Don't Buy Cheap Cheese!

Since I'm moving, I'm trying to buy ingredients in small quantities. For a recipe that I didn't think I'd need the ingredient again I purchased a small container of parmesan cheese. That Is The Last Time I Ever Cut Corners.

Trust Me. It Ain't Worth It !

Got Shrimp?

Oh Boy! I tried this recipe from Bon Appetit magazine that I found on Epicurious that is Really Good!! It has all my favorite ingredients and is EAZY to make ahead and serve later or the next day. I bought a bag of frozen uncooked-deveined shrimp with tails on at Costco or Trader Joes and my sweetpea daughter cooked some for herself and boyfriend when I was out of town. I had a few left and wanted something different than tossing them with pasta so I ran across this recipe. I used a lot less olive oil than they suggested and it helped for me. (plus cuts the calories) The best thing is NO BUTTER!

I bought some Garlic French Bread and toasted it with butter and parmesan cheese as something crunchy to eat it with. That and a cool glass of Savignon Blanc was a perfect dinner!

Here's the Link for you shrimp lovers http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/102468

When I marinated it overnight the oil gets sort of congealed so I heated the bowl with shrimp in the microwave for about 30 seconds, stir and add more seconds as you need. You don't want to reheat too much or the shrimp get hard and overcooked.

The "Sample" Dorm Room

Mumties face is very telling in this shot don't you think? Why would some idiot hang such a huge shoe tree over the door? How many shoes are necessary? Its going to take some fixin' to make my little patch of home look suitable for a year... I'm open to clever ideas. They already said No Painting the room. Maybe I'll redo it in padded walls. Something I'll need when I get claustrophobic and more insane.

Here are a couple more photos of the dorm room where I'll be hiding out during the school year. The school supplies the dresser, the wooden matchbox size desk and the miniature dwarf bed. I've got to squeeze in my baby refrigerator, microwave, heater, and toothpicks.

I'm not sure if all the bathrooms are this daring bold orange. I can only hope not. Good thing I'm not taller or I'd get calluses on my knees from sitting on the pody. At least I won't spend a lot of time mopping the floor.

Fortune Cookie Pays Out $$

Food for Thought Category

The U.S. Powerball lottery drawing of the March 30, 2005 game produced an unprecedented 110 second-place winners, all of whom picked five numbers correctly with no powerball number. The total came out to $19.4 million in unexpected payouts. 89 tickets won $100,000, but 21 additional tickets won $500,000 due to the Power Play multiplier option.[3]
Powerball officials initially suspected fraud, but it turned out that all the winners received their numbers from fortune cookies made by Wonton Food Inc.[4], a fortune cookie factory in Long Island City, Queens, New York. Apparently, number combinations printed on fortunes are reused in thousands of cookies per day. The five winning numbers were 22, 28, 32, 33, and 39. The sixth number in the fortune, 40, did not match the powerball number, 42.[3]

Fried Disappointment JUMBO Style!

Southern CA has been preparing for the Big Storm of the season for the last couple of days. Yesterday, late in the afternoon the clouds were darkening and I was getting excited. When you live in So. Cal. it NEVER rains (okay, occasionally). By 6pm it started to dribble a little. by 6:30 when I was going to dinner with my daughter it was dry.

When I got home around 9pm it was dry. WTF?! Storm Watch 2007?? I wanted to call the weather news studios and tell them to quit their day job. There was 1 (one) lightening bolt thing. A token heavy weather promise. One. The rain gods were throwing us a bone.

When I got up this morning it was dry until around 10:30 then it started to Rain. Real Rain. Not dribbles. Coming down in sheets. This was fun! I got to turn on the inside lights like a real winter day, got a sweater on and made my tea so I could thoroughly enjoy the wild weather. Then I got an idea to take pictures of the rain streaming outside my bathroom window b/c it looked so cool. By the time I got the camera locked and loaded it stopped. It got brighter, I turned off the lights, took off my sweater and opened the front door and windows again.

Southern California is the entire reason those fools sell CD's that sound like rain. We're probably the only people who buy them except for the brain dry people in Arizona in the summer. So. Cal peeps are Any Weather Challenged. I was planning to spend the day inside cuddled on the couch reading my novel. Now that its nice out I guess I'll get my list of errands done. (slow violins in background)

I can't wait till I move to SF! No. Cal. has REAL weather that lasts for days. And fog too.

The Academy Grill

I'm not sure yet if this is something only the students eat at or the public. Probably just the students since some students probably don't know squat about cooking and there could be some serious poo amongst some of the newbies. Heck, I've been cooking forever and I've made two serious mistakes, that no one lets me forget.

