Continuous Sniffles and the dull knife

It seems that every time I take a plane, my body reacts with sneezing, runny nose, and coughing. And it is the same with my recent trip/move to Germany. The hacking, the endless tissues are becoming burdensome. All I want to do is run and well, I feel like death walking the two blocks to the German market and home, so that's out of the question.

So the past two days have been filled with endless Big Bang Theory, internet surfing, playing "Yes, Chef" and iMessaging people in the states. I thought walking to the market would be good, but on my return home, I felt weak, so back on the couch I went.

However, this... allergies? cold? ... won't stop me from cooking Chicken Tortilla Soup. Or my mixed version of it. Then I grabbed my husband's kitchen knife and well that almost stopped me.

See the memo of a chef's knife doesn't go in the dishwasher didn't get to my new hubby. Rather his version is, I never said not to nor explained why not to, so he did. Basically, how all my kitchen memos go. I never said not to.

Then again it was the first slice of onion, that I realized that sucker was dull. And while my knife skills are anything but chef worthy my friend's dad would have taken that thing away from me immediately and handed me a new one. But I was left to make due with what I had on hand - a dull kitchen knife or my wusthoff paring knife.

The paring knife was obviously too small for the job, so I chose the hazard knife. With each stroke, I could just feel it slip closer to my fingers and I inwardly cringed. It was dull alright and one of my fingers were going to become it's target. Each cut was haphazard and un-chef worthy.

However, I made it through the onion and pepper with out spurting blood or rushing to get a band-aid. And I was able to prepare my soup without any other issues. It was a hit at dinner and it's gotten better in the fridge.

Now to find new knives.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 lb chicken breast
1 taco seasoning packet
1 rotel diced tomato
1 bell pepper
1 onion

Cook chicken in rotel, one can of water (about 2 cups), and taco seasoning in small pot. Dice pepper and onion. Once the chicken is cooked, shred it. Saute pepper and onion  with a tablespoon of olive oil in big pot, once cooked add chicken and left over sauce from small pot. Simmer until you are ready to eat it. We topped ours with cheese and scooped it Scoops.

Married Life

Oh, how four years have gone by and quickly I might add.

In the past four years, I've moved, worked, cooked, moved, worked, cooked, moved, cooked, got engaged, planned a wedding, moved overseas and well here I am on my couch in my pjs, blowing off the dust on my old rusty blog about cooking. Might I add with a pot of chili on the stove (I promise you the recipe is below).

Oh, yes I'm back. Ready to open my new cookbooks, switch up some recipes and well, dust off some old ones. Time to start cooking those recipes I pinned so many months ago and on the flight over. Time to learn some German and about my heritage that runs through my blood. Time to set off some fire alarms, to cook too many things at once, and probably burn somethings in the process.

And in the meantime, I'll revamp this baby, give her some flair probably, add some in about german life and married life.

But for now, I'm going to go eat a bowl of my chili and watch my husband blow-up some aliens on some video game.

Taco Chili

1 packet of taco seasoning
1 lb ground beef
2 cans of whatever beans you like
1 can of diced tomatoes (I used rotel)
1 small can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup of beer (whatever you have on hand)

Brown the meat in a pot, I used my pasta pot. Add seasoning, once browned, then add beer, let it burn off. Add the rest of the ingredients, then let it simmer to whatever consistency you like. Easy peasy.

Back for more

Dear heavens, how long has it been since I've written on this blog?
Months.... No wait.... Over a year.
Dad brought it up for awhile and then magically stopped. And now here I am 15 months later, trying to come back and blog.
Have I lost my food blogging mojo? Nope. I've just been blogging elsewhere for work and well have been to lazy, yes, lazy to blog personally.
But I'm back. And I hope to start blogging once a week, again.
I'm getting back in to the baking groove, sending cookies to Iraq (hoping they don't turn into cookie pucks, but it's possible) and making birthday cakes and brownies, which means kitchen accidents, cuts and bruises.
Nothing major has happened lately in that department. Just smoke coming out of the oven, which lets admit isn't that abnormal.
Now if I can only figure out what to make for Valentine's Day?

Thankful.....

