Foodmomiac

Careers and Crockpots and Carnitas, Oh My!

  Carnitas 
  Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac.

I get a lot of Dear Foodmomiac questions about crockpot cooking. And, much like the question I answered last week, I tend to ignore them. I do have two crockpots, and I use them occasionally, but I don't have any real philosophy on the matter. I love them in principle. But... much of the food that comes out of them seems to taste the same. There are some exceptions. I can make a mean crock pot chili. OK, that's the only exception I can think of right now. BUT! My life is about to get REALLY interesting (a.k.a. crazy busy), so I have decided to embrace the crockpot. I will make the crockpot my beyotch, people. The crockpot is going to BEND to my will.

Well, then.

First, my life. I have accepted a fulltime job as VP at the same company Michael works at. His office will be very close to mine, but we have decided to ignore each other completely while working. (kind of kidding. a bit.) We work for different, yet synergistic (corporate speak - I'm good, aren't I?) departments, so truly, we won't have to interact too much. I'm hoping that he gives me a ride home occasionally, though.

Next, the crockpot questions. As I said, I'm going to be doing a lot more crockpot cooking. I will be working quite a bit, but I still want to cook, and I still want to have nutritious and delicious meals for my family.

Last week, in my de-lurking post, I asked for questions, and I got a great one from Shelia. She wanted to know if I had a recipe for Carnitas. Well, no, I have no recipe for Carnitas, but, I just read one that sounded promising on another blog. And, believe it or not, when I read that recipe, I thought to myself that it sounded like an ideal candidate for the crockpot. And, so, the foodmomiac Carnitas recipe was born. And, it was good! Michael and I got home at 6:05. We were sitting at the table eating by 6:30.

Carnitas
Inspired by Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes

4 lb. boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-2 inch chunks
1 16 oz. jar salsa
1 can beef broth

Place pork into a crockpot with the salsa and broth. Add some water if the meat is not covered. Cook on low for 8 hours (ish).

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Pull the meat out of the liquid with tongs and place it on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with warm corn tortillas and your choice of toppings. We had avocado, fresh salsa, grated cheese and sour cream.

Pizza Sauce - What is it?

  Parent Pizza Cooked 
  Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac.

Jill has now submitted this question TWICE, so I figure it's high time I answered it.

Dear Foodmomiac,

Every time I try to make pizza sauce it tastes like spaghetti sauce.  Can you share your recipe and help explain the difference between the sauces?

Thanks,
Jill

OK, I didn't answer this for a reason. I had NO clue. But, after getting a lecture from Michael on all of the questions I was ignoring, I decided that I should probably do some research.

Now, when WE make pizza, we have a few things we do in terms of sauce. On pizzas I make for myself, I often forgo sauce all together. I prefer a white-style pizza with ricotta, mozzarella, garlic, carmelized onions, toasted pine nuts and olive oil. But, the rest of the family thinks I'm nuts, so we usually do use sauce. In Toledo, we bought our pizza sauce from Sofo's, the local Italian market. Here in Chicago,  we've tried all sorts of things, many of them from Trader Joe's. Our reliance on canned pizza sauces is probably the source of my dislike of the sauced pizza.

Your question really made me curious, though, Jill. I don't really understand what the difference is between spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce, and to be able to tackle this in a homemade fashion, I realized that I needed to do some research.

I did some googling, which led me nowhere, really. I found some crappy recipes (one can tomato paste, one can tomato sauce, blah blah blah). I found a lot of commercial sauces. I decided to turn to eGullet, and that's where things started to become clear.

On eGullet, they have these Cook-Offs, where anyone who wants to can cook a certain item and then discuss it with others making the same thing. There have been a Chili Cook-Off, a Bibimbap Cook-Off, a Fried Chicken Cook-Off. Lots of Cook-Offs. The Cook-Off that helped me, though, was the Pizza Cook-Off.

