Last night Charlcie and Abi went up to the church to have worship prep; to get ready for worship on Sunday. So I had some time on my hands and I decided to make fresh green beans like my mom used to do.
But first things first, I had to heat up my wonderful bowl of ham bone soup. While it was heating I took 2 cups of stock I'd made with the chicken Charlcie had boiled last week and the ham bone and set it aside. Oh by the way, I forgot to say to snap the ends off the beans and wash them. some people snap the beans in half but you don't have too.
In a large oven pan I melted a couple of tablespoons of unsalted butter and lightly browned 1/4 pound of sliced salt pork. Then I tossed the green beans into the pot and stirred with a wooden spoon to coat them. Now, add the the broth, bring to a boil and add a palm full of salt (I used kosher salt, and a little less), 2 tspns of garlic powder and black pepper. Let this simmer over medium low heat (emphasis on the low) for about 30 minutes, covered.
While the beans were cooking, I ate my soup and man oh man was it good. Then I cut an onion into slivers and peeled the potatoes. You'll want to use 10-12 depending on the size. Add the potatoes and onions at the end of the 30 minutes and cook another 30 minutes, covered. You'll need to check every once in a while to make there's still some stock. Add a little if needed. When the potatoes are tender add 1/2 stick unsalted butter and cook with the lid tilted for another 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
When Charlcie and Abi got home about 9:30 PM we all had a little bowl of green beans. Oh my goodness were they ever good. There's just something about fresh stock, green beans and potatoes.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Back AT It
Back at it, cooking that is. I spent the weekend in Galveston on a men's retreat. We had a great time. The weekend started out at Shrimp In Stuff, a great little unknown restaurant. It's mainly fried seafood, but the gumbo is cooked great and so is the fried seafood. The prices are even better, well not really. They're great but the food is better.
After some great seafood we had a wonderful time of worship in the old bar the restaurant now owns. They let us use it free and that was a great blessing because we had no place to meet where we were staying.
After getting a good nights rest, at least most of us, we went to the airshow. It was great! This was the first time I've ever been, after living in Galveston for a year and in Houston all my life, you'd have thought I'd made it by now. I haven't, but it was great. I enjoyed the WWII planes as much as anything. The museum and plane display was great too.
It seems I've been out of pocket for a long time. Last night I decided to get back at cooking. We were hungry for something different. I remembered we had a ham bone and decided to make some ham bone soup.
While I was at the store I saw some frest green beans. I knew I'd have left over stock, so I decided to try and make some fresh green beans. I remember growing up my Mon's were the best. It seemed she let them cook for hours, but they sure were flavorful. I'm gonna give it a try tonight so they'll be ready for tomorrow. But tonight, I'm planning on enjoying a heaping bowl of ham bone soup.
After some great seafood we had a wonderful time of worship in the old bar the restaurant now owns. They let us use it free and that was a great blessing because we had no place to meet where we were staying.
After getting a good nights rest, at least most of us, we went to the airshow. It was great! This was the first time I've ever been, after living in Galveston for a year and in Houston all my life, you'd have thought I'd made it by now. I haven't, but it was great. I enjoyed the WWII planes as much as anything. The museum and plane display was great too.
It seems I've been out of pocket for a long time. Last night I decided to get back at cooking. We were hungry for something different. I remembered we had a ham bone and decided to make some ham bone soup.
While I was at the store I saw some frest green beans. I knew I'd have left over stock, so I decided to try and make some fresh green beans. I remember growing up my Mon's were the best. It seemed she let them cook for hours, but they sure were flavorful. I'm gonna give it a try tonight so they'll be ready for tomorrow. But tonight, I'm planning on enjoying a heaping bowl of ham bone soup.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
What Beef Makes the Grade Part 2?
Well I hope I'm finally back. It's been a challenging 10 days. I think I left off talking about what grades of beef are, and how they relate to cooking. Last week I covered Prime. Recently, I had a prime steak at a restaurant in Spring. it was wonderful, but I'm not sure the price difference was worth it.