One was Vodka Soup and the other was some fish with a flaxseed crust. Good Grief. Do Not Try anything similar. I know this sounds kinda smug for the bazillion years I've been cooking but, hey, I got a horn for Christmas and I plan on using it!

I'll probably be annoyed at the "kids" who I have to "team up" with for team cooking. I will definitely live up to my blog name then. Darn spawn tadpoles.... I'm already in a cranky mood.

The uniform I will be required to wear is shown above by the 3 stooges. I have been plotting how to make mine unique in some unspeakably unfashionable way but the head chefs actually do uniform inspections on a regular basis. I'm glitter marker challenged now. Maybe I can wear neon panties and leopard bras.

I'm feeling better already.

The Culinary Academy, Polk St., San Francisco

Here is a photo of the front of the building - the entrance to the California Culinary Academy where I will be learning my skills. The building was the site of the old historic California Hall of 1912. Throughout the years it was many buildings including, most famously, a venue for up and coming musicians. Janis Joplin sang there and Jimmy Hendrix played at the classic nightspot.

Progress!

I found a storage site today for my remaining belongings. That is a BIG relief since I can't move without it ahead of time. You think it would be a breeze like I did but it is difficult to find someone who will "reserve" a space until the end of next month. One place would reserve until October 17th, one place I needed to check with them 7 days before moving in, ad nauseum. Finally we found one that would save a space until I moved in with no money down! My aunt (aka Mom) will be able to sign it up before I come up so I don't have to make another trip. Nice people.

I also went to scope out the Dorm Room for the Academy. Teeny Tiny but adequate. It is in a converted hotel (pics to come when I get home), which is conveniently located directly across the street from the school and has 24/7 security desk with a guard. Very reassuring since I'm in Downtown and not exactly a single woman wandering kind of neighborhood. Thank Gawd I have knife skills! opps...

I'll be heading back home Wednesday morning early so I can beat some of the traffic when I get to LA. Next project is to find a truck and some movers to pack it and someone on the destination point to unpack it.

The weather here is wonderful and cool. Just how I like it. I hope by the time I get back to Redondo Beach its going to be cooler than when I left. I hate working in the heat. Unless its over a big Gas stove!

Gonna run now. Family time. :))

My Daughters Favorite Chicken Dish

I cooked dinner for the family last night. Its easier to cook for more than myself. I didn't bring any recipes so I did old time favorites from my dusty brain. I'm sure many of you have a similar recipe since this one is so universal so don't expect anything exotic, just delicious.

I take a pint of sour cream, a cup of dry sherry and 1 can of cream of golden mushroom soup. (the store didn't have it so we sub'd with cream of chicken with roasted garlic). I mix these all together in a separate bowl. I take chicken thighs, (depends on who you're feeding but I used 6 for 4 servings here) and season them with marjoram, rosemary salt and pepper, then I place them on a warmed skillet sprayed with pam and with some olive oil added, just a bit so things don't stick. I brown them about 4-6 minutes over medium (we have electric here) turn them and brown the other side.

Once they are sufficiently browned, not fully cooked, I drain out the fat, add a bit of sherry to deglaze the pan then add the sauce and chicken back to the skillet and cover and cook for 30 minutes over medium. I don't walk away and ignore them or they will stick to the skillet so you have to turn them occasionally and baste them with the sauce. They're done when you poke them and no more red surfaces add another 5 minutes and serve over rice with some steamed broccoli for bright green color.

This morning I had the leftover rice with sauce - heated it up and put two over medium eggs on top for breakfast! It was really satisfying with my cup of tea.

No photo here as I thought the camera would get sauced and eaten once I plated it!! LOL

Base Camp - San Francisco

I drove from my Redondo Beach, CA home yesterday to "base camp" Millbrae, CA. My temp home until I get into the Culinary Academy's Dorm Room. It was a perfect driving day and I made it in 6 hours straight stopping only once for gas. I was greeted by my mom/aunt/godmother, my cousin, the superbly talented watercolor artist Guy, and my uncle John who always hides away a perfect bottle of red for these special visits.

"Mom" made lamb shanks in the slow cooker with plenty of osso bucco type sauce, a gremolata topping and nice lumpy semi mashed potatoes with parsley (garden grown) butter, salt and pepper which contained the sauce very well. It was falling off the bone GOOD. John served a Cabernet Savignon by Raymond Burr vineyards. It was a perfect pairing.

The weather is way cooler here than my place so it was nice to settle down from the long drive with a hearty meal since all I ate on the drive was an Ensure, a nectarine, an aisian pear, and a 1/4 of a club sandwich from the day before. I was real hungry when I got to the gas station so I bought M and M's with peanuts and a small bag of Ruffles with Sour Creme and Onion flavoring. Ugg. Burp.

