Food...Faster, Faster

You used to hear more about microwaves being "dangerous" but now that 90% of US homes have them they are just a given, like having a stove or refrigerator. Remember when they were saying not to stand in front of your microwave while it cooked because it was emitting something dangerous? My non-scientific gut feeling is that something "un-natural" is happening in that metal box, and as convenient as it may be, I don't want to cook my food in it. If you do use a microwave to heat your food up, remember not to use plastic as plastic has been shown to leach toxins, so use glass.

Now, obviously the producers of microwaves are not funding any studies figure out the effects of microwaved food on the food or on those who eat it regularly. There is a good article about some of the research that's been done and what they've found about microwaving food.

I remember getting a Sharp Carousel Microwave as a wedding present in 1982. So I've been using a microwave at least since then. Despite having a Microwave Cookbook I never could get the hang of cooking with it. The food didn't cook evenly and never browned right. The microwave was reduce to warming up leftovers. Nowadays it lives in the basement, unplugged, collecting dust.

The 1.2 BILLION dollar frozen dinner market certainly won't be funding any studies about the dangers associated with microwaving food. Healthy Choice from ConAgra Foods leads the way in the frozen dinner industry. I grew up eating Chicken Pot Pies baked for 45 minutes in those cute little aluminum trays. (The jury is still out on the Alzheimer's/Aluminum link). God I loved those things with their 3 tiny pieces of meat and that yummy top crust. My mother loved them too, after all it was a fairly cheap and easy way to cook for 4 people.

We have Swanson to thank for the TV dinner market. Necessity being the Mother of Invention, in 1953 Swanson overestimated the demand for Thanksgiving Turkeys and ended up with a whopping 520,000 pounds of extra meat on their hands. Long story short, they put it in a compartmentalized tray, linked it to the nation's new TV craze and bammo you've got yourself a TV dinner.

I'm concerned that we feel this rush all the time around food. As a child I used to have to WAIT for dinner to be prepared, didn't you? There just weren't fast food joints on every corner and there wasn't the money available for eating out every night. Marketing plays a big part in making us feel like we don't have time to cook. Maybe the bad economy will help us to spend more time in the kitchen and at the table, reconnecting with food and family.

Can You Afford Organic Food?

This post is for my co-worker, Julie, who told me yesterday that organic food is just too expensive for her to buy. Especially because she has a 13 year old son who eats a lot. I think price is a very legitimate concern and this is a hot political topic. Yes, organic has 40% more nutritious value than conventional and yeah for no chemical cancer causing sprays and so on. But hey, on a social worker's budget I feel her pain! So, my first advise is to buy in season, that is always cheaper. My second piece of advise is to check out the blog MyDailyDiner

Amanda has grocery shopping for *organic* on a *budget* broken down to a science. Look at the right hand column of the blog and scroll down to the section entitled "A Smarter Way to Shop."

It starts with this, "Eating can be expensive. How do I keep my budget between $120-$200/per week, while feeding a family of four only organic, local and seasonal food?
It took practice.
On Friday's, I hit Whole Foods and buy a weeks worth of meat. I buy whatever is on sale. I spend $20 to $30/weekly on meat..."
So, you get the idea. Check out her site and start buying organic.

The Birthing of 9 Chefs

How did this happen? I've been in culinary school for 2 whole weeks now and I haven't posted a thing! So much to tell you about...

The first day of class finally arrived on April 1 for 9 very passionate culinary students. Here we are in our chef garb just this past Saturday, which was the first time we were allowed in the kitchen. As you may remember, I was all worried about the hat. In the end I found the perfect purple and blue striped cotton and hemp hat, even locally made. (I'm the one front and center -- note the hat.)

And just what do they teach in culinary school? Well, we had 5 classes before we were even allowed in the kitchen. There was instruction on kitchen basics like measurements (yes, math conversions--never one of my favorite subjects in school). So you take a recipe that serves 4 and make it serve 45. Believe me those 3 tablespoons become a nightmare. There was also nutrition analysis, macro- and micronutrients, sanitation, and then finally we got into the kitchen to learn knife skills. We were each loaded down with carrots, celery, potatoes, onions, basil, bell peppers, jalepenos, and more. And there was my little cheat sheet of all the cuts--chiffonades, cubes, fine dices, etc.--quickly bloodied by the juice of a strawberry sliced into a decorative fan and by the drippings from a supremed blood orange.

