Starfish Envy

And The Kitchen Sink

Let's change it up tonight and talk kitchen gadgets.

I'm one of those people who thinks they're going to cook, who wants to cook, who dreams of cooking, who buys cookbooks, who takes cooking classes...

And then never cooks.

Never.

But unlike my pantry, my kitchen is STOCKED.

Mortar and pestle?  Got it.

Mandolin?  Yep.

Random Middle Eastern tureen thingy?  Fourth shelf on the left.

You wanna cook pretty much anything, and you happen to be in my kitchen... you're probably good to go.  From a classic cast iron skillet to an absurdly expensive omelette pan, I've got you covered.

For reasons I can't even clearly explain, kitchen goodies make me happy.  Even though my pie plate just sits there, pieless, looking pretty, it still brings me joy.  And even though my KitchenAid stand mixer is still in a box in the garage... I know it's there, waiting for me.

Waiting for the day, whenever it comes, that I grab my apron (because of course, I have an apron) and put all these cooking dreams into action.

In the meantime, what's your favorite kitchen gadget/tool/pan/etc.?

And, more importantly, am I gonna need it when the time comes?

Enough Fertility Talk! Let's Talk Veggies.

For the last year or so, I've had most of my food made by the loveliest personal chef.  Her food is healthy and delicious, and she buys only organic fruits and veggies and grass fed meats and free-range poultry.

Y'know.  Exactly the way you and I would shop and cook and eat if we were totally on it and awesome.

Which you may be, but I am not.

However, since I've had a little extra time lately, I've been cooking for myself.  Which has been semi-successful.  As in, when I cook it's great... but I mostly just end up ordering Thai.  Or Indian.  

There may have been a pizza.

Bad, bad, and bad.  Consequently, I have now officially given up on my cooking-for-one plan, and today Laura started delivering again.  So last night I did a last-hurrah meal of halibut, brown rice, and brussels sprouts.  

The halibut and brown rice were unspectacular.  But the brussels sprouts?  

Now, a lot of people say they don't like brussels sprouts, and I don't blame them.  I used to be one of them.  However, my experience was mostly limited to childhood... and while my mother is good at many things, cooking is not one of them.  (Please don't tell her I said that.)

Then a friend served brussels sprouts at a dinner party, and of course you have to at least TRY everything when you're at someone else's house, so I did, and what do you know?  Perhaps I liked brussels sprouts after all!

Fast forward to last night, when I cracked open Seriously Simple, Easy Recipes for Creative Cooks, by Diane Rossen Worthington.  It's probably copyright infringement to actually transcribe the recipe, so I'll just tell you this:  cut those puppies in half, stick 'em flat-side down in a pan with a little butter and olive oil, let 'em brown, turn 'em over, sprinkle 'em with half a teaspoon of sugar, pour in a little chicken or veggie broth, salt and pepper to taste, cover 'em a minute or two, uncover and let the glaze cook down, shake 'em in the pan to make sure they're fully glazed.  Serve.   

And now you like brussels sprouts.

Congratulations.

One Of Those Days...

You know how some days are just GREAT days?

Well, today was one.  

I'm not sure why.  Nothing special happened.  I didn't do anything exciting or see anyone fabulous.

I talked to my life coach, went on a hike with my trainer, took more stuff to Goodwill, dropped Moose off for physical therapy, and then took myself to lunch at Home, one of my favorite local restaurants.  Home has great outside booths, and amazing BLTs, and I had one while I read a book on World War II.

See?  Nothing special.  Just the usual stuff...

... although it is particularly gorgeous here in L.A. right now.  Seventy degrees, sunny, with a nice breeze.  Really couldn't be more perfect.

So after lunch I came home and meditated on how open and excited I am do IVF (woo hoo!)... which turned into a little bit of a nap.  Then I did more research, and talked to WP on the phone for awhile. 

Still... nothing special.  (I mean, WP's great and all, but we talk a lot.)

Although it was lovely to keep my new living room door open and run my new ceiling fan and feel the breeze and listen to music...

Could it just be that I'm relaxed?  For the first time in... I dunno.  A year?

