Cooking and Your Imagination - Plus a Beef Stew Recipe

No doubt you've often heard people refer to cooking as an outlet for their creativity.  Certainly it can be if you let it.  Cooking makes use of our ability to imagine what certain ingredients will taste like together.  It can be hard sometimes to figure out which tastes go best together, but with experience and a little help from millions of home cooks who've come before you, you'll get quite good at combining flavors.

If you are a fan of watching cooking shows, it is probable that you have a good 'food imagination'.   When you watch watch Chef So-and-So drop garlic into the sizzling pan, you can almost taste it.  When the spices come together you can just about smell their aroma.  You can use this ability to your advantage.  Imagination is an important quality for a cook.  It allows you come up with dishes of you own or customize the recipes you find in books or on the web.  You've probably done this already when you've left out an ingredient you don't like from a recipe and added something you thought would be better.  Even if you think you don't have a good 'food imagination', you know what you like to eat and that is an important thing to know.

The way I see it, learning to cook is like learning to dance.

First you learn about the equipment.  In dance it's your body; You learn how to stretch and how to move.  In cooking it's your utensils, gadgets, kitchen machinery and your pots and pans; you learn to how to use them and make things work.

Next you learn the basics.  In dance you learn the steps one-by-one.  In cooking you learn the various techniques of preparing food like how to chop vegetables or how to sauté. 

Next you get a little experience putting things together.  In dance you learn combination of steps and how to do a few things at the same time like turning while performing a step.  In cooking you learn more advanced techniques that combine skills together like making a roux or a sauce.

After you know all the basics and get a good handle on some of the intermediate things, you can start to improvise.  You use little combinations of techniques you've learned to make something appealing.  Once you've mastered the techniques, you can use what you know to make something truly amazing happen.  However the best things happen when someone who has a mastery of skills uses her imagination to create something exciting and new.

As in dance, the more you practice the better you'll become at different techniques.  The first couple times you try to sauté something could result in something less than desirable.  It happens.  You still eat the food an think of what you'd do differently next time.  In the worst cases, the failed attempt goes in the trash.  It happens even when you are a 'good' cook.

Using your creativity to try to imagine what tastes good together is the same way.  You need to practice it to get good at it.  When I find myself cooking the same thing over and over again, it gets really easy.  It also gets boring.  I like to revisit my old standby recipes and try using new and different flavors once in a while.  You can change the flavor by varying the ingredients, herbs/spices, or cooking methods.  An exercise I like to try is using a standard basic recipe and trying different combinations of herbs each time I make it.

Feeding your mind is a great way to feed your creativity.  For me this involves cooking recipes from certain traditions and then using little combinations from those recipes.  I also pay attention to the flavors that almost always accompany the main ingredient I'm cooking such as meat, chicken or special vegetables.  It can help to have little themes or stories for your seasonings.  This helps you recall groups of ingredients that taste good together. 

Flavors grouped by ethnicity might include:

• thyme, garlic and wine - France
• oregano, basil, garlic and Italian parsley - Southern Italy
• curry, turmeric, ginger and fenugreek - India
• cumin, cilantro, lime and jalapeño - Mexico
• ginger, mint, lime and cilantro - Thailand
  

You can also group things by traditional main dish associations:

• for poultry - parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme (like the song!) and sometimes celery seed or paprika
  
• for pork - parsley, sage and basil
• for white fish - butter, lemon, dill and pepper

By utilizing these combinations and ones like them with basic recipes, you can create very flavorful meals.  The next step is finding basic recipes to use as a springboard for your creativity.

A great source for basic recipes is the The Joy of Cooking.  I use the 1997 version as it has most of the older recipes unchanged from their original state, but includes many ethnic dishes.  What I like about the recipes in this book are the no-nonsense, not jazzed-up versions provided.  These recipes are no-frills and you can add whatever you like.  If I had the older versions of the book, I'd probably use them.  This book is absolute MUST HAVE in the kitchen.  If you don't have a version of this book, I recommend getting one right away.