As a kid, I don't think I fully understood Thanksgiving. What asked what I was thankful for one year, I said my dog. As a teenager, I don't think I ever said I was thankful for my family (I was rebellious). But now as an adult, living on my own, I'm thankful a lot of things- my family, friends, job, and my inner strength.
This year has been rough. Moving, breaking up, getting a job and in the beginning it all seemed so hard. I didn't know if I would make it sometimes, but I pushed through with the help of friends and family.
And while today, I will be working and missing from my family's table. I will be at a friends. Plus, a coworker and I are bringing in dinner for the people on duty. It won't be a feast by any means, but it is something. More than nothing.
I'm making my famous Upside-Down Butterscotch Apple Sour Cream Cake. I made it 2 years ago and was a huge hit among friends and family. I hope it will be the same here.

Upside-Down Butterscotch Apple Sour Cream Cake
(Bon Appetit)

Cake
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup baker's sugar (superfine sugar) or regular sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

Butterscotch-caramel apples
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/3 cup butterscotch morsels
2 8-ounce Golden Delicious apples, peeled, halved, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

For cake:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until blended. Beat in flour mixture, then sour cream. Stir in chopped apple. Set aside while preparing butterscotch-caramel apples.

For butterscotch-caramel apples:
Melt butter in 10-inch-diameter nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and butterscotch morsels; stir until melted and smooth and mixture is bubbling, about 2 minutes. Add apple slices to skillet and cook until golden brown, using tongs to turn slices, about 3 minutes per side (there will be a lot of liquid in skillet). Remove skillet from heat and let cool 3 minutes. Using tongs, arrange apple slices in skillet in concentric circles or other pattern.

Carefully spoon cake batter in small dollops atop apples in skillet. Using offset spatula, gently spread batter evenly to edges of skillet (batter will seem to float on top of apples and pan juices). Bake until cake is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in skillet 10 minutes. Run knife around edges of cake to loosen. Place large platter atop skillet. Using oven mitts or pot holders, hold platter and skillet firmly together and invert, allowing cake to settle onto platter. Serve cake warm.

No 60 minute Thanksgiving dinners...

I'm sorry to disappoint Ms. Rachael Ray, but her 60 minute Thanksgiving dinner took almost 2 hours for me to make. No help, just me, myself and the ingredients.
Now why would I take on such a feat?
Well, because I've never made Thanksgiving dinner and I wanted to know if you could really do it in 60 minutes. So I gathered up the ingredients and tore up the kitchen to see if I could do it.
I begun where the magazine said to start, blanching the green beans and starting on the potatoes. Check Check. Bird in oven, check. Start on chopping for stuffing. Back to green beans. I started to get mixed up with which dish I was working on and what hadn't been done. My brain was getting frazzled. I knew 20 minutes in this wasn't going to work. So I began going dish by dish, getting each one done.
I was ahead for about 30 minutes and then I got slammed. The trifle and potatoes came back to back, plus I was going back and forth between her minute-to-minute list to her recipes because I had found errors during prepping that I wanted to weed out.
For example, Ray's original turkey recipe said to let it rest for 20 minutes but in the minute-to-minute list the bird rested for 8. Where did the other 12 minutes go?
Plus it didn't help that I did not have enough counter space or any help. I decided to go it alone.
Sixty minutes hit, the turkey was still raw and I had just begun on mashing the potatoes. Albeit 3 dishes had yet to be completed, 2 were.
Another 15 minutes go by, the dessert and the potatoes are completed. What's left is the bird. I didn't use a thermometer, I did it by touch and luckily (as usual) I was right. The bird was done.
And while I may not have been able to do it in 60, I did do it 90. And this is mainly due to the fact that the bird was still partially frozen when I put it in the oven. It was the last thing to come out. If it had been dethawed I think I could have shaved 15 minutes off, but that would be cutting resting time.
My companion, who watched me, enjoyed the entertainment and the meal. The potatoes is what she loved the most and I concur, but who doesn't love potatoes.
Now I just wonder is Ms. Ray even doing her meals in 30 minutes and what to do with the leftovers?

Orange and white potatoes
(adapted from Rachael Ray November 2008 issue)
4 small russet potatoes
1 cubed sweet potato
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup of butter
salt
pepper

Place russet potatoes in pot cover with water. Bring potatoes to boil After about 20 minutes add sweet potato. Cook until tender, drain water into colander. Place potatoes in bowl, mash with fork or other utensil. Mix in cream and butter. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Cowboy cookies?

