KITHCHEN THOUGHTS - The "Go To" Room

Kitchen tools

The other day I caught a glimpse of the movie "Panic Room" and thought, gee...I don't exactly have one of those....I have something better. 

That "something better" can be summed up in two words...my kitchen.  It may not be equipped with the latest weapons or have sensors and cameras going to every opening, but what it offers in comfort far outweighs the latest techno-security gadgets.  At least in my books anyway.

This world's going to do what it's going to do, regardless of my defenses - or lack thereof.  I refuse to live my life in fear, refuse flatly to allow the misbehavior of a few loons to interfere with my pursuits.

That's not to say I won't stand up for a good cause.  Quite the contrary.  I can be a tiger when necessary.

There is a lot of anger in the streets.  People are occupying city parks, protesting in front of banks and stock exchanges. Some of me thinks I should be out there, like the old days, marching with my peers. But a lot of me is confused.  What am I fighting against?  What am I fighting for?  Those questions don't seem to have answers that are as clearly defined as in the'60s. Remember?  That's when we got our heads and backs beaten for the causes of Civil Rights and ending the "War" in Vietnam.

My "go to" room

I believe in change.  Change is part of life. I know we're a young country and we're bound to go through a number of changes...but I say we need to tread carefully.   We need to learn from our past as well as dream for our future.  We can't give up those unique traits that make us who we are.

We do need to change things...we need a better business ethic. We need to make sure people are investing in our nation instead of just milking it dry.  But we also need to encourage business to do business with and in our country.  That's not gonna happen if we tax 'em to death.  

Everybody is screaming things like "eat the rich."  Okay, then what?  After a while there won't be anybody left but each other.  Will we turn on one another then?  When and where will it end?

These are the thoughts I have at two-thirty in the morning, baking a carrot cake and sipping coffee. Does it matter what I think?  Who knows. But so long as I'm thinking...I'm alive, so there ya go. 

Thanks as always for reading the blog.  Please feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, recipes, pictures and so on.  Enjoy!

Non-Recipe Recipe - Life is more than a cereal

Families and nations are very similar.  From the way each feuds to the way each sometimes finds common ground, one seems to reflect the other.  Such is the nature of things.

"Out of Order" collage by rcw circa 1989

We've come a long way from segregated water fountains, lunch counters, city buses. We've come a long way from being denied jobs or housing because of an Italian or Jewish or Chinese or Japanese name or likeness.  Women have even made strides....although we're still only earning about $.58 on the dollar.

We live in an ironic world. A world in which the bearers of life are treated as second class citizens and murderers are allowed to roam free.  Weird.


But what, you may well ask, does any of this have to do with the price of pasta?  Good question.

To me there's nothing wrong with commerce done right.  Note the "done right" part?  That's important.
Unlike some folk, I believe that it's okay to reward good performance.  I don't believe that poor performance or even downright laziness or insubordination should be rewarded or even tolerated in a professional setting.

I am confused when I hear that poor performing teachers are given tenure.  No wonder our kids can't read!

This continued pattern is costing us, costing us dearly.

"1000 Points of Horror" collage by rcw circa 1989

What's to be done?
Get involved locally.  Even if you don't have kids in school, find out what's going on!  Our future depends on it!
That's a real recipe for change!

If you want to see a bigger view of the collage, click on it and you'll see it larger in a new window.

If you'd like to add a comment, suggestion or recipe, feel free!
Enjoy!

PRODUCT REVIEW - Meatloaf Pan and Meatloaf Recipe

 As if there are not enough kitchen gadgets around already.....!  But then again, are there ever enough?

Some are horrible, wastes of time and money....making one wonder if the inventor ever beat an egg or boiled a kettle of water!

The Perfect Meatloaf Pan in use

Then again, there are those gizmos that make you wonder how you ever survived without them.

Such is the case with this meatloaf pan I ordered through a t.v. add recently.  Called the "Perfect Meatloaf" pan, it comes with instructions for use and care along with a handy little recipe guide. It looked simple, even logical.  A loaf pan with an insert that lifted the food away from accumulating grease.
 How many of us have had to suffer through greasy, soggy, falling apart, stuck to the pan meatloaf?

Putting the meat onto the insert

Well, not with this handy tool!  It really does perform as promised.
As you can see from the photos, the loaf sits on the insert within the pan, cooks the normal amount of time, and comes out solid, maintaining its shape. We like our meatloaf with a tomato or ketchup top (see below), but that's not necessary.  

Also, you can use it for other things....they suggest stuffed peppers....I'll try that some time
Some product use hints: Of course don't use it in the microwave-metal and microwaves don't mix! The manufacturer also recommends to not use it under the broiler.

