What would mom say - Part II

[mcdowell]

The recent thread here of “what would your mother say?” had me thinking about what my mother would say about certain things that I do in my own kitchen. While Mom wouldn’t be embarrassed by my eating green jello with marshmellows over the sink, she is slightly embarrassed by the salami that I cured and have hanging off of my baker’s rack.

I well remember the shake of his head and look in my project manager’s eye, that you poor bastard look, the day I told him that I couldn’t work Saturday, because Saturday is the day that I make cheese, and I already had ten gallons of milk reserved at a farm down south. I received the same look from my father when I asked him to help me make a cheese press in his workshop.

Yesterday afternoon I sat on my front yard and watched my neighbor across the street perform his near-daily ritual with power saw and drill and hammer, working raw materials into useless objects. He was making an oak monitor stand for his computer, to match the wooden mouse pad he had made a few days before. I shook my head in wonder and no small amount of self-righteous pity at the absurdity of his hobby.

That was just before I came into the house to put up the mustard that I had simmering, adding yet another jar to the collection in my refrigerator. I didn’t give thought to the irony until this morning, as I was eating the gravlox that I’ve had curing in tequila and cilantro for the past week. At least I can eat my creations, I offered myself in silent rebuttal, while his wife is stuck with a house full of ugly wood.

I’ve stopped telling people about these strange kitchen obsessions of mine, stopped trying to explain, sometimes even stooping to telling lies (“I found that mustard up in Napa at a roadside stand...”) just to avoid that look which invariably comes. We know we’re crazy, we just don’t want other people to catch on, you see. It’s almost like being an addict. Or maybe it’s exactly like being an addict.

What do you do in your kitchen that borders on obsession or extremism? The kind of obsession that causes people who don’t cook (and maybe people who do) to look at you with pity and incredulity and shake their heads? And why do you do it? Surely that bread you compulsively bake day in and day out isn’t really better than the Acme you can get at the Whole Foods? Is it?

I’d like to hear.

[SobaAddict70]

I think the look I once got from cabrales (I get these looks from people all the time, so it wasn't limited to just her, mind you) when I told her that I HAVE to make my own stock if I've got the time and materials as opposed to buying it from a store or a restaurant, spoke volumes.

I mean, seriously. Homemade stock is so much more superior than canned or (*shudder*) from boullion form that I always wonder why people don't invest in the effort to do it. And once you do it once or twice, it becomes effortless and routine, almost like doing laundry.

For the record, I try to have at least two types of stock sitting in my freezer or refrig at all times. At the moment, there's a batch of chicken stock I made over the weekend, and some veggie stock from a couple of weeks ago that's going to be put to use this week.

The looks alone are worth the price of admission.

Soba

[hjshorter]

Jeez, you make your own mustard? Most of the non-foodie people I know are amazed that I even make spaghetti sauce and cookies from scratch, for goodness sake, never mind condiments.

[mcdowell]

Jeez, you make your own mustard? Most of the non-foodie people I know are amazed that I even make spaghetti sauce and cookies from scratch, for goodness sake, never mind condiments.

I used to think of mustard as just a condiment. There was yellow hot dog mustard, and that yummy Grey Poupon.

Then I moved to Northern California, and started shopping at a grocery store that had a wall of mustards, many local. It started an obsession.

I was married once to woman who made her own ketchup. That, I thought (and think) was going to far. Ketchup is ketchup, and you'll never convince me otherwise.

[claire797]

McDowell,

Would you put some of your mustard recipes in the archive? I once made mustard and had to throw it out because it was so bad. I used bulk ground mustard seeds. Do you think it would have been better had I used Coleman's or something.

Sorry to go off topic here.

I'm trying to think of a "What would mom say?" thing.

[Lady T]

I imagine my mother's ghost shaking her head gravely over how much time it takes me to make bread each week.

I don't even bother comparing it to the mushy uniform oblongs on supermarket shelves; it's impeccably fresh, I know exactly what's in it (and the chemicals that aren't in it), I love taking out my frustrations in the action of kneading, and baking it makes my apartment smell like the south end of heaven.

It is, in fact, that much better.

[Katherine]

I was married once to woman who made her own ketchup. That, I thought (and think) was going to far. Ketchup is ketchup, and you'll never convince me otherwise.

My mother used to make her own ketchup. Unfortunately, since Heinz is the standard against which all ketchups are compared, we found it...eh.

Lotta hours wasted. She could've done something else with the tomatoes.

[zilla369]

I have to cop to making my own red sauce....since i started, i'll buy other prepared pasta sauces on occasion, but not marinara. Foks think it's overkill, until they taste it. Besides, it freezes nicely.

[Kim WB]

My mother is bewildered as to why I make my own pasta... I asked for the attachement for Christmas last year, and she just can't imagine it...wait until I ask for the sausage attachment for my birthday!

[fimbul]

Just last night my girlfriend and I showed up at her parents' with a gift: duck "prosciutto," i.e., cured duck breast. The looks we got were somewhere between confusion and abject terror. Both her mom and dad ate one slice to be polite, the rest went untouched (except by my girlfriend and me -- it was good stuff).

