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@youdoyoucooking
What am I making?
No, really, what am I making?
It's just good advice I like to follow.
When My Parents Would Speak German
Sometimes, on Sunday night after dinner, my parents would start speaking German. It was their secret language, learned while my father was stationed in Germany. We kids quickly figured out they were discussing whether or not we had been well behaved enough to deserve a trip out for ice cream. “Please, please, please,” we would chant. Of course, if they were discussing it, it was already decided we’d be making a visit to the Sundae House. The Sundae House was an important part of my childhood. A trip there was always pure, unadulterated joy. It represented everything good, simple, and joyful.
The Sundae House was a family-run ice cream stand and 60 year 60-year-old tradition in Milford, Connecticut. It opened in 1963, when I was one. Originally, it was a fruit and vegetable stand, but it quickly transformed into an ice cream parlor. O.K., calling it an ice cream parlor is a bit of a stretch. It was truly a walk-up window in a shed with a gravel parking lot where you could get some ice cream, then sit on the hood of your car and enjoy your treat. We made a trip there for any celebration. From good report cards to the purchase of a “new” used car. It was something we did as a family unit, all 6 of us together. The available menu was simple. Vanilla or Chocolate soft-serve ice cream. Nothing fancy. Hot fudge sauce (from a can with a pump) or strawberry topping. Chopped nuts if you’re a bit extra. I’m sure there were other things like ice cream cones and milkshakes, but those never entered our orbit.
My earliest memory of those sundaes was the night my brother Peter was born. I was 4. My father arrived home full of joy and 3 sundaes for us to celebrate. We were sound asleep in bed and wanted nothing to do with a new brother or sundaes at that late hour. They got stuffed into the freezer for later. My mother was the editor of the local paper, and once she wrote an article about them. They were so proud, they put the article in their ordering window. As teenagers waiting in line, we like to say loudly so everyone could hear, “Oh look, Mom’s article”. We were certain this would earn us a free sundae, but it never did. It was always worth a try, though.
Later on, as an adult, getting a sundae with my husband and my 2 little children was a powerful full-circle moment. Those sundaes had become part of my own family’s life, and I didn’t even have to learn to speak German.
If you don't have your own Sunday House, this hot fudge is a nice way to create your own celebratory ice cream tradition.
Simple Hot Fudge Sauce.
4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons butter
ÂĽ cup of water
ÂĽÂ teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or Bourbon
In a small saucepan, on very low heat, begin to melt your chocolate squares. When they are about ½ way melted, add the sugar, butter, water, and salt. Turn the heat up to medium and stir constantly. Once the chocolate and butter are both completely melted, increase the heat until the mixture is at a very gentle boil. The sugar should be completely dissolved at this point.
Let boil gently, constantly stirring for 5 minutes. You are stirring so your sauce doesn’t overboil.
Add your cream and vanilla (or bourbon) and stir till well combined and the mixture is homogeneous. It should be hot, but never let it boil again.
This will keep in a jar in the fridge for a week. You can rewarm in a microwave or eat with a spoon while standing in front of the refrigerator. You do you.
Perfect Moment
Sometimes you click the shutter at the perfect moment.
Panna Cotta with Blueberries
Palmier, Orejas, or Elephant Ear.
Criispy Pork Goodness
The best on a taco.
Salt to Taste
Both my parents were excellent, thoughtful cooks, but I always reached for the salt shaker when a plate of food was put in front of me. I think it gave me a sense of control and made me feel like I was part of the creation of the meal. I decided how much salt went into the food. I was one of the cooks. But as soon as I extended my arm for that shaker, I would always hear “Did you taste it?”. Both my parents are gone, and that phrase rings in my ears. Did I taste the food before I salted it? Quite often, the answer, when I was younger, was “no”. I didn’t taste it. Now I know better. It is always possible that the food is perfectly salted for me. I believe it is perfect when I make it, why not possible when someone else makes it? Taste the food before you salt it.
This loops me around to the ubiquitous recipe phrase “salt to taste”. It literally has the word taste in it. How are you going to know if you don’t taste it? It’s OK to salt food because that’s your palate. You may have a lower or higher sensitivity to salt, but how are you going to know if you don’t taste it first? I have over-salted food just to see what some relatives would do (answer: they still reach for the salt shaker). I have tried to explain how it is “Death by a Thousand Cuts” for some chefs when you reach for the salt without tasting it first. How do you know it’s not perfect? Taste your food as you prepare it. Salt to taste. Taste along the way. How are you going to know how much salt something needs if you don’t taste it? Salt to taste, but make sure it actually requires the salt first.
Picnic Salsa
All you need is tortilla chips and a beverage. Your picnic is complete.
½ cup of fresh or frozen defrosted corn (If it’s fresh, it can be raw.)
½ cup of canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large tomato, diced
½ of a small red onion, finely chopped
½ cup of chopped cilantro (or skip it)
1 to 2 chopped jalapeños (1 or 2, with or without the seeds, depending on your heat tolerance)Â
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of one lime
½ teaspoon of salt (more or less depending on taste)
½ teaspoon of ground cumin
Put everything together, let it sit for 30 minutes to let everything get together. If it gets to “liquidy”, it’s OK to drain some of the excess liquid.
Is It Fig Season Yet?
Cooking With Water
I rarely use water as an ingredient. It’s a lost opportunity to add flavor. There are times when it is absolutely appropriate, like making a stock or broth from scratch, but other times, I look for something to flavor or enrich. Think about what would match the profile of your dish. Quite often in a savory dish that calls for minimal amounts, like 3 tablespoons of water, wine can work. If it’s more substantial amounts, chicken broth can be swapped out. Sweet dishes can be enhanced with milk, orange juice, or even coffee. The next time you are making a cake mix (yes, a cake mix can be acceptable), try whole milk instead of the called-for water. Drink your water instead of cooking with it.
Xocolatl....chocolate!
MMM, Butter (say it like Homer Simpson)
E is from Escoffier.
It turns out taking a peek in your pantry can say a lot about you.