A Franciful Friday Feast

My good friend Jenelle recently celebrated her 22^nd birthday.  Given the interest the two of us share for all-things French, and my inescapable obsession with food, I gave her a French Classics Made Easy cookbook.  Any “quick” or “easy” cookbook scores well with a college student, as far as I’m concerned anyways.  I hate to admit it but I definitely judged this book by its cover.  The picture is just too tempting.  Besides, who doesn’t love potatoes?

After thumbing through the book last Friday (and apparently working up an appetite), we decided to cook ourselves a meal.  – Yes I know, it was nearly a week ago.  I’m trying to get back into the swing of things here so just bare with me. -  On the menu? Les pommes de terre dauphinoise, les champignons à la crème et une baguette.  Okay so maybe it wasn’t really a feast, but all that chopping, slicing and sautéing sure did feel a little extravagant for an average Friday night.  You get the idea.

Two spontaneous French food cravings, one quick trip to the store and one pleasant culinary endeavor accompanied by some great tunes later, we had perfectly creamy, shallot-flavored mushrooms and crispy, garlicky potatoes – we may or may not have added extra.  In case you are wondering, yes, it was delicious.  Of course we (the “chefs”) were biased, but having a few other people ask us if they could try whatever smelled so good reaffirmed our success.

I had every intention of snapping a photo of the entire masterpiece to share with all (or few) of you, but it didn’t do it justice.

I’ve heard people say that brown food doesn’t look appetizing.  Excusez-moi?  Chocolate anyone?  I have yet to see a single picture or recipe with chocolate in it that I can turn down, unless it has peanut butter in it that is.  You read right, I’m not a fan of the idolized chocolate and peanut butter combo.  I can hear the gasps and sounds of disbelief now, but we’ll save that story for another time.

Getting back to where I started, after taking pictures of the plated dish, I realized there was in fact a lot of brown, no diversity.  Note to self: add some green next time.

While I have yet to master the art of food photography (bucket list), I did manage to snag a shot of the toasty spuds fresh out of the oven.

Voilà et bon appétit!

Who’s Starving?

Where’ve I been?  Well considering it’s been eight months since my last post (wow) I’d say I’ve been lots of places.  When I started this blog and developed a routine of posting, I never imagined I’d be able to stay away from Erinn’s Eats for so long.  Feeling slightly ashamed, I’d like to take a stab at waking Erinn’s Eats from its long slumber.

Nearing mid-January, it goes without saying that we’re well passed the holiday season.  Though I’ve returned to school, I find I’m still struggling to transition out of break mode and into student mode.  As I say goodbye to hanging out with family, playing with the pooch, tv marathons and cooking and baking as much as possible, I welcome what looks to be a term full of reading, assignments, reading and reading.

If you’re reading this – if anyone’s out there – maybe you’re starving.  As much as I’d like to believe it’s spurred from a craving for some Erinn’s Eat’s activity, maybe you want something a little more substantial.  I thought now would be a good time to share one of my favorite kitchen successes from over the holiday season.  Before I get too far (and before you’re tummy starts to get to rumblin’) I should stop myself and tell you that I’m here to share a recipe for some canine cuisine.  While I think I whipped up some rather tasty numbers, I have the Christmas dog treats on my mind as I suffer withdrawals from my favorite four-legged golden boy.

Setting out to make something festive and special to stuff in the dogs’ stockings, my sister and I stumbled upon this recipe from Gourmet Sleuth for Parmesan and Parsley dog treats:

1 C rolled oats

1/3 C margarine

1 C boiling water

¾ C cornmeal

2 T chopped parsley

2 t chicken or beef flavored instant bouillon

½ C milk

1 C grated Parmesan

1 egg, beaten

2 – 3 C whole wheat flour

If you have these ingredients hanging around, I definitely recommend making them for you dog.  The dog, dog bone and paw print-shaped cookies, complete with mashed potato “frosting”, left my family and sister’s dogs patiently waiting with their noses pushed up against the counter and letting out the occasional sigh or whine.  They nearly took our fingers off with every bite!  Before long, my sister and I found ourselves baking several batches for six different pooches.  Looks like we’ve started a new tradition!

