Cooking Mag Mommy

This month's Bon Appetit has 3 menus created to make use of 3 essentials of the summer garden season.  I raved in an earlier post about the outstanding zucchini menu that I shared with our friends, the Knapp's.  Tonight was corn's turn to shine.  Last night, I made the first recipe from this menu to beef up another menu and lighten the amount 3 people had to eat from this one.  I really enjoyed the Tagliatelle with Fresh Corn Pesto and would add it to this menu if a few more people were eating with us.  Tonight, I made the other 3 recipes that began with a main dish of Grilled Mustard Chicken with Fresh Corn Polenta.  I choose to bake the chicken instead of grill it and I was happy with this change.  I find it really hard to monitor the grill temperature for bone-in chicken and often get the outside too crispy before the inside is done.  This dish has enough flavor without the added smoke of grilling as well.  The seasoning under the chicken ...

I really have been lucky.  For as much as I cook, I really should have some better stories about the stuff I've messed up on than I do.  Really, other than a Polish meal my friend Heather and I made that the salt got away from and a white chocolate cranberry cheesecake that Richard swears was the worst thing he's ever eaten, I've got very little.   (A few early blog posts may beg to differ but let's not go into that now.)   The only reason I even thought of food failures tonight is that once again I made something with white chocolate and once again, it did me wrong.   You can't really tell in the picture (I guess that was the point.) but tonight's White Chocolate Cherry Mousse Pie was full of tiny little white lumps.  They weren't lumps of chocolate as far as I could tell.  The mousse didn't congeal smoothly and it was off putting.  The cherry compote was wonderful but the pie itself, either because of or in spite of the lumps, didn't have a...

I sure hope blueberry stains come out because after tonight's meal, I had a few of them and so did Eyrleigh.  I've mentioned before one of the things I look about Bon Appetit is the magazine is enthusiastically thematic, sometimes to the edge of being cheesy.  Tonight was one of those borderline nights.  Grilled Salmon with Quick Blueberry Pan Sauce sounded strange from the get-go.  Blueberries are a quintessential fruit, little pockets of sweetness that seem only fitting at the conclusion of a meal.  Pairing them with a rich fatty fish like salmon seemed a gamble at best.  To be fair, the dish wasn't bad, though I wouldn't say it was really good either.  I just didn't think the flavors worked.  You could taste blueberry, you could taste salmon but the compliment just didn't work for me.  The herbs, garlic, and shallots helped cut the sweetness along with the vinegar but the taste of blueberry was still there.  I almost felt bear-like, r...

This month's Bon Appetit has 3 menus based completely on 3 staples of summer gardens, zucchini, corn, and tomatoes.  Tonight I played caterer again and was bringing dinner to my friends, Devi and Dan Knapp and their two girls, Sophie and Lily, ages 5 and 3.  I really enjoy this almost monthly tradition and it gives us a chance to see our good friends on a weeknight.  I try to precook as much of the meal as possible and bring everything I need, down to the salt, so I can put it together quickly with a minimum of disruption to Devi's kitchen.  Tonight I made the zucchini menu and I'll try to explain not only how the food tasted but how I packed it "to go".  The menu began with Tender Zucchini Fitters with Green Goddess Dressing.  Since the zucchini needed to be grated and drained before frying up the fritters, I actually transported the grated zucchini rolled in a dish towel.  The extra drying time was great.  I often find that anything I try to fry...

I mentioned in a post not long ago that June got away from me.  I didn't post once the whole month.  In hindsight, July wasn't much better.  I posted only four times and made only fifteen recipes from the month's Bon Appetit.  June's excuse was the bi-annual trip to my parents house in New Hampshire, where we attended my brother's burial service and a special memorial service held at his work.  The trip is usually a vacation but this year carried a bit more weight.  Our more restful summer vacations took place in the month of July and the beginning of August this year.  Eyrleigh and I got the chance to join my friend, Lynette, on a trip to Sarasota, Florida where we enjoyed the ocean for a few days and spent a day at the surprisingly extensive Ringling Circus and Art Museum.  Then on the next to last day of July, we all flew to Denver to attend the wedding of  Richard's brother, James.  We decided that spending almost $800 o...

My grandmother, Ruth Elder, was in many ways the inspiration for this blog.  She has always been my ideal of the perfect hostess.  Her home was beautiful.  She was an interior decorator and was still working into her 70's.  Her style was probably best described as Classic.  Each room was filled with antiques but never looked cluttered or dark.  She loved large windows, long drapes, and soft colors.  My grandparent's house was always immaculately clean and anyone who entered was offered a cold drink and something to eat as soon as they arrived.   Someday, I'd like my house to be the type of place where people feel comfortable as soon as they enter.  I don't want to worry that they see a spider web in the corner of the ceiling or that there are unwashed dishes in the sink.  I want to remember to offer everyone a drink and have something in the pantry for them if they are hungry.  I'm not there yet.  I have dishe...