I am a cookie fan. Peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chip. Anything really. I do not discriminate against the cookie.
So last week, I talked to a friend for the first time in months and she said to me, "Jerry, I miss your cooking." I smiled and then felt guilty. She had yet to receive a Jerry package of goodies. I knew I had to rectify my shortcoming with something, so I hit the computer.
It seemed everything I found I a) have made 2) didn't want to buy the ingredients or c) had no interest in making. O.K. so maybe I was a little discriminatory. Then I remembered a recipe a friend had given me- Cowboy Cookies. When I heard about them, they intrigued me because I had never seen or heard of them before.
However, if you look at the recipe all they are, are just oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips, but I made them anyways. And they are a fabulous! Crunchy outside soft middle. The way I believe a cookie should be. Now if I can only part with them.

Cowboy Cookies

2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 cups oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together dry ingredients. Cream butter, then add sugars and cream some more. Add in eggs and vanilla, after that combines add in dry in spurts so that you don't have flour everywhere. Then add in raisin and chocolate chips, doll-up scoops unto a baking sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Making Whoopie....

Do you remember those Little Debbie "Oatmeal Cream Pies" you'd get in school? The two cookies on the outside and frosting in the middle?
I remember them vividly, probably for different reasons than you, but I can honestly say I ate my far share of them. That and Zebra cakes.
So, when I heard about the "Anything but Pie contest" that the local market was doing here in Elizabeth City, I thought whoopie pies. This was because contest rules said you had to use either pumpkin or sweet potatoes in the food you made. When I was told this, I vaguely remembered a recipe I had seen for pumpkin whoopie pies. So I knew then I had to make them.
I spent one afternoon roasting the pumpkin, making puree and then making the little "cookies."
Some might say it would be easier to have gotten canned pumpkin, but I had a small one and I like using fresh pumpkin when I can. Yes, the kitchen is a mess but you have pumpkin for a couple more recipes than just a pie.
The whoopie pies came out spectacular, my friend said he would give me first place if he was a judge. Then come Saturday-market day and it was cancelled. No contest, no market, me with a lot more whoopie pies, then I had planned. So, I took them to work and they got gobbled up by coworkers, who took more than one.
Now what to do if the market is on this weekend and the contest rescheduled for this Saturday?

Pumpkin whoopie pies
(adapted from Rachael Ray mag)

1.5 sticks butter, 1 stick melted, the 1/2 stick softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
cinnamon, allspice, clove
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 2/3 cups of flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 2/3 cup sugar
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup powder sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.

Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

My obsession with biscuits

Tonight was suppose to be chili. I had every intention to make chili, however I got home from the pumpkin patch and the last thing I wanted was chili.
But what I really wanted was a biscuit. So I googled and then went to Food Network, finding Alton Brown's biscuit recipe. You know the shortcut episode- instead of buttermilk use milk and lemon. So I had found my recipe, but could I make fluffy biscuits?
I've been trying to get that final product, Brown's would be my third. Every other time, the biscuits were never fluffy rather rolly. Crusty outside, white inside, but it would never be a biscuit. So awhile ago, I asked my dad about biscuits, he said that I should never knead them, which is what I had been doing. So, this time I used the best tools- my hands.
What did I get? Well, they weren't exactly huge, tall biscuits, but they were fluffy and crusty and oh so good.
The perfect biscuit to go with my southern dinner/breakfast- eggs over easy, bacon, biscuits and OJ. A great way to end my day.

Southern Biscuits
(adapted from Alton Brown's Southern Biscuits)
1 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
9 1/4 ounces all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, chilled

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the milk and lemon juice in a glass measuring cup and place in the refrigerator.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips and working quickly, rub the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled milk mixture. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold the dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform the scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting.

Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

A quiet cake

I am a maker of cakes. I don't need a reason. I'll make cakes just for the hell of it, but if its your birthday, I always make one. Whatever you want. No questions asked. I'll make it even if I hate it.
So, when I learned a friend's birthday was this week, I automatically said I'd make a cake. He said I didn't have to. He didn't need one. My mouth dropped. No cake?
I protested. He said if it would make me happy, then I could make him a cake. I was a little hurt. Cake is a big deal. Birthdays are defined by cakes.
Maybe it's because I view birthdays as the one day of the year, I can say screw you and do what I want because I have an excuse. Or maybe its because I get my favorite cake. I don't know.
Plus, people always surprise you on your birthday. You learn about your turn friends on that day. So that's why I took offense.
Of course, I made a cake anyways- Chocolate Espresso from Nigella Lawson. It didn't rise as it should have. I think that's due to my lack of self-rising flour and that I tried to make it myself. However, it has a good chocolate with a hint of coffee taste that I like.
And maybe this year, I'll celebrate my birthday twice. Cause the first time I didn't get the cake I wanted and it's always better when I make it.