Tis the Season for Ribs… and Grilling

With spring term coming to a close, I’m anxiously awaiting the start of summer.  Am I more excited for heat and sunshine or a break from school?  At this point it’s hard to decide which sounds more appealing.  Yes I’ll be working, but I can hardly wait for late summer nights, trips to the lake and beach, camping and free time to discover and try new recipes of all sorts.  This Memorial Day weekend is my first taste of summer vacation, minus the beautiful weather of course.

To start her summer vacation a little early, my friend traveled south for a camping trip with the family and invited me to come along.  As tempting as campfire, smores and quality time with nature sounds, I had to turn down the offer.  It would have made for one busy weekend.  Instead, I decided to head home and spend the “long” weekend with the family.

As much as I wanted to head to Lake Billy Chinook, I know there will be plenty of other trips over the summer.  In fact, with all this talk, I already find myself in the camping mood.  After browsing the web some, it looks as though I’m not the only one with summertime on the mind.  Everyone’s ready to tear off their barbeque covers and clean up their grilling utensils, sharing any recipes or fun tips they have.  I’m eating up every minute of it!

Thinking of my fellow campmates (and hoping they’ve found some decent weather) a post on great camping recipes by Serious Eats caught my eye.  The 25-item list shares recipes I’ve never even tasted, especially in the great outdoors.  I’m used to the hot dog/burger, coal cooking and snacky kind of camping food.  Serious Eats’ list seems a little more complex than what I’m used to, but if they’re suggesting it, I have to believe it’s easy enough.  Besides, they look and sound down right tasty!  Care for some Grilled Pizza Napoletana, Artichoke, Olive and Lemon Pasta or Corn with Chili Lime Butter?  Yes please!  I think my upcoming summer camping adventures just reached a whole new level.  Consider it one of my summer goals to include and conquer one of these new recipes in our camping menu.

Just because I’m not camping doesn’t mean I can’t simulate the culinary experience by barbequing on my parents’ Traeger Grill.  Okay, so maybe my brother’s right, this is a bit of a stretch.  But really, isn’t it along the same lines of making smores in the microwave or a weenie roast in the backyard?  Face it, everyone wants a taste of camping every now and then.  Every time my parents ask if anyone’s interested in a barbeque grill, I jump at the chance to throw on my famous ribs.  They’re easy to make, the grill offers a nice change of pace from my usual kitchen scene and most importantly, they taste great!  Of course I think so, but my taste testers tell me the same.  So, why not keep doing my thing?  They’re marinating in my special concoction as we speak.  Before too long, I’ll be giving the ribs a second coat and transferring them to the sizzling grill.  Let’s just hope the grey sky disappears or the rain holds off until I’m done.  How many more days until summer?  Let the countdown begin!  (Paper chain link anyone?)

Flickr - D'Arcy Norman

Puppy Chow

For as long as I can remember, I was always pestering my parents to get a dog.  I was always hearing stories about Sadie, the family’s former Cocker Spaniel.  It killed me that my brother and sister got to experience the joy of having a dog in the house, even if only for a few years, and I didn’t.  I dreamed of visiting a pet store (or any place that could give me a puppy) and picking “the one” from the litter or coming into the living room on Christmas morning to find a puppy (complete with bow) waiting underneath the tree.  I don’t know, maybe I have television and movies to thank for these dreams.  Even though it seemed to take forever, I’ll never forget the day my parents told us there would be a new addition to the family.  After reassuring my older siblings that no, it would not be another baby, they promised us a Golden Retriever puppy from my dad’s boss.  10 years later, we’ve welcomed three great pups into our home.

