If you've never made these, you have to try. You'll never want to buy from the store again.
a large potato
olive or canola oil or both
salt
knife, spatula spoon fork or other utensil, skillet
Heat about 1/2 cm of oil in the skillet to high heat.
Peel and slice potato. Slice as thinly as desired (the thinner, the crispier-- thick ones that cook less crispy are amazing too).
Drop slices into the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes, until desired crispness. Salt to taste.
Remove the chips from the oil and.... well, eat them.
Serve with fish (of course), sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, dip-- you get the idea.That is, if there are any left after you've finished sampling them.
Made these tonight for the first time ever. I don't know if it's the fresh, natural, pure ingredients or if it's the satisfaction of making them all yourself, or the fact that you can eat them hot-- but you can't beat homemade chips.
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Monday, 7 February 2011
February's Dish of the Month: Spicy Carrot Salad
I never liked carrot salad. But I like this!
--My roommate (again)
I know, another roommate quote. But I cook for my roommates a lot. If you can't stand the raisins in carrot salad or the sugar in candied carrots, but you think you might like normal carrots, this is a grand salad to try.
You'll need:
bowl, shredder
carrots, mayonnaise, black pepper, garlic, and (optional) chile or cayenne pepper
This is super simple.
Peel, wash, and shred a couple of carrots.
Add a tsp. black pepper, a tbsp. minced garlic, a few tablespoons of mayonnaise, and (if desired) a little cayenne or minced chile.
I like to mix olive oil with the mayonnaise before adding it to the carrots
Let the mayo and seasonings enhance, not drown, the carrot flavor. It's easy to put too much. Start with less and keep adding and tasting until there's just enough to make it taste how you want.
This salad goes well with a number of Russian dishes. I'll post some of those soon.
It's also a great side to simple soup or rice dishes.
It goes especially well with pumpernickel bread as a midnight snack.
Bon appetit.
--My roommate (again)
I know, another roommate quote. But I cook for my roommates a lot. If you can't stand the raisins in carrot salad or the sugar in candied carrots, but you think you might like normal carrots, this is a grand salad to try.
You'll need:
bowl, shredder
carrots, mayonnaise, black pepper, garlic, and (optional) chile or cayenne pepper
This is super simple.
Peel, wash, and shred a couple of carrots.
Add a tsp. black pepper, a tbsp. minced garlic, a few tablespoons of mayonnaise, and (if desired) a little cayenne or minced chile.
I like to mix olive oil with the mayonnaise before adding it to the carrots
Let the mayo and seasonings enhance, not drown, the carrot flavor. It's easy to put too much. Start with less and keep adding and tasting until there's just enough to make it taste how you want.
This salad goes well with a number of Russian dishes. I'll post some of those soon.
It's also a great side to simple soup or rice dishes.
It goes especially well with pumpernickel bread as a midnight snack.
Bon appetit.
Sunday, 23 January 2011
January's Dish of the Month: Spicy Potato Soup
Would you make this soup for my birthday? It's my favorite!
--my roommate
You will need:
Dishes: average-sized pot, small skillet, knife, cutting board, peeler, wooden or other large spoon for stirring, average cereal bowl and spoon for measuring. (You may prefer to use standard measuring cups and spoons.)
Ingredients: potatoes (I usually use red), big carrots, onion, chicken bullion cubes or powder, salt, black pepper (preferably from a grinder), cayenne pepper, parsley (preferably fresh), flour, milk, olive oil or butter
Time: About 30 minutes to prepare, 15-30 to sit. Plan to spend an hour.
Note: This soup is super easy, except for the roux which can be a bit tricky. Get that right, and you're fine.
Fill the pot about 1/3 to 1/2 full of water (about 6 cups), and set on high heat to boil. When the water is warm, add chicken bullion to taste (it should taste the way you like chicken noodle soup to taste). Then while waiting for the water to boil, peel and chop 5-6 medium potatoes and 2 large carrots.
It's okay to start adding potatoes before the water boils. When the water finally boils, turn heat to low and add the carrots. Add salt to taste. Be careful with the salt, as there may be a lot of salt already in the bullion. After a few minutes, add the black and cayenne peppers to taste, and a little parsley (one cereal spoonful/2 tsp.)
Now make the roux. Heat 1/2 stick of butter or a few spoonfuls of oil (enough to drown the skillet bottom) in the skillet. Use the lowest heat setting to give you time to chop the onion before the oil gets hot. Peel and chop one small or 1/2 large onion, then saute onion in the skillet on medium heat. While the onion is cooking, fill the cereal bowl 2/3 full of milk and stir 5 heaping spoonfuls of flour into the milk. (I have never used a measuring cup or spoon, but the cereal bowl and spoon have never failed me. However, it is about 1 cup of milk and 4 tablespoons of flour.) Be sure to get all the flour lumps out. When onions are translucent turn the heat to low and stir the milk/flour mixture into the onions. If there is too much onion and not enough liquid to make the roux soupy, add a little more milk right away. Thoroughly warm the roux after adding the milk, but do not let it thicken. Add it to the soup right away. Stir it in thoroughly. The soup should start to thicken after a few minutes.
