health & health insurance, a safe home, & relative overall security during a time when so many people do not.

I do not want to discount all of those; they are, truly, the epitome of privilege in this moment. I just mean to convey that... well, we're all dealing with this, in some way or another. We're all scared. We're all sad. We're all unsure. We're all hurting, somehow or another.

And so, I'm keeping a little list. It's a big list, actually - a big list of little things that are still good, that are keeping me happy, that are allowing me to find joy in the everyday, even when the everyday is so very unstable & unknown.

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Adventure Time: My DIY "Best of CLE" Weekend with Friends & Faves

Adventure Time: My DIY "Best of CLE" Weekend with Friends & Faves

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

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Whaaaaat a weekend! Last week is now a distant memory, but there sure were a lot of memories packed into it. I'm usually a pretty chill weekend person (I go off my sleep meds on Sunday, which means I take sleep more than usual) but last weekend was jam-packed. I ate a ton of delicious but terrible-for-me food; I spent time with a few of my very favorite people; & I checked out a couple of places I'd never been.

This is exactly the way spring weekends ought to be.

While I certainly can't operate at this level of energy & enthusiasm every weekend, you've gotta capitalize on nice weather when you can - especially in Cleveland! Here's a not-so-brief, photo-heavy rundown of all the many places I went, food I ate, & people I saw in the span of 48 hours. 

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We Started Whole30, & Here's How It's Going So Far

We Started Whole30, & Here's How It's Going So Far

Sunday, April 16, 2017

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I've been asking Mike for months if he'd do a Whole30 with me, & he kept saying he wasn't into it. Then, last Sunday, he asked, "Want to start a Whole30 tomorrow?" Tomorrow! I'd been trying to plan this thing for months, & he wants to jump in with less than 24 hours' notice.

But that's how Mike operates, & that's how we operate together, &, unsurprisingly, I didn't need all the damn planning time I'd tried to allot, anyway. He was right: 24 hours was just about all we needed to get started.

I'm not a great cook. I actually hate to cook - so much time & effort for something that's gone so quickly! - so, for me, one of the biggest changes in doing a Whole30 is, well, having to cook a lot. Fortunately, Mike is a really good cook who also likes doing it, but he's not with me for every meal, so I've got to fend for myself a bit. (Man, I sound a little pathetic.) We've been planning our meals, including making enough for leftovers, & we've even found a few meals we can eat at restaurants.

Let me tell you: I'm feeling awesome. My digestive issues have gotten better, I've been sleeping better, I've had more energy, I've felt less bloated. I hate to say it, as much as I miss bagels & blue cheese & beer, but I may have to keep on eating this way - which, you know, would probably be a good thing, which is the whole point. 

Here's some of what we've been eating:

• Chicken Avocado Burgers: We ate these two nights in a row, once alongside rosemary sweet potato fries & once with roasted red potatoes. While I'm not usually a big chicken person, these were delicious: All the feel of a burger without any of the greasiness that sometimes accompanies them. The sweet potato fries really upped the flavor of the whole meal. 
• Single Skillet Chicken with Bacon, Brussels Sprouts and Apple Au Jus: This recipe comes from Buzzfeed, of all places, & while it was a tasty one-pot meal, Mike used chicken breast rather than chicken thighs, so I think we were lacking some of the flavor it was supposed to have. Next time, more bacon!
• Buffalo Chicken Casserole: This is one of the best home meals I've ever eaten, & it even tastes cheesy, somehow, despite not having any dairy in it. It's spicy & gooey & tastes totally unhealthy, but it's really just full of meat & veggies.  
• Healthy snacks: Thank goodness for Larabars (I love the Lemon Pie flavor) & for cashews, dates, & bananas. They've been my go-to snacks when I've felt hunger pains - though I've also been less hungry between meals than usual, one of the goals of Whole30.

