New parents' meals (Hospitality EVENTuality)

Baby Em arrived on Saturday, September 19!

We got "the call" that my daughter was in labor the night before.  Being all about the food, I packed a memory stick with computer recipes and headed up I-95 early the next morning. Happy mother and father.  Beautiful "baby girl."  Me?  I was thrilled and relieved.  The next day, my all-about-the-food obsession kicked in.  I began eagerly planning the new family's first meals.  Eventually, another voice emerged: Why was I so worried about food at a time like this? Where was my foci on family, sharing, gratitude, and celebration? For guidance, I turned to literature, asking myself what the Great Books had taught me about food and family.

Literature offers us a plethora of notoriously bad parents. Is it a coincidence that most of these bad parents don't personally feed their children?  Maybe if they had, their families would have prospered.  One can only wonder if...

• ...the creature and Dr. Frankenstein would have become father-son owners of a tall men’s apparel store.

• ...Emma and Bertha Bovary would have played piano duets.

• ...Orestes and Clytemnestra would have buried the hatchet.

• ...Medea and her children would have joy-rided in the sun chariot.

• ...Mr. _____would have avoided Celie’s curse and eaten more than his own words.

• ...Daisy Buchanan and her child would have taken driving lessons together.

• ...Gulliver would have preferred dining with his family rather than the horses.
• ...King Lear would have been lying on the heath digesting his daughters’ holiday meal.

On the other hand, literature affords us examples of good parents who cook for their families and prosper.

• There's Mrs. Ramsay and her boeuf en daube. Well, she didn't actually cook it; but she did preside over the meal. OK, her children didn't actually attend the meal. But still, they saw their mother conducting a classy soiree, exuding hospitality. 

• In the Odyssey, Penelope feeds her infants. Sure, thereafter she hands them over to the nursemaid.  And, true, we may not know if she's a wonderful mother. But we do know that she's the paragon of a faithful wife. That's close.
• The women in Lysistrata feed their children while successfully controlling the money and sex.  Many a woman's dream.
• As we watch Ántonia Shimerda in the kitchen baking for her growing family, we have forgotten her days as an unwed mother.

(I can't decide how to categorize Augustine's mother because there seems to be no record of Monica's culinary dis/inclinations. Regardless, trailing your adult son from one country to another and hounding him to convert is just nuts.)

With the Great Books empowering my meliorism* vis-à-vis cooking for your family, I planned 4 dinners according to two criteria:
1.  new parents need to eat healthy and often, quick meals; and
2.  new parents need simple meals to accommodate their new responsibility and schedules. 

For the parents of newborn Em, I cooked the following during my visit.

Monday: We are joined by the baby’s Aunt, making this dinner for 4.
Salad Nicoise
I forgot to take a picture of this. So as Sophia Petrillo (The Golden Girls) begins every story, "Picture this"...a platter spread with...

1. slices of cooked tuna (Sear each side of the tuna medallions or tuna steaks. Their inside should be rare.)
2. small bowl of Kalamata olives
3. parboiled potato chunks
4. tomato wedges
5. hardboiled egg quarters
6. cooked green beans—still crisp
7. red onion slices
8. sliced carrots (These are not traditional for this dish but add color.)
Nobody wanted anchovies. And we didn't have them, anyway.

Serve with a Dijon vinaigrette:
2 tbls. lemon juice
1 tbl. Dijon mustard
less than 1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Each plate started with a pile of mixed greens. Everyone added from the platter and drizzled vinaigrette over. Another way to go is to mix the greens and the vinaigrette in a bowl, serving alongside the platter.

Tuesday:
Adapted from Ina Garten's Roasted Shrimp and Orzo.
This is what I found leftover in the frig after I realized that I forgot to take a dinner picture. One lonely shrimp.

You can omit the parsley but not the dill. Instead of the feta, I used bleu cheese--for extra punch. This tastes even better the next day and the next. My son-in-law loved this. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-shrimp-and-orzo-recipe/index.html

Corn and the Cob

Wednesday:
Blueberry Pork Chops:
You'd be surprised how subtle this dish tastes. Plus, there's the wow factor of pork chops and blueberries except for those who've eaten the Florentine beef version. Finally, blueberries are anti-oxidants. I adapted this from Rachael Ray's for Pan-Fried Pork with Blueberries: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-index/dinner-recipes/Pan-Fried-Pork-with-Blueberries

2 pork chops  If thick, a new parent has to watch the stove less often.
salt & pepper
flour to dredge
1 tbls. olive oil
½ onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup blueberries
1 tbls. butter

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Coat with flour.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Shaking off any excess flour, add the pork chops and cook, turning once, until browned, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.

Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and blueberries. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and return the pork chops and any juices to the skillet.

Serve with sauce over pork chops.

Swap it: Use chicken cutlets instead of pork chops. Or use with leftover pork tenderloin.

Dutch Oven Potatoes:
The key is the butter, oil, and spray combo: Add as little butter as possible for health purposes but enough to add flavor. Use only enough olive oil to give a coating of the entire bottom. To prevent sticking, the vegetable spray should be liberally applied.

Additionally, even though this is a simple recipe, it demands a close eye. So for new parents, I recommend the lowest setting to allow for distractions and prevent burning.

Clean, dry, and vegetable spray small white or red potatoes.  Season with ground pepper and sea salt. Add to Dutch Oven.  Shake to coat. Cook on stovetop, med. low or low, depending on the potatoes' size. Shake often.

It's done when fork-poked soft—about 30 minutes if small or 1 hour if large. Again, the lower the temperature, the less you have to keep watching and shaking them.

Originally, they were packed tight. Here's what the pan looked like with the leftover oil/butter and thyme.

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Thyme: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brussels-Sprouts-with-Bacon-and-Thyme-105615

Thursday: The baby's aunt joined us again, making it dinner for 4.
Spinach Salad
I didn't use eggs. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/spinach-salad-with-warm-bacon-dressing-recipe/index.html

Pizza:
Spread out Pillsbury pizza roll on a cookie sheet sprayed with vegetable oil.
Smear tomato sauce all over.  Sprinkle with...

• cooked mix of Italian sausage and ground chicken
• caramelized onions
• roasted red peppers (You could use a jar of them.)
• mushrooms

Top with low-fat grated cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.

Bake at 450 for 15 mins. or so. These are the leftovers…

*Meliorism: belief that the world tends to improve and that humans can aid its betterment [from Merriam-Webster online]

tribute to Theresa Pirron: 1905-2009 (Hospitality Congeniality)

Theresa Pirron, 104, of Northbrook, July 14, 2009. Beloved wife of the late Karl; Loving mother of Pauline "Polly" (Andrew) Jerch; Proud grandmother of Rick (Janie) and Don (Janet) Jerch; Fond "Oma" of Susan (Andy) Shuckra, Kirsten Jerch, Megan (Ned)Irons, Cory, Michael and Rhiannon Jerch. Memorial Mass Saturday, August 1, 2009 at 10 am at St. Norbert Church , 1809 Walters Ave. Northbrook. Interment St. Joseph Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to The Northfield Food Pantry, 3801 W. Lake Ave. Glenview, IL 60026 or please perform a random act of kindness for someone. posted on the N. H. Scott & Hanekamp funeral home's website.

After living a long and sanguine* life, Theresa Pirron left us on July 14, 2009. She was 104 years old. Many of her family remember her as a hostess and cook. To this day, I attribute my obsession with doling out leftovers for take-home meals to Oma who always offered Janie and me care packages. If I, as a young wife, wasn't always grateful, I should have been. There were other lessons I learned from her. With each meal, Oma had a knack for salvaging "discarded" food, which would soon contribute to another tasty meal. Oma illustrated how satisfying it is to cook for your family but also, how much work is involved. No fancy kitchen. No convenient appliances. Just patience, attention to details, and culinary basics. I remember her painstaking apple strudel, her slow-roasted pork roast, her savory liver dumplings, and many assorted other German dishes. I remember well her fried chicken. No matter how far South you journey, you just can't beat hers. I know that her family misses her. I miss her too. I can still picture her in her apron, smiling shyly, perspiring a bit, and sighing, "It's always something." Oma’s Fried Chicken…cooked by Theresa Pirron, told to and recorded by her grandson Don on 5/26/86 Preheat oven to 350. 1. liver—Defat chicken. Fry to get grease drippings. Fry onions, then livers. Brown each side approx. 5 mins.—not too much. 2. soup—Debone chicken. + neck; -back; +wing tips. Place in pan & simmer approx. 1-2 hours with onion, celery, and carrots. Strain broth. Save vegetables with broth. 3. fried chicken—Wash and separate [chicken pieces]. ____ fat piec? for ____liver fry _____.** Salt & pepper. Add 3 large scoops of Crisco to a large fry pan. Heat until it sizzles, using leg to test. Dredge pieces in flour, then dunk in egg + water, and then coat in bread crumbs. Fry until golden brown. Lay into baking dish or pan. To the pan, add 2-3 tbls “frying grease” + ¼ cup water. Season each piece with poultry seasoning and paprika. Cover chicken with lid or foil. Bake at 325 approx. 1 hr. **This is as accurate as I could get due to the paper being so faded and the assorted holes I’d punched in it for various notebooks over the years. Family members, if you have corrections, please let me know. *Sanguine: Cheerfully optimistic or confident; Having a healthy reddish color; Blood-red. [from Wordsmith]