If you have fresh parsley, chop it small. Add parsley to taste, and additional pepper or salt if needed. I like to add a lot of pepper and parsley, but I like spicy things. Let sit on lowest possible heat and stir occasionally for about 15 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite bread.
Although it tends to thicken some with age, this soup stores well in the fridge up to 4 days. It probably stores well longer than 4 days, but it's always been gone by the fourth day, so that theory remains unproven.
--If you just want regular potato soup, leave out the cayenne, and don't put quite as much black pepper.
--Other seasoning blends that work well in this soup, instead of cayenne pepper: Italian seasoning blend, Greek seasoning blend, garlic, chopped fresh green onion, or all four. :)
--If you discover a tweak that makes this recipe better, please comment!
Bon appetit!
--my roommate
You will need:
Dishes: average-sized pot, small skillet, knife, cutting board, peeler, wooden or other large spoon for stirring, average cereal bowl and spoon for measuring. (You may prefer to use standard measuring cups and spoons.)
Ingredients: potatoes (I usually use red), big carrots, onion, chicken bullion cubes or powder, salt, black pepper (preferably from a grinder), cayenne pepper, parsley (preferably fresh), flour, milk, olive oil or butter
Time: About 30 minutes to prepare, 15-30 to sit. Plan to spend an hour.
Note: This soup is super easy, except for the roux which can be a bit tricky. Get that right, and you're fine.
Fill the pot about 1/3 to 1/2 full of water (about 6 cups), and set on high heat to boil. When the water is warm, add chicken bullion to taste (it should taste the way you like chicken noodle soup to taste). Then while waiting for the water to boil, peel and chop 5-6 medium potatoes and 2 large carrots.
It's okay to start adding potatoes before the water boils. When the water finally boils, turn heat to low and add the carrots. Add salt to taste. Be careful with the salt, as there may be a lot of salt already in the bullion. After a few minutes, add the black and cayenne peppers to taste, and a little parsley (one cereal spoonful/2 tsp.)
Now make the roux. Heat 1/2 stick of butter or a few spoonfuls of oil (enough to drown the skillet bottom) in the skillet. Use the lowest heat setting to give you time to chop the onion before the oil gets hot. Peel and chop one small or 1/2 large onion, then saute onion in the skillet on medium heat. While the onion is cooking, fill the cereal bowl 2/3 full of milk and stir 5 heaping spoonfuls of flour into the milk. (I have never used a measuring cup or spoon, but the cereal bowl and spoon have never failed me. However, it is about 1 cup of milk and 4 tablespoons of flour.) Be sure to get all the flour lumps out. When onions are translucent turn the heat to low and stir the milk/flour mixture into the onions. If there is too much onion and not enough liquid to make the roux soupy, add a little more milk right away. Thoroughly warm the roux after adding the milk, but do not let it thicken. Add it to the soup right away. Stir it in thoroughly. The soup should start to thicken after a few minutes.
If you have fresh parsley, chop it small. Add parsley to taste, and additional pepper or salt if needed. I like to add a lot of pepper and parsley, but I like spicy things. Let sit on lowest possible heat and stir occasionally for about 15 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite bread.
Although it tends to thicken some with age, this soup stores well in the fridge up to 4 days. It probably stores well longer than 4 days, but it's always been gone by the fourth day, so that theory remains unproven.
--If you just want regular potato soup, leave out the cayenne, and don't put quite as much black pepper.
--Other seasoning blends that work well in this soup, instead of cayenne pepper: Italian seasoning blend, Greek seasoning blend, garlic, chopped fresh green onion, or all four. :)
--If you discover a tweak that makes this recipe better, please comment!
Bon appetit!
Welcome
Anyone can cook.
--Chef Gusteau, Ratatouille (2007)
If rats can cook, little birds can certainly cook. Theoretically.
I am aware that this post will always be at the bottom of my blog unless I can find a way to put it at the top, but I feel that this kitchen deserves an introduction. This spot is where one may find recipes to the little bird's dish of the month, and random cooking tips and ideas as new discoveries are made in that fascinating nook known as The Kitchen. May all visitors, as they flip through these pages, find one or two little tidbits to be both helpful and tasty.
Bon appetit!
--Chef Gusteau, Ratatouille (2007)
If rats can cook, little birds can certainly cook. Theoretically.
I am aware that this post will always be at the bottom of my blog unless I can find a way to put it at the top, but I feel that this kitchen deserves an introduction. This spot is where one may find recipes to the little bird's dish of the month, and random cooking tips and ideas as new discoveries are made in that fascinating nook known as The Kitchen. May all visitors, as they flip through these pages, find one or two little tidbits to be both helpful and tasty.
Bon appetit!
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