Katie Stew

A rich, simmering blend of my favorite things

December 14, 2017
by katie
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Spaghetti and Meatballs

This recipe was in the October issue of Bon Appetit. In fact, it was their cover story. I was flipping through the pages and from across the room, my man saw the cover and said, “Are you making that tonight?”. I didn’t that night, but I have since.  Twice.

Image from Bon Appetit

These meatballs are good. Really good. Definitely better than average. If you don’t have an Italian grandmother that has been passing the recipe down for generations, with this recipe, you can pretend you do. This could be your ticket to Sunday Italian dinner heaven. The meatball mixture includes prosciutto and ricotta cheese. They taste rich and are tender without being too soft or too hard. They pack great flavor into a nice package, and the sauce is super simple and classic.

This recipe is a keeper. Great for a Sunday dinner, (because the cook time is long, but it is mostly hands off). It is fancy enough for a dinner party and also freezes really well. This is a great recipe to double and set aside half in the freezer for a cold lazy day. Don’t be intimidated by the long recipe. The ingredients are largely spices and the instructions are just overly long. It really is a simple, classic dish.

And hey, if you want to make it even easier, skip the step where you brown the meatballs in a skillet. Instead, bake them on that cookie sheet you already have them on. 425 for about 15 minutes should give you a nice browned exterior. Then you can just plop them in the sauce. One less dirty pan! They don’t need to be cooked through. You are just trying to give them some color and crust. You can even just turn on the broiler for a minute or two if the baking didn’t get you there.

I’ve linked to the original article below. They served it with an Italian salad, which I also made and thought was delicious. The dressing was a little heavy on the oregano for me, but I ate it all without a complaint.

Spaghetti and Meatballs- Bon Appetit 2017

Tomato Sauce

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 sprigs basil
  • 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Meatballs and Assembly

  • 3 thick slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
  • 2 large eggs, beaten to blend
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup fresh whole-milk ricotta
  • ¼ cup finely chopped prosciutto
  • ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan, plus more
  • ¾ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
  • 1 pound ground beef chuck, preferably 20% fat
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more
  • 12 ounces spaghetti
  • Torn basil (for serving; optional)

RECIPE PREPARATION

Tomato Sauce

  • Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-low. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until a few pieces are golden brown around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add basil sprigs and stir to wilt. Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you go, and their juices; season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high; bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and flavors have concentrated, 60–75 minutes.

  • Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

Meatballs and Assembly

  • Run bread under cold running water until completely soaked. Firmly wring out to expel as much water as possible. Finely chop, then mix in a large bowl with eggs, garlic, ricotta, prosciutto, parsley, and ⅓ cup Parmesan.

  • Finely grind fennel seeds in spice mill or with mortar and pestle (If you have neither, just chop very finely); add to bread mixture along with oregano, nutmeg, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and 1¼ tsp. salt. Mix well (it should resemble a coarse, wet paste). Add beef and break up into small pieces (a couple of forks work well). Mix gently with your hands until smooth and ingredients are evenly incorporated; be careful not to overmix.

  • Lightly oil your hands. Working one at a time, scoop out portions of meat mixture with a ¼-cup measuring cup; roll gently between your hands into balls. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet.

  • This is the point where you should get the sauce reheating, if needed, so it’s warm by the time you add the meatballs.

  • Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium. Add half of the meatballs and cook, turning and rolling occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Add meatballs to warm sauce. Repeat with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and remaining meatballs.

  • Cook meatballs in sauce (they should be mostly submerged) at a gentle simmer, carefully scraping bottom of pot and adding a splash of water if sauce begins to stick, until meatballs are cooked through and tender and sauce tastes rich and meaty, 40–50 minutes.

  • Transfer meatballs to a clean baking sheet; cover with foil to keep warm. Pluck out and discard basil from sauce. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to break up any large pieces of tomato and smooth out sauce. Transfer 2 cups sauce to a small bowl; set aside for serving.

  • Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Using tongs, transfer to pot with sauce. Gently stir, adding pasta cooking liquid by the tablespoonful as needed, until sauce coats pasta. Transfer spaghetti to a serving dish and top with meatballs and 1 cup reserved sauce. Sprinkle with more Parmesan and serve with some basil (if using) and remaining sauce alongside for topping.

  • Do Ahead: Meatballs can be formed 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Meatballs can be cooked in sauce 3 days ahead; let cool, then cover and chill.

November 14, 2017
by katie
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Crusty Baked Shells and Cauliflower

I am obsessed with this recipe.

I have made it twice in the last two weeks and barely shared it with anyone. My man was out of town for work for much of the past two weeks and this is what I lived on. I happily had it for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner. It was a little bit out of control.

But it is delicious!

I couldn’t even take a picture before I dug right into it. Aaaaannnnd was too busy eating it to remember to take any later.

And it is such an interesting recipe. It is about half pasta and half cauliflower, with way more sage than it seems reasonable. But, trust. The sage is not overwhelming. It just makes the whole dish taste earthier. And capers in a macaroni and cheese? I never would have thought of it. But it brings a salty brightness to the flavor that keeps it from being heavy. The lemon zest brightens it as well.

Look at that sexy close up.

The recipe listed below is the original Ina Garten version from the “Cooking for Jeffery” cookbook. (Man, that Jeffery is one lucky man.) The first time I made it was about a year ago for Thanksgiving. And for the record, I’m making it again this year. I loved it then. I love it now. When I first made it 2 weeks ago, I found myself thinking about dinner, with a head of cauliflower in the fridge and some ricotta that needed to be used. I remembered this recipe. I didn’t have any Fontina in my fridge, but I did have some cheddar. I figured, what the hell? So, I substituted the cheddar for the Fontina, used a little extra ricotta, and cut the sage in half. It was awesome.

When I made it again a week later, I followed the original recipe so that I could get a reminder of what it was supposed to be. And because I just wanted to eat it again. The Fontina makes for a creamier dish. The cheddar is a stronger flavor and the pasta gets crustier. I would recommend trying the original recipe and going from there. It is a great base to experiment off of. And, it is really easy to make!

Some further variations I discovered:

I made this with whole wheat pasta and it turned out great. It was an easy substitution that made me feel like I was practically eating a health food.

The recipe calls for you to sauté the cauliflower in a separate pan. I’m lazy and only wanted to dirty one dish. So, in one version, I used my large dutch oven pot, brought water to boil, and simply boiled the cauliflower with the pasta. Drained them both, and tossed both back into the dutch oven. Tossed in everything else and it was ready to go! Only one dirty pan! Granted, you don’t get quite the same texture in the cauliflower when you do it this way, it is softer and you don’t get as much caramelization. But, I didn’t think it made a significant difference to the final product, because when you bake it, you get so much crispiness built in anyways.

I hope you try this dish and enjoy it as much as I do.

Crusty Baked Shells and Cauliflower- by Ina Garten

  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 pound medium shells, such as Barilla
  • Good olive oil
  • 2 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cut into small florets (1 large head)
  • 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh sage leaves
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups freshly grated Italian Fontina Val d’Aosta cheese, lightly packed (10 ounces with rind)
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) fresh ricotta
  • 1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread flakes)
  • 6 tablespoons freshly grated Italian Pecorino cheese
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°

Step 2

Fill a large pot with water, add 2 tablespoons of salt and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to the instructions on the package. Since it will be baked later, don’t overcook it! Drain and pour into a very large bowl.

Step 3

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium-high heat, add half of the cauliflower in one layer and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the florets are lightly browned and tender. Pour the cauliflower, including the small bits, into the bowl with the pasta. Add 3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the sauté pan, add the remaining cauliflower, cook until browned and tender and add to the bowl.

