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Author: Livia N

Cooking with Catladies – the aftermath

So I cooked lots.

I was scarily organized.

I made a time line, and almost everything happened to or ahead of schedule – scary, I tell you.

And everything was labeled.

Also, I hear it was pretty tasty.

The carrot soup had a little bit more peanut butter than I wanted, but no one else knew that – and the rice turned out a bit overcooked, but that’s because it was a gas stove and it’s brutal trying to cook rice on a gas range (plus I forgot to time it and kept having to take it off the heat and put it back on again because the stove was working best for me with only one live burner).

The desserts I persuaded my co-worker and Sara Strickland to make were amazing!

Thank you to Laura for the loan of a hand blender with which to make whipped cream.

And I was even able to suavely pretend there was no such thing as a last minute vegetable stock crisis because Jude was online and able to supply all of my last minute stock needs with only an hour’s notice. Seriously, we were arranging pick up just as I was finishing loading my car to relocate my entire kitchen to lxbean‘s. MY HERO!

Oh, and the lovely two people who staying until midnight to make sure all of the dishes were washed that night! I didn’t wash a single dish, and it was pure luxury.

I got the general impression that everyone thought the food was awesome.

And we raised a bunch of money to help kitties.

And there were fun conversations

Because some of the guests were kind enough to do the dishes, I was able to go over this morning for coffee tea and pick up everything that needed to be schlepped over to my house.

Even the aftermath was surprisingly painless. By the time I left for work, everything was put away and tidy. Well, in the kitchen, at least. Now I have to put my laundry into drawers and vacuum the carpet, but that doesn’t count for this gloating post.

So I am calling it 100% successful.

And I want to do another one.

Apple Salsa

They said it could couldn’t be done! (Okay, so it was just my friend Meghan who said it couldn’t be done – these other people seemed fairly confident. But I rely on her advice on food matters. Constantly. I trust this woman… but I don’t always take her advice… because I am a bad friend. Yes, Meghan, I did go out and buy more tortillas anyway, too.)

But, anyway. I have made what I am calling apple salsa! Actually, add some nuts, and it would make a kick ass charoset.

Apple Salsa

Squeeze 1 lime into a bowl. Also, add zest from about half of the lime, but not more.

Pour 1/6 cup white balsamic vinegar into the bowl, too.

Quarter, Core, Peel, and dice finely – 2 apples. Ad you dice each quarter, immediately transfer it into the bowl and stir to coat. Every 2 or 3 quarters, remove the pieces into a separate container, leaving as much of the acidic liquid behind as possible.

Add 2 dashes of cinnamon and an equal quantity of crushed chipotle pepper to the apples. Mix in.

When all of the apples have been move to a separate container, pout the remaining liquid into a small saucepan. Add 1/4 cup water, 2 Tablespoons apricot jelly, 1 Tablespoon sweet red wine (Manischewitz) , 2 tsp brown sugar, and the crumbles head of 1 clove. Bring to a boil and stir until the jelly is completely dissolved and the liquid has reduced.

Turn off the heat, and wait until there are no more bubbles. Toss apples quickly in the saucepan, just until thoroughly coated and mixed, and then pour back into a container and refrigerate immediately to stop further cooking.

Cute CH Kitty (cf Cooking with Catladies)

The people attending Cooking for Catladies will get to meet this adorable cat (ETA: I lied. You’d only get to meet his sister, Lucy, also CH. Cav was adopted to a forever home – still cute, though):

Awww! The head bob with the hat at 1:14… *flail*

Note from original poster, lxbean:

It’s Cav and his new buddy, Ollie.

(Cav, for those of you who are new to the story, was born with cerebellar hypoplasia, which means he’s missing the part of his brain that smooths motor coordination. It doesn’t affect anything else, and as you can see, he’s wringing every last bit of fun out of life. And don’t worry: he doesn’t care if you laugh at him. In fact, there’s a good chance he’s laughing at you.)

