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Baby, it's cold outside

snowangel

By snowangel
in Cooking

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snowangel

snowangel

Posted
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It's our first subzero night of the season. It started out beautiful and sunny, about 30 (F). We are now down subzero and plummeting fast. I'm reminded tonight that we have many of those brittle nights to come. That season during which those lovely greens in the market can flash freeze in the trip from the market door to the car.

So, as Paul and I (the first really cold night in our first house), run around and make sure everything is buttoned up tight; listening to how often the furnace runs; run to garage to get shims, chisels, screwdrivers -- to tighten up the latches on the windows that just aren't right and are letting in too much cold air), I ponder, as I do at this time every year, just what does one do in the kitchen to keep body and soul warm? The sun hangs low during the day, 'tis the season when sunny days are harbinginers of cold, cold, cold.

I quick scurry through the deep freeze and freezer reveal a chuck roast and several bags of chicken bones.

So, tomorrow, is it stock or a braise?

So all is out, and I will make stock and braise tomorrow. Perhaps bake some cookies as well. Use up those last apples from the orchard and make a pie.

So, when it gets really cold, what do you cook? Cold makes me want to cook more than ever.

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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fifi

fifi

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Oh . . . I hear you. We have only had a few snaps down here but I am traveling to Chicago next Wednesday for Christmas at my son's place. We are thinking a lot about what to cook. We have been focusing on Christmas dinner but we have other days to consider. There are things we want to do so we may default to some of my braising recipes because we can set things so that the cooking time isn't critical. After all, the oven being on only adds needed heat to the house. But . . . what do we do about the veggies?

When I get back home, the time between Christmas and New Year's, I am committed to doing both beef and chicken stock. I am out of both. Hopefully, we will have a cold snap down here because my favorite thing to do is make stock when it is cold and rainy outside.

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

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lovebenton0

lovebenton0

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Well, cold is relative - we seldom get a sub-zero night here. :wink: Can I count about three in the last 25 years? :laugh: But when it's winter it's winter and the house and my body knows it. Love to spend these chilly days occupied in a warm and fragrant kitchen.

Definitely making stock, baking bread (with the oven on low for hours to keep the kitchen in a perfect temp range for the dough), braising meats and vegs. A big pot of lamb stew, spicy hot chili, gumbo, slow simmered soups, with some of that aromatic stock. Polenta or risotto, standing over the warm pot, stirring and anticipating the creamy rich goodness.

Winter is a very tactile food season to me, more time with hands on the food and process itself, as opposed to grilling or salads, quick curries or stirfry, etc., in the hot months here.

Judith Love

North of the 30th parallel

One woman very courteously approached me in a grocery store, saying, "Excuse me, but I must ask why you've brought your dog into the store." I told her that Grace is a service dog.... "Excuse me, but you told me that your dog is allowed in the store because she's a service dog. Is she Army or Navy?" Terry Thistlewaite

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bloviatrix

bloviatrix

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For whatever reason, I tend to go for braised short ribs on the coldest of cold nights. They just seem to make me the warmest.

"Some people see a sheet of seaweed and want to be wrapped in it. I want to see it around a piece of fish."-- William Grimes

"People are bastard-coated bastards, with bastard filling." - Dr. Cox on Scrubs

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Mabelline

Mabelline

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We are having just an obnoxious cold dry spell. It's 39* right now, with high wind advisories for this afternoon. But not one flake of snow. 50 miles from here, at Red Lodge, my inlaws are skiing in 18" of powder. Not fair! I like the cold much better with snow. But anyway, I slow-cooked carnitas yesterday, have a roasted chicken to pick clean, and am thawing out an antelope roast for tomorrow. There's supposed to be a possibility of snow tomorrow as a front moves in. I like stuff I can work on all day, with a lot of tactile involvement. Am also finishing up the Christmas cooking--down to corn relish now. I've been painting a bunch of ceramic ornaments and temporarily burned out on them.

The crockpot thread got me thinking about a steamed pudding, too. :smile:

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hathor

hathor

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UK. Cold - about freezing.

Boned, rolled stuffed shoulder of lamb, cooking for 7 hours at 60C - in the oven now. Stuffing is a seasonal sausagemeat with chestnuts and cranberries...

I"m really well behaved....and I can probably get to the UK in about 7 hours...please...don't make me beg.... :biggrin::rolleyes: You're cooking some of my favorite things!!

-Judith Klinger
World-Eats.org

Aroma Cucina's Cooking Simply: The Italian Way

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Marlene

Marlene

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It's -16C here with a wind chill factor making it feel like -29, and it's supposed to drop to -22 overnight. Mulled wine or hot buttered rum is coming to mind at the moment.

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

Mostly, I want people to be as happy eating my food as I am cooking it.

