Patience in the Process

Evan.  "Oh my goodness!  I'm so tired of grating zucchini!"
Me.  "You've only grated half of one."
Evan.  "I know!  It's taking so long!"
Me.  "Evan, the best food is a result of the best ingredients being handled in the best way.  It's a process.  And it's worth it."

This launched me into a long and passionate lecture, mostly to myself, about how our instant-gratification, microwave it now, swing through a drive-thru culture robs itself of enjoying excellent food because it's in a hurry.  We want 15 minute, pre-cooked, pre-chewed foods.  Maybe not pre-chewed, but surely there's a market for that too!

 "Evan, cooking is art.  I watch as you carefully pick the right colors when you paint or color.  You aren't in a hurry - you slow down to enjoy the next step.  Add the next color.  Decide how you want the painting to look when you are done.  In cooking you do the same thing.  Sometimes it's effort, but the flavor will always shine the brightest when you slow down, enjoy the process, and add the ingredients that are going to produce the flavors you want."

Why blog about this?

Because we all have to eat anyway.

Because we are sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Because our hearts break when we watch loved ones suffer or die prematurely simply because they didn't pay attention to the chemicals, fats, and preservatives they consumed in their convenience-oriented meals.

Because there are more of us who are joining the ranks of "process."  Time.  Planning.  Love in the language of food.  Standing over savory smells at the stove and sweet temptations in the mixer.  Bringing our spouses and children in to enjoy and participate in the process with us.  Even if it slows us down.  Even if it makes more messes.  Even if the results aren't the same.

New York Tasties - Food Adventures in the City

I wouldn't be a true foodie if I didn't journal last week's culinary adventures in New York.   Edits will be made to this post as I gather other photos or tidbits of info from others in our group, but this is the bulk of my experience!

Since I was with a school group so we didn't have the flexibility of choosing many of our own meals which was extremely disappointing.  We'd walk past dozens of cafes, bars, and tantalizing eateries who's heavenly aromas taunted our taste buds only to end up in the back room of a diner with a burger and fries.  Needless to say, we were elated when we got to choose our own meals and purchased plenty of tasties between meals and our digestive tracts and waistlines were elated at the break from fries.

A couple observations about the streets of New York:
1) There was ALWAYS construction going on.  Drilling, scraping, and roads blocked off.  ALWAYS.
2) Scaffolding was everywhere!  Apparently pedestrians don't like aging brickwork falling on their noggins so scaffolding is the norm.  It does detract from the city's charm.

*Breakfast in Grand Central Station.  I had no idea Grand Central was so big and offered so much for travelers!   We headed downstairs to the food concourse where, after breakfast, we checked out the 'whispering gallery'.

Grand Central had many other dining options (surprisingly) but after getting only two hours of sleep the night before on the plane, healthy sounded smart.   Riece opted to do 'doughnut tastings' with his group of friends. They took turns purchasing doughnuts from the different vendors, rating them on taste, variety, and appearance.  Honestly, he was just happy to be eating doughnuts.

Apple turkey sausage and egg whites in a
whole wheat wrap with a side of fresh fruit. 

*Lunch at Manna's Soul Food.

We drove through Harlem and pulled in front of this small soul food eatery squeezed between shops.  This was technically 'lunch' but we had a scheduled dinner less than three hours later so I went light with my selection.

Marinated avocados, asparagus, and other veggies.
Crab salad, black bean salad, curried rice and candied plantains. 

Food was offered buffet-style, which was the norm for many of the places we visited.  This made sense as city-dwellers don't stock pile groceries or buy in bulk since storage space is limited.  If they eat out, especially at familiar locations, they want variety.   

*Dinner in a non-descript diner located in Hell's Kitchen.  They had a fantastic menu but our group was only offered burgers or wraps.  The food was fresh and good but we were discouraged by the lack of options.

 Turkey wrap with honey mustard with
a side of peppered fries.

*Mid-morning snack at Wafels & Dinges.   Our group passed a waffle truck  after touring a portion of Central Park, starting at Strawberry Fields and ending on Fifth Avenue.

The seducing aroma of sweet bread summoned my taste buds and I lingered as long as possible by the cart before catching up to the group.   Much to my delight, our group split up to shop Fifth Avenue and I immediately blazed a trail back to the waffle truck.  The menu alone caused me to salivate.   And chuckle a bit.

