home sweet home-cooked meal

I crave home-cooked meals.

It's been a week since we cooked at home last.  Between out of town guests and being out of town, it wasn't until tonight that I was able to swing by the grocery store after work to pick up a few things to finally make a home-cooked meal.

What's on the menu tonight?  Nothing too hard or fancy - Chicken Tortilla Soup.  The two of us are pooped and fending off a cold, so it sounded like the perfect thing that didn't take 2 hours to cook.

Pictures to come...

top ten (food) reasons why i love you.

Okay, okay, I promise this is the last of the sappy blog entries. 

If you know me and my partner, you know that we're really not super lovey dovey.  But regardless, it hit me last weekend that I HAD to blog about this.  It's been close to a decade that my partner and I have been together, and through the years (through early college years, early adult years and now full on adulthood), my partner has been refining his kitchen skills - skills that have been there all along, that just happened to lay a bit dormant during the pizza & beer years of our early twenties).

So...here they are - the top ten food reasons why I love him.  (or more aptly titled "The Top Ten Dishes I Get Super Duper Excited About):

#10: MASHED POTATOES:
Many years ago my partner first made his mashed potatoes for me.  Sitting around my little table in the middle of my MINUSCULE studio apartment on Hippie Hill in Boone, NC, I ate my serving and then went for more because they were just THAT good.  Then he told me what was in them...trust me when I say they are not a healthy side dish, but they are so indulgently good.  Can't wait for thanksgiving!!!!

I CAN'T BELIEVE I DON'T HAVE A PICTURE OF THEM.  MUST BE BECAUSE I GOBBLE THEM UP SO QUICKLY...

#9:  PASTA
See, the funny thing about pasta is that I have a love-hate relationship with it.  Unless I'm cooking a casserole of some sort (mac 'n cheese, chili-mac, cincinnati chili...you get the idea), you'll rarely find me making pasta.  I might make a red sauce here and there on the weekend to have for the week, but I'm just not a fan of it.  My partner can whip up a delicious red sauce just by opening the pantry & fridge and using a few key ingredients.  And he does, a few times a week!  Wednesday or Thursday night, when the fridge starts to look bare, you can usually find us eating some sort of pasta dish.  He's a fantastic pasta sauce maker.  Don't even get me started on his lasagna...

#8:  ALL THINGS GRILL-RELATED:

Okay, maybe this is on here because it's still summer and summer is grilling season...but grilling is something I've refused to know how to do.  Kind of like a seperation or division of tasks around the house - I make a great soup, my partner grills great things.  Beer can chicken, hamburgers, beef, fish, pork, veggies...you name it.  It's always good.

#7:  BRUSSEL SPROUTS:

I know, I know, they get a bad rap but ultimately as one gets older you realize it's okay to like your brussel sprouts. I promise if you tasted these, you would want them every day. 

(*note the mashed potatoes...those are mine, not his, and not nearly as good)

#6:  GREENS!  

Greens are easily the most favorite side dish in our household and my partner makes great greens - always the right amount of salt and vinegar.

 

#5:  PICKLIN':

Picklin' what?  ANYTHING!  I love that this is a pass-time we enjoy together.  There's nothing like spending the whole day in a hot & steamy kitchen, chatting, joking, laughing, perhaps a bit of arguing and picklin' this and that (cucumbers, green beans, cauliflower, beets, onions,...).  Oh and what's on the docket for this weekend?  Canning.  Expect a future blog entry about this for sure.

#4:  TACO SEASONING:

What man do you know makes his own taco seasoning?  Perhaps it's because taco night is potentially his most favorite night where food is concerned, but through the years, my partner has come to nail the taco seasoning.  Thumbs up for taco night.  You should definitely come over for taco night sometime.

#3:  PIZZA SAUCE from scratch (see #9 too):
My partner can whip up a pizza sauce in about 5 minutes that is better than any store bought or take-out or delivery pizza sauce i've ever had.  No joke.