Maybe that's it.

I'm relaxed.  

Huh.

I like it. 

I especially like that I cooked dinner tonight-- one of the best dinners I've had in ages.  Definitely one of the best I've cooked.  Ever.

The picture's terrible, but it's salmon plaki with lemon potatoes, and grilled asparagus with a sprinkle of parmesan.  (If you're interested, I got the recipe from L.A.'s Original Farmer's Market Cookbook, which I bought last week when I was at Barnes and Noble waiting for my car to be serviced.)

I always make too much, so I couldn't eat it all... but what I did eat was crazy delicious.

A perfect capper for a bizarrely perfect day.

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Have you had a perfect day lately?

Eggs On Toast... Timeless

I loved being in Canada last week (which is a good thing, because I'm going back soon, and I'll be there for AWHILE), but I seriously missed my daily breakfast ritual.

Which is less a ritual than just a particular food I have... Every. Single.  Day.

That food?  Oatmeal.

I missed my oatmeal, okay?

Consequently, breakfast has been much on my mind of late.  So tonight, we're going to visit the "Dainty Breakfast Dishes, Toasts and Mushes" section of the "Woman's Exchange Cook Book." 

We haven't dropped in on the cookbook lately, so for anyone who's new here... the "Woman's Exchange Cook Book" is a self-titled American Culinary Encyclopedia that was published in the late 1800's.  My great-grandmother wrote a treasure-trove of recipes in the back pages, but the rest of the book is a gold-mine as well.  Every time I (very carefully) open those pages, I'm reminded of a completely different time... a time that is often referred to as simpler.  Although when I read my great-grandmother's book, I'm not sure simpler is the right word at all... 

The word that usually comes into my mind is harder.  A lot harder.  

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Buttered Toast: Although toast is commonly used, few know how to prepare it nicely.  Take bread not too fresh, cut thin and evenly, trim off the crust edges for the crumb jar; first warm each side of the bread, then present the first side again to the fire until it takes on a rich, even, brown color; treat the other side in the same way; butter and serve immediately.  The coals should be bright and hot.  Toast properly made is very digestible, because all the moisture is extracted, and the bread has become pure farina of wheat; but when it is exposed to a hot fire and the outside charred, the inside remains as moist as ever, and butter applied to it while warm does not penetrate, but floats on the surface in the form of rancid oil.  Or, beat 1 cup of butter and 3 tablespoons flour to a cream, pour over this one and a half pints of boiling water; place over a kettle of boiling  water for ten minutes, dip into the toast and serve hot.

Or, dip each slice of toast in boiling hot water (slightly salted), spread with butter, cover and keep hot.

Breakfast toast: Mix 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar, a little salt, and a well-beaten egg, in one-half pint of milk.  In this mixture dip slices of bread and fry them on a buttered griddle until they are light brown on each side.

Reed Birds On Toast: In selecting birds, be sure and get those that have not long been too long killed; clean thoroughly and place on a broiler.  Brush over them a little melted butter and broil thoroughly.  Melt a generous lump of butter, season it with salt and pepper, and pour this over each bird that has been previously placed on slices of toast.

Oatmeal: Two cupfuls of oatmeal, 1 teaspoonful of salt, 8 cupfuls of boiling water.  Put in a basin and stir well, set in a steamer and cook one and a half hours.  A double boiler may be used to cook it in, or a pail set in a kettle of boiling water.  And if great care is used, it is possible to cook in a stewpan on the stove.  Steam cooked, or rolled oats may be cooked in much less time.  If rolled oats, the quantity mentioned will cook during the time given for boiling the potatoes for breakfast.  Serve with fruit, sugar, cream, butter, or any plain pudding sauce.  If steamed, part milk may be used in cooking.

Oatmeal Mush Fried: The mush to fry should be stiff and dry.  Mould in a deep dish, cut in slices and fry in butter and lard, equal parts.