When I was in Phoenix last week I had a Choice steak. Since I wasn't paying, I don't know the price, but it sure was good. The grade makes a difference, but the cook and the spices do too.
I know this is only anecdotal, but from personal experience I don't know that I'd pay the price difference between Prime and Choice. I would when it comes to Choice and Select though. But let me give you the run down, you do your own taste test and make up your own mind.
Choice is a high quality beef with a little less marbling than Prime. It's generally available at the grocery, but you might have to ask for it at the counter. Select has a lot less marbling and is easy to make tough and dry if not prepared right. It might be best to use a marinade to cook with. Choice is very available at the grocery store.
Standard and Commercial grades are usually your store brand, or marked as ungraded. If you don't see a grade name it's more than likely one of these. These definitely need to be marinated.
Utility, Cutter and Canner are not usually sold as cut meat. They are used in ground beef or in canned products. Things like canned chili, soups to dog food. I know, that sounds yuck. You may want to check with the butcher to find out what grade of meat you're buying.
There you have it. I usually buy Choice when it's on sale and Select most of the other time. It's what fits the budget. Using a little marinade or rub sure makes a great tasting steak.
When I was in Phoenix last week I had a Choice steak. Since I wasn't paying, I don't know the price, but it sure was good. The grade makes a difference, but the cook and the spices do too.
I know this is only anecdotal, but from personal experience I don't know that I'd pay the price difference between Prime and Choice. I would when it comes to Choice and Select though. But let me give you the run down, you do your own taste test and make up your own mind.
Choice is a high quality beef with a little less marbling than Prime. It's generally available at the grocery, but you might have to ask for it at the counter. Select has a lot less marbling and is easy to make tough and dry if not prepared right. It might be best to use a marinade to cook with. Choice is very available at the grocery store.
Standard and Commercial grades are usually your store brand, or marked as ungraded. If you don't see a grade name it's more than likely one of these. These definitely need to be marinated.
Utility, Cutter and Canner are not usually sold as cut meat. They are used in ground beef or in canned products. Things like canned chili, soups to dog food. I know, that sounds yuck. You may want to check with the butcher to find out what grade of meat you're buying.
There you have it. I usually buy Choice when it's on sale and Select most of the other time. It's what fits the budget. Using a little marinade or rub sure makes a great tasting steak.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Out Of Town
Hello friends and neighbors, Charlcie and I have been out of town for several days and haven't been cooking. We were in Phoenix, AZ. for a Vineyard Leaders Meeting. We had a great time, but it's great to be back and I'm looking forward to cooking some home meals.
As part of our being in Phoenix we were treated to a special dinner at a place called "Firebirds." This is a very nice restaurant and the meal was excellent. The atmostphere was great and the fellowship with the other pastors was even better.
Charlcie and I had what they called an "Aspen Steak," which was a NY Strip, cooked with certain spices. They were cooked to perfection. The meat and flavor was so good that I thought we were eating prime, but it turns out it was a choice cut of meat.
It's not very often that I have a glass of wine, but I decided I'd like to try some with the meal. Our leader, ordered a bottle of Merlot. I use an inexpensive Merlot to cook with, but this was not an inexpensive wine. I generally like a little sweeter wine and as I tasted this I thought it was just okay. But when I got my steak and drank some along with it, I found the taste to be much better. Some how or another the steak enhanced the taste and flavor of the wine for me. So now you have my experience in Phoenix.
As part of our being in Phoenix we were treated to a special dinner at a place called "Firebirds." This is a very nice restaurant and the meal was excellent. The atmostphere was great and the fellowship with the other pastors was even better.
Charlcie and I had what they called an "Aspen Steak," which was a NY Strip, cooked with certain spices. They were cooked to perfection. The meat and flavor was so good that I thought we were eating prime, but it turns out it was a choice cut of meat.