Step 4

Add the sage, capers, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper to the bowl and stir carefully. Stir in the Fontina. Transfer half of the mixture to a 10 x 13 x 2–inch rectangular baking dish. Spoon rounded tablespoons of ricotta on the pasta and spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top. Combine the panko, Pecorino, parsley and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until browned and crusty on top. Serve hot.

July 16, 2017
by katie
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Chicken Adobo

Chicken Adobo is brilliant. If you’ve never heard of it, I am hear to bring you the good news! Adobo is a classic Filipino dish that basically consists of chicken braised in soy sauce and vinegar. There are as many different takes on Adobo as there are people who make it. Every family has their own recipe, and probably all would argue that theirs is the best. There was even a fun article recently in Bon Appetit about why Chicken Adobo is the Greatest Recipe of All Time.

I’ve fallen in love with it recently for a number of reasons.

#1. It is super easy to make. No really. You can’t really get much easier. One pot. Add it all. Push a button. Magic happens. And even if you don’t have a Insta-pot, your slow cooker or your oven will do the same thing. I love one pot meals.

#2. It is good for you! There is nothing questionable in this dish. Nothing processed or fatty. Just chicken, soy, and vinegar with some seasoning. Granted, if you are watching your sodium levels, this much soy sauce may not be ideal, but for the rest of us, dig into some chicken piled high on a plate of brown rice and you have a light, delicious meal.

Spices for a cheesecloth bundle.

#3. I love how tangy it is! The first time I made this, I had no sugar in it and I loved it. But my boyfriend said it was too tangy and prefers a little sweetness. I get it. So now I add a little brown sugar. But, I love how bright and different it tastes from other chicken dishes in my routine.

Ok. Before I go on. I’m going to have to talk about my InstaPot. I’m sorry if you have friends who have bombarded you with tales already about how much they love theirs, but I have to share. I love this device. It is so handy! If you are unfamiliar with the InstaPot phenomenon, there is a line of electric pressure cookers on the market that has developed an intense following as of late. It is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and rice cooker all in one, with a bunch of other functions as well. I’ve had mind for about a year now and use it about once a week. You can make beans from dry in an hour! No soaking required. And that, is pretty darn cool.

Anyways, this recipe is for the InstaPot. But you can just as easily make it in a slow cooker, or a dutch oven. Just adjust the time up and cook until meat is very tender.

Chicken Adobo

  • 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 TB brown sugar
  • 1 tsp peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 dried chilies
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 4 drumsticks and 4 thighs
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch (optional)

Add chicken to Instapot. Pour liquids over. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Create cheesecloth package with peppercorns, bay leaves, chilies, and garlic. Cheesecloth is optional. You can certainly just add all ingredients directly into pot, but it is just simpler for serving if you don’t have to search around for the bay leaves later. Add package to the Insta-pot.

Seal and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Remove chicken and cheesecloth bundle. Whisk in cornstarch, one TB at a time, and sauté until desired thickness. The cornstarch is entirely optional. I just like giving the sauce a little more body to stick to the rice. So start with a little and see how you like it.

Serve with rice. Be sure to pour over some extra of the delicious sauce.

June 25, 2017
by katie
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Turkey Burgers

Hello Summer.

We are experiencing a heat wave in Seattle. It will hit 90 degrees today. Now, for much of the country, that isn’t so bad considering the crazy weather/heat elsewhere. But, in Seattle, where no one has air conditioning, it’s a thing. I’m holed up in my house today with all the drapes pulled, trying to keep the cold air in and the hot air out.

So let’s talk about summer food!

For me, summertime=grilling. And, since I’m trying to focus on leaner meats lately, I have been exploring turkey burgers.

Turkey burgers tend to be kind of dry and boring. These are not. I’ve tried a couple of recipes and have come up with something that I think is just awesome. They are juicy and flavorful. I promise.

First of all, I’ve got to share. I’m really into Mama Lil’s Goathorn peppers. I think that they make everything better. They are tangy, just a little spicy, and garlicky. I’ve bee putting them on pizzas, in pasta, on sandwiches, and now in my turkey burgers. You can find them at Whole foods, on Amazon, or through their website. If you can’t find them, or aren’t interested, just use roasted bell peppers, chopped up.