B&B Stuffed French Toast and Smooth OJ

[All photos by Mel Adair]

My boys excitedly skip around the kitchen when they catch me whisking together cream cheese and jam.  They search for the pan of heating oil then whoop in celebration.  Stuffed French Toast must be on the menu!    If I'm trying to score extra mom points, I'll blend up a batch of Smooth OJ, a domesticated version of an Orange Julius (recipe below).    

Riece was a toddler when my friend Victoria introduced our family to her Stuffed French Toast.  She helped her mom cook for guests lodging at their family-owned B&B nestled in beautiful Sisters, Oregon.   Stuffed french toast was a guest favorite!  Vic shared the recipe with me and over the years, it's become our family favorite, usually requested on special occasions or birthdays.   When the boys were small, they attempted to help, thus the artistry on my recipe cards.

 

Crazy Good Banana Bread

All photos courtesy of Mel Adair.

I love cookie dough.  Chocolate chip cookie dough.  After whipping up a batch, I have to bake it or freeze it as quickly as possible or I eat it.  Then I have guilt so I don't make it for a long time.  

Confession:  This banana bread dough is nearly as good, if not dangerously better than cookie dough!  I know, I know.  You're thinking that no one in their right mind would eat bread dough.   But this isn't normal bread dough.  This is crazy good banana bread dough that does a Cirque du Soleil in your mouth.  If you are a purist, this recipe is NOT for you.  If you are adventurous, this one is worth a shot!

I pulled the original recipe off the Food Network site, courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, in 2010 and have been making adaptions since.   

Speaking of crazy....

A Very Adair Seder

[Unless otherwise specified, all photos are by Mel Adair]

 ***Seder Disclaimer - the way we've chosen to celebrate Seder is in no way traditional as I found numerous variations online and adapted our meal based on what ingredients I could find or had on-hand.  I also took personal liberties in expounding on dishes as well.  ***

This posting is a bit overdue but I can't help myself as Seder is one of my newest yet favorite celebrations.  I'm not Jewish.  In fact, I'm mostly French but am intrigued by Jewish traditions as my Lord and Savior was a Jewish carpenter and the Book by which I teach and live my life was written by Jews.  I'm an average American girl with little known heritage so I'll gladly adopt or 'borrow' rich traditions or heritage and call it my own.

Since I'm a nerdy American girl, I enjoy learning about the history behind holidays then passing that information to my kids.  As boring as that sounds, I'm their mom so if I'm really excited about something, they're still naive enough to think it's actually exciting.  I'll exploit my position of nerdy authority as long as possible.

I'm a firm believer in celebrating each day a (we're alive, right!?!) as I'm also a party girl.  I'm not sure how it works to be a nerdy party girl so I just roll with it.  I want my boys to value each day as a gift yet pay special attention to days with deeper meaning.    Holidays can drown in commercialism and we often see merely a reflection of what a holiday is meant to be while missing the profound depth and beauty that should be explored beneath the surface.

Thus each Spring for the past few years, our family celebrates Seder, a Jewish feast traditionally celebrated at the beginning of Passover (Festival of Unleavened Bread).

Peanut Butter Chocolate Trifle

[Photos by Mel Adair]

This recipe is a simple adaption of a Taste of Home recipe 'Peanut Butter Chocolate Dessert'.  I simply embellish it (as if it needs it), tweak a few directions and ingredients, and present it in a trifle bowl.  Trifle bowls make everything look beautiful.

12-16 servings  Prep time 20 min + chilling (4+ hours when in a trifle bowl)

Ingredients
1 package chocolate cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos - generic tastes fine) chopped, divided
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese softened
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar (aka powdered sugar), divided
1 carton (16 oz) frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip), thawed, divided
25 miniature peanut butter cups chopped
1 cup cold milk
1 package (3.9 oz) instant chocolate fudge pudding mix

Sparkling Wine Butternut Squash Soup

(Originally written October 2008.  Edited March 2013)

Craving something warm and sweet on a chilly October day, I began throwing some of my favorite flavors into a pot with leftover squash I baked the night before and I ended up with a spicy, sweet and satisfying Fall soup!   *Gluten and lactose free options

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash - baked and thoroughly mashed (mash without the skin and seeds, obviously!)

[Photo by www.mission-sustainable.com]

In case you need to know how to roast a butternut squash: (Thank you, Food Network!)  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/roasted-butternut-squash-recipe/index.html

3/4 container of organic chicken broth - ends up being roughly 26 oz from a 32 oz container