eG foodblog: Kim Shook - Dreams of an Everyday Housewife

[BekkiM]

However….tapioca is still as skeevy as ever.  Little bouncy balls of nothing.  What is the point of that except to make something that should be smooth and creamy, anything but??? <shudder>

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Kim, I have been reading your blog the past few days and very much enjoying it, but I snorted coffee out of my nose when I read your description of tapioca. I have been searching, lo these 40 years, for a way to convey my absolute revulsion for the stuff and you have nailed it perfectly. "Skeevy" and "bouncy balls of nothing" are brilliant, just brilliant! LOL

Keep up the blog; it's fascinating (and hugely entertaining).

[racheld]

I've been out on errands in the sunshine, Joe Cocker is blasting on the Bose, and here's this wonderful gathering to come to---life is nice.

I also love the tiny Banshee cabinet---I'm dying to paint a huge knotty-pine cabinet that was built in the 50's and has darkened this corner much too long. I'm thinking cream, with maybe a few pale green accents.

And I wouldn't tell my best friend what my children used to call tapioca.

[Domestic Goddess]

Kim, somebody got the nomnomnom reference first! I love that site "icanhascheezburger ". Some of the pics has made me LOL that hubby had to comeover and look at what I was laughing about.

Yes, more pics of Otis, please!

[suzilightning]

kim-

i feel as if i could walk into your kitchen and know where everything is. you have the same (except for the dishwasher) layout as i do. check out the blog i did last august. i think we are about equal on the wallpaper front but i think my yucky kitchen floor trumps yours!!

have fun with the blog and can't wait to see more of otis and your food.

[DCP]

too bad about the toast.  quite a juxtaposition: torched bread alongside the elegant foie gras.

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Perhaps the line cook had a grammatical misunderstanding... 'foie gras au torch-

on on toast'

Kim, I must share in the praise your blog has garnered thus far. Like Chris, I plan to co-opt the 'inventory on (pantry,freezer,refrigerator) door' technique. (It had been on my list for ages, but having seen a successful implementation may provide the needed boost.)

Looking forward for content to come.

[Kouign Aman]

We grew up calling tapioca "frog spawn", as our mother taught us. And we all liked it, mother included.

I also admired the pink bowl echoing the pink lav wallpaper, but others beat me to posting about it.

It looks like you mostly have colored pressed glass running around the top of the dining room walls - yes? I'd love to see it more closely, if you can stand that many more pix.

In your "before" pic (which I saw before I read the text), I thought "what a lovely cool and floaty outfit. That lady looks so spring-time lovely and perfectly turned out with the hat and dress together so nicely. " Then you got all down on yourself!

Congrats on the weight loss and on successfully managing the aftereffects of GB. You good in the after pix too, of course. Surgery didnt remove your sense of style, eh?

Editted to add all that I meant to put in originally:

julienne - oh mama!

I expect that salad tastes good in chunks, shavings or whatever, but you made it so elegant!

Edited April 16, 2008 by Kouign Aman (log)

[eldereno]

Kim, I am honored, you used one of my recipes.  That is one of my favorites (on carb cheat days) that I go to and a favorite when we go to group gatherings, I am always requested to bring it.  For the person that asked, yes, it is a savory bread pudding with Gruyere cheese and carmelized onions, very very good.  I tend to add extra cheese myself.

Lovely blog, keep having fun!

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Kim and Lucylou.......where would I find this luscious recipe? I checked RecipeGullet to no avail. Looks wonderful. I can almost smell the aroma from here!!!!!

[Kim Shook]

OK, I found which one Rob was referring to, but what's the long pointy thing for?  Juicer for the finger of a buddha hand citrus (those things don't even have juice, do they?)

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ok, which exact one are you talking about? Did you see the picture that I took of the first thing that I thought he was talking about? Was it that one?

