A Year of Cooking With My Mother - The New York Times |
- A Year of Cooking With My Mother - The New York Times
- COOKING WITH THE SNAP - Baked Chicken with Greek Yogurt - The Stanly News & Press | The Stanly News & Press - Stanly News & Press
- Burnet County Democratic Club virtual gala features cooking class with local chef - DailyTrib.com
- How to cook with a portable campfire - WKRG News 5
- What to Cook This Weekend - The New York Times
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A Year of Cooking With My Mother - The New York Times Posted: 30 Apr 2021 09:54 AM PDT  Let the record show that I make a terrible roommate. I can still hear my mother's voice as she encountered the sink full of dishes, the counter spilling over with spices and syrups: "I can't live like this!" About nine months ago, I moved back home to Atlanta to write a cookbook with my mother, Jean. A couch-surfing freeloader, I was only supposed to be there for a couple of months to work on the kimchi chapter, a selection of heirloom recipes I would never have been able to develop over the phone from New York, where I live now. But as each month passed, I found more and more excuses to stay. By cooking with Jean in such a structured, quotidian way, I was able to stop time, a compelling state for an anxious mind like mine. I could finally slow down and ask her questions about the foods we ate when I was growing up. What I didn't know was that I was entering a master class in Korean home cooking. All my life, I thought I knew how my mother cooked, because she had done it for my brother and me every day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. And I had watched. But there were so many details I missed, like how, when making her signature kimchi jjigae, she blanches the pork ribs first with fresh ginger to remove any gaminess. Or how she always blooms gochugaru in a little fat before starting red pepper-based stews. Or how she adds a small handful of pine nuts to her baechu kimchi, because that's what her mother did. (I wish I could interview my grandmother and ask her why she did that.) In 2004, in this very newspaper, the columnist and cookbook author Nigella Lawson wrote, "Quite often you cook something the way your mother did before you." Describing an allegory that has since been dubbed the Pot Roast Principle — in which a cook cuts the ends off a roast because her mother does it, who does it because her mother does it (the punchline being that the grandmother only does it because, depending on the telling, her pot or her oven is too small) — Ms. Lawson discussed the way children of cooks straddle wanting to honor tradition and, as sentient beings, wanting to carefully tinker. "So we credit recipes with much more authority than they necessarily deserve," she wrote. "It might be better to regard them really as more of an account of a way of cooking a dish rather than a do-this-or-die barrage of instructions." At first, I treated some of Jean's culinary quirks as accounts rather than barrages. I gave her a hard time about cooking with maesil cheong, a Korean green plum syrup (often labeled an extract), to lend sweetness to her savory dishes. I told her that if more readily available sweeteners can be used, we should use them. But maesil cheong is a main ingredient in her kimchi recipe and not infrequently finds its way into her jjigaes as well. When we tried certain recipes with, say, granulated sugar in place of the idiosyncratically tart, fruity syrup, she'd take a bite and say, "It's not the same." And she was right. It wasn't the same. As I watched my mother cook and move and breathe in her own kitchen, I realized that maesil cheong is an essential ingredient to her in the same way maple syrup and dark brown sugar are to me. So I started to bend. But even then, I had questions. I wanted to tinker. Growing up in Georgia, after long days at the swimming pool, my brother and I often came home to Jean's kimchi jjigae, a bubbling, cauldron-hot stew of extra-fermented kimchi and other bits and bobs from the refrigerator. We usually had it with Spam, pork belly or tofu, but my favorite was when she stewed ribs in that gochugaru-flecked lagoon. But I wouldn't, for instance, inherently think to blanch those ribs. Wouldn't you lose some of the pork flavor, not to mention the glorious fat, that would be better pooled in the stew instead of in the sink? Sure, she explained. But the resultant broth will taste much less clean, and the kimchi will be overcooked by the time you get the pork tender enough. "Anyway," she told me, "the point of kimchi jjigae is the kimchi." Unsatisfied, I pressed her again. "So why do you add pine nuts to your kimchi?" She thought hard and finally came up with her own response, one that wasn't, "Because that's how my mother did it." "The pine nuts are surprises for future you," she said. "When you bite into one, it releases a Sprite-like freshness." According to Jean, it's the little things that find you later. During my time in Atlanta, I was in charge of dinner. One night after work, I only had a few minutes to get food on the table, so I opened the fridge: sad vegetables, all languishing in the crisper drawer. Bibimbap, or mixed rice, came to mind. So I took a sheet pan and arranged the sad vegetables on it to roast in a hot oven. The sad vegetables were