And now for a confession: We totally broke our Whole30 today - on purpose, though not without some regrets about doing so. We went to Mike's aunt & uncle's house for Easter lunch, & there was nothing we could eat without breaking it; we didn't plan well enough, figured we'd wing it, & then let ourselves get sucked into, well, a really delicious, non-Whole30 meal.  

I know the hardcore folks out there will be like, "It's doesn't count! Start your 30 days over!" The Whole30 website itself reads, quite aggressively IMO,

"Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a  pizza, there is no “slip.” You make a choice to eat something unhealthy. It is always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident. Commit to the program 100% for the full 30 days. Don’t give yourself an excuse to fail before you’ve even begun."

This language, frankly, makes me want to punch the program's founder, Melissa Hartwig, in the face. I get it: If you want to see the real & full benefits, you can't also cheat & eat BBQ ribs & pistachio cake on Easter. At the same time, it's language like this that makes people like me - & people with even worse food-related discipline than me - feel alienated & ashamed & like there's no way we'll be able to be successful at healthy eating.

That language fails to recognize that, for someone like me, even six days of eating like this is really freaking amazing. And I won't be deterred or dismayed by my Easter Day decision to go off track for a minute.

It's OK to slip (& I do believe slips happen). It's also OK to make a conscious decision to eat something that isn't "Whole30-compliant," as I did today. It's OK to want to celebrate with your family. It's OK to decide a certain diet or lifestyle is not for you, or that you want to tweak it to better suit you for now. Quite simply, it's OK to do whatever the fuck you want when it comes to the food you put in your own body.

So while Melissa Hartwig would surely tell me I failed (& she also seems like the kind of person who'd call me a loser for doing so), I don't actually feel like I've failed. I've eaten like this for six straight days, & I'm starting it back up tonight. I ate one meal that wasn't "compliant," & it was delicious & joyful, & now I'm going to go back to a way of eating that, while difficult, has made me feel really great for the past week & which I would like to try to continue, if not for 30 days in a row. I'm not "starting my 30 days over," so I guess I'm not doing a "real" Whole30 - but I am following the guidelines as closely as possible, & I feel great about it so far.

And for me? That's a big deal. And I'm proud of it.

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MacGyvering My New Life

MacGyvering My New Life

Monday, November 25, 2013

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Everything I brought with me to D.C. fit into a 10-foot U-Haul truck. I forgot a lot of things back in New Jersey - my Northface fleece  framed photo of my family, my grandmother's engagement ring, any books or movies whatsoever - but for the most part, I brought the important stuff (except for the boyfriend & the cat...), & I'm all settled into my new studio apartment.

What I neglected to consider, though, is just how many life staples I was leaving behind. Nathan is still living back in New Jersey, & the majority of our shared household items are staying there with him - everything from bath towels & trash cans to the Swiffer & the plunger. Cue "not prepared to live in an apartment alone" panic.

As we unpacked on Saturday, I kept a running list of Stuff I Need to Buy to Survive. While I hung clothes into my new walk-in closet (!), Nathan headed to the grocery store around the corner & purchased some food to populate my pantries - mac & cheese, tuna, beer, Diet Coke, bananas. He also picked up plastic cutlery & paper plates to tide me over until I buy real ones, as well as a small pot & rubber colander to begin my new collection of kitchen necessities. A few meager but vital items to get me started.

Still, when I began making Velveeta for dinner last night, I encountered a few problems.

1. I wanted to add canned in chili, but I realized that without a microwave or another pot, I had no way of heating it up. Scratch the chili. 
2. Upon adding the uncooked noodles to the boiling water, I realized I didn't have a wooden spoon to stir them with. I was wary of stirring the pot with a plastic spoon (because melting), so I used the one real knife I brought with me in lieu of the proper utensil.
3. When the time came to eat my magnificent, healthy, adult meal, I realized I didn't have any bowls, either - which is how I came to eat a dinner that looked like this:

 

Oh, & one last issue. I don't own any Tupperware! Instead, I slapped some Saran wrap atop a Solo cup to refrigerate the other half of my "meal"- which I shall have to consume as cold leftovers, given my aforementioned lack of microwave.

