Sunday, January 4, 2015

Food, Glorious Food

Hello Darlings!

Today's blog is going to be a little different...today's blog is a cooking lesson...

I thought you might need some relief from my blogging therapy, whining, and yelling at you to find a spin bike and ride...

If you are a follower of mine of Facebook or Instagram you know that I have turned into some sort of a sad cliché of a middle-aged divorced woman:

I post photos of my cats and food I cook

and that's about all I post photos of...except for the occasional sweaty selfie or group shot after a spin class...

But since I post so many cooking photos I get a lot of questions and requests...and since everyone is early into still trying to keep your New Year's Resolutions I thought I could help you out a bit by giving you some cooking tips...

I know everyone is working hard because the spin classes at the studio are booked to "waitlist" status (yay!  I love a full class!) and you can't find parking near any gyms...

so right now people have health and fitness on their minds...and one of the best ways to keep yourself healthy is by cooking things at home so you can control the salt and fat content...I lost all of my weight not with a special diet or surgery but by what I ate and working out...and I found that when I was in control of what went on my plate I had great tasty HEALTHY meals that were low in sodium and fat and high in flavor.

I love to cook so for me that was the best way to do it...

I learned to cook from my mom.  She was a great cook.

Like me she was a cook...not a baker...

She didn't particularly enjoy baking and neither do I...I did as a child but now it is a chore.  I guess it is because of all the measuring and exactness.  I have always considered baking a science and cooking an art...

not that baking can't be artful because it totally is...but that is more about how you decorate and plate it and "foof" it up...

cooking is more forgiving and foolproof...you don't have to measure...you just put stuff in...

so for that reason I have exactly 2 cakes in my arsenal and that is it:
Coca-Cola cake
and
Tres Leches cake

that's it...other than cookies from pre-made dough that is the extent of my baking I do.

And if I bake for you then you know you are LOVED...because I hate doing it...

It's cold outside and these days I crave a lot of soup...

I like soup

It's easy...
It's a meal that is warm and comforting
It freezes well
its easy to make a giant batch of it so you cook once but have many meals
It can be super healthy or super rich and bad but oh so yummy

a good bowl of soup is a thing of beauty...

My mom made soup better than anyone...and her sandwich making was an art form...

I think my mom was the only blonde (ok from a bottle blonde) Catholic woman who made matzoh ball soup as good as any Jewish grandmother...maybe better than most...

I never complained when she said we were having soup for dinner and when I was an adult I often called her and asked her to make me a sandwich and soup for lunch when I was working or if I could come over on a Sunday afternoon and have a bowl of her delicious soup...

The only time I got tired of soup was the 6 weeks I had a broken jaw (long story...no one hit me...it was to fix an open bite) and had to eat nothing but soup...

that was a long 6 weeks and I got very sick of soup...and I made every soup you can imagine...

but it taught me the art of soup making...

then I got married to a man who thinks soup is just something you eat at the Chinese restaurant before you get your General Tso's chicken...

my son feels the same way...

my daughter, on the other hand, loves soup and will eat just about any soup I make except for tomato basil (she doesn't like tomato things...)

the other night I went to KuteKaren's house and 5 college kids happily slurped up mugs of my homemade tomato basil soup and hugged me for making it...and then I kicked their booties playing "Cards Against Humanity"...

So today's lesson is going to be about...

SOUP

(I guess you figured that out by now)

You need some basic equipment...like a stock pot or a dutch oven...it all depends on how much you are making...

This is a photo of my cooktop...it looks like this all the time...I keep those pots and skillets on there all the time because I use them ALL THE TIME




Really if you have a good seasoned cast iron skillet and a heavy cast iron enamel dutch/French oven you are set...I do 98% of my cooking in those pots and pans...the only time I do something different is if I am using a roasting pan for the oven...but on the stove---those are pretty much it...

And you don't need to pay a bajillion bucks for a dutch oven...two of mine are of the fancy French pricey variety but the one in the middle is from the grocery store (HEB) and it works as good or better as the other two and was 1/10th the price. 

Same thing with the cast iron...they are from the grocery store.  I wish I had a 50 year old one handed down over the decades but that isn't the case...so I bought these.  Most cast iron skillet these days come pre-seasoned...When I get one I pour a little oil in it, heat it up, turn off the heat...pour out the oil and then wipe it out leaving a little film of oil on it.  Then I start using it...

and if you don't know about cleaning...well...in a nutshell:

dutch oven---never put in the dishwasher (some people do but I don't), soak to remove stuck on food...if something is super stuck fill it with water and put it on the stove...dump in about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of baking soda...bring to a boil and boil 10 min...pour out and the gunk will easily come off with a sponge...

cast iron---NO SOAP EVER...just wash with hot water...a well seasoned skillet will come clean with just a spray from your faucet sprayer...I use kosher salt if something gets stuck on...after rinsing I dry with a paper towel and I keep mine on the stove with a thin coating (just a sheen) of canola oil to prevent rusting...

