Mayo your dreams come true

The last post included a mention of homemade mayonnaise. If you're a fan of the stuff, it deserves much more than a mere mention. I made it the other night not because I didn't have a full jar with that blue lid in the fridge, but because I was only cooking spinach and felt like I should contribute. Let me tell you something, mi amigos (that's Spanish for "you guys"), it is out of this world.

Homemade mayonnaise does have a 1970's, picnic on Earth-Day, hippie women dancing with unshaved armpits connotation, but it's incredibly easy and really a different product. You can even do it by hand, but if you have a food processor, it's even easier. You can look up different recipes,(here's one) but the basic science is this: egg yolks are mixed with a slow, thin stream of oil and a little acid (lemon, vinegar) to make mayo. Add the oil too fast and it won't emulsify, but other than that, it's monkey-easy. Add mustard, garlic, whatever you like depending on your inclination.

Then sit back and watch your cholesterol and happiness rise in direct proportions.

(Today's artwork courtesy of http://www.nataliedee.com/)

Saturday Night Super Fun Super Market

Think you don't need your homespun skills anymore because the big city offers you all the excitement you need? Think again, mes amis. (That's city talk for y'all).

A 24 hour downpour and too much fun on Friday night let to a rainy, cold, bored Saturday night for myself and 4 others. We figured we should eat something, but no one could come up with a cohesive plan. Husband Chuckie, always good at making games out of anything (witness the "Throw an acorn in a bucket" game that lasted 3 hours at Christmas time), came up with this: Each of the 5 participants has 5 minutes in the supermarket to pick one ingredient that they like. That's it- no other rules. Here's what we ended up with:

Spinach
Catfish nuggets
Cream of Mushroom soup
bacon
cheese fondue

Cheese fondue seemed like overkill, so we nixed it in favor of potatoes. Here's what we ended up eating:

Beer-battered Catfish
mashed potatoes with bacon and sour cream
creamed spinach
corn bread

This was, to everyone's surprise, and without a doubt, one of the best meals ever made at my house. The kicker was the cornbread, which was made with two packs of Jiffy brand corn mix (5o cents each!) cooked in the skillet that had already cooked the bacon. If you've never tried this, you should. I can't convey in words how good it is.


The morals of the story:
1. City life isn't always exciting-sometimes you have to make your own fun.
2. A fantastic meal can cost under $3 a serving.
3. Who knew that catfish could be so exciting?

All brought to you by serendipity.

Update: Hunger scores a half point

I recently took down 1943 in the Gourmet 60th anniversary issue project. 1943's delight was the classic Duck a l'Orange. I was excited to make this one, as I had never had it before and I'm a fan of game birds in general. I think growing up homespun makes you appreciate game due to the abundance of hunters in small towns. Full disclosure: I'm not suggesting I grew up in a house where Dad came home from hunting proudly displaying a carcass- the most he brought home was some fried fish for lent. I'm just saying my friends' Dads did, so I'm not afraid to go beyond chicken tenders.

Anyway, the duck was good. I'm not sure it was worth the effort, but it was good. I did end up setting the tips of the wings on fire trying to finish it in the broiler, which would have put a real dent in my menu planning, but they blew out quickly, and no one wanted those scrawny little tips anyway. And, come to think of it, it was a birthday dinner. The orange sauce was delicious, but it made enough for a 20 pound turkey and duck doesn't have that much meat. I also thought it would be a good idea to try and make stock out of the carcass, but come to find out duck is fatty inside and out- the stock looked like the fryer trap at Arby's when it cooled. I guess it takes a lot of insulation to sit on a frozen pond all winter.

Scorecard: Duck a l'Orange
Guests: Charlie, Kurt Megan
Verdict: "It's good", " I like it", "Give me more of that fatty skin", "I can't believe my kitchen is covered in duck fat".
Gourmet: .5 Hunger: .5 . A draw.

