Cooking during blizzard.

[rotuts]

Ive found that not only 'BBQ' on your own deck is much better in a snow storm, so is M.R.

 

somehow those bubble are a bit crisper.

[MelissaH]

Oswego isn't that bad! Those of us who live here know what we're in for, and we're equipped to handle it. When we get the big lake-effect storms (the ones where the snow band sets up right on top of us and doesn't move for a few days), we get asked not to drive, because it's easier to plow when fewer cars are on the road. Even then, if you need to get somewhere (such as to refill your snowblower gas can) it usually isn't a problem, once you get your car out of the driveway.

 

We aren't quite as chilly this morning as ElainaA: the NOAA buoy in the harbor says that our air temperature bottomed out this morning at 18 ºF. Even the wind is down: a couple of days ago we had sustained winds of 40 knots with gusts nearing 55 knots; today we're just seeing a breezy 20 knots.

 

Yesterday, I made a pot of beef stock. I was able to quickly chill it on the "walk out" (AKA my deck) to the point where it was safe to refrigerate. This morning, I plan to defat it and then package and freeze it for later. I'm thinking that some of it will get combined with barley and mushrooms in the early part of next week.

 

How much snow have we seen in the last few days? None.

[LindaK]

Good luck! I lived in DC and Baltimore for years and remember well the panic and bad driving with just an inch or two of snow. But this is a real one.  I hear that we (Boston, that is) are sending some snow removal equipment your way. We’re lucky that this storm is mostly missing us, but the food hoarding instinct still kicks in.

 

What did you think of the capon?  I’ve never tasted one.  I hope you’re planning on making some stock/broth with the carcass and meat scraps.  Though I don’t cook meat often, I generally grab a chicken on a pre-storm grocery run.  A roast, leftovers for sandwiches, and then a good soup—that’s generally part of my storm cooking strategy.

[chefmd]

LindaK,

 

Yep, DC can be incapacitated by very little snow.  Last Wednesday all freeways were literally stopped after 1 inch on the ground (there was apparently no pretreatment).

 

I also never cooked capon before.  It tasted like very flavorful chicken.  Surprisingly there was very little fat, about 1/2 cup from 7 pound bird.  But the meat was very juicy and tender.  Will see how it reheats later today or tomorrow.  Will probably make capers and herbs sauce to go with it.

[HungryChris]

I picked up a few essentials as well. Shoveling is less of a chore when an Irish coffee is your reward.

 

[rotuts]

Nice, HC

 

members at eG certainly know their priorities.

[gfweb]

15" and snowing. But the plow guy came and the internet still works, so we have that going for us.

 

Lunch was hard cider braised brats with wine braised kraut

 

 

[rotuts]

well

 

ive been in bad weather, and I do deeply respect it.

 

I do hope all eG's do well, and all their neighbors , right on down the Line.

 

here I have this (  BOS a bit West ) :

 

 

 

as my mother would have said :

 

" your not exactly a Spring Chicken Yourself Any More "  etc

 

but  here we are now.

 

Mister Cat  loves the gentle breeze from the wood stove here :

 

 

well  that pic is a few days old.

 

Right now, MC is too busy to appreciate the Wood Stove

 

 

I sure hope all can be warm and safe.

Edited January 23, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[chefmd]

Totally inauthentic ramen for lunch.  Sous vide egg 145 degrees for about 45 minutes.  Left over pork roast seared in Benton's bacon drippings, more drippings went into soup for the fatty mouth feel.   I do not like large piece of pork in my ramen since it is difficult to eat so I cut it into bite size pieces.  Home made chicken/pork stock.

 

 

Brand of instant ramen noodles approved by my DIL from China.

 

 

As a side note, I have tons of flavor packets from noodle soup.  Any ideas on how to use those?

[rotuts]

toss them

 

ten years of sodium // pack

[SLB]

Yup [on the eG priorities].  I decided that the cocktail for Storm Jonas was gonna bring me to the Caribbean:  Hemingway Daiquiris.  I mean, it's citrus season!

Edited January 23, 2016 by SLB (log)

[chefmd]

Storm(y) Jonas sounds like a good name for a cocktail.

[HungryChris]

This weather is for the birds!

[rotuts]

HC

 

good for you

 

Id love to have something like that for my 2 families of Cardinals

 

One flies to the Left and the other Flies to the right

 

and indeed  Ive seem both families  at the same time

 

Good for You

 

have you consider some M.R. as a reward ?

Edited January 23, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[cakewalk]

Not nice out there at all. I live across the street from the Hudson River, and the winds are really fierce. I do sometimes worry about the windows holding up! Took my dog out earlier, she was Not Amused. It's nice to watch a storm from indoors, it always makes me feel so grateful.

