by Sam Tackeff | Feb 28, 2013 | Poultry, Quick and Easy, Vegetables
So there was a snow storm three weeks ago. Nemo – I’m sure you heard of it. It was officially named by the Weather Channel, much to the chagrin of the National Weather Service. But three weeks ago – that’s about the last time I sat down at my computer to relax. (These are some of the photos I took of the storm!)
The week of Nemo I joined the team at RunKeeper – as a project manager leading globalization efforts! Beyond the job itself – which is absolutely thrilling – I’m most excited about working with a team of people who are kind, silly, and have a lot of fun together. I knew I would be in good company when in my exhaustive interviews I met cookbook lovers, people excited about home sausage making, home brewers, and another whose wife runs a small CSA/recipe club.
This week confirmed it, when our Hackathon had us working on crazy projects, and suddenly I found myself recording audio on ProTools (something I’d never done before), and dressing up as a “real runner” in order to properly make a fool of myself infront of my new coworkers. It paid off – our team won prizes in the “Audio” and “Best Demo” categories, and I personally won a Nerf gun.
The transition has been a little bit jarring – all of a sudden I’ve been thrust back into a daily grind, and it has been a challenge feeding us healthy meals, without resorting to more takeout.
Thankfully, not every night has been a wash. Here are a few of my favorites – easy meals that I put together quickly while I set about getting other things done.
Roasted sausages + Brussels Sprouts: the sausages are garlic thyme from M.F. Dulock (part of my Meat Club subscription). I usually keep extras in the freezer to defrost and cook when I really can’t bother to do any other work. They went into the skillet with a few cups of brussels sprouts doused with some olive oil, salt, and pepper at 350F, and after about 20 or 25 minutes I flipped over the sausages, agitated the brussels sprouts, and roasted for another 25 minutes, until the sprouts were soft and a little bit crispy.
Steak Salad: I don’t usually cook steaks for dinner, because they are expensive, and I’m happier with good quality ground meat or cheaper stewing or braising cuts for my meal. But sometimes, they show up in Meat Club, so I’m “forced” to eat them. Having not eaten enough vegetables, I opted for steak salad.
I seasoned the steak with salt and pepper, and seared it in a little bit of butter in the skillet. This was a thin steak, so it cooked in about 3 minutes on each side.
I let the steak rest as I heated up some leftover roasted baby potatoes, made a quick sharp mustardy dressing, and tossed it with some butter lettuce.
And then there was sausage night two (do you see a theme here?) This was a spicy Italian sausage, freshly made at the butcher, which I served with some mashed purple potato, and a spinach salad.
And finally, quick garlic chicken thighs, with more of those leftover roasted baby potatoes (another theme!), tossed with some steamed green beans, and a lemon-anchovy vinaigrette. The chicken is simply coated with salt, pepper, and garlic powder – yep, garlic powder. It forms a crispy crust that you can’t get from the fresh allium – and cooked on the stovetop in a little bit of coconut oil, about 7 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
This week, there were a few too many meals out… erm… most of them, but I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things!
by Sam Tackeff | Jan 31, 2013 | Cookware
Editor’s note: since I published this post, I’ve received a lot of comments online and off by people frustrated with a different experience (and a much less positive one.) While I was satisfied (and seemingly lucky) with my experience, I’ll leave the comments open, and welcome anyone to share their experience here as well. Did you managed to get your pot replaced? Did it not work? Keep in mind that we’re all real humans here, and in no way connected to Le Creuset, so let’s keep it friendly in the comments!
Here’s a little story for you about my recent experience with Le Creuset. (Spoiler: it ended happily!) But I’ll start from the beginning: from early childhood, my favorite cooking memories involve sitting over the stove, stirring delicious things in Le Creuset pots. My mom has had the same large white French oven, and big blue braiser for at least two decades. More, I suppose. I love the functionality of these pots, and the heat distribution. They are perfect for soups and stews, braising, or even roasting in the oven.
Three years ago, I became a big kid, and got my own – a 7.25 quart round French oven, in Dijon. It’s a cheerful color, made my kitchen happy, and I used it every day. It felt good, having that pot, trusted, and would serve, in a pinch, as an effective weapon, in case of an intruder bursting into my kitchen.
