The Barefoot and Pregnant Contessa

Definitely not mine: Steak with shitaki mushrooms by Jon Sullivan.
Public domain. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Has anyone started a let's-see-what's-in-the-pantry-and-the-freezer pandemic home cooking show? A program for those of us who are too wary or too lazy to hoof it down to the grocery store but instead want to use up what we've already purchased or can easily find at the corner store mere steps from our front door?

 

If not, I may be your guy.

 

Tonight, I made chicken meat loaf. (Ground chicken is fairly easy to find here in Canada.) No marjoram? No problem! I'll just use up this old bottle of herbs de Provence that's been hanging around since Moses was pulled out of the bullrushes. Seasoned bread crumbs? Well, how about if I just use some slices of this stale sourdough bread I bought at the corner store last week? Ketchup? Do I have enough? Do I have too much? Just use the whole damn bottle! It's friends with Moses and will feel lonely if left behind.

 

Steak night! Because I just discovered this ancient frozen steak in the freezer! And look! I managed to buy a bottle of chimichurri sauce at some point. Let's try that as a marinade to cover up the frozen steak's sad, sorry life. ¡Che! You've now got un poquito de la Argentina en su plato.

 

Eggs? Salsa? Dinner! Or maybe breakfast or lunch! Heat the salsa, red or green, in a skillet and sort of poach three or four eggs in the salsa. Just add some leftover tortillas and a can of refried beans. You, my friend, are now the Barefoot-and-Pregnant Contessa!

 

And always remember: What doesn't kill you can probably be reheated for tomorrow's lunch. Or dinner. Or the following day's breakfast.

 

Bon appetit!

That thing: Advenures in cooking

My waffles will never be this pretty nor will my strawberries ever be this fresh.
A Belgian waffle with strawberries by Parkerman & Christie.
Source: Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-2.0.

 

That thing.

That thing where you want to make waffles, but you think you know the recipe well enough that you don't need to look at it, but you do anyway, but not closely, so you add in 2 cups of sugar and some pureed strawberries, which makes the batter very sweet, and then when you cook them, they want to burn, and you can't figure out why, nor do you understand why these are the only waffles you've ever made that don't need any syrup, why it's practically built in?

And that thing when you read the recipe carefully this time, and realize that while the strawberries were a nice touch, you only needed 2 tablespoons of sugar, not 2 cups, and the high sugar content meant that the waffles have a *sugar crust,* which is the thing that was making them burn, but nonetheless, they don't really burn, they're edible, in fact they taste good, if a little sweet?

And that thing where you shrug it off, thinking OK, you're a little dumb like that sometimes, or don't spend enough time reading, or you need new glasses, or you were just really, really, hungry, and, oh my, wouldn't a nap be lovely right now?

Yeah, that thing.

Montag had a little lamb

My really simple lamb chop recipe:

• Try to find some lamb chops at the grocery store. I dare you! Sometimes they actually sell them in the U.S.!
• Pick ones with some meat on the bone, not just bone.
• Heat up a grill pan on the stove, giving the surface a light coating of olive oil PAM or another cooking spray.
• Place the chops on a plate and sprinkle them with red wine vinegar, Montreal steak seasoning (or a lot of freshly ground pepper and a little salt), and (preferably fresh) rosemary leaves.
• Plop 'em on the pan and grill to desired color on the inside. I like mine with a little pink. Hopefully, that's not a health code violation.
• You may want to re-marinate the cooking chops every now and again with some red wine vinegar.
• Add a salad, some green beans, some roasted Brussels sprouts, or whatever green vegetable that hasn't rotted in your refrigerator.

Et voilà, dinner for yourself, or maybe more, if you're feeling generous.

This is my version of a Rachel Ray recipe, so Snappy, et al., do forgive me. She approaches sirloins in this manner, substituting balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce for the red wine vinegar.

I find that's too overwhelming of a flavor for lamb, which has its own unique and delicious taste. Red wine vinegar is a little milder and adds to the dish, instead of covering it up. Even the Montreal steak seasoning (which I adore and would marry if it were legal in this state) can come on strong for poor little lamb. So freshly ground pepper and rosemary work just fine. I even skip the salt--there's enough flavor going on already.

Now if I can figure out the Glass Artist's stuffed cubanelle peppers and sauce recipe, I should be good to go for the main courses for the opening night menu at Chez Montag.

Bon appétit--with reservations!