Sub-Sector: Grains

Last time we talked about the different categories which will generally make up the meal. I realize this won't be every meal; some days you might want a plate full of eggs and potatoes for breffast. I have those too. Toast? Maybe...Maybe not. Maybe all there is in the house is a stale heel which you want to feed to the geese.

Back to the matter at hand, we have grains. In this category we will also discuss semi-grainish things (such as things made from grains) or things that aren't quite as explicit as a nub of barley. Obviously, when one thinks of these there are the blatant ones: Rice, quinoa, oatmeal (or by the lesser known moniker "goat-meal"), and the like. Semi grainish things include pastas, breads, polenta, and more.

If you're looking for most nutrient value and/or fiber you will most likely look to whole foods. These include, but are not limited to:

~rice which still has the outer "layer"
~oatmeal which is cut or ground (ex Scottish and Irish styles). Instant oats don't count in this case:  they're stripped of part of their fiber, which makes them faster-cooking.
~other whole grains like quinoa, or millet.

 A bowl of brown rice underneath your stir-fry is remarkably filling. It's nutty, with a little tooth, and it's got something to make you feel good too. These sorts of things are not as quick to prepare, but you're able to take them and get a lot of different combinations. For example, a humble grain of rice can be slathered in tomato sauce; it can be catching some cheese; it could be buttered and seasoned lightly as a side. I'm sure that you can see were this leads.

On the other hand, you could have a Big Cat meowing in the background. He's telling you that he can see the bottom of his food bowl, and is not happy. So you are looking at the spaghetti you have in the cupboard, or the bread you can toast for a sandwich. These are quicker, and they're tasty too. In either case, you'll find that they won't completely make you full. If you're a hard core carb fiend (and believe me, I have my days) they make even make you hungrier. Balance is needed to enjoy the virtues of these:

~Breads
~polenta
~pastas
~quick cooking rice
~ quick cooking oatmeal

I list these in two categories because it's important to note the differences... In taste, texture and in cooking time. I think we're all familiar with the tamer flavors of bread and pastas. Aside from the fact that they're shaped to work with the rest of the food (think : a shell noodle is shaped to catch sauce), they're also intended not to fight with it. Even a whole wheat pasta cooked al-dente is going to step aside and let your garlic-sauce shine. So if you're looking for a more delicate flavor, go for a rice noodle instead of a hearty brown rice.

The final, extremely important consideration is texture. I've left this to the side until now, however it will make--and break--your meal. There aren't any hard and fast rules to this..But generally speaking, mushy is bad. Unless you're making Indian food, there shouldn't be any question about what utensil to use for eating.

Ok, this is long. More, more, more, to come.

The Undertaking

I apologize about the delay in posting; I have several bad excuses which you may or may not want to hear. One is that between getting ready for Christmas, family, harassing financial aid to do their job, and various other things...I've been hesitant to post.

But, excuses aside, we have an undertaking in front of us. I'm sure this has been done before, and better. And my ideas may not be comprehensive, nor canon.  Nonetheless, the Big Cat requires it. So it must be.

What I'm talking about is a semi-General theory of Foodstuffs. Why oh why, dear Demeter, do your carrots go with your peas? What makes something Greek or Italian? And what is this curious thought of balance so important?

This is going to take some time, so bear with me. I'll begin..in the middle (not as David Copperfield...).

Foods come in three categories: Grains (and starchy things), Protein, and veggies/fruits.

Grains are often the blank canvas of your meal; They provide something to pull the other aspects together, and they can provide some fiber. There is a large scope here: anywhere from bland oatmeal to more processed forms, such as bread or pasta. I will certainly go into more detail about this and our other groupings in future posts. There are going to be crossovers between categories, which we will discuss. Overall, I'd suggest these being about 1/4 to 1/3 of the meal if possible.

Protein is sometimes the filling element, sometimes the garnish. Beans, cheeses, and meats do fall into this category, as well as some other mysterious items. In the scope of a meal, this should be one fourth or so of the total meal. I'm making a distinction between protein "foods" like beans, and grams of protein per meal. So  remember other foods do contain protein, and it's important to consider it from a nutritional standpoint as well.

And lastly, but certainly equal in my mind..are veggies! (And fruits). These should be about half your plate, and you will feel full if you do. They're great sources of fiber and nutrients, and can add a lot of diversity to your diet. Starchy veggies will sometimes cross over and fill the role of grains when you're planning a meal (think: potatoes in a frittata or corn in polenta.).  On the other end of the spectrum, fruits can make fantastic deserts.

 Hopefully, keeping these three categories in mind will bring the "balance" into perspective, and simplify it a bit.

