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Showing posts from November, 2014

Question: What can I do with a bunch of chicken?

You are at the market and you see a 'bunch of chicken' on sale and you buy it. You're being smart economically but the question is now what to do with all this wonderful protein? Let's back up a bit. Before you go to the store, do a little planning. Markets usually have meats for sale in bulk. Chicken thighs, legs and breasts are often sold in bigger packages that lower the price per pound a bit. If the bones and skins are still on - the savings can be even a little more significant. Before you go to the store, plan on spending about 30 -45 minutes when you get home prepping whatever you are buying. Here's a note to self - don't go shopping an hour before you are going to be a starving maniac. Shop on a Sunday morning when you can relax, think and prep without it bumping up against work or hunger. So this is what I've done over the years - I like to buy thigh meat. When I've needed to save money, I've bought bone/skin intact thighs in big fa

I tried and this happened.

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Chicken stock with Leftovers

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One of the most basic ingredients for many recipes is chicken stock. This broth is used from soups to roasts to gravy and beyond. Sure you can pick up some bouillon cubes or cartons of broth from the market - you'll grimace over the sodium content or shrug your shoulders at the rather bland flavor. You will wonder why the soup you just made doesn't seem to taste all that good, you'll add a bunch of seasonings to compensate and call it done. You won't do this, however, if you make your own stock. And its easy. All you need are a few simple ingredients, a big pot, some freezing containers and time. We're going to walk through this with an added dimension - I'm going to use a whole chicken. Most of the time, if I am making stock, I ask the person at the meat counter for chicken 'necks and backs'. Most of the time you can buy a few pounds really inexpensively. The butchers at the market often keep them in the freezer in back. They are usually frozen and

The Pantry

My pantry is a bit of a mess. It contains all sorts of things that I should, in all honestly, check the expiration dates on prior to use. I celebrated my youngest child leaving for college by cleaning the shelves out and found an amazing array of odd jars and cans that had actually traveled with us from our last house. Thirteen years ago. Note: thirteen years is too long to wait to clean out your pantry shelves. Still, there are certain things that I use over and over which to me constitute my pantry basics. Being the studious person that I am, I did a little research on line and got myself educated on what the world seems to think "Pantry Basics" mean... Here's the categories that seem the most prevalent: Oils/Vinegars/Condiments Seasonings Dry goods Canned and Bottled items (non refrigerated) Grains and Legumes Nuts, seeds and Fruits Refrigerator basics Freezer basics I won't mention what most of these online resources list as imperative in these ca

Dear Child of Mine

Dearest child of mine, I've said this before - I'm sure you will hear it again - cooking is much more than throwing something in the microwave or grabbing take-out. What we put into the shrines that are our bodies matters - and if we are blessed with community or others to share our meals with than food becomes an act of love. Yes. Love. To start with I just want to help you master a way of cooking that will be easy, nutritious and nourishing to your soul. That's not too much to ask, right? You call me with questions about cuts of meat or funny looking vegetables and we talk about different things you can do to make a lovely meal for yourself. Its hard to have a lovely meal, however, when one is eating at one's desk. Tell the roommates to move the cat box out of the kitchen, for god's sake. Where we eat matters too. We chat about spices and pantry items which makes me wonder why I do have what I have on my shelves. What do these shelves say about the way