So, here's what I found out. True, Neopolitan pizza has an uncooked pizza sauce. You want San Marzano tomatoes (canned is fine). Crush them, and you are basically good to go. Seasoning is very limited. You really don't need any seasoning at all, because that's what the pizza toppings are for. Want a basil flavor? Put basil leaves on the pizza. Want garlic? Crush some directly onto the pie. This kind of sauce is right up my alley. It's simple, it's pure, it's not overloaded with all of the heavy-handed seasonings that personify pasta sauce.

Hope this helps Jill!

Lotsa Leeks (and some Spaghetti Squash too!)

  My Leek 
  Originally uploaded by purplespace.

I've been getting a lot of Dear Foodmomiac questions lately about fall produce. Mir emailed me last week asking for gluten-free spaghetti squash recipes that don't suck. And Lauren has emailed me for butternut squash recipes and just this morning for some leek ideas.

I have a few ideas for these ladies, but I'd love all of you readers to chime in as well. What do you do with your fall produce?

For the leeks, I'm tempted to have Lauren try something out of the ordinary. The usual suspect would be Potato Leek Soup, but with a glut of leeks in the fridge (Lauren belongs to a C.S.A.), why not go for something even LEEKIER. I've been thinking about this all day, and the best idea I have is to try a Braised Leek recipe. This idea came to me after browsing through Molly Steven's All About Braising book (one of my favorite cookbooks). She has a recipe for Braised Scallions. I googled Braised Leeks, and came across a bunch of recipes. Some included cream, some included bacon fat. This one sounds the best to me, mostly because of its simplicity. I also will point you to the phenomenal Mariquita Farm website. Their leek page is brilliant.

And now to address Mir's question. Spaghetti squash is tough, because I don't think it has the depth of flavor that other squash have. It's not as sweet, it's not as rich. Sure, it does that funky spaghetti thing, but that's not enough to make this vegetable sing. As Mir suspected, one of the best ways to make spaghetti squash taste good is to load it up with butter and cheese. But, there have to be some more interesting ideas out there, no? Indeed there are. This one sounds pretty interesting, though making it gluten-free will require a touch of finagling, as it calls for both flour and bread crumbs. However, I'm sure there are some good substitutes out there. Can any gluten-free experts chime in? Finally, not to be repetitive, but I also love the ideas on Mariquita Farm's website. Check out this Spaghetti Squash page. The first recipe is definitely intriguing, but I especially love the idea of making the squash into a pancake (you'll need to scroll down a bit). Again, to modify this for gluten-free, you'll need a flour substitute, but the amount of flour here is relatively small, so I think it will do well.

I'm going to handle the rest of the winter squash in another post. In the meantime, please let me know if there are other fall veggies and fruits that you are trying to use in interesting ways. I'm always happy to help!

(P.S. I have received all of your crockpot inquiries, and I'm working on an answer. The crockpot and I have a love/hate relationship, so it's taking me some time to create a response that is actually helpful. Stay tuned!

Prepared Foods - Do I Partake?

Dear Foodmomiac,

Help. Both hubby and I work full time (and, even days when he's home, he's little help in the food department). My kids are almost three and almost one. Right after Younger Kid (YK) was born, I was relying pretty heavily on frozen stuff from Trader Joe's to feed Older Kid (OK). He would eat their meatballs and many different types of dumplings. However, he's gotten a bit pickier and I'm less inclined just to nuke something for him now that I can put YK down long enough to prep dinner. So, my question is - do you use any of the frozen stuff from places like Trader Joe's to simplify life? Or do you think the extra step of making sure you have fresh and then prepping/cooking it right before eating is worth it? (Maybe this is less a real question and more a need for me to validate my mothering skills, jeeze now you're my therapist as well as Foodmomiac).

Thanks!
Rachael

Hi Rachael!

You know, I'm not surprised that you tied in validation of mothering skills with the concern over buying prepared foods. As mothers, we are endlessly bombarded with all of the things that we should feel guilty about, from co-sleeping to making our own baby food, to whether or not we are raising our children bi-lingual. Food is supposed to be something joyous that brings the family together. It is not something that should EVER generate guilt or concern about the validity of ones mothering skills. I realize that your comment was presented somewhat in jest, but this hits a sore spot with me, so I figured I'd take the opportunity to vent.

