As I've mentioned, I love to cook. You will laugh at me when I tell you this, but sometimes when I cooking dinner (and yes, that can be a chore) I pretend that I'm doing a cooking show. It makes it less a chore.
I'm not sure why food is important to me. I think that it is a creative outlet as much as anything. Though I worked horrible hours in a stressful career, I fixed dinner every night. Sure, I stopped and got chicken once a week, but for the most part, we had a cooked meal. It's funny, but most of the children that my kid's know eat crap. We eat roasted chicken, pork chops, homemade hamburgers, pork tenderloin, barbecued chicken, salads, fresh greens and beans. My daughter brings home boys that live on fast food. I serve stuff they do not recognize; they will not eat.
I get no greater joy than feeding people something that they would not otherwise make themselves. The big foodie holiday--Thanksgiving--will soon be upon us. I have had it at my home since 1985/86. Mark and I would have 2 T-G's and I decided that my Mom and MIL had cooked enough, and I would do it for them. They did not mind. It's really much work. It takes me a good 2.5 days of work. I do notice now that I'm older that it' is much harder to do. Cooking is very physical. You have to stand up, move around, lift, chop, THINK! I did give up making my own bread a long time ago. Now, if I even have it, I will do croissants from Costco. But, I may this year make Armenian dinner roles. Yes, I think that I will.
I try to have a core menu--to give people an anchor so they don't feel like they are tossed out to sea. But I also like to surprise folks with new side dishes, or a different dessert. Coming to my house looking for pumpkin pie or pecan pie? You will not get it. But, you might get a pumpkin cheesecake, or a frozen pumpkin torte, or a maple pecan chocolate torte, or pumpkin bread pudding creme brule! Want choices? I'll disappoint you again. I make only one dessert. And it is always divine. and I promise you it will be something that will send your taste buds into the everafter.
I've had one spectacular failure: Brussel sprouts with roasted chestnuts in a garlic cream sauce was one such whimsical dish. I burnt my fingers roasting the %$#!$^%^ chestnuts. I hated the dish. Truthfully, that is the only loser side dish in twenty years. Should my investing be so lucky!
My core offerings will be turkey, ham, scalloped oysters, tart cranberry sauce and cornbread/sausage dressing. I ALWAYS serve these. I brine my turkey. I DO NOT cook the thing all day. I roast it to perfection in 2.5 hours. I rub it with butter, I roast it for 45 minutes on 450, and then it gets turned back. I use a meat thermoter. The pop ups will overcook your bird. The skin is seared and everything is delicious. No basting--it doesn't work. Squirt water on your skin. Are you getting anything in your muscles. That's why you need to brine. But you have to be careful or you'll kill everyone if you do not keep your turkey cold enough in the brining process.
Rather than a spiral ham, I'm going to get a Smithfield ham. I own the stock'; I'll support them. You have to do the opposite with a ham. You have to soak the damn thing (after stabbing it with a knife in a scene reminiscent of "Play Misty for Me", for a couple of days to take the salt out. The last time I had a country ham was about 10 years ago. I put it on the gas grill in a mixture of vinegar/water. I don't know where I found that recipe, but it was the most awesome ham we've ever had--flavorful, moist and just the right amount of salt.
If you ever get wild game, do the same thing. If someone brings you some deer, do not turn it away. Honor that deer's life by serving your family a lovely venison dish. If you soak it in vinegar and water you will get the blood out. You just e-mail me, if someone plops this on you and I'll help you make a terrific meal for your family.
I'm not going to be be adventurous on dessert. I'm going to make a maple pecan chocolate torte. It's graced my table a few times over the last 20+ years. It's divine. I serve it warm with vanilla ice cream. It's a pain in the ass dessert. The crust is so rich and buttery it is very difficult to handle. You will curse. But your guests will eat it silently, savoring every rich bite.
I've been getting Bon Appetit for about 22 years. I love it. I read it cover to cover--like a man reading a girlie mag! I always fix something from the current year's T-G issue as a side-dish. I have to say that I'm finding a brussel sprouts with carmelized onions looking very tasty! I rarely do sweet potatoes. But I've made a turnip and potatoegratin with a horseradish cream sauce that would curl your toes. A couple of years ago I had a corn and grits gratin with carmelized onions. Fat city. Yummy beyond imagination. But these side dishes are not frequent visitors each year. They are cameos that come to the T-G production at very irregulary times. Last year I had fresh green beans in a scallion bacon dressing with cranberries and goat cheese. Ahhhhhhh!
So within the next couple of weeks, I need to make final decisions and develop a logistical plan. But there is not greater joy for me than to do this. It truly is a labor of love.
On Saturday I will be traveling to the Outerbanks. So there will be silence here for a couple or three days. More posts between now and then. I wanted to share my love of food with you today.
I'm not sure why food is important to me. I think that it is a creative outlet as much as anything. Though I worked horrible hours in a stressful career, I fixed dinner every night. Sure, I stopped and got chicken once a week, but for the most part, we had a cooked meal. It's funny, but most of the children that my kid's know eat crap. We eat roasted chicken, pork chops, homemade hamburgers, pork tenderloin, barbecued chicken, salads, fresh greens and beans. My daughter brings home boys that live on fast food. I serve stuff they do not recognize; they will not eat.
