“Always start out with a larger pot than what you think you need.”
— Julia Child
Tag: kitchen
Surprise Recipe Made!
Post coming soon, probably Tuesday. But until then, here’s a sneak peek of what I used to make it!
What do you think I made? Leave your ideas in the comments below!
“The most overrated tool: a pasta maker. Why make it when you can buy it? It’s a lot of work!”
Friday Recipes
Well, here we are again.
Friday.
And that means I get to (have to?) cook for the family once again. This week was a tricky week when it came to deciding what I wanted to make. Since I only was able to do one recipe last week (read the post), I felt I needed to knock out at least three this weekend.
While I’ve not given myself an “official” timeline, I am trying to do at least 100 recipes over the course of the next year. That comes out to about two recipes per week. Which I think is doable…for now at least.
I was feeling kind of down for most of the week. I’m not sure if it’s the seasonal change or the pandemic. Most likely both. So, I decided I was going to make something sweet to have as a dessert over the weekend!
And I think I found the perfect thing: Apple Pie Bars
This recipe is featured in Cooking For Jeffrey which is one of the books I haven’t made anything out of yet, even before this project began.
I chose this one for a number of reasons. First, it seems pretty easy. Second, apples are in season here in New England this time of year. And finally, because who doesn’t love apple pie? I mean, I know it isn’t truly apple pie. But it’ll give me the feeling of eating apple pie.
At least I hope so!
Now, the next challenge was what would I make for dinner?
After looking through some of the cookbooks I have yet to cook ANYTHNG out of, I decided on something from Foolproof. It is a pasta dish that I’ve wanted to make for a long time: Straw & Hay with Gorgonzola. I then decided to make a a salad to go with it. (I’ll have my three recipes!)
I went Back to Basics and found a tasty-looking autumn salad that I think will complement the pasta nicely. Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette just screams Fall. Doesn’t it?
I can’t wait to try these tonight. Now, off to get the ingredients I don’t have.
Review of “Barefoot Contessa Family Style”
Welcome to the third installment of my Ina Garten cookbook review series. This is week three, so I’ll be reviewing Barefoot Contessa Family Style. This book, published in 2002 has a subtitle that reads: “Easy Ideas and Recipes That Make Everyone Feel Like Family,” and honestly, I think this book lives up to that statement.
Prior to Ina’s latest cookbook featuring comfort food, I would have to argue that this is her early take on that idea but with a twist that makes it elegant and “gourmet.” (As if we expected anything less!)
Continue reading “Review of “Barefoot Contessa Family Style””Recipes #6 and #7 – Fingerling Potatoes, and Peas and Pancetta
Fingerling Potatoes from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, page 159 AND Peas & Pancetta from Make it Ahead, page 158.
To pair with my Turkey Meat Loaf, I decided I needed potatoes. After all, is a classic American dinner like meat load complete if there are no potatoes? I think not.
Luckily, Ina has numerous recipes involving potatoes. I chose for a simpler one, but also a somewhat non-traditional one since meat loaf is usually served with mashed potatoes.
Ina’s fingerling potatoes are just about as basic as you can get and it was lovely anyway. I purchased fingerling potatoes from the store and sliced them before cooking to save time. Since I had more time in the morning, after slicing them in half I filled a pot with cold water and let them sit in there on the stove (it was off) until I needed them for dinner. The potatoes were cooked until fork tender, I drained them, let them steam for a few moments while I was working on the Peas & Pancetta, then tossed them in olive oil, salt and pepper.
They paired really well with the meat loaf and it was probably the most basic recipe Ina has.
The Peas & Pancetta is where we bring in the “gourmet” that is typical of Ina Garten’s recipes. Pancetta is not something that I typically cook with, so going to the store to get pancetta would have been a hurdle. I’m not sure if the deli department in the grocery store would have it. Luckily, I didn’t have to find out because where the cheeses are on display with the other cured meats, they had prepackaged pancetta already diced just how I needed it!
It was a win for me and what a great way to start the day!
When it came time to make the veggie, I sliced up the shallot and threw it into the pan with some oil, I added the pancetta and shortly after I heard little crackling noises of the pancetta searing. Once the shallot turned translucent, I added the peas, the salt, pepper, and mint. I gave some time for the peas to defrost (since they were frozen) and cook. Almost as soon as the peas were ready, the meatloaf was done.
I plated everything and served it to my family. Everyone liked it. The pancetta was a welcome change to our usual routine of having plain peas or just something out of a steamer-bag. I do think I had too many peas…I used a larger bag than called for, but it was all I was able to find in the freezer. Oh well, I got the gist of the taste.
You may be wondering if made a dessert for this meal.
Well, I did…sort of. But it wasn’t made the same day as these. I made it Friday morning, which I will discuss on Monday’s post!
Recipe # 5 – Turkey Meat Loaf
From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, page 138-139
I have to admit, I was not as productive this week when it came to cooking. I made dinner for the household last night and it took me quite some time to figure out what I wanted to make.
Did I want a one-pot meal type of thing? Or did I want to combine a couple recipes as an easy way to knock out more than in one day?
Well, after some deliberating and flipping through numerous pages of cookbooks, I decided I would combine three recipes to make a full meal. I also decided that I would probably be easiest for me if I kept the recipes to the same book.
That was the real challenge, though!
