Cooking & Writing

Quinoa and Chicken

2009-02-02T15:49:00.003-02:00

So my job hunt not going so well, but this is a recession. Writing is going slowly but at least is going and exercise and diet are going pretty well. I even managed to run a bit this morning which impressed me (although no one else seems to care).
OK, so this is one of a few recipes that are basically my experiments and came out good. Also these are dishes I make for myself and have no real concept of amounts but like me you'll probably be able to guess how much you need. This stir fry dish came out delicious, but is only for garlic lovers.
What you'll need: mixed vegetables ( I use a frozen mix that has string beans, baby carrots, cauliflower & broccoli); pullets (basically a very young hen, one for each person should do); quinoa (I made one cup (dry), which was way too much and would probably serve around six or seven) ; Onions (half an onion per person) and dry garlic (one big clove per person). Oh and oil (canola is best) & salt and pepper (and any other seasonings you might like).
Now, wash the quinoa thouroly. I usually put it in a pot of water and change the water three times (each time for at least half an hour but can be more) and then rince. This is imperative as otherwise the Quinoa will taste bitter. Then put the Quinoa in boiling water with a few drops of oil and let cook for 20 minutes.
While you're cooking the Quinoa, chop up the onion\s and put them in the pan with oil and pullets (which should be cut into small pieces). Start frying. When the onions are clearish and the pullets look less raw add the veggies. Stir every now and then and dice or crush the garlic. When the Quinoa is ready and the veggies are starting to get soft add the quinoa and garlic and season to taste. (Tip: if the Quinoa isn't ready yet but the vegetables are starting to get brown, turn on very low heat and maybe add a little oil. If the quinoa is ready to soon just take it out of the water as putting it in the pan will heat it up again). Keep on medium heat and stir for a couple more minutes.
Bonn appetite.

The Pleasure of Food

2009-02-01T12:26:00.004-02:00

So, I was listening to the Fat2Fit podcast and they were talking about this new diet book "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. One of the advice the book supposedly gives is that you shouldn't eat anything your grandmother (or in my case, probably great grandmother) wouldn't recognize as food. This reminded me, as I am now on something of a diet, of what happened when I tried to look up eggs in one of the calorie counter websites. All I wanted was the count for a simpy made sunny side up, what I found were a bunch of products I couldn't even recognize. I gave up.
Now, I should mention, if you don't already know this, that I'm from Israel. And while Israel is very advanced in some aspects, most of the products you find in your supermarket are foods your grandmother would recognize. I mean, we have the snacks and cereals and the instant soups and other than that... We don't have TV dinners, we don't have these egg replacements, and I suppose there are other things I wouldn't know about. In order to get fruit or veg out of season you need to go to a specialty shop. People who live close to an outdoor market (shuk) will go there and some people will make the extra effort - because it's cheaper, you get more choice and it's fresher. Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts tried to open here and failed, probably because most Israelis like to be able to recognize their food.
Things are changing. More processed food is entering our diets and people are getting heavier, but while many people I know are over their recommended BMI, I can count on one hand the number of Israelis I have known throughout my short life that are obese. This however, was not my point. My point is that sometimes I wonder how much Americans really enjoy food. I know, people say that the reason they gain weight is because they like food to much. However, the Americans I know live on what I would consider a relatively plain diet where salt, oil and sugar are the usual flavorings. Kids get home from school and eat the same salty or sweet. There seems to be no place for the nuances of different vegetables, for tangy, spicy and the millions of flavors in between. Mostly the food itself looks plain and has little smell, as opposed to colorful meals that give off strong. Cooking is seen more as a chore that is better done away with than a way to be artistic and experimental.
As I said, I'm not an American and possibly I am wrong, affected by the images of the US from TV. So I'm asking any Americans out there, do you really enjoy your food like one enjoys lounging in the sun or hot bath, or do you treat your food as if it were something to satisfy your body because otherwise the pain is to great and if you could you'd get rid of it?
On a side note, I did discuss the egg issue with my elderly grandmother who said that for a while when she was growing up in Ireland they had powdered eggs. This was during WWII and they couldn't get real eggs. A point of fact to remember is that many of the processed foods we eat today were in fact designed in time of war (including canned goods) simply because people could not get the real thing. They would have loved fresh vegetables or real eggs. What does it say about us, that given the choice, we choose what they were forced to eat?

