This Weekend!

Nick and I have been busy driving around the desert and eating crackers and cheese.  Of course we broke our camera but there will be food pictures soon!  In the mean time join us for yet another Shop Party!  We will have baked mac n' cheese and roast carrot and citrus salad to fill your happy bellies!

Squash n' Cheese

My comfort food is typical American comfort foods; potatoes, cheese, bread, sausage...  where I may differ is my deep love for braised greens, such as kale or chard.  Macaroni and cheese is just about as "comfort food" as a food can get.

I made a simple bechamel sauce; 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon brown rice flour, 1 cup milk, a grate or two of nutmeg, and salt to taste.
For the macaroni I used squash sliced thin.
I mixed the squash and bechamel together, then poured it into a buttered baking dish.

Grated sharp cheddar on top and into the oven for 30 minutes at 350.
Let it rest for five or ten minutes before you dig in.  Pile some braised kale next to your squash n' cheese.  Everything is beautiful and nothing hurts.

Make Do

Hello!  It's me!  Tonight's dinner was Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Golden Beets with Speck and Gruyere!

Improvising a meal is easy.  You take two (or more) of your favorite meals and you put them together in one bowl and hope for the best.  As my dad says, "It all looks the same in your stomach."  In some cases that could be a really bad idea (like hamburger milkshakes or broccoli ice cream), but in this case it was awesome.  The sweet dirtiness of roasted brussels sprouts and beets complimented the smokey speck, and the gruyere was sharp enough to keep it interesting.  Here's what you'll need:

10-20 Brussels Sprouts
4 Golden Beets
1/4 lb. Speck  (or Proscuitto)
A handful of Gruyere
Some Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 425˚.  Cut the Brussels Sprouts in half lengthwise and put them on a pan.  Peel the Golden Beets and cut them to be roughly the same size as the Brussels Sprouts, then put them on the same pan.  Drizzle Olive Oil over the vegetables, sprinkle some salt on top, and put them in the oven for 30-40 minutes.  Cut the Speck into 1/2" squares.  Grate the Gruyere.  When the B.S. and Beets are done, put everything in a bowl and mix it all up.  Serve warm.  It's pretty good cold too.

Improvisation is probably the most important skill for home cooking, so use it often and don't be afraid to screw it up!  Thanks for reading!  Peace!

I Say Potato

I love potatoes.  I love them cooked any way, I love any variety, I love them all.  Potatoes are not just tasty; they are my favorite comfort food.  Cooking dinner after dark slows me down, and makes me less ambitious.  I want warm and simple meals, because what I really desire is to cozy up by the fire and go to bed unreasonably early.  This time of year all I want is comfort.  This time of year all I want is to eat potatoes.

Baked potato, creamed spinach, and a sausage. Warm, flavorful, buttery... all my winter food requirements.

I blanched some fresh spinach and then tossed it with chopped onions and garlic that had been sauteing in butter.  I added a little cream and a little hard Italian cheese, let it cook down for a few minutes. Ta da!  I don't usually make creamy food, but I couldn't get creamed spinach out of my mind.

This is perfect comfort food.  Rich, easy, potato.