Cookstr

Well, It's up. For more on me--greedy--check different parts of the web site Bkafka.com

Cookstr.com

I'm very pleased that I will be featured by them on November 16th.

Inspired by Accident

The accidents in this case were the happy one of a visit from a loved friend. The difficult one was his being a vegan and I with just odds and ends in the house. I had beautiful turnips from the farmers' market, but no plan for cooking them. The goddess of cooks must have been feeling friendly. I got a really good recipe out of my stab. Look for it next week in the recipe section of barbara kafka. The other success was a new seasoning of chard. It goes with the leaves. Keep the stalks for another time. If the leaves are large tear them in two, otherwise, use whole. I stir fried them in a little olive oil--they shrink to nothing. They looked good, but somehow were a little flat. I had some candied ginger sitting on the counter. I hopped enough to make three tablespoons this was enough chard to fee four. I add the ginger to the stir fry and cooked a little longer. Very good. This was enough ginger for four ample portions.

Offal Obsession

I return to my last blogs with my usual tenacity. You must tell me if I am talking to myself--a bad sign.
Offal, innards and their many varieties interest me because I like to eat them and have enjoyed them as parts of many regional dishes.Although often to food of the poor, they are also the signature dishes of the foods of many countries. I did mention kidneys, sweetbreads, tongue and others; but a appalled to notice that I left out tripe needed for the New Year's celebration food in Mexico, menudo, and compound dishes such as head cheese (tete de Veau) and haggis. I cannot claim to be equally fond of all of them; but it is impossible to know the cooking of their traditional countries such as the many sausages made with these organ meats or the mixed grills such as kokoretsu.
Now, what do you think? what interests you?

English Innards

I thank Paul Levy for his excellent comment-contribution. Do see my comment. Getting positively Talmudic.

Squeamishness

There was a time when beef tongue, veal tongue, lamb kidneys and sweetbreads were eaten and frequently found on menus, often as treats. They seem to have disappeared from home cooking. I am going to try to bring them back. They are low in fat, high in protein and often delicious. Most of us seem to eat chicken or calve's liver without a qualm; but other meats that proclaim their anatomical origins give many of us the shivers. It's a pity since they add variety to the menu. They are harder to get than they used to be as they are often frozen in bulk or cryovacked in large amounts. Pestering butchers is worth doing not only for ourselves, but also for those who might relish these delicacies.

Kwik Kale

Sometimes there are simple answers to time-consuming problems.
I had a field full of kale and I went at it my uual way.After washing it and removing the thick stems, I lined up the leaves and cut them across into thin strips. I cooked them in two tablespoons of olive oil, tossing frequently. It took quite a long time and some extra water to get soft.Ten cups cooked gave me 4 cups in a food processor.
Epifanay: Four and a half cups raw finely chopped, raw, in a food processor--batches--cooked in two tablespoons oil for forty-five minutes produced 3 cups of equivalent kale with better color and much less work; ideal for soup or creamed.