It's not very often that I have a glass of wine, but I decided I'd like to try some with the meal. Our leader, ordered a bottle of Merlot. I use an inexpensive Merlot to cook with, but this was not an inexpensive wine. I generally like a little sweeter wine and as I tasted this I thought it was just okay. But when I got my steak and drank some along with it, I found the taste to be much better. Some how or another the steak enhanced the taste and flavor of the wine for me. So now you have my experience in Phoenix.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
What Beef Makes the Grade?
Seems like I've lost my sense of humor of late. So I thought I'd start off with a bad cooking joke my brother told me yesterday. What is orange and sounds like parrot? Give up, it's a carrot. I know, I know that's really bad.
Now to more important things. I've been talking about different grades of beef. I've found this fascinating because I didn't know anything really about it. So I've done a little investigating and I thought I'd share it.
Here in the good ole US of A we have the good ole USDA that grades our beef. Now I found out this a voluntary thing, but it's good as a promotional tool for the beef growers, as much as it is a quality check for the buyers.
Some things to keep in mind about grading, I know this is obvious but I'll say it anyway, the higher the grade the higher the price. The growers pay for the grading; isn't that interesting. The ranchers and packers pay the USDA. Of course they pass the price on to the wholesalers who pass it on to the grocers who pass it on to us. You might call this the beef graders food chain. Anyway, a lot of the beef sold in the US is sold as ungraded.
With that in mind let's talk about the grades. Most of us know about Prime, Choice and Select. But there's also, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter and Canner. We'll talk about these more later. For now though, let's focus on the top 3.
As I said, Prime grade beef is the most expensive. It's made from well fed young cattle. Also, it has a lot of marbling, is tender and has a lot of flavor when you cook it. Of course when you over cook anything it's going to lose some flavor, but with Prime you stand a better chance of getting away with it. Prime makes up a very small amount of beef sold. You'll mainly find it in really fine restraints or in specialty shoppes. So for most of us Prime is not going to be commonly cooked at home. Watch out for marketing like "prime buy" or "select choice," when you're shopping and check the labeling so you know what grade of beef it really is. Real Prime beef won't need much if any marinade to cook a tender and flavorful meal. Next time will look at Choice.
Now to more important things. I've been talking about different grades of beef. I've found this fascinating because I didn't know anything really about it. So I've done a little investigating and I thought I'd share it.
Here in the good ole US of A we have the good ole USDA that grades our beef. Now I found out this a voluntary thing, but it's good as a promotional tool for the beef growers, as much as it is a quality check for the buyers.
Some things to keep in mind about grading, I know this is obvious but I'll say it anyway, the higher the grade the higher the price. The growers pay for the grading; isn't that interesting. The ranchers and packers pay the USDA. Of course they pass the price on to the wholesalers who pass it on to the grocers who pass it on to us. You might call this the beef graders food chain. Anyway, a lot of the beef sold in the US is sold as ungraded.
With that in mind let's talk about the grades. Most of us know about Prime, Choice and Select. But there's also, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter and Canner. We'll talk about these more later. For now though, let's focus on the top 3.
As I said, Prime grade beef is the most expensive. It's made from well fed young cattle. Also, it has a lot of marbling, is tender and has a lot of flavor when you cook it. Of course when you over cook anything it's going to lose some flavor, but with Prime you stand a better chance of getting away with it. Prime makes up a very small amount of beef sold. You'll mainly find it in really fine restraints or in specialty shoppes. So for most of us Prime is not going to be commonly cooked at home. Watch out for marketing like "prime buy" or "select choice," when you're shopping and check the labeling so you know what grade of beef it really is. Real Prime beef won't need much if any marinade to cook a tender and flavorful meal. Next time will look at Choice.
Friday, April 11, 2008
No Cooking Weekend
You've heard the saying, "every dog has its day," unless it has a broke tail then it's a weak-end. I feel like a dog with a broke tail this weekend as my girls at a church retreat. Aaron is busy all weekend and so I'm on my own. Don't you feel sorry for me?
