[57] Bean and Potato Gratin (with Turnips)

How to Cook Everything, Revised Edition by Mark Bittman

For the vast majority of my life, beans have been involved in many meals I’ve consumed. However, each of those meals used the exact same preparation and type of beans.

Yes, I grew up in New Mexico. So I ate a lot of refried pinto beans. A lot of them. No, even more than that. Seriously. Because I really didn’t like most meat burritos, or tacos, or well, lots of things. I was basically left with eating bean burritos every time my family went for New Mexican food (except breakfast – that glorious meal). Or some variation on bean burritos. Like bean-stuffed sopapillas. Or the bean and cheese turnover at the now extinct Ron’s (Ron & Marsha’s to my parents).

Beyond that, though, I have almost no experience with beans.… Continue reading →

Experiment time!

Well. So.

The bread dough did seem to be sort of growing a little bit by the time the 2h rise was up, but not at any real pace. I didn’t have enough time to make new dough & let rise, or to change the environment and restart the 2h rise, and punch down, rise again, bake before our plans yesterday. That was what super bummed me.

So I did what any sane and curious person would do. I left it alone.

By this morning, it had definitely risen a goodly amount. I didn’t have time to do anything with it before my piano lesson, and then after I debated. Curiosity won out, as usual.

The dough has been punched down, and is waiting 15 more minutes in the warmest spot I could think of.… Continue reading →

[56] Chocolate Sheet Cake

Cover of The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond

Finally, the last of the recipes from Bill’s birthday. Man, that guy had a lot going on that day, didn’t he? And he didn’t really do any of it. Slacker!

Nah, I’m just yanking his chain. Bill actually managed to help me corral our friends into showing up (though not as early as we’d hoped), went to work, and helped with the dishes. Both when he got home and after everyone left (around 1:00 am).

“This cake”:http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_chocol/ was a last minute addition to the menu; I think we decided on it the day before. I know we had to make a baking chocolate run, so I couldn’t have decided to make it on the spur of the moment. Also that we bought pecans for the frosting at the same time.… Continue reading →

Bummer

As I mentioned last night, we’re planning to have dinner out and about tonight, so today wasn’t looking good to be a “recipe” day. However, when I realized Bill forgot his sandwich stuff today, I realized today would be a good day to make sandwich bread.

Normally, I make “this”:http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Amish-White-Bread/Detail.aspx bread when I want to make bread, especially for sandwiches. It’s a touch on the sweet side, but basically works. I’d imagine you could drop the sugar quite a bit and still get great bread.

So, I started contemplating bread when I realized that one of my cookbooks HAS to have a good sandwich bread recipe, right?

Well, maybe. But after asking on Twitter, I got one vote for “nothing good in Joy of Cooking” and one vote for “Make my mother’s bread recipe” (which I didn’t have).… Continue reading →

[55] Stuffed Shitake Mushrooms (Actually Portabellas)

Cover of Simply Organic, by Jesse Ziff Cool

As you are all aware at this point, Bill had a birthday recently. This was one of the many (okay, four) recipes concocted that day, and one of only two I’d planned to make earlier than the day before.

Actually, it’s kind of funny. I’ve mentioned a couple of times on this blog that try to plan out our menu about a week in advance, coinciding with our CSA delivery, and trying to take advantage of what I’ve seen at the farmers’ markets and expect to still be able to get my hands on. This meal plan started as just a day to have these mushrooms and the onions. Then we had to move it a couple of times.

Then I forgot it was Bill’s birthday.… Continue reading →