Well there's love on the menu/you don't know what you're missing
I often claim that I am not a housewife, or at least that I am not a very good one. I do my best, but I am often paralysed by rage that there has not been some kind of nanobot invented to clean my house. Stupid patriarchy in the scientific world - it's all impotence cures and no miracle household cleaner...and I mean an actual CLEANER, not just a product to allegedly make it easier [here endeth rant - or does it?].
The one thing I do like to do is cook. And given that I have a dishwasher, I don’t even mind cleaning up afterwards, most of the time.
Anyway, on the weekend I indulged my urge to cook. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my mother’s fantastically green thumb has produced a bumper harvest this year, and thanks to she and the delightful folk at the local fruit-and-veg I concocted the following...
1. Enormous vat of vegetable soup. I did this before I checked how much room was in the freezer. Guess what I’m eating for every meal this week? Making vegetable soup always reminds me of being pregnant, as while in “extreme nesting mode” (two days before Grizzlewick’s birth, but I wasn’t to know that at the time) I struggled five blocks to the local fruit and veg and home with about 10 kgs of vegies and no trolley: hey, I was only 8 months 27 days pregnant, and as several people reminded me…some women work through their entire pregnancy, give birth in the fields and then keep on harvesting rice/coffee/microprocessors*
2. Homemade roast beetroot dip. It’s awesome. I made Mr Fix go out and buy dry biscuits at 7pm last night so I could eat it. When he took a little while coming home from the supermarket I just started eating it with a spoon.
3. Oven-dried tomatoes….require patience. Stephanie Alexander’s book claims they take 10 hours, I had mine going for the best part of two days. They taste nothing like the ones from the deli**, they are much, much better, and make you feel all smug inside, a bit like Martha Stewart.
4. Chocolate cake. To be fair to Grizzlewick, he did most of the work here. I just measured some stuff out while he patiently stirred the thing into oblivion and then covered himself in the lickings from the bowl. It was actually an excellent cake.
5. “Simple” banana cake as per Stephanie Alexander’s bible. It is simple, probably, when you’re not trying to measure all the ingredients for a chocolate cake at the same time. Also, I am the only person to eat any of this so far, as chocolate cake is the preference when it is available to Mr Fix and Grizzlewick. Interesting to see what they’ll choose tonight when there are no other options.
6. Dried herbs***. Well, they’re not so much made, as started. I have been studiously collecting bottle shop paper bags (no, really, I have) to place the herbs in while they dry (thyme, curry, lemongrass). I know all those television cooks claim that dried herbs are evil. I don’t agree, and considering my local providore’s steadfast refusal to stock lemongrass powder (which I now can’t find in Melbourne either), I have no choice.
Things I have learnt about cooking this weekend
1. Ha ha ha ha Grizzlewick you ate vegetable soup (pureed and mixed into cous cous)****
2. Cakes cooked with butter taste better than those cooked with margarine
Chocolate trumps banana (which is why that 90kg life size son-of-god was made out of couverture, not tropical fruit)
3. I can crack eggs one-handed. It’s only a matter of time before I have my own cable show
4. Telling stories about cooking requires a lot of footnotes*****
I am currently planning a stupidly extravagant dinner for the “grown ups” on the weekend of Grizzlewick’s birthday. Although I am not known to browse the internet looking for home-improvement/cooking/entertaining ideas like one of my friends (who is infinitely more stylish, suave and sophisticated than me, which has only the most marginal relationship to her browsing and more to do with her innate superbness) I am already in paroxysms of excitement about the feast to come. We won’t be retiring between courses to compliment the chef Roman-style, however I do plan for it to be at least four courses (depending on how Iron Chef I am feeling) of awesomeness.
* The same people would then rail at me for not resting more.
** The deli at our local supermarket now sells what it calls 98 per cent fat free semi-dried tomatoes. I don’t know how you do that for something that is soaked in oil. I had that conversation and also the “well, I don’t eat them very much, so I suppose it doesn’t matter – what do they taste like” etc conversation with the increasingly-shade-of-a-semi-dried tomato teenager working behind the counter. I don’t think he’s used to deconstructing the deli department as it relates to my consumption of food. He’ll learn. Or he’ll quit working there. Whatevs.
