old calendars, new ideas

I love the Nikki McClure calendar that carried me through 2014.  Each month's print had a different word and scene that seemed to parallel my year rather well.  Whether that's confirmation bias, truth, me reading too much into things that don't mean that much or a melange of the three is inconsequential.  The point it I enjoyed the calendar a lot.  So with 2015 rolling around I was at a loss for what to do with it.  How do I honor this piece of art that meant so much to me?  As much as I enjoyed it, I wasn't about to hang the twelve prints on my wall simple out of romantic attachment.  The months were too much a part of each print to make it feel anything but dated and out of context were I to try and do something artistic with it.

Last night I bought a gift for a late in the year friend Secret Santa, and while walking home from dropping sage off at the bus stop an idea struck me.  Use the calendar as wrapping paper.  The idea didn't stop there, as neat as it would be to rip off all twelve months, I wanted more.  Like I said, I wanted to honor the art of the calendar.  At first I thought to write something along the lines of 'Happy new year' on the pages but trying to stretch that into 12 words felt contrived so I decided on a quote instead: Don't tell me the sky is the limit when there are footsteps on the moon. ~ Paul Brandt

I laid out all twelve months and wrote the quote from beginning to end in the order of months, 'Don't' on January...'Brandt' on December.  You can see for yourself.  Then I wrapped the present in reverse order, December to January, so that as my friend unwraps it the quote will play out in the correct order.

Take a gander:

Music Selection:
We Used to Wait - Arcade Fire
When the lights go out - The Black Keys
The High Road - Broken Bells
Bullet and a Target - Citizen Cope
Hang Me Up To Dry - Cold War Kids
Rest My Chemistry - Interpol
The Start of Something - Voxtrot

mushroom stock

Mushroom Stock, like any other stock, is about as simple a thing you can do as any other in the kitchen.  I made two different kinds, in one pot I sautéed the mushrooms first, in the I just boiled the mushrooms.  Afterwards I jarred the stock so it'll keep for a while.  Both were good but in the end I think the stock from the mushrooms I didn't sauté was better, the sautéed mushrooms produced a muddy looking stock that wasn't as rich in flavor.  

The one untested caveat is that when I make risotto with either of these stocks, I suspect the sautéed stock will be better, I've made risotto with vegetable, chicken and beef stock and the vegetable stock tends to create a less creamy risotto due to the lack of fat content.  There's olive oil in the sautéed mushroom stock so I suspect that will be better for risotto.  Only time will tell.

Also I used cheap-o crimini mushrooms this time because it was my first time and until I get a better hang of the technique I'm not going to use anything more expensive.  Feel free to use whatever you want, but I'd suggest you learn with what is cheap, then show off to others with the fancy stuff once you're good at it.

Mushroom Stock

1 lb crimini mushrooms

2 tbs salt (plus more to taste)

3 quarts (96 oz) water

Sautéed Mushroom Stock

1 lb crimini mushrooms

3 tbs olive oil

2 tbs salt (plus more to taste)

3 quarts water

Infrastructure

1 big knife

1 cutting board

1 pot (or 2 if you want to take the Pepsi challenge and try both out)

2 1-quart (32 oz) mason jars

Process

- Halve and slice mushrooms.  Or chop mushrooms coarsely and don't mind that their different sizes.  it's probably inconsequential.

- For straight stock, combine mushrooms, salt and water

- Bring to a boil then drop down to medium-low (3.5 on a 1-10 burner) so that the water is simmering

- For sautéed broth, after chopping the mushrooms, heat olive oil to high

- Add salt and sauté mushrooms until soft (or about half the size they were initially)

- Bring to a boil then drop down to medium-low (3.5 on a 1-10 burner) so that the water is simmering

- Set a timer for two hours, stir, taste and throw in another dash of salt if you think it necessary

- Set a timer for one and a half hours and repeat.

- At this point you could keep simmering but three and a half hours should be enough.  The flavor of the stock should be rich, you may need to salt a little more for the flavor to pop.

