Cooking Virgin

Rouxbe Lessons: De-Stemming Spinach

There is usually more than one way to perform even the simplest of tasks.  With that in mind (and after learning so much from the avocado video I discussed last week), I’ve been seeking out tips and techniques on some relatively basic things.  You just never know when you might learn something that will save you time or just make the process easier and more enjoyable.  And I’ve always been a firm believer that if you sound basic techniques, it’s that much easier to move on to the more challenging stuff.

I wasn’t sure what I could possibly learn from a video showing me how to de-stem spinach and I have to admit, I didn’t learn a whole lot, but I did take away one little thing that may improve my technique.  I had always just snapped the step off and if it didn’t snap I pinched it off with my fingernails.  Pulling the stem down the back of the leaf as they demonstrate in the video is a little more efficient I think.  I’m going to give this a thorough test tonight when I make an Alfredo pasta dish with spinach. 

Rouxbe Online Cooking School & Video Recipes

Virgin Voyages: Radishes

 

I'm not a picky eater, consequently I usually like the new foods I've been trying every since I started this cooking journey.  Even foods I had bad experiences with have now found a way onto my 'like' list.  Radishes have not yet been successful in making this breakthrough.

I can't say that I hate radishes, I'll eat them if I get them in my CSA share for the week.  But trying to figure out how to cook them is a chore for me.  The best recipe I managed to come up with was a version of dirty rice where I basically hid the radishes in the rice.  I couldn't taste the radishes at all and that made me very happy.

Other than that, I have cut them up to use raw in salads.  Braised them in wine, which improved the taste of the vegetable but I couldn't eat the lot of them until I covered them in creme fraiche. I'm still searching for a great recipe for radishes that I will enjoy, but I suppose there are worse things than eating dirty rice every time these appear in my CSA.

I do hope I find many uses for them because their long shelf life really make them handy to keep around.  And of course they have their own health benefits as all vegetables do.  They are definitely worth trying to find a way to incorporate them into my diet, even if I have to disguise them. I think I have just begun to learn with this vegetable.

Virgin Voyages: Celery Root

 

There are a few vegetables out there where it's hard to imagine how the first person who ate it decided it was something edible.  Celery root definitely falls into this category (thought the fact that it is attached to celery could have been a tip off).  The first time I saw celery root (or celeriac) I immediately thought of the movie Big Trouble in Little China.  

Anyone who has seen this cult classic will remember the floaty eyeball thing that spies on Kurt Russell for the bad guy.  It was basically a wrinkled floating head with a bunch of knobby areas with eyes in the middle, not exactly appetizing.  But I swear the people who designed that creature got their inspiration from celery root.

But if there's anything I've learned since trying all kinds of new vegetables, it's that good things often come in ugly packages.  The first time I cut into celery root, I knew that, despite its appearance, I had a good thing.  Think of the smell of celery times ten.  It's the only time I would describe a smell as energizing.

Celery root's appearance can also be intimidating in that it's not obvious how to 'attack' it.  I'm not sure if this is really the right way to do it, but I just peel off the outside until all traces of dirt are removed.  I wash it before beginning but with all the nooks and crannies, it's virtually impossible to just wash all the dirt off (if anyone has any tricks please let me know!).  After the root is peeled you can chop it up however you need.

 So far I've only made celery root soup (a recipe I found in How to Cook Everything).  I love this soup, so I haven't ventured past this yet.  There are a few recipes on my list to try though.  The Celery Root and Potato Latke recipe in Gourmet Today sounds wonderful as does the Celery Root Remoulade in The Art of Simple Food.  I do plan to try these, but if you get to it first because I'm still stuck on my soup please let me know how it turned out!

I think the biggest thing I learned from working with celery root is to not shy away from something just because it looks intimidating.  If you're willing to just jump in and try it you may discover a new favorite food.

Project Vegan Yum Yum: Blueberry Waffles

 

I was a little skeptical about how this recipe would turn out.  I'm not sure why exactly, it's straightforward enough. I think it was the use of blueberry soy yogurt that threw me for a loop. My skepticism was unfounded though, as these waffles are delicious.

I did make a few adjustments to the recipe due to personal tastes. I substituted almond milk for the soy milk for instance.  I highly recommend this solution to anyone as the almond milk brought a nice flavor to the batter.  Not too mention it cuts out some of the soy used in the recipe, which I'm all for since we already consume so much soy in various forms.

The other adjustment I made was to the icing.  Instead of syrup, a lemon icing is used.  I have to confess, I hate lemon.  I'm the one person never tempted by lemon bars or lemon meringue pie.  I'm not too picky about my food, but I can not tolerate much lemon. So instead of lemon icing I made orange icing.

