Monthly Archives: March 2009

The Joy of Cooking at Home

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As many of you know, I don’t enjoy eating out in restaurants that much. I admit I was a bit harsh in my last posting, so I wanted to take the chance to apologize to Basilico for that. They are new, so I need to give them a second chance.

With spring and warmer weather well on the way, we’ll all get the chance to use our own veggies and fruits from our own gardens! How wonderful that is to walk out into the garden and come back into the house with an armful of produce that you’ve grown yourself. Beautiful! For me, there’s nothing like cooking at home and enjoying the food I cook! I wasn’t always a cook, but I did want to be a chef when I was a kid. Funny that, ay?

Who knows what a ripe strawberry should look and smell like? If you’ve ever sniffed the strawberries in their plastic boxes at the supermarket, and I always do, they often smell of nothing. That should be a big indicator to what it’s going to taste like. Probably nothing. I do know that strawberries are shipped from everywhere on earth year round. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if you could grow your own and taste the pure strawberry-ness for yourself, you’d never want to get them from a store ever again! A ripe strawberry should be red all the way through, minus the hull bit, and not hard. I’m sure you know what it’s like to cut the top off of a strawberry and it seems more like you’re cutting an apple. Right? Eew!

However, there are things you can do to make even the most cold, hard strawberries into a suitable feast any time of year. The trick is macerating and soaking. If you put the hulled, cut strawberries into a bowl with a bit of sugar (organic and natural, if you can) and a bit (a couple of tablespoons to a 1/4 cup, depending on how many berries) of either red wine or balsamic vinegar, you will have berries that taste nearly like they were ripened in the sun. There’s something in the wine and vinegar that allow the berries to give up some of their hidden flavors. It’s very interesting! When you choose this method, it is often best served with something else, like a scone and clotted cream, for example. You won’t get that freshness that is undeniable when you pick a berry and eat it right where you stand. I swear… NOTHING beats that! I can’t wait to do that in a couple of months! I hope to grow a few more varieties of strawberries this year, too. I have my sister’s strawberry transplants she planted with me, which are divine, but I’d like more berries after June! Unfortunately, War-N can’t eat strawberries. I wind up eating them all myself, when the birds don’t get to them first. Oh darn.

Another comfort of mine is making any sort of pasta dish. Just the act of combining the pasta with the sauce in the pan is heaven to me! I love to twirl the pasta, and I NEVER cut my long pastas!! It is a sin! ;) My favorite long pasta is Bucatini. A long, thick spaghetti-shape with a hole through the center. There are a few varieties of “holy pasta”, but Bucatini is pretty easy to find. I’m sure you know where I get mine… at The Jungle. My Italian brand of choice is Rustichella d’Abruzzo. This is what is pictured. You can see from the texture of it that it’s going to be great. A general rule of pasta is that if it’s smooth, brighter yellow and more plastic looking, it’s not going to offer as much flavor and texture. The rougher and paler yellow it is, the more it’s going to meld with your sauce of choice. But, I won’t go into all the rules of pasta. There are so many! I just know on any given day, I could happily eat Bucatini with Browned Butter and Mizithra cheese. A dish I was introduced to at The Old Spaghetti Factory, but I made it at home and I have made my own version that I like even better! I found the Factory didn’t brown the butter as much as I do and it didn’t have that full flavor that I got at home. And, I found I loved it with the Bucatini rather than just Spaghetti (which the restaurant does). I also add a bit of parsley at the end with the butter (careful, it splatters like mad in a hot pan!) and I use white pepper. It adds a different kind of heat than black pepper. Incredible. I also do something the Factory doesn’t do. I make the pasta/cheese mixture pretty dry in the pan and then add the secret ingredient… pasta water. This melts the cheese further and it gets much creamier than the restaurant version. Just that tip, and using less butter than they did, made this dish jump off of the plate, or bowl rather! I am always happy when I make this. But, I try not to eat it more than once a month or so. It’s a bit high on the caloric scale! I may try adding fresh Asparagus to this dish. I have a feeling it would be a great addition. Plus, a veggie addition wouldn’t hurt at all!