A Few Things at Once

I don't know if you do this, but I often think about flavors in combinations. For example, basil and oregano are to me what peanut butter and jelly are to somebody else. There are a lot of "normal" things, like peas and carrots, dill and lemon, on and on. These have always been good, reliable, and hard to mess up.

On the other hand, there are some ingredients which seemed to be...very strange at first. After having given them a chance, my mind was changed. Here are a few which I highly recommend. Some you might have tried already...others probably not.

1) Chocolate, tomato and chili---primarily in the form of mole. There's a lot more to the sauce than that (HUGE understatement there), and the whole is equally more than the sum of its parts. It's a regional Mexican sauce/dish that is well worth seeking out.

2) Pumpkin seeds. This is sort of a part 2 to the first one, since in Mexico they are referred to as pepitas. They're often included in mole and other dishes. Not a sunflower seed, not a nut...Just interesting. Very tasty on their own when lightly seasoned and baked in the oven!

3) French feta. I thought...Feta is Greek, right? Yes, but this is something else which is salty, briny, complex, crumbly and creamy all at the same time. It's great on a tomato sandwich, with just a little coarse ground pepper.

4) Course ground pepper and sea salt. This was another "I think it's the same" as that stuff we all have in the cupboard.

NO, it's not. I must be adamant about this. It's one of the cheapest, quickest, most effective ways to bring out the flavors in almost everything you cook. For the more experienced, you're sitting there telling yourself you've read this in every cookbook since Mastering the Art of French Cooking....The rest of us are in for something profound. 

Sea salt has mineral flavors which are vastly underrated. Most of what you taste is stripped out in your average table salt...Especially that stuff with the spout at the top of the cardboard container. I found that as soon as a experimented with sea salt (I use a French grey) I needed less to do the same amount of flavoring. Bonus: interesting crunching texture, or easily ground into smaller grains for whatever.

Freshly ground pepper was a new world to me. It's not nearly as bitter, and it has an interesting bite and fragrance. Plus, it doesn't have that odd dusty consistency, and it's fun to grind it into whatever you're working on.  And for as much as you'll use it---it's pretty inexpensive, even if you go for organic. 

5) Speaking of which, organic herbs/seasonings. From my experience: Fresher, better color, better flavor and cheaper. It's really surprising given the reputation of organic products being "expensive" and indistinguishable. 

I'm not going back on that one. 

6) Here's a really old one! We're going medieval on your... Dill in your eggs (preferably fresh dill). Chop the dill up a bit, and it works for scrambled, omelettes, whatever. 

7) Tomato and chevre. I know that we all like tomato and cheese...and it comprises a hefty portion of my own diet. I'm not going to pretend I don't do that at on a weekly basis, in some form or another. But this sauce really hit the spot, and it was kinda out of left field.

I sauteed up a little onion and tarragon, and then mixed that with my tomato base. Added a little (about a teaspoon to 1/2 a cup) basic white sugar, some salt, some pepper, and let it simmer for a few minutes. (This dish also included small brown mushrooms, peas, and tortellini. Adjust at your whim). 

When I was ready to put the sauce in, I combined about 2 ounces of chevre into my tomato sauce. This was enough for two, with a little bit left over. It came out creamy, tart, and clung to the tortellini in a pleasing way. Snarfed. 

Also really old, and unknown: the French Press. All you need is coarse ground coffee and boiling water. Then  four minutes later, you have an excellent pot of coffee. Keep in mind the most wondrous part: You can do this anywhere, no electricity required.

I'm sure there will be more things soon. These have been on my mind, and I always like to share tasty. Who doesn't, after all?

Banana Bread

So since this is a long-awaited post, I decided to make it something of a treat. I had posted a casual pic of this on facebook, and received quite a response. 

The Big Cat has a very large sweet tooth, and he's madly in love with breakfast. I deflected the incessant cookie monster for a week or so with this, as it covers both bases. 


The recipe has been a long time coming. Originally, I'd been scrounging on Cooks.com...Looking for something. It's really either hit-or-miss... You get a fantastic recipe for pizza dough, then go back for croissant to wind up with butter-mush. 


Anyway, I took those basic components I saw over and over, and fashioned this.After a couple of good loaves, I wrote it down. It's a relatively small batch, but does double well if you need, but you'll need to bake it for probably 15 mins longer. 

Ingredients:

1 to 1.25 cups flour ( I use white whole wheat. King Arthur's organic has always treated me well)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (I used sea salt, more mineral flavor)
a tiny dash of baking powder

About 1 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup granulated white sugar 
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
about 6 tablespoons cultured butter (could add more if you like)
2 eggs

Preheat your oven to 350.