Tomorrow I will head to the Academy via the BART to check out the dorm room demo and look for storage space for all my belongings somewhere near my mom's place in Millbrae.

I'll stay for a week then head back home for the final packing and moving. I should be here in Millbrae by the end of October and ready to hit school November 12th!

Getting closer! I'm getting more excited! Can't wait to play on the BIG GAS STOVES!! (read: big ass stoves) I've put up with freakin' electric for the past 24 years and I'm done with that!

Wow.... I'm amazed at myself. cool

In Remembrance - 9/11

I will never forget this day. The memory of it still overwhelms me. We were all affected by it emotionally, some physically, definitely mentally and sadder still, spiritually.

God bless our soldiers defending this country regardless of my political beliefs about our presence on foreign soil. Because of their sacrifices I am able to have my dream of becoming a chef, have a blog to express my thoughts without retribution and enjoy my family and friends in laughter and tears.

I wish they could all come home to their family and friends again soon.

Buck Fush.

Grumpy, grumpy

I'm in a KitchenBitchy mood today. Don mess wit me now. I don't have my stuff to cook with since most everything is packed. I'm getting frustrated trying to figure out what to eat with what I have.

I'm throwing in this photo to keep food hounds off my back for a while. I'd caption it "Turkey Thighs and Mashed Potatoes anyone?"

Great Cabbage Salad

I LOVE this salad. Its easy to make. Thinly slice some cabbage (I used a third of a half cabbage), add chopped green onions (I used 3) chopped cilantro (a handful) and some diced avocado (3/4 of one b/c I love avocados). I sprinkle garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste then squeeze lime juice (1 lime), vinegar and olive oil. I toss it then wrap it in saran wrap and put it in the refrigerator to blend the flavors. Should feed two.

I usually make it with my "Chicken with Hats" which is basically roasted chicken thighs with marjoram and rosemary, salt and pepper. Sometimes I add sliced garlic in between the skin and meat if I have time. I called them hats because the skin is so crispy that the skin comes right off like a hat. You have to put the chicken closest to the top of the oven to get it crispy like that. I usually don't eat the skin but it's soooo good and crispy! I also had to come up with interesting names for food so my young daughter would be more interested in eating it at 4 and 5 years old. She still refers to it as Chicken with Hats at 23 years old. Sometimes I'd serve it with "Little Trees" (broccoli) to interest her. I'm sure lots of young moms have resorted to this culinary subterfuge to get kids to eat.

At this point in my blog I'm doing the BASICS of my cooking recipes. Also because I'm packing my stuff daily and realize that I don't have the gadgets and tools I need for more elaborate stuff because they're packed.

Also, a lot of my friends, family have asked for the easiest stuff to make life easier. I won't be cooking too many unique things from now until I move to San Francisco for Culinary School.

Life is tasty.

Easy Summer Dish

Its been too hot to cook until today. I wanted something quick, easy and tasty. By definition that always has something to do with garlic for me.

I bought a couple of Pork Medallions at the market and a quick bag of microwave veggies. No fuss here. I seasoned the pork with oregano, basil, sea salt, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper. I put it in a small pan with Pam spray and covered it on a bit lower than medium. The cover helps make some juice from the pork. I cooked them about 10 min. per side and checked the pork for doneness after to make sure when pricked that the juices ran clear.

I sprayed a glass pie dish with Pam and added the veggies, cut the bigger pieces so all were even shaped to cook evenly. The potatoes should have been cut smaller since they cook longer but I cooked them about 10 minutes more than the veggies in the end. Since it's so warm it was fine, not too hot. I added coarse cut garlic to the veggies and about 2 tblspns of melted butter, salt and pepper. I cook the veggies at 400 degrees for 10 minutes then toss them and cook for another 10 min.

Basically, there is little preparation time and in 20 minutes you're sitting down to eat. I like the pan juices when the pork is done so I added a splash of water (or red wine) to deglaze it and pour the juice over the medallions to keep them moist. Nothing I hate more than dry pork.

Easy, simple, yummy. Enjoy.

Astrological Food Preferences by Sign

Virgo: Symbol – The Virgin. Yeah, right! You’ll eat the gum under a chair or drink all un-drank cocktails after the party is over. Other peoples plates are near orgasmic for you. Don’t kid yourself, you can’t even spell virgin. But you do scream like a little girl.

Libra: Symbol – Balanced Scales. After dinner you weigh yourself on not one, but two scales just to feel better. The glass is half full and your ass is twice as big as you think. You think food is “balanced” if it is 2 double bacon cheeseburgers.
Come on, give us an oink.