And you should see what Chef Brian Keane did with the bell pepper. I've never seen anything like it. He cut off the top and the bottom. The stem popped right out of the top leaving an impressive ring for garnishing. He then made one vertical cut and opened up the pepper. He took out the ribs and laid the pepper out flat. From there he was able to cut it into even strips. I, for one, was quite impressed by this.

Anyway, as I said we weren't in the kitchen until Saturday but that isn't entirely true as we were allowed in the kitchen to clean it. So class started each day with a lecture, followed by our instructor do a cooking demo, all the while telling us what she was doing. After the demo we each had our assigned tasks for cleaning up. And I mean CLEAN right down to the floor being mopped.

Though we have "guest appearances" by other chefs, our main instructor is Chef Karen Diggs.

She apprenticed with a French chef, she has also opened restuarants in Hong Kong and the US, as well as worked with celebrity chefs on TV. She even worked in a "silent kitchen" at one point. Where apparently you get your orders at the beginning of the shift then no one talks in the kitchen (except for safety). She says this is the ultimate in discipline and focus. She likes us to be on time "because a sense of timing is critical to cooking" and reminded us what her teacher used to say to her was, "A dull knife is a dull mind."

Well, I need to go sharpen my knife and my mind!

Spectacular Swirly Bread Pudding

Thanks to Molly, a co-worker of Dylan's at Children's Hospital, for introducing us to the wonderful bread pudding that forms the foundation of this recipe. We've made only a few minor changes to give it a little less sugar and a cinnamon swirl.

8 Eggs
2 Cups Milk (we use 2% Organic)
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1/4 Cup Amaretto (yes, that's liquor in your pudding folks - go Molly!)
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1 Loaf Semifreddies Cinnamon Swirl Bread (if you don't have this or something similar in your area you can substitute 1 loaf of Challah bread but you won't get the swirl)
Cocoa powder


You will need a 9x13 glass pan. Prep the pan by spreading a little canola oil over it and dusting it with sifted cocoa powder.
In a large sized bowl, rip the bread into pieces.

In a medium sized bowl, mix the eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, amaretto and vanilla thoroughly.

Pour this mixture over the bread and let sit for 30 minutes.


Bake in 350 degree F oven for 40-50 minutes. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled, whatever you prefer. Enjoy!

Easter ramblings

What do vegetarian's eat for Easter dinner? I have no idea. Fortunately, Dylan and I will be working (this is what happens when you work at a hospital, they tend to be open 24/7) so I won't have to figure out what to cook. Growing up it was always HAM on Easter. The kind that had pineapple rings on it and cloves stuck between the criss cross slices, oh and a maraschino cherry in the middle of each pineapple ring. Mmmmm.

And anyway, how on earth did Easter get here so quickly? We just celebrated St. Patty's day! And vegetarian or not I tried Tamara's corned beef and cabbage which was slow cooked in Guiness beer. Tender and quite good. And this was served with Mushy Peas, not Irish but rather British, and not as bad as they sound.

We had my son over to dye eggs, a tradition. That translates to deviled eggs, egg salad and potato salad this coming week. This year there were rubber bands used to wrap around the eggs before they were dipped into the dye, markers, ink bunny stamps, the ever popular clear wax crayon and even scotch tape. Also new for us was using some brown eggs which created a more intense color than the white eggs.

Oh and I found my chef coat and pants for culinary school. I thought this would be fun but it was really quite stressful. The men's pants were baggy beyond belief and the coats were also too big. The women's selection was quite small compared to the mens but I was able to find a pair of black pants (will have to be hemmed) and a white chef's coat with knotted buttons. I am so glad I didn't try to order online, it would have never worked.

I will be seeing my brother for a couple of days when he visits San Diego in April. He is a chef and owns the Hungry Bear Restaurant in Winter Park, Colorado. He has been cooking for what seems like forever and it always makes my mouth water when he rambles off his latest creation. Don't ask him for a recipe though, he just composes things like a musician writes a song and has yet to give me an exact recipe. I hope to help out with some of his catering events when I am done with school.

Culinary school starts April 1, be sure to follow along as the adventure unfolds!