Scrambled Eggs on Toast: For 1 egg allow 3 tablespoonfuls boiling water, a little salt and a bit of butter the size of a hazelnut.  Stir rapidly from the moment the egg is dropped into the water until the mixture is of the consistency of cold, thick cream, but to not allow it to whey.  Have ready slices of moist, buttered toast; put the eggs on the toast and serve.

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Anybody else hungry?

 

On The Third Day Of Thankful... Laurie and Laura

On Monday, I was thankful for one of the important Lauras in my life.  Today (and every day, really) I'm thankful for the other two!

Laurie March is a project manager and designer.  She's currently over-seeing my remodel, and I've mentioned her here many, many times.  

BECAUSE SHE IS AWESOME.

She has great taste, she understands my taste, she keeps things moving, she finds amazing people to work with, she calms me down when I'm freaking out, she's budget-conscious, she's accessible, she's super hard-working, she's committed, she's funny, she's smart, she's cool.

In other words, AWESOME.

I would never have gotten this remodel off the ground without her, and if I had managed to get it off the ground it would have cost me A LOT more and the process would have been significantly more stressful.  

I have seldom felt more fortunate to have a person enter my life, and at exactly the right time.

(So let me take a second here to thank my friend Alison, who worked with Laurie on a kitchen remodel, for passing on her number!)

Then there's Laura-the-chef.  (I'd use her full name, but I never have before, and I didn't think to clear it with her in advance.) 

Twice a week, Laura brings fresh, healthy, incredibly yummy meals to my house.  She happily cooks with an eye toward my particular fertility-friendly diet.  She shops at farmer's markets, she's extremely finicky about where and from whom she buys meats, and I've never known anyone who had such a way with a chicken breast.       

For months, the people I work with have been jealous of my lunches-- so much so, that two have them have now hired her to cook for them, too.  

She's also just a generally lovely human being, and the food she cooks is infused with genuine care.

So, Laurie and Laura, today I'm extra thankful for you.  XO, S.

Kitchen Sink Time Machine

Since I've just overhauled my laundry room (pictures coming soon), now seems like a good time to share the "Kitchen and Laundry" section of the Woman's Exchange Cook Book.  

I'm always astonished by how different and yet how bizarrely similar things were a hundred years ago, and this week is no exception:

 

KITCHEN AND LAUNDRY.

The following list will show what articles are necessary for the kitchen and laundry, and will be an aid to young housekeepers:

One apple corer.

One lemon squeezer.

One meat cleaver.

Three kitchen knives and forks.

One large kitchen fork and 4 kitchen spoons, two sizes.

One wooden spoon for cake making.

One large bread knife.

One griddle cake turner, also 1 griddle.

One potato masher.

One meat board.

One meat saw.

Two large earthen bowls.

Four stone jars.

One candlestick.

Two market baskets, two sizes.

One clock.

One ash bucket.

One gridiron.

Two frying pans or spiders, two sizes.

Four flatirons, two number 8, and two number 6.

Two dripping pans, two sizes.

Three iron kettles, porcelain lined if possible.

One tea kettle.

Two granite ware stew pans, two sizes.

One wire toaster.

One double kettle for cooking custards, grains, etc.

Two sugar boxes, one for coarse and one for fine sugar.

One waffle iron.

One step ladder.

One stove, one coal shovel.

One pair of scales.

One coal hod.

One kitchen table, two kitchen chairs.

One large clothes basket.

One wash boiler, one wash board.

Eight dozen clothes pins.

One large nail hammer, and one small tack hammer.

One bean pot.

One clothes wringer.

Two sweeping brooms and one dust pan; one whisk broom.

One bread box.

One cake box.

One large box or barrel.

One dredging box.

One large sized tin pepper box.

One spice box containing smaller spice boxes.

Two cake pans, two sizes.

Four bread pans.

Two square biscuit pans.

One large tin pail, and one wooden pail.

Two small tin pails.

One set on tin basins.

One set of tin measures.

One wooden butter ladle.

One tin skimmer.

One tin steamer.

Two dippers, two sizes.

Two funnels, two sizes.

One set of jelly cake tins.

Four pie pans.

Two pudding moulds, one for boiling, one for baking.

Two dish pans, two sizes.

