You’d think after 20 years of daily cooking, and 10 years as a
food columnist, that I could avoid any kitchen disasters. But it’s
just not true. They still happen at regular intervals and maybe
more to me, since I’m constantly testing recipes.
You’d think after 20 years of daily cooking, and 10 years as a food columnist, that I could avoid any kitchen disasters. But it’s just not true. They still happen at regular intervals and maybe more to me, since I’m constantly testing recipes.
There are tried and true sources, but even these are not infallible. Because I want to make sure to challenge your repertoires, I continually look for new ideas. These come from magazines, cookbooks, readers, friends and things I make up because I have the ingredients on hand and I didn’t really plan far enough ahead. You know the drill.
That said, it’s a real disappointment to me when I have a flop. By the time something doesn’t work out, I’ve already researched it, bought the ingredients, prepped and cooked (sometimes for hours) and served it to a hungry family. When the dish bombs, I not only don’t have an item for my column, I still have to figure out what to feed everyone, instead.
I recently spent an hour prepping, then three hours cooking short ribs that smelled heavenly. Only problem is, they tasted terrible and fatty and I just couldn’t eat them, much less turn the recipe over to you. Luckily, to combat those type of disappointments, with adventurous cooking come some very fun and wonderful surprises – dishes that make it into my “blue book” and stay there forever, hopefully to be handed over one day to my daughters.
A famous story in our family involves a fish dish in a red tomato sauce with onions, served over rice. It was, I admit, inedible. My husband took one bite, put down his napkin, then calmly walked out the front door. We heard his truck pull away as we all still sat at the table.
About 20 minutes later, he returned, white bags in hand, smelling of French fries and hamburgers. Thank goodness, the fast food place had a stellar night and all their recipes worked. We ate like Burger Kings.
Stellar Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Norma Oates sent me this recipe for homemade macaroni and cheese. I agree with Norma: It is special and very rich, perfect for serving with grilled sausage. Norma cubes her cheese. I think I prefer it shredded. Either way, the results are a long way from the boxed kind.
Norma’s Macaroni & Cheese
8 oz. large elbow macaroni
10 oz. (2 cups) medium cheddar cheese
2 tsp. instant (dried) minced onion
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 pint whipping cream
Paprika
– Boil macaroni. Cube cheese. In 3-quart casserole, put a layer of half the macaroni, 1 tsp. minced onion, 1 tsp. salt, – tsp. pepper and half the cubed cheese.
– Repeat for second layer.
– Pour 1 pint whipping cream over all and sprinkle with paprika. Bake without a lid in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Turn off oven, put on lid, and leave in oven another 15 minutes. Serves 4.
Reliable reader
This recipe is from Bev Pierce, a longtime reader who is happy to have her cooking column back! Use more or fewer chilies, depending on your personal taste. Thanks for sending it in, Bev. I look forward to many more from your archives!
Tortilla Soup a la Bev
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
3 Tbsp. taco seasoning
46 oz. chicken stock
2 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
1-1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 dried chilies, chopped (optional)
1 avocado, chopped
Tortilla chips
1 cup shredded cheese
– Saute onions and garlic in a small amount of oil. Add seasoning, chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce, diced chicken, and chilies if desired. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
– To serve, place soup in bowls. Add broken tortilla chips. Place cheese and avocado on top. Serves 3 to 4.
Sage advice
When Fran Hagenbuch sent me this recipe, I couldn’t believe how many fresh sage leaves were in this recipe. But Fran is right – it’s perfect. Just make sure to use fresh sage leaves, not dried. And chop them very finely. This comes from Fran and Huck’s daughter in Portland. According to Fran, “All the males in our family love it!”
Turkey Soup with Rice, Mushrooms & Sage
3 tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped finely
1 celery stalk, chopped finely
25 large fresh sage leaves, chopped finely
4 tbsp. flour
5 cups turkey or chicken broth
3.5 oz. rice
9 oz. mushrooms, sliced
7 oz. cooked turkey
3/4 cup half-and-half
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
– Melt half the butter in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery and sage and panfry for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion is softened, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
– Add a quarter of the broth and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan to mix in the flour. Pour in the remaining broth, stirring to combine completely, and bring just to a boil.
– Stir in the rice and season to taste. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, partially covered, for about 30 minutes or until the rice is just tender, stirring occasionally.
– Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until they are golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms to the soup.
– Add the turkey to the soup and stir in the cream. Continue simmering for about 10 minutes, or until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Ladle soup into warm bowls and serve with Parmesan cheese. Serves 4.
Happy cooking!