What to bring to the Potluck Orzo Salad

You know the problem. There's a potluck at work or a baby shower or something of the sort and you're supposed to bring a dish. Someone beat you and signed up for "chips and salsa" first. Someone else signed up for your back up plan of "plates and napkins." Okay, you're going to have to cook. These potlucks often have an abundance of sweets but not enough "real food." Not to worry, we have the ideal recipe for you. You don't have to heat it up, it's "real food" that everyone will love and you will be praised for months to come going down into the history of pot lucks as "Remember when Jill brought that fabulous Orzo Salad?" Yeah baby, that's you!

This is Dylan's recipe which was inspired by a rice salad in The Silver Palate Cookbook which both of us love.

Orzo Salad

3 cups of dried orzo
1 sweet red pepper, chopped into small pieces
6 scallions, cleaned and finely sliced, white and light green parts
1 cup dried currants
1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
2 cups frozen peas
1 medium sized carrot, chopped into fine dice
1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Organic Feta
Pine Nuts, toasted

Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Cook the orzo in boiling water until just tender and firm to the bite. Drain and run under cool water for a minute to stop the cooking. Set aside in strainer.

Blanch the frozen peas in boiling salted water for about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water, drain again. Set aside.

In a good sized bowl add the red pepper, the scallions, the currants, the shallot, the olives, the carrot and the parsley. Mix. Now put in your peas, mix gently. Add the orzo and mix again. Set aside and make the vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons prepared Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt (add up to 1/2 tsp as desired)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup olive oil

Measure mustard into bowl. Whisk in vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and parsley. Whisk in olive oil and adjust seasoning to taste.

Now, let's finish the salad that's going to make you famous. Add about 1/2 of the vinaigrette to the salad and toss. It should be moist, not wet. Add your feta and toss again. Transfer to a nice serving dish and cover. Sprinkle pine nuts on top before serving and bring extra dressing with you. This salad is best served at room temperature so the flavors explode in your mouth. Remember to let us know how it turns out and don't forget the little people when you're famous.

Who Stole the Vegetable Tian?

Admit it, you steal recipes from magazines you find in waiting rooms. I know I'm not the only one because I've seen the half torn pages in the food section while I'm passing time in the doctor's office, the dentist's office, waiting for my car to be serviced... I feel a little guilty when I do it but something comes over me and I just HAVE to have this recipe AND the picture that goes with it. I try to be subtle, to make sure no one is looking directly at me, to crease the page well before tearing it and then quickly shoving it into my pocket. What I really find annoying is that after I've been waiting in the lobby for 30 minutes and finally decided that YES I DO want, no need, that recipe and just as I am about to make my move the nurse calls out my name. Rats! Or when the recipe begins on page 51 and is continued on page 123 so I have to tear out multiple pages. This can only be done by experienced recipe bandits.

So here then is a recipe, yes shamefully taken from a magazine. And sin upon sin it's Martha Stewart.

This is a recipe for Vegetable tian and it's one we make we make again and again finding

something comforting in the flavors. We serve it with a rice pilaf and a glass of chardonnay. It's soft but not mushy. The use of a food processor (or mandolin I suppose) makes the vegie prep quick. Allow an hour for baking.

Vegetable Tian

original recipe martha's, adaptations by drake and dylan

Makes one 9 inch tian, serves 4

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 leaks, white and pale green parts only, halved, fanned and rinsed well and cut into thin slices

2 garlic cloves, minced

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 medium or 2 small zucchini, unpeeled, very thinly sliced

1 medium or 2 small yellow squash, unpeeled, very thinly sliced

2 plum tomatoes, very thinly sliced

1 small Italian eggplant, unpeeled, very thinly sliced

6-8 crimini mushrooms, cleaned, thinly sliced (can substitute shitake or use a mixture)

1/4 cup dry white wine (I use a nice Chardonnay, you know, some for me, some for the recipe)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (can substitute 1/2 tbsp organic dried oregano)

Grated Parmesan, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 3 tbsp oil in large skillet over med heat. Add leek and garlic, season with some salt and pepper, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Spread in a 9 inch gratin or round baking dish (a glass pie pan works nicely).

2. Arrange vegies on top of leek mixture in slightly overlapping circles, alternating them as you go.

3. Top with wine, 1 tbsp of oil, oregano, s and p. Bake 30 minutes. Drizzle with remaining oil. Bake until vegies are tender, 30 minutes more. Serve with Parmesan.