The Other Cook

Tonight, I grilled up the other steaks I had on hand from our Costco trip. They were equally good, and the leftover potatoes warmed nicely alongside them on the grill in a foil pouch (with a pinch more cheddar to compensate for what I knew would stick to the foil). The wine was better, and while it was chilly, it was a pleasant night in front of the grill.

But the real treat wasn't the dinner tonight. It was our other cook. When I grilled over the weekend, our daughter lined up an array of mixing bowls to "cook dinner" while I was outside. Tonight, she "cooked" while my wife and I sat down to eat. She used a straw to mix, and had a variety of bowls, cups, and spoons on hand to concoct her imaginary meal. The result was some "coffee" for mommy, served in a plastic jug with a straw.

I was lucky enough to spend most of my childhood living in a home where dinner was cooked most nights, and the norm was for us to gather for our meal together. I don't think I fully appreciated the effort that my various caregivers put into those meals at the time, and I know I didn't always appreciate the end results. (My cousins will all attest to the misery of some of the worst pea soup ever served!) In hindsight, I am deeply grateful for those meals, and for that effort.

I want my daughter to appreciate the love that goes into a home cooked meal, and I think we are on the right track.

Rib-eye and Costco

I enjoy our Costco shopping days. There is something about bulk shopping that is comforting, some sort of security I get from knowing the cupboards will be full a while longer. I have some theories about why this is true for me, but they are deeply personal, and I'm not sure I want to write about them here, at least not at this time. Aside from the philosophical and visceral reasons, there is a simple reason as well; coming home with a bargain on good meats. Sure, I'd prefer some carefully aged beef from Fox & Obel downtown, but it isn't the most convenient place to get to. And while well worth the price, it isn't the sort of indulgence I feel we can afford for an ordinary weekend meal. I was thrilled to see some well-marbled rib eye steaks today at Costco, and in a reasonably-sized 4 pack to boot!

Too often, butchers these days cut away too much of the fat from rib-eyes. To make matters worse (and less tasty), cattle are bred to be leaner for the American market for a variety of reasons. (I will take a pass on writing about food supply chains and large-scale farming for now). The cuts we bought today were good, and I knew they would yield some nice, juicy results.

But I had a bonus surprise waiting for me later in our shopping trip today. The folks from Smoke Daddy were sampling some of their BBQ sauce today, and they were selling the bottles in a buy-one-get-one promotion for today as well. As often as not, I make my own BBQ sauce, and I delight in experimenting with a core formula that has come to serve me well. But I also delight in the results of others' experiments, and this sauce was damn good. I decided to pair it up with our rib-eyes tonight, and it sure was tasty.

On the side - some boiled red-skinned potatoes with a bit of cheddar, chive and bacon along with some corn rounded things out for us. The bacon is another Costco favorite of mine. They sell bags of pre-cooked crumbled bacon, and it is incredibly handy to have on hand for any number of uses. We also popped open a bottle of Malbec (from France; usually we drink Argentinian Malbecs), and it was decent, if uncomplicated.

The verdict

It is almost never a bad night when the grill is involved. We were lucky the rain kept to the mid afternoon. The sauce worked. Solid, tasty, and a nice enhancement for the meat. I kept mine to a perfect medium-rare, and served my wife a less-marbled cut cooked to an equally perfect medium. The fat did its job; the meat was juicy and succulent throughout. The smoky hints from the bacon in the potatoes were a plus as well, but I may have been just the slightest bit overzealous with the chives.

The wine was not a disappointment, but it was not as great a pairing with the beef that our usual suspects from Argentina would have been. Argentines most definitely have great wines for beef, as do the French, but given my choice, at this point in time, I'll stick with the South Americans. If anything, this bottle of wine was too earthy and lacked complexity to really enhance the meal.

Still, it was a great dinner, and the larder is again replete. Thanks, Costco, for the security of bulk buying.

We will probably be enjoying a few nights of leftovers now. I'll write about them if they prove worth the effort.

On the Side

Tonight was a leftover night. Yep, that chicken from yesterday was our fare for the evening. But I had some produce on hand that I'd planned to use for another meal, and didn't want it to go to waste.

So, with our chicken tonight, we had a nice little simple 4 ingredient salad; cucumber, pear, craisins, and a splash of white peach balsamic. I do love the white balsamic vinegars that are so easy to find these days, especially for something like this.

Verdict

Not much to say about this one. It was just simple, refreshing, and the pears were perfectly ripe. It was a bit overpowered by the chicken. I think I'd like to try it again with a simpler dish, perhaps some poached fish.

