The Big Green House

Tuesday, April 15, 2003

 

More words about buildings and food

Science Girl has been spending a lot of time during the week over at Stately Science Manor, presiding over the Seemingly Endless Parade of Contractors (this year�s theme is �No, it�s not alright to step on the neighbor�s flowers�), so the only time I get to cook for her is on the weekend. Since we usually either go out or order out on Saturdays, this leaves Sunday night, which is also the night that the leftover odds and ends from the week get used up. Perfect for improvisation.

Lately I�ve been winging it more often in the kitchen. I used to never stray from the printed recipe, mostly because I didn�t really trust my instincts � something I�m often guilty of away from the stove as well. I�m finding my way dish by dish, and it seems to be getting better each time. (It�s always a pleasant surprise when a meal comes out more or less the way I planned it. So far it�s never been less than palatable, but that doesn�t mean that dreadful cooking is beyond me.) What I come up with is generally nothing fancy, and usually ends up somewhat Italianesque in nature. (Although Marcella Hazan probably wouldn�t agree. Fortunately, I�m only cooking for Science Girl and myself.) You go with what you know, and that�s the style in which I feel most comfortable.

It helps to remember to add salt. For some reason it seems to slip my mind fairly often, resulting in OK but sorta bland chow. I now keep a huge box of kosher salt on the counter while I�m cooking, so it�s in my way and I won�t forget. Seriously, it's the size of a small two-bedroom cottage. So far it�s made a vast improvement, and if I ever empty the box we�ll have a vacation home.

I tend to rely on a lot of the same herbs over and over. (Oregano, basil, and rosemary are the big three.) They�re what I�m comfortable using since I know them pretty well, but I�m afraid I�m gonna end up boring SG�s palate. By the same token, I don�t wanna just start throwing weird herbs into my cooking just for the sake of variety, because you can end up with some really nasty-tasting stuff that way. If I vary some of the other ingredients I should be able to work around my workhorse herbs. For example, I found a ten-year-old bottle of balsamic vinegar in the back of the cabinet on Sunday; adding a little to a chicken-tomato dish I was making really brightened the flavor. (To be truthful, I probably saw somebody do something similar on one of the cooking shows I watch, because I don�t think I would have come up with the phrase �brightened the flavor� on my own.)

Using a recipe is a fun way to try new dishes and techniques, but I�m also having a blast making it up as I go along.

(Not lunch per se, Jon, but it worked.)

bmarkey 4/15/2003 10:22:00 PM