blog archive for April 2008

The fact that I can work a paper clip and a safety pin are a big deal, so it's not surprising the thing I use most in the kitchen is a fork. I would not go so far as to say it's “a piece of equipment” because it doesn’t have a plug or an off-on switch, but the fork I am talking about is like an extension of my hand. It’s exactly 8 1/8-inches long, has a black handle and three straight, pointed stainless steel tines. I’ve washed it so many times it’s hard to read the words on the back, but if the light hits it a certain way, you can see it was made in Portugal. Sadly, it might have been discontinued because I can’t find another like it.

In addition to the usual ways I use the fork — splitting English muffins, getting bagels of out the toaster and poking vegetables to see if they’re done — it’s perfect for what the drug industry calls “off-label use.” For instance, I just made a turkey meatloaf and used the fork to stab open the turkey package and to lift the plastic strip off the bread crumb container. I know some people use forks as cake testers, but that’s where I draw the line. That’s what toothpicks and broom straws are for.

Whenever my husband hears me say, “We have a serious situation,” he knows the fork is missing. All cooking goes on hold and we have the equivalent of an all-points bulletin. We start by looking in the drawer where it’s supposed to be but never is, under the cutting board and in the dish drain. I’ve never put it in the dishwasher, but in my kitchen, you never know. I’ve even gone through the garbage and the bucket we keep in the sink for compost.

So far, it’s always turned up and the relief I feel makes me realize how important a good fork is in my kitchen.

Tool Time     

When it comes to kitchen tools, I don’t need much. In fact I don’t need much of a kitchen. For one short year in my life I had my dream kitchen, complete with granite counter tops, a Viking range and double Thermador ovens--then we sold the house.  So at this point, it does indeed feel like a dream. Now I have a decent space with a scratch and dent gas range, a standard oven and a couple of 40-year-old cabinets. But really it’s OK; I find cooking doesn’t require grand appliances, only a love of the art. The same goes for kitchen tools and gadgets—in my book, the less the better. But there are in fact some items I can’t be without in the kitchen. You will notice that most of them take up little or no counter space--because of course I never really have any.

AR+COOK rubber spatula--as featured in the May issue.

Mexican Hand Juicer—for getting the most juice out of a lime for the least price.
Garlic Press—my favorite is the (Swiss made) susi metal press that I’ve had for over 15 years.

Panini Press—which elevates a sandwich into a meal and the kids love it. Mine is an inexpensive one from Target by Breadman.

Metal Scraper--scoops up chopped onions, carrots and the like, for easy transport into the skillet or bowl.

Whisk—a must have for obvious reasons.

Tongs—I love the rubber tipped ones with the lock at the end by OXO. Perfect for dishing up pasta, flipping chicken on the grill and serving salad.

Chef’s knife—I like Henckels or Wusthof, but any good, sharp 8” chef’s knife will do.

Wooden cutting board—maybe I’m old fashioned but the acrylic cutting boards don’t work for me.

This past weekend I made, hands down, the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. The family agreed. It was a real triumph for me because I have a hard time making plain, simple food. It’s not that I like things complicated and fussy, but I do like them interesting. My daughter’s battle cry is, “please Mom no green stuff in it.” Which means no fresh parsley or basil, and only cilantro in select cases, such as guacamole. But back to the cake. I decided to make a plain classic chocolate layer cake (sans the chocolate ganache or mousse or whatever) because a) it was my son’s first communion and that’s what he requested and b) my Dad was in town and is crazy for chocolate, and not much else. The recipe came from a book I plan to use often—Debra Ponzek’s the Family Kitchen. Everything just looks so tasty and sounds so appealing and straightforward. Here’s the recipe. Oh, a caveat, the procedure is a bit unorthodox for a cake, it’s more like a biscuit procedure, but it worked like a charm, and who knows may be the key to its success. I used a bit less sugar in the frosting, so use 4 cups if you like a super sweet frosting.

