Musings, merely
Happy almost New Year, everyone!!!
I will be the first to admit that I have not been cooking as much as I should, and I want to do better in the new year. For my main Christmas gift this year, my parents got me the Le Creuset that I wanted!! After research on the intrawebs, pestering Williams-Sonoma employees (and everybody else) for info and advice, and some assessment of my needs, I finally decided on this beauty: 6 3/4 quart Oval French Oven in Flame. As billed, tis heavy-as-all-hell. I really like it, though. I have not used it yet (since we had sushi for supper), but I have plans to do coq-au-vin tomorrow for New Year's Day.
For tradition's sake, I guess I'll do a can of Trappey's Black Eyed Peas and some cabbage for good luck. Well, there are two meals that need fixing, so there I am--sorted. Cornbread is also a must, so I'll use my mate's plain old non-enameled cast iron skillet for that. Mama has promised me my grandmother's old cast iron ear-of-corn shaped corn bread pan, but I keep forgetting to bring it home. They make the best cornbread, to me. I think it's b/c there's more crust--my favorite part of most anything. :)
I've been cooking mostly old standbys lately and not too much that's been new or different. Spaghetti, Pot Roast, Tacos, Chili, repeat. In the new year, I plan to eat more fish and to get better with chicken and turkey. I've been eating too much "bad" stuff this holiday season: Trash (Deltaspeak for Chex mix), gingerbread, cookies, candy, and more and worse. One of my favorite newly-discovered seasonal snacks were Grandessas by Bahlsen that I got at Fresh Market right before Christmas. They're imported from Germany and are described thus: Soft gingerbread with wafer and dark chocolate. But Oh! they are so much more. If you see 'em, try it. It's odd, b/c it's gingerbread but it has a crunch b/c of the thin wafer. I was unsure at first, but they won me over. And now no more til next Yule. But, then, that's the way of the holiday treat.
Here's another shot of my new pot. I'm exited. Can you tell? :P
I will be the first to admit that I have not been cooking as much as I should, and I want to do better in the new year. For my main Christmas gift this year, my parents got me the Le Creuset that I wanted!! After research on the intrawebs, pestering Williams-Sonoma employees (and everybody else) for info and advice, and some assessment of my needs, I finally decided on this beauty: 6 3/4 quart Oval French Oven in Flame. As billed, tis heavy-as-all-hell. I really like it, though. I have not used it yet (since we had sushi for supper), but I have plans to do coq-au-vin tomorrow for New Year's Day.
For tradition's sake, I guess I'll do a can of Trappey's Black Eyed Peas and some cabbage for good luck. Well, there are two meals that need fixing, so there I am--sorted. Cornbread is also a must, so I'll use my mate's plain old non-enameled cast iron skillet for that. Mama has promised me my grandmother's old cast iron ear-of-corn shaped corn bread pan, but I keep forgetting to bring it home. They make the best cornbread, to me. I think it's b/c there's more crust--my favorite part of most anything. :)
I've been cooking mostly old standbys lately and not too much that's been new or different. Spaghetti, Pot Roast, Tacos, Chili, repeat. In the new year, I plan to eat more fish and to get better with chicken and turkey. I've been eating too much "bad" stuff this holiday season: Trash (Deltaspeak for Chex mix), gingerbread, cookies, candy, and more and worse. One of my favorite newly-discovered seasonal snacks were Grandessas by Bahlsen that I got at Fresh Market right before Christmas. They're imported from Germany and are described thus: Soft gingerbread with wafer and dark chocolate. But Oh! they are so much more. If you see 'em, try it. It's odd, b/c it's gingerbread but it has a crunch b/c of the thin wafer. I was unsure at first, but they won me over. And now no more til next Yule. But, then, that's the way of the holiday treat.
Here's another shot of my new pot. I'm exited. Can you tell? :P