Coaching Cooking

Don’t think I haven’t been cooking. I know how to handle a food processor, a stove, crockpot, grill, toaster oven,etc, but technical difficulties are not my thing. We’ve been having issues on the network for a couple days, and now I must run off to pour and sell wine.

Rest assured that I have several tasty meals to share and will as soon as I can.

I came across this hilarious blog written by “Steve Jobs.” You have to take a glance…right here.

I just feel like sippin’ some iced tea and reading that blog. I made my light lemonade today and went to town nerd-style. The brisk weather here in California has made me think of tea both iced and hot. Tea is one of those beverages that I often overlook. I always enjoy a hot cup of tea in the evening or on a Saturday morning while I check out the latest online gossip here.

Here are some great tea shops that you might want to check out:

One time I received a great birthday gift with tea from this place. It was beautifully wrapped and the tea was delicious.

This place is my new favorite. I love the store so much it is ridiculous! Their store is pristine and has tea displayed in flat canisters with windows so you can see the tea blends and the lids open so you can truly savor each tea. The packaging is slick and it has that gorgeous Japanese flair. Also, this website features Tea School which is offered at the stores in Japan. The descriptions of the tea classes are both hilarious and informative in their mildly-awkward English translations. Enjoy this one!

Finally, this is the tea shop I adored in college. I never got used to those freezing cold winters in Boston. This place always made the wait for the bus back to Wellesley that much more enjoyable. Ahhh, college…I don’t miss the ramen noodles or the fifty kinds of fries, but I do miss the tea from Tealuxe.

In the past month I have moved to a new apartment, gained a new kitten and reveled in the joys of a new kitchen while simultaneously starting graduate school and teaching full time. It’s been just a leeetle busy since September began. Now things are slowing down and I’m getting back to the kitchen. The temperature is changing just a bit (fluctuating hot and cold like a true, flakey California!). I’m craving warm and toasty home-cooked dishes like steamed, ginger and scallion fish with jasmine rice or a pasta bolognese. So stay tuned! I’m ready to chop, to bake and to saute my way back into foodie paradise.

Coming up: I went to the farmers’ market near my apartment today and bought some Muscat grapes. They are gorgeously perfumed and delicious. Look for some pan-roasted chicken with Muscat grapes very soon!

And here’s some inspiration for busy people who still like to cook:

Queenly Things, the best queen in my life, has some gorgeous new pictures and links to recipes. And her friend over at Derfwad Manor (yes, that is really the name of it!) have some great new recipes to stir your cooking soul.

My friend over at Queenly Things posted a quick and inspiring note on cooking. Check it out here.

I can just smell (and taste) that coconut rice now! Mmmmm

“Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly.”–M.F.K. Fisher

As I watched an episode of “Iconoclasts” about Mikhail Baryshnikov and Alice Waters, amazement washed over me at the simplicity of their visions. Both have a commitment to their craft and this dedication is so inspiring. Waters and Baryshnikov met in the late 1970’s when a friend insisted that Baryshnikov eat at Chez Panisse, Waters’ renown magnum opus. The episode switches back and forth between Baryshnikov’s Art Center in New York City and Waters’ restaurant, Chez Panisse, and her Edible Garden Project in Berkeley. The visuals stunned me into wishing that I had a large, organic garden in the backyard and a greater desire to dance with abandon.

I’ve been dying to go to Chez Panisse. I’ve read about it over and over in local reviews and in Ruth Reichl’s book, “Comfort Me with Apples.” To me, the best part of this episode is the focus on philosophy. Waters talks over and over about the importance of making meaning in our lives and about making careful choices about the food we eat, the preparation and the camaraderie of sharing a delicious bounty of food with loved ones. The purity of their visions is such an inspiration that I’m itching to go to my local farmers’ market to nose around. And I can’t wait to share my next decadent feast with someone special…

Truthfully, I believe in this challenge and I want to eat local more often. And, in addition to that truth, I have a huge load of food in my fridge already and I believe in saving food and eliminating wastefulness.

Soooo…

I’m starting my own personal local food challenge next week. Check out the Penny-Wise site for updates on this week’s challenge. I am inspired by this wonderful group of people and I fully intend to eat locally as soon as my fridge is more empty. Please look at the Eat Local Challenge website. Many people are posting their experiences with the challenge and it is both inspiring and entertaining. Read on…

There are few things in life that are more delicious and wonderful than the taste of a fresh strawberry still sun-kissed and fragrant. Or the sweet crunch of corn that has just been picked mere hours before you purchased it.

I once bought some oysters at the farmers’ market and the owner of the stand shucked them right in front of me. I can recall the sweetness of the oyster coupled with the fresh taste of the ocean and the saltiness…I stood there with oyster juice running down my red face and experienced the simple and glorious pleasure of fresh seafood.

So, I eagerly await more local food experiences and I also can’t wait to post about them.

