03
Foodie Friday: No-Fail Brussels Sprouts
Winter is almost here, which means it’s the best time for Brussels sprouts!
Yay!!!
Uh…hello? Anyone else with me???
Hey, I was like any other kid growing up – I would push those Brussels sprouts away. I personally believe that boiled and steamed Brussels sprouts are terrible, yet they remain the most popular cooking method.
WHY?!?
The main problem with boiling and steaming Brussels sprouts is that they can easily overcook, which releases a horrible sulfur smell. Not appetizing. So, let me tell you the way that I love to cook those beautiful little cabbages – roast, roast, roast. And for extra flavor and a sure-bet method to get the kids to eat them, add bacon or toasted almonds. I make roasted Brussels sprouts at least once a week. I’m telling you, if you try this recipe out on your family, they will be begging for more.
I love buying the Brussels sprouts still intact on their stem (like this). I occasionally see them at places like Trader Joe’s, but your local farmers market might be your best bet. It’s really fun for kids to pick them off the stem. Actually, I really enjoy it, too. It’s almost as fun as popping bubble wrap. If you don’t find Brussels sprouts on the stem, just pick them out yourself. Look for bright green sprouts with no blemishes and squeeze them to make sure they are firm and compact.
Once you cleaned your Brussels sprouts, halve them with a sharp knife. Watch your fingers!
I know you know what cubed bacon looks like, but I just need to point out one thing: I use my vegetable cutting board for bacon because bacon is considered a vegetable in my home. (continues…)
26
Foodie Friday: Thanksgiving ’09 – The Verdict
WIN!
I don’t usually gloat about my cooking. In all honesty, I fail just as many times as I succeed. But, thanks to Chef Ryan (my guest chef for Foodie Friday last week), my Turkey Day was a hit!
My immediate family is spread out far and wide, from Hawaii to Boston to Afghanistan. Needless to say, we miss quite a few holidays with everyone. But, fortunately this year, I was able to have a wonderful Thanksgiving with my mom, my mother-in-law, the Dude, and the Monkey. It might have been small, but it was lovely. For that, I am thankful.
I ate so much that I didn’t even leave room for dessert. That’s a first! But we’ve got leftovers for days. Weeks even. I may even have to extend Foodie Friday over the weekend to discuss some great tips for all those Turkey Day leftovers.
Hope everyone had a great holiday, even if you couldn’t be with everyone you love.
Thanksgiving at Ain’t Yo Mama’s House (click on pics to expand):
My tablescape, complete with felted fall produce created by my mother-in-law. How cute are they? I wish I was that crafty.
Another view of my tablescape, including the pumpkin pie I didn’t touch. I’ll get you tomorrow, pie.
Right out of the oven! This 15lb locally grown, all-natural, and fresh turkey cooked in only 1.5 hours. It was brined for 2 days and then coated with a sage, paprika, and brown sugar butter rub. It was perfect. (continues…)
19
Guest Post: Foodie Friday Special Edition — This Ain’t Yo Mama’s Turkey!
Chef Ryan to the rescue!
My Special Guest Chef, Ryan Gromfin, trained at and graduated from Johnson & Wales Culinary School and has been a professional chef for over 12 years. Chef Ryan has worked at a number of 5 star hotels and restaurants, including the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas and the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. After years of working in fine dining establishments, Ryan is now applying his culinary expertise and experience to restaurant development and operations in the Central Coast area of California.
The Best Thanksgiving Turkey…EVER!
First of all, I wish people would cook turkey more often than just on Thanksgiving. If you choose to prepare your turkey using my method you will see that you don’t need to cook your bird for 8 hours, taking up the entire oven, and basting it every 20 minutes. It also doesn’t need to take up all the room in your fridge for 3 days. I gave up cooking whole turkeys many years ago because I hate dried out white meat that needs cranberries and gravy just so you can swallow it. I also decided a few years back that, as much as I love cooking Thanksgiving, I also enjoy spending the time with my family rather than only in the kitchen. Along with everything else included in my Thanksgiving menu, my turkey is prepared a day or two before, and only needs about 2 hours to cook. The trick is cooking the legs/thighs separately from the breast. This turkey carves easily, presents beautifully, tastes amazing, and guarantees success.
