tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22349524704821421252024-02-19T03:05:45.037-05:00Eat My AsparagusThoughts on food and cooking as a hobby and sometimes, just to get dinner on the table.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.comBlogger393125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-24515541385780820872020-02-17T23:10:00.000-05:002020-02-17T23:10:15.124-05:00Pressure Cooker Chicken Lemon Avgolemono Soup
We've been eating a lot of soups this winter, as one does. In particular, I've been using my InstantPot to prepare a lot of soup as it's quick, easy, and my glass cooktop stove has been shattered for several months and I haven't gotten around to dealing with that. On top of this, someone in my family has joined Weight Watchers and I've been trying to consciously make "Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-29187834449846110482018-07-17T15:53:00.000-04:002018-07-17T15:53:04.990-04:00My Sewing Journey, Part V - Baby RompersWe have a new niece or nephew coming soon and I wanted to use my new-found sewing skills to make something for the baby. I hunted and hunted online for a pattern for a gender-neutral baby romper or overalls that would be suitable for a winter baby in New England, but kept coming up empty.
Finally, I settled on the free Baby Boy Romper from Melly Sews and decided I'd have to try my hand at Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-71728264831810601382018-07-16T15:33:00.000-04:002018-07-16T15:33:15.106-04:00My Sewing Journey Part IV - Robes and Up-Cycling
One of the most supportive groups along my sewing journey has been the Up-Cycled Cloth Collective on Facebook.
It's not a beginning sewing group, but the people on it are so
incredibly creative and diverse in both their personalities and talents
that there's just a wealth of ideas and things to learn. Plus,
everyone's supportive and complimentary towards each other's work.
My
Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-39993833507688929092018-07-15T06:00:00.000-04:002018-07-15T06:00:11.593-04:00My Sewing Journey, Part III - A Simple Rectangle SkirtMy next project was to make a "Circle Skirt" for my daughter. If you've never heard of the term, it's basically exactly what you'd expect. You cut a piece of fabric into a circle (really more of a donut shape) and then turn it into a skirt. It's a nice project because it can be done entirely with measurements and doesn't require a pattern.
However, after going through several Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-40260262833596194032018-07-14T06:00:00.000-04:002018-07-14T06:00:07.125-04:00My Sewing Journey, Part II - Another DressAs mentioned in my previous post, I've been on a journey to teach myself to sew. The last project you saw was a simple dress that I made for my daughter from a commercial pattern.
The next project was a tad more difficult. It was another dress, but one that included a curved bib around the neck, a zipper that is installed AFTER dress construction (no small feat), two different Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-77405217207648757082018-07-13T13:49:00.000-04:002018-07-13T13:49:15.001-04:00My Sewing Journey, Part IRecently, I've taken-up sewing. I've always been a crafty person (crocheting, canning, and general DIY stuff), but sewing has always been a challenge for me. I knew how to operate a machine. Both my father and my middle school Home Economics teacher made sure of that. However, sewing a straight line often eluded me (most likely due to lack of patience) and I'd never Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-86330242269532064272018-04-12T21:37:00.000-04:002018-04-13T16:35:10.405-04:00Instant Pot™ or Pressure Cooker Tomato and Rice Soup
The other night, I was craving tomato soup, but I wanted something a little more robust. I thought that tomato rice soup, perhaps with a little chicken in it, might be just what the doctor ordered. And what better way to cook it than the Instant Pot, right? Right.
So I got out the ingredients, started with my Tomato Bisque and Chicken & Rice Soup recipes, and started Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-92000476753678914932018-03-29T16:46:00.000-04:002018-03-29T16:46:26.297-04:00The Post Where I'm All Excited About Hot WaterI'm going to take a few moments to gush about a new kitchen fixture I splurged on. You see, I'm a tea drinker, and something I've always wanted is one of those instant hot water spigots you can add to your kitchen sink. Not a pot filler...this is designed to pour near-boiling water from a spout as you open the tap.