freezer meals for innocent entertaining and Any Bitter Thing (Hospitality EVENTuality)

  Before I varoom to visit my oldest daughter when she labors and births, I'm freezing meals for my husband. Personal history indicates that each meal should serve two people--either for leftovers or a wholesome evening with a platonic friend. For example, say you're 21. Your parents are on a trip. You invite someone to dinner, say, a neighborhood priest. You both eat your mother's 2-person serving of thawed barbecue as you converse for hours in a non-date fashion. Because it is not a date. Because you are innocent of all such accusations. Because you are no hoyden.* Otherwise, would you have served such an innocent meal as your mom's chili? 

I'm reading Any Bitter Thing, which focuses on a priest and the confusion of innocence. Here are some good lines from the novel by Monica Wood:
"His life had become a badly sutured wound that occassionally seeped..." 284  [cf. Jude the Obscure]
"He discovered, also, that the human spirit is not built for endless despair.  He took up books again, found movie houses or art galleries to sustain him through the thing that appeared more and more to be his actual life." 282  [cf. Montaigne's essays on books and the solitary life]
"The opposite of God is not evil.  The opposite of God is absence." 161 [cf. Augustine and Marlowe's Faustus]
"His mission, in the words of the more progressive teachers at Grand Seminaire, was to help his parishioners 'find their own priesthood.'" 125-126  [cf. Luther's "Priesthood of the Believer"]

Back to the project of freezing meals for my husband while I'm away being a new grandmother...

I know that when you freeze your concoction, it is obvious what you've created. But it won't be so apparent later. You'd be surprised how much last week's frozen wedding soup looks like last month's frozen beef stew. So right now, pledge that you shall label all of your freezer meals. I swear to you that this will save you embarrassment. My mom still tells the story of freezing meals for my dad in individual containers (no chance that he was entertaining); then, traveling around Europe with her girlfriends; and arriving finally, at her London hotel with a message from her husband. Beaming--because she was the only wife to hear from her hubby--she devoured his missive:

"Virginia, How the hell can you tell the difference between the frozen spaghetti sauce, the frozen chili, and the frozen barbecue? Edward" I wonder what my mom told her girlfriends was in his "love letter." I wonder why my dad would go to all that trouble--sending an international letter--to inform her about proper frozen food container labeling. I guess, he was just a romantic. My dad.

I've composed a list of some of my tastiest, easiest, and freezeryest meals.

chicken and rice casserole. This is nice because it has veggies with the chicken and rice. You could freeze it before cooking. But I cook it first, then freeze, thaw, and warm. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chicken-and-rice-casserole-recipe2/index.html

meatloaf patties. I spray a fry pan and spray the pattieson both sides. Then, I fry, bake (350) until they're done, and freeze. After they're thawed, I just warm in microwave. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/meatloaf-patties-smashed-potatoes-and-pan-gravy-recipe/index.html

White chicken chili. Rick just loves this. I load this with beans. You can moderate the density (for a soupier dish) with the amount of broth and half and half. This time, I accidentally added beef--instead of chicken--broth. It was great. from Gourmet Feb., 1996: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/White-Chicken-Chili-11452

