Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Summer Play Day
My mom and I spent the day together and although it wasn't billed as a final summer fling, that's what it turned out to be. The temperature in the 70s, the day started out superbly. I had a free drink owed me at my local coffee shop. I picked up my mocha, turned up the music in my car and drove, orange barrel free all the way to Mom's house.
We went to the Flint Institute of Arts. Yes, there is an art museum in Flint. The museum is gorgeous and well-run; they even have a small theater and play art films.
Afterwards, we found a farmers' market and filled the trunk with bags of radishes, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes. We stopped at a colossal market in Mom's town and yes, filled up the car with more bags of food.
We went back to Mom's and ate dinner outside on her deck. By the time I drove home, the sun was setting.
So long, summer...
We went to the Flint Institute of Arts. Yes, there is an art museum in Flint. The museum is gorgeous and well-run; they even have a small theater and play art films.
Afterwards, we found a farmers' market and filled the trunk with bags of radishes, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes. We stopped at a colossal market in Mom's town and yes, filled up the car with more bags of food.
We went back to Mom's and ate dinner outside on her deck. By the time I drove home, the sun was setting.
So long, summer...
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
More Julia
I finished reading Julia Child's My Life in France which chronicles her years in Paris and Marseille. The arduous process of writing Mastering the Art of French Cooking started in France, but continued throughout Child's time in Europe, Washington, D.C., and finally Cambridge, MA.
Published in 1961, the impact of Mastering cannot be overstated. Child and her co-authors introduced classic French cuisine to casual American cooks. They researched recipes and tested them sometimes an inordinate number of times to ensure that the recipes were foolproof. Child was asked by her co-authors to help with their idea of French cookbook for an American audience. Shortly, Child was the leader of the project. She and her husband took photos from the chef's point of view for the book's sketches, something that had not been done before. She tracked down certain sauce recipes that no one had formally recorded. When her editor said that authentic French bread should be included in the cookbook, Child apprenticed with a bakery in France and made hundreds of loaves until she perfected the process and translated it for an American audience. So many different factors had to be addressed: the flour was different in the States, weather plays a part in the rising of the dough. Also, some ingredients in the original French recipes weren't readily available in the U.S. so Child had to find reasonable substitutions or change the recipe.
James Beard, considered the "dean of American cooking" told Julia how much he admired her efforts. "I only wish I'd thought of it first." The restaurant industry celebrates the James Beard Foundation Awards annually, sort of like the Oscars for food.
Child's passion for her topic comes through on every page, even as she complains about the mind numbing repetition of testing recipes or her impatience with her co-authors.
Next up on my reading list is Child's biography by Noel Riley Fitch, appropriately entitled Appetite for Life.
Published in 1961, the impact of Mastering cannot be overstated. Child and her co-authors introduced classic French cuisine to casual American cooks. They researched recipes and tested them sometimes an inordinate number of times to ensure that the recipes were foolproof. Child was asked by her co-authors to help with their idea of French cookbook for an American audience. Shortly, Child was the leader of the project. She and her husband took photos from the chef's point of view for the book's sketches, something that had not been done before. She tracked down certain sauce recipes that no one had formally recorded. When her editor said that authentic French bread should be included in the cookbook, Child apprenticed with a bakery in France and made hundreds of loaves until she perfected the process and translated it for an American audience. So many different factors had to be addressed: the flour was different in the States, weather plays a part in the rising of the dough. Also, some ingredients in the original French recipes weren't readily available in the U.S. so Child had to find reasonable substitutions or change the recipe.
James Beard, considered the "dean of American cooking" told Julia how much he admired her efforts. "I only wish I'd thought of it first." The restaurant industry celebrates the James Beard Foundation Awards annually, sort of like the Oscars for food.
Child's passion for her topic comes through on every page, even as she complains about the mind numbing repetition of testing recipes or her impatience with her co-authors.
Next up on my reading list is Child's biography by Noel Riley Fitch, appropriately entitled Appetite for Life.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Orientation
My cooking classes are about to begin again. Today was our orientation at school and even though it was a bit sleep-inducing, I'm glad that I was there. All of the full-time chefs introduced themselves and had a few words of wisdom. Work hard, have fun, be true to yourself, take advantage of as many opportunities as possible.
The semesters are broken up into three five-week rotations. My first rotation is butchery. I can't wait to be able to break down a chicken in ten seconds flat.
On my way home from school, I stopped at a drive-thru for an Icee. As the drive-thru guy handed me my treat, he said, "Here you go, Beautiful." Whoa! I'll have to remind myself to stop there again for routine confidence building.
The semesters are broken up into three five-week rotations. My first rotation is butchery. I can't wait to be able to break down a chicken in ten seconds flat.
On my way home from school, I stopped at a drive-thru for an Icee. As the drive-thru guy handed me my treat, he said, "Here you go, Beautiful." Whoa! I'll have to remind myself to stop there again for routine confidence building.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Pizza
I bought some ready made pizza dough last week so tonight's dinner was homemade pizza and a side of salad. I need to practice my rolling skills; I can't seem to make a round. My homemade pizzas are either rectangular or oval. But as long as it tastes good, who cares what shape it is, right?
Spicy tomato sauce, pepperoni, shredded mozzarella cheese, baked on a pizza stone. Once out of the oven, I garnished the pizza with fresh basil. A delicious little dinner to start the week.
Have I expressed how much I love pizza? I'll need to write an ode to it in a future blog. G and I want to try an experiment this fall. We're going to try a pie from every pizza place in town. Although after tonight's success, maybe we just need to practice making our own pizzas. For my last birthday, my mom gave me a little box of pizza recipe cards. Sausage and pepper pizza. Roasted corn pizza wit sundried tomatoes. Butternut squash and sage pizza. Barbecue chicken pizza. Pizza Margherita.
Pizza makes me so happy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)