I want to make something clear. I LOVE freshly prepared food. If I had the time to make a homemade meal every night for my family, I might very well do it. I happen to love cooking. However, I don't have the time to do this. I work, I write, I knit, and I have two very busy kids who need my attention. So...

Prepared foods. Yes, I buy them. I just try to buy them sensibly. I look at the ingredient list very carefully. If all of the ingredients are items that I would myself use in the kitchen, it makes the grade. Trader Joe's, if you have one (I know you do, Rachael), is an excellent source for pre-made meals. But, even local markets will have items that are pretty nutritious and tasty. Here are some prepared food items that we use in our house:

- Frozen meatballs - these can be added to tomato sauce for a quick spaghetti and meatballs, but our favorite thing to do is to heat them up with some barbecue sauce. Speaking of which...
- Barbecue sauce - in the summer, I make up a big batch of my own and keep it in the fridge, but come winter, we don't go through it fast enough to make this worth my time. I like the Annie's Natural Organic BBQ sauce.
- Tomato sauce - there are a bunch of great brands. One of our favorites is Emeril's Kicked Up Tomato.
- Chicken Nuggets - kids love 'em, and especially for nights when Michael and I are headed out, or when we are eating something that they just won't abide by, it's good to have these around. I'm not a huge proponent of non-organic meats, but I do buy the Tyson brand nuggets. I think they are tasty, and we don't serve them often enough to be terribly concerned. I like that they come in a resealable freezer bag.
- Annie's Mac n Cheese - I buy boxes of this in bulk from Amazon grocery. I also like the microwaveable version, but with two kids now eating the stuff, I find that the box version is cheaper and gets eaten in one sitting anyway.
- Trader Joe's Simmer Sauces - We like the green curry version. If you heat up leftover frozen pork tenderloin in a crockpot with some chicken broth, you'll be able to shred it after about 6 hours on low. Drain some of the broth, add a bunch of sauce and serve over rice. Voila! An instant Thai dinner.
- Frozen veggies - I always have organic green peas and Trader Joe's french green beans in the freezer. These are great backups to have on hand when you need a veggie but are out of everything fresh.
- Trader Joe's French Toast - This is a very easy breakfast for Max. I heat it in the microwave for 45 seconds and cut it into pieces for him.
- Trader Joe's Steelcut Oatmeal - These frozen discs of oatmeal are really tasty and are a very quick way to get the extra nutrition of steelcut oats without the extra time.

There are more that we use, but the above are almost always present in our pantry/freezer/fridge. What prepared foods do you guys rely on to get through mealtimes?
 

Kids and Junk Food

  Jelly! 
  Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac.

This week, a question from one of my favorite bloggers:

Dear Foodmomiac,

How bad are French Fries for my 13 month old. Give it to me straight. I can take it.

Love,
Mom 101

Dear Liz,

I'm glad you asked me this now, on my second kid, and not four years ago. It seems cliche to say it, but by the second kid, you start to realize what's important and what's not, and you can not sweat the small stuff (at least not MOST of the time).

Here's what IS important (according to me, of course):

- Organic Milk: I think that hormones in milk are causing our girls to menstruate early and our boys to have boobs. This freaks me out. I think that antibiotics in milk are causing our kids to be immune to many antibiotics. This terrifies me. Milk makes up a huge part of most kids' diet, so to have that part consisting of bad stuff is not acceptable. I buy organic milk, and I try to make sure it's from smaller farms, because some of the mass-produced organic milk is organic only by the skin of its teeth. And that's not ok with me.

- Organic Fruits and Vegetables: It is not possible to buy organic produce all of the time. However, according to the August, 2006 Gourmet, "a 2003 study by the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group found 192 different pesticides on 46 fresh fruits and vegetables and determined that consumers can lower their risk of pesticide exposure by as much as 90 percent by buying organic varieties of the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables.
 