When I was done with dinner, I headed to my building's workout room to watch The Walking Dead - because I don't have cable or Internet yet, & there's a nice, big TV down there for folks who are taking advantage of the treadmill & elliptical. I considered, you know, actually working out while I was down there, especially given my choice of dinner, but... well, I was tired, OK? Moving is exhausting. So this happened:

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Top Chef Master? More Like Top Chef Disaster!

Top Chef Master? More Like Top Chef Disaster!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

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I've been home for about 48 hours, jet-lagged & sick. I have no voice & no energy, but what I do have is an appetite for good, old-fashioned American eats. Nathan & I woke up early this morning (damn you, jet-lag) & decided that instead of eating cereal like lazy Americans, we'd get to work making a fancy brunch. Using this cookbook, given to me by a friend & former roommate in recognition of my undying love of the best meal in existence, we tackled French toast - our first try at making it.

We burned the first two pieces of French toast & the first few slices of bacon. Once we hit our groove, we began burning things less, but we never got over it entirely. Though the final product did indeed taste OK - edible, at the very least! - we couldn't help but be embarrassed when comparing our masterpiece to the one we were trying to replicate. For shame:

Hey, at least there were mimosas. There are some things you can't screw up!

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Eat a Little, Eat a Latke

Eat a Little, Eat a Latke

Thursday, December 22, 2011

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Chanukah is here, Chanukah is here! While I've grown out of the must-give-gifts-for-Chanukah phase (perhaps because I'm celebrating Christmas this year...), there are two things Adult Me really loves about the holiday: the soft light of the chanukiah & splendid taste of fried foods. This year, as previously discussed, I committed to making latkes for our holiday party guests, but because I'd never made them before, I did a test run last night for dinner.

I plan(ned?) to make the Real Kind on Friday, the kind that require you to grate so many potatoes that you can't bend your fingers for a week, but for the sake of ease, my test run was with the boxed kind:

I mixed up the batter...

...and promptly realized I had no idea how to make latkes. Enter my good friend Daphne, coworker & food editor of ChallahCrumbs.com, who served as my Yiddishe mama & explained how the whole hot oil aspect of latke-making works. Heat it on medium, she told me, & spritz it with some water from your fingers. If it spits at you, it's hot enough. And so I did:

But oil is scary, & I am accident-prone, so I located my prescription-less hipster specs, the only "goggles" I could think of, to protect my beloved eyeballs:

Uh, deck the halls with jowls & chins. Anyway, at first it sort of worked:

And then it sort of didn't:

 And then it did again!

 

The first few came out of the oil mushy or in clumps, but when I finally plucked out these crispy little beauties, I knew it was all gonna be OK:

And then dinner happened, because what are latkes for if not to devour? My preferred condiment is applesauce, & if you doubt the deliciousness of this combo, I encourage you to reconsider.

When dinner was over, I made these:

Yes, I do believe it was a good day.

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Party in the USA (Specifically at My Home in New Hampshire)

Party in the USA (Specifically at My Home in New Hampshire)

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

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My scanner broke, so sue me

It's no secret that I really, really like the holidays: Chanukah, Christmas, Festivus, whatever. Though I have approximately exactly three friends here in Portsmouth, I somehow thought it would be a good idea to throw a holiday party this year, & Nathan agreed. We decided upon December 23rd as the big day & began the planning.

I'm not convinced that Nate's Coastie friends won't spend 10 minutes at our get-together before deciding they'd have more fun at the bars, thus dashing my dreams of a quaint gathering complete with mulled wine, a decorate-your own cookie station, a few rounds of Apples to Apples, &, of course, tacky holiday sweaters. Still, I'm planning this party as though a dozen burly military dudes will share in this dream with me.