#2:  GRILLED CORN ON THE COB:
This is the masterpiece that led me to write this blog entry.  Last weekend he made this on the grill, with a touch of cilantro/olive oil/lemon.  Yes, I am that lucky.

And last, but certainly not least...

#1: HAMBURGERS: 
oh. dear. god.  That's all I can say - you have to try one to believe it.  They're that good.  Plain & simple, seasoned with salt & pepper = so tasty & super juicy.   Hands down, my favorite thing.  And the number one (food) reason why I love him.

The happiest, most delicious turkey BLT and fries I'll ever eat.

So, I've had a few blog posts running through my brain lately but this one took precedence and now that I have the photos uploaded, I felt it was time to share.

On the first of the month, my partner of nine years and I got engaged!

Naturally, we got engaged over a meal.  Well, actually, the meal was mid-prep: turkey BLTs and organic all natural french fries.  (see previous post about my love of french fries!!)

Here's how it went down.  I was in the kitchen, post-run, in my stretchy pants and t-shirt.  I was cutting a tomato for the BLT's when my partner came in and was looking at me funny.  I pressed him as to why he was looking at me like that and next thing you know, he's asking me to be his wife.

Honestly, at first I didn't believe him.  I thought he was kidding.  Then I thought he was serious but had to make him affirm that yes, in fact, he was asking me to be his wife! 

To make a long story short, I said yes!  We laughed!  We cried!   We realized both the turkey bacon and the fries were burnt, so we quickly took out the smoke detectors and remade the meal while we called our family and friends to announce the good news!

Then we ate turkey BLT's and fries.  The happiest, most delicious turkey BLT and fries I'll ever eat.

O Canada! Canadian Food (or apparently "Why I Love French Fries")

As you all may or may not know, I'm from Canada.

Yup, I'm Canadian.

And since my partner and I are such food fans, I often get asked about Canadian food.  "What is Canadian food?" is usually asked quite casually.  But then the question usually results in a perplexed look and an instant follow-up question: "wait, IS THERE EVEN Canadian food?"

Short answer: yes, there sure is.

I was thinking about this today, and thinking about my childhood and some of the meals I ate that one would consider "Canadian".  So, here's a very short list of some of my favorite Canadian foods.

(I used Wikipedia for a lot of this).

#1 POUTINE
Oh dear goodness, this is absolutely the most delicious meal you'll find once you cross the border.  I will say that there is "good" poutine and "not as good" poutine, but probably not much "bad" poutine out there.

It's simple:  french fries + cheese curds + brown gravy = salty, delicious goodness.

courtesy of http://notcanadian44.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/poutine.jpg

# 2 LES ROTISSERIES ST-HUBERT

Next of course there's Les Rotisseries St-Hubert.  The secret's in the sauce here.  It's sweet, spicy & tangy.  And of course a common theme is french fries.  Dip the fries in the sauce and you're all set.

Rotisserie chicken, FRENCH FRIES, St-Hubert sauce and cole-slaw (choice of either vinegar or mayo based).

(You can purchase the St-Hubert sauce in powdered form, I've made it a point to have a steady supply since I moved to the U.S. about ten years ago).

#3 CHALET SUISSE

This was the next best thing to St-Hubert.  My parents actually stopped here a lot, not sure why - I assume either proximity to home or cost effectiveness.  Either way, not quite the same as St-Hubert sauce, but simialr premise: rotisserie chicken, FRENCH FRIES & Chalet Suisse sauce!  Once again, the same is true: dip fries in sauce and it's delicious.

http://www.swisschalet.com/our_menu_rotisserie.php

# 4 TOURTIERE

 This one doesn't include fries!!!  This is my grandmother's finest dish - a savory meat pie consisting of beef, pork & veal.  Usually eaten during the winter holidays, it reminds me of being a kid.

http://www.walnutinfo.com/upload/95_recipes.jpg

 # 5 BEAVER TAILS (or QUEUES DE CASTORS)

Yup - that's what they're called - Beaver Tails!  A tasty pastry, especially good on cold days!

http://fruttodellapassione.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/img_2287.jpg

# 6 DECARIE FRIES (& HOT DOGS)

This is the last one the list, but definitely a fond food memory!  Once again, french fries - douse 'em in salt & vinegar and dip 'em in ketchup and you've got yourself the perfect afternoon (after school!) snack.