       Fruits
       apples
       cherries
       imported grapes
       nectarines
       peaches
       pears
       red raspberries
       strawberries

       Vegetables
       bell peppers
       celery
       potatoes
       spinach (whole other set of issues now, though)

So, I try to buy organic varieties of the above. Buying in season helps me to adhere to this policy (organic strawberries out of season are cost-prohibitive, IMO, so strawberries are a summer thing in our family), and buying local is a loophole that I take advantage of quite frequently. If I'm choosing between an organic imported peach and a local peach bought direct from the farmer, I choose local. It is very expensive to be certified organic, so you can often identify pesticide-free produce that isn't labeled organic just by chatting with the farmer who grew it.

- I refuse to enforce double standards, and this answers your original question. I love french fries. I love chocolate. Ice cream makes me very happy, as do cookies and cake. I don't feed these things to my kids ALL of the time, but they get them a lot, because I eat them a lot. I don't worry about this because they also get a ton of more nutritious food. Life should be fun. Food should be fun.

- I enforce the family dinner rule as much as possible. We can't always do this. Last night, Michael didn't get home from work until nearly 7. The kids ate on their own. But, when we can, we eat together, and that's important to me.

School Lunches

From Carmen:

I'm trying to find great kid friendly lunch ideas as well, but with a twist. My challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to create a lunch for a child with food allergies, who doesn't eat peanuts, nuts, coconut, and thinks that any kind of meat is vile and disgusting. He also won't eat soup of any kind, and I try to avoid anything that needs to be heated up. He also can't eat lots of food coloring, since is causes migraines.

My question is, what is a good thing to pack him for lunch, meeting all of those criteria? I get pretty sick of packing a soy butter sandwich long about December...........

From Kathy:

The first day of school is almost upon us, and I could use ideas for bagged lunches to pack that are reasonably healthy and stand a chance of getting eaten. Any ideas would be a great help.

 I have a long-standing hate relationship with school lunches. When I was a kid, my mom made all of my sandwiches using Pepperidge Farm Enriched White Bread. That stuff was NASTY. It was dry and flavorless. (But it had vitamins!) The sandwiches were usually bologna, salami or chicken roll, never PB&J because I hate that stuff. Most of the time, I'd throw out the sandwich and just eat my two Oreos and drink my 100% fruit juice. Good times.

When Dylan started Montessori three years ago, I was excited to send her a packed lunch. That excitement lasted about a week. Though her teachers told me that she brought a bigger variety than anyone else, I couldn't help but think that I was sending her terribly boring stuff. I think part of my problem is that I judge school lunches on MY standards. I, personally, need variety in my daily lunches. Small children do not. Small children are happy with Mac and Cheese or PB&J every day. Please, please, please remember this when making your lunches. The goal is to make your kids happy, while providing nutritious meals. The goal is not to win a school lunch award. I have a hard time remembering this. Don't make the same mistake I do.

OK, lecture over. Let's get going with some ideas.

First, there are some fabulous resources online for kids lunches. Please check these out:

Vegan Lunch Box - Yes, these lunches are vegan. No, not all kids will like this type of food. But, hear me out. There are some fabulous ideas within this blog. Jennifer is no longer blogging Shmoo's daily lunches, but the archives are chock full of ideas and inspiration. Lots of dips, wraps and food that's fun to eat. Things LOOK good. Each lunch has multiple courses. Read and be inspired.

Parent Hacks - Asha just posted a query on favorite school lunches (inspired by Melissa's Buzz Off column), and the comments section is filled to the brim with awesome ideas. (Melissa's comment section has some good ideas too.)

Want Not - Pretty, pretty Mir has some great snack and lunch ideas, and not only are these tasty, but they are AFFORDABLE. Leave it to Mir...

