Kitchen disaster!

This evening, I was being a very responsible wife, cleaning the dishes while the stuffed eggplant was in the oven, and I discovered this disaster:

Ack!  Look at what is happening to my favorite, most beautiful Le Creuset braiser! 


The enamel is disintegrating.  Before I used it tonight, it was fine.  The suface was smooth and beautiful.  What happened?!?  This is horrible!


We sat down to eat dinner (the eggplant looked sooo good), and gingerly chewed away.  I picked out one piece of enamel from mine.  Joe had to spit out two mouthfuls because things were a little...crunchy.


After dinner, I immediately pulled up the Le Creuset website, as well as a google search for others to whom this happened.  The good news is, Le Creuset will likely fix or replace it.  I sent them an email, begging for help.


Stay tuned for more details as the drama unfolds...

Sunday soup: Ribollita (Minestrone)

Today's Sunday soup was shared with my cousins, Matt and Andrea, who came to Madison with their two little ones for a Sunday visit.

Photo credit: http://www.weareneverfull.com/ribollita-how-come-peasant-food-tastes-so-good/

Ribollita

Servings: 6 (I pretty much doubled the batch since we had visitors, and always like to have leftovers for the week)

1 c. dried cannellini or great northern beans
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium leek, chopped (white and light green parts, only)
1/2 c. diced carrot (I omitted this due to my hatred for all things carrot)
1/2 c diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced (plus one, whole, for the garlic bread)
One 14 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes (include juices)
1/4 head of cabbage, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
8 oz fingerling potatoes (a large handful), (you can use another kind of potato as well, such as one medium russet), diced/sliced.
8 oz. kale, or a few big leaves, chopped

Rinse and sort through the beans, removing any pebbles or debris.  Put beans in a large bowl; cover with about 3 c. boiling water and let soak for 1 hour.  Drain the beans into a colander and reserve.

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot (such as a dutch oven) over medium-high heat; saute the onion, leek, carrot and celery until just softened.  Add the garlic and saute for another minute or so.

Add 8 c. water, beans, tomatoes, cabbage, and salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for about an hour (I did longer on a low setting, since we were playing at the park)

Add potatoes and kale.  Simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender; about 20-25 more minutes. Season with salt if needed. The soup can be cooled and refrigerated for later at this point (but I bet you won't be able to resist a bowl!)

Lightly toast a few slices of bread (make your own!).  Cut a clove of garlic in half and rub on the toast.  Butter if desired.  Serve with the soup.  ENJOY!

Bella and Matt tree climbing at the park

Chunky baby Joey in his cozies

Fresh-baked bread

As one of my many efforts to reduce the grocery bill (now that Joe is in school and we are on a slightly stricter budget), I've been baking all of our bread at home.  I've tried several recipes, and I have found one that seems to be easy and quite successful.

The recipe is credited to Mark Bittman (my favorite), from his How To Cook Everything.

4 c. all purpose flour (can do up to 2 c. whole wheat flour, or 1 c. of another grain flour)
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. yeast
2 to 2 1/2 c. warmish water
2 tbsp olive oil (optional)

Combine flour, salt, yeast, and water in a large bowl (or, in my case, a large plastic tub with lid). Stir, or use your hands to combine.  You should have a sticky, shaggy dough - it shouldn't be dry.  If it is, add a little extra water (this is where the variance in the amount of water comes in.  I usually find that I need about 2 1/2 c water). Cover loosely with plastic wrap, or if you are using a lidded container, put the lid on without sealing it.  Place on a high shelf overnight.

After 12-18 hours, flour a dry work surface.  Remove the dough from the bowl or tub and place it on the work surface.  Fold over a couple of times to form a ball, but don't work it too much.  You can also coat it in olive oil here (this is where the oil comes in). I haven't skipped this step yet, but I believe the function here is to get that nice, golden crust. Cover again with plastic wrap and let sit for at least a half hour (up to 2 hours).

Meanwhile, place a covered pot in the oven and preheat to 425 F.  I usually use my Le Creuset Dutch (French?) oven here, but you can use anything here that is oven-proof and has a lid.  If you don't have anything like this, I think you can simply use a baking sheet, but put an oven safe container with a bunch of ice cubes in the oven when you put the bread in.  The preheated pot acts like an "oven within an oven" and serves to trap the moisture released by the dough as it bakes.  This is how you get your pretty crust. The pot should preheat for at least half an hour.

Carefully remove the pot from the oven and dump your dough into the pot. Replace the lid and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the lid (it will look really pretty at this point!) and bake for an additional 20 minutes.  I sometimes find that the bread starts to smell scorched, and Mark Bittman says to turn the oven temperature down a bit (I've been successful with 400 F).  

Remove the bread and place it on a cooling rack for a bit before you try to cut it.  Admire your handiwork, and marvel at the fact that the bakery at the supermarket would have charged you $4 for this work of art!

The photo shows our favorite variation: replacing 1 c. of the flour with 1 c. flaxseed meal. Nummmm....

Sunday soup: Chicken and Corn Chowder

Happy Sunday, everyone!