 

http://citynoise.org/article/5051

 

Well, that's all I got so far.  I know there's more, I can feel it.  It's just that it's late and the last thing I need is to have french fries on the brain when hitting the sack.

G'night.

 

 

Oh wait, I have a blog? I forgot.

So, in typical Cindy fashion, I went and started this blog here and then never actually participated in the act of blogging. 

It's not to say that I haven't thought of it, every time I take a snapshot of this or that delicious meal we prepare, or this weekend when I came upon a handful of half-written (half empty or half full?) journals, or all the half-finished paintings I have lying around in the basement.  Yes, that's right folks - I go halfsies (half assed?) with everything.

Anyway, to redeem myself, here are some of the deliciously wonderful things we've prepared in our household over the last two months or so.  Consider this entry a hodge-podge of photos and commentary, and I'll get back into the themed blogging next time.  Which will be soon, I promise.

Without further ado...

This, my friends, is chili-mac.  Super easy, fast & tasty.  Not so good for you, but that's ok.

Friday night fast food - organic free range chicken wings & greens!

When my partner & I first met, we were in college, new to cooking meals for ourselves and therefore had a lot of these traditional style meals...it's all we knew from our respectful childhoods.  Both of us grew up eating a meat, a potato and a vegetable.  Now it's rare, but oh so delicious when it all comes together.

A staple in our household - homemade pizza, with Olga's pizza crust!  We usually top it with whatever we have on hand.

 Let me introduce you to lentil loaf - my goodness, this is one of the most delicious meals made around these parts...it's a bit time consuming and ingredient heavy but it lasts for 3 days, is uber healthy and so so tasty.  (ok, healthy, except for the cheese part)

Emeril's turkey white bean chili.  If you buy all white turkey meat, it's a bit pricey but it's much healthier.  And so so delicious.  A staple, especially during the winter months.  Recipe HERE

My partner made beer can chicken.  He actually emptied the Miller High Life and filled it with a Sierra Nevada Summer Lager (and has since drank the High Lifes...go figure).

And because money's tight this week, I made some delicious greens & beans yesterday.  Soaked whatever we had left of 16 bean mix, added some carrots & celery & red kale and called it a meal (with some hot sauce, our new favorite condiment).




And that's pretty much it.  There, I've blogged.  And I'll blog again, I promise. 

Got to go.  I'm being told the pasta is ready.

Hoppin' John & Chard pictures

Last night's hoppin' john & chard pictures.  

Mike cooked the hoppin' john with sazon goya because he wanted to make it traditionally and see what it tasted like.  Never again.  Neither one of us were fans.

The greens?  Now the greens were delicious.  Young chard, so they were more sweet and tender than usual.  Unanimously, we decided that greens are our favorite vegetable when dinner is concerned. 

Single Eating Behavior

So, post number 2 and tonight I'm already committing a cardinal sin around these parts.  Since I'm flying solo and my partner's out recording music (he's a musician), I hit up the deli next to our house and brought home a tasty turkey and avocado sandwich and some edamame salad.  Coupled with some sweet potato fries and a glass of wine, I'm calling this dinner. 

Had he been here, we would have peered deep into the pantry, pulled out this and that (couscous?  chick peas?  diced tomatoes?  we can make something out this!!!) and would have whipped up a delicious meal together.  Instead, I took the convenient route and walked next door and back.

What can I say, it happens.