Recently, my regular kitchen faucet (which was a temporary Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-86746710785198436962018-03-05T17:00:00.000-05:002018-03-05T17:00:09.213-05:00My Favorite Emergency Kit ItemsWe recently went through our second multi-day power outage of the year in Rhode Island. They're getting more and more frequent and I'm learning that we're just going to have to start getting used to them and spend some money putting in things like a hard-wired generator or alternative heat sources. It's unfortunate, but welcome to the world of Global Warming.
There are a few Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-76271155362785690332018-02-13T11:06:00.000-05:002018-02-13T11:06:34.055-05:00Instant Pot™ or Pressure Cooker Tomato Bisque (Tomato Soup)As most of you know, I've been on a bit of an Instant Pot kick lately, so expect to see many of my recipes being converted for pressure cooking.
This week, I adjusted my Creamy Tomato Bisque recipe and served it during a visit from my in-laws with some nice toasted cheese sandwiches. It was very well received, because who doesn't like grilled cheese and tomato soup? The whole thingJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-53698532045009707842018-01-11T11:43:00.000-05:002018-01-11T11:43:03.460-05:00Instant Pot™ or Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup
The other day, I decided I wanted a "dump and cook" chicken soup that could be done in the Instant Pot™. My wife suggested chicken and rice, which was a great idea, since rice normally cooks great under pressure (and in no time at all).
I'll admit the first attempt wasn't perfect. For reasons I can't explain, I decided to let it release pressure naturally, even though I know very Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-12179386526503642862018-01-10T12:26:00.001-05:002018-01-11T11:43:25.661-05:00Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker Chicken Marsala
I received an Instant Pot™ for Christmas and I've been making dinner in it almost every night for the past week or so. I might be a little bit obsessed. Just a little. ;-)
Last night, I decided it'd be a good idea to convert my Chicken Marsala recipe for the IP. It came out awesome, though it's not quite the "dump and stir" recipe you might expect for the IP. In Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-62819629749807045232017-11-21T01:18:00.001-05:002018-01-11T11:43:49.149-05:00Cranberry Relish
Every family has one or two recipes that come out during the holidays that are fairly unique to their family. My family has Cranberry Relish.
It's not a pickled relish as you might expect from a hot dog relish. It's all fruit, made with fresh cranberries, a whole orange, a whole apple, and just enough sugar to take the puckery edge off a bit.
Over the years, this has become my Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-66264396848950694282017-10-27T20:01:00.000-04:002018-01-25T14:20:18.620-05:00Pickled Swiss Chard
Pickled Swiss Chard
I like Swiss Chard. It grows really well in my garden, has a mild flavor as greens go, and can be substituted for spinach, kale, and other hearty greens in soups, stews, frittatas...you name it. Plus, it has a long growing season. In fact, we've had a frost or two and it's still chugging away in my garden like it's nobody's business.
Unfortunately, this Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-90014911034113973762017-10-27T09:41:00.002-04:002018-01-11T11:44:18.781-05:00Butternut Squash and Feta Galette
Galette with roasted butternut squash, onions, pickled chard, and feta cheese.
While scrolling through my social media feed yesterday, I passed recipe from The Splendid Table for a Butternut Squash Galette and it reminded me of my love for open-faced savory tarts as a quick weeknight meal. Since I had a piece of butternut sitting in the fridge, I knew exactly what I was going to make Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-65767881282945589432017-10-09T01:12:00.000-04:002017-10-09T01:51:32.267-04:00Pressure Canning Part II - How It WorksA couple of weeks ago, I did a Pressure Canner 101 post that was helpful in answering a lot of questions posed in the Food In Jars Facebook community, a group of which I'm a member. There have been a couple more questions about choosing a pressure canner and whether or not to purchase a vintage or used one, so I thought it might be helpful to do a second post.
