My Favorite Cookbook

The Flavor Bible, by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, is my new favorite cookbook. (Its full title is The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based On The Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs, but like I'm going to call it by its complete name). 

I think of The Flavor Bible as a cookbook, but it doesn't actually have any recipes. Instead, the book has lists of what ingredients and flavor work well together. Its basically The Most Amazing Flavor Index Ever. For example, I recently had some fennel in the fridge. I wanted to roast the fennel and mix it with some pasta, but I thought the dish needed something else. According to The Flavor Bible, goat cheese compliments fennel. The resulting dish - roasted fennel and goat cheese pasta - is one of the best things I've ever cooked; and I didn't even need a recipe.

I used to be a cook who relied heavily on recipes. I was too afraid to just invent a dish on my own. With The Flavor Bible, I have overcome my recipe addiction. Also, The Flavor Bible is great if you just want to know what vegetable goes best with your protein. 

If I have any downtime while I'm preparing dinner, I just flip through this tome for inspiration.  Gruyere pairs nicely with garlic? I had no idea. Leeks work well with mustard?  Interesting. And pork tenderloin works well with artichokes? That sounds like a delicious summer dinner!  

If you have any interest in cooking, I cannot recommend The Flavor Bible highly enough.

It's Like Christmas, But With Produce

Once spring arrives, I have trouble practicing self-control at the farmer's market:

How is a girl supposed to resist all these gorgeous fruits and veggies?  Asparagus!  Cherries!  Avocadoes!  Corn!  Strawberries!  And big fat leeks!  Aren't they beautiful?   I swear, the leeks started to weep when I walked past them, and I could not abandon them.

I tend to go overboard and buy more food than we can eat.  The asparagus gets buried behind a carton of eggs, and a few weeks later, I discover a science experiment in my fridge.  We don't eat all the strawberries and I feel guilty when they turn to mush.  Or there's a heat wave and I can't bear the idea of cooking, even if the leeks are wilting and need to be consumed asap. 

If someone wants to teach a course called "how to buy the right amount of food at the farmer's market," I will register as your first pupil.  (Please.  I need help). 

Mmm, Chili (and oh yeah, the Super Bowl)

The Super Bowl is on Sunday!  Woo hoo!  I'm not really that excited!  But I thought I should use some exclamation marks!  Super Bowl!!!

I will be watching the Super Bowl, mostly for the commercials, Madonna and the possibility of inclement weather.  If it's snowing or raining, it's amusing to watch the shivering players and fans.  (My parents like to watch news footage of blizzards, especially if cars are sliding down roads.  So I blame them).  

During the Super Bowl, I'll be eating this chili.  It is outstanding and ridiculously easy to make.  Seriously, if you have a can opener, you can make this chili.  We eat it with sour cream, shredded cheese and Fritos.  When I am feeling virtuous, I just eat the chili by itself - it's still delicious.  But since it's the Super Bowl, I don't think I'll be feeling virtuous on Sunday.

I realize people have a lot of strong opinions about chili.  There are probably competing academic societies and if there's ever a Chili Symposium, it will end in violence.  My favorite chili recipe belongs to the "ground beef and kidney beans" genre.  If you like that type of chili, then you will love this recipe.  If you prefer chunks of beef in your chili (shudder), then don't even click the link.

I hope something interesting happens during the Super Bowl.  Then, on Monday, while I am telecommuting, I can have a conversation with myself at the water cooler about the crazy thing Madonna did.  But even if the Super Bowl is boring, I know my chili dinner will be delicious.

Freezer Cam

My Achilles' heel is ice cream... and peanut butter... and cheese... okay, in the kitchen, I apparently have many weaknesses.  But for purposes of this post, let's just talk about ice cream.

In my house, there is usually some ice cream in the freezer.  And for several months in a row, I interact appropriately with the ice cream.  When it's time for dessert, I scoop a modest portion into a bowl.  I maintain a civilized and respectful relationship with the ice cream.

And then I snap.  And when I snap, I snap bad.  It starts with an innocent spoonful of ice cream during the afternoon, but the spoonful quickly escalates into a feeding frenzy.  Then, I black-out.  When I regain consciousness, I'm standing in front of the freezer, clutching an empty carton of ice cream.  My hands are sticky and there's melted ice cream on the wall (how this last part happens, I don't know).

But I think I have found a solution for my small ice cream problem: Freezer Cam.  I just need to install a small video camera in my freezer and set it to record when the freezer is open.  The footage will be automatically uploaded to a website called CourtneyFeedingFrenzy.com. 

Freezer Cam will shame me into good habits.  Or, at least, I'll put on a mask before I go on an ice cream bender.  But the mask will at least restrict my ability to shovel the ice cream into my mouth...

An Open Letter to Watermelon

Dear Watermelon,

You are so delicious.  I love you.  A lot. 

If I was stranded on a desert island, and could only eat five foods for the rest of my life, I would want to choose you, Watermelon.  Except I couldn't, because you don't have a lot of nutrients or protein.  I would have to choose something like broccoli or blueberries.  A girl needs her antioxidants (I think I read this in a magazine).

Watermelon, I just think you are the best.  I love you so much, I would marry you.  Except that would be weird, and I'm already married.  Ok, if I'm being honest, I suppose I just like you a lot.  But I'm not ready for a committed monogamous relationship.  I still really like apples, bananas, plums, strawberries - oh shit, nearly every fruit I know is delicious. 

Watermelon, keep up the good work! 

Love,
Courtney

Homemade Peanut Butter!

When it comes to dieting, my Achilles heel is peanut butter.  From the time I wake up until about 10 p.m., I am a saint.  I eat healthy meals, and I snack on celery and grapes.  Then, it happens.  Around 10 p.m., I hear the siren call of peanut butter and I am helpless.  I stand by the cupboard, spoon in hand, intending to just have a taste.  But as soon as that first taste hits my mouth, my intentions go straight to hell and before I know it, half the jar of peanut butter has disappeared.  I can only assume it has gone to an alternate dimension.  It couldn’t possibly have traveled to my stomach because I only intended to have a small spoonful. 

So I stopped buying peanut butter.  It seems to be the only solution to my little problem.

Peanut butter, however, can be a dieter’s friend (if said dieter can resist going on a peanut butter bender).  A tablespoon of peanut butter + a tart green apple = the perfect afternoon snack.  I found myself wondering if I could control my peanut butter feeding frenzies if I tried a different type of peanut butter. 

Recently, I made homemade peanut butter.  It is the easiest “recipe” ever: buy peanuts; put peanuts in a food processor; turn on said food processor; let the peanuts swirl around madly for about 30 seconds; and viola!  You have delicious peanut butter that would make Mother Nature smile.

The flavor of homemade peanut butter is outstanding.  It’s like your standard store-bought peanut butter, but with more depth.  I only need a tablespoon to feel satisfied.  Success!  Once again, I can eat one of my favorite foods without fear of sabotaging my diet.

I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to any children I might have in the future: I’m sorry that mommy won’t buy Skippy or Jiffy peanut butter.  If you are looking for ways to be a rebellious teenager, just hide a jar of Skippy in the pantry.