While my mom’s pots have lasted with no problems for decades, alas, I must have purchased a lemon. After a few years, the enamel on the bottom of the pot started cracking, despite my gentle use with wooden spoons, typically low-medium heat as specified by their recommendations, and only gentle scrubbing. (You don’t really ever need to use the thing on high, because of the fantastic cast iron.)
One day, I was heating up some oil in the pan, and the enamel started exploding like tiny pieces of popcorn. I must admit, I had no idea what to do. I couldn’t really afford to drop several hundred dollars on a new pot, and reading threads on Chowhound made me nervous that Le Creuset might not replace it. But after several months with limited braising capabilities, I decided to take the plunge, and try my luck with the return process. There was no sense in sitting with a large, useless kitchen item. (I literally loved the pot so much that the idea of parting with it was horrific, even though I could not use it at the time.) Hopefully, if you are in the same boat as I was, this will be of use.
Here’s what happened:
1. I called customer support, and asked for a Returns Merchandise Authorization number. They ask you to put the number both inside and outside your returns box, so don’t send it to them without calling first! I chatted with the kind support folks for a bit about my problem. They couldn’t promise it would be replaced, but they seemed kindly enough, that I’d risk it.
2. I washed out my sad pot, one last time. I had a big pot, and was a little nervous about finding something to ship it in. Fortunately, my 7.25 quart pot fit perfectly in the USPS priority shipping box! You have to pay for it yourself, but at least this is fairly economical. Go USPS!
3. I wrote a kind note explaining what was wrong, just in case they didn’t notice. I then purchased insurance on the item, and confirmation of delivery (just a few extra dollars, but totally worth it.) My thinking was if the postal service lost my pot, I’d get insurance, and be able to replace the thing anyway. There was a moment where I prayed this would actually happen, because at the time, I still had my doubts about Le Creuset coming through. I also took a picture in the box, just in case. The total came to about 18 dollars, which isn’t free, but also isn’t a tenth of the cost of purchasing a new pot.
4. I waited. The support site says turnaround time is 2-4 weeks, although on the phone I was quoted 4-6 weeks. There’s nothing to really track the process, or any form of communication from the company. But yesterday, I came home, and there was a box on my doorstep. The box came back in less than 3 weeks, and they even replaced it in the discontinued color of the original (Dijon).
If they don’t find fault with their workmanship, they offer a 75% discount off of the purchase of a new pot. (But they won’t return the item you sent to them.) I think I would have had a tantrum if they had pulled this, but fortunately, things went well.
Moral of the story: this was an anxious month. I sent my well loved item back to the factory without promise of return. I wish they had a program that you could just exchange at an authorized point of purchase, but I’m certainly appreciative that I got my pot replaced! And frankly, I wish I had done it sooner! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my pot. So, if there are any of you sitting at home with a sad Le Creuset, just take the plunge.
by Sam Tackeff | Jan 30, 2013 | Meat, Photography, Poultry, Quick and Easy
In the past few weeks, my writing practice has seen several false starts. I’ll get motivated to sit down and craft something delightful, and then I’ll stare blankly at my screen. My mind has been so overloaded this month that I’ve been having trouble tuning things out and focusing. This can be infuriating. I have, however, been enjoying the medium of photography, committing myself to share at least one photo a day, usually here on instagram, out of the dozens that I snap on my walks. This is my favorite shot this week– it’s a bit of trickery. I took the photo of trees reflecting on the water of the semi-frozen Charles River, and flipped it upside down. I love how the flecks of ice look like stars.
I’d like to assure you that despite my lack of creative output, I’ve been eating well this month. Mostly. Of course there have been a few trips to Anna’s for Mexican, a couple of sushi orders, and my favorite yesterday: burgers and shakes at the Met Bar. But, I’ve spent a good amount of time at home making worthwhile meals. Here are a few of them.
One cold afternoon, I played around with Mark Bittman’s recipe for Crispy Pork Bits with Jerk Seasoning from How to Cook Everything, which slow cooks pork pieces in the oven seasoned with lots of allspice, nutmeg, coriander and lime, and makes the house smell celebratory. I tossed in a few handfuls of green beans in the last half hour of roasting.