Red, red beats?

2009-01-28T16:09:00.007-02:00

I'm looking for a job, which is really hard in this market. At least I have time to exercise, write and blog. Oh, and cook! So I decided to revive this blog for as long as it's fun. I'm experimenting a lot so you might expect a few "what not to do". At the moment I don't really have an oven, just a stove and a microwave, so oven recipes will be kept to a minimum.
Warning: if you have anything against the taste of beets or the color pink you will not like the following recipe. Although, if you've only ever tasted pickled beets give this recipe a try- you'll be surprised. This recipe is also very good if your kid has decided he\she will only eat pink food.
So lately I've been on this new diet and am eating more soy because it's a cheap and easy way to add protein to a diet. This is a quick and easy meal for as many people as you want, from one to one hundred. The ingredients I give serve one big portion though.
You'll need: one small beet (or half a large one), half an onion, one or two cloves of garlic (depending on how much you like garlic), One small potato, tofu or filleted mackerel, olive oil (though you can settle for canola) and salt & pepper.
OK, now peel and chop up the beet into small pieces (if the pieces are too large it will take ages to cook) and toss that in the frying pan with a bit of oil and start cooking on a medium heat. Peel & chop up the potato (also small for the same reason) and toss them in too, same with the onion and garlic. Make sure to mix every once in a while. Now if you're using tofu once you see the onions have gotten a bit soft toss the tofu (cut it into small blocks) in and add salt and pepper to taste. If you're using the mackerel don't bother frying it - just pour the mixture on top and then mix (add the salt and pepper to the mixture while still in the pan). In both cases its ready when the onion is clearish and the potato is soft (you can easily stick a fork in it - if you taste it will remain slightly crunchy. I love to make this - it's easy, quick and a complete meal in one (oh and healthy).
As always, if you have any questions, comment or whatever - leave a comment on the blog.
Some data on beets: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=49

Pretty darn sweet...

2005-02-27T12:38:00.000-02:00

As promised, and despite the misleading title I kept my promise and made a soup. A sweet potato soup. For all those of you who think that only dessert can be sweet, think again. This soup is orange, slightly sweet, very healthy and very feeling. More importantly, sweet potato is considered to help memory and protect against Alzheimer's disease (according to Runner's World, you can blame my reading habits on my father). This happens to be very important right now, since I'm studying for my psychometric (like sats, but in Israel, and without a caclulator), wish me luck.

And now, for your very own thick sweet potato soup:
Cook (in the microwave or oven) 3 very large sweet potatoes. This will take a while, so you can saute chopped onions (one white large) in butter meanwhile (fry them until they're clear but not brown). Scoop out the inside and puree them in a large bowl. Add 4 cups of chicken broth and one large plain yoghurt. Add the onion and heat over stove until bubbles form on the side (it'll start spitting at you - you'll notice). Simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes (if it's still spitting, add some boiling water 1.2 a cup to a cup). Add Salt&Pepper to taste and one teaspoon nutmeg and two shots of dry red wine (great for women over forty, courtesy of runner's world, again). Simmer for fifteen minutes. Yes, it's supposed to be that thick. Serve in small portions. Very small. Enjoy and expect brainfood recipes for a while now, or maybe sugar rush foods :)