One cake or biscuit cutter.

Two graters, one large and one small.

One coffee canister.

One tea canister.

One tin or granite ware tea pot.

One tin or granite ware coffee pot.

Two milk pans, and one milk strainer.

One dozen iron gem pans or muffin rings.

One gravy strainer.

One colander.

One flour sifter.

Two scoops, one for flour, one for sugar.

Two jelly moulds, two sizes.

One can opener, one egg beater.

One cork screw.

One chopping knife.

One wooden chopping bowl.

An ingenious housewife will manage to do with less, but these articles, if they can be purchased at the commencement of housekeeping, will save time and labor, making the preparation of food easier.  It is always economy in the end to get the best material in all wares,-- as, for instance, the double plate tin will last for years, whereas, the poor kind has to be replaced; the low priced earthenware is soon broken, whereas, strong stone ware lasts almost a lifetime.

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Excessive commas aside, that last paragraph is wisdom of the ages, indeed.  (Plus, it makes me feel SO much better about all the cash I've doled out lately at Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma.  Egads.)  

At Least You've Got Your Health

Tonight I'm going to share some Health Suggestions from the Woman's Exchange Cook Book.  

Because you never know when you're going to get a bilious headache.

Or worms.  

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WORMS.

A child may frequently be relieved from worms by the administering of an injection.  A little cinna is the principal remedy.  It can be given in homeopathic doses prescribed by a physician, to great advantage.

FOR A COLD IN THE HEAD.

Camphor is the best remedy for the first symptoms.  If there is nothing convenient but the ordinary spirits of camphor, put one or two drops upon a lump of sugar and dissolve the sugar in a tumbler half full of water, and give a teaspoonful every two hours.

TEETHING.

The period of teething is one fraught with considerable danger to the infant.  Teeth-cutting generally begins between the ages of five and seven months.  It is indicated by redness, heat, and tenderness of the gums.  Sometimes there is fever, fretfulness, disturbed sleep.  More frequent discharges from the bowels.  

General Treatment.  When the gums are hot and swollen, and especially if there is determination of blood to the head, with twitching of the muscles, the gum should be lanced immediately over the tooth; this will generally relieve the symptoms.  The child may be allowed to bite upon some hard substance, as an ivory ring.

Aconite may be given when there is much fever, with restlessness and pain; the child cries and starts.

TO CURE TOOTHACHE.

The worst toothache, or neuralgia coming from the teeth, may be speedily and delightfully ended by the application of a bit of clean cotton, saturated in a solution of ammonia, to the defective tooth.  Sometimes the late sufferer is prompted to momentary laughter by the application, but the pain will disappear.

CURE FOR RHEUMATISM AND BILIOUS HEADACHE.

Finest turkey rhubarb, half an ounce; carbonate magnesia, one ounce; mix intimately; keep well corked in a glass bottle.  Dose: One teaspoonful, in milk and sugar, the first thing in the morning; repeat till cured.  Tried with success.  

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How did anyone survive the early nineteen hundreds?  Seriously?  Lance your baby's gums?  What?  No!  No lancing!

Although, I kinda love the laughter-inducing toothache cure.

Crack For Cooks

Guess what I did this weekend?

(Aside from laundry.  I did six loads of that.  It was AWESOME.)

I took a cooking class at Sur La Table!  

For those who aren't familiar with SLT (which, I now realize is an abbreviation perilously close to slut), it's a store for cooks of all shapes and sizes and levels of expertise (or non-expertise).  It's basically crack for anyone who likes cooking.  Or pretty things.  Or gadgets.  

What I'm saying, is: it's heaven.

And for my birthday, my dad and step-mom got me a three hour cooking class called "Special Occasion Brunch."

In the class, I learned to make a perfect French omelet.  (Didn't actually do it myself yet, but I bought the pan for it, so I'm sure mine will be just as perfect as the one done in the class.  Totally.)  And hollandaise sauce from scratch.  And an insanely yummy mushroom quiche.  And jalapeno butter for corn muffins.  And french toast like you can't even imagine.  And strawberry jam.  And PIE CRUST!!!