Placing insert w/ meat in pan

As in all new kitchen gadget purchases, clean the pan and insert with warm, soapy water before the first use and dry it completely before putting on your non-sticking agent (release spray like Pam, margarine or oil).

For now, here's a Meatloaf Recipe.
Please note that you can use beef, ground chicken or turkey, or anything that has the same sort of consistency.   Some folk like to make a nut/tofu loaf....they can be pretty tasty.  I don't know how they'd work with this pan, but if anybody gets one and wants to try it out, let me know!

MEATLOAF BECAUSE....

2 lb ground meat (beef, chicken, etc.)     
salt/low salt
pepper to your liking         
garlic diced
1 egg                                                      
onion diced
1/2 cup breadcrumbs or                         
1/4 to 1/2  rolled oats                            
ketchup  or tomato sauce for top
release spray or oil for pan

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees   Prepare pan and pan insert by spraying all surfaces with release spray or greasing it all with margarine or olive oil

Pretty much combine all ingredients except for the release spray/grease  and ketchup in a large bowl.

Completed meatloaf before removing from pan

You may wish to add more seasonings, it's up to you.   Shape the whole thing into a loaf  and pop it into the pan.  I like to put the ketchup on top of the meatloaf so it cooks into kind of a crust, but it's optional.
 Bake in the oven 45 minutes to 1 hour.   Test by inserting a knife in the center.  There should be some resistance, it should feel firm and the knife should be fairly clean and hot-feeling when you withdraw it.
Enjoy!

Great side-dishes - steamed broccoli, cole slaw, macaroni and cheese....think comfort food!


And don't forget-Meatloaf means Meatloaf Sandwiches for lunch!  YUM! 

In short, I was pleased with the product's ease of use and the fact that it worked as promised.

PRODUCT RATING:
On a scale of one to five mixing bowls, one being YUCK!  five being YUM!
We'll see how it lasts the test of time, but as a new gadget, 
I give the Perfect Meatloaf Pan a rating of five, for performance, quality and truth in advertising.

Adaptability Is The Key...In Food, Life and Surfing

Did you ever have one of those days where nothing seems to be going right, THEN you have to make dinner on top of it all?  Talk about Mercury in Retrograde! I've learned the hard way, the very hard way, to read the signs of a bad day.

Sometimes Duck and Cover can be a very handy tool.

Unless of course cooking's creative process works as a relaxant....which it does for me most of the time. Then I can go all out and produce something wonderful.  But if it starts to go south, I've learned to adapt.

Take a couple of nights ago....it had been a long day; running errands, helping a friend, coming home and trying to do the many things needing to be done.  A lot of the day went okay, at least in the outside world.  Once home, when it was time to tend to my personal things, it all went to crap.

I just missed a very important call, one I'd waited all week to receive and would have to wait 'til the following Monday to get back in touch.   Phone tag, I'm It!  The washing machine decided to have one of it's spells....heck, at that age I'd feel the same way!

The cat box, one of those automatic LitterMaid gizmos, finally died....after seven years of that sort of work, wouldn't you? 

The microwave stopped working mid-cycle, which isn't so bad but I REALLY wanted that cup of reheated coffee!  The oven-a slow one to begin with-decided to not cooperate with my plans for simple baked chicken,  and God only knows what happened to the rice!

"Okay," I said to myself in the middle of the kitchen, "this sucks.  What to do?"  The food had to be saved,
all else would follow. 

The chicken was salvageable, thanks to a nice cast iron skillet and some quick chopping.  Suddenly we were having stir fry. A couple veggies thrown in for color, flavor, texture and nutrition helped round out the dish.

The rice was another matter. It needed some TLC-read Technically Ludicrous Creativity-but I managed to get it un-sticky and un-gloopy by stir frying it too, using some release spray rather than saturating it with butter or grease. Not sure what went wrong with it in the first place, probably too much water or not enough cooking time....or maybe it needed rinsing. Rice can be tricky.

At least the food disaster was averted!  As for the other things, the microwave still needs to be replaced (another seven year old appliance-bought around the same time as the cat box), but I don't depend on it as a primary cooking source so we can wait 'til we save up the money....which may be a while.

The cat box too will need replacing....but we do have one of those "regular" ones for our kitty for the time being. (He is NOT amused).  I guess we're all making adjustments.

Today's entry isn't a recipe, so much as a method....but I wanted to illustrate one of the main points in Cooking and Life - adaptability. It's the true key to survival.  Be it making a meal, planning your next big conquest or just catching a wave on your board....be ready for anything, 'cos it's bound to happen.