Playing the weather odds

It turned cold again here in Chicago, and while I am not against grilling in my winter coat, I prefer the indoors on days like today. I knew we would be in for this chill today, and so last night I decided to get some prep work done for tonight's meal. As I considered my options, I realized I would need wine, and lots of it.

On chilly nights, especially those around midweek, the crock pot (slow cooker, if you prefer) is a good thing to have around. It doesn't hurt to have a whole chicken in the fridge, either. When we shopped this past weekend, I hedged my bets. I figured we would either get a nice break from the cold, and I could then butcher and grill the bird, or it would stay lousy and I could just cut it in half and drop it in the crock.

We are fortunate to live near a "convenience" store, which around here often means a place that sells beer, wine, and booze, and might have some cat food or brownie mix if you are lucky. (We are lucky; our neighborhood shop has improved a great deal in the past couple of years, and honestly, they have a pretty decent wine selection). I was able to get a couple of bottles of pinot grigio on the (relative) cheap.

Some onion, basil (still had a little fresh left!), rosemary, carrots, salt, and pepper went in first, then the halved bird followed by the wine. Probably the hardest part of the prep work was clearing out the bottom shelf of the fridge to put the crock in for the night. I really wanted to get some tarragon in the mix, but we were out, unfortunately.

On my way home from work today, I stopped into the Spice House in Old Town and picked up that missing tarragon, and as an added bonus, found they had a nice supply of dried chanterelle mushrooms. Once home, I deboned the now-cooked chicken, returned the meat to the pot, and added the tarragon and (rehydrated) mushrooms to the broth that had been slowly cooking all day. What a treat it was to open that lid. Scientists claim that smell and memory are probably closely linked because of the proximity of our olfactory centers to the limbic system. I'm not sure I care much about the science of it, I am just grateful for moments when the smell of good food transports me to other good meals I've enjoyed in the past (and the memory of the good friends I shared them with).

To finish the sauce a bit more, I added a bit of milk and corn starch to get a bit of glisten, and was hoping for a smoother mouth-feel later on. I was not content, so I put a roux together and managed to get the sauce to my desired thickness. We at this over some egg noodles with a vegetable medley on the side. Full disclosure: on work nights, I sometimes get lazy, and am thankful for frozen veggies! Never (or at least rarely) as good as fresh, but so be it.

The verdict

The texture was spot-on. Exactly what I had wanted. A somewhat velvety sauce that stuck nicely on the noodles. The veggies were (predictably) unremarkable. But the taste was wonderful. The first bites were all about the wine. It dominated the initial flavor, and was just a bit sweet - in a good way. But once the mouthful was swallowed, the marriage of the wine and the herbs lingered. And lingered. And lingered. It was a dinner that was as much fun to eat as most wines are to drink.

Speaking of wine, I opted out on that front tonight. I wanted to really experience where this dish went on its own, and didn't want to complicate things with yet another flavor set. Tomorrow, when we enjoy the leftovers, I will reconsider that choice.

Home Again

My wife does not have the same appetite that I have. Needless to say, this often leads to leftovers. While it is perfectly fine to simply reheat leftovers (we do it often; I prefer to cook larger portions), sometimes the better option is to transform them into something else.

The leftover grilled pork from my previous post was a great candidate for transformation. Having a food grinder attachment for the Kitchen Aid is a real bonus. I decided that this would make a fantastic base for a Bolognese-ish sauce, and I was right. Once the meat was ground, I decided a bit of roasted pepper would be a nice addition. I learned a great technique for stove-top pepper roasting several years ago, one that is a big help on a cold, rainy day (and one I learned from someone I will write about at a future time, I'm sure). Some onion, a bit of carrot, and peas added to tomato-ey goodness, and a meat-thick sauce was underway. A large dose of some fresh basil and a few other herbs and spices completed round one, and I left the sauce on low for a couple of hours.

The finish - heavy cream. Not too much, but just enough to add a bit of velveteen mouth-feel, and all was good with the world. It is amazing how just a little bit of something rich (and let's face it, fattening) can add so much to a meal.

I feel no guilt in using packaged ravioli for a meal like this. If I had more time, I probably would make them from scratch, but I find that life does not leave that kind of time on most weekends any more, especially not after several days away from home.

The Verdict

The end result was wonderful, and the remaining ravioli made for a great lunch the day after as well. There is plenty of sauce in the freezer (and a bit for one more dinner this week - another leftover night coming soon!), and I look forward to enjoying it in a few weeks. We opened a bottle of Ravenswood Lodi old vine Zinfandel (2008), and it went nicely, its mild spiciness and somewhat bold berry flavors melding well with the light heat of the sauce, and both had a bit of near-creaminess in the finish, which made for a great dinner.