“Life itself is the proper binge” –Julia Child

A busy week led me to eat at several fast food restaurants and now I’m evaluating my food consumption (and searching for some fruits and vegetables). Nowadays it is so convenient to go to the store and pick up whatever looks tasty and quick. Fortunately, the folks at EatLocalChallenge.com have a week-long challenge for anyone interested in eating local. It starts this coming Monday, April 23rd and goes through the week. Here are the rules for the Penny-wise Eat Local Challenge. I plan to follow this challenge as closely as I can while documenting the hardships and successes of trying to eat on a budget and to eat locally-grown and produced foods.

Of course, I have a few amendments/statements to make about this challenge (for my sanity!):

1.) I will eat foods that are grown or produced locally, but I will also consume anything already in my pantry (and this doesn’t cost a thing…well, anymore…). Okay, that prior statement made me sound like a big wimp. I revise my prior rambling and I will do my best to use only spices and absolute cooking necessities that are already in my pantry.

2.) I plan to use this challenge as an opportunity to develop some great dishes using local fruits and vegetables (this is also to counteract my unfortunate and recent fall into the fast food quagmire)

3.) This is slightly redundant, but I have to admit that if I get grumpy, I am gonna eat chocolate. Sorry, it’s just something that I might need to do (plus I already have chocolate in the pantry)

4.) I’m really determined to enjoy this challenge, even if it truly challenges me to choose local over convenience. In fact, I’m hoping it will teach me to choose local over convenience.

And that’s it. I’m really excited for this challenge. It will be a great way to test my commitment to local products and to adapt my eating habits to a (mostly) healthy diet. And I’m itching to get to the farmers’ market on Sunday.

An ever-present desire to taste new foods has led me to a few interesting places…

First, here’s the promised picture of kiwiberries:

I still have not been able to locate these great fruits in my local market. I’ll keep trying. Kiwis have such a great balance of tart and sweet flavors so an easier kiwi fruit is my new favorite.

Beyond trying a new fruit, I have been interested in alternative dining. There are so many new restaurants opening every year, so I wonder what other types of dining experiences are pushing the culinary envelope. In my search for unusual culinaria, I came across two very interesting organizations in the past few months. Both of these organizations provide fresh, local food in interesting settings. My goal is to report on both venues (for research of course…oh and some kickass food!)…

Check them out:

Outstanding in the Field: this organization brings foodies and food sources together. The pictures on this website are enough to entice anyone interested in delicious local food. Dinners have already taken place in gorgeous, natural settings with cuisine by amazing chefs. Here’s a firsthand account by Tablehopper.

Ghetto Gourmet: this venue is popping up all over the country. In the Bay Area, dinners have included guest bands or even a spa day with dinner afterwards. It’s byob (or byo wine) and Ghetto Gourmet encourages people who want to eat great food and meet new people. It all sounds very avant garde and foodie fierce…

So get out there and eat!

My mom came up with this brilliant idea for wontons. She adds about a cup of panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs to the wonton mixture. This keeps the meat from becoming too dry when you fry the wontons. I tried her version a few weeks ago and it was delicious! The wonton was perfectly crisp and the meat stayed tender and juicy. Try this one for yourself; you won’t be disappointed!

I LOVE this seasoning: Spice House’s Greektown “Billygoat” Greek seasoning. Clare gave it to me two years ago for Christmas and I use it all the time for making killer tuna fish sandwiches and adding zing to soups and roasts. It is such a great blend. Check it out here at Chicago’s famous Spice House. You may wind up buying other great spice blends too.

Tim at Wii Rally alerted me to this game that will be available later this year.

Even if you don’t play video games (I am included in that category) you HAVE to check out the demo for this game. It combines a healthy dose of chopping and food prep with the creepiness and glorious faux emotion that Japanese games often include (um, anyone who has played Bust-A-Move can agree with me on that one). Plus the stilted English dialogue is nothing short of hilarious (okay, or it is at least quite entertaining).

Thanks, Tim. This game looks like a lot of fun and will make anyone feel like a pro chef (or a virtual pro chef with the remote).

I’ve already made a promise to Todd Wilbur at his site that I won’t divulge any information about the top secret recipes that he has developed. But, check out his website: Top Secret Recipes. I promise that you will find some recipes that will intrigue and delight your senses.

I made the apricot stuffing recently and wanted to include a quick picture of it. The apricots really added a nice tang and sweetness to the cornbread stuffing. I may try to use another fruit next time like figs or dried pears.

For those of you thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day, here’s a great idea for customizing your very own M&Ms. I am lured to this gift idea by the promise of color and the possibilities for endless sappy or sarcastic wording. The M&M site lets you pick the color of the M&Ms plus you can write your own message (okay, yes, there are guidelines). Still, who doesn’t want to receive M&Ms in the mail that read:

Love your
cooking

OR

No!
Bad pizza

Okay, I would never send those, but it’s fun to think of creative ways to bypass M&Ms message-writing guidelines. They won’t accept any obscenities or company names. Still, sending messages through candy seems pretty delicious and literary to me (okay, literary is stretching it…I guess it’s just fun). So yeah, go out and have some fun–the chocolate way.

I have always appreciated wit with a side of sarcasm. It helps me get through the day sometimes. So please enjoy Dave Barry’s Year in Review courtesy of the Mercury News. And have a safe and joyous New Years Day!