That means this will be a no cooking weekend. I wish I could say I was relaxing and had all this time to cook up some wonderful meals. But alas, I have a wedding tonight and will be at the church tomorrow from 9-noon. I should have some time in the afternoon to do some relaxing.
I do plan to cook myself a good rib-eye steak tomorrow evening. I already have it marinating. This is my favorite steak. What little research I've done leads me to think that grass fed cattle are the best. The marbling may be a little less but the flavor is better.
Marbled simply means meat that has fat running through it, is more tender and flavorful than other meats. The front part of cattle has more marbled meat (shoulder, ribs) than the other end. For stews and roasts use chuck, it comes from the shoulder. You'll need to stew, boil, or braise the rump or round cuts to make it more tender and flavorful. It doesn't hurt to do it with chuck as well.
That means this will be a no cooking weekend. I wish I could say I was relaxing and had all this time to cook up some wonderful meals. But alas, I have a wedding tonight and will be at the church tomorrow from 9-noon. I should have some time in the afternoon to do some relaxing.
I do plan to cook myself a good rib-eye steak tomorrow evening. I already have it marinating. This is my favorite steak. What little research I've done leads me to think that grass fed cattle are the best. The marbling may be a little less but the flavor is better.
Marbled simply means meat that has fat running through it, is more tender and flavorful than other meats. The front part of cattle has more marbled meat (shoulder, ribs) than the other end. For stews and roasts use chuck, it comes from the shoulder. You'll need to stew, boil, or braise the rump or round cuts to make it more tender and flavorful. It doesn't hurt to do it with chuck as well.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Pesto Talapia
We've been cooking alot of talapia lately. I wanted to try something a little more challenging. So I had looked up some recipes on Saturday. I found one I liked and emailed it to myself.
On the way home from work I was trying to figure out how I was going to cook it in the oven along with some aspargus and mushrooms. I decided to cook the aspargus first. While it was cooking I prepared to cook the Talapia.
I ran into a problem though. The internet was down and I couldn't get to my recipe. So I decided to wing it based on my memory. First, I took 8 oz of pine nuts and put them in the blender and tried to turn them into powder as best I could. It turned out better than I thought. Then I took about 4 oz of parmesean and 2 tbsps of pesto and blended them with the pine nuts.
Next, I rinsed the fish off and placed them on a pan with cooking spray. I spread the pesto mixture over about 8 pieces of fish, covering them as best as I could. The oven was preheated to 450 degrees and I baked the fish for 12 minutes. I like mine a little crispy so I brioled them for about 2-3 minutes. Oh, I forgot to say I salt and peppered the fish before I put the pesto on. I probably could have used a little more salt, but Charlcie thought they were fine just the way they were and so did Abi. Another successful cooking event.
Now that the internet is working, I'll have to check the recipe and see what I left out. I know there were some spices mentioned. Everyone liked the meal so much that I'm sure I'll do it again and do it the right the way.
On the way home from work I was trying to figure out how I was going to cook it in the oven along with some aspargus and mushrooms. I decided to cook the aspargus first. While it was cooking I prepared to cook the Talapia.
I ran into a problem though. The internet was down and I couldn't get to my recipe. So I decided to wing it based on my memory. First, I took 8 oz of pine nuts and put them in the blender and tried to turn them into powder as best I could. It turned out better than I thought. Then I took about 4 oz of parmesean and 2 tbsps of pesto and blended them with the pine nuts.
Next, I rinsed the fish off and placed them on a pan with cooking spray. I spread the pesto mixture over about 8 pieces of fish, covering them as best as I could. The oven was preheated to 450 degrees and I baked the fish for 12 minutes. I like mine a little crispy so I brioled them for about 2-3 minutes. Oh, I forgot to say I salt and peppered the fish before I put the pesto on. I probably could have used a little more salt, but Charlcie thought they were fine just the way they were and so did Abi. Another successful cooking event.
Now that the internet is working, I'll have to check the recipe and see what I left out. I know there were some spices mentioned. Everyone liked the meal so much that I'm sure I'll do it again and do it the right the way.
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