Now she's one of those obnoxiously talented people who when you ask for a recipe say "oh i just threw some things together and a little while later I got this magically divine dish that tastes like what angels eat". Lovely. I have control issues! Just because I'm not going to follow the recipe doesn't mean I don't need one!! Gah! She also cans. CANS! That mystical thing people in the olden days did. She keeps telling me its not scary but I don't believe her. (I'm working on it though.)
But back to the food.
She said she "chopped up some sweet potatoes, apples and onions. Sauteed the onions then stuck it all in her Le Creuset dutch oven with some butter and cooked it in the oven for a while." Or something like that. So today at the Jewel I bought three sweet potatoes, four apples and one onion. Came home, peeled all the potatoes and realized I really only had space for one in my non Le Creuset baking dish. Damn! So peeled only TWO apples which was perfect and chopped up HALF the onion. I stuck the potatoes and apples in the dish with some butter in a 400 degree oven, sauteed the onion and added it a bit later. Then I tried to be all "relaxed" and "free form" and not set a timer. To just organically let the apples and potatoes cook down, occasionally peering in to watch the beautiful process, really feeling when they were ready...all that hippy cook shit.
I lasted approximately ten minutes until I freaked and set the timer for 20 min. So I'd say it took about 30 min to bake...makes enough to feed two as a side...it tastes as good as it smells. Delicious. Happy memories of a wee kitchen and dear friend ran through my brain, not as good as the real thing but hey, I'll take it. And eat it too.
I was slightly nervous the whole time, wondering if I had forgotten something, messed up the ratios, should be stirring it more?? etc etc. Hopefully the next time I make this dish I'll be less twitchy about going sans recipe...free ballin' it? Is that too much?? Cooking from the gut? Being the Neil Armstrong of chefs? Something like that. I'm not terribly good at being off script in my life so I suppose I'm not surprised it extends into my cooking style, it's certainly something to work on. And comes with tasty rewards!
At the Jewel I also bought some brussels sprouts. They're apparently a winter thing so I've been planning on using some for a while. They looked very fresh today so in a moment of Alice Waters style "being open" I bought a hand-full. I have no idea what I want to do with them other than eat them. So if you people have any suggestions I'd love to hear them. And they'll be a very healthy start to 2011 if you, like me, are beginning a veggie binge after eating the Holidays.
P.S. If you've never checked out what a brussels sprout plant looks like DO. It's freakish and Belgian. Like Poirot.
4 comments:
I literally laughed so hard at this post that I started snorting and made the dog and cat look at me weird. You make my entire life.
I like to roast brussels sprouts in the oven much like the potatoes/ apples/ onions. Cut them in half or quarters (depending on how big they are) and lay them cut side down on the sheet after tossing them in olive oil and salt and pepper. If you want to be totally ridiculous, you can throw some pieces of bacon on the baking sheet with the brussels sprouts - you have to watch them because they'll probably be done before the sprouts are, but stir the sprouts around in the bacon grease after they dry out a bit and then you *really* have something. The sprouts will probably take about 20 minutes to a half hour in a 425 degree oven - just keep checking on them until they are fork-tender.
Happy cooking!
Did it. Just ate a bowl full of roasted sprouts! Tastycakes! A bit dry though...needs bacon grease. Or this balsamic glaze...
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/12/balsamic-braised-brussels-with-pancetta/
I considered giving you a heads up like "ps i just wrote an ode to your awesomeness and posted it on a public blog hope that's not awkward" but didn't! glad you freaked pen and nic!
Luckily, the sidebar with blogs I read updates based on who has posted recently, so I noticed you had a new one up and came to visit. Little did I suspect that it was an ode to sweet potatoes and apples!
I read Paul the bit about the "magically divine dish that tastes like what angels eat." It's good for him to be reminded of my awesomeness. ;)
*loves*
i think my angels eat the brussels sprouts and balsamic version. no bacon of course.
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