My Cramped Kitchen

Fantasy kitchen item

2007-10-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

Maybe Xzibit should have an interior-design show. I think he'd rock at kitchens. Your butcher block would have a built in, pop-up plasma TV, there'd be a chiller for beverages built into the wall, and the whole shebang would have a particular flair.

Not too long ago, some new, flexible displays were unveiled - computer monitors so thin you could bend them. I'd like to have a monitor like that outfitted with a wireless connection and some speakable-items technology so I could call up recipes without having to have an open cookbook lying around in the small amount of space in my kitchen (which while technically large is about half-used by a craft operation and is thus, once again, cramped).

I suppose this is just a matter of time. I hope so, anyway.

Best Banana Bread Recipe EVER

2007-10-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

We have all been there...the last few bananas sit in the bowl and turn a little black while the week buzzes by. Everytime you pass them you think, "I really need to make banana bread." Then, just as quickly the moment passes. Yesterday I felt more inspired than usual. I called my brother for his recipe. He was happy to share it but wasn't where it was handy. I waited a few hours then I decided to crack open one of my many cookbooks.

This is what happened...

My house smells like bananas and butter right now...I am baking a Paula Deen banana bread.....

1/2 C butter, room temp
1 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 ripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease 9x5 pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar, mix well. Add the salt, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, baking powder and bananas, and mix well.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 50 minutes.

At this point I don't care if it tastes good, my house smells so good I can't stand it. The dogs keep coming upstairs to tell me there is something in the oven. They usually only do that when I am baking chicken.

*************

Update: It tastes even better than it smells. I can't believe I found a recipe that doesn't need any tweak to improve upon it. Simple and delicious. Sooooo good.

Rather fond of fondue!

2007-10-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, our kitchen isn't as cramped as it used to be but I still look for easy ways to entertain without taking too much time or space. For the Autumnal Equinox we celebrated by having ten people over for fondue! The beauty of fondue is all of the side items can be prepped ahead of time and it really is conducive to mingling groups of friends.

Here's the menu:

Traditional Swiss Cheese and White Wine Fondue with French bread, onion bagels, grapes and Granny Smith apples
Beer Fondue with Swiss & Sharp Cheddar with with French bread, onion bagels, and kielbasa. Caesar salad
Pinot Grigio Sparkling cider
Dessert: Sorbet and wafer cookies

Ahead of time: Cube the French bread, cut the bagels into 1/2" thick rounds. Rinse the grapes, stick them back in the fridge in a colander with paper towels underneath. Cube the kielbasa. Shred the cheeses. Chill the wine. Make sure you have the sterno or candles needed to keep the fondue pot on the table properly heated.

Gadget tip: A large lazy susan will make it easier to serve all the components of the fondue. The lazy susan can be turned while people are dipping their goodies in the cheese.

Etiquette tip: Some people haven't fondued (surely a verb even if spell check thinks not) before so its nice to give a few pointers on the methods of dipping and twirling and also, the golden rule of fondue...if you drop your bread in the cheese, you must kiss the person sitting next to you.

Recipes

TRADITIONAL SWISS CHEESE FONDUE
1 split clove of garlic
1 c. dry white wine
1 lb. Swiss cheese, grated
2 tsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. vermouth
Dash nutmeg

Rub pot with garlic, add wine and vermouth and heat on stove until bubbles begin to rise. Do not boil. Toss cheese with cornstarch and add to hot wine, a handful at a time, cooking over low heat until cheese is melted and smooth, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. Add nutmeg. Light burner, set pot on unit, spear bread with fondue fork and dip away.

BEER CHEESE FONDUE

1 sm. clove garlic, halved
3/4 c. beer (Sam Adam's Octoberfest)
8 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
8 oz. grated Sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. flour

Rub inside of saucepan with garlic. Discard garlic. Add beer, heat slowly. Coat cheese with flour. Adding slowly to beer. Stir constantly until bubbly. Transfer to fondue pot. If too thick add warm beer.

Test Kitchen Approved Shortcuts

2007-09-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

As the mother of an eleven-month old, I have learned to compromise and that shortcuts are the only way dinner will get on the table...sometimes.

So here is my short list of short cuts:

Trader Joe's pizza dough from the fridge section (you let it rise, you roll it out, it looks homemade)
Stuffed Pork Chops from the butcher
Trader Joe's Pre-cooked Brown Rice from the freezer section, three packets to a box (nuke it in three minutes and viola)
Angel Food cake from the deli + frozen berries (thawed) + Vanilla Cool Whip (cut cake in half - diagonally, scoop out a trough around the bottom with a soup spoon, place berries in the track, replace top of cake, "frost" with Cool Whip stick in the fridge...

Know when to cheat

2007-09-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

OK, so I don't think this really counts as cheating, but I like to make everything from scratch, so it feels that way, at least a little bit: I bought the ready-to-bake brownies, the kind that come in their own pan. They're really quite good.

I think the bottom line is this: Sometimes, in any kitchen, a shortcut is OK. This is especially true on occasions when you have far too much to do, or need two ovens, or just wish you could watch a movie instead of baking.

Compromise

2007-08-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

I like crepes. Who doesn't, really?

I also like cornbread, scrambled eggs, sausages... all of which could conceivably have their own pot, pan or double-boiler.

What I have instead is one well-seasoned, 10-inch cast-iron frying pan. Is it the best tool for any given job? Maybe not. But it is the Swiss Army knife of pans: pretty darn good for just about anything.

Also, it cost less than $10, new (I think it was part of a three-piece, $15 set).

Go fish

2007-08-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

I love fish and chips, but I am not a big fan of deep fat frying, at least not when it is me doing the frying. I usually cook for two, so a big vat of oil just doesn't make sense, and reusing french fry oil is a pretty poor idea, health- and taste-wise.

So I've been opting for hashbrowns and oven-fried fish:

Oven-fried fish for two
8-12 ounces true cod, cut into pieces of your choosing (i.e. the size you like your fried fish pieces, skipper)
Three slices of bread (I am talking about bread about the size of Wonder bread)
About 1/4 cup cream
Butter (I use about 1/4 of a pat per piece of fish during cooking)

Break the bread into small crumbs and heat on a cookie sheet in a 200-degree oven until dry and crispy.
Dip the fish pieces in cream, then dredge in the crumbs. In principle, you're supposed to somehow place the dredged fish pieces on a rack until "dry" but I didn't have a lot of luck with that.
Place the fish pieces in a casserole, top with a little bit of butter and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
As I hinted a moment ago, this dredge-in-crumbs bit is a little sketchy, so you could also lay down a layer of crumbs in the casserole, lay the cream-dipped fish in on top and top the fish pieces with crumbs, then butter, then bake. The result is just as tasty.

Hashbrowns
Three medium Yukon gold potatoes, diced
One *small* yellow onion, finely chopped
Worcestershire sauce or other seasonings, to taste
Two to three tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup cream

Heat the oil over medium heat until hot, then dump in the onions and potatoes. Season with your favorites (I like W-sauce, but they're good with pepper, salt and paprika, too)
Um, cook the hash until brown, flipping at least once (to prevent burning, if nothing else). When they're done, drizzle the cream over the top and cook for a couple minutes more, then serve.
These can also be amended with some cottage cheese...

Unnecessary but fun

2007-07-27T11:54:00.001-07:00

Being a homeowner, I find myself in what must be a traditional trap of saving jars and other containers. Until a recent sweep of my storage area, I had a mountain of yogurt containers, peanut-butter jars, jelly jars, olive jars (martinis - yum!), you name it. Luckily, my city started taking a lot more plastics than it used to at curbside, so I recycled plenty about a month ago. I couldn't part with the PB & J containers, though.

The jelly jars (Bonne Maman, my favorite for raspberry preserves) turn out to be super everyday drinking glasses, and the peanut butter jars are handy storage containers for all kinds of things in my pantry (my pantry is probably just like yours: aka cupboard).

I don't think my cupboard contains too many items in their original packaging: Black beans, lentils, popcorn and chickpeas all hang around in PB jars, which is probably unnecessary, but makes me happy. I think that's important - having fun - especially if your pantry is as lavish as mine.

Chase's Cobbler v2.1

2007-07-26T09:27:00.001-07:00

It's been a few years since I posted my original cobbler recipe. So, taking inspiration from a recipe I found in this month's Country Home magazine...here are a few more delicious combos to try:

Cherries with Chinese Five Spice
Blackberries with Pears and cloves
Apples with Cheddar (add 1/4 cup sharp shredded cheddar to the "dough") and Nutmeg

Space-saver?

2007-07-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

The second thought that passed through my mind while admiring the clever Nuscup (by Dalla Piazza, a Swissmar company):

Who keeps spices in jars big enough to fit this scoop?

The first thought was, "hey, that's neat!"

You can get these measures in larger sizes, so maybe a big one would be useful. But a bigger one would be no better (and more expensive, and harder to clean, and with moving parts) than one of the Oxo angled measures, which you will be shocked to learn I use in my kitchen. I still have a set of dry measures, too, mostly because they are pretty and my wife gave them to me! Sometimes even a cramped cook has to be given a special pass.

Always paring down

2007-07-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

I think this is probably true of any part of your living space, but the premium on space in a cramped kitchen necessitates an occasional spring cleaning (even if it isn't spring).

For me, this usually just means rooting out a few old sets of napkins and haggling with myself over whether to keep all the coffee cups or get rid of a couple. And trying to part - once and for all - with the little-used Dutch oven. Maybe I'll turn it into a garden ornament.

Even if you haven't bought or received anything new and are sure the exercise will yield nothing to offload, I think it is still worth it. Maybe you'll realize you have some unused ingredients you want to make a dent in (I found a bunch of chickpea flour last night, for example), or maybe you'll realize that by reorganizing your spices you can save some valuable cupboard space, too.

I try to make a pass through the kitchen every two or three months. I also do so whenever I think I might be putting on my traveling shoes: It is always nicer to move with less, not more, stuff.

There's always room for ants!

2007-07-10T11:21:00.001-07:00

Some problems don't care if you have a big kitchen or a small one.

Ants have made their annual foray into our kitchen, maybe trying to beat the heat (it was about 110 the day they started showing up in force.

I suppose they are a good reminder to keep all your ant-tempting goodies in well-sealed containers. I recall a Belizean innkeeper saying that ants could be a big help, but his ants were army ants, and they ate everything - crumbs, snakes, small animals, people (OK, they only tried for people) when they swept through his hotel's compound.

I would like those ants to show up at our house for a day, but with advanced warning.

Channeling Rachel Ray

2007-07-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

Apparently, Rachel Ray is doing a segment on small kitchens, and covered knives and pots. Freaky, I was just conjuring a post on knives, too. How cool that is...

So, my big observation on knives is this: You don't need as many as the retailers want you to buy. Big surprise, huh?

My smaller observation is this: You should buy the best knives you can afford, especially for whatever you decide your standby is going to be. You use them all the time, and a good knife should last for at least your lifetime. One of mine is on its third generation of user. I prefer a chef's knife, but that's me. You might prefer a santoku or a cleaver of some sort.

I have a whopping five knives, plus a honing rod and a sharpener.

Henckels Pro 'S' 6-inch chef's knife
Henckels Pro 'S' 8-inch chef's knife
Henckels Pro 'S' bread knife
Henckels Four Star 4-inch paring/utility knife
An unkown brand of carving knife, for the roast and the turkey (that's the hand-me-down).

As with pots and pans, I have more than I need, but getting rid of a Pro 'S' seems like a shame. I would be happy with just the larger chef's knife, but the other cook in my household has much smaller hands and likes the 6-incher.

I have made some compromises in my cooking life: I have no filet knife, no boning knife, no meat cleaver, no vegetable cleaver. Oh, and no "peeling" knife, no "sandwich" knife, etc.

I also have not yet run into a need for a knife I do not own, so I strongly suspect I have plenty. I do keep my knives in a butcher block tha thas two or three empty slots, though, so if I find the perfect (small, too, my slots are all lower-level) knife, I guess I could buy another without using more room.

I happen to have room for the butcher block, but if you can't find a spot for one, you could buy a magnetic bar and find a handy (i.e. near your prep area) place to hang your knives. Or you could get one of those fancy racks that sits in a drawer, but who has spare drawers? In a pinch, I guess you could buy a knife bag that rolls up, which would certainly save space and certainly be inconvenient.

How's a gearhead to get by?

2007-07-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

When you're working in cramped quarters, it can be tempting to find collapsible and otherwise compact versions of everything in sight.

I've been scoping out collapsible colanders - of which there are several choices - but I haven't been able to pull the trigger. Cost isn't a big issue here, but I like my old-school colander, which is a pretty blue enameled job. Nothing too special, but nice anyway.

I think you have to pick your battles: If you don't care for your current non-collapsible colander, and you have a few bucks (or more) to burn, you could save a little bit of room in the kitchen with one of these.

But I think that's largely unnecessary. If you can't figure out a good place to store your colander and it is pretty (like mine!), just tap a nail in under a cabinet and hang it up in plain view, or use it for a second purpose, like as a place to keep oranges...

Some of the "compact" items I've seen seem like more trouble than they're worth. I found a really neat measuring cup, for example, that uses an adjustable bottom to hold more or less material. But the scoop itself is too big to fit in a spice jar, so you'd need to use a spoon to put the spices in the measure. It might work in a big container, but who has room for those?

Macaroni and cheese for one

2007-06-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

The stuff in the box is never as good as from-scratch baked macaroni and cheese, but from-scratch M&C is also a big time and dish hog and gives you a ton of leftovers. If you like toasty bread crumbs on top of your dish, the leftovers are also a letdown. Here's my take on single-shot mac and cheese:

Cook a generous handful of macaroni noodles in about three cups of boiling water. Just cook them until they are al dente.

Drain the noodles and dump them into your smallest baking dish. You might have a more suitable dish than you thought, just hanging around. For example, I have a pair of little springforms that would do.

Into the noodles, mix 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. You may heat the milk, but if not, be sure to put the cheese in first to encourage more uniform melting. You will notice that this way of making "sauce" will not give you that super-thick result you'd get from real sauce, but this is a quick-and-easy way to go.

Grate a generous amount of black pepper and nutmeg over the dish, then top with bread crumbs. You could tear up one heel of an old loaf of white bread, for example, into little bits.

Bake the dish at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until the dish is bubbly and the crumbs are crispy.

Allow to cool for a few minutes, then dig in.

Pots and pans

2007-06-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

When I moved into my cramped kitchen in 1999, I'd been living in much more spacious quarters, so I had a big collection of pots and pans.

Soup pots? Small and large.
Frying pans? Four or five - three sizes of cast iron, plus a Revereware pan and a medium Calphalon pan.
A small saucepan
A large saucepan
A stovetop-mac-and-cheese size pot
A Dutch oven
An absurd plug-in electric frying pan

It took me a couple of years to whittle the collection down to the essentials, mostly because I was reluctant to Goodwill so many nice pans.

Now I have:

One cast-iron frying pan (about 10 inches)
One small saucepan (stovetop mac and cheese size)
One large saucepan (mac and cheese for 10)
Two large soup pots (about 10 quarts).
That Dutch oven, be it ever so infrequently used.

The soup pots are identical and both contain large and small steaming baskets. I probably only *need* one, but if you're feeding 20-30 every so often, the flexibility is a big plus. As for the Dutch oven, well, they're expensive, so I'm loath to ditch it. I keep thinking I'll do a bean-hole supper some fall, too, in which case it will be wicked useful.

Welcome to My Cramped Kitchen

2007-06-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

The Foodie Fashionista, The Chatty Chef and the Gadget Guru are joining forces to bring you menu ideas, product reviews and general tips on getting the most out of your tiny kitchen.

Meet Dana, Chase and Alax as they take your micro kitchen and give you maximum cuisine.

My Cramped Kitchen

Fall Cleaning

2005-10-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

We always talk about Spring Cleaning but Fall Cleaning is just as important, especially in our tiny kitchens. The cooler weather brings out the soup pans, the roaster, more cookie baking, the darker table linens and the heftier coffee mugs.

The delicate pink lemonade glasses, the white linen table clothes, the gigantic salad bowl and the blender (for smooties and dacquaries) all fade slowly away as the chill fills the air.

Take a little time and look at what pieces and utensils you are using less as the weather changes and what things you find yourself shuffling through the back of the closets to pull out. Space is limited but move things around so that the items you need most are easiest to get to.

Yes, you may need the margarita glasses sometimes in the next few months but you will definitely need the heavy earthen soup tureen frequently. An hour in the kitchen assessing and reorganizing will save you hours of time in the coming months, hunting, searching and reaching.

Happy cleaning!

And...let us know what your favorite autumn soup is....

Back To School

2005-09-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the air! Well, the thought of Fall is in the air. Time to pack lunches, have easy to make meals and tailgating.

Here is a recipe that Dana raves about and makes a great snack, appetizer or packs in a lunch box with celery sticks and carrots.

teriyaki chicken wings with sesame and cilantro

Teriyaki Sauce:
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup grapefruit juice
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
Red pepper flake, to taste
5 garlic cloves, halved
2-inch piece fresh ginger, whacked open with the flat side of a knife

Chicken Wings:
2 dozen chicken wings, about 31/4 pounds, rinsed and patted dry
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Prepare the teriyaki sauce by combining the soy sauce, grapefruit
juice, hoisin sauce, ketchup, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, chiles,
garlic, and ginger in a pot. Bring to a slow boil and cook, stirring,
until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the chicken wings generously with salt and pepper. Lay the
chicken wings in a single layer on a sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes or
until the skin gets crispy. With tongs, dip the wings in the teriyaki
sauce and return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes to glaze. An
impressive presentation is to serve these chicken wings family style;
arrange them on a large platter, pour the remaining sauce over them
and sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro. Don't forget the wet
naps!

Dana Delish's Delightful Dips

2005-08-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

From Dana's moderately cramped kitchen...

WOWZER....WHITE BEAN DIP

2 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
5 cloves garlic
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons (or Olive Oil Pam Spray)
1/2 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cracked red pepper flakes
12 pitas

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley
in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is
coarsely chopped. Season with salt and cracked red pepper flakes, to
taste. Transfer the bean puree to a medium bowl.

Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges
on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss
and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the coarse salt, and
pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in
color. Pam spray with olive oil works the best.

Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree.

HOORAY for HUMMUS

4 garlic cloves
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas

Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the
garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. I have a
microplane, and I actually think that works better to get the garlic
tiny. If you don't have one, GET ONE! It's the best kitchen tool. Add
the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until
the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled
or at room temperature.

I make the baked pita chips to serve with this too. MMM mmm goood.

International Potluck Fare

2005-08-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks as I have discussed both the upcoming Cramped Kitchen television show and the currently running Cramped Kitchen blog one theme recurs over and over again. The simplest solution to the constraints of a mini-kitchen is eat out, order in or eat at friends' houses. (Actually those are the easiest solutions to any dilemmas relating to spending time in one's kitchen no matter the size.)

I recently spent several months nestled away in a small resort town in the Southern California Mountains. I belonged to a writers group up there and we had monthly potlucks. Some people brought a bag of chips as their "dish," others a bakery-made cake or two two-liter bottles of soda. A few people though consistently brought their "signature dish" and other party goers complained if those dishes didn't show up.

While our goal is to actually demonstrate that it is not necessary to give up on great meals made and enjoyed at home, the reality is we don't all eat at home every day so, my question is to you, "What is your favorite potluck dish to bring?"

And to keep it interesting...how about those dishes with at least a moderately international flare? And next week we'll bring the dishes back home.

Happy Cooking!

~Chase

TaraMATTsalata

2005-08-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

My friend, Matt, who I loving refer to as the Cynical Chef, brings this dish to all the potlucks and office parties he attends.

TARAMASALATA a la MATT

Just whipped up some delicious taramasalata from an improvised recipe:
1 10-ounce jar tarama (carp roe). Make sure not to buy already-made taramasalata sold in similar jars. You could substitute other fish roe that hasn't been given a caviar treatment.
1-2 cloves garlic
approximately 1/4 small onion, finely grated (I used a microplane)
dash salt
juice of one lemon
about 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
four slices cheap white bread and some stale pita, soaked in water
fresh-milled black pepper
Ingredients should be at room temperature. I used a large mortar and pestle, but a food processor or blender would also work.

Crush the garic, onion and salt into a paste. Add the lemon juice and tarama and pound for a while to break up some of the eggs. Whisk in olive oil in a thin stream as if making a mayonaise (which, indeed, you are). Squeeze out excess water from the soaked bread and pita; break up and whisk into the mixture and season with fresh-milled pepper. Adjust seasonings (if too salty, add more lemon juice).

Serve with wedges of pita, veggies and a side dish of olives.

NOTE: Our friends at www.cellartastings.com recommend this greek wine with taramasalata.

Try this dish with: Amethystos dry white wine, Constantin Lazaridis
From the wine region of Drama, located in Greece’s mountainous beautiful Macedonia wine producing area, in the community of Adriani, lies one of our favorite wineries in Greece- Constantin Lazaridis. Leaders in top Greek wine production and also in wine tourism in Greece, Lazaridis makes a range of wines from the Amethystos brand, to Chateau Julia, the flagship range. They also have an interesting distillery where they produce Eau-de-Vie.

The white Amethystos wine is made with principally Sauvignon Blanc, in an ultra dry, very zippy style. It tastes quite similar to how you would imagine a Bordeaux “Entre-deux-Mers”, as indeed it is blended with Semillon blanc and also the Greek varietal, Aegean Assyrtiko. The color is pale straw with hints of green and the bouquet is pure peaches! The flavours and aromas are intense and there is a lovely, long finish. Highly recommended.

Ensalada Española Magnífica De Guillermo Cornett

2005-08-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

In keeping with our theme of what works in a small kitchen and staying seasonal...any meal that ends up in one big serving dish certainly fits the bill. Ah, speaking of Bill...

Bill Cornett's Superb Spanish Salad
aka Ensalada Española Magnífica De Guillermo Cornett

Culinary change of pace for you: Make the following
spanish salad.... three or so juicy valenica or blood
oranges (more if you use the latter, which tend to be
smaller), cut into 1-2 inch chunks. Chop, not too
fine, but smaller than the oranges, a spanish
onion--any white onion will do if you lack the latter,
and they need not be sweet, even though that may seem
necessary. Add a dozen or so pitted olives--kalamata
are a bit briney, but something along that line only
perhaps a bit milder will do nicely--if you do use
kalamata, go lightly until you've developed a taste
for what ratios work for you. Also, a few spoons of
sun dried tomatoes, but less is more with them. Stir
lightly and let sit (chilled if you wish) for a bit to
let the flavors blend.

Dog Days of Summer Picnic

2005-08-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

It’s hot out, its hot in, you really don’t want to cook. How about making a great picnic, packing it up and taking it to your favorite spot – the beach, the lake, the backyard. Relax, soak up that sunshine – watch the sailboats, clouds or just the kids on the swings, remember how it used to feel when it was almost time to go back to school and you treasured every single moment of the last few weeks of summer.

A few notes: You need to be careful in this heat not to pack food that spoils easily or needs to be temperature specific to be enjoyed. We have proposed a mayonnaise free menu here and only one thing needs to be cooked – the cobbler – and it’s better to make the night before anyway.

Packing checklist – plates (enough for separate cobbler serving), fork-knife-spoon sets (put each setting plus a napkin and a packaged handi-wipe in a ziplock baggie), a roll of papertowels, a corkscrew, bottled water (stick it in the freezer for twenty minutes before you go), glasses (ceramic mugs are better if you don’t mind the weight – the wine will taste better and the water stay cooler), a blanket, hats, mosquito repellant, and sunscreen.

DOG DAYS PICNIC MENU
• Herb Roasted Chicken – purchased at the deli of your grocery, carved while warm and packed in a pretty casserole dish.
• French Bread with Herbed Cheese – from the deli, too (we like Rondele)
• Cold Corn Salad
• Chase’s Farmer’s Market Peach & Blueberry Cobbler
• A bottle of Spanish Rose or Beaujolais (chill it ahead of time and take it in an insulated sleeve) – see the sidebar for more suggestions

Cold Corn Salad

Package of frozen whole kernel corn, nearly thawed
8 slices of crispy bacon, crumbled
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 chopped fresh jalepeno peppers, seeds & such removed
1 vine-ripened tomato, chopped
1 cup grated jack cheese
1 cup ranch dressing

Mix veggies together, then stir in enough dressing to coat them. Stir in grated cheese and bacon. The corn will keep thawing but its chill will help keep the salad cool on the way to the picnic.

Enjoy!

Dana Delish's Easy Blender Peanut Sauce

2005-07-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

(good for your tiny kitchen! one appliance!)

4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp peanut or veg oil
4 tsp chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Chop the garlic in the blender first, then add all of the rest of the ingredients, pulsing until combined.

Obviously this makes a TON. But take your grill pan and make some chicken skewers on it (chicken breasts and thighs in bite size chucks and veggies--remember to soak the wooden skewers first or they'll catch on fire!)

You can refridgerate the rest for up to a week...but it won't last that long...it's SO FLIPPIN GOOD!

THANKS TO DANA OSTERMAN FOR CONTRIBUTING THIS RECIPE!!

Small Space, Big Style

2005-07-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

It stands to reason that your kitchen isn't the only tiny spot in your house. HGTV is finally addressing our concerns. Their new show, Small Space, Big Style, premieres on August 4th! We attached a link for you...

Love grows best in tiny houses!

Farmers Market Report 7-23

2005-07-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

The artichokes at this weekend's farmers market are HUGE. I bought one that is big enough to make a nice appetizer for a few friends who are coming by this evening before we all head out to dinner. I am planning to steam it and provide a few dipping sauces as well as the usual melted butter and dilled mayonnaise.

The California Artichoke Advisory Board (I did NOT make this up) has great recipes for dipping and serving your artichokes. I have added their link to this page, click on "Recipes & Such" and then click on the "Recipes" tab...it is an eye opening experience - Artichoke Benedict, Couscous Stuffed Artichokes, French Fried Artichoke Hearts...you know if I hurry I can probably make it back to the market for more artichokes...

...okay I am back, with a plan for tonight...along with the artichoke I am going to serve Kenwood Chardonnay and PARMESAN GARLIC TOAST which is delicious and incredibly easy to make.

Thinly slice a long narrow baquette (app. 18"), place slices on tin foil on a cookie sheet. In a small bowl mix 1/3 C olive oil and one tablespoon of pre-mixed garlic salt. With a basting brush, spread the oil mixture over the top of the bread slices, allow to sit at room temp for at least half an hour (you can loosely cover it with plastic wrap if you like). Heat the oven to 350 degrees, sprinkle the top of the bread with parmesan cheese and parsley, bake for 10-12 minutes, until the bread just starts to brown.

Happy Cooking!

Sometimes Lazy is More Efficient

2005-07-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

The kitchen in my cottage is twice as big as the kitchen in my mountain cabin but still leaves a bit to be desired in terms of space. The stove and the refrigerator are on the wall across from the counters and sink so I had to come up with a way to have my cooking utensils and supplies close at hand.

I bought the lazy susan that you see on top of the fridge for about $20 at Costco, it holds my spice rack, basket of oils and seasonings, two buckets of spatulas and spoons, bowl of napkins and a few other odds and ends. I can turn it easily to get the items I need while at the stove. I don't have to use valueable counter space to house any of these cooking essentials and they are in easier reach than if I had them across the kitchen.

In my previous kitchen the lazy susan was also on the top of the fridge but in that case held all of my baking and cooking staples. Being able to turn it made it possible to reach everytthing convienently.

Having a tiny kitchen just means organization is even more important, it doesn't really limit what you can make. What organizational ideas have you incorporated in YOUR cramped kitchen?

Chase’s Farmers Market Cobbler

2005-07-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

Mid-July Version – Peaches & Blueberries

This recipe is one of our family favorites!
You can easily adapt it to the fruits you find at your farmers market on a given week and change the spices accordingly…the options are limited only by your imagination. The small baking pan fits in any oven and can go straight to the table.

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon spices: allspice
2/3 cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
3 cups total fruit: peaches & blueberries

1 stick of butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. While the oven is heating, cut a stick of butter into four pieces and place in an 8 x 8 glass baking pan, put the pan in the oven to melt the butter.

While the butter is melting, mix the dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir in milk and then the vanilla.

Once the butter is JUST melted in the pan remove from the oven and pour the batter directly in on top of it. Spread the batter out gently, not touching the bottom of the pan with the spoon.

Sprinkle the fruit evenly over the top of the batter. Bake for one hour, until the cobbler is golden brown and coming away slightly from the edge of the pan. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves six.

I don’t recommend using a metal or ceramic pan but if you do, lower the temperature to 350 and cook it a little longer, otherwise the center tends to be mush and the edges chewy.

For other variations – mixed berries + cloves, apples + cinnamon, plums + 1 TBS crystallized ginger chopped.

Farmers Market Report 7-18

2005-07-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

As I was walking through the Santa Monica Farmers Market yesterday chatting with my neighbor, Debbie I realized that I have been to a lot of different farmers markets. We talked about markets in Los Angeles, Portland, Virginia, Switzerland, Turkey, Greece, Portugal, South Africa and all the great things you discover at these markets.

You may arrive at the market with a list - salad makings, flowers to fill your vases, freshly baked bread and eggs - but you nearly always discover something unexpected and perfect. Yesterday it was a huge, purply heirloom tomato - I almost bought it even though I had no use for it.

Debbie bought fennel for salmon that she was making...my brother called from Washington state, I told him what she was buying and soon from 800 miles away he was improving on her meal.

The Farmers Market is full of magic and promise.