ETA: More Caverly videos from when he was just a wee CHitten being fostered:
Cav’s sister twirl walks
CHittens playing with tinfoil
Cav and the leaf
Breakfast of the CHittens
Cav demonstrated progress

3 salsas

So I bought a pineapple and a couple magoes with plans to experiment with possible salsas to make for the Cooking with Catladies dinner this coming weekend. I put it off for a bit, and then the fruit was perfectly ripe and making it clear that it would not wait for the 15th.

So here were my experimental salsas:

Pineapple/Grape Salsa
This one is designed to be light a fresh and perky, and it succeeded admirably.

Cut 2/3rds of a pineapple into 1cm dice. Slice seedless red grapes in half until the quantities of pinapple and grapes are equal.

Peel ginger and cut several paper thin slices against the grain. Then stack those slices and cut them into strips. Add to the fruit.

Slice the flesh off of 1 jalepeno pepper, and cut that into thin strips. Add to fruit.

Mix everything together and put into a jar.

Make a syrup of 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup rice vinegar. Reduce by 1/3 or until bored, whichever comes first.

Pour in enough to make the salsa wet, but not drippy – maybe halfway up a tightly-packed jar. Close the lid, and let sit overnight.

Pineapple Habanero
This one was meant to be just a bit too strong for my tastes, just in case someone particularly macho came by. Therefore, I didn’t make a lot of it. But also, it annoys me when very spicy food is only spicy, so I was trying to get a bit of layering to the flavor. The end result is delicious, but not hot enough at all.

Finely mince 1/3 of a pineapple

Cut the flesh off of 1 3 habanero peppers, and slice it as finely as possible.

In a mortar and pestle, crush together 2 clove heads, 6 allspice berries, and some nutmeg.

Stir all together.

Make a syrup of: the juice of 2 limes, 1 tsp buckwheat honey, 2 tsp brown sugar, and 1/4 cup white balsamic. Boil until it thickens a bit, and then pour sparingly over the salsa.

Let sit overnight. (Hoping this one might last a week)

Mango and Green Pepper SalsaOddly, this one ended up being the hottest of the lot, but that’ll depend on the next jalepeno I buy. I like the crisp texture of the green pepper here.

Dice a ripe mango as best you can, but it’s better for the mango to be ripe and sweet than to have a perfect dice

Cut the flesh off the seeds of the bell pepper in about 5 passes, and then cut those strips into narrow strips (so you end up with pieces about 2mm x 4cm) – this will make the width of the bite about the same, the pieces still large enough to be crunchy, and yet it will still fold into everything smoothly as salsa should.

Thinly slice 1/2 of a jalepeno all the way through. Then mince those slices and add them, including seeds.

Add the zest of 1 lime.

Stir all together, and pack it into a jar.

Pour white vinegar into the tightly-packed jar until it comes about halfway up the fruit. Let sit overnight.

Now to see if they can be replicated. *grin*

timeline for Cooking with Catladies

This is big, so I’m being super-organized to keep track…

Tuesday, March 10th
1:00-9:00pm – work
9:30pm – transfer last batch of leftovers into compatible containers
9:45pm – make chipotle butter
dinner = salad w/ beef and beets
wash dishes?
go to parents’

Wednesday, March 11th
Collect from parents’:

  • leftovers
  • soup bowls
  • hot sauces
  • fancy olive oils

1:00-9:00pm – work
9:30pm – roast garlic, 3 sweet potatoes, 5 tomatillos
9:30pm – start vegetable stock
9:35pm – wash dishes
10:00pm – make sweet hot garlic sauce (requires: 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 3 Tablespoons finely minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon sambal olek)
make tomatillo salsa
experiment with savory mashed sweet potato recipes
dinner = sweet potato stuff
*set meusli to soak*

Thursday, March 12th
guess what I forgot? —> breakfast = meusli
full day; no prep work
9:30pm – put coffee on to soak and yogurt to drain (not together)
At work – make label cards with ingredient lists of all the dishes. Make a few extra blank ones. Put nocounterspace URL on each.
dinner = pasta