The first reaction I've received from people when I tell them about the substitution is a scrunched up face and a questioning, "Really??" It wouldn't seem like blueberries and oranges would be the best of pals, but it actually turned out really well. My boyfriend said that that orange was a bit overpowering, but he also had two waffles, both with icing,  even though we had syrup in the cupboard.

I'd be interested too hear feedback on those that make this recipe with the lemon icing.  I'm sure it tastes great for those that like lemons.  For the few people out there that are like me don't be afraid to make in orange, though vanilla might be good too.  Whatever icing you choose, you should make these waffles ASAP!!

Project Vegan Yum Yum: Golden Chickpea and Artichoke Salad

 

I completely spaced that this project was beginning this week so I neglected to shop appropriately. When Elle sent out her email about the the start of the project I immediately had an 'oh crap' moment. I starting quickly flipping through the book to see what I might be able to make with what I had on hand and came across the recipe for Golden Chickpea and Artichoke salad. 

This recipe turned an 'oh crap' moment into a great food discovery. Not only did I have all the ingredients on hand, it would also go well with the Mesclun mix from my CSA that I hadn't figured out what to with yet.  And since this recipe is as flavorful as it is easy, there was no need for additional dressing.  I can easily see this dish becoming a quick fix staple in my kitchen. We had it as a side salad for dinner one night and I ate the leftovers as my lunch the next day.  

I would definitely recommend this recipe. It's a fantastic introduction into the world of vegan cooking since it is simple to make and the ingredients can easily be found in any season, which also makes the recipe perfect for the beginning cook. It's also versatile as it can be served as a side dish or an entree.  We ate it as a side salad for dinner the night I made it and then I had the leftovers as a main dish the next day, delicious in both cases!

Virgin Voyages: Beets

I had a particularly nasty encounter with pickled beets when I was a child.  Ever since then I have run from them as I would run from a doll that looks even remotely like that clown doll in Poltergeist.  Not that I encountered them often, beets that is.  Beets are a much ignored vegetable in today's cuisine.

One of the reasons why I signed up for a CSA was so I couldn't hide from vegetables I was biased against.  I tend to hold a grudge against veggies over one bad experience and I don't let go easily.  So signing up for a CSA was a way of forcing myself into immersion therapy. And I have to say, it's working.

The first time I saw beets on the chalkboard at my farm's stand my mind went blank.  I didn't know any recipes for beets and even in cookbooks I liked, I flipped by those pages.  What would I make?  What should I get to go with it?  I had no idea.

Once I got home the cookbook pile began.  I was frantically searching through every book I owned for a recipe and I came across one in Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express that sounded wonderfully easy.  It was a for a beet and goat cheese salad.  The only thing was, it's a lot of beets.  So if I ended up not liking them l the meal would be a bust.  I decided to take the chance.

The interesting thing about the recipe was that the beets are cooked in the microwave.  It was a busy week so I was all for the quickness, but was a little skeptical if the microwave was the best tool for bringing out the taste of the beets.  They ended up tasting good enough that I didn't mind when they showed up in my CSA the next time. But, after preparing them different ways since then, I don't think that's the best way to cook them although not bad in a time crunch.

I think the hardest thing about dealing with beets is peeling them.  Especially the red ones.  They stain, so you have to be careful and they can be slippery.  A dangerous combination indeed.  They are much easier to peel after they've been boiled or microwaved for a while and the skin comes off much easier then.

Since my first experience, my boyfriend has made beet pancakes (a variation of a vegetable pancake recipe in How To Cook Everything Vegetarian) that were delicious though incredibly messy.  I have also made a glazed beet recipe out of the Gourmet Today cookbook.  I think the Gourmet Today recipe is my favorite so far, but I have some beet chips in the oven so we'll see how they turn out!

If you've never eaten beets before, at least red beets, keep in mind that not everybody digests the dye so you may end up seeing it later on... if you know what I mean.  I don't mean to touch on gross topics in a food blog, but I figure some might appreciate the heads up.

While I might not be as big of a fan as Dwight from The Office, I am a beet convert.  Though I'm still afraid of those clown dolls, I no longer run the opposite direction from tasty beets.  I think next time I might attempt a borscht.  Let me know if you have a good recipe!

UPDATE: Just got a great tip via twitter from Jill Nussinow, @theveggiequeen.  She mentioned that if you cook beets in a pressure cooker (for 3-5 minutes) there is no need to peel them.  What a time saver!!

Rouxbe.com: The Cooking School That Comes To You

Learning to cook on your own can sometimes be a frustrating task.  It can be so much easier to have someone show you how to do something than try to interpret instructions out of a book.  Demonstration classes are a great way to accomplish this, if you don't happen to know a talented cook nearby, but they can often be cost prohibitive. 

