Food Blog: Cusina

[Cusina]

Oooooo, I almost forgot to tell you all this great thing!

Went to a closeout store today and found a beautiful red le creuset 10" cast iron skillet for $40. Woo hoo! Nothing like a good bargain I tell you. Can't wait to use it.

Edited November 19, 2003 by Cusina (log)

[misgabi]

Cusina,

this blog is fantastic. I am particularly enjoying the way you combine your grandmother's recipes and stories with what you are doing now with your kids. I hope the stock turns out well - once you have tried homemade you will never go back (I think it's the discovery that it really is easy and tastes sooo much better).

How warm does it get there in summer?

And now for the really stupid question (hangs head in shame) the shells you mentioned that you stuffed - are they just large pasta shells (like cannelloni?) or do I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about??

Keep up the great job. (Love the pictures too - can you do some more of the food you cook??)

[srhcb]

Our menus are almost completely different summer to winter. 

As far as making it through the cold it's not that bad really, but I'm used to it. 

I think someone, maybe Tolliver, asked if I do a garden. 

I'm enjoying this Thread from even further up North.

I had just recently noticed that my menus were rather seasonal too. Just last week, while talking with my butcher, I decided it was time to make Pot Roast again. I guess the corollary sign in Spring would be the first appearance of my macaroni and tuna salad?

Up here on Minnesota's Iron Range our Winter generally starts two to three weeks earlier than it does in Southern Wisconsin, and last two to three weeks longer besides. Although today it's sunny with a near record setting temp of 50 degrees, November first it was -11, and we've already had 13" of snow! Probably the anticipation of Winter, (or is it prolonged sorrow over the ending of Summer), is worse than the actual fact. Like you say, you get use to it, and the cold weather is condusive to more cooking, and especially baking.

I have a large garden outside my shop which will be celebrating its 100th planting in a couple of years. This season we got it in late, and most of the tomatos didn't ripen on the vine, but because of some unusually mild fall weather I was able to pick lettuce until October!

THANX, SB

[GG Mora]

Probably the anticipation of Winter, (or is it prolonged sorrow over the ending of Summer), is worse than the actual fact.  Like you say, you get use to it, and the cold weather is condusive to more cooking, and especially baking.

Hmmm. I'd say the worst part is when mid-April rolls around and it's still snowing and cold and relentlessly grey. I actually look forward to the onset of winter; I'm always grateful for the first deep, dry snows. Though putting the garden to bed is a melancholy affair.

I'm in the mountains of south-central Vermont, which I'm sure doesn't get as cold as northern Minnesota and is probably a bit more temperate than southern Wisconsin. But it still gets pretty fucking cold. Last year was record-breaking, and this year looks to be the same or colder (as long as we gets the snow, I won't complain).

So I concur about the seasonality of one's menus. Summers here feature a whole lotta grilled animal flesh and fresh garden greens, and oftentimes dinner is a big composed salad. And lots of beer. When the cold weather hits, I tend to spend my Sundays making vats of soups, stews and chili to freeze for midweek feeds. Otherwise, weeknight dinners are things like roasted chicken or pork, meatloaf, the occasional risotto. Weekends bring on the serious braising, or the roasting of massive lamb legs, or the time-consuming one-offs like cassoulet and choucroute. And red wine (but more lots of beer is welcome, too).

[tsquare]

I live downtown in a medium sized city with a population just under 100,000.  Land isn't terribly expensive so the cost of living is pretty low.  Your average 3 bedroom ranch house here is about $125,000 new and you can get a perfectly nice "used" place for $80,000.  Or on the other end of the scale, you can buy the 12,000 sq. ft. riverfront manor (about circa 1925) that is accross the way from us for 1.8 million. 

Just read the whole thread and it was better than working. Oh, I mean, it was better than leaving early, which is what I was thinking of doing. Thanks for the background info.

Your kitchen looks so nice - cabinets, floors, countertop, appliances...boy do those house prices sound good - around here you can't hardly find a ranch style - a 3 bedroom will probably be 2 up and one on the main floor - and it'll cost you at least $399,000 - and need work! 12,000 sf on the water - well, that's Bill Gates guesthouse...me, I've got 750 sf of house on 2,650 sf of lot - but I garden and have a walk-in pantry, so I think it's swell. It tried to snow today - and I'm going home to roast a chicken and make stock. A good excuse to warm up the kitchen.

[Cusina]

GG Mora, you are SO right about April. Definitely the hardest month to be a northerner. Just want the cold to be OVER by then. I am looking foward to your blog next week, especially after reading your entry to the literary smackdown fantasy grocery list. Brilliantly funny! Everyone else go read it if you haven't yet.

Misgabi, it gets pretty warm here too. At least one week during the summer it is in the 90s. July and August are usually in the 80s, at least. June and September are gorgeous. If you ever plan to travel in this part of the world, come then and let me know, we'll have a drink!