And now, for some ideas of my own:

• I posted this in the comments section of Mir's post, but here it is again. Homemade Lunchables are a great way to get interesting and nutritious food into your kids' lunches. Think about why Lunchables are popular (beyond the overabundance of commercials on Cartoon Network). They have little compartments. They involve preparation on the part of the kid. They are fun to eat. You can do that. Really, you can. Make some pizza dough (or buy a Boboli and use cookie cutters to make it into 2-inch circles) and shape it into small disks. Cook them up and then freeze 'em. The night before school, pull out two disks, fill one small container with marinara and another with grated mozzarella. Add a small baggie of toppings if your kid is into that sort of thing (pepperoni, sliced olives, etc.).
• Let's talk about the thermos, shall we? I love the thermos. You need to get the stainless steel kind. Like this, or for bigger kids; this. This type of thermos will keep food hot enough for a kid's lunch, provided you let it sit for a while with hot water before filling it with the hot food. I have put a huge variety of foods in my thermos. We've done mac and cheese, soups, leftover dinner, quesadillas, grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, meatballs cooked in barbecue sauce, and Dylan's favorite; chili. When we do chili, I also send a small container of grated cheddar, a small container of sour cream, and a few saltines for crumbling on top. It's all about the garnish, folks.
• Another favorite around here is chicken salad (you could also do tuna salad, depending on the tastes of your child). I don't serve it as a sandwich, though. I put it in a small plastic container and serve it with crackers for dipping.
• Antipasto makes a great lunch. Small chunks or slices of cheese and salami, roasted peppers, olives, cornichons (or baby pickles, as Dylan describes them)... Anything goes here. It all depends on the tastes of your child.

I hope these help! And please feel free to add more suggestions in the comments.

Peeling Peaches

A question from Nancy:

I'm going to make a recipe for peach crisp.  It calls for sliced peaches, but doesn't say whether they absolutely-need-to-be-peeled OR it's-an-option-to-leave-the-skins-on-if-you-like-that-sort-of-thing OR it-doesn't-matter-either-way.  Please email me your expert foodmomiac opinion.

I got this question from Nancy last night, and emailed her my answer back right away, because I had a feeling that the creation of this crisp was imminent. I'm glad I did - she's making it today!

What I explained to Nancy was that, yes, I would absolutely peel them. When peaches are heated, their skins loosen up and come off quite easily. In the case of a cooked dessert, this would lead to little, unpleasant pieces of peel interfering with the soft, luscious chunks of fruit.

I also mentioned to Nancy that I have a favorite peach recipe of my own. Since clipping this recipe from the August, 2004 issue of Gourmet (it is a Dori Sander's recipe, by the way), I've made it multiple times every summer. Now that peaches here are in full swing, I think it's time to make it up again.

Easy Peach Cobbler

1 1/4 pound firm to ripe peaches
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
Cinnamon or nutmeg for sprinkling (Optional - I don't do this. I like the pure flavor of the peaches.)

1. Preheat to 375 with rack in middle position.
2. Score peaches by cutting an X on the bottom of each. Blanch in boiling water 10 seconds, then transfer with slotted spoon to bowl filled with ice and cold water. Once cool enough to handle, peel off skin, starting from X and discard. (If the peaches are fairly ripe, the skins will just slip right off. If they're closer to firm, you'll have to get out your paring knife.) Halve peaches, pit and then cut into real thin slices. (Note from foodmomiac: this is supremely messy. Be prepared for peach juice EVERYWHERE.)
3. Transfer peaches to heavy saucepan and add lemon juice and 2/3 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly, then boil, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Pour melted butter into 13x9 glass baking dish. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and remaining cup sugar in a bowl, then whisk in milk until combined. Pour batter over butter -- DO NOT STIR! -- and then pour peaches over batter -- DO NOT STIR AGAIN! Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon or nutmeg if desired, and bake till cobbler is bubbling and top is golden brown, about 40-45 minutes. Cool in pan unil warm.

A glut of zucchini

  Cousa ready to be stuffed 
  Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac.

Here is a question from Jill Asher of the SV Moms Blog::

I just wanted send you a quick note that I love your food blog – and would love to hear about any great recipes that include tomatoes, basil, rosemary, zucchini or cucumber?  I am growing all of this in my garden, and not sure what to do with everything…. I also am growing mint, parsley, cilantro and sage.  It looks really beautiful, but I'm not a great cook. All the veggies should be in season shortly and ready to pick.