Lightly beat your eggs first, then add your butter and sugars. I melted the butter slightly to make that go more quickly and evenly. Then I put in the banana, so it will stay a little chunky.

Combine your other dry ingredients, and slowly add them to your wet mix. I do this in a separate bowl and stir them with the other end of my spoon. You could be truly persnickety and sift it, but it's not necessary. Stir until just combined. 


At this point, you can add some walnuts, chocolate chips, or a small (very small) amount of rum. If you're using chocolate chips, you may want to wait. I like to put the mixture into my butter dish first, and drop the chips on top. This keeps them from sticking to the bottom (in a most annoying manner!)

I prefer the square glass-type baking dish, but metal would work also. Might have to watch your baking time more, however. 



Use with caution, or you might get some unwanted guests. 

A Day of Caramel (and Caramelizing!)

Let it be known, I have always called it car-mel. I'm not sure where this "a" in the middle came from, but the modestly classless sunburnt neck in me is protesting. BUT, aside from my down-home-with-a-slight-slurring-twang...I adore this stuff.

We've just had the Apple Festival here, which is sort of ..like the fair. Except...there's more food, no rides, and the parking is even more atrocious. On the good side, there were quite a few little tents sprung up with home-made organic BBQ sauce and various sauces. And holy Lord Almighty, there were caramel apples. I took two home with me yesterday; both were devoured before 6 PM today.

This evening has been balmy and beautiful, and we feasted at our little sushi joint up the road. And then, after making some green tea and reading ..I made some French Onion Soup. This isn't your canon-style soup, but the basic elements are there.  We've really been avoiding the beef lately, so I needed to experiment to get around the beef-stock problem.  (This is the caramelizing part).

First:

See that brown sugar! It's big, and sweet, and moist.

Here's what I used. You'll see some brands here, I'm not necessarily advertising. This is what's working for me, and easy enough to get your hands on. 

This is my staple, since it has a rich enough flavor to work with the onion. I used about a whole box, maybe a little more, plus a good glug of wine. 

That's what was on my fingers..........

Since rosemary is best fresh, I sizzled it in the pot with the garlic, before I added the stock.

 I got pretty excited with the rosemary, and used about two stems' worth, chopped finely and tossed in first with two small cloves of garlic. Normally, I'd include some bay, but I though it might be overwhelming with everything else going on here.

Modestly above average wine on it's own, but very forgiving and balanced. Drank some of it, threw some in the stock. Smelled up the whole house lovely!

Now whilst that is going, choppy choppy:

Add another half of one, because you want some extra to pick out of the pan.

I just sliced up both buggers, with the onion halved first. Then I took the slender cuts and made them into thirds. Nothing scientific about it, just don't cut your hands off. If you need knife skills, Gluten Free Girl and the Chef will get you rolling. 

I did a mixture of olive oil and butter in the pan. On medium heat, I softened up the onions for a few minutes and then added the brown sugar:

It takes them a good while to be soft and sweet, and they should be browning before you take them off the heat. 

I know I'm not talking much about proportions, but I think one shouldn't be married to the measuring cup. Even flour will absorb more or less water depending on so many factors...even in the perilous world of baking, which is closest to chemistry! Before I stop preaching, here's my point---

You have to know what you want your food to taste and look like. We've all had French Onion before, so the magic is in which lovely ingredients you decide on, and how they balance. Be patient and attentive, get a second opinion if you need it. 

Here's what it looked like:

Of course, tomorrow I'll put on the crouton + cheese and throw those munchkins in the oven. But that's the easy part. 

AH! and here also, since I was hungry...the long aggrandized tomato sandwich! This time with mozza, and on the rosemary-sea salt bagel (I'm sure you can tell, I've been on that train lately).

Please don't mind the mess. Or the lumpy bagel...

I wound up eating it in pieces, so that I could get the most out of both ends of the bagel. By the time I was done with it, it was more lasagna than sandwich. But I was really in food stupor by that point!

A Rice Project

I've been thinking about rice lately.  Specifically, right now, I'm thinking about organic rice in bulk.

With all my new-found time, there is a ..stricter grocery budget. Being the borderline foodie personality that I am (I mean borderline nuts, in case you hadn't already guessed), I need certain things. I need to cook; I need freezer burritos that I'm not going to feel guilty about, plenty of mushrooms, and even more cheese.

So I'm sure you've seen the question before: How many things can you do with rice? This may or may not include beans. Of course you have risotto, and paella, and dirty rice, and stir fry on top of the fried kind. Honestly, I'm only moderately interested in those things.  Be warned: There will be experiments. You may even be subjected to pictures of questionable outcomes.