Let's talk about key elements of a successful Christmas party (which I've never before hosted):

• Holiday attire: Because aforementioned tacky sweaters are a rare commodity these days, we've asked our guests to somehow display their holiday spirit in their attire, which leaves the door open to everything from tacky to classy. I, for one, will be wearing my reindeer necklace.
  
  
• A supply of alcohol: We're asking everyone to BTOB, but we'll provide mixers & either store-bought eggnog or homemade mulled wine, depending upon my level of boozy enthusiasm. (It should be noted that I don't like either of these beverages.)
  
  
• Snacks a'plenty: Nathan is dead-set on making pigs in a blanket using hot dogs & crescent rolls (yeah, he's in charge of this one), while I'm planning on buffalo chicken dip, French bread & brie, & a crudite plate, if I'm feelin' healthy. Which is unlikely.
  
  
• A little bit o' Judaism: Though I will likely be the only Member of the Tribe in attendance, I'M MAKING LATKES, which I've never done before. I'll be using The Perfect Latkes Recipe & trying my best not to douse myself in hot oil, which seems like something I would do.

And finally, what is arguably the most important part of any holiday festivity:

• LOTS OF DESSERTS: I am operating under the impression that the deliciousness of my provided desserts will be a key ingredient in convincing people to stay at this party. After all, aren't desserts an essential aspect of holiday celebration? Therefore, I've given lots of thought to my dessert-making options, & as of right now, I am currently planning to make:

• Chocolate chunks cookies
• Sugar cookies (to be decorated either by me or our guests - not yet clear)
• Ritz peanut butter sandwiches covered in chocolate

If you have additional suggestions, I'd love to hear them, especially as they relate to desserts that will encourage people not to leave my party early. I thank you in advance for your assistance in helping me make this party a success. I hope. Cross your fingers.


Images: iced cookies , chocolate chunk cookies, Ritz "cookies"

Remember to check out Duncan Hines' website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

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In Which I Fail at Being a Jewish Woman

In Which I Fail at Being a Jewish Woman

Thursday, July 28, 2011

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This cholent looks delicious.
Which makes it clear that it's not mine.

Nathan is soon starting an Intro to Judaism class (not my doing, I swear!), & in advance of it, he asked if we could make some type of Jewish food. I'm no chef, but I do love my (his) crockpot, & we had some stew meat in the freezer from the local farmers market, so I concocted a plan to concoct... cholent!

Yeah, I don't really know what cholent is, either, but the idea is that you put a lot of tasty crap into a crockpot & let it cook overnight. You're supposed to make it for Shabbos dinner, I guess, but, hey, ain't no harm in home cookin' all week long. Hey, I even found an article titled "Top Ten Reasons Why Cholent is Like Sex."

Sold.

So I asked two of my favorite Orthodox ladies, Daphne & Chaviva, for their cholent secrets, & then, armed with their suggestions & a myriad online resources, Nathan & I set about creating some "Jew Stew" of our own.

We included:

• Cubed stew meat (which is beef... I guess?)
• Barley
• Rice
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• A can of baked beans
• Onions
• Chickpeas
• Lots o' BBQ sauce
• A half can of beer (PBR, if you must know)
• Seasoned bread crumbs
• Copious amounts of paprika
• Water

It simmered overnight, tempting me with the delicious smell & the simple fact that I couldn't open the lid because, you know, that's how crockpots work. Finally, we busted it open, & there it was, all burnt- & carmelized-looking.

You know where this is going, right? It tasted... not good. Nathan claims to like it, & we each had a bowl for dinner, but... guys, it just wasn't good. It tasted bitter & mushy, with an unsettling texture & no real flavor. It tasted like something you'd be served at an orphanage. Gruel, without the "Please, sir, I'd like some more."

I confess, I'm disappointed. I was so jazzed about my cholent, convinced it could be nothing but delicious, so upon my misfire, I'm feeling a bit like a failure of a future Jewish mother. What kind of Jewish woman am I that I screwed up a simple stew?!