Wow. Your home is eye candy. Thanks for welcoming us so fully into your nooks and crannies- I'm really enjoying seeing such a girly, frilly, sparkly yet warm(and full to the rafters with accoutrements!) house. I don't find that good yogurt in NJ in a fat free version... and I find the full fat version too rich to eat on it's own. How is the fat free stuff?

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Thank you, ma'am! The fat free stuff is really good. Not too 'lite', if you know what I mean.

Kim, I love your house!  Especially the cabinet you painted.  Let me know if you want to sell that 

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I won't sell it, but how about if I come and help you paint one ? Rachel wants to paint one, too! I could do a road trip!

I've been out on errands in the sunshine, Joe Cocker is blasting on the Bose, and here's this wonderful gathering to come to---life is nice.

I also love the tiny Banshee cabinet---I'm dying to paint a huge knotty-pine cabinet that was built in the 50's and has darkened this corner much too long.  I'm thinking cream, with maybe a few pale green accents.

And I wouldn't tell my best friend what my children used to call tapioca.

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I noticed you up late last night, my fellow night owl and told Mr. Kim and Jessica that I often noticed your name when I was moonlight surfing and how old-fashionably companionable it felt in the dark quietness.

kim-

i feel as if i could walk into your kitchen and know where everything is.  you have the same (except for the dishwasher) layout as i do.  check out the blog i did last august.  i think we are about equal on the wallpaper front but i think my yucky kitchen floor trumps yours!!

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I went and reacquainted myself with your kitchen - it does look a lot like mine! But I couldn't catch a good view of your floor, so mine still holds the title !

It looks like you mostly have colored pressed glass running around the top of the dining room walls - yes? I'd love to see it more closely, if you can stand that many more pix.

In your "before" pic (which I saw before I read the text), I thought "what a lovely cool and floaty outfit. That lady looks so spring-time lovely and perfectly turned out with the hat and dress together so nicely. "  Then you got all down on yourself!

Congrats on the weight loss and on successfully managing the aftereffects of GB. You good in the after pix too, of course. Surgery didnt remove your sense of style, eh?

Editted to add all that I meant to put in originally:

julienne - oh mama!

I expect that salad tastes good in chunks, shavings or whatever, but you made it so elegant!

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I will try to sweet talk Mr. Kim into getting down the glass stuff later in the blog. I don't mind taking the pictures, I just didn't know people would be really interested!

And thanks for the compliment on my before picture - that was exactly how that dress felt!

Today’s breakfast:

Wednesdays are the day that I work in one office in the morning and another office 5 1/2 miles away in the afternoon. I usually stop somewhere and get something fast since lunch + travel time is still only 45 minutes. I figured that since I was blogging, I'd stop someplace I hadn't been before. It's on a very busy main road. I am embarrassed to say that in 5 1/2 miles (actually 11 miles, since I looked on both sides of the road), I couldn't find one fast food place that I hadn't been. So I said the heck with it and decided to stop somewhere I had been and have something I hadn't ever had. I went to KFC and had one of their new toasted wraps:

It was fine. Just what you would expect. It was only $1.29 and very small - so it was perfect for me. It's nice - lots of fast food restaurants are serving mini sandwiches now - I guess most people would get 2 or 3 of them, plus sides. But one is just right for me. How I wish Little Tavern still existed. For those whose childhoods weren't blessed with them, they were a chain of hamburger joints that existed in the Baltimore/Washington area years ago. Tiny little shops, selling hamburgers by the bag. You could buy one or a dozen and I remember stopping after being out late at night in Georgetown for a bagful for the car. They were like sliders and in my memory, at least, delicious! I think that there might still be one or two open in Baltimore. Hmmmm. We haven't been to Baltimore in awhile. Might be time for a road trip soon!

Anyway, I just munched the little chicken wrap (hee - I always think that sounds like a hen in a pashmina), spent a little quality time with dear little Father Brown and enjoyed the sunshine. It was 35 degrees last night, is 69 right now and will be 80 before the weekend.

