Katie Meadow

Growing up in NY on the upper west side, a copy of Sunset would occasionally surface. It seemed like another planet.

You don't know how reassuring it is to know you don't treat your rice to a dry sauna. You think I'm being sarcastic, but I'm not, really! Life is short and getting shorter.

Another good treat that travels very well is Panforte. Alice Medrich has a relatively simple recipe for Panforte Nero. It lasted almost a week kept in a tin. Cocoa, nuts, dried fruit; a little spicy, not overly sweet.

Okay, I'm going to assume from now on tnat Charleston Gold means aromatic. I don't think I've had it. When it comes to cooking, it appears that tradition dictates rinsing well, then pre-boiling and draining, then giving the grains a turn in the oven on a sheet pan. I admit I am getting more lazy with every passing day. I rinse my Carolina Gold several times, gently, until the water runs clear. Then I cook it like I do basmati, on top of the stove. Rinsed well, I don't find it to be very sticky. I'm stickin' to Italian Carnaroli rice for risotto. In concert with laziness i'm not prone to a lot of experimenting, If it works, and I'm happy with it I keep doing it.Well, with exceptions.

Back in my day we had vanilla coke, chocolate coke and lemon coke at the soda fountain after school. I've read about these dirty sodas. They sound.....FAWFUL.

I am a loyal customer of Marsh Hen Mill on Edisto Island. I visited the store when I was on the island in April. I love their grits and I love their Carolina Gold rice. That's the only rice I buy by mail. All the other rice I use I can find here in the East Bay. I agree that I'm confused by the Charleston Gold or aromatic rice varieties, but as far as I know MHM only sells the one type and I'm sticking to that for now.

My latest crush is Carolina Gold rice. If you can overcome ennui enough to make it fresh, it's fabulous with just butter and salt.

Yes.

@YvetteMT and @Smithy Okay so I wrote it as a recipe. We've always called them Border Beans. 2 cups dry beans. I like Domingo Rojo, but pinto beans or others work. 1 white onion, diced 1 stalk celery and 1 carrot, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced Fresh thyme + 1 tsp Mex oregano + 1/2 tsp cumin epazote, if available 1-2 Tbsp New Mexico red Chile powder, or to taste Water Smoked pork products: 2 smoked pork necks or smoked shank or hock Opt additions: 1/2 cup black coffee and/or a cup or so of fire roasted tomatoes Wash beans and toss any grit or stones. Soak 5-6 hours in water. Drain and rinse. Sauté onion in fat: could be veg oil, bacon grease, or lard, until soft, 5 or so min. Add carrot and celery, sauté another 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook another couple of minutes. Add beans and stir to coat. Turn up the heat and add water so the beans are covered by about 2-3 inches of liquid. Bring to a boil and cook at a medium boil for 10 minutes. Turn the flame down to low. Add herbs and spices. Add and bury the smoked pork. Cover, with just a bit of air, and simmer low until beans are tender, 2 or 2-1/2 hours as needed. When almost done add salt. Take out the pork bones2 and shred off the meat and throw it back in. Then it’s done. If you wish to add coffee or tomatoes do so after the beans have cooked at least 1 1/2 hours. I follow the theory that adding acidic ingredients should be done in the later stage. Note the amount of water depends on how fast everything is cooking and also on how soupy you like your beans.You can add water as needed while cooking I like mine soupy, and eat them over rice, with a little minced raw onion and more salt as desired. My husband sometimes likes to top his beans with grated Oaxaca cheese. If you have some smoky ham stock use that and omit the necks. I suppose you could use a smoked turkey wing if you don’t want to use pork, but I’ve never tried that.

I bought some za'atar recently on a whim, not knowing what exactly to do with it. Last night I made a NYT recipe called Easy Chickpea Salad with Za'atar. It was really delicious and, in fact, easy. The recipe suggests eating it with a warm pita, which would be very nice I'm sure, or rice, but I decided to have it with warm bulgur, and that was perfect. I didn't see the advantage of using vinegar in addition to the lemon juice, so I just used lemon juice to taste. Oh, and I added an extra sprinkle of Aleppo pepper.

@YvetteMT and @Smithy My beans don't have a written recipe but when I get a chance tomorrow I'll write a description.

One thing that has consistently been a life-saver is beans. I often make 1 package of RG bean.s, typically either Red Beans and Rice, or my version of southwestern beans. Mostly I use Domingo Rojo. We are always able to freeze a quart or more of every batch. When there's little else to cook or I'm not in the mood to lift a finger, this is a perfect solution. I just have to remember to defrost the beans. Then all that needs to be made is rice, which my husband always seems willing to do. Easy and satisfying. I try to have a couple of quarts of beans in the freezer at all times. The reason we are always able to freeze enough beans for a generous meal for 2 is that I don't make beans for guests. I have enough friends and relatives for whom beans don't work; my beans are not vegetarian. Some friends don't like beans, and some don't like spicy food. No problem.

@Smithy, one thing I do NOT when ovetaken by said ennui is make a salad. I hate making salads with lettuce anyway; it seems like a lot of labor, washing and chipping and mixing dressing, etc. In this situation I make a cheese omelet. If I can still walk over to the fridge I might have a raw carrot and/or an apple and crackers.

Okay, I'm a grits snob. Instant grits just aren't as good as fresh stone ground grits. If you want the most freshly milled grits order from a place that actually has a mill. I've been ordering from Marsh Hen Mill (formerly known as Geechie Boy) for many years now. The mill is on Edisto Island in South Carolina. Anson Mills is another purvveyor. It is true that a pot of grits needs attention and close to an hour from start to finish, but it isn't at all difficult. Yes I agree that if you want grits frequently for breakfast you had best figure out how to cook grits ahead. I find leftover grits are just fine for breakfast, but this idea works really well and is bit more elegant. Make a large batch of grits. Pour when still very hot and soft into a sheet pan, making a layer of about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch and try to get it smooth and even. When cooled, you can cut it into portions. These can be refrigerated and used as desired, by sautéing in butter or oil in a non-stick pan. The outside should be crispy and the inside melty. This takes only a few minutes on each side, and can be eaten sweet or savory, not just for breakfast, but for a fast easy easy side dish or a snack. And the squares can also be baked with a a variety of ingredients, like tomatoes and mozzarella.

Hmm. Most of the things I have cooked in my pan are relatively fast-cooking and I haven't had an issue with the handle being too hot. I have a couple of silicone pot holders that are grabby that would do the job.