A little bit of West, Texas

Oh the market is down, gas is down and jobs are becoming scare. Amid all of this, I can be found in my kitchen.
The market is bad, I could soon lose my job, but I do not fret or worry. Maybe I should, hell my newspaper is for sell, but I'm calm about it all. It's my laid back lifestyle.
So instead of fretting I make kolaches. What are kolaches you ask?
One of the many breakfasts that I know and love in Texas. All it is really, is a sweet roll with jam/jelly/preserves in the middle.
Nothing is better than stopping in West, Texas at the Czeck gas station to pick up a kolache on your way to or from Austin. Sure there are other places to get them. They are all along the I-35 corridor, but I find them to be the best in West.
After moving to NC, I've craved them, but no one knows what they are. I've had to explain them to almost everyone I know. I guess it's a Texas thing.
So this morning, I got up and made kolaches. It's just like making any sort of bread. It takes time to rise and the whole process takes about 4 hours. To some it may seem like to much work but to me. The work is worth the reward.
Especially with a hot peach kolache and a cup of coffee. Nothing is better. Well... that's a bold statement isn't it? O.K. so it's up there. At least in my top ten.
But don't take my word for it. Hop on over to Homesick Texan's website and try her kolache recipe. It's divine.

Far far away...

My closest college friend is in D.C. and although it is only 4 hour drive from my current residence, work prevents me from visiting often. The rest of my friends live in Texas, far far away. I find myself missing them more often now that I am away, keeping in touch more and sending more goodies than ever.
I guess its the distance. I can no longer cook or bake for them so I send packages of brownies, cookies, books and other things. They do the same. There is no hesitation from any one of us and often there is no message of the package until it shows up on the doorstep of the receivee. It's better that way; it's a surprise.
With Ike and Gustav hitting places where I have friends currently, I've been constantly making sure everyone is alright by twittering and text messages. I guess its the maternal instinct that I have.
Then again, I made several e-mails and phone calls when Hanna hit last week, so I've been in the same spot. Though some may say they have to worry about me more because sometimes I don't fully think things through before doing something, which is true.
So this morning I decided to put together packages my friends know so well. (My friend's dad patiently waits to see what I send her every month, which means she sometimes only gets one piece.) Since I love chocolate and coffee, I put together an espresso brownie recipe.
It is deliciously soft, chewy and chocolatey the perfect thing for all my girlfriends.

Espresso brownies
(adapted from Everyday Food)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon coffee grinds
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with rack in center. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan, and line the bottom with parchment or wax paper. Coat paper with butter. Set aside.
In a large heatproof bowl, combine the butter and unsweetened chocolate, and place over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until completely melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk in sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, and eggs.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add to the chocolate mixture, and stir until just combined . Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour into pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly wet, 30 to 35 minutes. Using a damp, warm knife, cut into 16 squares, wiping knife blade after each cut.

Black only.

I never drank coffee as a teenager. I tasted it a few times out of my Dad's cup and always made a sour face, saying, "Bluck!" However, tastes change and you pick up a real job, naturally you pick up coffee, too.
Or like me, you knew it could become an addiction, so tried to avoid the haunting black liquid as long as you could. Really, since trying coffee more than a year ago, I felt an addiction comin' on. Weird I know, but my first sip caused a flutter with my taste buds and a began Saturday ritual of breakfast tacos and iced mochas. Routine seemed innocence enough until friends and I began meeting up at coffee joints at 11 p.m. One latte later and I was up all night. Thus began my relationship with coffee- a reoccurring romance that I avidly denied and avoid. Little did I know that coffee had already won.
Of course being journalist, hours are strange and sleep always is lacking, what becomes once a week eventually turns into 3 times a week into at least one cup a day. This happened to me over a span of a few weeks. I know drink at least one cup a day, depending whether I'm at work or with friends. It is my 3 p.m. jolt during my 10 hour day that lasts often until midnight.
Within this span of about 2 months, I've gone from cream and sugar coffee to black. Now I don't mind the cream and sugar, but I find that I don't need the additions to drink my cup. I don't know why. I like the bitter often woody taste of my coffee. I don't need to sweeten it.
Now I just need to learn to make espresso.