I may be making mistakes with my pots but that is what works for me...

They make excellent wedding and graduation gifts...

So now that I have totally bored you about equipment let's get to the cooking...

You can't make a good soup without a good stock.

yes, you can use the stuff in the box...but I SWEAR if you will just try making your own stock you will find it is sooooo much better...

not kidding

it makes that big a difference

What do you need for stock?

a big pot
aromatic veggies (celery, onion, carrot)
garlic
herbs (depends on the stock...and I like fresh ones)
olive oil
bones or  poultry carcass
wine or beer (red wine for beef, white for poultry, and beer if I am making a Mexican soup)
"Better than bouillon" paste or Knorr bouillon cubes (it's a cheat but works)
cheesecloth

I have learned that it is easy to freeze and save bones and carcasses if I am not going to make a stock right away...same with veggie scraps or those last 2 carrots that are about to go "wilty" in the fridge...

If you buy a bone-in steak it is usually cheaper by the pound but you end up paying for the bone...consider that a huge fabulous bonus!  Cook the steak with the bone on and then cut off the bone and throw it in a Ziploc...save for soup!  I do that with my prime rib roast bones too...

and I almost always supplement my beef stock bones with some oxtail bones...they are an inexpensive way to add flavor and the marrow adds that "gelatinous" quality that makes a soup a bit richer...

and for chickens and turkey if you buy a grocery store roasted chicken and use the meat for a casserole, save the bones in the freezer to make a stock...

I have tried making chicken stock from cooking a whole bird but frankly I find I can make as good or better a soup (and not have over boiled meat) if I use a grocery store roasted chicken...I pick the meat off and save it for after I get the stock done...the bones and wings go in the stock pot...

once you have saved up enough bones and veggies (or go to the store and get them) set aside a Saturday or Sunday to babysit your stock and watch some tv while it goes from "a bunch of stuff" to "deliciousness"...

and remember---this is the STOCK not the soup so scraps and "junk" is just fine

All stocks start like this:

roughly chop up some onion, celery and carrots...or get the scraps out of the freezer...

heat some olive oil in your pot until it "shimmers" and then add in the veggies and cook until they are starting to brown...the flavor is in the brown people...

you can also roast your veggies...

add in whole cloves of garlic (you do not need to peel because all of this gets strained out)
peppercorns
bones or carcass

If I am making a beef stock instead of olive oil I save a bit of the fat from steaks when I trim them and freeze it to use to render the fat for the stock...adds a lot of flavor...

Now cover the whole mess with water...cover it until it is well covered...you will keep adding water as you go...

This is when I add herbs...I always toss in some bay leaves and whole stems of thyme...and if I am making stock for Mexican caldo or tortilla soup I forgo the thyme and bay leaves and use cilantro and a few slices of fresh jalapeno

bring to a boil and then turn down to a  gentle simmer...and start watching it...

when the water level becomes reduced a bit I add in some wine....but not too much...it is hard for me to tell you how much to use because I don't know how much you are making but what I usually do is toss in a good "glug"...it will enrich it and you can add more as you go...and again for the Mexican caldo I prefer to use a beer...you don't want it to taste of wine but 1/2 cup of wine in a large stock pot won't make your stock taste of wine but will add to the flavor...and since this is just the stock if you want more of a wine flavor you can add in more wine when you turn the stock into soup

now here is where I "cheat" a bit...I always toss in a few Knorr bouillon cubes or a few tablespoons of "better than bouillon" paste...not too much or it will get salty...and I never salt until I actually make the soup itself....but it will enrich your stock...

(I keep those Knorr cubes on hand...the are great for making rice taste better and adding as a seasoning...just use less salt)

let the whole thing simmer for 6-8 hours adding water as you go...you want a rich stock so don't add too much water but as long as you keep the bones and veggies covered you should be fine.

taste it and see if you have a nice beefy or chicken or turkey or veggie flavor... and you can throw  in an extra tablespoon or so of bouillon paste or wine at this point...

now you strain...

I strain twice...

Once with my regular pasta strainer and then I strain again with the strainer but line it with cheesecloth...that catches all the little bits and gives you a nice fairly clear stock...

there is some fancy stuff you can do with eggs that makes it very clear but I have never bothered with that...