Morgan's veggie patties. These are awesome. If you're watching your cholesterol and struggle to eat lunch without deli, this is a great substitute. I always serve this to my vegan/vegitarian friends, and they're always surprised at the flavor. from Guy Fieri: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/morgans-veggie-patties-recipe/index.html

Quick sasauge meatballs. You make these whatever size you like. You can serve them in a sandwich or with pasta. The meat-mix is what makes it interesting. After cooking, partially freeze in a Ziploc bag, separating each and resting the bag on a pan. After an hour or two, remove from pan and continue to freeze in bag. This way, they don't stick together and you can thaw the exact amount you want. from Jamie Oliver: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-oliver/quick-sausage-meatballs-with-a-tomato-and-basil-sauce-spaghetti-and-sweet-raw-peas-recipe/index.html

pulled pork for sandwiches. Whether you like Eastern NC, Western NC, or Texas barbecue, the ginger ale in this recipe unites all dissenters. Don't be deterred by the "pulled" concept. If you can fork-poke a pork roast and watch it crumble, you can "pull" this apart. Don't stress about the rub either. You can buy a pork rub. Even though this recipe looks long, it's just... rub pork, deposit on top of onions, deposit onions on top, pour ginger ale, slow-cook, drain & "pull," and add barbecue sauce. Truthfully, I sear all sides with the rub on before I put it in the crock pot. But I don't know if that actually matters. I'm just a searer.

Adapted from www.recipezaar.com/Pulled-Pork-Crock-Pot-131018
Rub (see below)
4 lbs pork roast (shoulder or butt)
2 large onions
1 cup ginger ale
1 (18 ounce) bottle favorite barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's.)
barbecue sauce, for serving (optional)
Slice one onion and place in crock pot. Put in the roast and cover with the other onion, sliced. Pour over the ginger ale. Cover and cook on LOW for about 8 hours (depending on your crock pot). Remove the meat, strain and save the onions, discard all liquid. With two forks, shred the meat, discarding any remaining fat, bones or skin. (I use a pastry cutter.) Most of the fat will have melted away. Return the shredded meat and the onions to the crock pot, stir in the barbecue sauce. Continue to cook for another 3-4 hours on LOW. Serve with hamburger buns or rolls and additional barbecue sauce. Any leftovers freeze very well. This is better the next day. You can freeze this. Note: Shoulder or butt are recommended because the meat shreds very well while other cuts don’t. It is a fattier cut, but the fat melts away in the cooking and is poured away when you discard the liquid.

RUB #1: 3 tbl. coarsely ground black pepper 3 tbl. packed dark brown sugar 3 tbl. paprika (I use something like this, doubling or tripling it, depending on the size of the pork butt.) 2 tbl. coarse salt 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

RUB #2: Irvine Smokey Rotisserie Blend Seasoning

RUB #3: Grill Mates Pork Rub

RUB #4 (I use something like this, doubling or tripling it, depending on the size of the pork butt.) 2 tbs. paprika 1 tbs. brown sugar 1 tbs. chili powder 1 tbs. cumin 1 tbs. granulated sugar 2 tsp. kosher salt 1.5 tsp black pepper Pinch cayenne

RUB #5: ½ tsp. paprika ¼ tsp. pepper ¼ tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. garlic powder Variations some people include...mustard powder, chili powder, cumin, cloves or nutmeg, chipotle chile, smoked paprika

mac 'n cheese Either you're a mac 'n cheese fan or you're not. Rick is not. I am. I am such a fan that I was determined that I could find a recipe that would freeze well so that I'd always have a mac 'n cheese fix available. from Alex Guarnaschelli: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/macaroni-and-cheese-recipe6/index.html

my mom's chili: My mom is not wild about spicy food. So if you're looking for a mild, beef chili recipe, this is a good one. It freezes well.
1 ½ # ground beef 1 can tomato soup ½ green pepper cut fine 2 cans kidney beans (rinsed) 1 lg. onion 1 ½ c. canned tomatoes 1 clove garlic salt & pepper

Place 1 ½ tbls. shortening and ground beef in large kettle. Cook about 20 mins. slowly. Add green pepper, onions, pepper, & salt with ½ clove finely chopped garlic. Add canned tomatoes. Cook for 20 mins. Then add tomato soup & cook a little longer. Add kidney beans & heat through.