Next Jewish recipe on the docket is Emily's late grandma's kugel, "a meal in itself." No one can mess up cheese & noodles, right? Right?

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Cheese & Google. Best Inventions Ever?

Cheese & Google. Best Inventions Ever?

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

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My friends were up to a lot of interesting things last weekend. For example, a number of my former coworkers are in New Orleans for a meeting, no doubt consuming beignets & copious amounts of liquor in their spare time. And many of my blogger friends attended PBandTuna: The Revenge, a party of epic proportions back in the District.

Me? I was cooking.

That's right! The girl who formerly resided in a kitchenless apartment is slowly but surely learning to cook - or dying trying. I'm currently visiting my boyfriend in New Hampshire for the week, & he doesn't really know how to cook either, so we decided we'd try to be the Neelys together, except white & inept & attempting to make food with some semblance of healthfulness (read: less than three sticks of butter per meal).

So we got on the ol' Google & planned out a few meals, & on Saturday, we whipped up our first attempt: mac & cheese casserole. I know, I know. You're all like:

• Kate, this isn't a cooking blog! I don't carrrre. Get back to doing whatchu do best: being judgy & taking photos of crazy people.
• Kate, mac & cheese casserole cannot possibly fall into the aforementioned category of "some semblance of healthfulness." 

You would certainly be correct on the first count. And, uhhh, upon my re-checking the recipe's nutritional information, you'd also be correct on the second, though the recipe did include spinach, which is healthy, right? Anyway, this mac & cheese casserole? Was so delicious that I swear I'd be over the moon if it were served to me in a restaurant. Though I can't begin to describe how my happiness tasted, it looked something like this:

Because I love you, I'm going to share with you this heavenly recipe, obtained from EatingWell.com. We changed the recipe up a bit, which I indicated below on the somewhat shoddy "recipe cards" I attempted to create. So... go forth & cook. Eat well & prosper! And please forgive me for the cards' inconsistent font sizes. Which you probably wouldn't even have noticed, but now you will. Shoot. Anyway, EAT WELL & PROSPER.

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That Time I Was on "Top Chef" Talking About Rootbeer & Steak

That Time I Was on "Top Chef" Talking About Rootbeer & Steak

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

OK, so maybe THE COOLEST THING EVER just happened to me.

And OK, maybe it wasn't the coolest thing ever, but it was pretty effing cool.

A few months ago, my roommate Andrew & I skipped work (with the bosses' permission!) & drove out to Mount Vernon, home of wooden-toothed George Washington. The reason for our day trip? We were diners at a "Top Chef: DC" challenge!

I didn't blog about it at the time because we were asked not to; I still won't reveal much other than the fact that I was there & it was awesome. It was, by far, the coolest thing I've done here in DC, wandering the hallowed grounds of our first president's home while shoveling down bite-sized meals created by some of the country's best chefs. To my dismay, it turns out that neither of my favorite dishes - Kenny's harissa pork with quinoa & Andrea's rootbeer-marinated steak - made it into either the top or bottom, indicating that I have a sloppy, uncultivated palette, or something. Whatever, Padma, at least I don't wear rompers.

ANYWAY.

Tonight, excited about our potential TV debuts, Andrew & our roommate Jason & I hosted a little (BIG) viewing party at our tiny apartment, hoping to catch a glimpse of ourselves on the greatest cooking show in the land. There were about 150 diners present, so we figured we wouldn't get screen time but would maybe spot ourselves in the crowd chowin' down.

Imagine our surprise & delight when we found ourselves in the crowd not once but FOUR TIMES. Once in the background. Twice at chefs' tables (me at Kenny's & him at Amanda's). And one super-unexpected close-up of me talking somewhat awkwardly about the food. My big line? "I wouldn't have expected rootbeer to taste good... on meat."

That's right. Soda & meat made me famous for a whole six seconds. And the best part was the comment a close friend left on my Facebook about her toddler son: "LOVE IT!!! and AC was yelling 'there's Katy I found her momma!!!' you are officially famous to him!!! so cool and you looked cute too...loved the diva glasses :)"

Temporary stardom win.