Scorpio: Symbol – The Scorpion. You’re an entomologist’s nightmare. You sneak into the lab after hours for the Free Buffet of bottled larva. You like the chase of crawling things, cornering them and tricking them onto a plate or fork. You need help.

Sagittarius: Symbol – The Archer. Ah those were the days when men used to hunt food using a simple bow and arrow. You, on the other hand, brought food gathering up a notch. Your idea of hunting is using a helicopter and bush men to scare your prey into a circle for no-miss shooting. So what if you’re two bushmen short on your way home. That’s your idea of giving something back to nature. You’re a fargin icehole.

Capricorn: Symbol – The Goat. You’ll eat anything with the word corn in it including foot corns and bunions. You’ll eat paper, twigs, and do commercials with a duck. You don’t believe in insurance so you carry food with you wherever you go. You’re cute, if you like people with lots of chin hair.

Aquarius: Symbol – The Water Bearer. Vodka and water, scotch and water. You get my drift? You stay in water because it helps hold you up from stumbling. Should you pass out all anyone need do is toss a glass of water on your face and you’re up and at it again. Your liver looks like an aquarium.

Pisces: Symbol – The Fish. Any fish will do for you. Washed up on the shore fish, guppies, beached whales and anything that is slimy. You are attracted to that fishy smell and can be found loitering around red light districts. You are what you eat You slimy, stinkin’, washed up so and so.

Aires: Symbol – The Ram. What does a hard headed Ram personality eat? A Dodge Truck for starters. Ribs from a buffalo, a side of beef (skin on) wild boars (bore eats boar) and road kill. Aries are the sociopaths of the Zodiac. If you know one, check into the Witness Protection Program. Jeffery Dahmer was an Aries…. Am I making sense now?

Taurus: Symbol – The Bull. The China Cabinet. The mess. You connect the dots. Don’t sit down to eat with a Bull, especially if there is a red tablecloth and Italian food. You may be wearing it within 10 minutes. They can eat everything in site including the restaurant. Best advice: Don’t invite one home.

Gemini: Symbol - The Twins. Double the fun; double the food; double the trouble. Not only will these diners talk your ear off they will eat your wallet without you realizing it. No matter who they are, there’s REALLY two of them. One schizoid and the other phrenic. Masochists tend to enjoy the company of this Zodiac sign.

Cancer: Symbol - The Crab. How appropriate. We calls um likes we sees um. If you don’t give them food immediately – they complain. No drinks, bitchy. No appetizers, darn cranky. Who wants to put up with all this?! Hannible Lecter that’s who. Another glass of Key-ahn-tay and that should smooth their cracked shells. If they crab after that they may just become his see-food dinner.

Leo: Symbol – The Lion. King of the Jungle, yada, yada, yada. They’re fiercely lazy. YOU bring the food, YOU cook dinner, YOU pay the tab. YOU clean up after. Not only that they’ll be first to let you know when something is not hot enough, cold enough or good enough. By the time you’re done with dinner you’re seriously considering becoming an African Safari Big Game Hunter with one trophy in mind.

Cooking with John Ashcroft!!

Offering you an
unappetizin piece of info
about the Former Attorney
General of the USofA.....

In his hand-written resignation letter, dated November 2, 2004 Chef Ashcroft stated: “The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved. (feeling safe now?)

Thereafter, in the wisdom of the Senate and the White House the Honorable Alberto Gonzales was named his successor. Gonzales recently resigned as well so he could take an active roll in evesdropping on his family.

If you haven't lost your appetite or the contents of your stomach by now you should immediately seek re-election.

Only in America.

The Committment is ON!

I have arrived at the point of "no return" so to speak. I've have moved all my eggs into my culinary basket. There is no turning back. I want to record this day as I want to remember how it felt to make such a momentous decision that will change my life completely.

I'm excited about the adventure ahead, curious about the living environment, loving the city of my birth and impatient to get settled, hoping my savings will carry me through the entire process, confident about my culinary abilities, unsure on how to make everthing happen by myself, and somewhat worried about my mental stabilities! Seriously, I'm throwing everything into it and jumping in feet first. One has to question ones rational at some point. Especially at 54 years of age!

It feels good to unlease myself from a lot of the physical encumbrances like furniture, dishware, glassware, silverware and the like. I just wish it was as easy getting rid of the little things like paperwork, files, nick nacks, candles, etc. Those are the most bothersome.

I found someone today who wants to buy my bedroom set, possibly my coffee table, my barstools, and maybe the refrigerator. That's a load off.

I've got to go to Target today to look into little necessities like an electric skillet, mini fridge, storage bins, hot water maker for tea.... This is exciting. How to Build More Debt 101. I passed!! (more like I'm passing out!)

September 1st = Day One on the road to chefdom. WooHoo I got a life again! Yea Me.