Firstly, I am going to bulk the freezer burritos. Who doesn't enjoy a cheesy hot mess, made in 1.5 minutes? It seems a little bottom of the barrel, but it beats the pants off most freezer food. And, if I can (sort of) replicate the organic variety we're all so fond of, I could take burrito cost sub $1.50, which would be ideal.  The Big Cat of the house (as I call him, you'll see why) is disturbed by this burrito project. He's trying to warn me that it might not come out well, but I'm really too into the idea to stop now.

My other obsession has been The Tomato Sandwich.  (I'll have to come up with pictures soon--it's just been eluding the camera due to voracious consumption by yours truly.) Why don't you take my hand, as we journey into the land of fantasy here for a bit?

Imagine: You have fresh rosemary and sea salt bread, sliced generously. You also have some Greek yogurt which you've lightly lined your slices with, soaking into the bread slightly. Some French feta is crumbled over it, and they're warmed together. Finally you thickly slice a perfectly ripe plum tomato, graze it with sea salt and course black pepper.

Altogether, this is perfect for eating at 2:30 AM. Then slide cozily to sleep with a kitten who is very curious about that sandwich, and very determined to sleep exactly where you'll roll onto him.

Looking forward...

I don't know if this has happened to anyone else...but for me, right now, food is about the future. Since I am currently in the half-way house of kitchens, there's been a lot of thinking and planning. I've been thinking about pruning roses, what we'll plant in the garden next year, where my herb bushes will be grown. Most importantly, I've been wondering:

 When WILL I get to start those little plant children??


In the present, there have been simple things.  For our going away party, some work-friends had us over for dinner. I wanted to bring something, since my friend Lee and I were conspiring to get more veggies into this meal-outing. I had this zucchini, some basil, some miscellaneous hard cheeses, and an oven. After I started the zucchini and sautéed it with a few other things...It just came together.

I would have taken some pictures, but this happened:

Kitten running interference.

It was a moment where you're standing in the kitchen, smelling something you know is going to be tasty. And you know that it wasn't all you. There's the organic zucchini, that a family grew. There is the basil that released it's lovely juices into the pesto; and the cheeses that you couldn't leave the store without.  And with a little luck, and divine providence...it happens.

There are also fingerling potatoes, sugar snap peas, and lovely sockeye salmon:

Yes, I know about the blue plate. I'm working on it.

And I'll leave you with that.

This week...

Right now, I'm in mourning for my kitchen. Due to circumstances out of my control, I've had to make a move back with some family. So I'm slowly, quietly, plotting a hostile take-over.

I would even use my grief as a cloak!

Sure, I have my spices, my precious non-stick pan. But the disappearance of my knives has been heartrending. I've been digging through every box I can find, cursing to high heavens for that little Japanese chopper. I'm a simple creature; I just want a good chopping knife, a good pan, and ve-ge-tables.


On the upside, I'm sneaking more organic vegetables into Grandma's kitchen. She's looking at me quite confusedly, as she says: " I'm not as fussy as you are. I just like my corn and my ham." Okay, sure. But in my snobbery, I'm thinking about the little Turkish place, the Indian food, the bread that I used to bake. I'm envious of cupboards and silverware drawers. I'm digging, digging, and sorting.

I'm trying to take this as a test of my constitution...more specifically, my endurance and patience. I realized that I've had a good two years. My kitchen which once felt too small, too disorganized, and frankly alien became my bat-cave. It is the symbol of Home and the labor of my loves.

Also, there is this:

The Back is me, the kitten is Deimos. 

In my kitchen I tried to make goodness for those people in my life, as well as use it to support what I chose. I would buy as much organic dairy as I could (to support healthy cows, as well as my cheese addiction!) and I would eat lots and lots of mushrooms and fewer chickens. When I went to clean a chicken or bake a fish,  I'd try to be grateful.

 This is now a new form of growth--reaching out, compromising, and explaining why it is good to grow one's own herbs, and how much better raspberries can taste. Sharing garlic, sea salt and rosemary bread :

I really can't say anything more than yum! 

And this, too, shall pass.

Obsessed With Stuffing Things

So at my place, we're obsessed with stuffing foods with tasty things, and then stuffing ourselves with stuffed food. And, we also have a mushroom ...problem. I go to the store and buy four or five different varieties, and then worry over the cart that we're going to run out. The worst part is...

We do.

This is mostly because we're ...mostly vegetarian. Except for those nights of the week when I feel like mac'n'tuna. Or when I just can't help myself at the local Turkish place. And instead of eating "textured vegetable protein", we usually do other things.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing TVP, and I eat tofu-turkey sausage on my veggie pizza.  But I've stopped kidding myself that a non-meat item will taste like meat, or that it should, or that I should want it to. So I go with what I know we will eat and feel full with, and get what we expect and/or possibly wanted.