I'm glad you are enjoying the thread so far, it has been fun to write. Brain dump is sometimes theraputic. This has actually been a good week for me to do this as we all kind of have lingering colds and I've been cooped up inside and cooking alot.

Tonight, however, I dropped the ball. I was eagerly planning to make the Peppin Souffle but no. A close friend with a new baby (11 weeks) called tonight to vent and I felt like I had to really listen to him rather than multi-task through the conversation like I usually do. Tough transition, it's their first and that new responsibility hits home fast. Between that and 1st grade homework the souffle just didn't happen. The stock came out beautifully though. Thanks again for the inspiration! You all were so right that it is easy and delicious. I had chicken orzo soup for dinner with fresh broth and the rest of the garlic italian loaf from last night. Very satisfying. I have four dozen chicken cubes freezing their little hearts out in my basement freezer. Yay.

You know, I have been completely ignoring beverages thus far. Gasp. I'm sorry. I am a milk drinker, at least a glass a day, and a fair amount of water and tea too. I don't drink much coffee. I enjoy it when I do, but usually in some sort of $4 lattemochafrappacrappa creation. Wussy, I know, I know, but a girl has to have some faults. Wisconsin is a very wet state; alcohol, especially beer is a big part of the culture here. Our main street has some serious bars on it, and some of them are "family" places. We definitely partake and though I don't personally drink much beer outside of sporting events it is often served with meals here. Some families will go so far as to have a quarter barrel tapped at all times and have the whole bar setup in the basement (not us!). We drink wine with dinner and usually have a cocktail or another glass of wine as a nightcap. My husband makes very good martinis of all sorts on the weekends. That main street full of bars is within walking distance to our house too, which is fun and/or dangerous, depending on the night.

Come to think of it my cocktail habits change quite a bit with the season too. In the summer I'm all about vodka/gin and tonic. In the winter I like whiskey. Even a scotch if I'm really cold. Nothing like scotch to put a little glow in your cheeks and make you happy. I read somewhere that scotch gives a quicker buzz than most alcohols. Something about the way you drink it? Not sure but I like it.

I have some more pictures, I'll post them soon.

~Cusina

[Cusina]

O.k. as requested, more pictures.

These first two are of the chicken I roasted yesterday, ready for the oven.

In this one he's got one wing out, waving to you all. A chicken howdy.

Here are my shells, leftovers at this point. They are just large pasta shell shapes stuffed with cheese and spinach and covered in marinara. I left the fork in the picture for scale.

Boy, I'm not going to be a food photographer any time soon. Those dishes both really did look much more appetizing than that. How do they get stuff to look so good in the food porn?

And finally, this is my favorite feature in the kitchen (aside from my dacor... which I LOVE). It's a lighted crystal cherry. A must have for the modern dilettante (did I spell that right yet?).

Enjoy your evening, more tomorrow, ready or not.

~Cusina

Edited November 20, 2003 by Cusina (log)

[misgabi]

Yum, martinis!

Glad the stock worked well, are you itching to try other types yet??

Will certainly take you up on that drink if I ever get to your part of the world - thanks

[ronnie_suburban]

Cusina,

I love your writing. I feel like I can almost hear your voice when I read your posts. Thanks for the wonderful blog.

=R=

[Cusina]

Thank you very much Ronnie, that is a great compliment. I sort of think and type at the same speed thanks to a year or so of hellacious secretarial work right out of school while looking for something better. I just finished reading several of the early blogs from this tag series. Wow. I'm in good company here. Maggie, yours was amazing. That Hungarian veal stew sounded wonderful. I'm going to give it a try soon. Can't believe you did the whole darn thing in iambic pentameter! Good thing oranges were out of season.

I'm glad I didn't read those until after a few days of doing this one. I'd have been very intimidated, especially by Nero's. That cute little girl could drink me under the table in a heartbeat!

Speaking of oranges and getting plowed... here is Mr. Cusina's favorite shaker filler.

He calls it the Maiden. I have no idea why. I'll have to ask him when he gets home. On the other hand, maybe I don't want to know.

ice 2 martini glasses, fill the shaker with ice then add

2 parts excellent citrus vodka

1 part contreau

roll a clementine around on the counter to loosen the juices, peel, slice in half crosswise and toss into the shaker. Shake vigorously untill it's so damn cold you can't hang onto it any longer.

Pour into glasses and eat the clementine sections as a snack.

Delicious and effective. G'night!

[jhlurie]

Cusina, from what I understand, the key to food photography is to apply TOO MUCH LIGHT. Just bathe the thing in lots of even overhead light. Maybe a little more than seems comfortable for normal viewing.

Also, if its a digital camera, apparently either keeping it stiller than humanly possible or having a camera which can take tons of exposures in a row from which you pick the best.

