Update: Since the last post was written, Mia's mom bought her jam. Thanks, Mom!
Also, check out her recipe for blue cheese meatloaf...
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
After heading off to college, eating went from being effortlessly delicious to annoyingly unsatisfying. The dining hall at the UofC was actually very good compared to most and, once you learned the system, you could put together a pretty well balanced meal. It would probably cost a fortune and take half an hour to acquire since you had to go to three different stations and wait in three different lines, but it could be done.
Yet no amount of ice cream or Bartlett cookies could make up for not having a kitchen of our own and the ability to eat what we wanted, when we wanted. In addition to just craving home-cooking, everyone missed something a little different. For me, it was a good old peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sometimes you just want something simple and easy on the palate and the stomach. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are the perfect combination of sweet and salty flavors and provide the whole grains and proteins we need to feel satisfied after a meal.
I could have made myself a PBJ at the dining hall, but the peanut butter and jelly were in tiny little packets and didn't taste very good. Plus, the cost of a PBJ (since you were charged per tiny packet of PB) was exorbitant and left you feeling unsatisfied, even if the sandwich tasted good.
I am reminded of all of this by the fact that I recently discovered that my parents have no jam! Seriously, none. When we were kids we usually had both store bought jam and homemade peach preserves. Thankfully my parents still keep peanut butter on hand and had some honey tucked into the back corner of a cabinet.
I suppose that they have graduated out of the stage of life when small children demand simplicity in the kitchen, but seriously, does anyone ever stop liking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Perhaps your tastes develop and you begin to use a heartier bread, unsweetened peanut butter, and more grown up flavors of jam, but PBJ's never lose their charm.
Any variety will do: peanut butter and some 'berry' jam is always good (especially when the jam is made by Emily's family!), apricot or peach preserves give it a nice twist, and of course there is the much loved peanut butter and honey combination, which when topped with sliced bananas and grilled is an amazingly grown up treat. Mhmm. Yum.
Yet no amount of ice cream or Bartlett cookies could make up for not having a kitchen of our own and the ability to eat what we wanted, when we wanted. In addition to just craving home-cooking, everyone missed something a little different. For me, it was a good old peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sometimes you just want something simple and easy on the palate and the stomach. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are the perfect combination of sweet and salty flavors and provide the whole grains and proteins we need to feel satisfied after a meal.
I could have made myself a PBJ at the dining hall, but the peanut butter and jelly were in tiny little packets and didn't taste very good. Plus, the cost of a PBJ (since you were charged per tiny packet of PB) was exorbitant and left you feeling unsatisfied, even if the sandwich tasted good.
I am reminded of all of this by the fact that I recently discovered that my parents have no jam! Seriously, none. When we were kids we usually had both store bought jam and homemade peach preserves. Thankfully my parents still keep peanut butter on hand and had some honey tucked into the back corner of a cabinet.
I suppose that they have graduated out of the stage of life when small children demand simplicity in the kitchen, but seriously, does anyone ever stop liking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Perhaps your tastes develop and you begin to use a heartier bread, unsweetened peanut butter, and more grown up flavors of jam, but PBJ's never lose their charm.
Any variety will do: peanut butter and some 'berry' jam is always good (especially when the jam is made by Emily's family!), apricot or peach preserves give it a nice twist, and of course there is the much loved peanut butter and honey combination, which when topped with sliced bananas and grilled is an amazingly grown up treat. Mhmm. Yum.
Monday, February 11, 2008
A Special Tasty for a Special Girl
Emily and I, as many of you know, do not agree on many things; however, one thing we have in common is a best friend named Sarah. No. It's not the same person. These Sarah's are distinct individuals. They might have the same name and the same hair color and the same complexion and the same cheekbones, but they are, in fact, not the same person.
Emily's Sarah, as I have her listed in my cell phone, came to visit this weekend. Since her flight got in at dinner time, Emily and I decided to have dinner waiting (or at least close to waiting) for her when she got in. Since the only easily accessible piece of meat in the house was chicken, we ate chicken.
One thing that Emily and I absolutely agree on, other than the fact that people named Sarah rock, is that raw chicken is disgusting. But Sarah, you are so loved, that we touched not just a little raw chicken, but a lot of raw chicken to make a tasty, tasty meal for your arrival.
The menu:
Flattened, breaded, butter fried chicken
We pounded the chicken flat and dipped it in egg and bread crumbs with cumin, paprika and kosher salt. Then we fried it in a combination of vegetable oil and butter. Yum.
*verb meaning blended using an attachment to my immersion blender
**Everything except the Haagen Dazs Vanilla Bean Ice Cream was homemade
***colloquial form used in the Emily dialect found primarily in the West Loop and Windsor, CT
Emily's Sarah, as I have her listed in my cell phone, came to visit this weekend. Since her flight got in at dinner time, Emily and I decided to have dinner waiting (or at least close to waiting) for her when she got in. Since the only easily accessible piece of meat in the house was chicken, we ate chicken.