A place that offers demonstration classes near me, for example, charges $40 a class.  If I only had one thing I wanted to learn I might be okay with spending $40. But there's a lot I want to learn and at $40 a pop I could easily spend $1000 a year.  With this economy, that's a heck of a lot more that I am comfortable spending.

Fortunately, there is another option out there.  Rouxbe.com is an online cooking school that offers a variety of instructional videos, many of which are free.  There are two levels of membership, basic which is free, and premium, which has several payment options: monthly ($15), annual ($99) and lifetime ($199 now, $299 as of 01/31/10).

I've had a basic membership to Rouxbe.com for about a month now and I love it.  The basic membership is completely free and gives you access to the Video Recipes, the Tips (which are also on video) and the cooking school lessons that are marked free.  It also gives you access to quizzes and the recipe forums, but I have not explored these as of yet as I really joined for the access to the videos.

Through my membership with FoodieBlogroll.com, I have had the pleasure of a free 7 day trial of the premium membership as well.  This gives me access to all of the cooking school lessons, gets rid of ads and you can get personalized responses from chefs on submitted questions (I haven't tried this but that sounds pretty darn cool).

No matter what type of membership you have all of the videos I have viewed so far have been outstanding.  Though I will warn you that the video quality in full screen was not that great and the video seemed to lag when in full screen mode as well.  Though in the normal view, I've never had a problem with the video.

Overall, the site is very well thought out.  They have the text version of recipes attached to the videos and you can control the volume of the music and the narration in the video separately.  The instruction is clear and detailed, even in the pan frying lesson I learned something and I didn't think that there would be anything to learn! 

Also, be sure to explore the tips thoroughly. I discovered a method for dicing avocados that is so simple I can't imagine why I've been doing it the way I have for so long.  These types of tips can be a lifesaver for the busy home chef. 

The video recipes are also a great way to pick up on little things and see just how things are done by the professionals.  If they gloss over a recipe for a sauce or something that is only a component of the main dish there is generally a separate link to that recipe within the navigation bar to the left of the video. 

I obviously love this site, but I have included a preview of the video recipe on fish tacos below so you can decide for yourself!

Rouxbe Online Cooking School & Video Recipes

Virgin Voyages: Deglazing

I'm becoming quite secure with incorporating new ingredients into my cooking, but I'm still reticent to use new techniques. I suppose that's because I always have help with the new ingredients in the form of recipes but when it comes to techniques I'm sort of on my own.

Last Friday I was finally getting around to making the chicken and spinach I should have made two days before based on the state of the spinach.  I was dreading it because I knew it would be on the bland side and I hadn't yet thought of a way to liven the dish up. 

As I was washing and spinning the spinach dry in my salad spinner I considered using the deglazing technique I had read about to make a sauce for the chicken.  Even with the obvious solution to my problem staring me in the face, I hesitated.  Deglazing didn't seem hard but I was positive I would find a way to screw it up. 

Finally I found my backbone and decided to give it a shot.  After all there was no rule that I had to use the sauce if it didn't turn out and then I would just be left with my original bland meal.  Nothing lost.

I seared the chicken breasts in the pan, finished them off in the oven and then threw them in the toaster oven on low to keep them warm while I worked my magic.  My boyfriend had broken open the bottle of Riesling for me (we had already started 'sampling' the vino) and I poured some in.

As I worked the stuff off the bottom of the pan (more technically called a fond), I realized that I was scared over nothing.  What I ended up with was a fairly thin sauce, but I imagined it would be unless I added a thickening agent of some sort.  Though thin, it was definitely tasty and gave the chicken the flavor I was looking for.  Best of all, it only took a few minutes.

Here are a couple of sites that discuss deglazing a pan:

• ehow.com
• rouxbe.com (You may need to sign up for a free membership to access this, but it is an excellent instructional video).

Two Tools That Act As Sous Chef In The Home Kitchen

Just before, and over, Christmas I had the pleasure of playing with two tools that made holiday cooking and baking easier than I could have imagined.  Before I get to each tool and just how they made things easier I would like to disclaim that I am not being paid for these reviews and received nothing in the way of free gifts.  These are just my honest opinions on tools I happened to be able to use over the holiday season.

That the first tool is a Kitchen-Aid Artisan stand mixer will probably come to no surprise to many home chefs.  A lot of people out there have already come to realize their value in the kitchen.  They are quick, durable and versatile tools which makes them extremely valuable to have.

There are certain cookies that I love to bake over the holidays, but I dread trying to mix the doughs because they are so stiff that my hand mixer often had a hard time keeping up.  My boyfriend, good guy that he is, decided to pick up a kitchen-aid mixer for us both one night on his way home from work.  It was like Christmas had come early!