The fresh spinach in the burger releases liquid when cooked, which helps keep the burger nice and juicy.

You’ll love how these turn out. And if you throw them on a whole wheat bun, you’ve got a healthy, low fat, high fiber dinner that will satisfy those burger cravings. And it is super easy!

Turkey Burgers

  • 1 lb turkey
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 TB chopped Mama Lil’s Goathorn peppers
  • 1 cup chopped fresh spinach

Combine all ingredients, form into 3 patties. Grill until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Eat and enjoy!

June 23, 2017
by katie
0 comments

Home again

Hello there Stranger.

It’s me. It’s been awhile.

I think the hardest part of coming back to the blog is knowing how to start. It has been just over a year since I posted anything. That is hard to wrap my head around. ANYTHING! A little bit of procrastinating here and there followed by long patches without inspiration and then not knowing how to restart. And here we are. A year.

A year used to feel like a long time. But it seems the older I get the faster the time flies. I understand what that means a little better now. So much has happened in the last year!

One of my dearest friends had her first child and we recently celebrated his first birthday. It has been such a joy to witness that experience for people that I love.

The presidential election happened. Yeah, that was a thing. I was all excited on election day. I had made myself something special for dinner, braised short ribs in wine with buttery noodles. I was going to drink wine and watch the first woman be elected president. And that didn’t happen.

I have not had short ribs since.

The world feels upside down and backwards in a lot of ways. I keep thinking that any day now I’ll wake up from the Twilight Zone that I’ve been living in. But, each day the sun rises (kinda. I do live in Seattle.) and I move on as best as I can. I find it interesting to talk to people about how they are coping with reality these days. I went through a few months (not totally out of them yet to be clear) where all I wanted to do was watch RuPaul’s Drag Race and home improvement shows. I still can’t listen to Democracy Now anymore. I used to every morning. Other coping tricks I’ve heard: Romance novels, Hallmark channel movies, news blackouts.

I participated in the Women’s March in Seattle. It was a great experience to be with so many other people, showing our support to each other and to causes that we care about. It felt good. I just wish that it had been more.

Summer has arrived in Seattle. I have been a little obsessed with my garden. I’ve been putting in a lot of hours outside trying to create the oasis that exists in my mind. My roses are in bloom. I planted a cherry tree. Jasmine is growing up my fence.

I’ve been working. Cooking. Creating new dishes. But interestingly, the thing that has made me most inspired with food lately has been a diet.

Did she just say diet!?

I did. I know. I don’t even like that word. The connotations are so negative. But, I decided a few months ago that I needed to be healthier. When you work with food every day, turns out it is easy to pack on a few extra pounds. I know! Shocking. But, when I decided to buckle down and do something about it, I knew that most diet plans wouldn’t work for me. I like food! I’m a chef! I am certainly not going to start drinking meal replacement smoothies or any such nonsense as that. So, I made myself a list of things to focus on to make more reasonable food choices. And so far, success.

Also, a friend pointed out the importance of “cheat days” to me. So, I will be good all week long, follow the diet, and then on Sunday, I can have whatever I want. Most Sundays, it is fried chicken for lunch and a cheeseburger for dinner.

I’m just trying to find some balance.

With the food limitations that I have placed on myself, I have found a number of great new recipes that are healthy and delicious. I look forward to sharing some of them soon.

So, I’m back. Here I am. Home again. Here we go. I’ve done the hard part. Now let’s cook.

June 17, 2016
by katie
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Grilled Vegetable Crudité

It is summertime! Or at least spring. Or at least there are probably some nice, sunny days wherever you are. Here in Seattle, the spring has been weird. Uncertain. Inconsistent. Last week it went from 90 degrees on one day, to 60 degrees three days later. I was running around putting all my big comforters in storage and then a few days later, was shivering under my summer blankets.