Here's where it gets kind of funny though...it appears that my single eating behavior (i.e. when I'm eating dinner alone) and his musician eating habits (i.e. when he's out being a rock star), while different from one another, are both equally reprehensible.  For example, I do things like get sandwiches from the deli next door, eat a grilled cheese, make waffles or a couple of bowls of cereal.  He eats pizza, chicken wings, burritos or subs. 

What's funny about it is that neither one of us eat that way when we're  with each other.  Sure, every once in a while we order a pizza or make a grilled cheese, but it's very very rare.

(Take a second and go back and look at that picture of my dinner tonight and notice the ratio of fries to edamame salad...then I wonder why my loose pants are no longer my loose pants...damn this single eating behavior!)

Perhaps because I had the premonition that this might happen tonight, I did take a picture of an example of the fantastic salads I prepare for us every day for lunch at work.  The contents of the salads always vary, but today's concoction was mixed greens, pea greens, carrots, apples, cheddar cheese, avocado, sesame seeds and pepitas.   

Hopefully the salad redeems me.

It's Feeding Time at the Eason-Mowry House!

I'm sitting on the couch, enjoying a glass of wine and listening to my partner make hoppin' john (black-eyed-peas & rice) and swiss chard from a local farm.  I hear the sounds coming from the kitchen (he likes to rap the spoon on the edge of the pot rhythmically - never randomly, always rat-ta-tat-tat like) and I can smell the onions and green peppers sauteing.  I smell garlic and spices and they smell good.

"Hey honey, what do you want me to do?  It's still a little soupy but I can scoop it out with a slotted spoon and let it rest for a few minutes...what do you want me to do?  Slotted spoon it?  Ok sweet.  Dinner will be ready in ten."

For the last few months, I have kept a flickr account with pictures of our food and other kitchen adventures.  Admittedly, I forget sometimes (I'll upload the last month or so very soon!) but ultimately I love taking the pictures and I love looking at them.  Heck, I even look at them for fun sometimes!  Here are pictures of past meals (both delicious & sometimes not so delicious).

So, today I was thinking about starting a blog.  But a blog about what?  What do I do that warrants writing about in a blog?  What could possibly be interesting enough?

And so it hits me...FEEDING TIME AT THE EASON-MOWRY HOUSE!  That will be my blog!

It's what we do best.  It's always been a joke that once you join the Mowry family, then suddenly your life is all about food.  A handful of years ago I started calling it "Feeding Time".  But guess what?  My life - our life - is ALL ABOUT FOOD.

But I feel the need to clarify.  It's not just about food as in the act of eating - it's everything that goes along with it.  In our almost nine years together, my partner and I have always made it a point to enjoy our meals together whenever possible.  And it's not just the meal itself, it's also the time leading up to the meal...the preparation, the time spent together in the kitchen, the helping hand and the talking.  Or sometimes we're flying solo when it comes to prepping and cooking, but I can at least speak for myself in saying that I enjoy that time knowing that the outcome will be time spent together over a meal.  Sure, we've gone through stages of eating it in front of the tv or with some other distraction, and sometimes that can actually be nice too (I'm recalling a few weeks ago when we both brought our laptops to the table and ate across from each other but each of us doing whatever it is we wanted to do on our laptops, it was kind of fun & lame at the same time) but whenever possible we sit down together, we "cheers" and clink our glasses, we tell each other we love each other, and we enjoy a home-cooked meal and talk.  It's just a part of who we are.

More and more in the last few years, we've become increasingly aware of what we're eating and where our food is coming from.  More and more our food has become less and less processed.  More and more we eat real food that's been prepared from scratch.  And that's something we really value.  And I want to document that.  I want to challenge myself to write, challenge my dedication to something and in return have even more fun in the kitchen while I'm at it.

So here goes.

Okay, it's been ten minutes, I'm being called to the kitchen.  It's feeding time.