Category Archives: Uncategorized

Congratulations

To Jane,
Congratulations for all you do. The PhD is icing on the cake. Love from Dee and Jim

Mr. Potato Head

Last night I made the Swiss potato dish called rosti. It’s basically shredded potatoes cooked in a cake in a saute pan, flipped halfway through. I first had it in Zurich many years ago and it gave me one more way to love a potato!

When I told my husband I made his favorite potatoes, he said they weren’t, they were his SECOND favorite! His favorite is scalloped potatoes. And I know that these are his favorites because he doesn’t put ketchup on them! Well, he knows I’ll stop cooking for him if he does so, and he has become more accustomed to liking the flavors of the foods I cook rather than drowning them in ketchup or steak sauce as he does at a diner.

ROSTI

Yesterday I used small white creamer potatoes that I was going to boil, a small expensive bag that I just rinsed and dried. Right before I cooked them I put them through the large grater of a food processor (skins and all) and placed them on a clean kitchen towel and wrung them out then put them in a large bowl. Don’t use your favorite tea towel for this as if you don’t rinse it right away it may discolor.

Add salt and pepper. I added one thinly sliced scallion and a sprinkling of cayenne. Heat the oil (don’t use butter) or bacon fat, yes I used some for flavor on medium heat. Have your pan lid ready. Dump the potatoes into the hot saute pan, assure that they’re even and you might pull them away from the sides a bit. Right now you want to steam the potatoes so for 15 minutes on medium heat, keep the lid on and wipe the inside with a clean tea towel every couple of minutes so condensation doesn’t make the potatoes watery.

I’m doing timing for four people, so then take off the lid and flip the potatoes. Go for it if you will, or use a plate to transfer and definitely add more oil if you don’t have a non-stick pan. Finish cooking over slightly higher heat. Remove to a platter, cut in quarters and serve. Without ketchup.

SCALLOPED POTATOES

I use russets for this and slice them on the thin blade of my food processor. They’re peeled, of course. Have your baking pan rubbed with a clove of garlic, buttered and salt and pepper and cream, half and half or milk handy.

Place in your first layer of potatoes, salt and pepper, milk/cream, a second or perhaps third layer and top with dots of butter. Make sure it’s not swimming in cream. Place on a baking sheet to guard against oven spills and into a hot oven, 450 if your oven is true to temperature for 45 minutes to an hour. You want the top browned and liquid sizzling, and the potatoes to be cooked through.

Make sure everyone get a piece of the crusty top.

SLICING CUCUMBERS

One of the first recipes I posted here was my grandmother’s German recipe for cucumber salad, something my father loves to this day. Last night I saw Jacques Pepin make a salad by peeling a European cucumber, then using a sharp vegetable peeler to peel down slices until you hit the seeds, on all four sides. It makes for lovely ribbons. Yesterday I used a bit of sherry vinegar instead of the apple cider vinegar that his mother used. Delicious!

Hope you’re having a great day. It’s snowing here and will for the next few days. Enjoy Spring while you can! Dee

Many Happy Returns

I lend books out but so many aren’t returned, even with my current (then former and former former) address. This book definitely belongs in the repertoire no-one reads or orders from. Yes, essential cookbooks.

Years ago I lent The Food and Wine of Greece, by Diane Kochilas, published by St. Martin’s Press, 1993, to a friend. After both of us moved I never expected to get it back and hoped she was enjoying its recipes. Yesterday, I got a package that included the lent book. Two weeks ago I bought it anew and haven’t opened it yet.

An embarrassment of riches, one might say. I say let’s keep the old and give away the new. My m-i-l might enjoy some new recipes, perhaps I’ll send it on.

This book is fantastic. One of the best casual “company” meals I know is its Moussaka. It allows you to spend time with your guests while dinner is in the oven. Serve a couple of meze (appetizers) and a big Greek salad and you have dinner. Even better if you have some fresh fruit for dessert. Unfortunately, Jim hates eggplant so I don’t serve it often. It reminds me of my time in Greece with so many fresh and delicious meals to savor.

When making eggplant, I prefer to brush with olive oil and bake or grill, instead of frying. That’s just my preference. It’s still winter so make a moussaka or pastitsio for your family and friends. They’ll appreciate it! Dee

My last post

was about wishes, mainly about where to live, not what to do with one’s life. Tonight my love and his parents come up the mountain and they’ll miss the beauty I see right now. The golden grasses swaying in the wind, the sun casting shadows that I cannot hope to capture in a photograph, and I don’t paint. As I write the magic lessens, and words cannot contain what I feel for this country especially at this time of day.

It’s magic time. Ephemeral, like life. Since I cannot adequately describe it in words, you might look to “America, The Beautiful” to give some semblance of its majesty. Folks are home, must go finish dinner.
Dee

The Tailor

Forgot to include a photo of the tailor:

DSCF0019

Have a great weekend! Dee

Utah Summer

It’s 85 degrees here (105 down the mountain) and will cool to the 40′s tonight.  The cranes have been keeping me up, talking at night.  Quietly at 2:30 in the morning, quite more vocal between 5-6 a.m. but it sure is nice to have the windows open at night!

Especially as I added curry to my carrot soup and can air it out tonight.  I marinated two boneless, skinless chicken breasts in soy sauce, lemon, peperoncini (hot pepper flakes), garlic, ginger and pepper and it’s on the grill.  Soup is ready.  I’ll let you know how that goes.  We were also left some frozen hash-brown potatoes (Ore-Ida frozen) by a departing neighbor and I’m cooking those and we’ll be ready in a few minutes.