I'll be signing autographs while I wait for an agent to call me.

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Now We're Cookin'!

Now We're Cookin'!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

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Remember when I lived in an apartment with no kitchen? For a year & a half?

Unsurprisingly, I have absolutely no idea how to cook. A few kind friends have offered to assist me, but I've yet to take any of them up on it. Sometimes I call my mom with frantic questions, like "What does sauté mean?" & other times, I just tweet my questions into the oblivion & hope for help:

Today, with some help from the Twitterverse, I made soup. I know - easy, right? For you. Not for me, OK? Cooking feels totally foreign to me. I get bored. I get impatient. I can't figure out the timing. But I made this soup tonight after cleaning my apartment (I'm so domestic, y'all!), & I even messed with the recipe a little bit, changing things to my liking. There are only six steps, so I didn't have time to get all that impatient or bored.

End result? MY SOUP WAS AMAZING. I'm so happy. Life is good. And, of course, so is bacon.

Creamy Corn (& Bacon!) Soup

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
  
• 4 pieces of bacon
  
• 1 tablespoon margarine
• 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn
• 1 (8 oz) can creamed corn
  
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ground cayenne pepper to taste
• garlic powder to taste
• salt to taste
  

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the onion, garlic, & butter or margarine. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until onions are tender.
2. Add the flour, stirring well, to make a pasty mixture.
   
3. Whisk in the milk & the broth.
   
4. Add the corn & cream cheese & allow to heat through.
   
5. Cook bacon & cut into small pieces; add to soup.
6. Add salt, garlic powder, black pepper & cayenne pepper to taste. Stir together & serve with oyster crackers or bread.

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I'm the Next Top Chef. You Heard it Here First.

I'm the Next Top Chef. You Heard it Here First.

Friday, December 26, 2008

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As I've mentioned before, my small apartment is kitchenless. The folks over at my realty company have labeled it a "bachelor studio," which I suppose they think makes it sound jazzy & fun. This is, I regret to tell you, not really the case - it's essentially a dorm room, with all the not-so-comfortable comforts of one except that I'm roommate-free & don't have to use a communal shower.

My kitchen-free lifestyle has led, as you can imagine, to much dining out on my part. I'm on a personal mission to find the best chicken kaprow in the tri-state region, so I chow on a lot of Thai, & the folks at the new Submarina in Dupont Circle practically know me by name because I buy their chili three times a week for lunch. Healthy? Doubtful. Cheap? Hardly. But until now, save for making sandwiches every meal of every day, I didn't have tons of options.

And Wednesday, my mom arrived in the District, bearing Chanukah gifts. The loot? A washbasin, a portable range burner, a pot, a pan & a bunch of plates & cutlery. MY MOM IS THE COOLEST, I know. So today we rearranged half my apartment to fit this stuff in, & we promptly whipped up a batch of vegetarian chili that was ahhhmazaing, if I may say so myself. My pseudo-kitchen look like this:


"Where's your microwave, Kate?" I hear you asking. Ahh, my friend, good question. It used to be on that little counter block where the burner is now. But because that's the only spot of counter I have, it's been relocated... here:


Yeah, my microwave is in my closet. What of it? And don't even ask where I drain my pasta. I don't have a kitchen sink & I don't wanna get noodles caught in the bathroom sink, so... well, you can imagine where that leaves me to do my draining! Needless to say, it's probably a safe bet to assume that even with my newfound kitchen wares, I won't be doing much entertaining.

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Dinner of Champions

Dinner of Champions

Sunday, August 31, 2008

3 comments

No, not Wheaties. Quaker Cinnamon Oatmeal. And this is what happened to the first packet of it that I microwaved this evening (slash ever).





Needless to say, thank God for Clorox Disinfecting Wipes & having nine more packets of oatmeal to experiment on.

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