It's Black, It's White

2005-02-13T14:55:00.000-02:00

Ok, most of you probably hate Michael Jackson, and so do I, but you have to admit that it is fitting, since I made black & white cookies this week. Well, actually, last week but I've been lazy. I solemnly swear it will never happen again. For those of you who don't know, black and white cookies are large cookies that taste slightly like pancakes, and are coated sugar, and sugar mixed with chocolate. Bring on the sugar rush!! Also been writing stories, and have posted them on fictionpress (great web site by the way www.fictionpress.com), and have got some favorable reviews. I think my next story is going to be about a house without a kettle. My aunt doesn't have one, and every time I babysit her kids I am forced to boil the water on the stove. It takes forever! Also, if you happen to live in Israel - go to Yishuvei Eshcol area (around Ashkelon) the poppies are in full bloom, I was there a couple of weeks ago and it was beautiful (poppies.... Ok, yes, I loved the wizard of oz). Now, bring on the cavities:

preheat oven at 375
First we make the dough: mix in a large bowl sugar(1 3/4 granulated), butter (or margarine 1 cup or 2 sticks) until fluffy (beware flying fluffiness). Add 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract. Mix until smooth. Separately mix 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt & 1 teaspoon baking powder. After it's mixed properly, mix everything together until smooth (beware flying, yummy cooking dough). Spoon it onto a greased baking sheet and bake until edges are brown, then let cool. Don't eat yet!! Make sure the cookies are space far apart, very far apart. And they are supposed to be big.
Now we make the sugar coating: pour 4 cups of confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) into a bowl and slowly add boiling water (V. Little) until it's spreadable, but not watery. Take half of the mixture add 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate and melt it (over a double boiler or in the microwave). Paint half the cookies with the white coating, and half with the black. Eat one at a time...
Yum... For those health freaks out there I'm planning a soup next time. Which soup? Well you'll just have to wait for the next episode of "The Cooking Lady, generation z?"

Peach Pie, my oh my!

2005-01-21T10:04:00.000-02:00

Hey folks, I've just baked my very first pie, and it came out perfect! Sorry about the delay though, I've been a bit under the weather. Anyway I'm just drudging along, candy (my sweet dog) was very interested in the pie. She kept coming around and sniffing at it (which is the highest complement one can get from it). I've also been looking into my higher education, I'm going to Uni next year. My main debate is between a combination of history and anthropology (that can benefit my writing) or film (because part of me wants to be a filmmaker - a big part), any suggestions on how you choose? I've also finished writing a couple of short stories - I'm just going over the rough edges now. And now, the reason why you came here - my pie recipe:

first we make the Dough (and we do not eat the Dough): mix 2 cups of flour, 125 grams of butter\margarine, 1 egg, 1\3 cup of flour, some salt and 2-4 tablespoons of water. Put them all in a mixer (or mix by hand if you're built like shwartznegger) until it has a smooth texture. Put in the fridge for a hour (at least). After that you role the dough out (flour the rolling pin or whatever and the counter top) until it's thin, but not so thin that it breaks when you lift it. Put in pie pan.
Now we make the cream: slice and dice 2 large peaches (peal them, or buy canned), mix with 3 eggs, 1\2 cup of sugar the grated peal of a lemon and 3/4 cup of sweet cream. When it's completely mixed pour into the dough (gently - I managed to splash some around).
Bake at 350 for about an hour (the cream should be custard-like and the dough on the edges should be brown.
Allow to cool. Now slice 4 peaches (pealed) and put on top of the pie. Warm some jam (a little, choose one you like) with brandy and brush over the pie.
Congratulations, we've survived. Now you may eat, (a picture of the pie will be posted soon).

Onion soup & Tears

2005-01-12T15:46:00.000-02:00

My parents are abroad for the week, and I'm alone in the house with my brother. For some reason, this is the week my dear brother decides to get sick and have a math test. Of course my mother assumes, that since I did my mathematics matriculation only three years ago, I remember how to help him, why wouldn't I? I hated math. Why does everything have to go wrong when my mother's gone? Because my mother is one of those people blessed by the gods. She never gets sick, and things always work out for her. True story, she was once stranded in the middle of the desert (her car broke down) and a limousine picked her up, and just happened to be going where she was going, and it wasn't some crazy freak. This also happened to be one of the only guys in Israel with a cellphone at that time (this was 8 years back). I, on the other hand, am not quite as lucky, although I have received the occasional discount for no obvious reason at pizza hut. The truth, taking care of my brother is not so bad, and he liked my soup. Now, I know I promised chicken soup, but I changed my mind, deal with it. Here's the (approximate) recipe for onion & tomato soup:

Melt butter (or olive oil) in a pot (or a wok). Take two large onions (or maybe three - depending on how fresh they are) and slice them thinly. Slice about three (or four, more then the onions) tomatoes. Fry (on a low flame) the onions and the tomatoes, until the onions are clear (about ten minutes), while stirring. Add two teaspoons of salt (you can always add more later), one teaspoon of dry mustard, and a dash of ginger. Stir some more. Add about four cups of water, and some pepper. Cover and wait for it to boil. Now you can add two tablespoons of soy sauce and\or one tablespoon of dry white wine (I forgot to, so I can't tell you what the results were). Let simmer for ten-fifteen minutes, stirring every now and again. Eat. It tastes quite good, and if you sprinkle mozzarella it tastes even better. Bon appetite.

2005-01-05T12:04:00.000-02:00

My Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie

My Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie

The Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie

2005-01-05T11:31:00.000-02:00

Have any of you ever had a nightmare where a giant cookie was chasing you? I just had, and it was real! Well, not the part about it chasing me, but the giant part, and I definately felt it was making threataning gestures. I know Candy was mocking me about the number of kitchen appliances I used. I thought it would be a good idea to aquaint myself with all the kitchen appliances... Oh, who am I kidding, I used everything because I just didn't know exactly what to use. Candy just stood there and smirked, did you know dogs can smirk? She was supposed to be helping me! Of course all the incompetence in the world, still doesn't explain how I got cookie dow on the top cupboard. I didn't even go near that cupboard. As I mentioned before, instead of many little cookies I ended up with one giant cookie. This was after I was told to space them out by my dear mother. It still tastes delicous:

Mix 1 package of margerine (cream it, don't forget to cream it) with 3/4 cups light brown sugar and 3/4 cups white sugar. Beat 3 eggs with 1 teaspoon vanila extract. Mix eggs and margerine. Mix 2.5 cups flour with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Mix everything together. Greese pan. Spoon mixture onto pan - small amounts spaced out. Cook at 350 till it's brown and slightly soft, should take around 15 minutes (it took me longer because of the whole one large cookie deal). Let cool. Enjoy.

Don't forget to clean up, and don't try changing a cd while you're cooking. It's a bad idea - trust me. Next week is going to be chicken soup or pecan pie...

The way to a man's heart...

2005-01-03T17:04:00.000-02:00

Is through his stomach, or at least so they say. So I decided I would learn to cook. The truth? I'm not really learning to cook because of my romantic situation (there is none), or because my grandma thinks it's very important (she does). I'm learning to cook because it's cheaper then buying out. Also, getting kind of sick of macaroni and cheese (the only thing I know how to make). Besides, at 20 years I should know how to cook something, no?
By the way, I have an assistant. Her name is Candy, and she'll be assisting me by cleaning up anything that drops on the floor, she's too old to clean up the counter. When Candy was younger, she helpfully ate a whole tub of butter which we forgot on the kitchen counter. Yes, she's a dog and I will supply a picture of her as soon as possible.

I've decided to try one new recipe every week. This week, it's going to be chocolate chip cookies (I'm a fan of the sugar rush, it stimulates the brain). Considering what happened last time I cooked, I'm sure it'll be entertaining, and I promise to share recipes (which I will conveniently steal from my mother and her friends). For those of you who are curious about what happened last time: I was 12 years old, and decided to make a microwave "can't fail" cake for Candy's B-day. It failed. I put two bars of margarine, I didn't melt them like I should. I added too much of everything else. Even Candy wouldn't eat the cake. It's a miracle the microwave didn't explode.