[guajolote]

I mean, seriously.  Homemade stock is so much more superior than canned or (*shudder*) from boullion form that I always wonder why people don't invest in the effort to do it.  And once you do it once or twice, it becomes effortless and routine, almost like doing laundry.

Amen brother.

Active cooking time in making gallons of stock is about 10 minutes, and it makes your house smell good. I have some duck stock simmering right now.

I also make my own marinara sauce, but I'm sure most people here do.

[hjshorter]

I used to think of mustard as just a condiment. There was yellow hot dog mustard, and that yummy Grey Poupon.

Then I moved to Northern California, and started shopping at a grocery store that had a wall of mustards, many local. It started an obsession.

I love different mustards, we have about 7-8 jars in the fridge at any one instance. I just don't make my own. Maybe I should try.

And yes, ketchup is ketchup.

[MatthewB]

Anyone here refer to Better Than Store-Bought for making things at home that are usually purchased?

[NeroW]

My mother is a cook herself.

She doesn't give me many weird looks.

[Chad]

Hmm, I'd suspect that around here making your own stock or spending two days on a biga-style Italian bread are just part of the entrance requirements. I do both, but not all the time.

I often cheat and use reduced stocks & demi-glaces from More than Gourmet. They're really pretty good for stuff like pan sauces and quick soups. Of course tubs of "Fond de Poulet" arriving at work get me exactly the sort of looks we're talking about here .

But the biggie is when I come in with bare patches on my forearms from sharpening my kitchen knives. I may look like I have mange, but my kitchen knives cut like laser scalpels. It's worth it.

It is, isn't it? I'm not like . . . sick or anything? Right? Right?

Chad

[fresco]

It's not sick until you start wearing them in your tongue, nose or other parts.

[SobaAddict70]

I also make my own marinara sauce, but I'm sure most people here do.

Just a little OT here, one of my pet peeves reared its ugly head just now on reading that.

Marinara sauce has nothing to do with present reality. Originally, marinara sauce came to refer to a seafood sauce made with tomatoes. Now, it's just tomato sauce. What I'm sure you really meant to say is that you make your own sugo di pomodoro, but for some reason it came out as "marinara sauce".

Ok, back to your kitchen cubicles.

Soba

[KateW]

My mom gave me a weird look when I said I wanted to try grinding my own beef for burgers and stuff. Why would you do that? she said. Well because my meatcutting chef said it was cheaper and tastes better. Is it?

[MatthewB]

My mom gave me a weird look when I said I wanted to try grinding my own beef for burgers and stuff.  Why would you do that? she said.  Well because my meatcutting chef said it was cheaper and tastes better.  Is it?

You & tommy need to have a talk.

[guajolote]

I also make my own marinara sauce, but I'm sure most people here do.

Just a little OT here, one of my pet peeves reared its ugly head just now on reading that.

Marinara sauce has nothing to do with present reality. Originally, marinara sauce came to refer to a seafood sauce made with tomatoes. Now, it's just tomato sauce. What I'm sure you really meant to say is that you make your own sugo di pomodoro, but for some reason it came out as "marinara sauce".

Ok, back to your kitchen cubicles.

Soba

After I praised you for making your own stock

I stand corrected.

[SobaAddict70]

its got nothing to do with you.

it has everything to do with how its used.

its like referring to garam masala as curry powder, and congee as rice glop.

you know what I mean. 100 years from now, the language pendulum will swing the other way and marinara sauce will mean what it was supposed to mean, but in the meantime, we're stuck on its present incarnation. *sigh*

Soba

Edited June 23, 2003 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[NeroW]

I also make my own marinara sauce, but I'm sure most people here do.

Whoa! Skimming this thread again, I thought you said: "I also make my own marijuana sauce.

'cause who doesn't?

[fimbul]

I also make my own marinara sauce, but I'm sure most people here do.

Whoa! Skimming this thread again, I thought you said: "I also make my own marijuana sauce.

'cause who doesn't?

Is bong water one of the mother sauces now?

Hunh.

[NeroW]

I also make my own marinara sauce, but I'm sure most people here do.

Whoa! Skimming this thread again, I thought you said: "I also make my own marijuana sauce.

'cause who doesn't?

Is bong water one of the mother sauces now?

Hunh.

I certainly hope not.

[fifi]

My mother's (and father's) ghost has probably had a few laughs in the past few years. I do the stock thing and I agree that it is really very little real effort. I have even gotten to the point of preparing glace. But the wierdest thing I ever did was make Worchestershire sauce. I was burning off excess vacation during the Christmas holidays, the weather was gross and I was bored. While reading my favorite recipe book, I stumbled onto a recipe. Determined to try it, I started assembling ingredients. I had to go three places to find the fresh horseradish root. The whole thing was very involved. The house smelled like Lea & Perrins (not really a bad thing) and it really was good. Would I do it again... probably not. But it was fun.

Hmmm... How do you make mustard?