Back in the Saddle Again.

For some time, my wife and I have been busy with quite a few other issues, and we really weren't writing all that much, while our cooking had become pretty much a bare bones affair.  Things have gotten better, and I find myself returning to both kitchen and computer with renewed vigor.  Enough that I am researching a cookbook idea and the process of developing a book proposal.  The next couple of years should be pretty interesting and busy around my home...more, much more, to follow!

Chocolate Adventure Contest 2012!

It is upon us again.  Time for Scharffen Berger's annual Chocolate Adventure Contest!  Last year it was cupcakes.  I entered three recipes, but didn't win.  Pretty sure I didn't go far enough outside the box, though my co-workers at the hospital certainly enjoyed my efforts.  This year's theme is sandwich cookies, so I am again consulting with my wife, Gina, in an effort to come up with the best ideas we can.  Time will tell.

Chili Powder...

I'm making fajitas and frijoles borrachos tomorrow. I decided to make myself a batch of homemade chili powder instead of buying a commercial brand. I went the easy route with ground spices. I did put the oregano in a grinder, since I was only able to buy the whole dried leaves. This makes a large batch. It can easily be cut by half, or even to a fourth of the recipe, if you don't use a lot of chili powder. A hot chile such as Cayenne can be added to the mix if you want the heat. I prefer to leave the heat out of most of my spice blends and add it as desired to whatever I am cooking. Heat can be added easily - it's much more difficult to remove it.

Steven's Chili Powder

8 tablespoons Pasilla or Ancho chile powder
4 tablespoons New Mexico chile powder
4 tablespoons garlic powder
4 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground Mexican oregano

• Mix all the spices together thoroughly in a bowl.
• Store in an airtight container, in a cool, dry place.
• If the New Mexico chile powder is unavailable, California chile powder or paprika can be substituted. Similarly, conventional oregano (Italian/Greek) can be substituted, though the flavor will be different.
• Makes almost two cups of chili powder.
  

A New Year...

2011 was...challenging. Lots of ill health, melodrama (family, friends, and work alike) and not a lot of time or inclination for blogging. Its done and gone now, though. Can I get an 'Amen'?!

Time to start putting fingers to keyboard again. I've seen my cooking really evolving, simplifying, these last couple of years. We were watching something on the Food Network (what else?) when one of the chefs said something about how a lot of new chefs would come up with these zillion-ingredient, ultra-complicated recipes...because they could, more or less. That burned. Not that I'm a chef, but I feel I am a pretty good home cook, and...I was guilty. Some recipes require quite a few ingredients, especially SE Asian, Indian, and Middle Eastern/North African/Central Asian food, where lengthy ingredient lists can be pretty common. So I have begun simplifying my cooking. In all honesty, its improved my cooking quite a bit.

Our son has been down in SoCal keeping my mother company through the holidays, which are tough on her since the loss of my father. That usually just leaves my wife and I for meals. With all the stressors weave been experiencing we haven't done very much full scale cooking. Tonight, though, was another story. I had been thinking of making some Arroz con Pollo, the good old fashioned chicken and rice, and looked at a couple of recipes (one Mexican, one California Rancho). I kinda' tinkered at first, then ended up making bigger changes. I'm calling the final product Arroz con Pollo y Verduras. Or Rice with Chicken and Vegetables. Nowhere will you find canned green chiles and Monterey jack cheese. Instead, I made a coating for the chicken of extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, salt, herbs and spices. Dumped the marinated chicken into a hot skillet and let it develop a wonderful crusty, caramelized surface. Next came lots of vegetables - chunks of onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery and cauliflower. Sear those, toss 'em in the big pot with the chicken. Deglaze the skillet with some white wine. Dump that in along with some basmati rice, chicken stock, a few tomatoes and their juices, a couple of fresh bay leaves. Let it all cook until the juices have been absorbed. OMG good! Better than I had hoped for. The secret, I believe was a little chile heat and the bit of malt vinegar I added to the reducing wine. The dish had the faintest tang from the vinegar and a slow, mellow heat that built up. I made a ton for the two of us, so I am happy when I think that we have a ziploc bag-full in both fridge and freezer...