no longer sad. I realized I could also reheat leftover white rice and bake a handful of eggs on a second sheet pan, the way my editor Genevieve Ko does. As dinner took care of itself in the oven, I poured myself a cold beer and waited patiently with empty bowls to be filled with the rice, eggs and roasted vegetables, each portion dabbed with gochujang for savory heat and dribbled with toasted sesame oil for nuttiness. When Jean took a bite of my sheet-pan bibimbap, she said, "I'm never doing it the other way again." On the last day, the morning before I drove back to New York, I noticed that my mother had left on my bed a tray of gyeranbap, or egg rice, with kimchi and a mug of burdock-root tea. I would miss these little deliveries we made each other, two introverted roommates leaving behind treats like anonymous neighbors. I usually left her late-night recipe tests with a note: TASTE. Or toasted slices of milk bread. Once, she left me a mojito at three in the afternoon. When I brought the empty tray downstairs, I saw that she had finally cleared the counters of all my spices, equipment and sheet pans. "Oh, this is what the kitchen looks like," I joked. "You were here a long time," she said. "Now I can live in peace." For weeks, I dreaded this moment, the leave-taking. But it came and went, as things do. I packed the car, hugged my mom goodbye and drove off, promising to visit again in a few months. Back in my New York apartment, I made a batch of her kimchi. I sprinkled in some pine nuts, thinking of what she had said, how the little things are what find you later. When the jar of kimchi fermented, weeks later, I turned it into kimchi jjigae, first blanching the ribs like she did and blooming the gochugaru in butter. That first bite was clean, the disparate parts alloying like copper and tin, and I had totally forgotten about the pine nuts until I bit into one. It surprised me with its Sprite-like freshness. I picked up the phone and called her. Recipes: Sheet-Pan Bibimbap | Kimchi Jjigae With Ribs  |
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Posted: 30 Apr 2021 11:10 AM PDT  Editor's Note: Let's celebrate the past with some of our favorite recipes of our grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles. Email bj.drye@stanlynewspress.com with recipes and a small story about the famous cooks that go with the recipe. Pictures can be included of the cook. Baked Chicken with Greek Yogurt Olive oil spray or olive oil Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a 12-inch oven proof pan or 9 x 9 baking dish with olive oil spray or olive oil. In a medium bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well. Add chicken to the bowl and coat the mixture evenly over the chicken. Place chicken in baking dish. Add dried parsley. Bake 25-30 minutes. (I didn't strain my yogurt and had to pour off the excess moisture about 20 minutes into cooking. You can strain yogurt using cheesecloth, coffee filter and very fine mesh strainer. I also increased cooking temperature from original recipe (375 degrees F). The original recipe didn't brown tenders like I prefer). From the Kitchen of Lori Ivey  |
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Burnet County Democratic Club virtual gala features cooking class with local chef - DailyTrib.com Posted: 30 Apr 2021 08:24 AM PDT The Burnet County Democratic Club is holding a virtual summer fundraiser with a silent auction and Italian cooking class by local chef Becca Schafer. Bidding for the online auction is June 7-17. The cooking class is 6-8 p.m. June 17 via Zoom. "This will be a really cool event that you will not want to miss," said Cindy Dashnaw, fundraiser organizer and club secretary. "We have so many really great items and experiences for the silent auction, such as a mountaintop vacation getaway in New Mexico, an expert-guided fishing trip, or a complete CBD wellness basket. We will also offer several types of professional services for your business, home, or hobby." Auction items will be available for preview beginning Friday, May 7, on the Burnet County Democratic Club gala webpage. The auction begins June 7 and ends at midnight June 17. Winners will be announced once the bids are verified by the club fundraising committee. Tickets for the live cooking lesson with Schafer, who owns a Highland Lakes catering service, are $30 per family and available on the above webpage. Learn to make pasta carbonara with pancetta served with bread and herbed compound butter. Ticket purchasers will receive an H-E-B shopping list for ingredients that cost about $40-$50. "This is such an exciting way to wind down our fundraiser," said Kishia Turland, event organizer and club board member. "You'll laugh, you'll taste, you'll be so proud of the dish you create during this unique opportunity to get live, one-on-one instruction from the incomparable and entertaining chef Becca." Schafer has catered for and been a featured guest judge for Food Network. She's also won first and second places at Horseshoe Bay Resort's Wine, Dine & Jazz festival and has served many distinguished and celebrity guests. Follow BCDCTX on Twitter and Instagram or visit bcdctx.org for membership and auction information. The club meets monthly via Zoom.   |