Pressure Cooker or Pressure Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-82660899581457504342017-09-14T16:31:00.005-04:002018-09-26T10:18:08.083-04:00Pressure Canning 101
Corn Chowder (un-thickened) and Tomato Soup
I've mentioned that I recently became a member of the Food In Jars Facebook Community. Food In Jars (and its author, Marisa) is one of the best and most comprehensive resources for beginning and advanced canners aside from Ball and The National Center for Home Food Preservation (the USDA-sanctioned organization for canning safety in the US).&Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-15823922417839778192017-09-04T20:45:00.000-04:002017-09-04T20:45:54.375-04:00Summer Squash Sweet Pickles
It's been awhile since I've done a canning post. The truth is, I haven't done a ton of exploratory canning lately. Last summer, it was all I could do to put-up a couple of batches of a few of our favorite items and that was about it.
This summer has been equally as busy, but three things have contributed to a slightly renewed interest in canning. First, I've been a member of Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-18594936387782905352017-08-10T14:09:00.000-04:002017-08-10T14:09:13.220-04:00No, Your Eyes Won't Go SquareOnce in awhile, I like to take a break from food and talk about general home maintenance, housekeeping, or parenting. Today is one of those days. :-)
When you become a parent, you suddenly find that there's no shortage of people, organizations, and "experts" who are right there telling you what's good or bad for your child, whether you asked them or not. This is even worse Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-52666469815092973492017-06-01T17:31:00.000-04:002017-06-01T17:40:44.165-04:00Carbon Steel Pans - A Replacement for Teflon?
About 6 months back, there was a lot of hub-bub on the web and in various food media about Carbon Steel (sometimes called Black Steel) pans.
Carbon steel pans are nothing new, actually. Traditional round-bottom woks are carbon steel and many commercial kitchens use carbon steel saute pans. Carbon steel has also been a beloved material for chef's knives, though not so much in the Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-14326621692571102962017-04-20T12:04:00.000-04:002017-04-20T12:04:47.862-04:00Turkey Galantine - aka A Boneless Whole Bird with Stuffing
Every so often, I like to do a more complicated food project, just for fun. This Easter, I wasn't hosting the actual event...just contributing a main dish, so it seemed like an opportune time to tackle such a project. So I decided to debone a whole turkey, pack it full of stuffing, then roll and tie it back up into a bird-like shape.
Sound crazy? Maybe. But let's take aJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-73827589987467440642017-03-06T08:00:00.000-05:002017-03-06T08:00:28.545-05:00Doritos-Crusted Chicken...Wait, What?
I have a confession to make. I've never eaten at a Taco Bell. The truth is that I just don't like Mexican style food all that much, so we never went as kids and I don't really eat a lot of fast food as an adult.
That said I do love fried chicken and there's something oddly alluring, if not downright creepy, about these new "inside-out" tacos they've been advertising where they've Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-6761903486720683652017-03-04T08:00:00.000-05:002017-03-04T08:00:13.033-05:00Pork "Beef" Stew
A couple weeks ago, I had a hankering for beef stew. It had been cold and snowy and beef stew was one of my Mom's specialties when I was growing-up. Unfortunately, my wife doesn't like beef. In fact, she doesn't eat much in the way of red meat at all. One of the few red meats she will eat is pork and only when prepared in certain ways. She happens to really like Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-43427458345262768492017-03-02T06:00:00.000-05:002017-03-02T06:00:30.107-05:00Sourdough...I Finally Bit the Bullet
I consider myself a comfortable bread baker. I can churn-out a decent basic sandwich loaf, a pretty delicious no-knead country round, and pretty awesome english toasting bread. I've done different types of rolls for thanksgiving, pita bread, naan, english muffins, and pizza. But there's one thing I've never gotten around to mastering. Sourdough.
For the uninitiated, Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234952470482142125.post-72338240242943272142017-03-01T23:08:00.000-05:002018-01-03T16:52:11.818-05:00Creamy Asparagus SoupLast month, I posted about a silky, creamy tomato bisque that I made for my birthday. Truth be told, I've never really been a fan of thin almost drinkable soups. For me, soups had to have some substance or chunks to make it a hearty meal. But my views changed after that bisque and I started to envision other beautiful puree'd soups.
Fast-forward to this weekend when Asparagus Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03561198113109346980noreply@blogger.com0