[snowangel]

GG Mora, you are SO right about April. Definitely the hardest month to be a northerner. Just want the cold to be OVER by then.

As T. S. Eliot said:

April is the cruellest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain

It is the month during which I spring out of bed at first days light, brewing coffee, and heading outside in bare feet (sure test of weather) to see what, if anything is springing from the ground.

Beverages. Across the river in Minnesota, spring and summer are about white liquor, fall and winter about the browns.

So much of what you talk is so familiar, fellow northerner, at home with kids. Keep them in the kitchen. Keep them going. It is paying off with Diana (now 13). You mentioned earlier about toleratiing winter. Do you and/or spouse ice fish? I'm sure this subject will garner many chuckles, but bundled appropriately, on a warm winter day (30 would be warm in January), ice fishing -- a chance to be outside, without a roof over one's head, can be heaven, and good fish for frying.

Beer here, too, in MN. Brats, too. But, given that the Twin Cities are so much larger, we do have easier access to coops, organic foods, Whole Foods-type places without the Whole Paycheck aspect.

Keep it coming!

[Cusina]

I want to stop and thank Jon for holding my hand through some of the technical parts of this blog, eGullet rocks! They have been really responsive and helpful in answering my very haphazard questions. Danke!

[Cusina]

So, today, my son and I will be OUTSIDE because it's beautiful. After all that gloomy talk of winter today is sunny, 50ish, no wind. Yehaw! We also will try to make some applesauce, maybe even a pie if there is time. I'm itching to try Grandma's recipe again.

Tonight is my book group. Total girl thing, 25 women who need an excuse to get together and drink wine and laugh every 6 weeks. Reading the same book and discussing it seems like a good one. There is always interesting conversation. This group varies in age from 20 to 80 and has all kinds of perspectives in it. Some very eloquent people, and some not so much, but it's fun and there is dessert! I'll probably do a pan of bars if I don't have time to make a pie. This month the book was pretty bad, I'll spare you the description. I usually have 4 or 5 books open at once. Two or three of those are food oriented. My non-food book right now is "Life with Picasso" by Francoise Gilot. Very interesting. The author is the mother of Claude and Paloma. It is an extremely good story: intrigue and philosophy and lust plus some beautiful scenery.

Snowangel, I have never been a fisherwoman, though I definitely see the appeal. I love fresh lake fish. Maybe someday... It's great to hear from you though, neighbor. The twin cities are a great place to be. My husband's uncle and family live there and we see them fairly often. He loves to fish too and is always offering lessons. I'll have to take him up on it.

[Cusina]

Great morning here. Son and I went to the park, enjoyed the sunshine and went back to the candy store to pick up some things for his birthday party that I should have remembered yesterday. The samples today were white chocolate dipped pretzels, good but nothing that curls my toes. We ended up with great looking popcorn balls, malted milk balls and a bar of 70% cocoa dark chocolate for me. Whoo boy. Love it. It's Spanish and I'm not certain I've ever had chocolate from Spain before.

At lunchtime I had the deep need to try out my new pan.

I was in a veggie state of mind, so after finishing my son's grilled cheese

I threw in some veggies. Zucchini, baby bellas, cherry tomatoes (which looked better than they tasted, unfortunately), red onion, lemon pepper and salt. Finished it off with some grated caraway cheddar. Pretty darn tasty. Had it with some cottage cheese and ice water and some chocolate.

I love my new pan! Now want more of the things of course, in different sizes, maybe a dutch oven. Dang materialism.

[Squeat Mungry]

I  usually have 4 or 5 books open at once.  Two or three of those are food oriented.  My non-food book right now is "Life with Picasso" by Francoise Gilot.  Very interesting.  The author is the mother of Claude and Paloma.  It is an extremely good story: intrigue and philosophy and lust plus some beautiful scenery. 

Oh, oh, oh!! Books and food, food and books -- my two favorite things!

What proportion of the books that you own are food-related... about the same 2-3:5? My apartment has a former Murphy-bed closet that I've converted into a tiny "library" by lining the walls with bookshelves -- I'd estimate about 1,700 volumes. But I've only been acquiring food books fairly recently, so maybe a tenth are food-related, most of which live in the kitchen. (Come to think of it not even that many, I think I reported 125 or so to the "How Many Do You Own?" thread.)

Glad you're enjoying your Le Creuset pan! I've got a small (3.5 qt) Dutch Oven I absolutely love.

Great blog -- love the pics! Hope your weather holds up.

Cheers,

Squeat

Edited to ask: Do you use your public library? What's its food section like?

Edited November 20, 2003 by Squeat Mungry (log)

[fifi]

Oh, DO get the dutch oven (oops, I mean French oven in Creuset-speak). I have the normal size oval one for most uses and I got a really big round one for double batches of gumbo, braising big pieces of meat and such. I do a lot of braised dishes, stews and such and they are so good at doing the browning on the top of the stove then into the oven for the long haul.