Richard was my photographer tonight.  He got impatient waiting for me to take a picture of our food before we could eat and he just grabbed the camera.  He just got home from work and was pretty hungry.   I didn't have the heart to retake them because he thought he was being helpful but I don't like the "bird's eye" view of this food.   Looking at the picture makes me a little dizzy, like the plate will start spinning in a circle any moment.   I'm going to make this a short blog post so I don't have to keep staring at the pictures.  Tonight I made two dishes from this month's Bon Appetit magazine.  Neither were a dish that intrigued me greatly but tonight crept up on me and I needed quick and easy.  I made the Piri-Piri Chicken on page 69 and to be even quicker and easier, I used boneless chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken.  I might have sacrificed a depth of flavor in the meat itself but with a...

If you ever want to have a thematic dinner for the Beatles The White Album, I think I've found your menu.  My grandmother used to talk about the importance of color on each plate and I failed to heed her message on this one.  Tonight's meal was good, just a bit too monochromatic.  For dinner, I made the Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Thai Coconut Sauce and the Creamy Cilantro-Lime Slaw.  As you can see from the picture, the Thai coconut sauce was bit runny but it was very good and a great addition to not only the fish but the rice as well.   Mahi-mahi is a pretty mild fish and this sauce had some wonderful flavors that complimented without overpowering the fish.  The slaw had an Asian flare (or Mexican, depending on how you looked at it) so it paired well with the fish.  The crunch of the slaw and the mild heat of the chile worked well also.  I guess it's not a very British menu for the Beatles but they traveled the world.  I'm sure they lo...

I love the month of June, don't get me wrong.  Graduations, weddings, and Father's Day are all great events.  I just don't cook much in June.  For the last two years, we've done the bulk of our summer traveling in June and it throws off any attempt on my part to cook anything of real consequence.  We headed up to my parents' house in New Hampshire on the 10th for my brother's burial service and some much needed family time.  The bulk of the first week there was dealing with the graveside service and another memorial service at his work.  This was really draining on all of us and much like when we were up there immediately after my brother's death, we had lots of food given to us and didn't do much cooking at all.  The second week was much more relaxing but Richard had headed back to Atlanta so I spent a lot of time visiting old friends and hanging out with my parents.  I made a killer strawberry-rhubarb pie one night.   I was really prou...

Ah, the smoke of the grill means summer is just around the corner.  Let's call tonight a warm-up since all I had to do was finish off some ribs I'd slow cooked this afternoon.   I invited some friend's over so it was best I didn't need to spend lots of time tending the flames.  I'm never very vigilant and stuff gets black.  Tonight, I actually let Richard man the grill and he did well.  The recipes I cooked tonight came from a party menu in this month's Food and Wine that was hosted by a television star I've never heard of.  Honestly, I find it a bit irritating that Food and Wine loves to name drop in their articles.  I'm not really into food superstars and even less into movie stars...but I digress.  The Pincho Ribs weith Sherry Glaze were a bit hit with every one but Rebecca.  As our group's only vegetarian, she is very tolerant of the presence of meaty ribs at dinner.  These pork ribs were incredibly tender and the glaz...

The other night I made the bulk of the Moroccan meal in this month's Food and Wine but I still had the Moroccan Lamb Stew with Noodles to make.  In keeping with the theme, I made this recipe tonight.  It was pretty labor-intensive, something that cooking expert, Paula Wolfert , is not afraid of if the recipe tastes right.  The use of powdered sugar was a bit strange at first but the bit of sweet was surprising.  I really liked this dish for its mix of rich lamb, crunchy almonds, flavorful noodles, and the aforementioned powdered sugar.  I even got to pull out a wonderful old fondue pot of my grandmother's that made this dish look great.  Sorry for the rather cloudy picture.  It really did look good.  The title for this blog came from the second recipe I'm writing about.  Last night I took some friends who just had a baby dinner.  I get a bit nervous about experimenting on friends, especially when the dish has to travel well so I just mad...

Every time I give blood for the American Red Cross, one of the questions I must answer is "Have you been to Africa?".  Yes, I have.  I spent a total of 8 hours one day the summer of 1988 in Morocco.  This visit did not put me at risk for AIDS, an epidemic through much of the continent but it did show me a much more wonderful side of this diverse and beautiful part of the world, its food and landscape.  I've got to be honest.  I don't remember much from that whirlwind day.  We were staying on the Rock of Gibraltar for the summer as part of a youth mission project and could see the coast of Morocco every day.  One morning we caught a boat and headed to Tangier.  I remember touring a cave.  A little research shows me that it was probably the Grottoes D'Hercules as I know we looked out from the cave onto the ocean.  We then headed into the city and walked through the most colorful, fantastic market I have ever seen....