Great Aunt Lotties’s Homestyle Chocolate Cake

2 ¼     cups all-purpose flour
1/1/2     cups sugar
4 ½     tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/1/2     teaspoons baking powder
¼     teaspoon salt
¼     cup Crisco
4     tablespoons butter, softened
1 ½     teaspoons baking soda
1 ½     cups strong, hot brewed coffee
2     large eggs,
1 ½     teaspoons vanilla

Homestyle Chocolate Frosting
1     cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3     cups powdered sugar
8     ounces cream cheese, softened
1     teaspoon vanilla
1     tablespoon milk

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch cake pans. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add the shortening and butter and with the mixer on low speed, mix until the mixture has the consistency of cornmeal (yes, it really does).

2. In a large glass bowl, stir the baking soda into the coffee. This will foam. Increase the mixer’s speed to medium and add the coffee to the batter. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well.

3. Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake for about 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Frost.

4. To prepare frosting, beat cream cheese on medium speed until creamy. Add cocoa and sugar, mix well. Add vanilla and milk, if frosting is too thick. Chill frosting until ready to use. I stored the cake (for all of the 12 hours it lasted) in the refrigerator.  

Why does tea taste wonderful in a china cup and awful in thermal mug? I know that my grandmother always served tea in china, but was that because she didn’t have the latest plastic Starbuck’s mug?

In my search for the answer, I came across an essay by British author George Orwell (1903-1950). His 11-point system for making tea will steer you through the perfect cup no matter what you serve it in.

In case you need another reason to eat local and pesticide-free, here's a book by Dr. Bridget Sturchbury of Canada's York University that reports that our food choices are affecting populations of songbirds.

Silence of the Songbirds (HarperCollins Canada, 2007) explores the causes of songbird decline, including destruction of habitat, urban sprawl and the heavy use of pesticides on food crops in the birds' winter feeding grounds of Latin and South America.

If you're in the D.C. area on April 24, stop by the Bird Fest 2008 at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park where Sturchbury will present "Migratory Songbirds: Canaries in the Mine?" and be available to sign her book. RSVP is required for attendance.

Here’s a chicken dish I made for dinner the other night when I found myself craving something with Greek flavors—lemon, garlic, oregano, feta. I thawed and squeezed dry 2 10-ounce packages frozen spinach. Added about 4 ounces feta cheese (the good creamy sheep’s milk kind), and 2 cloves crushed garlic. Then I stuffed this mixture underneath the skin on 4 chicken quarters, gave it all a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of oregano and baked at 375 for about an hour. Served it with sautéed corn cut from the cob, and roasted fingerling potatoes. Delicious.

We’ve all got them—those recipes or dinner ideas that are mindless, perfect for evenings when the last thing you want to do is stop at the grocery on the way home from work.

My current favorite is Brown Basmati Rice and Black Beans. As soon as I get home, I start the rice, which takes about 45 minutes to cook. Then, after feeding the pets and pouring a glass of wine, I start the beans. This is where whatever is in my refrigerator comes into play. If I’ve got garlic and green onions, I chop them and sauté them in a little olive oil. If I’ve got a jalapeno pepper, I seed and chop it and add it to the sauté. Then I add a can of black beans (rinsed and drained). In last night’s version, I warmed the beans in about a half cup of vegetable broth and added about a tablespoon of Sriracha sauce, a bottled sauce made from ground chilies and garlic. Once the rice is done, I spoon it into soup bowls, add the beans, top them with a dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheese, and voilà, dinner is served.

Do you have any standby dinners you make with whatever is on hand? I’d be really glad to see some (and I bet my husband would be glad, too).

During the spring and summer, I seem to spend less time in my kitchen and more time in my garden. Sadly, I don’t have enough sun in my yard for a full-fledged vegetable garden, but I can grow herbs. That works out just fine, culinarily speaking, because fresh herbs dress up quick stir-fries and pasta dishes like nothing else.

For the past 20 years, I’ve been a member of the Herb Society of Nashville. There are 44 units of the mother Herb Society of America across the country. Through my association with the Nashville group, I've learned to use herbs in my cooking, received practical advice on growing them, toured fellow members’ gardens, shared delicious meals, and enjoyed holiday parties that boast the best food of any I’ve ever attended because it’s all made by members who seem to try to outdo each other.

Check out the Herb Society of America’s website (herbsociety.org) and its list of units (http://www.herbsociety.org/cms_unit_list.php) to see if there's a chapter near you.