But, I’m only complaining a little bit. I’m sure in a few months I’ll be longing for these temperate 60 degree days. In the meantime, nice weather means bbqing and grilling in the yard. Simple parties with your friends. Light, refreshing cocktails. A market full of beautiful fresh vegetables.

So today I want to talk about easy parties. Roasted veg cruditeA few weeks ago I put together this spread for snacking while my man had ribs slow cooking on the grill. Because the grill was occupied, I did most of this in my grill pan on the stovetop. But whether you do it inside or out, a simple grilled vegetable platter is a great thing to throw together for those last minute parties. You want to be spending your time outside with your friends and a margarita, not inside working away at complicated snacks!

So, here is a breakdown for a beautiful (if I do say so myself) and simple spread.

From the store: nuts, grapes, fancy olives

For the grill (or grill pan): sweet peppers, zucchini, asparagus, mushrooms

For the stove: green beans, potatoes

Grill:

Rub down peppers, zucchini, and asparagus with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until marks appear. You don’t have to cook these to death. They are best with a little crunch left in them. Squeeze a lemon over the zucchini and asparagus when you take them off the grill (or lemon pepper if you don’t have a real lemon on hand. There is nothing wrong with lemon pepper! It is awesome to keep on hand.)

For the mushrooms, also rub with olive oil, salt and pepper, and grill. When you take them off the grill, drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar and toss.

Stove:

I know! You don’t want to turn on the stove when it is so hot out. But, it will only take a minute. Add potatoes to a pot and cover with water. Boil until potatoes are soft. Use a spider skimmer or any slotted spoon to remove potatoes to a bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. If you have any fresh herbs around, roughly chop and toss those in too. Then, with the water you ALREADY HAVE BOILING, toss in the green beans for 2-3 minutes, until they turn bright green. Drain and toss with olive oil and some lemon pepper.

Arrange all beautiful things on a platter and set out for your guests to graze on. They won’t be disappointed. In fact, they’ll ask how you made all the vegetables taste so fabulous. The answer?

Salt and summer.

May 31, 2016
by katie
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Best Corn Ever

The other day I saw this video on Facebook and my mind was blown. So this Memorial Day weekend, I followed through and made an amazing discovery. I am about to share with you the best corn ever.

IMG_3258Apparently this isn’t a big deal to many people, who have been in on this secret forever. I was telling a coworker about my revelatory experience and she was all casual saying, yeah, there is a place by my house that only sells roasted corn covered in cheese. Turns out this is a staple snack in much of Latin America. And I’m telling you, I have been missing out. And if you are not familiar with this trick, you are missing out too. Why didn’t anyone tell me!?

No point mourning the missed corn opportunities of the past. Let’s talk future. 
IMG_3259Basically, you roast corn on the grill, getting a little bit of a char in spots. Then, you brush it with mayonnaise and sprinkle with cheese.

What!? I know. Amazing. The mayo gives it a bit of creaminess and the cheese is nice and salty. I kicked it up a notch by making a Sriracha mayonnaise and loading it with Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. I tried two different types of cheese, and sampled them both. Don’t you worry. I was happy to take the bullet for the sake of research.

The picture above is corn with parmesan reggiano. The corn below has crumbled queso fresco. Now don’t get me wrong, there is no right or wrong answer here. I mean, grilled corn with Sriracha mayo and cheese is going to be good. But, after the sampling, the votes were tallied and the queso won the hearts of the judges. It was so salty! It really was divine. But, if you were doing a more Italian dinner, the parmesan would be great. IMG_3260I have not a single measurement for you in terms of a recipe. But I’ll give you a basic breakdown.

Mix a healthy scoop of mayonnaise with a healthy squeeze of Sriracha. Grind some black pepper in there and a healthy shake of Tony Charchere’s Creole Seasoning. If you don’t have any in your cabinet, grab some at the store. It is good on everything. Especially great for grilling.

IMG_3253Stir it up! IMG_3254Grill your corn and then slather it with the mayonnaise mixture. 
IMG_3257Cover with cheese of your choice and enjoy!