I got a hugely good deal on the big round one. I went searching for that web site for you but it seems to be defunct. My latest individual sized gratins came from the outlet place in San Marcos, TX. A good friend called me from there and was kind enough to pick them up for me. You might check to see if there is an outlet anywhere near you. They typically have incredible deals after the holidays. That could make for a fun road trip!

My latest LeCreuset pieces are the gratins, the cast iron, not the pottery. The potato dauphinois recipe by Jeffery Steingarten (In It Must Have Been Something I Ate) got me started on those. He is correct. Nothing develops a good crusty gratin like those pans. Now I gratin everything I can get my hands on. It sounds like your book club may enjoy Steingarten. I love his writing as it is informative and very, very funny.

[misgabi]

Morning Cusina,

I have the large Dutch Oven that I love using in winter here. I also seem to have the same pan as you and the ridged griddle one - I love my Le Creuset

Speaking of food related books (fiction that is) that you might enjoy I have just got my copy of The Food Taster by Peter Elbling - this was covered in a Q&A here The Food Taster

have only just started it but it is rather good.

Your lunch looked really nice and makes me wish it isn't breakfast time over here whilst I look at your pictures (although the grilled cheese sandwich would do - if only I wasn't at work!)

Keep the pictures coming (wish I'd thought of that for my blog )

[Cusina]

Squeat, I'm there with ya.

I, honestly, don't have too many cookbooks, maybe 30 or 40 including a few bartender's guides and the Hastings, Nebraska Methodist church cookbook. I culled through them recently and gave a bunch away as I had many I wasn't using and I thought they should go on to better homes. However, other books, we have a whole lot of them. The large back room of the first floor of our house is lined with bookshelves and big windows and is an excellent place to read (one of the reasons we fell for this house). My husband is an artist in his spare time and he finds a lot of inspiration in books, so many of them are art related, but we seem to have a little of everything.

My primary cookbook source is the library. They have a huge selection. Many of them are "diet" books, or recipes where the most challenging technique is opening cans, but there also is a good sized array of serious authors, especially in the global cuisine section. My favorites are those that have technique illustration, conversations about food and recipes. I take out one or two whenever I go. Every once in a great while I find one I feel I have to own and will purchase, but most of them aren't worthy. I just snag a tidbit or two and return them to the library.

Le Creuset - Fi, at the risk of sounding overly dramatic, I feel like I'm on the cusp of a great love affair. The closest outlet to me is about 3 hours away, but some nice day in January I'm so there. Plus, I'll be scoping out that discount store where I found my skillet much more often and adding a few pieces to my Amazon wish list. They really are amazing.

The pie turned out beautifully, I'll post pictures of our apple adventures tomorrow. Hope my book group enjoys it. I'll report on the dessert spread too. There are usually some pretty yummy things. We'll be having pancakes with homemade applesauce and omlettes for dinner tonight, quick and easy.

[memesuze]

You might not want to wait until January to hit your LeC outlet - the San Marcos one down here in Texas is starting its sale on the day after Thanksgiving - great deals

[Cusina]

Good Morning!

Today is my day of eating out. Lunch at a cafe, dinner at Red Robin. I love cooking, but a break from it won't kill me either.

I also need to get ready for the big birthday treasure hunt tomorrow. I've got lots of little gimcracks to hide and have found little plastic buckets with swirly metal handles for them to collect their goodies in. I think we have decided to do photos as clues, so I have to take them as well and get them printed up.

Book group was interesting last night. Everyone but me seemed to like the book. Ah the trials of being discriminating. The dessert table was a little lean this month too. I'm glad I brought the pie. There were some yummy 7 layer bars and a cheesecake that was pretty blah (not homemade, I think). The pie was tasty, though the crust was a bit fragile. Think I like my crust process better than Grandma's.

I'll come back soon and post the pictures.

~Cusina

[Squeat Mungry]

Cusina, thanks for talking about the books!

I love omelets, and have them for dinner all the time. What was in them?

Can't wait to see the pie!

Squeat

[Cusina]

Making the pie with my son was a good time. It was a great project for us to do together with rolling the dough and he gets a huge kick out of turning the apple gadget. This thing really does save me about an hour in pie making.

Here it is, ready for the top crust.

And the finished product.

Ta dah.

Lunch today was out at a cafe with a few girlfriends and their pre-schoolers. I had a chicken panini with cheese, pesto and bacon, some potato chips and a glass of milk. Very tasty. This place has great atmosphere and the conversation was fun so all in all a good time.

[bloviatrix]

The pie looks lovely.

[tejon]

Beautiful pie! That apple peeler does look like a lot of fun :-)