Friday, March 13th
8:00am – call out sick from work
8:00am – go to Studio34
8:30-9:30am – pilates
10:00-11:30am – vinyasa
1:00-2:30pm – go to Produce Junction (pick up
3:30-6:00pm – vegetable stock’s slow simmer
3:30-4:00pm – press coffee, pour off, clean press, put more coffee on to soak overnight
4:00-4:30pm – pickle carrots & cucumbers (requires: 3 cucumbers, 4 carrots, 1 purple onion, sugar, rice vinegar)
4:30-5:00pm – make tzatziki saice (requires: 1 drained quart yogurt, 1 cucumber, minced garlic)
6:00pm – strain vegetable stock
6:00-8:00pm – make pita chips (requires: pita, olive oil, ground coriander, paprika, ground cumin, powdered garlic, thyme or oregano, za’tar that has been ground smooth in a mortar, nutmeg, pepper, smoked paprika)
7:00pm – set kidney beans to soak (requires: 3/4 lb? kidney beans & water)

Saturday, March 14th
10-11:30am – yoga
11:45-12:45 – pilates

1:00pm – put sweet potatoes in the oven to roast
1:00pm – accept delivery of vegan cookies and chocolate cake!!

press coffee, pour off, clean press

make curry black beans (requires canned black beans (5 cans?), onions, garlic, ginger, jalepeno flesh, red bell peppers?, vegetable stock, bay leaf, thyme, and curry powder and garam masala)

make chili kidney beans (requires: onion, garlic, pinch of salt, cumin, bay leaf, soaked kidney beans, canned tomatoes, dried onion flakes, chili powder, paprika, oregano, masa harina)

make – spice mix for carrot soup

poach pears

make salsas out of some of the fruit from Produce Junction

make thai-ish chickpeas (requires shredded fresh coconut, purple onion, garlic, ginger, jalepeno, cilantro stems, thai green curry paste, chickpeas (5 cans?), lime juice, lime zest, bay leaf, vegetable stock, water)

Save some minced purple onions

make salad dressing – southwestern ranch (ketchup, mayo, sour cream, packet of taco seasoning, maybe some drained chunks from salsa for seasoning

experiment with salad dressing – (I was thinking last night about cumin. Specifically whole cumin seeds all dry roasted in a pan. And how much I like that with honey. And mushed up roasted garlic. Only it needs more liquid, and I haven’t decided yet what will be the best sour note.)

Buy salad greens and tofu

Make savory mashed sweet potatoes

Slice tofu and marinate (requires: lemons, cumin, chipotle, oregano)

Sunday, March 15th
10:00am-noon – Forrest yoga
12:30pm – load car and drive to ‘s
1:00pm – set someone to peeling carrots
2:00pm – set someone to peel and halve (lengthwise) the sweet potatoes
2:00pm – make carrot soup (requires: peeled & chunked carrots, full fat coconut milk, asaphoetida, ginger, spice mix, low fat coconut milk, vegetable broth, lime, creamy peanut butter) (1st burner!)
2:30pm – Make beet/cabbage shred (requires: 2 beets, 1.5 purple cabbages, 1/2 purple onion, 3 jalepenos, sugar, minced garlic, minced ginger, rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, olive oil, juice of 3 limes, ground pepper, fresh cilantro)
3:00-3:30pm – slice sweet potatoes into spears, toss in a bag to olive oil (requires: peeled sweet potatoes, bag, olive oil, cumin seeds, powdered garlic, ground coriander, ground black pepper, ground chipotle, and ground thyme)
3:00pm – set someone to slice onions and bell peppers
3:30-4:00pm – toast almond slivers for soup (3rd burner – brief)
4:00pm – set someone else to brush tortillas with water and olive oil and make packets for warming in the oven
4:00-5:00pm – cut up fruit into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave at room temp out of the way (requires: fruit)
5:00-5:30pm – put bread fixings into bread machine(s)
5:15-6:00pm – wash and cut greens
5:30pm – heat oven to 400F
5:55pm – put first batch of sweet potato spears in the oven
6:00pm – put vegetable stock on stove to heat (2nd burner!)
6:15pm – transfer batches of the carrot soup to a blender, containers with finished soup, rinse soup pot, put soup back in pot and adjust the seasoning
6:30-6:50pm – Make Mexican rice for main course, set aside still covered (requires: 1 cup rice, 2 tsp turmeric, 2 cloves, jar of salsa) (3rd burner!)
6:25-6:35pm – take out first batch of sweet potato spears? and put in the second batch
6:45pm – put onions and bell peppers in a skillet over slow heat (requires: onions, peppers, penzey’s fajita seasoning) (4th burner!)
6:50pm – shred lettuce, dice tomato, mince onion, slice hot peppers, cover plate with plastic and pop in the fridge
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7:00pm – guests arrive
7:00pm – put legumes and sweet potatoes in the oven to heat (requires: 4 casserole dishes. I have 2)