One thing that Emily and I absolutely agree on, other than the fact that people named Sarah rock, is that raw chicken is disgusting. But Sarah, you are so loved, that we touched not just a little raw chicken, but a lot of raw chicken to make a tasty, tasty meal for your arrival.
The menu:
Flattened, breaded, butter fried chicken
We pounded the chicken flat and dipped it in egg and bread crumbs with cumin, paprika and kosher salt. Then we fried it in a combination of vegetable oil and butter. Yum.
Goo (interpretation on dirty rice technique, gone sorely awry)
We whir-whirred* a combination of bell peppers, jalepeno, onion, mushroom and spices to blend into cooked rice. While the fixings were delicious, the rice was astronomically overcooked. It's texture can best be described as mucilaginous (read: disgusting). We attempted to salvage the rice by turning it into an interpretation of polenta--what we ended up with can at best be called an interpretation of edible. We baked it, but not for long enough because we got hungry.
We whir-whirred* a combination of bell peppers, jalepeno, onion, mushroom and spices to blend into cooked rice. While the fixings were delicious, the rice was astronomically overcooked. It's texture can best be described as mucilaginous (read: disgusting). We attempted to salvage the rice by turning it into an interpretation of polenta--what we ended up with can at best be called an interpretation of edible. We baked it, but not for long enough because we got hungry.
Homemade** Hot Fudge Brownie Sundaes.
However, all was made up for by this deliciousness. We started with a brownie mix my mom gave us to try then ran off to the White Hen while the brownies were baking (IN OUR NEW OVEN) and picked up some ice cream. When we got back we whipped up some hot fudge using a recipe from Emily's imagination and the intarweb. Then we combined all of the delicious ingredients into the perfect receptacles and 'eated them'***.
However, all was made up for by this deliciousness. We started with a brownie mix my mom gave us to try then ran off to the White Hen while the brownies were baking (IN OUR NEW OVEN) and picked up some ice cream. When we got back we whipped up some hot fudge using a recipe from Emily's imagination and the intarweb. Then we combined all of the delicious ingredients into the perfect receptacles and 'eated them'***.
*verb meaning blended using an attachment to my immersion blender
**Everything except the Haagen Dazs Vanilla Bean Ice Cream was homemade
***colloquial form used in the Emily dialect found primarily in the West Loop and Windsor, CT
Good things come to those who wait....
Ha. Actually, good things come to those who wish and hope and demand. After resolving to ditch convenience and get back to the creative days of yesteryear (aka summer), I put in a phone call to our landlord explaining firmly that the lack of a functioning oven for the majority of our tenure was more than an inconvenience...it had, in fact, affected our entire way of life.
The next day Arthur brought us a brand new, never been used and definitely not broken oven. It was a wonderful day. We celebrated with muffins!
The funny thing is, all of our ovens are still on the premises. We have a bit of a habitat forming here in our building for old, abandoned ovens. They're really social creatures, you see, and feel the need to stay close to one another even in their old age.
The first is hanging out on our back porch serving as a perch for the neighborhood birds. It's getting pretty disgusting, as you might imagine. It has also been completely covered with ice at least twice in the past couple of weeks.
The second oven is on the landing downstairs outside of our neighbor's door. Sidney, we're sorry! Alas, with the never ending precipitation and vicious temperatures, Arthur has not made it back out to the apartment.
Many good things have been made and eaten since the arrival of our new oven...
Third time's the charm!
The funny thing is, all of our ovens are still on the premises. We have a bit of a habitat forming here in our building for old, abandoned ovens. They're really social creatures, you see, and feel the need to stay close to one another even in their old age.
The first is hanging out on our back porch serving as a perch for the neighborhood birds. It's getting pretty disgusting, as you might imagine. It has also been completely covered with ice at least twice in the past couple of weeks.
Many good things have been made and eaten since the arrival of our new oven...
Third time's the charm!
Friday, February 1, 2008
A case of the Januaries
January was a month of 'quick meals' for Emily and I. Gone are the days of leisurely cooking, namely due to our busy schedules and non-compliant oven.
We've perfected the art of the 20 minute meal, mainly by cooking simply, but I must admit we have on occasion reverted to college-esque cuisine.
Last night, for example, we made a meal of scrambled eggs with an abundance of mushrooms, onions, and asparagus, plus a few slices of fresh tomato on the side. While the meal certainly hit the spot, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed in my culinary creativity.
So, here's to February and high hopes for many delicious dinners to come.
We've perfected the art of the 20 minute meal, mainly by cooking simply, but I must admit we have on occasion reverted to college-esque cuisine.
Last night, for example, we made a meal of scrambled eggs with an abundance of mushrooms, onions, and asparagus, plus a few slices of fresh tomato on the side. While the meal certainly hit the spot, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed in my culinary creativity.
So, here's to February and high hopes for many delicious dinners to come.
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