I get no greater joy than feeding people something that they would not otherwise make themselves. The big foodie holiday--Thanksgiving--will soon be upon us. I have had it at my home since 1985/86. Mark and I would have 2 T-G's and I decided that my Mom and MIL had cooked enough, and I would do it for them. They did not mind. It's really much work. It takes me a good 2.5 days of work. I do notice now that I'm older that it' is much harder to do. Cooking is very physical. You have to stand up, move around, lift, chop, THINK! I did give up making my own bread a long time ago. Now, if I even have it, I will do croissants from Costco. But, I may this year make Armenian dinner roles. Yes, I think that I will.
I try to have a core menu--to give people an anchor so they don't feel like they are tossed out to sea. But I also like to surprise folks with new side dishes, or a different dessert. Coming to my house looking for pumpkin pie or pecan pie? You will not get it. But, you might get a pumpkin cheesecake, or a frozen pumpkin torte, or a maple pecan chocolate torte, or pumpkin bread pudding creme brule! Want choices? I'll disappoint you again. I make only one dessert. And it is always divine. and I promise you it will be something that will send your taste buds into the everafter.
I've had one spectacular failure: Brussel sprouts with roasted chestnuts in a garlic cream sauce was one such whimsical dish. I burnt my fingers roasting the %$#!$^%^ chestnuts. I hated the dish. Truthfully, that is the only loser side dish in twenty years. Should my investing be so lucky!
My core offerings will be turkey, ham, scalloped oysters, tart cranberry sauce and cornbread/sausage dressing. I ALWAYS serve these. I brine my turkey. I DO NOT cook the thing all day. I roast it to perfection in 2.5 hours. I rub it with butter, I roast it for 45 minutes on 450, and then it gets turned back. I use a meat thermoter. The pop ups will overcook your bird. The skin is seared and everything is delicious. No basting--it doesn't work. Squirt water on your skin. Are you getting anything in your muscles. That's why you need to brine. But you have to be careful or you'll kill everyone if you do not keep your turkey cold enough in the brining process.
Rather than a spiral ham, I'm going to get a Smithfield ham. I own the stock'; I'll support them. You have to do the opposite with a ham. You have to soak the damn thing (after stabbing it with a knife in a scene reminiscent of "Play Misty for Me", for a couple of days to take the salt out. The last time I had a country ham was about 10 years ago. I put it on the gas grill in a mixture of vinegar/water. I don't know where I found that recipe, but it was the most awesome ham we've ever had--flavorful, moist and just the right amount of salt.
If you ever get wild game, do the same thing. If someone brings you some deer, do not turn it away. Honor that deer's life by serving your family a lovely venison dish. If you soak it in vinegar and water you will get the blood out. You just e-mail me, if someone plops this on you and I'll help you make a terrific meal for your family.
I'm not going to be be adventurous on dessert. I'm going to make a maple pecan chocolate torte. It's graced my table a few times over the last 20+ years. It's divine. I serve it warm with vanilla ice cream. It's a pain in the ass dessert. The crust is so rich and buttery it is very difficult to handle. You will curse. But your guests will eat it silently, savoring every rich bite.
I've been getting Bon Appetit for about 22 years. I love it. I read it cover to cover--like a man reading a girlie mag! I always fix something from the current year's T-G issue as a side-dish. I have to say that I'm finding a brussel sprouts with carmelized onions looking very tasty! I rarely do sweet potatoes. But I've made a turnip and potatoegratin with a horseradish cream sauce that would curl your toes. A couple of years ago I had a corn and grits gratin with carmelized onions. Fat city. Yummy beyond imagination. But these side dishes are not frequent visitors each year. They are cameos that come to the T-G production at very irregulary times. Last year I had fresh green beans in a scallion bacon dressing with cranberries and goat cheese. Ahhhhhhh!
So within the next couple of weeks, I need to make final decisions and develop a logistical plan. But there is not greater joy for me than to do this. It truly is a labor of love.
On Saturday I will be traveling to the Outerbanks. So there will be silence here for a couple or three days. More posts between now and then. I wanted to share my love of food with you today.
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7 comments:
Can I come to your house for Thanksgiving? I'll bring the wine and wash the dishes.
You're killing me here! I love the "Play Misty for Me" reference - I'm picturing Jessica Walter, making T-day dinner, along side Sharon Stone, and Janet Leigh. Head for the hills, hams! If you care to share, PUH-Leez! post the dessert receipe. Yum! :-)
Leisa,
Just returned from a two week stay on the outer banks. We had venison to eat 3 times during my stay. I carried it down just for grins thinking that the group might like it. We marinated it with soy sauce, then dried it out with paper towels, coated it with flour
and fried it approx 3-4 minutes per side. There was never any left
at the end of the meal!! The hunt club I belong to sends their deer to a butcher in Shanghi, Va. He does a wonder job & we always have more than our needs.
Vavoline6
-like a gourmet reading Perplexed Investor !
Gemma--you are absolutely welcomed at my table!
WB: I'll post the recipe for the dessert.
V_6: The venison sounds terrific. Someone gave us a venison tenderloin--I found the most terric recipe AND I was careful to cook it to only m. rare. Oh my. Also, yogurt works well as a marinade for venison stew meat. Where the heck is Shanghi VA> I'll have to take a look for it.
Shanghai, Va. is in King & Queen
County on state Rt #14. Excuse me but my spelling was not too great on my first post.
Vavoline6
V-6---Oh I didn't mean it in a chiding way! I knew what you meant...I still was not familiar it. I'm just mentioning it to my husband this very moment.. He's been there (on his Ducati excursions!)
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