Which leads to the subject of this post: Stuffed Mushrooms.

We've eaten these each week for three weeks solid, so far. As a main course. It's doesn't take long to chop up the stems, sautee them with some other stuffs, and slide them into the oven.

I get a big pack of "stuffing mushrooms". Just regular white buttons, but larger than average. You could even do it with normal sized ones, but I like that these guys are two bites.

For two of us, I do about 12 mushrooms for stuffing. Wash them, remove and reserve the stems. You can decide what you want these to taste like...But I've had success with a combination of garlic, red onion, fresh parsley, feta, and bread crumbs from whatever loaf-ends I have around.

Most of the time I'll want to add another mushroom or two to make sure that I have enough stuffing. The stems don't seem like quite enough, and I want to have that nice rounded top spilling over the caps.

 I don't want to overdo the bread crumbs, and I don't usually use the store bought kind. I crumble up some leftover soda bread, or whatever I have around. You could put it in the food processor and make them bitty, but I like them a little fluffy.

Here's a rough list of proportions:

Stems of 12 mushrooms
2-3 whole mushrooms
1/3 cup diced red onion
2 medium cloves garlic, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, don't worry about packing it
4 (or maybe more!) oz cheese, I used feta
1/2 a cup (or more) of breadcrumbs (better if they're not toasted)
1-2 tbs olive oil for the pan

I'll sometimes put in other fresh herbs that I have on hand, such as chives or rosemary, but you may want to adapt your cheese selection if you do. I found fresh oregano will go well if you use some mozza, and maybe a little basil or rosemary.

I will probably revise this the next time I put it all together, so don't freak out if you need to adjust this.

Sauté your stems and other filling ingredients until the mushroom bits release their juices and your cheese mixes in. Mushrooms and onion in first, they'll take longer. Throw your cheese in before the garlic and herbs, and be attentive; you'll want to add the breadcrumbs while it's melting so that it will absorb the other flavors.

Heat your oven up to 400 or so, and while that's going, pull your filling off to the side and let it cool a bit. Then, when you can manage it, stuff it into the mushrooms so they're laying with their caps down on  your baking sheet.

They will bake for around 13 mins, but my oven could be smoking something when I'm not around. Your clue will be that moisture collects under the caps. Don't let them stay in too long, or they'll get wrinkly!

Anyways, eat them with whatever you want.

Getting Messy as Usual

Today I'm trying to get some art-related work done, and this is one thing I've committed myself to work on. And with my new found free time, I should be able to take pictures of plenty of food ideas, while still trying to get the masters' soap out and not contaminate the food.

So this is a step at both organizing and sharing a continual fascination with food. I'm not pretending that anyone would want to read this, but the pictures might look tasty. Or you would wind up like me: crazy, covered in paint, looking like a tornado hit half your apartment, but with plenty of good things to fill your time (and stomach.) It's not so bad, really.

To dispense with the formalities:

These are pan fried potatoes. Oh yes, French as all get out. I say French because I had them first at this darling little cafe, and I am French-ish via my father's side, who taught me to make them later. They've been   relatively ignored and are perhaps forgettable by modern standards. But with fresh rosemary, cultured butter, and sea salt....It's breakfast. Or whatever you feel like.

I prefer some moderate sized red potatoes. You'll have to forgive my non-specific nature, as I've never really cooked from a recipe book. So I apologize in advance for what may be confusing and/or require more than one attempt to enact.

Slice the potatoes thin enough so that they will cook to be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Probably around an eighth of in inch...like so:

 Slice more than you think you'll need because they will lose volume during the process. The amount I'm showing there is slightly more than enough for two (as a side).

You can start heating your pan while you're slicing. Put a tablespoon or so of butter in there, to get melted and coat the pan well. Be prepared to add more, as this is not pretending to be..fully healthy and does need to be well lubricated.

Once the pan is heated to about medium, your butter is coating the pan well, and your potatoes are sliced...throw 'em in there. Put whatever seasoning suits you.. Fresh herbs do well, particularly dill or rosemary. Or, just throw a little salt and garlic powder in there.

Don't turn the potatoes too quickly; you'll want them to go golden and crispy in patches. Evenness isn't really important, just so long as all the slices are soft to the tooth and partially crispy. This should take around 25 minutes overall. Snatch one out with your spatula, blow on it, and nibble to make sure they're ready.

I'd serve them with an omelette and some fruit, but that's your call.