Photos include one late afternoon from the path a few feet from our downstairs deck, one of mama crane and baby “colt” taken this morning, as well as the balloons.

Hope your weekend was great!  Dee

Welcome Jenn The Leftover Queen!

Finally we were able to add The Foodie Blogroll.  I’ll do another post about our one-year blog-anniversary but for most of it our kind free host knew our difficulties and took its time to work it out so other sites could be listed here.  Finally I got some Jimmy time to install.

We are having organic chicken breasts on the bone with full breading/panko using a smoked paprika bbq spice I really like.  Also sauteed baby red potatoes with onion, in bacon fat of course.  Bad girl.  Finish with a lettuce wedge for Jim and some sugar snap peas for me.

More tomorrow.  Thanks for hanging in there.  Cheers!  Dee

Relevant Posts

I wrote a post about moving and insurance and one of the “relevant” posts listed is about vasectomies. I think WordPress needs my husband’s help to tweak their algorithms. Perhaps having a vasectomy can be a “moving” experience. Dee

Essential Items

When a pack rat (not a hoarder) contemplates moving 1,500 miles away for six months, deciding what to take along in two medium cars is a problem. At least for me.

I drove the Acura. Jim drove the Honda with Zoe, the dog. Aside from clothing that can get us through the next six months (didn’t concentrate on winter so of course it snows every day) I brought: our wedding photo; my knives, utensils and a crock to put them in; tea towels (at least 40); our down comforter and duvet cover, sheets, pillows and pillow cases; my spice rack; additional spices and my salt dish and pepper mill. I’ve already bought a Farberware pan in which to cook Jim’s eggs.

Jim brought: PlayStation III; games; electronics including both MacBooks, my 24″ monitor and wireless keyboard and mouse (2); and that’s about it.

I brought French pop-up sponges and scrubbies from Trader Joes and Sur La Table.

So, if you had to transport stuff for six months on the road in one car, what would you take with you? I remember a lady was packing up for Hurricane Rita. We took essential documents (passports, wedding certificate, birth certificates, car titles) and clothing for a few days, plus dog food and water.

She had her entire closet in her SUV and was going back for a pair of Jimmy Choo’s that she couldn’t live without. Priorities.

Mac and cheese night tonight. With a lovely salad of young greens and I’ll make a sherry vinaigrette. Keep cooking! Dee

Home At Last

This afternoon Zoe and I moved into a home near Park City UT for the duration of his contract, nearly six months. It is a two bedroom, three bath, one car garage ski condo that backs up to a nature preserve less than ten feet away.

We have no Internet until late Wednesday so cannot show you photos or describe the beauty of the adjacent mountains and marshland. I took all I could carry out of my car, dragged suitcases upstairs and haven’t yet unloaded them from this morning.

Taking a break looking out at the view I saw a red-tailed hawk just still, riding the air currents, for about two minutes before he swooped down. A moment ago two geese stopped at the stream about 15’ away and flew off honking.

As to skiing I believe I may be seeing The Canyons, part of Park City and perhaps Deer Valley. Despite snow and cold temperatures the sun does melt snow so everything is kind of brown and dead-looking. We hope Jim comes home soon. No word yet but at least it’s not snowing.

Two more fronts are forecasted for this week, one for Tuesday-Wednesday, another for Thursday-Friday. I got up here in 20 minutes on dry roads.

I’ll get you photos when I finally have Internet service but the difference between here and our lovely extended stay is 1,000%. Now Zoe just has to get used to it. I don’t know where to walk her. She’s just had her dinner and will need to go out.

I’m not cooking tonight, but it’s not because of the Maytag and Jenn-Air appliances. We need to finish unloading the SUV and the Honda tonight and find a real box-cutter so I can dispense with this stupid paper cutter from Walgreens.

The view is terrific and will look lovely in summer. The small streams must have just unfrozen and waterfowl are everywhere. Ducks keep landing in the stream right by us and Zoe doesn’t care. She lets out her alarm for any person or child who strolls or jogs by. She’s only been here a few hours.

One of the things that sold me on this place is the slate tile, granite and appliances. Also that it was a smaller place than others and was certainly not a “Frat House” and I’ve seen one of those.
Everything is clean and orderly. I’ll have my shopping list and go tomorrow to cook a nice meal, once I inventory the cooking materials. I’m not adding to my kitchen pots and pans unless absolutely necessary.

The birds are done and have gone home for the night. Jim is trying to get home to our new place as well. He’ll call a few minutes out and I’ll talk him in. After all, someone’s got to get a fire going.

I think there’s a Domino’s nearby. Delivery would be great tonight. Interesting I was told that every home in Utah must have a land line (sop to AT&T, probably) in case of emergency. That’s like telling us that every e-mail we ever send must also be sent in the mail to that person with a huge amount of postage.

I thought Texas was unnecessarily paternalistic. Utah, I have only been here a few days so need time to figure that out. In TX I would be making more Spring dishes about now. Here it’s still winter and I have a stew or few to try before the snows stop blowing.

There’s a farmer’s market June – October a couple of miles away once a week. Concert series. Movies are within walking distance. Whole Foods is as well. I’m still looking for a drycleaner.

Hope Jim gets here before dark. Zoe’s looking out on the expanse and mountains, just showing the lack of info as where Jim will come from.

Have a great evening and cook well. As soon as I get my kitchen, desk and Internet set up I’ll be back with you. Cheers, Dee