A Moveable Feast of One Foodie's (mostly) Vegetarian Adventures
Actually, that’s not true. I haven’t been loafing. I’ve actually been very busy and, hence, neglectful of this here blog. Terribly sorry. No excuses. But to make up for my absence, I’m promising some delicious desserts in the next few days…
But in the meantime, I think I may need to make these. *sigh* I get so easily sidetracked, don’t I?
Yes, it’s true. I’ve been bitten by the canning bug. It seems like everyone is doing it these days. My mother says that back in the day, they canned pretty much everything (in peak season, they also picked 40 quarts of strawberries EVERY day — can you imagine?). So there was jam and tomatoes every which way, including what Mom is convinced what a precursor to salsa. That just makes me laugh. Why can’t I imagine salsa existing in the 1950s? I’m sure it did, but it just seems strange.
I know, canning is scary. At least, it seemed that way to me. But the truth is it’s actually quite easy. It’s just that you have to follow a bunch of steps and have certain gear, which is normally enough to get me to just blow the whole thing off. But for some unknown reason, I decided to persevere and just sort of worked my way through it.
So, here’s what you do: take your jars (I’d use 1/2 pint jars for this recipe), lids and screw tops and put them on a canning rack (I didn’t have one, so I blew this off; I’ll probably buy one for next time — I’m such a rulebreaker) in a pot that’s big and deep enough to give you a couple inches above the top of the jars. Pour hot (not boiling) water into the pot (and jars) and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Your jars are now sterilized. That was easy, right?
Now for the processing. Once you fill your jars (after draining and drying them), put the lids and screw tops on and put them back into the pot of boiling water (canning tongs are good for this; regular tong can work in a pinch, but be careful, that pan is HOT). Boil the jars for 15 minutes, take them out and let them cool at room temperature. You can test to make sure the seal is good by pressing down on the lid; if it doesn’t move, you’re good. If you push down and hear a click and the center goes down, it’s not sealed. You can put it back in and boil it again or just eat the contents within a couple weeks.
Anyway, I ended up making this particular tomato jam because a) I had a bunch of beautiful tomatoes, b) I wanted to try something different, and c) I got sucked into this site, which, whoops, you’re gone now…and won’t be back for awhile if you start reading. Never mind the amazing recipes, this woman, Jennie, is going through hell and then some (and still going). There are no words.
So, now that you’re back and thoroughly depressed, please cheer yourself up by making this jam. Tomatoes are still out there at the markets, but they’re going fast, so get on it. And also try not to be too scared about the amount of sugar in there. I put less than the original recipe called for and at first, I was sort of freaking out about how sweet it was, but then after it sat a bit, I realized it was kind of awesome. It is sweet, yes. But it is also savory. And in my case, a little spicy too, which I think counteracts the sweetness.
As for how much time you cook this, it’s a taste and feel thing, which in my case went for about 4-1/2 hours and was REALLY just almost perfect, until somehow, someone, I think it was the dog, turned the heat up from low to ultra-high and I realized that that very disturbing, acrid burning-pan smell was coming from my kitchen. Well. I was able to salvage the top layer of the batch, which ended up very caramelized and actually quite tasty (we won’t discuss the scorched black layer or my very sad Le Creuset pan, which is NOT the same). Yeah, so don’t do that. And keep an eye on the dog. They’re tricky. Very tricky.
Makes 1-1/2 pints (or 1 pint in my case *sniff*)
3 1/2 lbs tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup cane sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 dried thai chilis OR 1/4 teaspoon cayenne OR 1 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional, but use it!)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup finely diced tart green apple
Put all ingredients in a 2-quart pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until thickened and jam-like consistency, about 3 hours. Transfer to sterilized glass jars and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks, or use a hot-water canning bath for 15 minutes for long-term storage.
This site is super helpful. Also, you can watch this fun and informative video. We like fun and informative. It’s a good combo.
For the first time in a very long time, my hardworking man finally had a weekend that was (virtually) work-free. And can I tell you just how great that was? We got to do all those fun family things that all these normal people I’m hearing about do.
We saw friends recently returned to New York from Buenos Aires (yay!), had our first 3D movie experience watching this (why must a parent always bite it in these movies, may I ask? At least this time, it was the dad; it’s usually the mom who kicks it) and rode our bikes all the way up to Central Park (and back).
All in all, a perfect weekend. Maybe we’ll do it again in a few months. 
photo credit: http://mjperry.blogspot.com/
Meal Planning. Two words that can put crushing fear in the hearts of even the toughest mothers out there.
My mother planned our dinners and posted them every week on an 80s version of a whiteboard in our kitchen. And she managed to do this with FOUR kids born within 5-1/2 years of each other. Yikes. That’s a lot to live up to. But everybody is different — if you’re not a planner (let’s call ourselves “spontaneous,” shall we?), then don’t force it to that level. But there are things you can do to get yourself organized and get dinner on the table without losing your mind or ordering pizza on a daily basis. Here’s a short list:
This way you learn what’s in season and what will taste the best with the least “intervention.” Summer is great for this as a lot of things can be eaten uncooked (yes, even corn if it’s fresh); fall is good too because you can roast everything (potatoes, veggies, meat or not) in a pan with olive oil, garlic and herbs. CSAs are great, but I like the freedom of the farmers market; I don’t like feeling like I have to cook something just because it’s in my CSA basket. Too much pressure. Although there are ones that you can pick what you get and have them delivered, so that’s a great option if you’re under time pressure (and what mother isn’t?). Also, I’m one of those weirdos that needs to touch my veggies first.
