Braisin' Hussy

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Well, since my last post, I started a job, hated a job, and ended a job. June was a busy month. I haven't really been cooking much, apart from the occasional Rather Boring Pantry Pasta. I made a scrambled egg on toast this morning. That was delicious. I don't eat enough breakfast. Looking at the front page of the blog, I kind of want to make the Smoked Ham Hocks and Cranberry Beans again. It's not really a summer dish, though.

I biked 15 miles yesterday. I feel good about that.
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Friday, May 15, 2009

I had an interview in Menlo Park this morning (it went okay), and afterward I took the opportunity (since I'm not often in Menlo these days) to check out the new Penzey's Spices store that opened last year. It was pretty sweet! I had a coupon for a free jar of ground black pepper, which I used mostly to get a free spice jar. I figure I'll use what I can over the next month or two, pitch the rest, and then fill it up with something else. I have many spices sitting in plastic bags.

Ryan and Jon bought me a jar of Mexican vanilla extract from Penzey's a few years ago. It was, bar none, the best vanilla I've ever tasted/smelled/used. They stopped carrying it a while back, I guess because the crop had shrunk or something. So I was all a-woe and went back to Madagascar/Tahitian vanilla. BUT! Apparently, although they don't say they carry it in their catalogs or on their website, they DO have it in their physical stores! I was so incredibly excited to see it (almost as much as that time I was at Baja Fresh and they had switched from Pepsi to Coke products). So I ended up buying the Mexican vanilla, some chili powder, the Pasta Sprinkle I like, and the free pepper.

The store's really cute, too. Go visit!
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Thursday, May 07, 2009

I was making some tomato sauce a few weeks ago, and I needed some red wine. Looking through our wine... document box, I discovered that ALL our wine is incredibly old (for a household of people who don't really care about that sort of thing). I used the newest bottle, which was a 2003 Ridge California Zinfandel York Creek. I only needed about a half cup for the sauce. The rest of the bottle was quite delicious.

My folks were over on Tuesday, and I told them about our old wines. I pulled out the oldest one, which was a 1997 Robert Mondavi Chardonnay. My mom boggled and told me I shouldn't keep white wines that long, and that it'd be a miracle if it hadn't turned to vinegar by this point. (A miracle it would be indeed, because we have never kept our wines properly [as evidenced by the document box storage]. Hell, we kept them out in the garage back in the old house, where they were subjected to a rather large swing of temperature.) But it wasn't vinegar! It was still pretty tasty! And I'm not really a fan of white wines.

So I thought I'd make a list of the wines we have. I don't know if any of these are good- I'm pretty sure most of them are gifts that we just never opened. A rather surprising amount of dessert wines.

1997 Monastero di Coriano Vin Santo - this was a gift from my parents
1999 Benziger McNab Ranch Merlot - this was probably a gift from my parents, since they know I like merlot
2000 Robert Mondavi Moscato d'Oro - pretty sure both the Mondavi bottles we had were inherited from Jeremy, who gave us all his wine&booze once he was tired of moving all the bottles around
2000 Beringer Gamay Beaujolais
2001 Beaulieu Vineyard BV Coastal Signature Series Merlot - once again, pretty sure this was a gift to me
2001 Victor Hugo Petite Sirah
2001 Byington Alliage Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon
2003 Schmitt Sohne Riesling
2005 Bonny Doon Moscato d'Asti
2006 Imagery Petite Syrah Port - birthday present this year from my parents, it's delicious with really dark chocolate
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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Parsley Salad

Zest of 1 large lemon
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 small shallot, minced
1 tsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp sesame oil
6 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 bunches Italian parsley, leaves only
3 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

Whisk first 8 ingredients together in a large bowl. Add parsley and toss to combine. Sprinkle sesame seeds over top. Chill for 1-4 hours.
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Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Rather Boring Pantry Pasta

This is a photo of the variation using the vinaigrette.

I fail at my resolution to post once a month. March was a bad month all around, really. Lost my job. My credit card number was stolen. Exploded my computer. Good damn times.

D:<
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Saturday, February 14, 2009

Smoked Ham Hocks and Cranberry Beans

(om nom nom)
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Thursday, February 12, 2009

Rather Boring Pantry Pasta

3-4 oz. some kind of pasta (I prefer shapes)
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes (diced jalapeno pepper is also good if you're out)
~6 pieces of salami or pepperoni, quartered or sixthed
1/4 onion/2-3 green onions/1-2 shallots, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tsp assorted dried herbs- parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, etc. (Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle is nice)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional- I have occasionally used shredded cheddar cheese)

Bring water to a boil and cook pasta. While this is going on, prep the rest of the ingredients. Drain the pasta and leave in the colander while you make the sauce. (I use the same pot I used to boil the pasta- it's only like 2 quarts, so it's not really a pain to clean.) Put the pot/pan over medium-high heat and add the oil and red pepper flakes. Stir/swirl around for about a minute. Add the salami/pepperoni and cook another minute. Add onion and stir until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Toss in the herbs. Add the cooked pasta back to the pan and toss to combine. Turn off heat, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt/pepper. Empty into bowl and add cheese.

Variations
3-4 Tbsp of toasted nuts can be added when you put in the herbs. They can be used in place of the salami/pepperoni if you're a vegetarian.
2-3 Tbsp vinaigrette. I'll do this if I have leftover salad dressing. I added it instead of the dried herbs. Dump it in and let it reduce a little.
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Slightly More Interesting But Still Rather Boring Pasta

3-4 oz. pasta
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 cup white wine (just finishing up a bottle, don't really know how much was in there)
2-3 Tbsp herbed cheese spread (some Boursin I had leftover after a party)
2 Tbsp cream or milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese

Boil water and cook pasta. Drain and keep in the colander while preparing sauce. Melt the butter with the oil, add red pepper flakes and onion, cook until soft. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add white wine and turn heat to high. Reduce to 2-3 Tbsp. Off heat, add cheese spread and cream and stir to melt/integrate into the sauce. Add pasta back to pan and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning, dump into bowl and serve with parmesan.
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