Tuesday, August 26, 2014

What IS my cooking?

happy homework days are here again
On our last night in Wales we were sitting under an umbrella in the garden of a grotty pub waiting for our fish n’ chips as hundreds of shrieking sea gulls wheeled overhead. (“We’re not responsible for what the gulls do,” the dour barman had said before suggesting we sit under that umbrella.) Looking anguished, Isabel said, “I really can’t wait to get home so I can eat food I like.”

 “Aha!” I said. “So you do miss my cooking!”

She studied me for a moment then replied, “You never make the same thing twice. I don’t even know what your cooking is.”

How sharper than a serpent’s tooth. Isabel wasn't being 100% fair, as I pointed out to her. I make the same green salad almost every night and the same kale salad every couple of weeks. Same pesto, same brownies, same popovers, same carnitas, same cole slaw, same cornbread, same pancakes, the list is long. But there was truth in her words. When I started this blog, I became obsessed with trying new recipes. And it's been big, big fun.

Since returning home from vacation, I’ve cooked only recipes that I've tried before. As an experiment and to silence critics. Is it a coincidence that I’ve only written one blog post in two weeks?

Here’s what I’ve learned:

A lot of the dishes I tried once and chirped about in recent years didn't sit well on second making. A short list of recipes that didn’t survive round two: Ed Lee’s piggy burgers from Smoke and Pickles, Smitten Kitchen’s gnocchi in tomato broth, Smitten Kitchen’s red wine velvet cake, Smitten Kitchen’s Mexican-style eggs. There were no outright failures here, but for whatever reason, we changed our minds about all of these dishes.

A few recipes held up beautifully. Smitten Kitchen’s immense and cheesy eggplant calzone was even more popular the second time than the first. Also great: The cocoa-cumin tri-tip from Eat Good Food and Dorie Greenspan’s chocolate gingerbread

You don't really know a dish until you've made it a few times. I didn't really know any of these dishes and it makes sense that some of them lost their luster on closer acquaintance. It was only when I started mining the deep past that I began consistently digging up treasures. Pre-blog, I had what some people call “a rotation.” Easy, reliable dishes that I made again and again. Unsurprisingly, everything from this pool of recipes has been fabulous. Roughly once a week I used to serve Marcella Hazan’s famous chicken with lemons. How did I live without it all these years? I made it last week, I’m making it again tonight, and if you've never had it, you must try it. Rub a roasting chicken all over with kosher salt (under the skin, on the skin, in the cavity) and let it sit in your refrigerator overnight. Then proceed with Hazan’s recipe

I also took another pass at Hazan’s messy, time-consuming eggplant parmesan, a dish I loved in the 1990s. I reminded everyone in my family of how much they enjoyed Smitten Kitchen's eggplant calzone and referred to this as "eggplant lasagna." Despite my efforts, it didn't go over well. I sat there crowing about how good it was while they all tried to separate the eggplant from the cheese, which is like trying to enjoy an omelet without consuming any egg. The recipe is excellent, you just need the right audience.

More popular was the mulligatawny soup from Julie Sahni’s Classic Indian Cooking. No complaints from any quarter, despite the fact that it contains parsnips and lots of curry powder. Last night we had Yunnanese pork from The Seductions of Rice. That was a big favorite back in the day and I would say it's a big favorite today. Try it. There are few easier dinners. 

So why haven’t I felt compelled to post about any of this? I'm not sure. Maybe it's that I find it a little boring. Where's the adventure? Where's the learning curve? I like novelty and excitement and growth, which is great. But on some level my relentless kitchen experimentation over the last eight years has been very selfish. This is part of what Isabel was saying and why it made me defensive. What I need to do in the future is find a better balance. 

57 comments:

  1. In my humble worthless opinion, your blog is great because of your writing and because of a credibility you earned from your book (which is how I found you). I think smitten kitchen is popular because she generally posts recipes she makes again and again and again. much cookbook cooking is complicated, strange, attention seeking. all those meals you talked about in the above post sounds like each is a great individual post in itself. after college and early in my marriage, i had a lot more time (and money) for fancy food cooking. now in a very busy house when little kids underfoot, I crave simple meals made with just a few things that taste wonderful, but I've trained myself to be an exotic and complicated cook without any real ability to simplify. I recently stayed at the home of a friend who cooked some of the most delicious and simple meals, but I have a hard time thinking like that.... maybe this is what our kids are actually hungry for...