 Music Selection
The Fountain (soundtrack) - Clint Mansell
Oblivion (soundtrack) - M83
My Head is an Animal - Of Monsters and Men

pasta, peppers, and fish

This meal is better set for a warm spring or summer night than the last day of the year but when you're ringing in the new year I think you can do whatever you damn well please.  Spaghetti aglio e olio is a simple classic and the recipe varies by the cook or family, I chose arugula because I love the peppery flavor it has while still tasting light.  I chose to use the simple dressing for the salmon because it is a little tart and tangy thanks to the rice vinegar and goes well with the pungent flavor of the garlic and parmesan in the pasta.  Momma would be displeased if there wasn't a vegetable on the table so I cooked bell peppers to round out the meal.  Just a little salt and balsamic is all I threw on the bell peppers and that's all they need, the strong flavor of the balsamic vinegar is a divergence from the pasta and fish that is complementary but also provides a flavor that helps keep all three tasting unique and separate.

Also I made the baguette with brie, pear and pepper again because there's nothing wrong with making the same thing several times in a week especially if it's cheese and bread.  It can actually help you work out the kinks in a particular recipe.

Bell pepper with balsamic vinegar

2 red bell peppers

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

Pasta with arugula and garlic

1/2 lb rotini

1/2 lb arugula

1 cup parmesan (plus more to taste if you want)

1 tbs red pepper flakes

1/2 stick unsalted butter

5 cloves garlic (I generally add one extra for good luck)

Salmon

1/2 lb salmon (mine was 1.5 lbs because I can't comprehend small portions)

3 tbs olive oil

1.5 tbs rice vinegar

salt  (to taste)

cracked pepper (also to taste)

Baguette with pear, brie and cracked pepper.  With photos this time.

1/2 baguette

1 green pear 

1/3 lb of brie

Infrastructure

1 cutting board

1 big knife

2 roasting trays

1 big pot

1 saute pan

1 big bowl

Details:

- Start a pot of water boiling for pasta

- Chop arugula and throw it in a bowl with parmesan and red pepper flakes

- Melt the 1/2 stick of butter in a saute pan on low

- Mince 5 cloves of garlic and brown in butter

- Add browned garlic to bowl with arugula, red pepper flakes and parmesan

- Set bowl aside until pasta is finished

- Mix rice vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper

- Set salmon in oil and vinegar

- Turn on the oven to high broil

- Wash and halve bell peppers

- Begin to blacken the skin of the red peppers

- Rinse your saute pan and put it back on the stove, set the heat to high

- Your pasta water should be boiling, start boiling your pasta

- Set salmon in the oven

- Cut the baguette hot dog style

- Wash and thin slice the pear and halve the slices, lay on the baguette

- Make sure the bell peppers aren't sticking to the pan, continue to blacken them

- Cut the brie into slices and lay on the pear

- Throw baguette in the oven

- When the peppers have burnt on the back turn the heat off and flip them to let them cool

- After the peppers have cooled the skin should peel off easily

- Salt the peppers and pour one tbs of balsamic on the peppers

- Once the pasta is cooked, drain and toss with the arugula, parmesan, red pepper and garlic

- When the salmon has begun to crisp and char on top remove from the oven

- Remove the baguette from the oven after about 7 minutes or when the brie has melted fully

- Eat

Music Selection:

Kanye - Only One

Ok Go - There's a fire

Aesop Rock - Daylight

Ratatat - Everything from Classics

5 courses in 45 minutes

A good dish doesn't need many ingredients, more often than not the simpler the better.  In the spirit of that, here are five dishes that each use three major flavors (if you're not counting salt and pepper).  They're so simple I feel like posting about how to make them is a little silly.  Especially the salad.  I don't really think I need to explain how to make salad.

I've made this post more about maximization of time than anything else.  The techniques are simple: boiling water, using the broiler, and reducing cream to make a nice sauce.  What's complicated is the interplay between the different tasks.  Learning how to work on multiple dishes simultaneously in the kitchen is the single most important facet to learning how to be an efficient cook.