And then there was this chicken dish, which I’ll call tomato braised curry chicken. It’s the ultimate cheater meal – I’ll season chicken thighs with curry powder and salt, and sear them for a few minutes in a little bit of coconut oil. When cooked through, I’ll pour over a jar of Rao’s marinara, bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, cover, and let cook for about half an hour so that the chicken-y juices infuse the sauce. You can serve it over rice, or spaghetti squash, or eat it just plain in a bowl, like I do.
One night we had my childhood favorite, franks and beans, and big salads. I used to use Pearl hot dogs and the sickly sweet Campbell’s with the little pieces of salt pork like my grandfather liked, but these days I tend to use Applegate Organic hotdogs that I pick up at Trader Joes, and some sort of hippy brand of beans when I’m not making my own with Rancho Gordo’s.
There was this delightful winter lunch – a perfect steak from the butcher shop, which came in my Meat Club subscription, otherwise I’d likely never leave with something so fancy! I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and cumin, and served it with a little Moroccan carrot salad, with a cumin and preserved lemon vinaigrette, and a little handful of cured olives.
Another perfect lunch came in the form of a second childhood favorite: liver and peas. I cooked the (goat’s liver!) with a little bit of bacon, tossed in some frozen peas, and then doused it all with a good squeezing of lemon.
A quick dinner came together one night in the form of garlicky pork tenderloin, roasted green beans, and a dollop of guacamole. I like it when my meals have not one, but two shades of green. I usually parcook the green beans and then let them finish in the roasting pan with the pork.
Finally, one of my favorite meals, which we ate twice: roasted chicken thighs with potatoes, tomatoes, lemon and thyme. I love making variations on this, a fairly typically Turkish or Greek meal. I’ll season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and thyme, and then sear them skin side down in some melted butter. Then flip them over, and nestle them on top of a few par-cooked potatoes (in the microwave is just fine) and raw tomatoes cut into wedges. Into the oven for about an hour at 375, and the skin comes out crispy. You can also roast a few lemon wedges in there, and then squeeze out the juice onto your chicken.
And now for some wonderful news: when I returned home from a long walk this afternoon, I found a box from Le Creuset on my doorstep! My beloved 7.25 quart Dijon Dutch Oven, which had died of some fluke chipping, had been replaced! They even sent me the same color! Expect to see a good amount of braising and roasting in the coming weeks from my kitchen.
by Sam Tackeff | Jan 12, 2013 | Books, Books in 2013
Before I discuss a non-food related novel with you, let me just mention how much I absolutely adore Jane Mount’s Ideal Bookshelf Series. Here’s one of my favorites: Ideal Bookshelf 506: Cooking (the link is to where you can purchase your very own copy on 20×200, not an affiliate link!) I own almost every cookbook on this shelf. When I can afford to commit, I’ll be inquiring about a custom one of her work.
• • •
Reading is one of my favorite competitive sports. Every year I make a resolution to read 52 (or more books). Usually the competition is with myself (although admittedly I’d always try to win the reading competitions at my library): I have a finite amount of time on this earth, and there is a seemingly infinite amount of reading I’d like to tackle. I find that it helps to set goals, rather than throw my hands up in defeat.
Curiously, I don’t “count” my reading of cookbooks, and since I read so many like novels, this would put me well above my yearly quota. For each novel or non-fiction book, I like to write a paragraph or two in summary, sometimes about the book, or sometimes about the things that reading it reminds me to think about. I started this practice because I wanted to find a way to pause, record, and acknowledge the book I read, rather than just consume it. Over time it became a form of gratitude for the author – someone spent months, years, or decades of work on this project, and reading aimlessly and moving on seemed thankless, and too abrupt of an ending.
Usually these notes find themselves in my Goodreads account, or a personal blog, or even just written in a moleskin. But since this blog has become so much more than just food, I figure I’ll stick them here until I get bored, or someone convinces me otherwise.
#1.The Woman Who Died a Lot by Jasper Fforde
Hardcover, 384 pages
Published July 12th 2012 by Hodder & Stoughton
(US edition published October 9th 2012 by Viking Adult)
Read on Kindle, review copy provided by NetGalley
This is the seventh book in the Thursday Next series. To my best recollection, I started reading these after finding a copy of the third book ‘The Well of Lost Plots’ in my house, collecting dust. The purchase was an ill-fated attempt by my mother to find something that my brother would enjoy to read. (My brother, who voraciously consumes media in the form of blogs, news articles, and television, is the only member of our nuclear family who doesn’t particularly enjoy the printed word. We’re not sure where he came from.)
