Category Archives: General
Liquid Gold
I’m the kind of person who saves all kinds of scraps in the freezer. It might seem crazy, but, at the same time, I think of these scraps as treasures. I once read somewhere that the Eskimos teach that if you are going to eat meat, it is respectful to use all of the animal’s parts, and I’ve taken that to heart.
Mostly, I save bones, particularly chicken bones. When I roast a chicken, I save the neck and the carcass. When I bone pieces of chicken, I save the bones. All these jewels get stowed in the freezer, and when enough are saved up, it’s time to make stock. The only thing about stock is the time it takes. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be a challenge to find the right block of time to make it happen.
Then, I came across the idea of making chicken stock in the slow cooker. All the usually aromatics get added to the pot along with the bones, and it does its thing overnight, while I sleep. The slow cooker cooks low and slow, and I don’t have to be nervous and babysit the gas flame on the stovetop. Perfect!
I love the convenience of the aseptic boxes of chicken broth, which I buy in quantity at Costco. But when the soup is brothy, there’s nothing like using homemade stock and letting the flavor shine.
I’d been craving a bean soup with pancetta. I made stock while I was sleeping, and then put together a hearty pot of soup in the morning to be ready in time for lunch. The soup was chock full of vegetables and beans, and really hit the spot.
I also tried my hand at this recipe for Rosemary Focaccia. I enjoy making homemade bread, but can never seem to get the timing to mesh with my schedule. It was a weekend, so I was able to make it work. Plus, focaccia doesn’t involve quite as much rising and waiting as loaves of bread.
What a perfect weekend lunch!
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Adapted from Joanne Weir’s More Cooking in the Wine Country
Serves 6-8
½ cup dried navy beans
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 oz pancetta, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 stalk celery, cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 onion, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 leeks, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 Tbsp tomato paste
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
1 bunch kale, stems removed and discarded, leaves cut into ½-inch ribbons, about 1-inch long
Salt and pepper to taste
Sort the beans to remove any rocks or other debris. Place the beans in a large bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 4 hours. Drain and transfer to a large saucepan. Cover the beans with cold water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until they are tender, about an hour. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the pancetta, and cook until it starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, onions, leeks, potatoes, tomato paste, stock and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the kale, and continue to cook, until the vegetables are tender, about 15 more minutes.
In the meantime, puree half the beans with ½ cup of reserved bean cooking liquid. Add the whole beans and the bean puree to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes, until everything is warm. Season with salt and pepper.
Podcasts, My Guilty Pleasure
Years ago, I told Howard that someone needed to invent a VCR for the radio, just so I could listen to the NPR show, Fresh Air, which is never on at a good time for a working person to listen. I had to wait a number of years, but Apple invented podcasts, the perfect solution, and now I never miss a show. In fact, now I have quite the lineup of shows I listen to every week.
I have a short commute, but do listen to podcasts while I drive. I do the bulk of my listening while I walk Bella the dog. Howard is struggling with a knee injury, so, in addition to short morning and bedtime walks, I’m now in charge of Bella’s lengthier evening walk after work. Now I’m finding that I exhaust my podcast list almost daily.
Here’s a list of my lineup. Do you have any favorite podcasts to recommend that I add to my list? I’m always open to something new, so please share your ideas.
Culture
Fresh Air: Terry Gross hosts this daily show (Monday through Friday) where authors, actors, journalists, politicians, and other interesting people are interviewed. Music, books, and movies are also reviewed.
This American Life: Ira Glass hosts this classic NPR show featuring a number of related offbeat pieces on a different weekly theme.
New Yorker Out Loud: A short weekly conversation with a New Yorker writer about an article in the week’s issue. For someone who couldn’t possibly read a weekly magazine with any regularity, this is a great weekly fix.
Radiolab: This show is in the same vein as This American Life, but the topics are science-related. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, this podcast comes out bi-weekly, sometimes full-length, sometimes just a 20-minute short. This is one of my favorites.
99% Invisible: I recently discovered this podcast by way of Radiolab. Roman Mars talks about some aspect of design that you typically would not notice. The latest episode about postage stamps was awesome.
Snap Judgment: This is the latest addition to my podcast lineup. I just heard it on the radio for the first time last weekend. It seems to be similar to This American Life and Radiolab with offbeat stories on a weekly theme. As I mentioned, I’m running out of things to listen to, so, while unproven, I’m hopeful this will be a good one.
Food
The Splendid Table: Lynne Rossetto Kasper hosts this weekly show featuring interviews with chefs, cookbook authors, wine experts and other people with an interest in food.
Edible Radio: A variety of regular shows, each with its own host, irregularly published, about all things food, with the focus on local and sustainable, just like the regional Edible publications.
NPR Food: Sometimes weekly, this podcast is a sort of “best of” the food-related stories from different NPR shows.
Spilled Milk: Molly Wizenberg (of the Orangette blog) and her friend Matthew Amster-Burton have a hilarious biweekly chat about food. It reminds me of Car Talk for food, with little useful information, but a lot of laughs.
Gardening
A Way to Garden: A weekly chat with Margaret Roach, head gardener at the wonderful gardening blog A Way to Garden. Margaret shares ideas for chores, techniques, and other seasonal gardening advice.
Ken Druse Real Dirt: Elaine of California Living recommended this one to me. Each week, Ken interviews a different garden expert. The topics are varied, and the conversation is always educational and entertaining.
Books/Reading
New Yorker Fiction: Each month, a writer for the New Yorker selects and reads a story that was previously published in the New Yorker. I’ve discovered some new authors this way. The highlight of each podcast is the discussion between the selector and fiction editor Deborah Treisman before and after the reading.
NPR Books: Sometimes weekly, this podcast includes book-related excerpts from different NPR shows.
Storytelling
The Moth: A short weekly installment excerpted from The Moth’s storytelling shows.
The Story Collider This is another podcast discovered by way of Radiolab. A short weekly installment excerpted from The Story Collider’s science-related storytelling shows.
My list is heavy on NPR shows, but I’m a loyal support of my public radio stations WBUR in Boston and MPBN in Maine, so I have no guilt.
A Plateful of Happiness 