7:00-7:20pm – Appetizers – (standing up and mingling)

  • pita chips
  • fresh pita in wedges?
  • tzatziki
  • smashed chickpea salad
  • Sweet Potato Spears
  • Sweet hot Garlic Sauce

7:10pm – don’t forget the second batch of sweet potato spears. Turn oven down to 350F

7:25pm – halve avocados
7:30pm – pull butters out of the fridge
7:30pm – Soup (seated)

  • Curry Coconut Ginger Carrot Soup (required: soup, toasted almonds, chipotle)
  • Spicy broth (requires spicy broth, beautiful slices of avocado, marinated tofu)
  • Fresh bread? No fresh bread? Oddly, I think it might be better with the salad course

7:30pm – take reject avocados and make guacamole (requires: ??)
7:35pm – Have someone else shred Cheddar Cheese
7:40pm – warm tortillas (requires: 3 baskets and cloth napkins)
7:45pm – cook greens (Kenyan collard greens requires: washed & cut collard greens, vegetable bouillon cube, 5 spice powder, 2 fresh tomatoes, diced; Asian kale requires: Alexine!) (carrot soup burner and rice/almonds burner)
7:50pm – Main Course

  • Mexican rice
  • tortillas
    • corn
    • wheat
    • whole wheat?
  • Curry Black Beans
  • Chili Kidney beans
  • Thai-ish Chickpeas
  • Kenyan Collard Greens
  • Asian-ish Kale
  • Mashed Sweet Potatoes
  • Beet/Cabbage Shred
  • Sauteed Onions & Peppers
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Queso Fresco
  • salad toppings
  • Sour Cream
  • Salsas
  • Guacamole

8:10pm – rinse greens and set to dry
8:12pm – Make balsamic vinaigrette (requires: balsamic vinegar, mustard, red wine, (honey, if no one objects), ground pepper)
8:30pm – Salad

  • large bowl of mesclun (bring colander to give it a quick rinse before serving)
  • Replate leftovers from dinner into smaller bowls for salad fixings – esp. sliced tomato, onion)
  • salad dressings
    • southwestern ranch
    • garlic/cumin thingy?
    • balsamic vinaigrette
    • fancy balsamic vinegar & fancy olive oil
  • Fresh, hot bread (hopefully) – w/ butter, honey butter, and chipotle butter

8:50pm – whip cream (requires: 1 qt heavy cream, 1/2 cup sugar)
8:55pm – microwave poached pears (just to take the chill off)
8:55pm – put a kettle on to boil
9:00pm – Dessert

  • Put out cookies
  • offer platings of cake and/or muffins?
  • big bowl of fruit
  • big bowl of whipped cream

9:05pm – offer coffee or tea (requires: coffee concentrate, teabags, sugar, honey, fake sugar?, demerara sugar?, heavy cream, lighter dairy?, soy milk?)

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Still unscheduled
– pick up dessert items from lj person

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Things for the sous chef to cut up on Sunday (in order)

  • peel all the carrots
  • peel and halve (lengthwise) sweet potatoes
  • slice onions and bell peppers
  • wash and stem greens