slice for less

I started with a major plus as a home cook... my family cooks and my father keeps his knives super sharp with a whetstone. For a while, I was able to have him sharpen my knives on a regular basis. But recently, that became too cumbersome; it was time for me to develop some whetstone skills. But without knowing the steepness of the learning curve or risking damaging my usable knives, what to do?

I went the financially conservative route: I found a cheap whetstone at the local dollar store and picked up some practice knives from the thrift store.

What I learned:

-it's a matter of practice. 
-even inexpensive thrift store knives can be sharpened to be perfectly functional kitchen tools (and gardening tools)
-I picked up a nice Henckels chef's knife from a thrift store for $2. I may never pay full price for a knife again :)!

So next time you're tempted to 'invest' a kitchen knife, know that a few dollars and a little practice can produce a similar result.

Cooking oil comparison chart

I am firmly of the opinion that diet is a big part of health and some part of mood. That said, there are issues of cost and information/knowledge which limit the ability to cook and eat well. These both come into play with regards to cooking oil. I've read much conflicting information about smoke points and health benefits of many cooking oils and I can't always afford to buy the recommended oils. But I found a handy chart that factors in health benefits, how oils are processed and smoke points. This links to the post describing the chart (per originator's request). I kept misplacing my copy so the link is my backup.

Cheesy pan fried julienne potatoes

Cheesy pan fried julienne potatoes with optional fried egg

per person:

Clean 1 large russet potato* (peeling is optional) and cut into fine julienne strips (I do this by hand because I don't have a mandoline). Heat a non-stick skillet to med-high*** and film with oil (vegetable or olive). Transfer julienne potatoes to skillet and cook for about 2 minutes until potatoes on edge start looking translucent (pre-heating pan will help bottom develop a little crust without burning); flip potato (there's no binding ingredient so there's no 'form' to the potatoes). Crumble up to 1 oz cheddar cheese** on top of potato; sprinkle with a few pinches of salt and 2-4 grinds of a pepper mill; allow potatoes to cook about 2 minutes to form crust. Flip and fold potatoes as needed to melt and distribute cheese. To get a frico effect, turn cheese side down in pan to develop a cheesy crust. Transfer to serving dish. Return pan to heat and add about 1-1/2 teaspoon of oil. Break 1-2 eggs right into oil (will splatter). Sprinkle egg with a few pinches of salt and when egg is set enough to move without rupturing yolk, gently flip egg(s) and cook for 30 seconds (goal is to very quickly form a crust on two sides of eggs). Slide the egg(s) over the potatoes dish and serve immediately. The richness of the egg yolks melds wonderfully with the cheesy potatoes.

*Other potatoes such as Yukon golds work but are often mealier. Combination of russet and sweet potatoes is also good - mix of sweet and rich savory cheese and eggs.
**I've used everything from supermarket pre-shredded cheddar/pizza blend cheese to gourmet truffle cheese. They all work (and no complaints from diners). The results will reflect the quality of ingredients used. If I'm not trying to use up odds and end cheese, I use block sharp cheddar - Cabot or supermarket brand.
***Pan temperature and cooking time will determine the texture of the potatoes… I like a just cooked potato with a light crust and mild crunch; with longer cooking time over medium heat, the potato will be cooked to a mealier texture by the time a crust forms.

Note about mushrooms

I met a professional mushroom forager/grower a few months back. She was nice enough to cook up some of her offerings for a tasting. So in addition to some freshly foraged chicken of the woods, and freshly harvested oyster and lion's mane mushrooms, I learned the best way to maximize the flavor of mushrooms: sauté in plenty of butter over medium heat until near caramelized before adding to its intended dish. This works for all 'shrooms, including supermarket button mushrooms and rehydrated dry mushrooms.

Tomatoes sautéed with eggs

I was fortunately enough to be gifted with several jars of home canned tomatoes (yummy!). The person who canned these gems used the discarded seeds and gelatinous goodness from tomato sauce for the liquid portion and I wanted recipes where every drop of this tomatoey wonder is used. A quick and easy one is a common asian dish, tomatoes sautéed with eggs. A more traditional and western flavor profiles are provided…

4-5 eggs, light beaten
24 oz canned tomatoes (~1 lb fresh tomatoes cut into quarters or eighths with liquid), there is no salt in my tomatoes
4-6 oz sliced mushrooms, button and/or cremini, optional
canola or olive oil

choose one of the following (see note below):

(a)
~2 teaspoon light soy sauce (to taste)
~1 teaspoon fish sauce, optional (to taste)
~1 teaspoon sugar (to taste)
~1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
~2-4 grinds fresh pepper (to taste)
1 scallion thinly sliced in cross section, optional (for garnish)
small chile pepper or hot pepper, optional (to taste)

(b)
~2 tablespoons herbes de provence
~1 teaspoon light soy sauce
~1/2 teaspoon fish sauce, optional (to taste)
~1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
~2-4 grinds fresh pepper (to taste)

