my evening of cooking not-so-dangerously
I just finished reading Julie & Julia Project: my year of cooking dangerously, and, well, let's just say I freakin' loved it. I must admit, a book about a young, witty gal cooking in a cramped apt in NYC sounds almost as good as a book about a young, witty gal working in the lower eschelons of publishing in London. But wait, there's more! Page 9, "I got off the subway, after what seemed like years . . . at the corner of Bay Ridge and 4th Ave." umm, my stop! Page 16, "this is before we got priced out of Park Slope" hello! me too " . . . I'd sewn stockings out of felt, his red with white trim." Sadly for TS, this also fits his homely stocking.
The book goes on to not exactly be my life, but there are other semi- coinincidences. She works at a boring government job, shoping in Chinatown before heading home. While not a government job have I, I wouldnt exactly saying switching people from Focus Dailies to Acuvue Moist is thrilling, and well, the C-town part is probably self-explanitory.
Anyway, the book is about a blogger who cooked all the recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year, with no previous cooking instruction etc.
I like to cook, and, well, used to, untill I started regularly arriving home after 7:30pm every night. But today, I decided to cook something more difficult than a Trader Joe's dinner, and more oldschool than Cooking Light's Gridiron "grub". I ended up trying to make my mom's recipe for Chicken pot Pie*, which it must be said, is really more of a chicken and dumplins than a Stoffer's little pie with chicken and peas.
It turned out ok. I had to try a couple times to get the cornstarch and water mix to thicken the chicken broth, and not just suddenly cook into a little cornstarch pancake, but the effort of skining and de-boning half a bird was worth it, if only for the aroma. Totally took me back. I think TS most liked the appitizer . . . in honor of the game, a cheese ball shaped and designed to look like a football**. But the
finale, which is actually for Grammie K, turned out swimmingly.
I occationally make "low sugar" treats for her, torturing delicious dessert recipes with Splenda and egg whites and even applesauce. Up tonight was an apricot walnut bar/torte, and I am impressed to say that it turned out with a damn crispy/flaky crust and no acidic splenda aftertaste. Best of all, nothing stuck to the pan! I used a silicone baking pan for the first time, and boy, these things are awesome! Usually there is at least some burnt sugar crusted in a corner or something, but not this time! I mean the 10" square lifted right out, all, freakin' together!
I realize that nothing had to be flambed and certainly there was no aspic involved*** in the dinner tonight, but it was a dinner accomplished.
I definitly recommend Julie and Julia**** to anyone who is a fan of either freaking out chick lit, or culinary adventures.
*somehow TS has never had this before
** sadly, forgot to photo
***as apparently many French recipes involve this jello-esque substance made by boiling calves feet
**** check out her original blog here
The book goes on to not exactly be my life, but there are other semi- coinincidences. She works at a boring government job, shoping in Chinatown before heading home. While not a government job have I, I wouldnt exactly saying switching people from Focus Dailies to Acuvue Moist is thrilling, and well, the C-town part is probably self-explanitory.
Anyway, the book is about a blogger who cooked all the recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year, with no previous cooking instruction etc.
I like to cook, and, well, used to, untill I started regularly arriving home after 7:30pm every night. But today, I decided to cook something more difficult than a Trader Joe's dinner, and more oldschool than Cooking Light's Gridiron "grub". I ended up trying to make my mom's recipe for Chicken pot Pie*, which it must be said, is really more of a chicken and dumplins than a Stoffer's little pie with chicken and peas.
It turned out ok. I had to try a couple times to get the cornstarch and water mix to thicken the chicken broth, and not just suddenly cook into a little cornstarch pancake, but the effort of skining and de-boning half a bird was worth it, if only for the aroma. Totally took me back. I think TS most liked the appitizer . . . in honor of the game, a cheese ball shaped and designed to look like a football**. But the
finale, which is actually for Grammie K, turned out swimmingly.I occationally make "low sugar" treats for her, torturing delicious dessert recipes with Splenda and egg whites and even applesauce. Up tonight was an apricot walnut bar/torte, and I am impressed to say that it turned out with a damn crispy/flaky crust and no acidic splenda aftertaste. Best of all, nothing stuck to the pan! I used a silicone baking pan for the first time, and boy, these things are awesome! Usually there is at least some burnt sugar crusted in a corner or something, but not this time! I mean the 10" square lifted right out, all, freakin' together!
I realize that nothing had to be flambed and certainly there was no aspic involved*** in the dinner tonight, but it was a dinner accomplished.
I definitly recommend Julie and Julia**** to anyone who is a fan of either freaking out chick lit, or culinary adventures.
*somehow TS has never had this before
** sadly, forgot to photo
***as apparently many French recipes involve this jello-esque substance made by boiling calves feet
**** check out her original blog here
posted by gordian knot @ Sunday, February 04, 2007
1 Comments:
this book sounds right up my alley. ill put it on my summer reading list.
Corina
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