I guess you could say the whole “don’t feed the dog from the table” thing doesn’t exactly apply to our family.  We’ve always said that any people food should be given to the dog in the kitchen and away from the table so that he/she wouldn’t beg. (Like that ever works.)  I’m sorry, but whenever I see the puppy dogface staring at me, hear a heavy sigh fueled by a hope for a taste of whatever I’m eating or feel a chin resting on my lap ready to catch any crumb that misses my mouth, I can’t help it.  I cave.  I know everyone in my family got used to saving a couple of bites during dinner for every dog we’ve had, and I’m sure I’m not the only one guilty of slipping a piece under the table a time or two.  Maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

We always wanted Toby, our first dog, and Bridgette, my grandpa’s miniature poodle he gave to me when he moved to Hawaii, to have the best food.  I think the sudden and tragic death of Toby taught the family to be more sparing with the table scraps.  (To be clear, Bridgette’s no longer with us, but that’s a whole other story too painful to recall.)  I think it’s fare to say that when we got our current dog Tucker (yes another Golden), his human food consumption and amount of exercise received much more attention, as did the ingredients in his food.  I mean if I’m worried about what’s going into my mouth, it’s only natural to be thinking about the same for the animal I love.  Right?  Okay, call me obsessed, call me a crazy dog person, I just have a soft spot for animals.  I don’t think that’s such a bad thing.

In fact, I’m not the only one showing interest in the food my family’s dog is eating.  I stumbled upon a post on Twitter by Petango arguing the benefits of premium pet food.  Though more expensive, they offer pets quality products instead of by-products (I don’t even want to imagine what those would be), a good source of necessary vitamins and minerals, organic ingredients and premium protein sources.  Sounds great to me!  Who doesn’t want that for their pet?

Still, I can’t help but consider the possibility that different dogs (or whatever animal) react differently to pet foods and the ingredients they’re eating.

As I was messing around on Facebook I came across a post one of my sister’s friends left on her wall.  Before I continue, let me just stop you by saying, no, I was not creeping.  I actually visited her page to leave a comment myself, but decided to get in touch with her another way.  Anyways, her friend asked her how much she knows about dogs.  Apparently his has such dry skin that he’s chewed a bunch of his fur off of one of his legs.  Poor thing!  The only recommendation my sister had was trying a new type of dog food.

While her friend, and I guess his vet, don’t know what the problem is, it reminded me of a similar story my friend told me about her aunt’s dog.  She kept getting a hive-like rash all over her stomach.  After several trips to the vet, they learned the food they were giving her had too much protein and her body had developed a type of an allergic reaction.  Now they have to get her a low-protein premium dog food.  Sound tricky?  Well, it’s out there!

Earlier this year, my family started to see a sudden change of behavior in our dog Tucker.  Instead of his rambunctious, energetic self, he seemed sluggish and depressed.  Constant thirst and hours spent guzzling water left him with excessive urination and a couple accidents at night.  (Not okay for an 11-month-old puppy.)  We knew something was wrong, especially when he wouldn’t eat his food.  This was a complete turnaround from the pup that empties his bowl before you have a chance to put the lid back on the food container.  Originally thinking he didn’t care for the flavor of dog food, we switched it up and tried everything from sweet potato to lamb.  Several exams and blood tests later, we were relieved to hear it wasn’t related to any type of medical condition, but were surprised to find out that the brand of food was to blame.  It’s no wonder the little guy didn’t want to eat it!  It took some time, and a completely different kind of food, but he made a full recovery.  I’m happy to say that he’s back to being the same crazy, playful, cuddly fur ball you can’t help but love!

Here’s the little guy at Greenhill Humane Society’s Bark in the Park.  Mom and him came down last weekend to participate in the big event.

He was a little overwhelmed at first, but look at the handsome fella.  I’d say he had some fun!

Lights, Camera, Action: Starring Food

I don’t know what it is that I love about watching cooking shows.  Maybe it all started when I would curl up on the couch with my mom and watch “Yan Can Cook” every morning.  (Have you seen what that man can do with a knife?) It’s not as if I get to taste their creations, or even smell them for that matter.  (Talk about a want for smellivision.)  Come to think of it, they’re always saying how good their food looks, tastes and smells.   Sure we can see it, but there’s no way of really knowing whether it tastes and smells as delicious as they say.  I like to think it does, but at the same time, isn’t it a little cruel to rub it in our faces?  I want to hear that sizzle and taste those flavors as much as them!

Unfortunately living the rough life of a college student leaves me without cable for the first time in my entire life.  (I know, I know, poor me.) It hasn’t been smooth sailing, but it’s okay, I’m getting by just fine.  I sure have missed sprawling out on the sofa and watching cooking show after cooking show on Food Network.  Some how, I never get sick of cake challenges (yes, even repeats), “Throwdown” with Bobby Flay, “Everyday Italian” with Giada de Laurentiis, really the list goes on.