My Black French Press Coffee

1.5-2 Tbsp of coffee
1-2 cups boiled water

Boil the coffee in microwave or like me on the stove because I lack a microwave. Place coffee in press, pour boiling water over. Let water and coffee steep for at least 4 minutes, I let it steep for long anywhere between 5-10. Press the metal press down, pour into cup. Enjoy!

Comfort me with food

I claim mental insanity, when I decided to start studying for the GRE because today my prep book arrived. I immediately started to skim through it and discovered that it seemed just like the SAT, but all the words I once knew failed me. I mean, who actually uses the words-assuage, cacophony, ephemeral- in daily life? I know of no one.
Of course this comes after helping a friend's daughter with a percentage of a percentage problem today, which I couldn't understand. Did going to college make me dumb? Or is it that I haven't had math since high school?
Personally, I'll go with the latter, but all this education talk made me hungry and what better way to easy a hurting head than with food. Plus, it was one of my nights off, so I could cook a decent meal in my kitchen without having a time limit or forgetting to defrost dinner.
I knew I had zucchini, which was on its last leg and googled a recipe. For meat, I felt like chicken. But what I was really feelin' like was biscuits. Nothing is better than a golden fluffy biscuit. O.K. so that statement is a stretch, but I'd prefer a homemade biscuit to Pillsbury any day.
Sure the can is fun to pop open, but making them is just as fun.
(Note: I've been craving fried chicken, but I put it off until I had some guinea pigs to try it out on. Plus, grease still scares me. It is the one hospital visit I do not want to make.)
So I made the biscuits which puffed and became golden brown, zucchini hash and chicken. It was so nice to have a home cooked meal again. I forget sometimes with late night work shifts, how comforting a meal can be.
Now I've promised myself that I would begin preparing meals before I go to work, so on my lunch I can just pop them in the oven. Well, see how long it lasts. Or if it even starts.

Zucchini Hash
(adapted from Cookin' for Real)
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tablespoon butter
1/2 pound zucchini, cubed
1/4 onion, diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over high heat. Add zucchini, squash and onion. Cook until softened and golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Rainy days call for soup.....

The weather here in NC has been less than appealing. No sunshine, just gray clouds and rain lurking in the area. Don't get me wrong. I love rain and what it brings to my garden, but after a couple days I'd like to bask in the sun.
However, the great thing about gray weather is the urge to get inside and cook. And that is what I decided to do the other day. I looked at my counter once again, overflowing with vegetables in the garden and immediately decided to throw it into a pot. And that is exactly what I did. I chopped up squash, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, garlic and allowed them to simmer together.
I would love to say that I allowed them to marry for hours, stirring it occasionally as I sat in my big brown leather chair reading. But I had work in the afternoon and only had two hours. So, I let them simmer, while cleaning up the mess. I added in some spices and tabasco to my liking, turned off the stove and went to work.
As the day went on the gray clouds let go of there condensation for a large downpour, and I thought about my chili waiting for me when I got home. I was too excited about it, but it was my first real meal of the week (I've really been slacking of in the cooking department)and I couldn't get enough.
Although, it might have been too spicy for some. I loved it. The only thing missing was some cornbread. That would have made the meal complete.

Vegetable Chili
1 zuchini chopped
1 squash, chopped
1 eggplant, chopped
1 lb or more of tomatoes
2 small bell peppers
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves
few splashes of tabasco
salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano
extra virgin olive oil

Saute onion, oregano, and all veggies except tomatoes. After onions are semi-translucent add tomatoes. Make sure you turn down the heat, the tomatoes will add juices to the chili. Add a cup of water if it needs it and let simmer for at least an hour. After simmer add spices to your liking. Let cool a little before serving.

Localvore to a....