I can’t wait to eat this all summer long. I’m so excited!

May 20, 2016
by katie
0 comments

Grapefruit with Mint

I tried to google quotes involving “simplicity” and found myself immediately overwhelmed.

Sometimes writing is hard.

Anyways, I was just looking for an elegant way of saying that simplicity can sometimes be a lovely thing.

There. That wasn’t so hard, now was it Katie? I don’t need a famous person to agree with the statement that simplicity can be lovely.

I must need some more caffeine today. grapefruit mintAnyways, a few nights ago I wanted something sweet to round out my evening. My freezer door had accidentally been left open a few nights previous, and I’d had to throw out all my ice cream. And that is a sad experience. I had no sweet treats in the house! No cookies or brownies or ice cream. But I did have one sad little grapefruit on the counter that I had purchased the week before in one of those surges of good intentions where I was sure I’d start waking up earlier to eat healthy breakfasts.

Obviously, that hadn’t happened or the grapefruit would not have still been on the counter. I don’t know about anyone else, but I have a hard time getting up any earlier in the morning than I have to. I want to get up in just enough time to get ready and out the door. Most mornings, I’d rather hit the snooze button than sit at the table with half a grapefruit and read the news. But I have to say, when I do, I feel like a real grownup. GrapefruitSo there I am, looking for a treat, seeing the lone grapefruit and figuring, why not?

And really, I should do this more often. I segmented the fruit, tossed it with plenty of white sugar (it was very tart), and clipped some fresh mint from my front yard over the top. And it was a delightful, palate-cleansing, pre-bedtime treat.

If you don’t know how to segment citrus fruits, check out this simple video. It isn’t a hard process, but just one that feels like a lot of trouble for some reason. It’s really not. I promise. grapefruitsNo recipe here. Segment grapefruit, season with sugar to your preference, fresh mint. Yummy.

Have a happy Friday.

 

May 17, 2016
by katie
0 comments

Ramen!

Like I said last week, I’m totally into ramen right now. Mmmmm… Just writing that makes me think I should get some for dinner tonight. Sounds like a plan!

I’ve recently started experimenting to see if I can accomplish a fair version at home. First round, I’m going to call it a success. Ramen

Was it perfect? Nope. Was it good? Yes.

The recipe I used described this as a basic ramen broth and that is what it was. Basic. Easy, yummy, but lacking the amazing depth and range that a true ramen house can give you. And you know what? That’s ok.

(for now anyways)

I plan to explore this ramen thing further. But in the meantime, I can make a pretty good bowl and you know what? So can you. When I said this was easy, I was not kidding. Slow cooker easy. Only thing? You probably want to make it the day before you want to eat it. I’ll explain.

Ramen Soup

 Pork Ramen Noodle Bowl

  • 3 lb bone in pork butt
  • 2 square inch cube ginger
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 1/4 lb crimini or button mushrooms
  • 4 green onions
  • soy sauce- for seasoning
  • Sriracha- for seasoning
  • fresh ramen noodles or spaghetti noodles (You can usually find fresh stir fry noodles near the herbs in the grocery store. These are perfect.)
  • eggs
  • additional green onion for garnish

Load up your crock pot with pork, ginger, onion, garlic, mushrooms, green onions, and the cover with chicken stock. Cook on high for 5 hours. Cool overnight.

Next day, remove and discard the solid fat that has accumulated on top. Then remove the pork butt. Slice the pork across the grain into thin slices. Set aside. Heat stock and strain out solids. Now taste. You will probably want to add a generous glug of soy sauce and Sriracha to taste. (Sriracha if you like it spicy, which I do.)

Now, make soft boiled eggs. Carefully place raw eggs in boiling water and let cook for 7 minutes. Scoop out and run cold water over them. Peel and set aside.

Cook noodles according to directions.

Let’s assemble! In a large bowl, place a generous amount of noodles. Lay on a few slices of the pork. Add a soft boiled egg. Pour hot broth over the ingredients. Top with sliced green onions.