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    Replies
    1. Oh Annie, we have much in common. I'm afraid simple food IS what our kids are actually hungry for.

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  2. A couple of years ago I was happy to have found Marcella Hazan's recipe for roasted chicken; it's simple, delicious and you can feed yourself for days. You roast the chicken breast side down for 1/2 hr in the beginning and it is not that hard to turn right side up later if you use a few paper towels in each hand .. the chicken isn't very hot at that point.

    Like you, I like novelty (guess that's why I drive a taxi!) and experiment with new recipes .. just had a disappointing Boston Cream Pie recipe from Saveur; I guess it's a challenge to find new recipes that are great.

    Have you considered asking your husband & kids for requests for favorites and incorporating them into your week mixed with new recipes? I know it's hard to please everyone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That recipe is unfamiliar to me -- in which book is it? I asked my family for their favorites and so we will be having pesto pasta tonight for the third time in as many weeks. I've been thinking I should do one new dish for every two old dishes.
      A taxi! I hope you are taking notes for your memoir or a novel or something.

      Delete
    2. This is the recipe of Hazan's that I use, it was in Essentials book:
      http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1015182/roast-chicken-with-lemons.html

      Which one do you use? I quarter 1 large lemon (Costco's lemons are so large) and stuff it inside after I wash & dry the chicken, I tie the ankles together with twine and then roast breast side down first in my All-Clad roasting pan .. it cleans up easily.

      I should have kept a journal from the beginning of my cab driving; I remember most of the "stories" and I'm going to write them down. Sometimes I talk about recipes with passengers; most of the time movies & books are discussed, also, travel experiences. It's addicting, ruins you for other jobs. Remember how I met your husband's cousin in my cab? I mentioned your book to her and that's how I found out her connection with you!

      Delete
    3. Oh, of course that's the same recipe. Duh. It's very clear from rereading your comment. For some reason I got it in my head you were talking about a recipe for chicken breasts. You really should write about your job. Which cousin was it? I can not remember!

      Delete
    4. I was raving about your book and blog and then she said she was Mark's cousin. All I know is she was taking CalTrain so, I guess, lives down the Peninsula. Maybe a year ago.

      I've read about 3 cabdriver books and I find them fascinating. One Saturday night I got home (many of my shift's experiences rolling around in my head) and I picked up one of these books and was reading it at 4 am. I questioned my sanity; why, with all my own "stories" am I still so gripped by other drivers' stories? Every day is so different and I've learned a lot from what other drivers have experienced.

      There's a line in The Fantastics where the young girl cries out "Please God, don't let me be normal" and I tell people I got my wish, driving a cab at night in San Francisco is NOT NORMAL.

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    5. I vaguely remember the exchange about the cousin. Gosh, it's going to drive me crazy, now.
      No, driving a cab in SF is definitely not normal. It seems like you cab drivers have been heroes of a lot of noir movies. There's one I can't remember the name of, really good, obviously not Taxi Driver.

      Delete
    6. Sometimes passengers are very friendly and ask us our names; one driver always answers: Travis Bickle

      (Wonder how many people nowadays would "get it."

      Delete
  3. I really appreciate your honesty and truly enjoy your blog. Cant wait to try that chicken!

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  4. Just post. I don't care what you write about, but it's discouraging when you don't post often.

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  5. This was a great post; and with a very interesting angle on one's (real and imagined) relationships with cookbooks.
    Oz

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  6. I love reading your posts. I love reading cookbooks. I enjoy cooking, but since I am now in a wheelchair it's harder. I'm also a foster parent, trying to teach my kids basic cooking skills (and to expand the palates of those who find homemade anything "weird"). So where I once cooked for a living and thrilled to try complicated or exotic things, now I find myself wanting to make simpler things that are guaranteed to please the boys. Cooking is nit for adventure anymore, but reading about it still is! That said, I will read anything you write. I think we all will!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. It sounds like you have a very interesting perspective on the subject. Good for you, teaching foster kids to cook. One thing I really want to do is teach more cooking classes for children, but my scattershot attempts to make this happen have not yet been successful.