One Week Before Turkey Day: Unless you insist for other reasons, flavor doesn’t require that you buy an heirloom or organic turkey for $4.00/lb. But nor should you use one of those free turkeys you get for spending $100 at the grocery store. Order a fresh turkey from your butcher a week before Thanksgiving. It can have been previously frozen, but just make sure it has not been brined or has had any added water. If you’re not experienced in butchering birds, ask your butcher to separate the leg/thigh quarter from the breast and remove the rib cage from the double breast. Make sure to leave the bones in and skin on. Also, make sure the butcher saves the neck bone and rib cage (cut in 4 pieces). He can keep the liver, heart, and other trimmings. (continues…)
13
Foodie Friday: There’s Something About Ina
The Fabulous Barefoot Contessa
Foodie Friday is my newest weekly series about all things food. What does food have to do with a parenting blog? Everything. Other than love and shelter, children rely on us to nourish them well and help them grow healthy and strong. Food fuels the body and feeds the soul. I love cooking almost as much as I love eating. I will be sharing my own family recipes as well as advice and recipes from professional chefs. Foodie Friday won’t just be about recipes. I’ll be discussing other aspects of food, such as sociopolitical issues related to food and American food culture, in general. As I dish about dishes and feed your mind, I hope you work up an appetite for some good eats!
To get this Foodie Friday started, I need to discuss my most important icon for all things foodie and fabulous. I’m talking about none other than The Barefoot Contessa.
Ina Garten is the Barefoot Contessa and if you’re not familiar with her, please set your DVR to the Barefoot Contessa program on Food Network. What I love most about Ina’s cooking style is that it’s simple and elegant. Sure, her recipes tend to lean in the hearty (read: fattening) comfort zone, but she can also whip up delicious recipes that are very healthy and lean. Her lemon and garlic roast chicken (minus the butter and bacon) has become a weekly staple in my house. I found myself watching her program years ago and I became fixated on her approach and cooking demeanor. She also has this soothing and reassuring voice, as if to say, of course you can cook that! Some people take issue with her suggestions for “good” products only, such as “good” olive oil or “good” salt, which I take to mean expensive. She also always suggests homemade chicken stock. As much as I value her culinary opinions, I also value my time and wallet much more. I buy decent quality products that aren’t expensive and I buy chicken stock.
Ina is not a formally trained chef and it shows. But that’s what I like about her since I’m not either. Ina just really loved to cook and throw dinner parties, so she gave up her career working as a budget analyst in the White House to open a specialty foods store and catering service in the Hamptons. It became so popular that eventually Food Network sought her out for her own cooking show. As Ina would say, how fabulous is that?!? (continues…)
08
Sippy Cups are for Seltzer Water
My latest shipment of the goods.
Some mamas need a glass of wine or a vodka drink to unwind. Not me.
I want water…but not just any water.
I need seltzer water.
You see, I have an addiction to seltzer water. It’s what I call my crack in a can.
The problem started like any other addiction. A seltzer here. A seltzer there. A seltzer in the morning. A seltzer at night. Now I’m up to a 6-pack a day and I can’t quit. The Dude is also addicted. In fact, he’s the one that got me hooked. He even has this stuff delivered to his office. The worst part of all is that we’re now passing on the problem to the Monkey.
Just like his parents, the Monkey really wasn’t into the filtered water from the fridge. He would never drink water, even if I added some apple juice. He only wanted his milk, which he only takes in a bottle. A few weeks ago, the Dude and I cracked open our usual seltzer cans with dinner and the Monkey started eyeing them. He wanted to try it. At first sip, he was startled by the bubbles and took a step back. But just like any future addict, he came back for more. The next sip startled him again, but this time he giggled. Then he took another sip. And another. Now, seltzer water is all he wants. Mind you, he can’t actually say “seltzer water” but he does yell “WA-WA!!!” while gesturing frantically whenever we crack open a seltzer can.
We’ve created a seltzer-soaked monster. The good news though is that he’s actually drinking water and he drinks it in a sippy cup. He wasn’t doing either of those things a few weeks ago.
So now we all live in a seltzer-crack house and our dealer is the local Safeway/Vons store. I don’t know what it is about their seltzer water, but it’s the best I’ve ever had. And I’ve had ‘em all by now. As you can see by the picture, this isn’t a joke. That’s my most recent shipment, which lasts maybe two months. My seltzer shipments are so big that I actually have to phone the orders in rather than order them online. Now I’m known as the seltzer lady every time I call. You know you have a true seltzer addiction when you call your dealer for a delivery (in this case a major grocery store chain) and they know who you are by the sound of your voice.
P.S. Yes, we recycle.