Well, I can't say T, but I'm pretty close. I've been even more local than I was in Austin, which is quite shocking, considering all ATX has to offer. (Confession: I spent a lot of time at Whole Foods and Central Market.) But here in North Carolina, I live off of food stands, the garden, and almost all organic staples on a budget no less.
Now I can't say that I've stuck to the budget always. It is really hard when you read Tastespotting and food magazines all the time because most of the stuff isn't local to my area. For example, I haven't bought an avocado in months because they are expensive due to "surging" gas prices. Maybe with this lower gas prices, food prices will go back down with it.
But even if prices do go down, I don't think I'll buy things that have made the trek from South America here. I just can't bring myself to buy those things anymore. Yes, I love asparagus in the winter, but a) it doesn't taste the same and b) I just made a huge carbon footprint. I'm not trying to rant or lecture, just opinionating.
And trust me it is really hard for me to stick to this whole localvore thing come winter. I can only eat cabbage so much. However, this year, I have learned the art of canning, pickling and freezing. Oh and what wonders have they brought me.
I now know how to can tomatoes (not as difficult as it seems), make pickles, and freeze squash. I am becoming Miss Martha Stewart almost. Never in my years would I imagine doing the things I've learned this summer, but it just makes me realize how easy things are to store for later. Yes, its not easy, but invite friends, make a party and can or freeze. Trust me come winter, I'll be having my canned tomatoes in my tomato sauce. Oh and my salsa!
I made and canned tomato salsa! Which is a feat in itself! It taste sooo good and it's spicy. Only one habenero, but my god does it leave the tingly sensation in your mouth. Next on my list is canning barbecue sauce made with garden grown tomatoes! Yum!

Spicy Salsa
1-1.5 pounds of tomatoes
1 habenero
1/2 medium onion
1 medium to large anaheim pepper
2 garlic cloves
salt, pepper, cumin

Blend vegetables together or chop for chunky salsa. Reduce for a hour on the stove to heat it up. Pour into sterilized jar and place in waterbath for 15-20 minutes. Make sure that you hear the pop, which means the jar is sealed. If it is not sealed pour salsa back into sauce pan, sterilize another jar and lid, place in water bath once again.
Seems so hard, but it is super simple!

Happy like a clam.....

As big of a food snob as I am, (this is my new name at work), I haven't been culinarily adventurous in my life. I haven't had true lobster, brussel sprout, oysters, uni, beet, and many other foods that never crossed the table. Why?
One most of my family doesn't like seafood, which is sad because they are missing out, but that means more for little old me!
Two, I don't know if my parents even like most of them, and I wasn't a kid who would go out of there way to try a new food until college. So... that means I have a lot of making up to do.
Of course, I began this catch up maybe a year or two ago, but I'm still behind. I only just tried mussels for the first time a month ago, and now I can scratch clams of my list.
Oh, I'll admit, I had this once before in Alabama with the ex, but they were on his plate not mine. So I'm not counting that. You can if you wish, but I'm not.
Clams aren't that hard to find in N.C. most seafood markets I visit have them that was the easy part. And I knew that clams in a white wine sauce was popular, so at least I had an idea of a cooking method.
On Saturday, I traveled north to Virginia Beach to go to the Old Beach Farmer's Market. The market is off of Cypress right as 264 turns into a road. It has 9 vendors, all local and I believe all organic. I felt like I was back in Austin. It was small, but had that vibe. I can't describe it well, but I hope you know what I'm talkin' about.
And to my surprise they had clams. The clams were came in 25/50/100. I chose the 25 and paid the vendor. No going back, I had them. I spent the money. It was a sink or swim now.
Of course I didn't go straight home. I made trip to Trader Joe's, the bookstore, and Macy's. I had to get my coffee grinder, o.k.? At each stop, I think to myself, I'm going to kill my clams. By the time I got home 5 hours later, I had a sinking feeling they were dead.
But I wouldn't know until I cooked them. So I found a recipe, opened a bottle of wine and followed the instructions. Five minutes of steaming and some mouths were open, but not all.
My stomach sunk. I killed the clams. I wouldn't be having dinner. I would starve. So I opened my Joy of Cooking to find that they can be steamed for 5-10 mins. So, I reheated them and sure enough a couple of minutes later they were all open.
I hadn't killed them in the car, which was a relief. Plus, they didn't scream in the pot. I liked them enough, but am a bigger fan of mussels. Not to say that I won't cook them, again. Because next time they will have a shorter joy ride.

Clams with garlic and roasted tomatoes
(adapted from Heart of New England)

24 littleneck clams
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup roasted tomatoes
½ cup dry white wine, such a Sauvignon Blanc
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dried oregano or marjoram
Freshly ground black pepper

Place clams into a strainer and shake under running water to remove loose shell debris.