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  7. Thought-provoking post. I don't think you're selfish. You've taken on the huge task of providing daily meals for your family, and you're making it enjoyable for yourself by experimenting. Wouldn't it be more selfish if you just tossed a frozen pizza in the oven every night, or brought home take-out, just to save yourself time and effort? That's what a lot of people do. I think your family is lucky.

    I also think you've hit on the central paradox of the cooking enthusiast vis-a-vis the ordinary eater. Most people want to eat the same things, those few things they enjoy, and maybe try something new once in a while. The cooking enthusiast wants to cook new things all the time, because cooking the same thing the same way all the time is boring.

    You've mentioned quite a few things you make regularly. I think that nicely balances the new and different offerings. And revisiting old favorites can be interesting, as you've found.

    Just keep doing what inspires you. I'll read and appreciate every word you write.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. It is a paradox. Last night I made the Marcella chicken and the Smitten Kitchen broccoli salad (which IS a keeper and I've made it a bunch of times.) It was really nice. I felt very generous and maternal, but not exactly excited.

      Delete
  8. Ditto - what they said! Your blog appeals on so many levels. The cooking, the adventures, the willingness to try new and exotic recipes, and most importantly, your very, very appealing writing style. I don't think you are selfish, but you are correct when you say you need to find the balance. I have enjoyed reading about and learning new recipes from you, but I also love the old favorites that I have made for years. Often, I have found new ways to improve those old favorites from reading your blog. I found the balance by cooking mostly what my husband likes, but doing it in new ways. Maybe you need to ruminate over things, but whatever you decide, I will be there when you post. You have challenged me and taught me a great deal; you have been a fabulous and entertaining teacher in many ways. Thank you.

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  9. I honestly don't think you have anything to be defensive about.

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  10. Just to adding my voice to the chorus. I adore your writing and enjoy everything you post.

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  11. Oh Jennifer, I love this post, but "in which book is it?" Do you remember the joke about the country boy going to Harvard?

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  12. I agree with many of the others here: I like your writing and I respect your judgement on cookery books. An example: yesterday I watched a wonderful programme that made me want to move immediately to Shiraz in Iran ( Shane Delia's Spice Journey). Today, of course, I want to cook nothing but Persian food. I have no Persian books (how can that be?) So I look at Amazon - New Persian rings a bell so over to your site. 40 minutes later I'm still there laughing out loud and reading your first post ( My Bombay Kitchen Parsee/Persian - you can see the link.) Anyway, I'm enjoying your comments about shopping in Wholefoods and Chinese supermarkets - you hit the nail on the head and articulate what I'm thinking. I don't care if you cook or not - my favourite bits are about LIFE.

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  13. I don't think there is anything wrong with cooking to please yourself. If you want to please others with your cooking, that's fine too, but sometimes we can't do both. Why shouldn't you prioritize pleasing yourself? It's not as though you're making things that your family members are allergic to, nor are they helpless. You haven't forbidden them from making their own dinner (or making dinner for you once in a while!). I went to a summer camp where the kids could eat what was being served or make themselves a peanut butter sandwich. I see no reason why those of us who enjoy making challenging foods can't institute a similar policy at home.

    Yes, I realized I have dated myself by saying my summer camp actually gave kids peanut butter.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Tipsy, I read a research article on homemade cooking and immediately thought about this post of yours! Here's a quote:

    “We rarely observed a meal in which at least one family member didn’t complain about the food they were served,” the researchers write. Mothers who could afford to do so often wanted to try new recipes and diverse ingredients, but they knew that it would cause their families to reject the meals. “Instead, they continued to make what was tried and true, even if they didn’t like the food themselves.” The saddest part is that picky husbands and boyfriends were just as much, if not more, of a problem than fussy children."

    http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/09/03/home_cooked_family_dinners_a_major_burden_for_working_mothers.html