The following is the basic beef stew recipe from The Joy of Cooking.  I like it because it gives you the technique to build any stew.  My favorite herb to use with this recipe is thyme.  I almost always add red wine when I do.  When I get tired of thyme, I pick another herb from the list and build my changes to the recipe from there.  Here's a few variations:

version 1 - French thyme & wine, leaving out parsnips, extra garlic
version 2 - English thyme (more bitter) & beer, using all veggies but no garlic
version 3 - 1/2 oregano, 1/2 basil, using beer, adding 8 oz sliced crimini mushrooms, no leeks

These variations may seem subtle, but they do produce different results.  Try out your own and see what you like best.  I almost never make the same dish exactly the same.

Basic Beef Stew
 6 to 8 servings 

By altering the vegetables or the proportions, the recipe variations are limitless. For a fresher flavor, add more vegetables or herbs toward the end of cooking.  For a deeper flavor, use a few spoonfuls of Meat Glaze to enrich the sauce.


Pat dry:
2 pounds boneless stewing beef, such as chuck, short rib meat, or bottom round, cut into 2-inch cubes


Season the meat with:
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried herbs (thyme, marjoram, savory, oregano, and/or basil)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper


Dredge the meat with:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour


Shake off any excess flour.  Heat in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat:
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, bacon fat, beef drippings or other fat

Add the meat in batches and brown on all sides, being careful not to crowd the pan or scorch the meat. Remove with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan (add more if needed).

Add:
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped leeks (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (optional)

Cook and cover, stirring often, over medium heat until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes

Add:
2 bay leaves
1/2  to 1 teaspoon of the same herbs used to season the meat
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper


Return the meat to the pot and dd enough to cover the meat at least halfway:
2 to 3 cups beef or chicken stock, dry red wine or white wine, or beer

Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover and simmer over low heat until the meat is fork-tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.


Add:
2 to 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 or 4 boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 35 to 40 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and skim any fat from the surface.  Taste and adjust the seasonings. 


Garnish with:
Chopped fresh parsley

My own additions from time to time:

8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 cup pearl barley
cooked egg noodles
a handful of green beans

Serve with warm rolls and a salad. You can also serve over egg noodles for a nice one-pot meal.  This dish is fun and easy to make.  The results are always a crowd-pleaser.  Give it a try.  :D

The Fabulous Egg

It seems like it wasn't that long ago that eggs were considered to be white orbs of death.  Being chock full of cholesterol, they supposedly caused high cholesterol and all kinds of problems in humans.   However eggs contain HDL cholesterol - the 'good' cholesterol we hear so much about - and have not been found to increase 'bad' cholesterol levels at all. Thankfully these days the egg has resumed its rightful place as a delicious and nutritious part of a good diet.  Among other things eggs contain all kinds of nutrients and a fair amount of omega-3 fatty acids (if the laying hens have been fed a certain diet).

Eggs are a great source of riboflavin, B12, and choline.  They are rich in selenium, lutein, and zeaxanthin (which helps protect the eyes from macular degeneration.)  Eggs abound with vitamins in the B family, along with vitamins A and D.
 
Essential fatty acids are a necessary part of the human diet.  Most Americans could benefit from including more omega-3s in their diet.  It is recommend to eat at least 2 grams of essential fatty acids per day.  Omega-3s reduce the risk of heart disease, increase HDL cholesterol, help control high blood pressure and can even prevent the accumulation of a certain protein in the body linked to Alzheimer's Disease.

Although fish oils and flax seed are usually considered to be the best source of Omega-3 fatty acids, not everyone likes those foods or knows how to include them in their diet.  People should probably still try to pursue sources of Omega-3 other than eggs, but eggs can help boost your intake.

To get the most nutritional value out of an egg, you need to start with the hen.  Hens that are fed the standard commercial diet and kept in crowded cages simply cannot provide eggs worth much nutritionally.  Hens that are fed improved diets augmented with flax seed, greens or insects are much more likely to pass those nutrients on to you.

