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Showing posts from August, 2004

Two Great Chinese Cookbooks

When I was first out of college and had that heady experience of running the kitchen for myself, I'd never really had any Chinese food. My gourmet parents didn't cotton to all the chopping that they'd have to do for any sort of Asian cooking. All I needed was one time at a fairly authentic Chinese restaurant and I was hooked. Naturally, I turned to books... THE KEY TO CHINESE COOKING by Irene Kuo Irene Kuo has been called the Julia Child of Chinese cooking and she deserves the title. This is the cookbook I used to teach myself Chinese cooking and it has every technique I have ever seen mentioned in any other Asian cookbook. Kuo writes so clearly that there is not much need for illustration, although there are some when describing cutting techniques and ingredients. More importantly, she has a love for her craft that comes through clearly and makes you understand why various techniques even matter. There is a plethora of recipes, many of which are amazingly simple to yi

Ingredient Alert

Don't you hate it when you read about some wonderful new food, try it, and then love it? You'd think that I'd quit trying these new, usually expensive treats but nooooooo, I fall for it every time ... and then I'm hooked. Here are the latest "must tries" I've found at the Central Market. GREEK YOGURT DRIZZLED WITH HONEY Fage is a brand of authentic Greek yogurt that comes in 0%, 2% and full fat. The Dallas Morning News food section highlighted Fage's packaging of yogurt with Greek honey that you can drizzle on top. Well, I was at least smart enough to buy the yogurt separately and drizzle it with my own honey. Fage's package has a very small amount of yogurt for the same price as their regular 7 ounce package ($1.99 - ouch!). I got the full fat yogurt (in for a penny, in for a pound) and what a treat it was. It is as thick as sour cream with a slight tang. Drizzled with honey it is luscious. I can't afford the price ... or the fat

Julia and Me

When I heard that Julia Child had died I only had a mild interest. True, I love to cook (and eat!) and the only cookbook of hers that I own, The Way to Cook , is fabulous. However, she's not one of the personalities in which I ever took any interest, she was able to enjoy her life to a grand age, and she died in her sleep. So, good on her, but none of it really mattered to me. Thinking about it later, though, I realized that I owe more than I knew to Julia. She had tremendous influence over my parents. They were gourmet cooks who delighted in experimenting with new recipes and eagerly read all that was written by Julia Child, James Beard, Craig Claiborne, and other food mavens of the time. In fact, they threw themselves into the gourmet movement with such gusto that we never ate such "common" things as Meat Loaf, Macaroni and Cheese, or Tuna Noodle Casserole. For that, we had to go to my grandparents' house. At home we consumed exotica such as curry, squid or Mexic

And On The 8th Day She Rested

We've done a final count and since last Saturday, Rose has churned out 18 ... count 'em -- 18 ... kinds of cookies! That's got to be several hundred cookies I have in my freezer. As the weekend approaches I'm going to do my best to redirect all that creative energy into something that I can use ... main dishes. Tomorrow we're making Brunswick Stew. Some for us and plenty for the freezer.

And The Baking Continues

Last night while I was at a meeting, Rose made Orange Creams (mmmmm, my favorite so far). Today she's added Spicy Oatmeal Cookies, Crackled Chocolate Cookies, and Orange Shortbread (got to use up the rest of that orange somehow, dontcha know?). We just got back from another run to the store to pick up nuts, sour cream, bananas ... you know, basic baking supplies. The funny thing is that we all like cookies but don't really eat many of them at a time. We probably shouldn't be surprised now that I think about it. I guess this actually is how most crafts get tackled in this house. For months, Rose knitted muffler after muffler, giving some away and selling others. Hannah now has a complete jewelry making kit and goes on jewelry jags. Luckily, cookie production was put on hold for a bit while Rose reorganized the freezer and both girls cleaned out the art supply shelves. I guess as long as the freezer has room, the baking can continue. We're gonna be the most popular hou

Kitchen News

Is anything better than a trip to the restaurant supply store? Other than a trip to a bookstore, that is (no shopping tops that for me). Its like half price heaven there. Rubbermaid spoonulas were $1.95 instead of the $4.00 through a catalog. Heavy duty plastic forks and knives were $3.45 per 100 instead of the grocery store's price of $1.49 for 24. I'd buy those restaurant size boxes of foil if only I had somewhere convenient to keep them. I only go once a year but I'm so happy after I come home. Its the simple things in life, right?

Baking Frenzy Reported

We just got back from the store from a trip to resupply the flour, butter, sugar, storage bags ... you get the idea. Not only did Rose make Lemonade Cookies and Peanut Butter Chocolate Thins yesterday but this morning she whipped up some Molasses Cookies and St. Nicholas Cookies. I'm going to be well supplied whenever guests drop by, that's for sure. But I'm running out of storage space ...

Important Cooking Tip

[Names have been changed to protect the forgetful.] If you don't add any sugar to Peanut Butter Refrigerator Cookies they taste like: Dorothy Ellen: These taste like flour. Gemma Elizabeth: They taste worse than flour. I like flour! Inevitably in our household this leads to quotes about the time Homer Simpson was sitting on his couch dejectedly eating from a bag of flour: Marge: Oh Homie, don't you want your sugar sack? Homer, mournfully: I don't deserve any sugar. Its an ill wind that blows no good, though. I won't have to buy any dog treats for a while!

Ingredient Alert - Pluots

Let me just say that if anyone has a chance to try a Flavor Burst Pluot they should grab it. They are well named ... the closest thing to a Sweet Tart in a crisp, fruit form that I've ever had. Ours came from the Central Market but I'd bet they can be found at places like Whole Foods also. UPDATE: I just remembered these actually are called Flavor Grenade Pluots ... all the more reason to try one, eh?