Uncategorized

Charcutepalooza: “Rillettes de Bambi et Thumper”

It’s been a while, folks. And this post is coming from a new kitchen. Yes, I moved, and I am finally in my very own apartment – hopefully for a while. My first real venture in this kitchen was, fittingly, a Charcutepalooza challenge. Specifically, the October “stretching” challenge. I’m still getting used to my new cooking space (and I don’t have a real table yet), so I tried a personal take on rillettes, rather than going for a gallantine or some such. I also managed to leave my copy of the Charcutepalooza Bible at my dad’s house; thus, this recipe is cobbled together from sheer know-how. And the internet. I call the final product – a venison-hare potted meat – “Rillettes de Bambi et Thumper.” Yep. What can I say, I’m a sick puppy; doesn’t change the fact this is awesomely gamey and delicious.


(more…)

Foodbuzz 24×24: An Ides of March Dinner Party

March contains one of the most famous ill-fated days of the year: the Ides. Before 44 B.C., the Ides was actually a festival day. For this month’s Foodbuzz 24×24 (highlighting 24 unique meals occurring worldwide in 24 hours) my friends and I went back in time and sat down to enjoy an ancient Roman-inspired meal to observe the lighter side of the Ides. It might not have been quite fit for an Emperor, but we certainly enjoyed ourselves.


(more…)

Beer Soup

OK, so this isn’t as pretty as the root beer cupcakes, but…come on, guys!  It’s soup made of BEER!  Besides, I’m traipsing around LA, putting up fun pics on Twitter, so I just whipped up a little something to tide everyone over.

When I saw “Beer Soup” in The Country Kitchen Cook Book, I must admit there was part of me that thought, “YES! Lager in a bowl for dinner!” I’m reeeeally into beer: I love wine but I go nuts for craft beers, and have been known to tipsily email myself from the bar about especially good brews. This soup has a few other things besides beer, but it’s still pretty damn good. And really comforting for a winter’s night.

(more…)

"Indian Peas" from Ancient Rome

PISUM INDICUM. Pisum coques. cum despumaverit, porrum et coriandrum concidis et mittis in caccabum ut ferveat. et accipies sepias minutas, sic quomodo sunt cum atramento suo, ut simul coquantur. Adicies oleum, liquamen et vinum, fasciculum porri et coriandri. facies ut coquantur. cum coctum fuerit, teres piper, ligusticum, origanum, carei modicum, suffundis ius de suo sibi, vino et passo temperabis. sepias minutatim concidis et in pisum mittis. Piper asparges ­et inferes.

– Apicius, De Re Coquinaria V.iii.3

I’m honestly really not sure what makes these peas “Indian.”  As a purely historical matter, there was trade between Rome and India (I’m lazy – if you want more info, check out this reputably-researched and -sourced Wikipedia article).  The weird thing about this dish, though, is that it really isn’t very different from other dishes in Apicius’s collection: the typical Roman flavor profile is based heavily on leeks, cumin, coriander, sweet wine, pepper, garum, and garlic.  These Indian peas have a good number of those ingredients, and not a ton of others.  But then, I don’t know what 4th century Indian cooking was like – or what regions the Romans dealt with.  I’m guessing they weren’t bringing takeout containers of chicken tikka masala back to Italy, though.  Anyone know more about ancient cooking on the subcontinent?

Anyway, just a few things about Roman cooking.  First, I always grind my spices by hand when I do it, to give the right taste and texture.  Here are my cumin, coriander, oregano, peppercorns, and anise (I substituted the last for lovage, which I don’t have).

(more…)

Sunday Tips: New Years Resolution

The true economy of housekeeping is simply the art of gathering up all the fragments, so that nothing be lost.  I mean fragments of time as well as materials.  Nothing should be thrown away so long as it is possible to make any use of it, however trifling that use may be; and whatever the size of a family, every member should be employed either in earning or saving money. – Mrs. Child, The American Frugal Housewife

I’m not big on new years retrospectives or resolutions: I find it counterproductive to make grand decisions which I’ll inevitably not live up to – instead I’ve been trying to take on bite-sized resolutions all through the year.  But maybe the idea of taking on small resolutions is itself a big resolution…Ack!  Well, before I get tangled up in philosophical conundra, I’ll get back to the original reason for this post: my current mini-resolution is to post more, and to restart my “Sunday Tips” section.  My mom gave my a copy of The American Frugal Housewife, from which the above quote is taken, for Christmas (along with a couple of other books which will probably show up soon).  This book was published in 1833 by Mrs. Child:

(more…)