Mexican tortilla chicken soup. Make this as the base. Then serve with a medley of options on top--or all of them. You can easily improvise with this recipe, even thicken it if you like. from Tyler Florence: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/mexican-tortilla-chicken-soup-recipe/index.html Stay tuned for my mom's chicken tetrazzini recipe... (Judy's personal request)

*Hoyden: a girl or woman of saucy, boisterous, or carefree behavior [from Wordsmith]

NYC seafood restaurant tip from the US Open (Hospitality EVENTuality)

My husband just handed me a slip of paper. I couldn't read his writing, so he had to decipher it. But before he explained what he'd written, he divulged why he had recorded the information. Beaming, he proclaimed that he'd received a hot NYC seafood restaurant tip from "some foodie critic kind of person" at the US Open. Because she mentioned two restaurants that we had recently researched and visited--Les Halles...

and L'Ecole--he bestowed his culinary imprimatur on her.

In good faith, I pass along her/his tip:

For seafood that is deelish (but definitely, très cher), boost the economy at Eric Ripert's Le Bernardin. [sidebar: I don't know if he owns the restaurant or he's "just" the Executive Chef.] Check out the prixe fix ($68) lunch menu at www.le-bernardin.com.*

After receiving this insider US Open NYC seafood restaurant tip, we have pledged to indulge our palates there during our next visit to NYC.** I picture us as a middle-aged version of Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay--my marital heroes. After all, it won't be long until we are officially a Darby and Jane couple.***

*On our last flight back from NYC, I saw a Delta Airlines shopping magazine's advertisement for a little bank that tabulates your total as you deposit your change. At the time, I was tempted to spend about $30 on it. Now, I figure that I could save that $30 and come up with some equally clever way to save $38 more for my Le Bernardin lunch. I honestly don't know how my husband plans to fund his meal.

**Jude Law is playing Hamlet, starting Sept. 12 until Dec. 6, at the Broadhurst Theater. It doesn't get better than this.

***Darby and Joan: devoted old couple leading a quiet, uneventful life [from Wordsmith]

what to cook after a culinary delights vacation...my Mom's Swiss Steak (Hospitality EVENTuality)

     I'm humbled (rather than inspired) by my recent culinary experiences in NYC: dim sum, molecular gastronomy, Asian fusion, wine pairings with French cuisine, and Governor's Island sangrias. [sidebar: Omit that last reference. Aside from the strawberries swimming in bad wine all (80 degrees plus) day, there's nothing "sangria" about them. I generously passed mine off to my son, great mom that I am.]

Postponing my anticipated shame of cooking post-NYC, I proposed that my husband and I eat out at a Durham, NC restaurant that we had to cancel on recently. I quickly saw prime rib swimming in au jus in my future. But he kyboshed the idea, just wanting to get home. So we drove back to "the 'Ville" and I was faced with the pro forma* preparing of dinner after memories of popcorn pudding, carmelized brioche, and passion fruit. (Go to WD-50!) 

Surveying the freezer contents, I selected a sirloin steak and asked my husband what I should make. He immediately replied, "your mom's Swiss steak."

MY MOM’S SWISS STEAK…Spray pan and heat oil. Sauté onion slices. Add floured and seasoned sirloin to the caramelized onions. Sear one side, then other. Pour in a can of tomato soup and simmer a bit. Serve with mashed potatoes doused** in tomato soup sauce.  This isn't my photo, but it looks so close...

Not as good as Mom's but a perfect departure from my NYC culinary carousel. 

In The Other Side of the Bridge  by Mary Lawson, there's a touchstone character, Pete Corbiere, who defends his high school graduation choice to stay in his hometown and rejects traveling as a means to self-actualize:  "I don't know how else to put it, man, except to say that everything I care about is here.  Everything that matters to me is right...here." 274  "But I know what's important to me.  And I know I don't have to go anywhere else to find it." 275.  I often feel that way when I return from a trip.  "There's no place like home.  There's no place like home.  There's no..."

*Proforma: made or carried out in a perfunctory manner or as a formality [wordsmith]

** My spell check gave me “douched” as a correction option for my original misspelling. I don’t recommend this alternative.