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How to cook with a portable campfire - WKRG News 5 Posted: 30 Apr 2021 09:20 AM PDT  Cooking with a portable campfireWith the right tools, anyone can use a portable campfire for cooking nearly anything they make at home. A portable campfire gives you the ability to bring the heat no matter where you go, whether it's in the backyard or out in the wilderness. However, to achieve success while also being safe, there are a few things needed to know and items to have on hand. This article will show all of the essentials, from knowledge to equipment, to get users cooking with a portable campfire. What is a portable campfire?A portable campfire is anything mobile that creates and contains a fire safely. The design can range from a simple bowl or a canister to a collapsible fire pit that fits in a backpack. Some models have built-in features, such as a grill, which facilitates cooking tasks, while others are primarily designed to provide a small heat and light source. A portable campfire can also be a valuable tool in keeping away insects and predators. What type of fuel do portable campfires need?Charcoal, propane or wood are all options for portable campfires. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Additionally, some companies manufacture portable campfires that run on fuel, such as wood pellets or soy wax and paper briquettes. Charcoal: Charcoal gives food a distinctive flavor and burns hot and long enough for a wide variety of recipes. However, if seeking portability, lugging 20-pound bags to and from a campsite is not ideal. Propane: It is easier to control propane temperature for cooking in various styles with propane. While the smaller tanks are more manageable to carry than bags of charcoal, users will still need to pack and carry enough to cook all their meals. A 16-ounce tank will last roughly 1.5-2 hours. Additionally, with propane, meals will not have a smoky flavor. Wood: Cooking over a wood fire isn't as easy as cooking with charcoal or propane. The temperature is harder to control, and users may have issues with popping and spitting. Dried hardwoods such as oak and ash are the best wood for cooking fires. However, this option means there's no need to pack your fuel since it will be at your campsite. Other: Some companies use wood pellets or manufacture portable campfires with an alternative fuel. Wood pellets have benefits and drawbacks that are similar to charcoal. Alternative fuel models are often not large enough for meal-cooking needs, but they can be excellent for roasting marshmallows and making s'mores. When to use a portable campfirePortable campfires aren't limited to remote camping trips. They can be used in the backyard, on picnics or at tailgate parties. They also work as a great backup if power is lost during an emergency. Basic principles for cooking on a portable campfireWhen cooking in the kitchen, chefs simply rotate a dial or tap the temperature into a keypad, wait for the appliance to preheat and you're all set. With a campfire, it's not as simple, but the same principles apply. PreheatMost people think of cooking over a fire as actually cooking over a fire. Cooking should never happen while there are still flames. It is the embers that deliver the most consistent, clean heat. An open flame will not only burn the food but will also give it an artificial flavor. When cooking over a portable campfire, do not place food over the flames but wait until the fire has turned to smoldering embers before cooking. Use direct or indirect heatThe two ways to cook over a campfire are by using direct or indirect heat. Direct heat: Cooking over direct heat simply means placing the food directly over the heat source for a quicker cooking process. For example, dropping a burger on a grill is cooking with direct heat. Indirect heat: When cooking with indirect heat, the heat source is adjacent to the food. This type of cooking used when barbecuing. Chefs can create indirect heating on a portable campfire by pushing all the embers to one side of the unit. It is essential to understand that indirect cooking requires a lid, and there may not be one available with the chosen portable campfire. Control the heatBesides having more embers, controlling the heat on a portable campfire is moving the food closer to or further away from the embers. While closer is hotter, it is not always the best option because it can easily lead to burning the food. Five safety tips for using a portable campfire
What you need to buy to cook with a portable campfire
UCO Flatpack Portable Fire Pit This durable, stainless steel grill folds flat for easy transport in a backpack. It can be assembled in seconds and features a 13-inches by 10-inches grilling area. The base keeps the fire off the ground for added safety. Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
This smartly designed portable fire pit features a compact cylindrical shape with vent holes at the bottom to increase airflow. The unit is 14 inches tall by 19.5 inches in diameter and is designed to produce minimal smoke. Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Dick's Sporting Goods
Fireside Industries Pop-Up Fire Pit Users can assemble this rectangular pop-up fire pit in under a minute. It is suitable for wood or charcoal and features an elevated base with a heat shield for safety. This model comes with a 50-fire or 1-year guarantee. Where to buy: Sold by Dick's Sporting Goods and Home Depot