It's good to be home. And it's great to cook again, now that I am.

New Grill, New Blog

Maybe the new grill we finally purchased and assembled is part of the reason I decided to start this blog. I'm more inclined to think that the newness of the grill and having access to it now that the weather has finally turned for the better in Chicago has inspired me to think of more inspired dishes for my family to enjoy. There are so many things I've wanted to cook that would have required borrowing grills from neighbors these past few years, and that's always just a little awkward. (There's the fuel - how and when to replace a tank, and differences in how much brushing to do on the grilltop - everyone has a different standard, plus making sure that the grill is not in use when you need it - too much of a hassle; much easier to have one always at the ready).

So on Mothers' Day I cooked up a batch of chicken and pork, knowing that I would be leaving for the week. I chose to make things in bulk that would hold up well enough as leftovers while I was gone to save my wife the time-consuming part of most dinner prep; the protein part.

I cut up some pork loin - we buy large loins at Costco and I cut them into smaller roast-sized pieces for the freezer - taking my usual cuts down to 1-inch thick slabs, and I had them marinade in some olive oil, balsamic, apple cider vinegar, fennel seed, crushed red pepper, garlic, and various herbs. The goal was to create a flavor profile akin to an Italian sausage, but with a nice, lean cut of meat. I would have to be careful not to overcook those puppies, either, or the result would be sausage-flavored shoe leather. When pork is really lean, it is easy to destroy on the grill.

For the chicken, I decided to be more adventurous. I have been playing with different uses for Chinese five spice lately (acquired from a wonderful spice shop near my work), and this seemed like a great way to try something new. I have never grilled anything with this combo before. I opted to use some white peach balsamic I had around for this marinade along with a few other items (olive oil, salt and pepper, some herbs; nothing as unusual as the five spice).

I also decided to try my hand at grilling potatoes. I found inspiration from a couple of online sources, and one included using a mustard-based concoction to add flavor, as well as help keep the potatoes from sticking to the grill. My choice was to use both yellow and spicy brown prepared mustard, some wasabi mayo (thank you, Trader Joe's!), ground mustard, dill, and some roasted mustard seeds (I always roast extra for just such occasions).

The verdict

My wife raved about the pork. This made me particularly happy, since I don't think she had nearly as much pork prior to our marriage, and there are just so many great ways to cook pork. I had had better results in a few similar attempts at this concoction years back, but was satisfied. The flavor was subtle, but it was on the spot. I think a longer soak next time will help.

I was more fond of the chicken. The five spice really came through, and the subtle char really married well with those more exotic flavors. I can way with certainty that I will be using five spice on the grill again. I think the peach balsamic really helped with this one. There was a mild sweetness from the five spice that pulled some of that peach flavor out. It could easily have been lost on the grill (I use that vinegar mostly for salads for a reason).

My wife and I both loved the potatoes. The taste and texture were something entirely different for us. The real surprise: our daughter ate some, too! And she seemed to like them, as she does with most potato dishes I make. (But my daughter and potatoes are a topic for another day).

On the whole, I can say that my first few outings with the grill this year have been successful. Spinach/feta burgers the first time out, London broil the next, and now this meal - all of them good. Partly, I'm sure, it is having weather nice enough to afford me outdoor cooking time. But those first 2 outings really got me thinking more about how to be creative at the grill. I hope I have a few more things to write about before the end of the month from an outdoor session, in part because I'm enjoying this inspiration, but more importantly, because I hope the weather cooperates.

My Intent

While I have not given up on the idea of blogging my gripes, I have opted to start a new thread on a less stressful topic: dinner.

It is my great pleasure to be the primary dinner-maker in my household. My wife does the vast majority of the baking, but I do most of the cooking, and it is a real labor of love. It doesn't hurt to have an appreciative and appropriately adventurous audience for my creations (that would be my wife; our daughter still has a limited appreciation of most foods).

My intent is not to create a recipe blog. I don't generally measure in the kitchen. I trust instinct, experience, and above all else, taste when I cook. That said, I'm sure that this space will afford me the chance to remember some of the better endeavors (as well as those unsuccessful attempts). I hope that others will comment, suggesting other pathways I might take.

My greater desire is to speak about process and outcome, really. And maybe, just maybe, I might inspire someone else to try one of these ideas when they can't think of what to make for dinner. I have had those nights myself, and sometimes it helps to gather new ideas.

My first real entry is forthcoming, and since I am away from home for the week, it is fitting that I will write about food I left behind in my next entry, coming soon...