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Ovenfrenzy

Ovenfrenzy

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Overnight, we received our first significant snowfall(probably less than half an inch) and it is bitterly cold and windy. I made a batch of milk dough from Joy of Cooking for some pan rolls. I can't wait to take them from the oven and slather them with some butter!

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highchef

highchef

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I agree with the mayhawman...it's just gumbo weather here. clear, cool..perfect for making christmas treats, candies and gingerbread. I do like hot bowls of beef stew when it's cold out though, with hot french bread. This close to Christmas I'll just work on the goodies. Pralines anyone?

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Mayhaw Man

Mayhaw Man

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I am making pralines today, as a matter of fact. Lots of them, as they are much easier to do in a production line style. If I get happy enough I may even frustrate myself tonight by taking a shot at some divinity (divinity is not genetic, my paternal grandmother could make them in her sleep -she couldn't cook, but man could she make candy).

Crawfish boil late this afternoon, impromptu. Four families with people already in town and nothing else to do. Prices are really cheap for this time of year, and the size is not bad, so what the hell?

Went duck hunting this morning on a bluebird day. Total bust, duckwise, although we did catch 6 nice reds on the way in-so Monday night dinner is set. Grilled, skin on redfish. With a thin bbq type sauce. I love those things when they are cooked that way.

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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maggiethecat

maggiethecat

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It's eight degrees here, the wind shrieking through the ill-fitting cheapo doors and windows that came with our cheapo early 80s house. I can crank up the thermostat to ninety, and it's still impossible to get the temperature much over sixty-eight.

So I took stock of my freezer and avaiable supplies: looks like a pork stew braised in stock and dry hard cider is on the menu for tonight. That's after we venture forth to buy a tree, get it decorated, attach it with guy wires to the curtain hardware and take bets on how soon a preadolescent tomcat will bring down the shimmering Yuletide totem.

I might slip a pan of biscuits into the oven between batches of Christmas cookies.

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

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highchef

highchef

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I am making pralines today, as a matter of fact. Lots of them, as they are much easier to do in a production line style. If I get happy enough I may even frustrate myself tonight by taking a shot at some divinity (divinity is not genetic, my paternal grandmother could make them in her sleep -she couldn't cook, but man could she make candy).

Crawfish boil late this afternoon, impromptu. Four families with people already in town and nothing else to do. Prices are really cheap for this time of year, and the size is not bad, so what the hell?

Went duck hunting this morning on a bluebird day. Total bust, duckwise, although we did catch 6 nice reds on the way in-so Monday night dinner is set. Grilled, skin on redfish. With a thin bbq type sauce. I love those things when they are cooked that way.

Looks like you've had a good day! Only in Louisiana....

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Mabelline

Mabelline

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Nah, it's not that so much as folks not into what you are gifting them with. If I show up with Ferrero Rocher they go Whoopee but they don't know what making pralines mean. And I ain't a teacher...I just ate the extras with DH. Thank the Great Spirits he's a Southerner in his soul.

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woodburner

woodburner

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Still in the mid 30's here in Upstate NY. But that cold is headed this way.

This afternoon I put together some:

Stuffies,

Chopped Quahog clams, stuffed with freshly toasted croutons, andouille sausage, onions, red peppers, freshly snipped parsley to garnish.

After mixing the stuffing and moistening the croutons with the clam liquid, stuff it all back into the quahog shell, and bake it for about 30 minutes.

Should make a good side for our grilled ribeye's this evening.

woodburner

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Mabelline

Mabelline

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Dang, those sound good. I bet some of my elk and pork chorizo would work, too. There is an advantage to highline. I would never have had an antelope. And that's truly a divine food.

For anyone who has never tried or had the opportunity to eat antelope; I pity youall. It is the best wild, free meat I have ever had. The texture and the delicacy of the the offering is UN believable. If you ever come across it, eat it. You will agree, some day.

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polack

polack

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Well over the weekend the smoked kielbasi came out of the smoker and the fresh was made also. Now for supper we're going to have a turkey breast, Irish potato stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beens, corn, sour cream and cukes with scallions, red beets, fresh baked sourdough bread, and of course a couple rings of the smoked kielbasi, have to try it. Tomorrow will be in the teens so I can imagine a pot of soup of some sorts, to start it off.

Polack

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Susan G

Susan G

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We had a cold snap two weeks ago in the high mesa here: I was making rolls, beef bourgignon, and molasses cookies. The heat from the oven was comforting............you know the house is too cold when the cats shun your company in the kitchen in favor of the comforters on the bed!

I'm a canning clean freak because there's no sorry large enough to cover the, "Oops! I gave you botulism" regrets.

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Dana

Dana

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Made a King Ranch Casserole tonight, but it's only about 42 degrees, so not nearly as cold as most places on Dec. 19. It sure hit the spot, though. I'm with MM and highchef. If it's below 0, it's time to move!!!

Mabelline - antelope is great. Have you had a chance to try elk? It's great as well.

Stop Family Violence

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