Who isn't on a constant search for the perfect pie crust?  

Well, me, now.  Search over.

It was an absolutely blissful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  I'll be going back in a few weeks for a knife skills class.  

Which reminds me.  When I emailed my assistant to put the new class on the calendar, this is what she emailed back:

"So I'm guessing you had fun at your cooking class?

That, or you're training to be an assassin."

Hmmmm...  

Dad?  Anna?  Assassin class next birthday?

Gems From My Great-Grandma Pearl

So I was flipping through my Woman's Exchange Cook Book tonight-- and keep in mind that by flipping I mean very gingerly turning one fragile page at a time-- and I discovered a section of recipes written into the book by my great-grandmother.  

Now, I loved my great-grandmother, but she was a cranky old lady who liked my father more than my aunt and uncle, and who consequently liked me more than my cousins. She frequently carried folded five dollars bills in her socks to slip to me secretly when no one was looking, while making it clear that I was the only recipient of her largesse.

She spent most of her life in a house with no indoor plumbing, she liked a little nip of bourbon now and then, and she was one hell of a baker.

So the discovery of some of her early-1900 recipes is rather exciting.  I am, of course, compelled to share.

Here's one simply called "Good Bread:"   

2 cups sour milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup n.d. molasses

pinch salt

1 tablespoon shortening

2 teaspoon soda

2 cups roman meal

2 cups graham flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

Bake 1 hour. 

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Here's another called "Plain Cake:"

Mix together

1 cup sifted flour

1 scant cup sugar

1 large teaspoon B.P.

Put in a cup 2 tablespoons soft butter, two eggs.  

Fill cup with milk and beat all together.  

Bake in shallow pans.

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She wasn't exactly into details, was she?  Yikes.  If anyone's gutsy enough to try either of these recipes, lemme know how it goes, will ya?

Put All Your Eggs In One Barrel

Since my life seems to revolve around eggs these days, eggs will be the subject of this week's post from the Woman's Exchange Cook Book.  

(In case there are any new readers who don't know what the Woman's Exchange Cook Book is... it's a book I inherited from my great-grandmother.  Published in 1901, it is the key to all things fine and elegant.  If you happened to live in 1901.)

So, here we go.  

EGGS.

There are many ways of cooking and dressing eggs, and there is no more wholesome article of food when properly prepared.  To ascertain the freshness of an egg without breaking it, hold it before a strong light, or toward the sun, and if the yolk appears round, and the white surrounding it clear, the chances are it is good.

Or, put them in a bucket of water; the fresh ones will sink immediately, those that float are doubtful.  The shell of a fresh egg looks dull and porous.

TO PRESERVE EGGS.

All it is necessary to do to keep eggs from August until spring is to procure small, clean wooden or tin vessels, holding from ten to twenty gallons, and a barrel, more or less, of common, fine-ground land plaster.  Begin by putting on the bottom of the vessel two or three inches of plaster, and then, having fresh eggs, with the yolks unbroken, set them up, small end down, close to each other but not crowding, and make the first layer.  Then add more plaster and enough so the eggs will stand upright, and set up the second layer; then another deposit of plaster, followed by a layer of eggs, till the vessel is full, and finish by covering the top layer with plaster.

TO PRESERVE EGGS NO. 2.

Put a layer of coarse salt in the bottom of box or stone jar, then the eggs small end down-- then a layer of salt, then eggs-- until the jar is full, making salt the last layer.

BOILED EGGS

There are two ways of preparing boiled eggs.  One is considerably more healthful than the other, but as it takes longer time is not frequently resorted to.  Is excellent for invalids.  The following is the method:  Place boiling water in a granite kettle, set on back of the range where it will keep hot, but not boil.  Put into it carefully as many eggs as needed, and let stand ten minutes; all becomes cooked, but not hard.  The other method is to place the eggs into boiling water.  For those who like eggs lightly boiled, three to four minutes will be found sufficient; three to four minutes will be ample time to set the whites nicely, and if like hard, six or seven minutes will not be found too long.

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There you go, Christi.  More stuff for invalids!