The first hurdle was figuring out what the main course would be. Eventually, I stumbled upon the Turkey Meat Loaf recipe out of Ina’s first cookbook. Next came figuring out the sides. Seeing as I wanted to keep the recipes in the same book, I found a recipe for fingerling potatoes which I thought would complement the meat loaf well. Tried as I might to find a vegetable recipe that interested me to pair with the meat loaf and potatoes, I realized that the The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook would not be doing it. Eventually, I found a recipe in Make it Ahead for peas and pancetta. (Post about making the fingerling potatoes and peas dish coming Sunday!)
The turkey meat loaf recipe, as written, serves a small army of 8 to 10 people (though I think that would allow for large portions), so I decided to cut the recipe in half since I only needed to feed three and I knew I would still have leftovers.
I needed a few items at the grocery store for this one, so I went and picked up the ground turkey, grown thyme, the Worcestershire sauce, and ingredients for the other recipes. When I returned home, I started to create the meat loaf, even though dinner was hours away, I figured it wouldn’t harm anything to let the meatloaf sit in the fridge for a few hours while the flavors mingled with each other.
I cooked the onions and spices as directed, letting things go for a little longer than recommended in the recipe. It wasn’t until I added the chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce that things really started to heat up — or I guess in my case, smell up!
While the onion mixture was cooling, I mixed the ground meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, and then added the onion mixture. I formed it into a loaf shape on a cookie sheet, spread ketchup on top and placed in the fridge with a piece of foil.
When dinner time arrived, I set the oven to the 325 degrees, as the recipe states. Now, since I halved the recipe, I assumed it would take about 50 minutes to cook fully. Well, that wasn’t the case. It look over an hour and the full recipe says the 5-pound meat loaf would only take 90 minutes! I think my oven temperature may be off, or Ina uses a really high-scale oven….probably both.
Once the meat loaf was done and plated, I tried some. I was impressed with how moist it was. There wasn’t a salty flavor that is usually present in the meat loafs (loaves?) I make following the Lipton soup recipe. It paired nicely with the sides I had chosen…again separate post coming at you tomorrow about that!
I think this recipe will be made frequently in my life. It’s pretty easy and really flavorful. I wonder if the flavors would be more pronounced if I had made the larger loaf? Maybe one day I’ll find out!
(Sorry, readers, no picture of this. The house was crazy around dinner time and I was also dealing with a pot of boiling potatoes and cooking a vegetable.)
Recipe #3 – French Chicken Pot Pie
French Chicken Pot Pie from Make It Ahead
On Friday I decided to make another recipe from one of Ina’s cookbooks. The meal I made it for would be dinner so I paged my way through the “Dinner” sections of each of her eleven cookbooks until something caught my eye. I eventually found the French Chicken Pot Pie.
I went to the grocery store, found the leeks and mushrooms and opted for the a roll of the Pillsbury biscuit dough over the boxes of puff pastry as she suggested (I wanted to save a few bucks!), and I went home.
This was the first time that I can recall in which I cooked with leeks. And it was interesting. Every time I watch a chef on TV cook with leeks they say something like “You need to wash leeks really well because they are so sandy and dirty.” Remembering this, I was prepared for a mess of sand and dirt, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. These leeks were relatively clean and required only minimal additional cleaning.
The hardest part about this recipe was all the prep work. First you have to cook the chicken in the oven, then wait for it to cool to shred it by hand to get the pieces of chicken that will be “pie friendly.” Then you need to cut carrots, mushrooms, and the leeks into bite-sized pieces (half-inch dice). All of these cutting took some time and was probably the most time-consuming aspect of the recipe.
Finally, my mise en place was done and I was ready to cook. I followed the recipe diligently and when it came time to add the tarragon (after more knife work), the kitchen almost immediately smelled wonderful and I felt like I had just walked into a fancy-smanzy restaurant.
Ina’s original recipe calls to make individual portions of the pie in two-cup bowls that are oven-safe. While cute, it isn’t very practical. So I poured the mixture into a 13-by-9 baking dish and rolled the biscuit dough over it. I still brushed it with an egg wash and some salt and pepper, and it looked amazing!
While it baked, the house filled with wonderful smells of chicken, leeks, carrots, tarragon — and yes, Pillsbury biscuits.
Finally, the time came to eat the pie. I let it sit for a few minutes after removing it from the oven and it was worth it!
Upon having my first bite I immediately thought, “All the prep work was worth it!”
We had leftovers and I think the pie even tasted better the following day. Overall, it wasn’t all that much work (if you get over the chopping) and totally worth the effort!!
Sadly, the only photo I have of it is while the contents of the mixture was simmering on my stove, but the picture wouldn’t do it justice anyway. I highly recommend you try to this one for dinner soon.
This Weekend/A Teaser
This weekend was so busy for me that I barely had to write anything. BUT…. I did have time to cook!!
I made two recipes over the weekend and I will be making a post about what they were and how they turned out tomorrow.
Stay tuned…..
Cookbook Analysis
As I’ve been going through each one of Ina’s cookbooks to enter the recipes into my spreadsheets, I’ve come to the conclusion that I think I’m going to analyze each of them. I’d discuss the complexities of the recipes and how each one seems to have their own special “tone.”
So, I plan to do one each week starting next week for the next 12 weeks. I will probably go in order of publication. So next week I will discuss The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.
Another thing I’ve noticed as I’ve been inputting these recipes — there’s a lot!
Well….I knew that. After all the number appears in the heading of this site. But now it just seems so overwhelming.
*sigh*
But I’m up for the challenge! And I hope you’re ready for the journey.
Today, I am planning to make at least one other recipe. Not sure what or from which book, but the wheels are turning. Stay tuned!
Cheers!