If you're precise about the order and preparation a single person can make everything that follows in 45 minutes.  What follows is not only the recipes but the order in which I worked.  Everything will be happening at once if you do it right and it may get confusing but in the end it's much faster.  Don't worry if your times aren't exact, I've made almost all of these dishes before so it takes a few times to get the cadence down.

Baguette with pear, brie and cracked pepper.

1/2 baguette

1 green pear (anjou are great but really anything works)

1/3 lb of brie

Unfortunately I ate the bread before I could photograph it.

Broccoli with lemon

2 broccoli crowns

1 lemon

Arugula and spinach salad

2 cups spinach

2 cups arugula

2 tbs currants

2 tbs pumpkin seeds

1/2 red bell pepper

you probably know what a salad looks like.

Squash with Parmesan

1 small acorn squash (about 2-3 lbs)

3 tbs butter in thin slices

3 tbs minced garlic

1 cup parmesan

Pasta with sage cream sauce

1/2  lb pasta (any short noodle will work, the more surface area the more it will pick up the sauce)
1 pint heavy cream
3 tbs butter
a handful of fresh sage



Infrastructure
2 baking trays
1 sauce pan
1 pot to boil pasta
1 bowl for salad
1 bowl for broccoli
1 strainer
1 big knife

The minutiae

- Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta.

- Cut baguette hotdog style and set on a baking tray

- Slice pear into thin slices on the vertical axis, cut slices in half and arrange on bread

- Cut brie into slices and set on top of pear

- Set bread aside for later

- Cut the squash in half and then cut the halves into quarters and the quarters cut into thirds.  Lay flat on a baking tray.

- I cheated and used a jar of minced garlic, if you have that, use it, elsewise mince the garlic now.

- Turn on oven to low broil, put butter and garlic and a dash of salt on the squash and throw in the oven.  Make sure you put use the 2nd or 3rd slot from the top of the broiler so that there is about a hand's width between the broiling unit and the squash

- you should be about 10 minutes in at this point

- melt butter for sauce in pan on medium

- wash and cut the broccoli into florets

- throw sage into butter with a dash of salt and turn to med-high

- cut the bell pepper into thin slices

- wash, mix and toss salad ingredients in bowl

- stir sage as it sautes, don't overcook, the green color will darken before it browns, when it begins to brown, add the heavy cream and reduce to between medium and medium high

- cut lemon in half

- put broccoli into bowl

- turn the oven to broil high

- your water should be boiling and you should be about 20 minutes in now, maybe a little more

- pour about 2 cups of boiling water on broccoli

- add pasta to remaining water to cook

- stir broccoli in hot water and strain

- stir your cream sauce, if it froths that's alright

- check your squash, it should brown on the top, once the entire tray is browned remove it, flip the squash over and put back in the oven

- add juice from the lemon and salt and pepper to taste to broccoli and set aside

- taste your cream sauce and add another dash of salt if necessary, it is done when the sauce sits in the center of a spoon without running around easily

- at this point the only thing you have to do is wait.  Stir your sauce so it doesn't boil over.  Check your pasta.  Flip the squash if you haven't yet.  

- When the squash is soft enough to cut with a fork remove from the oven and dust to taste (heartily in my opinion) with Parmesan

- At 40 minutes on the clock put the bread in the oven and check at 5 minutes and then 2 minute intervals until it is ready, remove and put cracked pepper on top

- Once the pasta is cooked strain it and add the sauce

-----At 45 minutes you should be done.-----

Music Selection
Let me down easy - Max Frost
Says - Nils Frahm
Coffee - Sylvan Esso
Shark - Oh Wonder
How Does It Feel (1987 Remix) - Julia Vero
Mama Says - Ibeyi
High & Low  - EZA
Work Song - Hozier
The Business of Emotion - Big Data
I'm Not the Only One - Sam Smith
Skylark Interbang?! - Made in Heights
Beggin for a thread - Banks
0 to 100 - Drake