I realize I’m probably better off watching less television and devoting my time elsewhere (school perhaps?), but I actually think it’s aided to my dependence on the Internet.  I’ve come across thousands of ways to satiate my appetite, until my next trip home that is.  (Is this great or what?)  I wish I could say I’ve found online episodes, but no.  Who knows, maybe they’re out there.  I’ll have to check into it.    In searching the web for the next best thing, I hit the mother load!  There are so many video blogs with great recipe ideas and turorial videos.  Pretend you’re craving something new for dinner.  You come across one that sounds delectable, but you’ve never made it and don’t know what to do.  Well rest assured, ifood Tv and Spices of Life are here to help!

Ifood Tv is the ultimate food blog with more recipes and videos than you could ever imagine.  Just wait, it gets better.  Any chance you’re looking for new blogs to follow, wine suggestions or advice from culinary professionals?  If so, look no further!  I think this video says it all!  Warning, you can spend hours on their site!  It was hard for me to tear myself away.

Spices of Life has even more videos with recipes and great tips, which is hard to imagine after visiting ifood tv.  The food, health, lifestyle and pleasure video blog has so many realms to explore.  Everything from episodes and interviews to healthy meals and food from around the globe, so take your pick!  The site’s most recent episode features a video with a Newman’s Own Organics president (ahem, Paul Newman’s daughter!) offering insight into the company’s yummy efforts!  I don’t know about you, but I haven’t come across anything like it before.  Looks like it’s time for me to catch up on all of her entries.  I’m not complaining!  Between Spices of Life, ifood tv and many more video food blogs, I’ll have no problem satisfying my Food Network cravings!

All Fruits and Veggies Have Two Lives

Ever since coming to the good ol’ University of Oregon I’ve been amazed to see how some people recycle.  It’s not that the idea’s a foreign concept to them (hallelujah), but you’d be surprised how many people recycle pizza boxes or plastic bottles without removing and throwing the lid in the trash first.  I understand that these things may be less obvious for some, but after recycling my entire life, of course it makes sense that they would be second nature for me.  Even in kindergarten we were told to bring in recycled items for art and craft projects.  I loved collecting toilet paper rolls, yogurt containers, cans and eggshell cartons to see what kind of a masterpiece I could create.  Sure, it sounds a little ridiculous now, but looking back, it was fun and it definitely encouraged my recycling habit at an early age.

Before I get carried away, I should mention that recycling isn’t the only eco-friendly gesture I’ve really opened my eyes to since “being on my own”.  During the period of making new friends and discussing family and hometown lifestyles (you know how it is), I realized just how uncommon composting can be.  Hearing responses like “oh cool”, or “that sounds fun” helped me better understand what exactly people mean when they call Oregon a green state.  It’s hard for me to give composting a second thought when my family’s been doing it for as long as I can remember.  We don’t put banana peels in the garbage can or coffee grounds down the sink.  Instead, all fruits, vegetables, eggshells, etc. are tossed in the shiny blue container that rests next to the kitchen sink and tends to grow ripe and attract flies within a couple of days.

Flickr - litlg

It’s such a habit that living away from home, without access to my own composting system, takes some getting used to.  I’m still not there yet.  Of course, my family would jump at the opportunity to tell you about my tendency to be a little squeamish when it comes to taking the kitchen container out to the garden and dumping it in the composting bins.  Before you jump to conclusions, no it’s not the smell or swarm of bugs.  Though unpleasant, it’s tolerable.  What keeps me as far away as possible (whenever I can swing it that is), is the fear of crossing paths with one of earth’s slithering creatures, or worse, a raccoon.  Why a raccoon you ask?  At some point in my life, (I’m not exactly sure when), I developed an unexplained fear for the animal.  I wish I could say I’ve had at least some kind of a terrible experience with one because that would offer somewhat of an explanation.  I don’t know what it is about the creature that irks me, but it’s enough to set my hair on end and put me in fright mode.