If you've looked around any large grocery store lately, you've likely been dazzled by the variety of egg designations there are.  They refer mostly to diet and to the conditions under which a chicken has been raised.  It is important to note that there is little government regulation of these designations and that they have been adopted voluntarily by the egg producers.  Here's a quick guide to the most common designations:

Cage-free hens: Hens that have not been kept in cages.  There is nothing else that can be inferred from this designation.

Free-range hens: This is a tough one.  Free-range essentially means that the chicken is given access to the outdoors.  However, there is no regulation of when this happens or for how long.  Since chickens develop the habits they keep throughout life when very young, if they are not given access to the outdoors before a certain period of their life they will not do so.  There is no guarantee that a free-range chicken has ever seen the light of day.

Humanely-raised: "This is a totally unregulated definition, although organizations are springing up to try to come up with common definitions. The most prominent organization, Humane Farm Animal Care, has a certification process, which includes no cages, and hens having at least 1.5 square feet of floor space. Free-range hens must have outside access, and doors to the outside "must allow more than one hen at a time to exit". De-beaking is allowed, but some of the more barbaric practices common to traditionally-raised hens (such as "forced moulting" where hens nearly at the end of their laying are deprived to food, water, and light for days to weeks to produce one more bout of egg-laying) are not." - Laura Dolson

Natural or All Natural: This simply means “no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed.” This refers only to the finished product, not the animal while living.  Again as this designation is not regulated, anyone can put it on their packaging. This claim has no clout.

Vegetarian fed: Refers only to an animal’s diet and does not guarantee the animal was pastured or raised humanely.  It does not equal organic, as feed can be treated with commercial fertilizers and pesticides.

Organic eggs: Unlike the other designations, this one is regulated by government.  Organic eggs may only be called organic if the hens are fed a diet of organic feed (feed produced without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers) and have not been treated with antibiotics or hormones.

Pastured or pasture-raised hens: According to the USDA Trade Descriptions, "birds are raised outdoors using movable enclosures located on grass and fed an organic diet (without hormones or non-organic additives) and/or raised without antibiotics (drugs that are intended to prevent or treat animal illnesses)".

Pasture-raised hens are able to eat a wide variety of the natural food of chickens -- greens, grubs, etc. These eggs are typically the most nutritious and not surprisingly the tastiest.  Of all the designations, this is probably the most important and the most rare.

You can read more about these designations here: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/poultry

As with any cooking, the quality of the ingredients directly affects the quality of the finished product.  Use the best ingredients available as often as you can.  After all, you are what you eat.  Eat well and your body will show it.

To celebrate the awesome egg, I'll show you my cheater's technique for making the perfect omelet.  It involves none of the flipping that trips most people up.  With a little practice, you'll be making amazing omelets to rival those found in restaurants.

Today's recipe: Super Easy Nice 'n' Cheesey Omelet
Ingredients
2 organic eggs (preferably from pastured hens)
shredded organic Parmesan cheese (or any cheese you prefer)
1 teaspoon milk
1/2 tablespoon butter
salt
pepper
 Equipment
non-stick oven-safe omelet pan or small skillet (with a metal handle - no plastic parts!)
oven with broiler function
stove top

Turn oven broiler to high.  Heat butter in the pan over medium heat on the stove top until it melts.  Meanwhile lightly beat two eggs and add the milk.  When the butter has melted, swirl it about in the pan so that the bottom and sides are coated.  Pour the egg mixture into the pan.  As it cooks, the egg will start to bubble up and set. Let it cook for about 3 minutes or until the bottom just begins to brown.  Do not burn the bottom of the egg!  Add a small handful of Parmesan cheese to taste, sprinkling evenly over the omelet. Transfer the pan to the oven and broil until cheese is completely melted and the egg is no longer liquid (about 2-3 minutes).  Remove from the oven using a pot holder or oven mitt.  Use a spatula or fork to loosen the omelet from the pan and slide it onto a plate.  If you've done things correctly, the omelet should easily slide out of the pan.  Add salt and pepper to taste, fold in half and serve immediately.

