something coming soon.
When I can figure out how to get a list of the other posts in this category here, it will be. For now, just some pictures. =)
flickr stream.
Monday, Chinese Cooking, and Cleaning Tips
After a long weekend up in LA, I’m back in the swing of things. Luckily for me, last night I decided to put the fermentation length of pizza dough to the test. Thursday night, I made a batch of dough, and put it in the fridge. Sunday night, I took it out and we ate pizza. This was great for the going-out-of-town issue. We got home on Sunday and I knew what we were having for dinner, and I didn’t have to do too much work to make it.
The dough had at least doubled in size, and was full of bubbles. It was actually a little hard to stretch, in part because I kept popping bubbles and making little tears. Eventually I worked it out, but I put a little too much sauce on, so the top of the crust in the middle was a bit softer than I like it. I also noticed a tendency overall towards the soft side, even though the color was looking like I wanted, so I wonder if the extra days had something to do with that as well. The flavor, however, suffered no ill effects from the drawn out battle with fermentation. It was tangy and luscious, and left me happy overall.
For the rest of this week we will be having some pizza, but I’m also on a Chinese kick that I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned yet. I’ve got both books from Grace Young, The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen and The Breath of the Wok that have led me down a path of righteousness and happy cooking. When I was young man, my best friend was Kevin Cheung ( Kevin, if you read this, email me, my name at gmail.com. ) His mom was an outstanding cook, and I spent more time at his house from K-8th grades than anywhere outside my own. His grandparents spoke no English, but always talked to me like I knew what they were saying, and his mom fed me traditional meals that were so tasty I never questioned what it was I was eating. ( Although I never did develop a taste for fish eyes. Too chalky. )
Anyway, Grace’s books have taken me on a trip back in time 20+ years and when I read them I can see, smell and taste the cooking I grew up with. So I’ve been working through the recipes ( although not documenting the experiences very well ) and I hope to improve that this week.
Which brings me to my household tips for the week. First, my hippy store is still carrying frozen free-range turkey thighs. These are a great deal, and I’ll tell you why. They’re $2.69 a lb, for a roughly 2 lb chunk of meat. That’s about what I pay for a whole chicken, but with a much more useable size. Easily lasting two meals, I think these are my favorite food bargain around right now. Handy since I’m on budget lockdown after the Princess’s birthday party this month. I’m aiming for $320 for 2 weeks of complete food and beverage.
Tip number two is that there is an order to things that make your kitchen smell if not kept up. One is the trash. Empty it daily. Two is the sink. Scrub and really drain that thing daily. Also drop a lemon slice into the disposal for freshness. Those two things make more smell in a kitchen than anything else, even if moderately maintained. The reward for crazy vigilance is an odor-free workspace.
posted to In the KitchenIn the Kitchen, at 09:03 PM. permalink
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