Fforde, a master of literary puns, succeeds again in writing something that makes me laugh the entire way through. The main character, Thursday Next, is an aging ex-special ops detective, forced into semi-retirement as the chief librarian of Swindon. Though not my favorite edition of the series, Thursday is a great female lead, and I always enjoy coming back to her adventures. (I should note that newcomers to the series would be much better off starting at the beginning – I accidentally read the third book in the series first, and backtracked, and you’d be missing a lot if you started out here.)
“Do I have to talk to insane people?” “You’re a librarian now. I’m afraid it’s mandatory.”
Please note the UK cover, left, (via Jasperfforde.com) vs. the American version, right – I’ve yet to find a situation where I don’t prefer the British cover art. The UK version includes a fast car driven by the likeable aging protagonist, an explosion, and an escaping dodo – a generally fun cover. The US version, has a design which I admittedly like the look of, but is heavily stylized, and misses the opportunity to represent the strong female lead of a certain age by replacing her with an attractive young woman. Meh.
by Sam Tackeff | Jan 10, 2013 | Greek, Soups
Everyone is getting sick around here. The mayor of Boston declared a health emergency for the flu epidemic, and you can’t go anywhere without seeing people out and about sniffling and spreading the plague. So I’ve been trying to stay in, limit my face time to critical meetings, and exercise outside without meeting up with anyone. Because I’m a hermit at heart, this is admittedly enjoyable.
One of the best ways you can fortify yourself is with soup, so I’ve been drinking copious amounts to ward off the sickness. I’ve now made this liquid health elixir twice this week, and thought finally that I should share it here. Egg Lemon Soup (or sauce) is common in Greek, Turkish, and Jewish cooking – all of which are part of my culinary heritage. Despite this, I have very few memories of my mom or grandmother making this soup, but I do fondly recall ordering it often as a child with my grandparents at the Putterham Deli, which later became Andrea’s and then shuttered before I moved back to New England. The soup was always the first part of a gleeful two part culinary adventure – usually followed by poppy seed hamantaschen and picking up a challah for the sabbath next door at Cheryl Ann’s – and thus is etched in my memory in a positive way. Unlike jello, another sick-person-food, which to this day revolts me.
If you are lazy, tired, or coming down with something, this soup comes together in mere minutes, with ingredients you are likely to have on hand. It’s rich and chicken-y if you use good stock, tart and lemon-y enough, and filling because of the egg. You could add a handful of orzo, rice, or pieces of chicken, but I don’t usually bother. Traditionally you are supposed to temper the eggs by pouring some of the hot chicken stock into the egg mixture first, and whisking vigorously. Then you pour it back into your soup for a silky smooth texture. But I like doing a bastardized version by just heating up my chicken stock, and slowly pouring in my egg mixture while stirring, so that the soup has some intrigue to it, like a finer egg drop soup. It’s seasoned simply with lemon juice and fish sauce rather than salt, which I like because it provides a bit more savory depth to the soup.
Not So Traditional Egg Lemon Soup for 1
2 eggs, whisked
juice of half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon Red Boat Fish Sauce (more for salt and funk, less if your stock has salt already)
1 – 2 cups chicken stock, preferably home made
optional: a small handful of orzo, leftover roasted chicken, some dill, a sprinkling of lemon zest
In a small bowl, whisk together two eggs, the juice of half a lemon, and some fish sauce. I like using a few good glugs. It’ll smell funky, like fish sauce, but don’t worry. Set aside. In a small saucepan on medium high heat, bring your chicken stock to a simmer. (If you’d like to add some pieces of chicken, or a small handful of orzo, do so here, and cook until warmed or cooked through.) Turn down the heat to medium-low, and start slowly whisking in the egg mixture. It’ll look like egg drop soup, then suddenly fluff up. Take off the heat, pour into a bowl, and savor immediately. If you feel compelled to gussy it up, go ahead and sprinkle on some parsley or lemon zest. I rarely feel the need to.