Heat a large sauté or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, oregano, and garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic starts to color. Add wine and bring to a boil, then add clams and tomatoes. Raise heat to high, cover pan and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until clams are opened (5-10 minutes). Discard unopened clams.

Serve immediately with the sauce. A salad and crusty bread for the sauce completes the meal.

A snap and a crunch

When the vegetables started to pile up on my counter last week, I knew I had a problem. There were and still are 4 squash, which has turned into 10; 4 peppers, magically now 9;
5 cucumbers, now 2.
Now I know what you are asking? Where did the cucumbers go?
Well, I decided to do some pickling. Yes, I know, me with all my "oh my god, the kitchen is going to explode" episodes, decided that she would pickle. And no there was no damage to myself or my kitchen.
Actually, I thought about pickling two years ago, when I was a vegetarian. My mom actually sent me my great grandmother's recipe. However, the procrastinating college student, I was never got around to it, and eventually had to throw the cucumbers out. I know it was a waste of food, but I had yet to realize my food impact.
So last week, when I had the abundance of cucumbers, I decided to give Homesick Texan's pickle recipe a go. It sounded easy enough. There was no boiling of ingredients, just the sterilization of the jars, which I've done before. And in 4-6 days I'd have pickles. So I gathered ingredients, sterilized the jars, which splattered water all over my stove. I then mixed the brine added the cucumbers and placed them in the fridge. There they sat for 5 days, haunting me.
Of course, I shook them everyday and everyday was tempted to steal one, but I waited. And then today I broke and opened one of the jars. And when I bit into that first pickle spear, I died a little. That is because the pickle was so good. It had that right acidic bite and it was still firm. I had one than another than another. Finally, I just put them away before I ate them all.
Now I know the difference between the store bought pickle and homemade ones. Today when I opened up one of the jars of pickles and took a long spear out, put it between in my teeth, I felt the snap and heard the crunch. Before I even tasted it, I knew it was a great pickle because of the crispness of it. Sure you can get that from store bought, but you taste the dill more in homemade and you miss out on it being truly something you had created. The store bought ones just take away all the fun. So this is added to my list of recipes. Now what to do with the rest of the vegetables?

Refrigerator dill pickles
(from Homesick Texan)
Ingredients:
6 Kirby cucumbers, cleaned, stemmed and halved, lengthwise
1/2 cup of white vinegar
2 tablespoons of salt
1 tablespoon of black peppercorns
1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of fresh dill

Method:
Place salt, peppercorns, coriander seeds, garlic and dill in a sterilized 1-quart Mason jar.
Layer sliced cucumbers in jar, leaving 1/2 inch at the top.
Pour in vinegar.
Fill jar with water, seal with lid and shake for about a minute.
Refrigerate for six days, shaking daily.

Makes 1-quart jar of dill pickles. This simple recipe, however, can easily be multiplied.

Note: I divided the recipe in have for 1/2 pint jars. They are a little sour, but that is the way I like them.

Going bananas.....

I don't remember if I've ever had banana pudding. I don't remember ever making it as a child or having it. But then again, I don't remember the first time I had peach cobbler, but my dad does. So more times than not I don't trust my memory.
This week a friend's daughter wanted to make banana pudding for a pot luck, but she didn't know how to make. I told her we could make it together over the weekend.
So the daughter and I set a date. Her father then inquired if I was going to make the custard based banana pudding or the fake stuff? A little confused, I replied that it would be the custard based. Then I told my father and he told me the proper way was to layer vanilla wafers and bananas along with the custard. Boy was I thrown in a loop. To many demands and requests that I didn't know how to answer.
Most of the week goes by before I look for recipes finding one from Food Network that I was going to do. Then I am told that the original recipe is on the wafer box. But since I had found the food network one, I did not worry about the box recipe.
The day of I write down what I need from the food network recipe and go to Walmart for ingredients. Upon finding the wafers, I see the box recipe. I see that it is easier and simpler for me and the seven-year-old to make. And with that the food network recipe went out the window.
The girl and I made the recipe. She learned how to separate eggs and how to temper them. She wasn't allowed near the oven or stove so I had to do the stirring and the baking. But she was enthused about the end result and kept asking if it was done when it was baking. I replied she had to be patient.
But her enthusiasm for the pudding and her want to do everything was uplifting. It is good to know that some children want to be involved in cooking and I guess when it comes to sweets most do.
The pudding was eaten after dinner and every morsel was scrapped up by everyones spoon. I don't believe there was any leftovers to be had. And whether or not I've ever had banana pudding, doesn't matter anymore because I've learned that I am a fan and I'll make it one day, again.