You know a doctor’s office is a dangerous place to work, what with rogue bacteria, germs, viruses and things like this:

It was some kind of pie/cookie hybrid that a drug rep brought by. It was really, really good!

It's 7pm and I still have to make dinner - see y'all in a little bit!

[lucylou95816]

Kim, I am honored, you used one of my recipes.  That is one of my favorites (on carb cheat days) that I go to and a favorite when we go to group gatherings, I am always requested to bring it.  For the person that asked, yes, it is a savory bread pudding with Gruyere cheese and carmelized onions, very very good.  I tend to add extra cheese myself.

Lovely blog, keep having fun!

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Kim and Lucylou.......where would I find this luscious recipe? I checked RecipeGullet to no avail. Looks wonderful. I can almost smell the aroma from here!!!!!

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Here's the link......

[Priscilla]

Hee icanhascheezburger is the first site I visit upon firing up. I think there was even a pug on there at least once. (For my b.d. last month Ivan had the Japanese French baker write NOM NOM NOM NOM on my cake.)

I love the utensil forest. More dishes, though, please, if possible. What do you use most of the time, e.g.?

Hope your dinner is somewhat earlier tonight!

[demiglace]

The Kouign isn't the only one who liked the before pic..I thought you looked pretty! You look great now..I hope you feel good too. I am really enjoying this blog..thanks for sharing your life with us. Blog on!

[prasantrin]

OK, I found which one Rob was referring to, but what's the long pointy thing for?  Juicer for the finger of a buddha hand citrus (those things don't even have juice, do they?)

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ok, which exact one are you talking about? Did you see the picture that I took of the first thing that I thought he was talking about? Was it that one?

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Just above and just behind the progeny of the robot and lobster, there's a long pointy thing that is ridged like a lemon reamer, and it looks like it's made of opaque plastic. The pointy part is above the head of the meat tenderizer, and points out to the right. I wish I had some kind of photoshop thing so I could draw a circle around it for you!

[gfron1]

I'm pretty sure you're talking about the pic in THIS post.

[sanrensho]

You know a doctor’s office is a dangerous place to work, what with rogue bacteria, germs, viruses and things like this:

It was some kind of pie/cookie hybrid that a drug rep brought by.  It was really, really good!

Did you happen to catch the name of this item? It looks sort of like a pain de genes (almond cake).

[Kim Shook]

Hope your dinner is somewhat earlier tonight!

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Well, I beat my Monday time by 8 minutes - here's tonight's dinner time:

I am wiped out! I will post tonight's dinner and more fun stuff tomorrow, I promise! But I gotta go sleepy-byes now !

But first - I need to tell you all how nice this week is, in spite of how tired I am and how crazy this week is! I am loving the interaction with everyone and the caring and interest that everyone is showing me. (sniff, sniff, I feel like Sally Field ). Smoochies to everybody!

[Domestic Goddess]

Yes Kim, we do love you.

PS. Where's Otis?

[Kim Shook]

Yes Kim, we do love you.

PS. Where's Otis?

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He's on his way!

[Kim Shook]

This was waiting for us when we got home from work:

This was a surprise to me - Mr. Kim ordered this. We've had the bacon before, it's from Benton's Hams in Madisonville, TN. It is intensely fragrant. You could smell it through the box. I'm sure that everything in the whole town is permeated with that smoke! We are thinking of going to Costco for Campari tomatoes and having BLT's for lunch one day this weekend. Of course, I've made those before, but I'm not sure I would have a husband on Monday if I don't cook some of this stuff!

DINNER LAST NIGHT:

A couple of little snacks to tide us over:

I found this stuff at our local Asian market, Tan A. I have NO idea why this was in an Asian market. It's made in CT and has not one Asian word on it. But it was pretty and girly and I had to buy it. It's kind of like Kettle Korn.