Totals so far: Gourmet: 2.5. Hunger: .5

The Oscar Party

The other half of Homespun Urban is currently changing diapers and debating the pros and cons of some type of nipple (don't ask), so I will help out by giving you readers the scoop on her annual Oscar Party.
Sometimes she throws the party herself, but usually goes to a friend's house. One option she's had in the past is to dress as a character from that year's batch (my Frieda Kahlo costume horrified me enough to become very, VERY vigilant about plucking my brows). The highlight of either her or her friend's party is the food competition. Much like the Super Bowl party, prizes are given for the best movie inspired food. If you'd like to see pictures of last year's winners, scroll down to the Feb. 27th, 2007 post for "Notes on a Sandal" and "...and I am telling you I'm not Chicken".
This year's contender was "Asconement"- a plate of scones with a note saying 'I'm Sorry'. I had suggested a roasted chicken platter entitled "No Country for Old Hens", but there wasn't enough time.

Hopefully Kate will post some pictures of the winner when she's done washing the burp off her shirt.

Winter Blues

I love to cook more than most people I know, but I am rapidly entering into the time of year when I'm done. Done with the routine. It's cold, your pasty skin hasn't seen the sun in months, and the thought of trying to push a shopping cart through a slushy parking lot is too much to bear. It's the dangerous season of Too Much Take-Out.

I'm not anti-take-out; in fact, it's one of the things that I loved when I moved to the big city. It's the time of year though, when you get into the habit of just ordering from the Vietnamese joint down the street one cold night, and one night becomes two, and two becomes four....

Full disclosure: There was a period last winter when the bar down the street had $13.95 prime rib on Wednesday, which was also the day I had my most hated late grad school class. We probably went there 5 Wednesdays in a row for Mahattans and rib. By the end, I was feeling like I might get the gout, but then Spring sprung and we recovered.

So how to fight the take-out-all-the-time habit that's no good for your wallet or waistline? That's a tough one. One option would be to try and make that Pad Thai or Beef and Broccoli yourself. (The recipe I use for Pad Thai is from the Boston Globe. I'll reprint in the post underneath). The other would be to try and change habits. Eat less meat for a week. Use only recipes from a favorite magazine. Try "breakfast for dinner". Recreate your Mom's staples.

Or book yourself a fabulous Spring break and let it motivate you to save your pennies for the swim up bar.

Boston Globe Pad Thai Recipe

This is a good one. Leave out anything you don't have (although the fish sauce makes it taste just like take-out).

1 tablespoon dried shrimp (optional)
1/2 pound fresh shrimp, chicken, or pork
10 to 12 ounces 1/4-inch wide dry rice noodles (banh pho, sen jann, or rice sticks)
2 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 medium shallots, sliced in thin rings
1/4 pound firm tofu, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Asian chili paste, or to taste
3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
1/3 cup chopped dry-roasted unsalted peanuts
1 cup bean sprouts
1 egg, beaten, fried, and finely sliced
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 extra lime, cut into wedges (for serving)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded fresh mint


1. Soak the dried shrimp, if using, in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain them and chop them finely. If using fresh shrimp, shell and devein them; or cut the chicken or pork along the grain into small strips. Soak the rice noodles in warm water for at least 15 minutes.

2. In a wok, cast-iron skillet, or large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot (but not smoking) add the garlic, shallots, and dried shrimp all at once. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is just golden-brown and shallots are beginning to caramelize.

3. Push garlic mixture to one side of the pan. Raise the heat to high and add the tofu. Cook it until it is lightly browned.

4. Push the tofu to one side of the pan. Add the fresh shrimp, chicken, or pork. Stir-fry, mixing everything in the pan together, just until the meat is opaque.

5. Drain the noodles.

6. Push everything in the pan to one side (if the pan seems dry, add another teaspoon of oil). Add the noodles and stir-fry, gradually working in the other ingredients in the pan.

7. Clear a small space in the center of the noodles and add the tomato and chili pastes. Gradually incorporate them into noodles until evenly distributed; the noodles should be tinted red.

8. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Clear a small space in the pan and add the sugar. Toss the noodles briefly.

9. Add the fish sauce and lime juice. Stir-fry, mixing thoroughly and scraping the pan with a spatula. You may need to cut through noodles with the spatula. Taste the mixture. It should be evenly balanced with salt, sweet, and sour tastes. Fish sauce helps cut through a heavy lime taste. But if you have added plenty of lime and fish sauce and the flavors still don't come alive, try adding more sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time.