I don't usually cook on the weekends, at least recipes from magazines.  This weekend I was inspired or maybe just hungry.  I even woke up early enough on Saturday to make muffins.  Richard makes fun of my total lack of productivity most mornings so this was quite a feat.  The Chocolate Chip and Banana Muffins in this month's Food and Wine were worth waking up for.  They were basically a moist yummy banana bread with chips wrapped up in a muffin paper.   They did not take an hour to make, even though the recipe said that.  This weekend also began the culinary tour of North Africa, with a heavy dose of Moroccan food.  The Chicken Chorba with Walnuts from the "Why French Women Don't Stay Fat" article was really simple and really good.  As you can see from my picture I paired this dish with couscous and raisins, one of my all time favorite sides.  Chicken thighs were a great choice for this dish because the richer tasting dark meat st...

Nothing beats Guedo's tacos. Sorry, they just can't. This classic taco stand on the corner of Chandler and Arizona in ironically the city of Chandler, Arizona is my all time favorite taco place. I lived in Chandler for 4 years and went to Guedo's almost weekly. If you ever are in Phoenix, it's worth the trip a few miles south to Chandler. If you're lucky, you will arrive during Ostrich Festival to add to your joy. Today I made the last two taco recipes in this month's Food and Wine Taco World article. They had nothing on Guedo's. The first taco I actually made for lunch, just for me. The whole concept of the L.A. Gas Station Taco struck me as a bit too odd to try for dinner. In retrospect, I made the right decision. Don't get me wrong, these tacos aren't terrible. They are just a combination of things you could buy at 7-11 or QuickTrip. These tacos were filling but for me, the flavors and textures didn't really work. The beef jerky really thr...

I admit I have a little obsession with cooking magazines. At one point, I was receiving 5 different cooking magazines in the mail each month. One, Taste of Home, was a gift subscription and I didn't renew it when it ran out. The other, Gourmet, has ceased publication so I no longer get that one. The other three, Bon Appetit , Food and Wine, and Cooking Light are all great magazines, but for different reasons. The following comparisons are mostly my opinion but you may find them helpful if you are looking to subscribe to just one. (Gasp!) Bon Appetit Bon Appetit would classify as my long-term favorite, though month by month I choose my favorite magazines based on personal preference for recipes and interest in the articles. Bon Appetit has lots of creative menus and I like menus to help put similar recipes together. There are often several articles with a cultural theme (either country or region) with accompanying recipes. Bon Appetit did change their design style in th...

For those of you not in the know, today was Ho Chi Minh's birthday. I wouldn't have known this either if I didn't need an excuse to make 3 different dumpling recipes for my family tonight without looking like a lunatic. Check that... maybe I am a lunatic. But at least I know more about Ho Chi Minh than the average bear. Ho Chi Minh , the namesake for the current capital of Vietnam, was the leader of the Viet Minh Independence movement and the leader and president of North Vietnam at the time of the Vietnam War. He was a follower of Communist ideals and is credited with unifying the Vietnamese people under his leadership. And his birthday was a dang good excuse to make some dumplings. Food and Wine this month has an article "A Lesson in Dumplings" and I made all three variations. The Lemongrass Chicken Dumplings were our favorite. The fresh lemongrass and crunch cabbage was a good combination. My new food processor made quick work of all the chopping and Eyrle...

This title is not exactly appropriate for a food blog but I have to get this off my chest. I know Eyrleigh is not perfect but I can't tell you how very upsetting it was to me to see that she bit her little friend, Joanie. Worse, I didn't see it happen and only noticed a bite mark when I was telling Joanie's mom about another booboo she gave herself. I felt terrible that I hadn't even noticed what Eyrleigh had done. Thanks for listening. Some days , cooking just takes a backseat to the dramas of parenthood. I made a meal from Food and Wine but I don't have the energy and creativity to come up with any other blog topic. It was just the kind of day that makes you cringe. I really love Indian food but tonight's variations from this month's Food and Wine were a bit bland for my taste. I baked the Grilled Tandoori-Style Chicken Drumsticks in the oven. The recipe even allowed for it but I think grilling would have really improved the flavor of this d...

The fatal flaw of cooking fish is the strong smell that goes along with it. I did laundry today and I'm afraid I'll sleep with a faint odor of lobster. I'm reminded of a restaurant we ate at on the water in Bar Harbor, Maine this summer. Three days later, my sweatshirt still smelled of fish. I love the fish while I'm eating it but smelling it in your clothes the next morning is not quite so nostalgic. I've always wanted to make bouillabaisse. It's one of those classic dishes that just sounds delicious. My friend, Mark, would reschedule anything to attend his parents Christmas Eve dinner of bouillabaisse with friends. Now that I've made Ted Allen's Lobster Bouillabaisse from this month's Food and Wine, the bloom is off the rose, shall we say. I liked it but may not move it into the weekday rotation or even plan an event around it. It's a lot of fish and I found the flavor a bit overwhelming. My mussels may be at fault though. You will ...