I know what you’re thinking, what on earth do raccoons have to do with compost?  Honestly, I have no idea.  All I know is that a couple of encounters at the bins, okay maybe close encounters, is enough to keep me moving as swift and alert as possible when I’ve failed to get out of the task and set out on a mini garden adventure.  Now that I’ve give you a reason to poke fun at me (probably not my smartest move), let’s get to the point.  Ever since discovering that composting isn’t as common as I thought it was, I’ve found myself questioning the other ways people manage their kitchen waste.  Imagine my excitement when I came across a post by USA Today discussing restaurants composting food waste.

How many times have you been sitting in a restaurant, dying of hunger, and glanced over to see an un-bused table full of plates covered with half-eaten food?  At that point, it’s hard to believe someone could let so much food go to waste.  Well, before you know it, you’re in the very same position, staring at your plate trying to understand how your tummy and plate can be so full at the same time.  Good thing for doggy bags, right?  Then again, if you’re like me, you ask for one so that you can take all the leftovers home with you, then realize on the car ride home that you’ve left it on the table.  Gah! So even though you were trying to keep the food from going to waste the whole time, what happened to it?  In many cases, it was automatically tossed in the trash.  That’s why it’s so great that today, more and more restaurants use composting or the “burgeoning table-to-farm movement” to combat the ecologically and economically expensive issue of food waste.  When you think about it, all that food has to go somewhere!  I’m glad more people or catching on to the composting style and I hope for their sake they can stray away from the scary snakes and ‘coons!

Ginger Peach and Blueberry Tart Success

Okay, I know you’re dying to hear how the ginger peach and blueberry tart turned out.  So I thought I’d follow through and give you a little update.

Good news folks, it was a success!  My sister and I received nothing but raving reviews.  Of course I tried some myself, and must say it was pretty impressive!  Then again, I’m always a little partial to my own cooking and baking.  Aren’t we all?  (Please say yes.) I can’t think of a time where I was altogether disappointed with my final result of a recipe.  I think after slaving away for hours in the kitchen, it’s easy to convince yourself that you’ve made something delicious, even when there are obvious flaws.  Sure I have my fair shares of mishaps, whether the presentation turns out far from what I envision or the flavor of a particular ingredient is less potent than I want it to be.  Yet somehow, it’s never enough to keep me from grabbing a fork or spoon and putting my taste buds to the test.  In the words of my mom, “it’s okay, it still tastes the same”. Yes, I’d say there’s a good chance she’s speaking from experience, but I think it helps me appreciate her words of wisdom all the more.  So on that note, thanks May for your constant words of encouragement.

Anyways, time to get back to where I started.  After my sister’s delicious dinner of our mother’s famous fettuccini, accompanied by asparagus, canlis salad (another Lawson favorite), garlic-romano rustic bread and cantaloupe, we each managed to scarf down a slice of the tart.  That’s right, everyone had some! Well, everyone but my younger brother.  (He’s been devoting hour after hour to playing in the high school spring musical orchestra.)  Sadly he missed out on the special day and the tasty treats that filled it!  Sorry Matt, even the dogs got a taste here and there!  I guess it’s a good thing there was plenty left over.

Okay, so maybe my photo isn’t the greatest.  I have yet to master the art of food photography.  In due time my friends.  (Here’s to hoping anyways.)  For now, I guess you’ll have to believe me when I say it tasted way better than it looks!

We ended up lucking out with the peaches; they were surprisingly sweet and flavorful.  For some reason we were only able to white, so I’d be interested to try it with yellow next time and see how it compares.  As far as the ginger goes, I had some trouble tasting it, but I think that’s for the best.  It wonderfully complements the peaches and blueberries, but isn’t overpowering.  The recipe calls for rolled oats, listen to them.  My sister and I got a little carried away trying to improvise and be creative.  We used half the amount of rolled oats the recipe called for and substituted the other half with steel cut.  I’m sure it tastes just as good either way, but the crust was a tad chewy.  So, if by chance that’s what you’re going for, do what we did.  We’re glad we could help!

Oh, before I forget, the vanilla bean ice cream makes for a perfect accompaniment.  This recipe’s a keeper!

Shout out to tastespotting for directing me towards yet another fabulous recipe and blog to follow.  Keep doing what you’re doing!