10. Add the peanuts and bean sprouts, toss briefly, and remove from heat.

11. Scatter the egg and scallions over the noodles. Garnish with wedges of lime, cilantro, and mint. Serve at once.

Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Urban slobs

I hate cleaning. I really hate it. But in an inverse relationship to my hatred of cleaning is my love of going out to dinner. In order to finance this habit, I have decided to let go of the dream I had when I imagined my big city life- the cleaning person. I know that my Mom and her best friend both have daughters that have had cleaning people and recently let them go. I know it blows their mind that their daughters, who "learned at the knee of masters", as Mom says, don't take pleasure and pride in cleaning. But I don't. I still hate it. And the person we had was great. It was nice. So nice. So so nice.

Still having trouble letting this go.

But, I love me my dinners out. So, in an effort to make my Mom proud and truly EMBRACE the clean house, I reread a book my sis gave me when I lived in a tiny studio apartment- "Organizing From the Inside Out" by Julie Morgenstern.
It's a simple concept, but one that doesn't seem to happen naturally: Don't fight your habits and try to have the system that you THINK you should have. For example, if you sort all your mail at the dining room table, don't build a mail system that's two rooms away- make it near that spot. I did this in the house over MLK weekend, and I'm here to report that the solid and top to bottom closet reorganization, the mail center, and laundry room re-org are STILL WORKING weeks later. And our city apartment with not much closet space seems to have plenty of space. Kind of liberating, actually. I guess Mom was right- cleaning can make you happy.

Or a nice steak dinner after that cleaning can make you happier.

MYO, part deux

I mentioned before that "MYO" was our mother's shorthand for "Make it yourself", or more often than not, code for "I'm sick of cooking for you kids". To continue our semi-regular MYO feature, I present to you: Croutons.

A family friend refers to these as "dead bread", and although he uses it as a derogative, it's pretty accurate. Easy, a good way to use up something you would normally throw away, and so easy a monkey could do it.

Take those hunks of bread you never ate, throw them in a bag, and when you have enough and feel like having soup or a salad, toss them with some melted butter or oil, depending on your taste. Mix in any spices you like (blends like Italian are good- might want to stay away from the sweet ones, like cinnamon), spread on a baking sheet and toast at 300 for about 30 min., or until they look like croutons. Store them in that same bag and applaud your Depression era/Green/use it up thriftiness. Go make some soup out of a ham bone and enjoy.

Best Ever Baby Shower Booty

I have to admit I dreaded of attending and buying gifts for this particular occasion for years. Either pick something on the registry that you don't really understand unless you have spawn yourself (wipe warmer? 'Brest' friend? WTF?) or do what everyone else does and buy some midget-sized outfits. Awww, cute. Until you've seen them open 20 different packages with similar stuff.

Want to be the most appreciated gifter? I used to think personalized onesies were the ultimate, but here are three better ideas gleaned from my new hands-on experience with birthing and caring for a wee one.

1) Meal delivery service. Outsource it or do it yourself , make it freezable (Ethel has some some good recipes. ) You could team up with some friends and cover a whole month. Heck, your new mom could use this much help for at least a season.

2) Spa gift certificate with a definite expiration date-so Mama has to get out of the house to use it.

3) Gift certificate for diapers.com, which will deliver all kinds of kiddie needs to your door and can be easily ordered with one hand at 2 a.m.

P.S. By the way, the Brest friend is not a semi-literate joke but a specialty pillow that absolutely rocks and is a great choice for anyone attempting to feed their young'un the old school way.

Presenting....the Philadephia Clam Pie

The best that 1942 has to offer. The next year in my Cook Gourmet Magazine Anniversary Issue Project (I need a shorter way to say that. CGMAIP?) is the probably not-so-appetizing sounding Philadelphia Clam Pie. It's sort of clam chowder in a puff pastry shell, except it's not milk or cream based. Surprisingly, the thickener is clam juice with cornstarch rather than dairy, but it still has a nice, creamy taste to it. If you're inviting your lactose-intolerant friend over, have no fear with the Philadelphia Clam Pie!

I'm still unsure of the Philadelphia reference on this one. I don't recall Philly being known for its seafood, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, this guy was also delicious, especially on a cold night. It was also Ash Wednesday, which I don't really celebrate any more, but it made me feel accidentally virtuous to go meat free. The score card:

1942: Philadelphia Clam Pie (Click for recipe)

Guests: The Commune
Votes: 5 for, 0 against. "A keeper" says Kurt. "Better than I thought" says I.

Final Score: Gourmet 2, Hunger 0.