I always put it back in the pot (I clean the pot out while straining) and once cool enough I put it in the fridge over night so the fat will rise and harden and I can pull the fat off...

The next day pour into freezer bags (very handy) or freezer containers and store...and if you have an old ice cube tray laying around making some stock cubes is a good thing for enriching sauces...

that's it...

then it is ready to use for soup...

as for soup, here are some easy soups I like to do:

Beef Veggie Soup with Noodles:

Ingredients:
beef stock
homestyle noodles (or egg noodles but if you can get your hands on a homestyle kind do it!)
carrots
mushrooms
thyme
onion (thin sliced)
garlic
corn
leftover steak or some cubed beef for soup or stew
red wine

Saute the onion in a bit of olive oil until starting to brown...add in mushrooms (slice or whole) and cook until the mushrooms soften.  Add in a good glug or two of red wine and let it start to burn off...thrown in carrot slices (or baby carrots) and a finely chopped garlic clove (or two)...or grate in the garlic with a microplane...saute your meat until it starts to brown...add in your stock and gently simmer for a couple of hours...pull out... thyme and add in egg noodles and cook until noodles are soft. You can add other veggies like frozen corn, etc...whatever you like...and don't forget to taste for salt (you might add it now) and I love some pepper...

To make chicken noodle to the same thing except with chicken...duh...and use white wine...and I definitely use a little celery when making chicken soup...and I add in chicken from a grocery store roasted chicken...

To make a Mexican style soup I saute onion and bell peppers...add in the garlic...maybe a slice or two of jalapeno...I use cilantro instead of thyme...beer instead of wine...add in chicken stock...throw in some cumin to taste...add in chicken meat.  For veggies I usually use corn and squash and carrots...I skip the celery...and you can use beans but I am not much a fan of beans in my soup unless it is a bean soup...fish out the cilantro and jalapeno slices before serving and serve with baked tortilla chips and a little cheese and maybe some crema and a bit of fresh chopped cilantro...

I use beef (and sometimes chicken) stock to make French onion soup...just saute some sweet onions in butter until carmelized...toss in some fresh thyme and about 1/2 cup red wine and let the wine reduce...add in stock...that's it...taste and check for salt and seasoning...you can do the whole bit with the bread crouton and melted cheese on top but I take the easy route and throw a crostini or bruschetta bread on the bottom of the bowl, ladle in the hot soup and throw some shredded gruyere or swiss on top and stir in...

I know that none of this is exact but I am not that kind of cook...I don't measure...

When you make the stock just remember that all of it will get strained so don't stress about how the veggies look or are cut...don't salt it but rather save adding salt for when you make the soup...add ingredients like wine and bouillon a little at a time so that you don't over-do...

I also find that some unexpected things can season up a soup (not the stock but the SOUP) really well:

a dash of soy sauce for an Asian soup...or try Ponzu sauce...
a dash or two of Worcestershire adds a lot of flavor to a beef soup and chicken soup
a dash of balsamic vinegar adds a little extra flavor too...but just a dash...
a couple of dashes of Tabasco add flavor and no heat...

all soups are made even more yummy if you have some tasty things to dress it up...I love making homemade croutons and bruschetta to serve with soup...I bake my own tortilla chips in the oven for texture...fresh cilantro or green onions are always delish...and a little Mexican crema can turn a soup creamy and extra yummy...

For homemade croutons: get some good loaf bread (unsliced)...let it get a little stale and dried out...cube the bread and toss in a skillet or roasting pan with equal parts butter and olive oil (I love to use flavored olive oils for this)...toss to coat and bake in a 350 degree oven until crispy...store in a Ziploc or plastic lidded container...will keep a few weeks...

for the bruschetta I get a loaf of unsliced bread (rosemary sea salt is my favorite)...slice into thin slices and brush with olive oil (flavored olive oil, especially garlic, is nice for this)...bake until crispy...

for flavored olive oils if you don't have an olive oil/vinegar store in your town you can order online...Boston Olive Oil company is my favorite...I always keep garlic, chipotle, and butter flavor on hand...love rosemary flavor and jalapeno flavor and...bacon...oh yeah...

Get creative with your soup making...think about baked potato soup...carrot and ginger soup...butternut squash...

the possibilities are endless...and if you have some good stock on hand it is easy to take what is in your fridge and turn it into a delicious bowl of goodness...

I will leave you with one last soup...this one does not use stock...