*** Not that kind of dried herbs.
**** There’s probably something deeply wrong with the way I like to point-and-laugh at my son. I don’t do it to his face though. Promise.
***** No really, it does.
The one thing I do like to do is cook. And given that I have a dishwasher, I don’t even mind cleaning up afterwards, most of the time.
Anyway, on the weekend I indulged my urge to cook. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my mother’s fantastically green thumb has produced a bumper harvest this year, and thanks to she and the delightful folk at the local fruit-and-veg I concocted the following...
1. Enormous vat of vegetable soup. I did this before I checked how much room was in the freezer. Guess what I’m eating for every meal this week? Making vegetable soup always reminds me of being pregnant, as while in “extreme nesting mode” (two days before Grizzlewick’s birth, but I wasn’t to know that at the time) I struggled five blocks to the local fruit and veg and home with about 10 kgs of vegies and no trolley: hey, I was only 8 months 27 days pregnant, and as several people reminded me…some women work through their entire pregnancy, give birth in the fields and then keep on harvesting rice/coffee/microprocessors*
2. Homemade roast beetroot dip. It’s awesome. I made Mr Fix go out and buy dry biscuits at 7pm last night so I could eat it. When he took a little while coming home from the supermarket I just started eating it with a spoon.
3. Oven-dried tomatoes….require patience. Stephanie Alexander’s book claims they take 10 hours, I had mine going for the best part of two days. They taste nothing like the ones from the deli**, they are much, much better, and make you feel all smug inside, a bit like Martha Stewart.
4. Chocolate cake. To be fair to Grizzlewick, he did most of the work here. I just measured some stuff out while he patiently stirred the thing into oblivion and then covered himself in the lickings from the bowl. It was actually an excellent cake.
5. “Simple” banana cake as per Stephanie Alexander’s bible. It is simple, probably, when you’re not trying to measure all the ingredients for a chocolate cake at the same time. Also, I am the only person to eat any of this so far, as chocolate cake is the preference when it is available to Mr Fix and Grizzlewick. Interesting to see what they’ll choose tonight when there are no other options.
6. Dried herbs***. Well, they’re not so much made, as started. I have been studiously collecting bottle shop paper bags (no, really, I have) to place the herbs in while they dry (thyme, curry, lemongrass). I know all those television cooks claim that dried herbs are evil. I don’t agree, and considering my local providore’s steadfast refusal to stock lemongrass powder (which I now can’t find in Melbourne either), I have no choice.
Things I have learnt about cooking this weekend
1. Ha ha ha ha Grizzlewick you ate vegetable soup (pureed and mixed into cous cous)****
2. Cakes cooked with butter taste better than those cooked with margarine
Chocolate trumps banana (which is why that 90kg life size son-of-god was made out of couverture, not tropical fruit)
3. I can crack eggs one-handed. It’s only a matter of time before I have my own cable show
4. Telling stories about cooking requires a lot of footnotes*****
I am currently planning a stupidly extravagant dinner for the “grown ups” on the weekend of Grizzlewick’s birthday. Although I am not known to browse the internet looking for home-improvement/cooking/entertaining ideas like one of my friends (who is infinitely more stylish, suave and sophisticated than me, which has only the most marginal relationship to her browsing and more to do with her innate superbness) I am already in paroxysms of excitement about the feast to come. We won’t be retiring between courses to compliment the chef Roman-style, however I do plan for it to be at least four courses (depending on how Iron Chef I am feeling) of awesomeness.
* The same people would then rail at me for not resting more.
** The deli at our local supermarket now sells what it calls 98 per cent fat free semi-dried tomatoes. I don’t know how you do that for something that is soaked in oil. I had that conversation and also the “well, I don’t eat them very much, so I suppose it doesn’t matter – what do they taste like” etc conversation with the increasingly-shade-of-a-semi-dried tomato teenager working behind the counter. I don’t think he’s used to deconstructing the deli department as it relates to my consumption of food. He’ll learn. Or he’ll quit working there. Whatevs.
*** Not that kind of dried herbs.
**** There’s probably something deeply wrong with the way I like to point-and-laugh at my son. I don’t do it to his face though. Promise.