Then, there are dishes I make when I miss certain people. I was introduced to Pineapple and Rice by my dear friend Christopher long ago. We used to eat it often with just a sprinkling of salt in his parent’s kitchen. As I get older, and Chris and I aren’t together as much, I find myself making it when I miss him. Now, I make it a little differently, but I still sit and think of him as I enjoy it. I call it CBCB Pineapple Rice. You can make it with instant rice, or Basmati (which is almost like instant), or you can take the time to steam some Japanese Short Grain white rice. Which ever rice you choose, you won’t be disappointed! Just make the rice according to package directions (for which ever rice you choose), set aside with the lid still on. Meanwhile, take either fresh pineapple (I did in the above picture) or canned pineapple chunks, drained, and saute them briefly in a pan with a tiny bit of olive oil. High heat will give you a nice caramelization on the pineapple making it even sweeter. Then, I add my little bit of heat. I add hot chili flakes and sea salt. Combine the cooked rice and steaming hot pineapple and enjoy. It’s a very good dish with little to no fat and it’s very satisfying when you want something sweet and savory. Oh, Chris. I do love that you introduced me to this wonderful combination! Thank you :)

When I need to bake, but I still want pasta, I have the perfect solution. Timballo! It’s a traditional Italian dish, usually made with a variety of meats, but I make it vegetarian with a few homemade “meatballs”, a few veggies, the usual cheese suspects (smoked Mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano) and a Penne or Mostaccioli pasta. Any short pasta will do. Although, that said, I believe the traditional Timballo is made with homemade Garganelli, which is an egg-based pasta. I must post the actual recipe to Timballo some time. It’s a long one, so you definitely wan to take a day (or even two) to make it… like for a Sunday Supper or special occasion. Perfect! You can either make the crust out of fresh pasta or use a crust like in Pizza Rustica (another of my favorites!). On this particular day for the photo, I used a flour crust. Not quite so traditional, but still fabulous! You will love the “oooh’s and ahhhh’s” you get when you cut into this bad boy. Magnifico! If you want to drool over this dish being prepared, amongst many other fabulous things, I highly recommend the movie Big Night. Turns out a lot of people and restaurants have a Big Night Night and make Timballo. It’s such a wonderful foodie film! My uncle, Steve, suggested I watch this film. It’s now in my top ten! It’s like food porn! Me like :)

At the end of the day, you will have an empty plate. This should be one of the happiest moments for a home cook. Well, any cook really. It’s a great feeling to know everyone enjoyed their meal and are satisfied. I often don’t bother with dessert because the meal is so satisfying. Anything else would puncture the beauty of the dinner. And, maybe, your stomach! But, a nice fruit dish to cleans the taste buds would be a perfectly suitable dessert.

I guess the main point of this posting is to say that if you can share a meal with people you love at home, it’s such a wonderful thing. And, if they aren’t with you physically, you can eat a meal that makes you think of them very fondly. It’s their memory that feeds me. That’s why I love it so much. I guess, also, that’s why I don’t enjoy restaurants. I just don’t get that same good vibe. It makes sense now. If I couldn’t cook, I’d be very sad indeed.

So, I shall post more and more new dishes as I make them with my (hopefully) fresh from the garden produce! The closer to nature your food is, the better it is for you.

With much love and respect to all!

Christa Belle

Pros and Cons

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I haven’t written in a while. So, I thought I’d share some things I’ve been pleased with lately, and things I have been NOT so pleased with. Let’s start with the good, shall we?

War-N and I rarely go to movies unless it’s something that really makes a statement on a large screen. So, we went to see Coraline in 3D last weekend. While the visuals were stunningly awesome, I felt the movie lacked a lot of the good character depth that the book had (which is usually the case in any book-to-movie scenario). Neil Gaiman’s vision just in his head was much more representative of Coraline and her story. I can always go back and re-read the book if I want to see Neil’s world again. Thank goodness for great books!! While that was meant to be a positive, it did sound rather negative, huh? Well, I mean no harm. Just preferred the book. I absolutely appreciate the work, and talent, that went into this animation. It’s absolutely amazing and I felt like I was inside the screen with her. I loved that the fabric was real, along with everything else, and you got a total sense of depth on the screen. Just not within the story.

Something else that I liked was working on new tunes with War-N. But, again, this had a sense of sadness within it. I think we’re both (War-N and myself) realizing that Hungry Lucy won’t go on forever. It’s becoming so much more difficult just to write a song. We’re not forcing it, and that’s saying a lot about us as a band. Who knows where the road will lead. It’s been a long confusing one for HL the past 4 years. But, we’re not in the ground yet!