Texsport Adjustable Outdoor Camping Rotisserie and Grill To cook over a portable campfire, you'll need a raised grill. This cleverly designed model not only features a large grilling surface but it has a built-in rotisserie allowing for a wider variety of foods. Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Bruntmor Grill Swing Campfire Cooking Stand Bruntmor's innovative cooking stand is suitable for grilling or cooking in a dutch oven. It is manufactured for either wood or charcoal fires and has five different length hooks and an adjustable grill for versatility. Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Lodge Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven If looking for a top-quality cast iron dutch oven, this offering from Lodge is unbeatable. The company manufactures pre-seasoned cookware and has been a staple in the cast iron business for over 100 years. Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
The last item needed to cook with the portable campfire is a comprehensive grill set. This offering from Cuisinart has tongs, skewers, a digital temperature fork, a spatula, corn holders and more. The items come packaged in a durable aluminum carrying case for convenience and storage. Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Bed Bath & Beyond Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money. Copyright 2021 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.  |
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What to Cook This Weekend - The New York Times Posted: 30 Apr 2021 07:30 AM PDT  Good morning. The Kentucky Derby is scheduled to run on Saturday, 6:57 p.m. Eastern time at Churchill Downs in Louisville. (I'm no handicapper, but you know my money's on Soup and Sandwich!) Naturally, you'll want to drink a mint julep as you watch, if you're watching, but I'm more interested in the meal that could follow: Hot Browns, maybe, or some pimento cheese and deviled eggs. You could fill endive spears with Benedictine, follow with fried chicken — or, if you happen to be outside, with fried chicken biscuits (above). And fudgy bourbon balls for dessert? I think so, yes. That's Saturday night, for some. Others may prefer this terrific recipe for chicken katsu, with a simple tonkatsu sauce that you can use for loads of other recipes. (It's great on karaage, Japanese fried chicken. It's great on plain rice!) Or you could make adasi, a Persian dish of simmered lentils that's often eaten for breakfast in Iran, but that combines beautifully with a hard-boiled egg at lunch or dinner. And there's always spring tofu soup. That's a fabulous weekend meal. Whatever you make, I think it'd be great if you could get these slow-cooker steel-cut oats going before you pad off to watch a screen before bed. It's a great way to wake up to perfectly cooked oatmeal, fuel for a day in the kitchen in advance of the week to come. You could make a lasagna for the freezer. You could assemble stuffed peppers to put in the fridge and cook on Monday night. You could bake brown butter cornbread, make chili to go with it, use the leftovers as the topping for some baked eggs with kale, bacon and cornbread crumbs. And if you're working from home next week, or if you'll be at home next week, this roast beef recipe makes for amazing lunchtime sandwiches. You could make that as well and, if you're not going with chili for dinner, finish up the day with a shredded tofu and shiitake stir-fry. It's an excellent meal. Many thousands more ideas for what to cook this week await you on New York Times Cooking, at least once you've acquired a subscription to the site and app. We think that's worth your time and money, obviously, but we don't just offer you recipes in return. There's also storage and organization, the ability to rate recipes and to leave notes on them to the benefit of yourself and others, and a great deal of instruction for those who want to learn better kitchen tradecraft. How to make pasta, for instance, or how to make soup. You can also find us, as the internet sharpies say, "off platform." We dance around on YouTube and link to our news articles and restaurant reviews on Twitter. We post beautiful photography — ours and yours — on Instagram. And yes, we're on Facebook, too. Please join us. We are available, as well, should anything go awry while you're cooking or using our site and apps. Write us at cookingcare@nytimes.com and someone will get back to you. (You can also write to me: foodeditor@nytimes.com. I read every message sent.) Now, it's a long, long way from fennel and thyme, but you should read Allison P. Davis on the courtship, marriage and divorce of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, on Vulture. Gossip! I'd missed it. See what you think of "The Investigation," a police procedural on HBO that arose out of the murder of the Swedish journalist Kim Wall in 2017, which you may remember as "the submarine case." Alice Randall guest-edited the latest issue of the Oxford American, a food issue. Start with her editor's letter. Finally, here are the Bottle Rockets, "Thousand Dollar Car." There's truth to it. Enjoy all that and I'll see you on Sunday. (Soup and Sandwich, folks! Don't forget to place your bets!)  |
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