I've always enjoyed soup for dinner on Sunday.  This is something my dad regularly did during the fall/winter when I was growing up, and I've continued the tradition in some capacity since college.  Of course, college life does not really promote spending hours in the kitchen on a Sunday afternoon, and SoCal weather doesn't make soup all that appealing.  But, Fall has, um, fallen, and Madison is getting a little chillier. My goal is to continue the weekly tradition in order to provide something comforting and nourishing as the weekend draws to a close and Joe works diligently on his schoolwork for the week.


Today's Sunday Soup: Chicken and Corn Chowder

The recipe is an adapted version of one from Sunday Soup by Betty Rosbottom.  Give it a try!

4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped to a 1/2 in. dice

3 cobs fresh corn, removed from cob

2 c. chicken stock, divided

6 slices bacon, chopped to 1/4 in. pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 c. half and half (or, in my case, 1/2 c. cream and 1 c lowfat soymilk, because that's what I had)

Kosher salt

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, diced 

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp cumin

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Vegetable oil for cooking chicken

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, salt it, and add the potatoes.  Cook for about 10 min until they are just tender when pierced with a knife.  Drain and set aside.

Puree half of the corn with 1 c. chicken stock, set aside.

In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, saute the bacon until crisp.  Set aside on paper towels, then pour off all but about 1 tbsp of the drippings.  Add the onion and remaining corn and saute, stirring, until the onions are soft and the corn begins to brown lightly (about 5 to 6 minutes).

Stir in the remaining 1 c. chicken stock and the pureed corn mixture.  Reduce heat to a simmer at cook for 10 min.  Add the potatoes, bacon (reserving some for a garnish), and half and half and cook for another few minutes.  I actually added another 2 c of water here to thin out the broth a bit.  Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and season with salt to taste. 

Pat the chicken dry, then throw them in a gallon ziploc bag with the spices. Toss to coat.  In a separate skillet, heat a little oil, then saute the chicken.  Add the chicken to the soup. Simmer for a few minutes, then add about 1/2 of the cilantro. Skim off some of the oil that comes to the top, if you prefer.

Serve with a bit more cilantro and a bit more bacon to garnish.  Enjoy!

Potato Leek soup and a nasty cold...

After starting a new job where a nasty throat bug was going around,  I naturally developed the bug myself. So today, instead of going to a picnic and show at an outdoor amphitheater with the business school as planned, I am at home, making a pot of Potato Leek Soup.

I developed the recipe loosely based on one from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.  This basically doubles his recipe size and I added some ingredients to make it more interesting.

Potato Leek Soup

6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 leeks, carefully rinsed and chopped (use only the white and light green portions)
4 slices bacon, chopped
salt and pepper
a few sprigs of fresh or dried thyme
8 cups chicken stock

- In a large saucepan or dutch oven, cook the bacon until very crispy.  Remove the bacon and place on a paper towel to drain. Leave the fat in the pan.
- Saute the leeks until they begin to caramelize.  Add the thyme leaves.
- Add the potatoes and cook for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the stock. Adjust the temperature so that the liquid gently bubbles.  Stir occasionally until the potatoes are cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- Transfer the soup to a blender, working in batches.  Be sure to put the lid on tightly!  Puree the soup.  I left a few chunks of potato intact.  Gives it a little texture and leaves a little rusticity.
- Top with crumbled bacon, and whatever else inspires you.  We got a bottle of black truffle infused oil, so I'll be dribbling a bit of this on top when I serve it.  Other ideas are parmesan cheese, croutons, chives, etc. Serve with crusty bread.

Back to school!

...For Joe, that is.

Today is his first day of classes (weird, I know, since there is only really today before the long weekend).  We spent yesterday evening purchasing school supplies and assembling binders for all of his classes.  I busted out my brand new label maker (!) and printed out some fancy labels for each binder; I know, it's dorky, but it's a new label maker!  and they look so snazzy!

Meanwhile, I am getting ready to start my new job as a Child and Family Specialist at a nearby mental health clinic on Tuesday.  That means that I have organized my closet and identified a few things I need to, let's say, freshen up before I start.  It's been a loooong time since I've replaced some of my work clothes, and they are getting a little ratty.  I am also getting my hair cut in a little while, so I should be ready to go on my first day back to school - I mean, work.

Wish us luck with our new endeavors, and with our plans to stay organized, thrifty, healthy, and happy in the process!

Living room - Done!

I'm particularly proud of this room.

Paint color: Rhythmic Blue by Behr in an Eggshell finish.  

What I've done in here:
 - painted
 - SCRUBBED the windows, sills, storms, and screens
 - repaired a few dings and scratches in the furniture
 - hung the art and candle sconces
 - designed and hung the art arrangement

Things I plan to do:
 - replace the window blinds (landlord is footing this bill next month, yea!)
 - fill the wine bar :)
 - spray paint the little birdcage on top of the bookcase (this was used as a receptacle for cards, etc. at our wedding)
 - Add a plant or two to bring some life into the room
 - replace the candles on the sconces (I'm thinking orange)

I'd love to hear your feedback and suggestions for further projects, as always!