Banana Pudding

(adapted from Nilla wafer box)

3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Dash salt
3 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
NILLA Wafers
5 ripe bananas, sliced (about 3 1/2 cups), divided

First, layer wafers and bananas in pot of small brownie pan. So after pudding mixture is made you can pour it over quickly.

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, flour, milk and salt in sauce pan. Once it is hot, temper eggs and then add them to milk mixture. Once mixture is thick pour part of mixture of wafers and bananas.

Cover with another layer of wafers and a layer of sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of custard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with custard. Or how ever many you get.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Spoon on top of pudding, spreading evenly to cover entire surface and sealing well to edges.

Bake at 350°F in top half of oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Cool slightly or refrigerate. Garnish with additional wafers and banana slices just before serving.

Too much....

OH MY GOD MY FRIDGE IS OVERFLOWING!
Ok, ok that was a little dramatic, but seriously, my fridge is like so full for a single person. Well, unless you factor in that I'm a huge food dork. And that's not even all of it.
No, my counter has peppers, squash, and cucumbers on them too. I don't know what to do with them all. I keep on telling myself, I'll make this and that, but I procastinate and it never gets done.
Why am I in abundance? I do not know how to say no. You may laugh, but when it comes to people giving me food, I feel bad saying no. But then again, I also, feel bad when people around the world are starving and I throw out what was once perfectly edible vegetable.
So, I promise myself that this time, I won't. The cucumbers will become pickles. The peppers..... I think I can pickle those too? The squash?
A chocolate zucchini cake. I know, I know, its odd. But strangely enough its really really good! You never taste the zucchini in it. All the vegetable does is keep the cake very moist and gooey. Trust me I know.
I have already made it for pot luck dinner this week. And I even converted a seven-year-old, who said she didn't like squash. I believe she even ate most of it, well her and her father.
So next time you have too many vegetables think outside the box.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
(adapted from Epicurious.com)
2 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini (about 2 1/2 medium)
1 6-ounce package (about 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter and oil in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each. Mix in grated zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan.

A peach festivel gone astray

I'm shocked. Appalled and downright saddened. Why you may ask?
The Knott's Island Peach Festival has no peaches from North Carolina. I mean, if you are going to have a peach festival in North Carolina, you shouldn't ship in 6,250 pounds (an exact number) of peaches from South Carolina, it just isn't right.
Maybe it's my Texas pride coming out, but no county or city in my home state would ship in peaches from "the outside" for a festival. It would be an abomination. It's unheard of. I'm ranting, but still.
What happened to a festival, celebrating the local crop that has sustained that town for years?
Add to this that the pies came from Sam's Club, no telling where the ice cream came from (it didn't have much of a peach taste, anyways). My hopes and expectations were crushed. My thoughts of getting a pie crust or peach pie recipe were fleeting because I soon realized that I was not going to get any.
Defeated, I walked away. I could get South Carolina peaches at any farm stand around. What then to do?
I went home on the ferry, a very disappointed. My first peach festival and the peaches weren't even regional.
However, the next day, I went to an orchard where I picked peaches (there is peaches on the island at a winery, but not enough to supply the festival, i guess). The woman told me that many had hail damage to them, but I decided to pick a few anyways.
All had hail damage, bugs, or were rotting on the ground. I was able to find some soft with no bugs to bring home with me. I then, took them cleaned them, mixed them with blueberries, and made cobbler.
The cobbler was wonderful. Though I am more of a pie person, I think it is the crunch with the crust. But still this was quick and easy, plus a lot less work.
Blueberry and Peach Cobbler
(adapting from Eating Well)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup sugar
cinnamon and nutmeg
3 ripe but firm peaches (about 1 pound), pitted and sliced into eighths, or 3 1/2 cups frozen
2 cups (1 pint) fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place butter and oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Heat in the oven until melted and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add milk, sugar and vanilla; stir to combine. Add the melted butter mixture to the batter and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the hot pan. Spoon peaches and blueberries evenly over the batter. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the top of the cobbler is browned and the batter around the fruit is completely set, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm.