Cooking Mag Mommy

It hasn't happened often but Eyrleigh got sick today. I'm hoping it just a product of her emerging eye teeth but either way, she was not feeling good this evening. She had that bleary eyed look through dinner but did manage to eat quite a bit of rice and end her meal with her favorite dessert, an ice cream cone. I didn't even start dinner until Richard got home from work after 4:00 so it was wonderful to have a dinner and appetizer that could be made quickly. I've mentioned in earlier posts that Gourmet has a section geared toward quick weekday meals. I looked back in some of my old Gourmets, going back to 2003, to see if this section had been as large. I didn't remember it being a focus but then again, I wasn't making every recipe and getting to know the magazine as well. Sure enough, there was a section with the same name with only one fewer recipe. Quick cooking has been a focus of Gourmet for a long time, they just don't emphasize it like some cooking m

El Veintinueve De Abril doesn't have quite the same ring as Cinco De Mayo but tonight's recipes created the only meal in May's Gourmet that claimed to have Mexican flavor. Today Richard told me that his business trip is postponed until at least May 10 th so we'll be home for Cinco De Mayo but I won't be cooking a Mexican meal, at least not one from Gourmet. To be honest, neither of these dishes are very Mexican in concept but they use common Mexican ingredients in a different and creative way. The first recipe, the Tortilla Chicken Drumsticks on page 78, used tortilla chips and chili powder to create a crunchy flavorful crust for chicken drumsticks. The tortilla chips stayed crunchy through baking and were a creative twist on fried chicken. I liked the chicken but it could have had even more spice. It was easy to make and a quick weeknight meal. The Roasted Potato Wedges with Cilantro-Lime Mayonnaise, also on page 78, were equally simple. The potatoes were roa

We got a new camera today and I'm curious to see how the food pics will look. I can already tell they are a little lighter. Not that I do this blog to plug products, but this camera is a Canon Power Shot SD1200 IS if you like the pictures. I'm racing along on my head start on May's recipes. Tonight I made two recipes from next month's Gourmet. The first recipe was the Lemony Risotto with Asparagus and Shrimp on page 76. Risotto recipes are pretty similar and this one was like most. You make the risotto and add the extras at the end. This was good but not spectacular. Some of the issue was the rather vague directions about how much liquid to use/leave after making the risotto. My risotto was still a little too chewy after 18 minutes and adding the last of the liquid would have given it a little more time to finish. Shrimp and asparagus are pretty common risotto additions and they worked well. My second dish was listed as a one pot meal but the ingredients sounded a litt

In yesterday's post I mentioned that I had to run out at the last minute to pick up the sun-dried tomatoes for the Penne with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Arugula. As I started dinner tonight, I thought I was about to repeat that story. I remembered I had used the last of my curry powder for another Gourmet recipe last month. In a panic, I searched through my spice drawers and was intensely relieved to find a stocking gift that Richard gave me at Christmas, a jar of Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger Curry Powder. Tonight I made Curry Chicken with Cashews from epicurious.com and I really think the quality of this curry powder really helped make this dish outstanding. Throughout the project of making each recipe in Gourmet magazine, I have struggled with balancing the desire to use the best quality ingredients and the need to stay within a family budget. I am sure many of the dishes I have made would have been even better if I did not have to think of price and could buy based on quality alone.

The end of April is still a week away but I have made all the April recipes and tonight will start May's in earnest, so I want to give my monthly review while I'm still remembering. I do feel a bit guilty about not making the Cocktail of the Month but I think my reasoning (mentioned in the previous post) is quite legitimate. What did I like and learn during the month of April in my Month of Gourmet project? I really got a boost of confidence with making desserts. There were a lot of dessert recipes for April and I was pleased with all of them. Even if the flavor was not excellent in my opinion, I felt I did a good job of executing the recipe and creating an attractive and tasty dessert. My favorite recipe of the month was a dessert recipe. I was so proud to serve the Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Berries on page 86. I felt this dessert had everything I was looking for in a showstopper. The visual appeal of the cake was impressive with the puffy white meringue and the contrastin

Tonight I made the last recipe of April that I will be making. If you are keeping track, I have made 50 out of 51 recipes in the April 2009 Gourmet. The one recipe I will probably not be making is the Cocktail of the Month, The Waldorf. This recipe is made with absinthe, a spirit that until recently was illegal in the United States. The local liquor stores do not carry it, they only carry an absinthe style liquor called absente that costs $40. I just can't rationalize spending $40+ for one ounce of liquor. I am still going to try to to find this drink at a bar on our trip. I should really entertain some bartender somewhere with that request! Ok , back to the last recipe. Tonight I made the Ham and Rice Croquettes on page 4. I was really struggling with where this recipe would work best. I am not very familiar with croquettes and initially assumed they were a breakfast food. When I looked them up online, I found they are more of a snack than a real side dish but I made these littl

Eyrleigh is almost a year and 1/2 and she still has not crossed over the 20 pound mark. I put some 18-24 month size pants on her yesterday and she looked like she was doing an ad for NutriSystem . She's a thin little one and though she is certainly not unhealthy, it wouldn't bother me a bit if she put on a little weight. The Gourmet dish I made tonight could go a long way toward fattening her up. Tonight I made the Creamy Cheese Tortellini with Asparagus on page 62 in this month's Gourmet. This was a very simple dish, using packaged tortellini to save time. The sauce was a base of chicken broth, cream, and cheese and it took less than 20 minutes to make. It was a definite keeper for the weeknight repertoire . The sauce coated well and the asparagus was fresh and perfectly cooked... and Eyrleigh loved it! Creamy Cheese Tortellini with Asparagus- A- Cost-$14.35 Calories per serving-585

I have to admit something. It's not April 16 th today. If you are reading this blog regularly, you may notice that my postings aren't matching the dates. With all the hosting last week, I got behind. Most nights I'd at least start the post, but I wasn't finishing them and then the next day would be a whole new batch of recipes and I just couldn't keep up. In fact, the cost and calorie breakdowns for the last week are still not up and may take awhile to do. I guess that's the problem with trying to cram a month's worth of recipes into 2 weeks. And it looks to be for naught. Richard's business trip got postponed so we won't leave until at least the last week of April. Oh, well... I'm still having fun and it was great to have guests to share this month's recipes with so I don't mind at all. Tonight I made three more recipes from April's Gourmet magazine, leaving me with only two recipes left to make. I made the Grilled Mediterranean La

I thought about titling this post, "Even Bloggers Need a Break" but it wasn't the blogging I took a break from. This evening when Richard got home from work and Dad and I were still working on the plantings out front and dinner had not been made, the suggestion to go out to eat at Dacula Dogs, a local hot dog place, was met with great enthusiasm. My parents have been here for 6 days and I've made dinner from Gourmet for them every night. I had already made 2 recipes from Gourmet today so I still have something to write about and my dinner recipes can wait for another day. This morning I made the last of the recipes in the "Transformers" article that uses lemon and eggs to make 5 dessert recipes. The article mentions that the recipe for Dutch Baby with Lemon Sugar could be for dessert or breakfast. I am glad I choose to make this recipe for breakfast. It is basically a large eggy pancake. It's good but not really dessert unless you dressed it up a bit wi

Last week, my friend Devi asked if I could watch her girls one day as she had to go back to work before they went back to school from spring break. I said I'd watch the kids contingent on her allowing me to make her family the Passover menu from April's Gourmet. For some reason, she thought that was a great trade;). Daycare and dinner! The most interesting thing about making a meal for Passover was the fact that I did not use a single dairy or wheat product in the entire menu. I know a little about Kosher regulations but I have never cooked with them. It was great to see how creative you can be without these key ingredients . Wheat and dairy are also common food allergens and all of these recipes would be a great choice for people with these allergies. It was also great to have Devi and her husband, Dan explain to my family the significance of the Haroseth that represents the mortar the Israelites used to build the pyramids while captive laborers for the Egyptians. I was a lit

When I began my month of Gourmet project in February, I thought of myself more as a cook than a baker. I've never been particularly astute at making cookies, pies, and breads. (Previous posts prove that!) I've always felt more confident with main dishes, particularly those made on the stove top. This project has helped me find some foolproof baking recipes that can really wow without the risk. This month's recipe for the Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Berries on page 86 is one of those recipes. I've never made meringue and it always looked very difficult . Well, let me assure you, it's doable! Very doable! I made the Pavlova along with the Rustic French Meatloaf on page 59 and the Mashed Potatoes with Crisp Ham on page 114 for some friends of my mom's who own a bed and breakfast. Hosting bed and breakfast owners sounds intimidating but Grace and Steve are some of the nicest people we know and I was only a little nervous about the meal. Like I said, the Pavlova was

Very few things I've made in my Gourmet project have made me quite as excited as making my own marshmallows. I'm not a sweets person normally but the whole process of making the Lillet Marshmallows in the Easter menu on page 78 was so cool. That only 3 ingredients and some water could make puffy sweet marshmallows is amazing chemistry in action. It's so simple but impressed everyone at Easter dinner (and for the next few days). Next year, I may try making my own Peeps with some food coloring and cookie cutters. I'm sure it would work and look so cool... and I don't even like Peeps! I made the Easter menu in this month's Gourmet article "One Fine Day" with only one change. I made the Thyme-Honey Glazed Ham on page 33 in place of the Herb-Roasted Pork Loin that was recommended with the menu. I made the change so I could take advantage of the ham's longer cook time while we went to Easter Mass. Pork with herbs for pork with herbs was a fair trade. I

A few years ago, I ran into the sister of my college suite mate at an alumni function. One of the first things she said after I introduced myself was "Oh, you were the ditsy one!". Not exactly the compliment I was hoping for but on occasion, it is true. I don't mean to be a ditz, it just happens. I leave my coffee on the back of the car and run over it. I get flustered and forget my own phone number when leaving a message for a friend. And when I'm cooking, I forget to add ingredients, sometimes vital ones. I once added salt instead of sugar to a large vat of coleslaw when I worked at an ice cream stand in college. I realized my mistake before I served it to customers but that was a lot of wasted coleslaw. Tonight I had decided to switch out the Herb-Roasted Pork Loin that was part of the Easter menu on page 76 in April's Gourmet with the Glazed Thyme-Honey Ham on page 33. The longer cook time allowed for the ham to be put in before Easter Mass tomorrow morning

Starting tonight, we will be hosting my parents for 6 nights as well as feeding other visiting family and friends. It will be the first true test of the Gourmet cooking project. Can I successfully make Easter dinner, Passover Seder, and 4 other meals for at least 5 people without any really big disasters? Well, Night One went well. My parents aren't a tough crowd. They probably would have raved about anything but we ate at a reasonable time, everything tasted good, and Dad even did the dishes! I made the Lemon-Oregano Chicken on page 58 of this month's Gourmet. I had thought Eyrleigh and I might go and meet my parents at Cloudland Canyon State Park earlier today so I wanted a quick main dish. This recipe used chicken thighs and I had only bought 4. Eight thighs would have been better for 4 people. The chicken was flavorful and made up for its small size. The oregano sauce coated the chicken well and made the skin crispy while leaving the meat juicy. I did have to put foil over

The culinary gods must know when I'm getting cocky. Just when I start to feel like I'm really getting the hang of this cooking thing, along comes a simple pie crust to make me humble again. Tonight, I made the Ricotta Polenta Pie recipe on page 12 of April's Gourmet magazine. I've never been a confident pie crust maker and today was no different. After chilling the dough for the crust overnight as recommended and then taking it out to warm up (I don't get that!), I tried to roll out the dough. The operative word was try. The crust cracked in numerous places and even with frequent flouring, little pieces kept coming off the crust and sticking to the rolling pin. I finally got a large enough circle of dough and turned it over into the pie plate. Again, the crust broke into many small pieces and I had to squish the pieces together and the whole bottom looked like a rather monochromatic patchwork quilt. I should have taken a picture but that would have been embarrassi

If you have ever seen the Bravo show, Top Chef, you know that the chef with the weakest dish of the night is asked to pack their knives and leave the show. Tonight's recipe was created for the cookbook, 'wichcraft: Craft a Sandwich into a Meal--and a Meal into a Sandwich , by Tom Colicchio of Top Chef fame. I've seen the show a few times and am not prepared to make a judgement on Mr. Colicchio but I can now say, he makes a really good sandwich. The recipe April's Gourmet included with the cookbook review was Red Wine-Braised Flank Steak with Roasted Peppers, Onions, and Gruyere. Most sandwich recipes are quick but this one was not. Three hours is a long time to spend on a sandwich but it was worth it. The wine braise made the steak very tender and the wine braise sauce gave a rich flavor to the meat. The homemade roasted peppers and roasted red onions added flavor and crunch. The Gruyere was flavorful enough to pull its weight with all the other strong flavors. This wa

I am admitting here in writing for all to see that I am notorious for making too much food. Richard repeatedly asks me why I did not halve the recipe as there are only 2 real eaters in our family. Eyrleigh does not warrant a full serving yet. I rarely look to see how many servings a recipe makes and have frequently made a meal that will serve 8 for just Richard and I. Naturally, the amount of leftovers is overwhelming and most of the food gets thrown away. Tonight, I didn't do that. I saw that the recipe for Dot's Sugar Cookies on page 79 of this month's Gourmet would make about 8 dozen cookies. We don't need 96 cookies so I halved the recipe. Well, I don't know what size the cookies would be that the recipe was intended for but with my egg cookie cutters for Easter, I only got about 25 cookies. The picture above was taken on a dessert plate so don't be deceived by the picture, these are very normal size cookies. I wish I hadn't halved the recipe. I had

Does this picture at left look like a successful cooking experience? If your answer is no, you are observant... and wrong. I was sure that tonight's dessert, the Lemon Snow Pudding with Basil Custard Sauce on page 87, was going to be a failure. The recipe said that I should beat the gelatin mixture that would become the lemon snow cream for 5 minutes or until it had tripled in volume and was thick enough to form a wide flat ribbon. After more than 10 minutes of beating, liquid was still flying out of the mixer bowl at a rather alarming rate. There was no triple- ing and no wide flat ribbons. I decided to cut my losses and put what was left of the liquid in the bowl in the fridge to chill. I was not feeling optimistic about this lemon snow cream. After dinner, I got the lemon snow cream and the basil custard sauce out and was pleasantly surprised. The snow cream had solidified well on top, though there was a layer of clear lemon gelatin on the bottom. The custard sauce is a sauce