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I haven’t made many food posts lately

I have been cooking lately, but it hasn’t been particularly fulfilling.

I’m glad to eat at home more often than we eat out, because it is better for us where both our budget and our health is concerned.

However, a lot of the enjoyment I usually get from cooking has been missing. My kitchen is not at all what I would like. I still haven’t gotten the hang of the stove. It doesn’t heat evenly and just isn’t very consistent.

I did get a convection oven set up on the counter, which has helped a bit, but it doesn’t work as well as I had hoped. It does work better than the main oven, and having two helps. Two good ones would be better. I haven’t found my oven thermometer yet. I might just have to buy a new one. That way I can figure out just how off things are.

On top of the kitchen issues, I am still really bothered by how much more expensive grocery shopping tends to be here. It makes the shopping stressful for me and that hangs around as I work with the ingredients while cooking.

Still, slowly, I’ve had some meals that turned out okay.

Last night we had company for dinner. I invited over the woman who is going to house and pet sit for us, and showed her around the house, let her meet the animals and bribed her with food and drinks. I made some spicy mango margaritas, which were very tasty, but I also broke my blender, which was really annoying. I had to make the drinks in the food processor, which made a bit of a mess.

I made salad, green beans, cauliflower and butternut squash pureed with goat cheese. For protein, I went with a surf and turf, rosemary boneless beef short ribs and bacon wrapped scallops. Before wrapping the scallops, I coated the bacon in garlic powder and paprika.

bacon-wrapped scallops.

Today we got our first CSA delivery.

Overwintered parsnips
Red Sunchokes
Ramps
Sorrel
Overwintered Spinach
Rhubarb
Burdock
Chives
Black Radish
Decorative Willow

Tonight I cooked a quinoa pilaf with ramps, parsnips and green beans. I hadn’t used all the scallops I bought yesterday, so I seared them in butter, olive oil and chili oil, and served those atop sauteed spinach.

Spicy Seared Scallops and Quinoa Pilaf

I’d like to feel better about cooking again, and get more joy out of it. It is one of the bright spots in my life, so I am working to find a way to really make it work for me again.

Now it is time for my midnight dog walk.

Northwest Airlines/Delta
Phones=fail, internet=good

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