It didn't take long for me to try it out.  And the cookie doughs that I used to struggle with were mixed in about two seconds flat.  And it was in that two seconds that I fell in love.  My boyfriend made bread dough in the mixer a few days later and was equally impressed. Then I knew that should my boyfriend and I ever part ways, there would be a fight over that mixer.  I would lose, since he bought it, but I would still put up a fight!

There are a lot of attachments out there for the Artisan, I'm not sure about the other Kitchen-Aid stand mixers, so I am recommending the Artisan specifically.  These attachments include items like a food mill, ice cream maker and pasta roller.  Though we have yet to get an attachment that doesn't come with it, we have several on our 'to buy' list.

The second tool I encountered as I cooked my through the holidays was a Cuisinart Pro food processor.  I have a rinky dink 4 cup Cuisinart food processor at home and I hate it.  I just end up grating or chopping by hand most times.  The only time I like it is when making pesto or if I need to make almond flour.  But my food processor is like the red-headed step-child compared to the Pro.

The Pro comes with discs that make slicing and grating a breeze.  We made this potato casserole and struggled with the mandolin so much that Mom went out and bought this little puppy on the spot.  I think we ended up making that casserole in about 20 minutes total, which is probably the same amount of time we spent trying to slice the first sweet potato on the mandolin.

It also comes with a dough blade which we used to make pizza dough on Christmas Eve.  It was my first homemade pizza and I was a little nervous about the dough.  This food processor mixed the dough to perfection in no time flat.  I even asked my Mom if she should though it was done because I just couldn't believe it was that easy!

I plotted all kinds of ways to steal that food processor from my Mom, but there was just no way it would fit in my suitcase with all of my Christmas loot. So I blew it a kiss good-bye and, I'm not ashamed to say, cried a little as I left it behind.  We will see each other again,  Cuisinart Pro... I promise.

I will in no way say that these two tools are necessary for home cooking.  Quite the opposite, they are indeed a luxury.  But, if you're going to spend your money on something to treat yourself, I highly recommend these two items.  They will make many things go so much more quickly and will enable you to do more with less time.

Virgin Voyages: Gnocchi and Parsnips

After picking up my CSA share one weekend I was faced with a dilemma that has become all too familiar in this winter wonderland of squash and root vegetables, how to cook something my boyfriend hates so that he'll eat it.  I've pretty much given up on squash, partially because I can't get enough of the stuff so I'm perfectly find commandeering it, but I can't eat everything on my own! 

I have to admit, I kind of like this challenge because it forces me to be creative where I otherwise might allow myself to be a little more lazy.  This particular week's challenge was parsnips, and though I had never had them, I could tell just by the smell that these would not be well received.  You see, my boyfriend hates cooked carrots.  And these parsnips smelled overpoweringly like carrots.  What to do, what to do.

Earlier in the week I had already determined that I would attempt to make gnocchi.  I'd never had it, and had always wanted to try it.  I really wanted to make a butternut squash gnocchi that sounded delicious, but since I knew I'd be in BIG trouble if I kept all the gnocchi to myself, I had decided that the normal potato stuff would be a good start.

As I was looking up recipes to try, I , of course, found one in How to Cook Everything that looked pretty good.  I also noticed that one of the variations allowed for the use of parsnips.  I pondered this for a bit. It was risky.  He could detest it and I would end up sacrificing my Valentine's Day gift for the next couple of years, but he could consider it passable too and I would kill two birds with one stone.  I decided to go for it.

For all of those out there intimidated by the thought of making gnocchi, it's actually kinda fun.  It does take a little patience when you boil them because you boil just a little at a time, but rolling out the dough reminded me of playing with Play-Doh when I was a kid, and it was Play-Doh you could eat! 

Everything went smoothly while making the gnocchi.  I made sure my mise en place was in order before I started, followed the instructions of the recipe closely and all went well.  I did avoid putting the 'dents' in the gnocchi as I really didn't see it necessary, but other than that I followed the recipe to a 'T'.

When dinner was ready, I didn't try to sneak anything by my boyfriend, I told him up front about the parsnips and he sportingly agreed to eat the gnocchi anyways.  I'm not going to say he loved the gnocchi, but after a few bites he looked up and said, "I can't really even taste the parsnips".  I don't know if it was just the flour that disguised the flavor of the parsnips or if it was the arugula pesto I made to go with it (which was fabulous by the way, also from How To Cook Everything), but I was ecstatic with that muted response.

I personally thought the meal was delicious and highly recommend the recipe.  It's great for a Sunday night dinner as it does take some time to prepare. By giving yourself time, you'll also be able to indulge your inner child as you roll out the dough.