***** No really, it does.
posted by gigglewick at
5:48 pm
21 Comments:
That sounds like a heavenly weekend. Truly. There is nothing better than a weekend spent in the kitchen (as long as it's fun cooking, and not dish-scouring and floor scrubbing etc)
ps I find lemongrass stalks freeze really well, if the drying doesn't work out.
Actonb,
Exactly.
Oooh - good idea re lemongrass, but I still need to grind it into powder at some point for a particular recipe.
What's the recipe? Ground lemongrass sounds intriguing...
I love the plethora of footnotes. I am always inspired by proper footnoting in a blog post.
Next I expect references in Harvard format.
Actonb,
Indonesian spiced eggs. Sounds disgusting, tastes awesome.
KR,
Hmm. Will I get any kind of blogging RPL should I apply for a Masters?
Hi There, Delurking ...would love to know your recipe for the roasted beetroot dip.
Cheers
Suzy in Brisbane
You will definately get credit toward your masters when they see your inspired footnoting. Ooo Indonesian Spiced Eggs do share...is it a Stephanie recipe?
mmmm.... Sounds like a really gourmay curried eggs... And I am partial to curried eggs.
Please to be emailing me the recipe!
Suzy,
I used the "recipe" in Stephanie Alexander's book, but it's basically roasting the peeled beetroot (I used seven or eight quite large ones) with some whole garlic cloves. Once they are REALLY soft, put them through the food processor with some olive oil (quite a bit), some crushed garlic, and then you can add whatever else you like spice wise (I added cumin, coriander and mace to mine). You can then add yoghurt or sour cream to make it a creamer dip, but I prefer just to leave it unadulterated beetroot (puritan style!).
KR/AB,
googled ISE and can't find them on line - by popular demand, my mother in law's recipe will be posted later today.
Thanks for that...can't wait to try it this weekend
cheers
Suzy
Yum.
Am quite jealous and looking forward to finding some time to really cook again.
Sounds like fun.
I had a class on Tues and the kid wanted schitznels and mashies and I had to leave in like 30 mins!
It might not be that big a deal to most people but mannnn.... I felt like I was on that Iron Chef program.
Flour, bread crumbs, peel everywhere.
Umm Ms Gigglewick WHERE IS THE EGGS RECIPE? Please post or email me re this very important matter as I want to make Indonesian Eggs asap
ps Apologies for shouting.
pps Of course there is no real hurry
I second the Rabbit.
Unless you're really busy, and then I feel bad for hassling you.
So, y'know, in your own time...
I think Stephanie is lying about the 10 hours to dried tomatoes. I used my Pa's super-dooper, insanely exxy oven and it still took a couple of days. But they were delicious!
That was the finest use of a 'whatevs' in the history of blogging
Sorry everyone. Tonight, I promise.
I have been gallivanting and ignoring my blogging responsibilities,
GW*
* evidenced by the fact that I have had to seriously consider how to sign off on this comment - almost used my REAL NAME.
Oh NO!
If you'd done that, the universe would have imploded and it would all be very very bad indeed...
I wouldn't make a good housewife. I rarely cook and I don't believe that I have to come home every night. That's just crazy.
Oh, how I heart to cook. I make one mean pumpkin soup. But I don't make it that often because I tend to get blisters on my hands. Painful much!
And its damn embarrassing when people notice the blister on the palm of your hand.
"I was cutting pumpkin, I swear"
"Oh, so thats what you crazy kids are calling it nowdays"
Okay. Now I have more time, here are some comments in response:
Cristy - you should try ISE if you are not strict vegan. If not, then may I recommend beetroot dip? Give it six months and a sleep routine and you'll be wondering what to do with your time - I know I was!
Chai - nice work. I salute your ironchefness.
KR/actonb - any second now....
Nai - indeed.
INCraig - why thank you.
Me - for goodness sake post already.
mist1 - welcome! you may be right.
Phishez_rule - do you put ginger in yours? I was once cooking pumpkin soup and had my aspirational-gourmand friend want to tell me how I should cook MY pumpkin soup. It was hard not to hang up on him.
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