Have all the ingredients set out ahead of time: once the pan is hot, the actual cooking will only take a few minutes. Lightly beat eggs with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat a large non-stick skillet or pan until hot (water droplets sizzle); film pan with ~2 tablespoon oil. With cooking spatula in one hand, quickly pour in eggs and immediately use spatula to turn eggs. The goal is to quickly cook the eggs into curds by lifting the cooked layer directly against the pan so the raw runny eggs can flow down to the heat. This will only take a few seconds. Do not overcook the eggs; it's okay if they are runny. Transfer the eggs to a dish and set aside. Pour about 2 tablespoon oil to the pan and cook mushrooms over medium-high heat until lightly brown. Add the tomatoes with juice, seasonings of choice (a) or (b); cook over medium-high heat and simmer for 2-5 minutes (with lesser quality tomatoes, simmer about 15 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in cooked eggs. Taste and adjust flavors with salt, pepper and sugar as needed (much depends on the quality of tomatoes). Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with scallions. I prefer to serve this over rice but quinoa or small pastas are also an option.

Notes: I've suggested 2 seasoning options: the traditional (a) where the addition of chilies will add a bit of zip to the dish and the french influence (b) where the floral aroma of herbes de provence works well with my non-traditional addition of mushrooms. The sugar is completely optional; I leave it out until the finishing simmer when I taste and adjust seasonings. I just saw an Italian version of an eggy tomato sauce - so option (c) parsley/basil/oregano, black olives, capers, anchovy and garlic.


Enjoy :)

Strawberry Apricot spread

I wanted to make pop tarts the other day but I don't like any of the suggested fillings; they all seemed overly sweet to me... so I came up with something else! Like most of my other postings, no fixed amounts and adjust flavor to your preference.

Wash and cut up about 2-4 quarts of fresh strawberries. Roughly mash with potato masher to release the juices. Slice up 6-10 oz dried apricots and stir into mashed strawberries; rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature or several hours to overnight in the refrigerator to allow apricots to absorb strawberry juice (the mixture will start fermenting if allowed to sit too long). Cook mixture with addition of 1/4-1/3 cup sugar (add more if you prefer sweeter) over medium heat while gently stirring until bubbling. [If you like, add finely shaved zest of half an orange or lemon or lime or a spoonful of lemon/lime juice or up to two tablespoons fruit liquor - Grand Marnier comes to mind. I didn't bother because I was very happy with the minimalist approach.] Simmer for 2-5 minutes. Either freeze (up to 2 months) or consume within 5 days; low sugar and low acid makes this spread highly perishable.

This made a yummy filling for pop tarts or piled on top of toast or biscuits.

I made it with orange zest... big hit!

Some other serving suggestions:
layer with vanilla or tapioca pudding for dessert
filling for any pre-baked pie crust; serve with whipped cream
swirl into scone dough to make strawberry-apricot scones
cheesecake topping!
pancakes or waffles or crepes

Pink lemon-lime fruit sauce

A friend picked up a flu bug a few months ago and I came up with this cure-all pick me up that had so many uses, it became a handy sauce to stock in the freezer. Like the fruit sauces I wrote about earlier, there's no fixed ingredient list or amounts. The sauce is mixed to taste but its versatility has proven incredible.

Choose any red juice - frozen/fresh raspberries, strawberries and pomegranate would all work - and add fresh squeezed juice of any combination and number of lemons and limes (or all lemons or limes). In a saucepan add sweetener (any kind of sugar, including brown, rock, palm and liquid sweetener such as honey or syrup) to juice and warm over medium heat, taking care to stir contents to avoid scorching. Adjust sweetener to your preferred sweetness (I dribble about half a teaspoon of sauce into a little water to make lemonade to taste). Bring sauce to a simmer to finish. Sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for 7-10 days or frozen for up to 3 months.


Uses:

-First and foremost, this is concentrated pink lemon/limade. Add water to make lemonade or for popsicles.

-Use as lemonade concentrate in sangria.

-Mix with seltzer/tonic/mineral/carbonated water for homemade fizzy drink.

-Make lemonade/limade tea by mixing with hot water (original intent for my sick friend; high in vitamin C; warm and soothing if sweetened with honey; a good way to hydrate in cold weather).

-Add to taste to flavor ice or hot tea.

-Strawberry lemonade: In blender, puree fresh strawberries with lemonade concentrate; add seltzer/tonic/mineral/carbonated water/sparkling wine to taste.

-Use as a dessert sauce:
*any un-frosted cakes/baked good… some good ones include Deborah Madison's Poppy Seed Cake and endless variations of yogurt cake (just go here and here and search for yogurt cake for ideas and recipes), cheesecake, sponge cake, brownies...
*tapioca pudding
*fruit sauce shortcake with homemade biscuits and whipped cream
*see here for more ideas


Variations: I had homemade crabapple jelly that I wasn't using so I cooked it into a batch of raspberry/lemon/lime sauce, adjusting the sweetness to my preference. It was delicious! I prefer honey or rock sugar but feel free to use any sweetener you like (maple syrup will add an additional layer of complexity). I'm looking forward to blackberry season to try purple lemonade!