Jill

Hi Jill!

These are some of my favorite ingredients, and I think they are probably growing in abundance in the gardens of many of my readers!! I don't have a garden this year, but these ingredients are plentiful at my local produce market.

So... what to do. I will try to address these ingredients (with specific recipes) quite a bit over the next few weeks, but here are some more generic ideas:

• Snip off branches of the rosemary and sage, tie them together with butcher's twine, and use them to brush marinade onto your food as it grills.
• Use the herbs to stuff pork tenderloin. This is one of my favorite herb recipes. I slice the tenderloin vertically MOST of the way through (but not all of the way). I then fill the pocket with a bunch of freshly cut herbs, close the tenderloin and tie it with butcher's twine. Rub the tenderloin with salt and pepper and cook on the grill over indirect heat until the pork reaches a temperature of about 155 degrees. This will probably take about 30-40 minutes.
• Use the cucumbers to make Cucumber Lemon Water
• Make an antipasto platter with sliced tomato, basil leaves, sliced FRESH mozzarella and a drizzle of olive oil. I also like to add a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. My dad adds a dash of balsamic vinegar. Play around with this. Use small mozzarella balls instead of slices. Add some sliced salami and roasted red peppers. Toss in some olives and/or capers. This is a terrific light dinner for a hot summer night.
• Use your very best tomatoes to make a raw tomato sauce for pasta. There are a ton of recipes for this online, including this one which would be ideal for you because it also includes a bunch of mixed herbs. I also like the versions that are in the Marcella Cucina cookbook.
• Make raita. Here is a GREAT recipe from my friend MizDucky (scroll down a bit) and it includes both your cucumbers and your mint. I love raita mixed with curry or as a dip for pita chips.
• My favorite zucchini recipe is pictured above. I half the zucchini and scoop out the seeds. I then create a mixture of feta cheese, herbs (I love thyme in this, but you can get really creative. Mint would be fabulous.), extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic and freshly ground black pepper. I stuff the zucchini with the mixture and cook them on the grill over indirect heat until the cheese gets a little brown and melty and the zucchini soften up. It usually takes about 20-30 minutes.

As I said, I'll have plenty more recipes for you as the summer progresses, but I hope this is enough to get you started!!

Keep those questions coming guys.

Jarred Artichokes - What to do?

Dear Foodmomiac,

As a hostess gift we got a big basket of Italian food goodies, and
now I don't know what to do with some of them. For example, I have a jar of grilled artichokes that which sounds wonderful, but I don't know how to use them. Any suggestions?

Lauren

Hi Lauren,

They would be awesome tossed with pasta. I'd do an olive oil/garlic sauce - maybe add a few capers? Garlic and oil sauces are quite simple. Slice garlic thinly, and cook in extra virgin olive oil over VERY low heat until it JUST begins to brown. Toss with pasta and artichokes and you are all set! (My mom adds chopped parsley - a nice touch.)

Bruschetta/Crostini type hors d'oeuvres - toast slices of baguette, rub with raw garlic, spray or brush with a touch of olive oil, put chokes on top, maybe a slice of fresh mozzerella or a healthy shave of parmigiano reggiano - put under broiler till bubbly.

Omelettes or fritatta or quiche - artichoke goes great with gruyere or comte or any other nutty cheese.

Homemade pizza - I like a white pizza with ricotta, mozzerella, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and artichokes - also nice with some carmelized onions. You absolutely do NOT need to make the crust yourself. I often pick up a shell at our local Italian market. A Boboli would work fine.

As an antipasto - with some nice chunks of Italian cheese, salami and olives. Roasted red pepper would round this out nicely.

Good luck!

Send me your questions

I'm sitting in my bed with a very feverish, very lethargic little guy laying on my chest. :-(

I have some "real work" to do, but I will try to update on my Mother's Day meal out as soon as possible. In the meantime, since I haven't been able to cook much lately, and feel bad about my lack of food-related posts, why don't you all ask me some food-related questions?

Go ahead and email them to danielle at foodmomiac dot com.