Variation
1 - For bigger appetites or to serve without accompaniments, you can make this omelet with three eggs.  Just add another egg, no need to change anything else.
2 - Before starting your omelet, chop up some of your favorite veggies like onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, spinach or tomato.  You don't need a whole lot.  Saute them in a separate pan and set aside.  Add veggies when you add the cheese to the omelet, distributing them evenly.  Broil the omelet as usual and you have a perfect veggie-cheese omelet. 

 Images courtesy of public-domain.zorger.com

Ways to Enjoy Veggies Pt 1 - Roasting

Let's get to the fun part, shall we?  I'm talking about the recipe part.  I'll be sharing my favorite recipes from the web, from cookbooks and from my family.   After all, what fun is a blog about food if you can't eat what you are learning about?

There is no question that vegetables in general are pretty darn good for you.  Almost everyone could benefit from eating more of them.  I am lucky enough to have been raised eating lots of fresh veggies straight from the garden.  I've almost always liked all the ones that people typically dislike: broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts and lima beans.  In fact there are few veggies which make me as happy as the ones I just listed.

However, I know there are quite a few people out there who loathe everything I just mentioned and shudder at the thought of eating anything that didn't run around on four legs.  While I can't guarantee I can convince you to try them if you really really hate vegetables... I can give you ways to cook them that might be a bit more palatable.

One sure-fire way to make almost any veggie tastier is oven roasting.  Roasting is basically cooking a vegetable without any liquid, save for a light coating of oil to keep the tender flesh from charring.  It's super-easy and the results are undeniably delicious.  You'll need a baking sheet, roasting pan or pizza pan for most recipes,  and the veggies of your choice along with some type of vegetable oil.

Roasted  Carrots
2-4 large carrots, peeled and trimmed but left whole or cut into 1-inch chunks*
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss carrots with olive oil until lightly coated.  Sprinkle with a little salt.  Arrange oiled carrots on a baking sheet or roasting pan (or whatever shallow flat oven safe metal pan you have).  Cook the carrots in the oven for about 20 minutes and then check on them.  The carrots are done when easily pierced with a fork.   Don't be afraid to let the carrots brown on the edges - they can get quite sweet.  Serve immediately.

*If you have very thick carrots it could take longer for them to cook.  If you want to speed up the cook time, slice in half lengthwise.


Roasted Brussels Sprouts
1 pound brussel sprouts
4-6 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Trim bottom of brussels sprouts, and slice each in half top to bottom. Toss brussels sprout halves in half the oil.  Heat the remaining oil in cast-iron pan over medium heat until it shimmers; put sprouts cut side down in one layer in pan.  Sprinkle with salt.

Cook, undisturbed, until sprouts begin to brown on bottom (10-15 minutes, sometimes less) and then transfer the whole pan to the oven.  Roast until sprouts start to brown and are tender when pierced with a fork (about 1/2 hour.)  If you like, you can roast them a bit longer - until they are quite brown.

Remove pan from the oven, taste a sprout, and add more salt and a bit of pepper if necessary.  Transfer to a glass dish and serve.  They are best served warm, although they are eaten quite happily at room temperature or even chilled.

I often bring this dish to potlucks and dinners and get people who don't like brussels sprouts to try them.  They are shocked to discover a salty-sweet little cabbage with a hint of bitterness.  Most folks like them and wind up eating a bunch.  I'm always surprised at how many people really love them when prepared this way and in many cases we run out of sprouts well before any other veggie.

If you're feeling adventurous, you can include whole peeled cloves of garlic when roasting brussels sprouts.  You can also try sprinkling the roasted sprouts with balsamic vinegar.

There are tons and tons of roasted vegetable recipes out there.  The most frequently roasted vegetables include potatoes, onions, carrots, brussels sprouts, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, eggplant, and sweet potatoes.  Pick your favorites and look for recipes.

Roasting is fun, easy and delicious.  You'll find veggies are way more flavorful and sweet than you ever thought.  Enjoy!