Jessica found these leftovers in the fridge and heated them up:

They are crab meltaways from Mr. Kim's poker party on Friday.

I made Dana's Boursin Potatoes, which were amazing - I definitely overserved myself on this one. You can find the recipe on Cooks Korner - that's Marlene's website. One thing, though - I misread the recipe and added 2 c. of heavy cream rather than the 1 c. the recipe calls for and as you can see, it turned out perfectly. I must have been using especially spongy potatoes.

Potato mise:

potatoes, s&p, parsley, boursin & heavy cream

Slicing:

These are my tradional treats after peeling potatoes:

It's the end of the potatoes that don't get sliced. I have always loved raw potatoes - Momma used to peel and slice potatoes the night before and put them in the fridge for dinner the next day. Sometimes by the time she got home from work, there would only be 10 left. I'd eaten my serving raw! I can only eat a little bit now without them hurting my tummy, but I still indulge!

Before topping and bakings:

With topping:

Baked:

Bite:

I could eat:

I also made two Giada de Laurentiis' recipes. The first was Caramelized Pancetta & Fennel salad.

Salad Mise:

fennel, pancetta, garlic, brown sugar, olive oil, s&p and salad greens

Dressing mise:

red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, s&p and olive oil

The fennel, pancetta, garlic, brown sugar, olive oil and s&p after roasting:

Making the vinaigrette:

There always seems to be a cabinet door open in my kitchen - I live with little dents all over my head.

Finished salad:

This was wonderful. I will caramalize the fennel mixture even longer last time - that was amazing!

The other Giada recipe that I did was her Chicken Saltimbocca.

Chicken mise:

Chicken breasts, s&p, proscuitto, spinach, olive oil, Parmesan, chicken broth and lemon juice.

Otis likes cheese:

Pounding the breasticles:

Rather than a mallet, I find that a small iron skillet does best at this job.

Topped with the proscuitto, spinach and cheese:

Browned and simmering:

Sauced, plated and a section:

This was fine. I'd eat it again, but I'm not sure I'd bother making it again. I found a CI recipe for Chicken Saltimbocca that I'd like to try and I think I'll do that next time.

I found some lovely local oyster mushrooms the other day and just did a simple saute in some clarified butter with a little salt and pepper:

Mr. Kim and Jessica actually fought over them. I am not a mushroom fan, but in the I always try at least a bite of new things, so I tried them. They were the most mushroomy mushrooms I ever tasted, so I guess that's why mushroom lovers love them, but they gave me that familiar fungal shiver and I let Mr. Kim and Jess have them!

We also had some bread - just a Three Seed demi with poppy, sesame & fennel seeds from Panera. We have a new one on the way home. It's not the best bread in the world, but we like it and it's miles from what the grocery stores near us have:

Mr. K very sweetly took down a bunch of the glasswear and took pictures, so I'll post them later along with some random thoughts!

Edited April 17, 2008 by Kim Shook (log)

[Marigene]

Kim, this is the BEST blog ever! Otis is a real cutie. Oh, and a big congrats on the huge weight loss.

[CaliPoutine]

We also had some bread - just a Three Seed demi with poppy, sesame & fennel seeds from Panera. We have a new one on the way home. It's not the best bread in the world, but we like it and it's miles from what the grocery stores near us have:

Your dinner looks wonderful, swoon on those potatoes. I noticed the Boursin is 7.49. That seems rather high to me, I've seen it around 4-5 bucks in MI where I do a lot of shopping. Are prices high in your area?

Re: Panera bread. Isnt it amazing that we'll always pick the lesser of two evils when it comes to food? I never in my life thought I'd eat at a Red Lobster( let alone wait 20 min for a table) or Chili's but when we go shopping in Port Huron, the only choice we have is a chain restaurant. Still, its 100x better than anything we have in our small town. I'd also take a bread from Panera over anything( sans Ace Bread) that we have at my local grocery store.

[WoodleyGrrl]

Great Blog.