Then, we come to something I didn’t enjoy… and I’m not alone in this. I had been so looking forward to trying a new Organic restaurant here in Ohio… in Mason, actually. Its called Basilico Organic. I thought it would be a lovely, cozy place with wonderfully prepared organic food that warmed your soul. I was absolutely wrong. The environment was so sterile, bare and unfriendly. Not to say the people weren’t friendly, but they were strange in their approach. Also, they mention a Vegan menu, there were no Vegan items on the menu at all. First, you go to the “ordering station”, place your order and then put a number on the table. No glamor there. Not to mention you couldn’t read the menu to save your life. It was so small! But, the prices would indicate something fabulous was going to be arriving at your table. But, no. Nothing spectacular at all. I know, I know. I have HUGE expectations of restaurants that tout anything to do with Organic or Natural. Neigh, ANY restaurant! They should know better than to serve what they gave us. It was edible, and the flavor of my Pesto was ok (a bit too much garlic). But, War-N’s cold (yes, it wasn’t even hot) pizza tasted like a party pizza that is $2 at any grocery store. Our dining buddies, Peter & Carol (War-N’s parents) both had a Spicy Vodka Ravioli and Carol’s was more like a soup! Peter’s barely had any sauce. The sauce ratio was so off it was embarrassing! That is a HUGE no-no in any restaurant. You just don’t do that. So, THIS is your idea of Organic dining? Well, I think you’ve got it wrong. They gave a false impression with the “dough twirling pizza maker” who basically just pounded on his dough and chucked it into the wood oven. Yes. A wood oven that produced a cold, flat, tasteless pizza for War-N. Pathetic. They were obviously overwhelmed, but I give them no sympathy. If you want to run a restaurant, you better damned well know how to do it! I heard a few people complaining about the service and the time it took for their orders. It was a lukewarm experience. Oh, and the TWO tv’s in the restaurant. That’s just so classy for an Organic eatery. My overall rating is about 2 stars out of 5! I won’t be going back.

I have never liked the whole tv in the restaurant angle. I thought the idea of a restaurant was to go and enjoy your company. Not watch tv during dinner (I’m guilty of this, too) like a lot of us do at home. If I ever ran a restaurant, I’d abolish all electronic devices inside. I miss the days of casual elegance. Simple tables, warm atmosphere and the ability to hear the other person you are dining with. Wait… when have I ever experienced that?? Ah yes. Pitrelli’s in Mason is a much happier choice if you want to dine in Mason. It is the environment I speak of. The food is good and the service is always friendly. Also, if it’s great Indian you’re after, Raja India in Mason is great or it’s sister, and first of the two, restaurant Ambar India (my favorite) in Clifton.

Well, I do have my opinions. You have yours. I think we’re all entitled to speak our minds. At least I give good praise as well as bad reviews! I’m just being honest on my perception of my experiences. People have done it to me in the music world… so, I think that’s only fair. I can dish it out, and take it :)

To end on a much higher, positive note, Spring is in the air! I have so many things I hope to do. I got an estimate to help clear our drainage problems once and for all. I’ll hear what that estimate is later in the week. My good gardening guide Marvin, of Marvin’s Organic Gardens in Lebanon, came by to do the estimate for me. He and his assistant Ricky, and Lily the dog, spent two hours with me chatting about what we could do, should do and may do in the side and back yard. I absolutely love Marvin and all he stands for. He’s taught me so much over the years whether he knows it or not. He’s my gardening angel. I’ve never seen such passion in anyone in any other trade. He wants the absolute best for the environment and wants to make it right from the start. A rarity in any trade. So, if you need gardening work done in the Cincinnati area, I HIGHLY recommend Marvin and his crew to assist you!! If you’re looking for a healthier way of gardening, this is the place for you. Give 10-10-10 the boot and learn what organic fertilizers are going to treat you right! To quote Marvin, “Out with the old, in with the ancient!”. Go organic. It’s only natural! That’s their motto.

Well, time to start the tasks of the day. I hope you and yours are well in this fluctuating climate. Enjoy the Spring, if you wish, and know with each new season we get new opportunities to learn from nature. I’ll be utilizing this way of thinking as much as I can. A better earth is better for us all.

Much Love (Organic and Vegetarian!!)

cb