 

Anyhoo, I did bake bread last night, but was not thrilled with the result. (My errors, of course.) It's a Carol Field recipe, she calls it Sicilian Bread, it is basically a semolina bread. I love semolina. She does warn against using regular semolina, saying that fine semolina is needed. I had only about half the quantity necessary of the fine semolina, so for the rest I used regular semolina. I think more water would have helped. Also, it's quite over baked and dry. I baked according to her instructions, but the difference in flour certainly mattered. (Also, it was almost 2 in the morning and I wasn't paying attention.) She calls for 2-3 tsp salt, and since I usually find that most breads need a bit more salt than called for, I used 3 tsp. I think 2 1/2 tsp would have been better. Well, it is not bad toasted and buttered, but not a particularly successful bread. Oh well. I will have to buy some more fine semolina, try this again and actually follow her instructions!

 

[Lisa Shock]

Don't forget that you could make dressing for the capon with the semolina bread. (make a little stock with some bones) Or, bread pudding. Or, croutons.

[SLB]

Cakewalk, even if not successful as bread, it sure is successfully beautiful.  The crust looks perfect.  

 

And I second Lisa Shock on the dressing suggestion, I bet that would be delicious.  

 

It's also true, tho, that I have something like 2 gallon-bags of bread crumbs/croutons from my bread baking fails.  At some point, you just do NOT need any more of those.    

[Jaymes]

Having lived for many years in various assorted versions of "electricity goes out" country (blizzards, ice storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, third-world unreliable electricity), here's a tip.  When the electricity goes out, I'm sure everyone knows not to open your freezer in the hopes that perhaps the power will come back on before everything thaws.  Sometimes, when it's bad enough, we leave town until the worst is over.  When we come back, it's basically impossible to know if perhaps everything thawed, but refroze.

 

Pre-outage, freeze some water in a small cup or glass.  When it's frozen, put a penny on top of the ice.  Then, when power comes back on, you can tell if it thawed enough for the penny to drop to the bottom of the glass.

Edited January 23, 2016 by Jaymes (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Since the power is still on, cooking some steel cut oats in the pressure cooker, Modernist Cuisine method.  For a fashionably late breakfast.

 

Now towards evening the snow has slackened.  A couple of hours ago there was no visibility.  Here's a view of my blueberry bushes from the balcony door.  (Ignore the okra in the foreground.)

 

[Kim Shook]

rotuts – Mr. Cat is GORGEOUS!

 

cakewalk – too bad about the bread because it sure is pretty!

 

We’ve needed breakfast these past two days.  Neither of us are big morning eaters, but it seemed necessary.  Not that we are outside shoveling, sledding or even walking, but whatever.  I haven’t seen this much concentrated snow in years!  I didn’t do much ahead of time shopping – water, some just in case canned goods, etc.  But today we cataloged the inside freezer and the urge kicked in.  I’ve got a loaf of white in the bread machine torturing me with its fragrance.  And as soon as I get the machine off the counter, I’m starting a loaf of banana bread.  Dinner tonight will be some of Mr. Kim’s BBQ that we unearthed from the freezer.  I’ve got buns, but sadly no slaw.

[patrickamory]

View from the terrace in Manhattan this afternoon. Quite a bit more snow has fallen since then, but it seems to be tapering off. Very nice to have all the streets closed to traffic.

 

 

I stocked up on wine, chicken and pork chops. And I'm making no-soak black beans right now, possibly with fried chicken later on if I feel up to it. (I got Marcella beans too! Trying to figure out what to do with them - thinking simple / salad is best... ?)

[chefmd]

Snow picked up this afternoon.  Our building countered with BYOB party that started at 3 PM.  People also brought a few food items. 

 

 

 

[chefmd]

My Stormy Jonas old fashioned made with Benton's bacon infused bourbon, agave, mandarin peel, Peychaud bitters.  Note to self: need to update my bitters collection.

 

 

 

[FauxPas]

I'm so enjoying this thread! It was 80F (27C) here in Tucson today, but I have spent some time in cold and snow and with a few storms/power outages. ChefMD, I love the spirit of your building, what a great idea to have a party! 

 

It's great to hear from people and their experiences. The one thing I loved about big snowstorms in the city was how quiet the streets could get. Even in cities where the traffic keeps moving, the snow muffles the sound. 

 

I hope the storm doesn't cause too much hardship for people, though. 

[HungryChris]

7 hours ago, rotuts said:

HC

 

good for you

 

Id love to have something like that for my 2 families of Cardinals

 

One flies to the Left and the other Flies to the right

 

and indeed  Ive seem both families  at the same time

 

Good for You

 

have you consider some M.R. as a reward ?

Rotus, not sure what M.R. is , but suddenly feel the need to point out that Debbie and I  will be sharing Irish Coffee when I'm done with the shoveling.