Tomato Basil soup:

get a variety of tomatoes, preferably organic...I use a combination of roma, beefsteak, hothouse, and lots of varieties of cherry and grape tomatoes...

rinse the tomatoes and roughly chop the bigger ones...cherry and grape ones can remain whole...

in your pot saute 1/2 of a chopped sweet onion in a bit of olive oil over low heat until it is soft...toss in the tomatoes and cook (stirring often) until they are releasing juices and very soft and "popping" open as you stir.  Turn off the heat and stir in a few tablespoons of butter and a little white pepper and 2 TBS of brown sugar (yes, do it...).  don't salt yet...take a stick blender or blend in batches in a regular blender adding fresh basil to taste...Now add some salt...a little at a time...this should be sweet and rich but not salty.  If you want a cream soup you can add some half and half but I find that no cream is needed...it tastes creamy as it is...and it is super healthy this way...

Ok so I know this isn't my usual blog and many of you who read this are stellar cooks but I wanted to share with you for those of you who don't realize how easy it all is...

If you have questions please leave them in the "comment" section at the bottom here...very likely what you are asking is something someone else may want the answer for...

and let me know if you want a few more recipes or cooking tips...I am happy to give them or I can keep this blog to the therapy/musings it always is...

Inspiration Song: "Food, Glorious Food" from the musical "Oliver!"...

Bye Darlings...make yourself a pot of soup and enjoy how satisfying it can be....tonight I am going to watch Downton Abbey while I enjoy some chicken soup....





Thursday, January 1, 2015

Rather Be

Hi Darlings!

Happy New Year!

I hope 2015 brings you much joy and love and laughter and all good things...that you learn and grow...that you live your best life...

I wrote a blog about Christmas but sometimes when I blog I wait a day or so to publish and I am glad I did...it was self indulgent and whiney...and I am self-indulgent and whiney a lot but I don't think anyone needed that at Christmas....

so I sat back and waited and read it and hit the trash button...

but the holidays always get me thinking...and sometimes they are a little sad and lonely for me...

I miss my kids when they are with their dad...
I miss my parents because they are gone...
I miss having a love in my life to share the holidays with...

And as I had some time to be alone and contemplate I had time to count my blessings that 2014 brought me and a chance to think about what I want from 2015...

2014 was a great year...

I sold my house and bought Casa Bonita...it's just perfect for me and D'Nice and I had fun decorating it and I had fun shopping for things for it with KuteKaren.  It would not be the gorgeous refuge it is for me without their help...

there truly is no place I would rather be...

I don't really miss my old house...I do miss my old shower (oh I miss that shower) and I miss my old closet (but my new one isn't half bad at all...) and in the summer I missed my pool (but not the care and maintenance of it).

I made new friends with the sale of my old home and the purchase of my new one...I walked out of both transactions hugging the other parties and truly loving them.  When the couple that purchased my old house ended up moving because of an amazing career opportunity I was touched when they invited me over to pick up the last of my mail and see the changes they made. 

The house was gorgeous...I loved it all...and I didn't feel any regret...

until I had to say goodbye to them...

I had long since said goodbye to the house...but I loved the family that bought it and knew it was in the perfect hands...but when I hugged MarvelousMichelle on the front porch I cried...because I knew I would miss her and miss the chance to spend more time with her and watch her son grow and I adored her husband as well...

and when GentlemanJim (who I bought Casa Bonita from) messaged me to tell me that SweetSue (his darling wife) had cancer....well I sat down and cried and prayed on my knees for her health and recovery...

But truly there is no place I would rather be than Casa Bonita and I would rather have those friendships than anything else...

2014 also was my first musical with my Houston Christian kids....oh how I love them!

It brought me the treasure that is My Other Daughter (MOD) and a chance to grow closer to my Sweet Caroline who I have known for years...and all my sweet lovely kids that I find myself loving like they were my own...

and I got an award nomination for my costumes...not bad...not bad at all...

I was worried about how it would be to work with high school kids but GOTT had faith in me and now that I am there is can honestly tell you there is no place I would rather be...

In 2014 I found a new spin studio and fell in love with Revolution Studio and the people that work there and spin there...I guess you kinda figured that out from my constant FB posts and blogs...

I hated leaving JayVee and her amazing classes and my friends at my old club but I had to think of my finances and as a single woman a country club membership was really not practical.  JayVee introduced me to Revolution to give me an option...she knew we would always be friends (and we will be) but that I needed to move on to someplace that made more economic sense for me...

and it did make more sense financially...

but the best part is...

I am not settling for something less...I landed right where I needed to be...