Eat and enjoy!

 

Tips:

You don’t have to wait until the next day to eat, but if you don’t, you will have shredded pork instead of the nice thin slices. After so many hours of cooking, the pork will be fall apart tender. If you are cool with that, shred some up for your ramen. But, if you cool the pork, and cut it cold, you’ll get the pretty slices.

Don’t store cooked noodles in the broth. They’ll get soggy. Just make however many bowls you want at a time and store things separately for leftovers.

That being said, if you store your leftover broth in a pot, the next day you can throw it on the stovetop, get it boiling, toss in your egg and your noodles and cook it all up at once. Just make sure if you have leftover stock after that, that you got all the noodles out, because like I said, soggy.

May 6, 2016
by katie
0 comments

Travels with Myself and Another

The bookclub just wrapped up our second book on the list, “Travels with Myself and Another”, a memoir by Martha Gellhorn.

Gellhorn was a sassy broad. I could pretty much leave it at that, but will share a bit more.925368

Martha Gellhorn was the first female war correspondent. She traveled to China, the Bahamas, and South America during World War 2. She was there with the Allied troops when they stormed the beaches of Normandy, the only woman with the troops. She covered every major world conflict during her 60 year journalism career.

Martha Gellhorn had a strange idea of fun.

Gellhorn was also the third wife of Hemingway, a fact that irked her in later life, as it was always listed as if it was one of her great accomplishments. They met in 1936 and traveled to Spain together to cover the Spanish Civil War. They were married 1940-45. The first story in the book is about her and Hemingway traveling to China during WW2. She refers to him throughout as UC, or, The Unwilling Companion.

In addition to being a journalist at a time where it was not considered an appropriate field for a woman, she was a travel writer, traveling all over the world, often unaccompanied, another shocker for her time.

“Travels with Myself and Another” is a collection of travel stories. But, amusingly, it is a collection of nightmare travel stories. In the introduction, she talks about when she returns from a journey, people never want to talk to her about the good memories of the trip, they want to hear the terrible stories. The stories of stolen baggage, runaway transportation, terrible hotels. There is something about people that just make them love the horror stories. And so, that is what this book is. It is her worst travels, and boy are they epic.

Basically, traveling in the 40s sounded terrible. She tells tales of flying in unpressurized airplanes with extreme turbulence that is making everyone ill. When she tells the pilot she is feeling lightheaded, he said it is normal because there isn’t enough oxygen. That is not what you want to hear from the person flying your plane.

Hotels in remote areas sounded dirty, with limited plumbing and lots of bugs. And being one for cleanliness, Gellhorn complains a lot. In fact, for such a bad ass lady, she really seems to dislike much of the travel experience. I suppose that it speaks to her character that she does it anyways.

Gellhorn writes with a very simple, straightforward style, with beautifully visual language occasionally tossed in. She is very much a tell it like it is gal. But, this was also part of my problem with the book. She tells it like she sees it. And one could argue that for a writer of her time, she was very open minded and liberal, however, from the point of view of this day and age, some of her writing feels a bit racist. There were times when she was describing the people in Africa, or in South America that made me uncomfortable. For example, at one point she talks about how for some reason naked black men don’t look as naked to her as a naked white man would. That they are more natural naked.

Yeesh.

And I’m pretty sure that everyone in Kenya doesn’t smell bad. I mean, come on Martha.

It is hard for me to know how to feel about the book as a whole. There were some funny stories for sure. There were unbelievable scenarios that Gellhorn found herself in. She was obviously a intriguing person and I’m glad that I know a little bit about this character now. But some of her perspectives are outdated and bigoted. I suppose the book should be looked at through the lens of a time capsule. The book gives you a view into what it was like to travel the world before world travel was something that people did. When places that are now major tourist destinations were empty of visitors. When people didn’t understand a woman traveling alone. She paved the way for women in journalism and in travel.

She was a sassy broad.