    ReplyDelete
  15. تتعدد خطوات الحصول علي البيت السعيد واحدي هذه الخطوات تكمن في نظافه المنزل وللحصول علي افضل شركة تنظيف بالرياض ماعليك الا الاتصال بنا في اي وقت ونحن نضمن لك باذن الله اعلي جوده نظافه مع شركة تنظيف كنب بالرياض احدث الامكانيات وافضل مواد التنظيف وتشمل عمليه التنظيف عدة مراحل تتلخص في الاتي : المرحله الاولي تكمن في عمليه التواصل مع العميل وتحديد الموعد المناسب للبداء في عمليه التنظيف وحجز موعد لتنفذ العمل
    لاكن تاكد عميلنا العزيز اننا بفضل الله افضل
    شركة تنظيف منازل بالرياض وكذلك اما الخطوه الثانيه في تنظيف المنزل من الخارج بالاضافه الي السطح وتشمل 1- غسيل وتنظيف الحوش وازاله المخلفات 2 تنظيف سطح المنزل بالكامل 3 - تنظيف الخزانات وهذه العمله تشمل التنظيف وتعقيم خزانات المياه
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    ReplyDelete
  16. مكسيم شركة تخزين عفش بالرياض و شركة تنظيف بالرياض تقدم العديد من خدمات شركة نظافة بالرياض داخل مدينة الرياض من تنظيف فلل و تنظيف المنازل والبيوت شركة مكافحة حشرات بالرياض وايضا تنظيف المكاتب والشركات وتنظيف المساجد والموكيت والسجاد وكل هذة الخدمات تتم داخل المكان عن طريق فريق عمل بزي موحد لدية معدات التنظيف اليدوية التي لاغني عنها بالاضافة الي المعدات الحديثة من ( ماكينات تلميع السيراميك والبورسلان – ماكينات جلي الرخام – ماكينات غسيل المجالس والكنب – ماكينات شفط الغبار او المياه – ماكينات التنظيف بالبخار – ماكينات ضغط المياه و تظنيف الواجهات الحجر و الزجاج – ماكينات شفط المياه لسحب المياه عند تنظيف الخزانات لآننا
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  19. أرخص شركة تسليك مجارى بالدمام هي شركة أبراج دبي التي تعتبر من أهم و أقوي الشركات بجميع أنحاء المملكة العربية السعودية حيث تساعدكم علي التخلص من جميع مشاكل التسربات التي تتعرض لها المنازل .

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  21. خدمات نقل وتخزين الاثاث تقدم لكم شركتنا افضل شركة نقل اثاث بالرياض خدمات نقل وتخزين الاثاث بالرياض وذلك بأرخص الاسعار من خلال افضل العمال المھره فى شركة نقل اثاث من الرياض الي جده عملية نقل الاثاث بعناية وحرص والمتخصصون فى عملية تخزين العفش بشكل جيد دون المساس بھ او الحاق الضرر شركة نقل اثاث من الرياض الي عمان بالعفش المنقول من خدش او تشوھات او ماشابھ ذلك علما باننا نقوم بتخزين الاثاث فى افضل المستودعات المؤمنة تماما خدمات شركة نقل اثاث بخميس مشيط وابها نقل وتخزين الاثاث

    شركة تخزين اثاث بالرياض يحتاج الكثير الي تخزين الاثاث المنزلي في مستودعات نتيجة لطروف السفر الطارئة كرحلات البعثات او الابتعاث او ظروف السفر داخل المملكة شركة نقل اثاث خارج الرياض و البحث عن شقة جديدة و ھنا يلجا الي الاستعانة باحدي شركة نقل اثاث من الرياض الي جده الشركات التي توفر خدمة التخزين شركة تنظيف بجازان و توفر الشركة مستودعات لعمليات التخزين السنوية والشھرية وفق عقود مبرمة بين العميل والشركة ويسجل فيھا كافة الاغراض وعددھا شركة تنظيف بالمزحمية بعد تغليف الاثاث بالكامل و تحديد المدة التي سيتم التخزين شركة الشعلة فيھا و بيانات العميل و طريقة الدفع

    ReplyDelete


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    شركة تنظيف كنب بالمدينة المنورة
    مع شركة تنظيف كنب بالمدينة المنورة هناك فوائد عديدة في تنظيف الكنب لأنه من القطع الصعبة في عمليات التنظيف كما له فوائد عديدة لصحة الانسان و لذا نقوم بتنظيفه بالبخار لتحويل المياة لبخار لإزالة اصعب البقع الموجودة فوق الكنب فهناك أوساخ لن تستطيع أن تقوم بإزالتها بنفسك كما تترك أثر لكن الحرارة الشديدة من البخار الساخن يعمل على إزالته ويصبح كالجديد .

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    <a

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