A year of cooking

So it's been almost a year since I last posted and what's the topic? Food, of course.

Cooking is my creative outlet but it's also a necessity because of Susan's health, which prevents her from doing much of what she would want to do. So as a result, while it's fun to create, family and personal schedules don't allow the creative process to be the ruling criterion all the time. Sometimes you gotta eat NOW!

Thus the genesis of this topic. I intend to simply list what I've made or have been making over the course of the next year. You'll have the fun (I hope) of seeing what's going on and I'll have a repository of ideas that I can return to and reuse. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

So without further ado...

Sunday, Sept 19: We need to stock the freezer (my meal survival friend) for future needs. Limited in time, I decided on teriyaki chicken on the fly, marinaded briefly then cooked on the gas grill. Lessee - soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, ground black pepper. I trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs (thanks for the weekly special, Nob Hill Foods - $2.29 per pound) and put the meat in the marinade for a few indeterminate minutes. Cooked on the grill until done. Chicken thighs are much easier to cook because of the fat content. They will take much more abuse before they turn dry and tough. Pushed for time we used up some leftover, already cooked brown rice and cooked frozen beans.

A post-cooking meditation revealed that I should have, of course, added aromatics to the teriyaki. Garlic, green onions, ginger in some combination would have improved things considerably. However, I was grabbing some time in between home improvement and moving in tasks. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Monday, Sept 20: I'm trying to work in fish once a week so tonight we had catfish. First, seasoned with lemon pepper and salt, then lightly coated with flour, then egg wash, then a combination of corn meal and (ground) almond meal. The nut meal was handy and besides we were out of fancy panko (and regular panko, for that matter). Rounded out the meal with boiled new red potatoes and a green salad. Kids, you really ought to learn how to do vinaigrette from scratch. So much tastier than anything bottled and cheaper to boot. We make a batch of about 2/3 cup at a time and keep the bottle in the frig to use as needed.

Tomorrow I'm cooking chuck roast in the crock pot so I just finished browning the meat. Again, I expect to put away at least half of the recipe in the freezer. Cooked meals in the freezer are like money in the bank!

My "Six Degrees" experiment - New Orleans, November 15

I don't have to explain "six degrees" to you, do I?

I'm going to be in New Orleans in mid-November for the Brownfields 2009 conference sponsored by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), and I'm looking for connections from you, my reading audience. I'm interested in meeting folks in New Orleans who might be going to the conference or live in the area, who you think would be interesting dinner companions at interesting New Orleans restaurants. You knew this was going to come around to food eventually, didn't you?

I think I can hold my own in an interesting, wide-ranging dinner conversation and I hope to meet people who can do the same, Interests will range, I hope, from food (natch) to the relevance of the Evangelical church, from public-private partnerships to New Orleans jazz families.

Any help?

Update on Susan, Sunday 8/23

In her own words from Facebook:

I felt so good yesterday, I over-did, and now, I thinks this "minor" surgery is a bit more major than I gave it credit for! lol (I was thinking, "This isn't so bad -- I can just get up and go on with my life..." ...Au contraire...)

I'll add that as of 11 PM last night Susan realized she hadn't taken any pain meds all day! Maybe she's doing pretty well, all things considered.

Susan's update, August 22, 2009

Better to plan for the worst and hope for the best, eh? Susan's recovery continues to go well despite my efforts to over tax her abilities. Last night I stayed in SF after a business meeting to attend the Lamplighters' production of My Fair Lady, with Susan's permission, of course. Lauren was out, too, so Susan and I anticipated a quiet evening for Susan. It was not to be. Because I had made a mistake in reconnecting our cordless phone the only working phone was in the bedroom. Susan was in the living room finishing up a movie. We rarely get phone calls in the evening but last night there were at least five. With each call Susan had to get up and go to the bedroom to answer it. The up side is that she was able to do so and do it with energy. The down side is that it wasn't what she anticipated!

Susan did well today, too. She has been eating well and getting up regularly and frequently. She has had flare ups of symptoms of her other conditions but they haven't been too bad.

Keep praying - we firmly believe that keeps both of us going.

Susan's update, August 21, 2009

Susan came home from the hospital today. I'll let you read how she's doing in her own words. From her Facebook post about 3 pm.

Home & recovering well after a "2-hr" surgery turned into 7 hours! My insides were having a skating party and bumping each other around... And I guess I was a little farther gone than expected, so some unexpected repair was done. Some people's insides just don't know how to behave!! - lol But all is well now, and I am feeling 200% better since Wed.! Keep praying for continued healing & patience, & for my family! Tx!

Susan Update, Thursday, August 21

Hello all you visitors!

Susan is recovering very well from her surgery. She slept well last night with just oral painkillers, no morphine drip offered or needed. I know she had a good nap this afternoon (Lauren stopped by while she was asleep), ate well, though limited to a liquid diet, and walked a couple of times, including trips to the bathroom unassisted. She was in very good spirits when we saw her this evening.

I'll leave it to Susan to give you what unnecessary details you might want, but I'll just say that she's feeling the structural changes all for the better already.

The only concern we have at this point is that she's running a low level fever. Her doctor is well aware and is keeping an eye on it.

We fully expect Susan to be released from the hospital tomorrow though we don't know what time yet.

Susan's doing well!

Thanks for all your prayers, good wishes and thoughts. Susan came out of surgery a little late but just fine. The doctor reported that everything went smoothly albeit mush longer than the average procedure. The usual duration is four hours - Susan's procedure took seven.

She recovered from anesthesia swiftly and smoothly and is now in her room. Look for another update about this time tomorrow.

(Editor's note: This update is quite late because I wasn't able to connect to the hospital's wifi after 2 pm today. Where am I supposed to put the quarters?)