I was wondering if you could answer a question about life after gastric bypass.

It seems from the food that you eat and cook that you do not eat low fat or even count calories.

Do you simply eat smaller portions and not care about things like fat, or is this a particularly high calorie/high fat week because of the blog?

[Daniel]

As someone who has tried some of Kim's Baked goods, I must say it was wonderful.. Your food looks great and nicely varied.. Love the Boursin "Light" in the photo.. I am sure that really kept that dish on the healthy side of the street. Really enjoying your blog..

Edited April 17, 2008 by Daniel (log)

[JanMcBaker]

I'm loving your blog! Lots of things seem to strike a familiar chord with a lot of people-- like your utensil forest for one! I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one with mass quantities of spatulas! And with cookbooks strewn throughout the house, for that matter. You have a very warm, comfortable, 'homey' house!.

I just emailed myself the onion bread pudding recipe from the link shown earlier. Can't wait to try that one!

[Smithy]

Speaking of familiar chords among the utensils: I have that same "vintage" animal crackers canister. I use mine for a pencil holder (not in the kitchen). What's in yours?

Your mandoline looks a lot like mine, too. I got mine from a grocery store for something like $8 - it's made by Progressive, or Cook's Helper, or some such. I bought mine because I wasn't sure I'd get enough use out of a mandoline to justify spending the big bucks, and I've learned that the cheapo works just fine for me. How does that stack up against your experience? (Or have I just insulted your $200 imitation-plastic titanium slicing treasure? )

That salad looks divine. Let's hear it for oven-roasted veggies!

[Zeemanb]

First of all, unless Otis is different from every other pug I have known........they are awfully cute, but I CHALLENGE you to find a more ravenous animal. I would rather be caught between a rabid wolverine and her young than a pug and its food dish....

I was wondering if you could answer a question about life after gastric bypass.

It seems from the food that you eat and cook that you do not eat low fat or even count calories.

Do you simply eat smaller portions and not care about things like fat, or is this a particularly high calorie/high fat week because of the blog?

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I obviously can't speak for Kim, but as a weight loss surgery patient I know this subject comes up a LOT (and I tend to cook/eat out quite a bit....and not always the healtiest choices). The things you really cannot skimp on are your daily vitamins/supplements and getting enough protein in your diet. From my experience, as long as the fatty foods are "solid"...proteins, etc., there really isn't too much of a risk of overeating (I don't know how many times my eyes have been bigger than my stomach and I've thrown away 3/4 of a sandwich I thought I could finish). Your stomach is about the size of a large egg, and proteins digest slower, giving you a sensation of satiety that lasts for quite a while. However, when you get into your fattier carbs or what are often referred to as "slider" foods like mashed potatoes, gravies, chips, sauces, various starches, etc., they go through your new stomach really quickly and can eventually lead to weight gain because you don't stay full. There are some built-in safety measures even for that though.....the biggest one being "dumping syndrome". When you take in too much sugar or fat at one time, it can basically give you the sensation of having the worst hangover of your entire life hit you in about thirty seconds......it SUCKS. Due to the reconfiguration, the fat/sugar dumps straight into your system all at once and makes you sick. So you learn your lesson quickly with that......at least I did the first time I put way too much mayo into a tuna salad.

Anyway, sorry to threadjack or speak for Kim, and I'm not sure that even really answers any questions. I guess the bottom line is you are always conscious of calories, amounts, etc., but it's easy to "splurge" one day and make up for it the next. AND you have built-in safety measures that keep you from going TOO crazy. The common misconception is that gastric bypass is the magic pill, which it is not....it's just a tool, because plenty of people have gone the surgery route and still gained a ton of weight. From looking at Kim's breakfasts/lunches, she's really sticking to the plan as far as amounts go. And this is only a guess, but I'd say this week for her is out of the ordinary due to the blog. The one advantage I have is living alone now......I can't imagine still having to cook for others!