I have the most amazing place to work out and I have met the most incredible people there...I have so many new friends and I love walking in there and hugging the people inside that little jewel of a studio...

it has been a true growth for me there and there really is no place I would rather be than on a bike (preferably Bike 6) at Revolution Studio. 

I love it so much I spent my 50th birthday there...

oh yeah...

2014 brought me...

50...
ugh...

some days I totally feel it and others I think "not bad for 50...not bad at all..."

Would I rather be 40?

youbetcha

but in many ways...no...

I would like to be 40 so I could roll back time and not get fat and get out of my marriage sooner...and so my knees would not feel 70 years old and so that maybe I could have spared a lot of people some collateral damage from my failed marriage...

but I would rather be the me I am at 50 than the me I could have been if I had not taken control of my life and moved towards happiness and not misery...

and I would rather be alone than in a bad marriage and making someone else miserable as well...

So what do I want for 2015?

My friend the Amazing Anna posted something on FB about how she had gotten clear about her four pillars for her life this year (and yes she did it on a spin bike)...and then she asked me what mine were...

I didn't have to think about it...it just flowed out of me as I typed her the answer:

LIVE
LAUGH
LEARN

LOVE

This is going to be my "L" year...and I plan to blog about how I want to do those things in another blog (because this one is long enough) and I need time (most likely on the bike) to contemplate just what I want from those things...

but in short...

I want to LIVE my best life
I want to LAUGH a lot
I want to LEARN new things and learn from my mistakes
I want to LOVE everyone (and maybe find a man in a big ass truck to love...I'm kinda tired of being alone after almost 4 years...)

to quote Auntie Mame (who was not real so I guess I am either quoting Patrick Dennis or the writers of the play/movie):

I want to LIVE LIVE LIVE
LIFE IS A BANQUET AND MOST POOR SUCKERS ARE STARVING TO DEATH!!!

So plan to use this year as one where I live, laugh, learn and love...

and speaking of learning...

My cousin posted this quote from Neil Gaiman on his FB page and I am taking it to heart:

"I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.
Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new...
things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.
So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.
Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it.
Make your mistakes, next year and forever.”

― Neil Gaiman


that guy is pretty genius and my cousin is a pretty smart cookie too...

I lead a blessed and charmed life...I really have nothing to complain about...

I have amazing kids...
I own my own home...
I have a job I love and a boss I love...
I have incredible friends...
I have a wonderful community where I workout...
I am healthy...
I am happy...
 and right now there is no one I would rather be than the me I am right now...

Inspiration Song: "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit.  It was my favorite song of 2014 (just ahead of "this is how we do" by my girl Katy).  I literally never tired of the song from spring until now...I still love it and listen to it every day...

I want to share the lyrics with you...because they are very inspirational...and it is truly how I feel most every day about my friends and you darlings that read this...

  • We're a thousand miles from comfort,
    We have traveled land and sea
    But as long as you are with me,
    There's no place I rather be
    I would wait forever,
    Exulted in the scene
    As long as I am with you,
    My heart continues to beat
  • With every step we take,
    Kyoto to The Bay
    Strolling so casually
    We're different and the same,
    Gave you another name
    Switch up the batteries
  • If you gave me a chance I would take it
    It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it
    Know with all of your heart, you can't shame me
    When I am with you, there's no place I rather be
    No, no, no, no place I rather be
    No, no, no, no place I rather be
    No, no, no, no place I rather be, oh oh
  • We staked out on a mission
    To find our inner peace
    Make it everlasting
    So nothing's incomplete
    It's easy being with you,
    Sacred simplicity
    As long as we're together,
    There's no place I'd rather be
  • With every step we take,
    Kyoto to The Bay
    Strolling so casually
    We're different and the same,
    Gave you another name
    Switch up the batteries
  • If you gave me a chance I would take it
    It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it
    Know with all of your heart, you can't shame me
    When I am with you, there's no place I rather be
    No, no, no, no place I rather be
    No, no, no, no place I rather be
    No, no, no, no place I rather be
  • When I am with you, there's no place I rather be
    Be, oh
    Be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be
    Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
  • If you gave me a chance I would take it
    It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it
    Know with all of your heart, you can't shame me
    When I am with you, there's no place I rather be
    No, no, no, no place I rather be
    No, no, no, no place I rather be
    No, no, no, no place I rather be
    When I am with you, there's no place I rather be
  • Songwriters: MARSHALL, NICOLE / PATTERSON, JACK / CHATTO, GRACE / NAPES, JIMMY
  • © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
    For non-commercial use only.
    Data From: LyricFind
Bye Darlings...I hope there is no place you would rather be than where you are right now...