July 3, 2008
Four Foods on Friday #36
It’s time to talk about food again, folks. This week Four Foods on Friday is all about describing the personality of our cooking. You can join in the fun, too. Answer the questions in a post on your own blog. Post the link in the comments below Val’s post and she’ll do a round-up of all of our answers on Friday.
#1. Name your biggest cooking influence.
That would have to be my mom. She was an adventuresome cook, making up most of her recipes out of her head, the way that I still do. If she heard of a dish that sounded interesting & didn’t have a recipe, she imagined what she thought it might be like and made it. Nero Wolf fans, anyone? The dish Pork Chops and Sour Cream was mentioned in one of his stories. I have no idea what his version was like, but I still make the dish she created with only the name for inspiration.
#2. What is your ultimate comfort food?
Any potato dish, but especially potato soup! I shared a recipe a few months back in my answers to FFoF#15. It’s warm and filling and very “down-home” feeling.
#3. Name one must-have tool that you think every kitchen should have.
Wooden spoons! Give me some wooden spoons, a decent knife and any old pots and pans and I can cook. I love all of my kitchen gadgets and tools, but I must have my wooden spoons!
#4. Share a time saving tip.
Keep the big bags of frozen, boneless, skinless chicken pieces in the freezer. Chicken is so versitile that you can always whip up a quick meal when you have it on hand. I always try to keep some Holy Trinity ready to go, too. That’s the onion, celery and green pepper that are so basic to the New Orleans kitchen. I chop up big batches and then freeze it in portions - about a half-cup each - so I can just grab a chunk or two out of the freezer when I want to make jamblaya or dirty rice or a sauce that calls for it.
[tags]cooking, food, meme[/tags]
Posted by skeet @ 4:34 pm • Food and beverage, Meme
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July 4th, 2008 at 5:13 am, mistipurple Says:
you made me google for ‘dirty rice’.
i also wonder why it’s called ‘holy trinity’. father, son and holy ghost has no semblance to onion, celery and green pepper.
i thought you should be eating ’spam’ everyday.
am i overstaying my welcome? LOL!
July 4th, 2008 at 6:38 am, Anele Says:
I do that too with the whole “ooh that sounds good” and then whip something up based on how you think it would be. Good idea keeping the trinity on hand, I might take that one!
July 4th, 2008 at 6:51 am, narendra.s.v Says:
i really love potatos but not as soup but as curry
July 4th, 2008 at 7:59 am, skeet Says:
Misti, you could have found out all about Dirty Rice right here at my place, lol!
Louisiana is a very Catholic place. Calling the mainstay of their seasoning repertoire “Holy Trinity” is their way of saying it’s as sacred and central to their kitchens as the “other” Holy Trinity is to their faith.
I eat more Spam now than I did before coming to Hawaii, but I’ll always be a Southern cook at heart.
It is not possible to overstay your welcome at my place. Come early, come soon, come often!
July 4th, 2008 at 8:01 am, skeet Says:
Anele, I usually cook for one.Chopping up a whole mess of Holy Trinity makes more sense than trying to do it with a piece of an onion, part of a bell pepper and a single stalk of celery, especially since I know I’ll be needing it again soon anyway.
July 4th, 2008 at 8:02 am, skeet Says:
Narendra, I eat potatoes almost every day.
July 4th, 2008 at 12:32 pm, Karen Says:
I think it is a good idea to fix extra chicken and freeze it. That way you always have some on hand.
July 4th, 2008 at 4:26 pm, Elle Says:
Yup, I’m in there with ya on the holy trinity — got some in a food saver bag in my freezer right now — along with the turkey breast carcass from my last turkey roast, and I KNOW there’s some Savoie’s sausage in there too… sounds like the first gumbo of the season! (gotta wait until it’s time though, too hot to stand over that pot now…)
July 4th, 2008 at 5:05 pm, valmg Says:
I agree. I buy all meats in bulk and break the big packages down into smaller ones and keep them in the chest freezer.
I didn’t know they called those three things the Holy Trinity.
Thanks for playing FFOF.
Stumbled.
July 5th, 2008 at 12:08 am, Heather Says:
I just started freezing green peppers when I get them on sale. I’m so glad to know that this works for someone else too!
Have a great weekend!
July 5th, 2008 at 5:01 pm, corrin Says:
We’re becoming big potato people, too. My new obsession is boiling small red potatoes until they are tender, then mashing them in little heaps on a pan and roasting with olive oil, salt, pepper, and parsley until they are crunchy. Yum!
July 5th, 2008 at 6:26 pm, chili queen Says:
I have chopped up garlic in a container and veggies divided into bags in my fridge, and the meat divided into bags in my freezer.
July 5th, 2008 at 9:03 pm, skeet Says:
Karen, I buy the jumbo bags of skinless, boneless chicken breasts and thighs, so I can pull a single piece out and cook it with no fuss when I want a quick meal. It keeps me from resorting to canned soup or instant meals too often, ya know?
July 5th, 2008 at 9:04 pm, skeet Says:
Oh, Savoi’s sausage! You’re making me homesick, Elle! I can’t eat shellfish, but I used to make a mean gumbo and let others do the taste-testing.
July 5th, 2008 at 9:05 pm, skeet Says:
Yeah, most foods aren’t sold in servings small enough for a singleton household, Val, so buying big packs and breaking them up for th efreezer makes sense. Mahalo for the Stumble!
July 5th, 2008 at 9:06 pm, skeet Says:
Heather, I use Holy Trinity in so many recipes it just makes sense to always have a frozen batch handy.
July 5th, 2008 at 9:07 pm, skeet Says:
Oh, corrin, that sounds delish! I’ll be trying your potatoes soon. Mahalo!
July 5th, 2008 at 9:37 pm, skeet Says:
With what food costs theses days, ChiliQueen, buying bulk is the way to go.
July 6th, 2008 at 10:33 pm, Fun, Crafts and Recipes | What I learned from Four Foods On Friday 36 Says:
[…] Skeet shared the two foods she always keeps in bags ready to use in the freezer to save time and thinks every kitchen should have wooden spoons. […]
July 7th, 2008 at 10:59 am, Charla Says:
I forgot about homemade potato soup. My mother used to make that for me, especially when I was sick. It was sooooo good!
July 9th, 2008 at 2:20 am, DeeBee Says:
I am going to chop up those veggies and freeze them after my next run to the store. That is a great tip! So this really works and they don’t get soggy?