If there a 3-4 dishes your girlies (and you) love, learn to make those really well and have those up your sleeve to the point where they become automatic. Quesadillas count. So do omelettes. And if you rotate them regularly over the course of a week, that will take care of nearly half your meals. Here are a few I fall back on regularly.
Please tell me that you remember that great scene from “About Last Night…” when Debbie, Demi Moore’s character tells her disapproving friend, Joan:
One night, I cook. One night, he cooks. One night, we go out. And then, there’s sandwich night.
Okay, she left out a few nights but still, ain’t nothing wrong with sandwich night. And OMG, after watching the trailer, I MUST watch this movie again. Immediately.
This is key, so even if you didn’t make it to the store that day (or week), there’s still something you can make in the house. Here are links to a couple good lists.
If you’re making lasagna, make two and freeze one. Make two zucchini pies. Make a double or triple batch of soup, etc. Some things freeze better than others. Pesto is another thing that freezes well. I usually freeze it before adding the cheese. And you don’t have to use basil exclusively; make a cilantro or parsley pesto out of those random leftover herbs we all seem to collect. And of course, making large quantities means leftovers, which is one less meal you have to cook!
That way, you can add something to the list when you run out (not go looking for it after you start cooking and realize you don’t have it). My friend Dan has a shopping list (for each of the three stores he shops at) on his computer that he just pulls up when he’s going to the store. He can do a quick inventory check of the fridge and cupboards and then check off what he needs, print it out and take it to the store. Of course, there is also an app for that. Go here for iPhone or here for Android.
I’ve started doing this and it makes such a difference. When you get your groceries and bring them home, prep what you can. Meaning wash and cut the veggies/herbs, press the tofu, etc. This is the way chefs do it, and that’s because it’s the most efficient. If you know you don’t need to chop your onions or press and cube tofu, it’s much less daunting (and time-consuming) to make a home-cooked meal (or a stir-fry, which is basically all about the prep).
Pizza dough, rotisserie chicken (if you eat it) and tomato sauce are sometimes easier (and cheaper) to buy already made. Add a salad or some steamed veggies and that’s another meal you can check off your list.
I like to do a lot of cooking on Sunday, when everyone’s lazing around. I can knock out a lasagna, a big pot of chili and pizza dough (with my bread machine) in a couple hours.
You can’t always do this, I realize. Sometimes you need to get the food on the table NOW, but maybe on that Sunday, take some extra time to get them to help you out. My kid loves to help me make bread and oatmeal. We measure together, and he gets to pour the ingredients in and mix everything up. It’s fun for him (and bonus: he’s learning math), but I also want him to appreciate where food comes from and learn to enjoy the process as much as I do. Plus food tastes better when it’s made with love.
Most NYC kitchens are pretty small, so although I’ve been coveting one forever, I still don’t have a KitchenAid mixer. It’s just not practical. But I will make room for my bread machine and ice cream maker because I use them all the time. To a fault. And I can’t live without my santoku chef’s knife. Lots of people swear by their slow cookers. As we’re a vegetarian household, I haven’t invested in one as my rice cooker can do a lot of that, plus I feel like slow cookers are good for slow-roasting meats (which we don’t make). On the flip side, if you have a lot of stuff in your kitchen, it makes it that much harder to be organized, which you need to be when you’re trying to get dinner on the table. If you have five jars of cumin, that’s not helping matters. Clear away stuff you don’t use and put things you do use in an accessible place.
I have a small tray right next to the stove that has the following things: olive oil in a pour bottle, canola oil in a pump sprayer, salt (regular salt for cooking and Maldon sea salt for finishing), pepper mill (and if I’m doing a lot of cooking, I’ll have a bowl of ground pepper too), toothpicks (for testing doneness in baked goods).
Read blogs, magazines, cookbooks. Ask your mom or a friend who’s a good cook to come over and teach you a few basics or some of your favorites (that’s my amazing mom making pasties up above). As you start learning and getting more comfortable in the kitchen, you’ll quickly realize you can do a lot of substitutions in recipes and just wing it with what you’ve got lying around. Don’t be afraid to experiment. The worst that can happen is you order in that night.
Or order in. We usually order pizza on Fridays. And we’ve been known to order in on Saturdays too on particularly nutty weeks. Isn’t that why we all live in New York City, after all?
This is by no means a complete list. Any other ideas out there? What’s your best time-saving kitchen tip?
Happy Weekend!
First photo: therealslimjackson.com
Now don’t get any crazy ideas…this little baby is what I’m referring to. Check out my brand spankin’ new Dutchie-style CitiBike 700C in black (what did you expect?) with the super-sexy child seat attachment, naturally. It’s made by Biria, which I think is actually a Spanish company (with German engineers I guess). Who knows?
All I know is I’ve been without a bike since I sold my beloved Trek prior to leaving for Argentina. And now, I’m mobile, folks. Biking really opens up the city so much more. Last weekend, my co-pilot and I hit up the park at Bleecker & Hudson just because we could. This Sunday, I think we’ll cruise on over to this.
Now I just need to get a basket for the front and a lock (although I’m loathe to lock her* up on the mean streets of New York). See you on the bike paths!
* I think she needs a name. I have a tendency to name cars and such. It’s another weird family thing. Feel free to make suggestions.