Thursday, November 13, 2008

Wintry delights

Despite the fact that the weather isn't very Wintry, I've still been moved to cook a ton of Winter-type dishes.  I cooked coq au vin the other night, and it was really fun to make and really delicious.  I butchered the chicken myself for the first time using my new poulty shears and directions from "All About Braising" by Molly Stevens.  It was pretty easy and very satisfying.  The grossest part was crunching through the bones on both sides of the backbone.  I used the excess fat on the chicken to make some schmaltz, which I am keeping in a jar in my fridge in anticipation of making chopped liver in a few weeks.

Here's Julia Child's recipe for coq au vin.  I consulted this, but ultimately used Molly Steven's recipe.  I used bacon instead of lardons, and I didn't have cognac, so I used wine to deglaze the pan.  I have to get a bottle of cooking cognac so I can light the chicken on fire next time!

Last night I made a variation on a soup using dried cranberry beans from my Marcella Hazan book.  Sautee an onion and some bacon or pancetta until golden.  Throw in chopped whatever you have on hand.  I had purchased kohlrabi at the farmer's market and didn't know what to do with it, so I peeled it and chopped it and threw it in, along with some mustard greens I had sitting around. Throw in a can of plum tomatoes and juice, along with the beans that have been soaking for a day (this is important-I only soaked them for 8 hours and they were too firm even after two hours of cooking-one cup of beans with a bunch of water), salt and pepper.  Simmer for 2 hours.  Really good.  The greens were great in there, you could use collards or kale or whatever. 

 I have been using little bits of Morant's bacon to flavor a lot of my dishes.  I bought a pound of it and split it up and froze it, and I just defrost as needed.

23 comments:

beckler said...

p.s.-I'm trying not to get too excited about it yet, because I don't want to get let down, but did you guys know that HBO is in talks with Kiedis for a TV show based on his childhood?

Anonymous said...

i would be totally "stsagso"* if that were true.--Ed C.

*-verification word, and possible rhcp lyric

BC said...

You know, you don't live very far away from me. If you were a good neighbor, you could totally just drop some of this food off on my porch.

(I should not read your blog before lunch.)

Anonymous said...

So I had this tweed Irish cap that I really liked which I somehow lost between last winter & this winter. I really want another one (though I'll never find one as cool as my old one!) & I'm pretty sure there's an Irish import store in Sac somewhere - is that right? I just walked over to The Building & the one that was there is gone (and for all I know has been gone for years). Is there one by Tower? My impatient Google search didn't lead me anywhere. Or even better, did anyone by chance find my hat? It has ear flaps & the label on the inside is signed by the dude that made it.

-Lord Miller of Herne

Anonymous said...

Hat store in Old Sac?

And when did Steve Mar secede his presidency of the Sacramento Appreciation Society of San Francisco? Are there provisions for a new president?

-charvey

sowdrom: "She got all crazy when I told her she was cut from the cheerleading team. It was like, sowdrom!"

Anonymous said...

I have some ideas here for finding the right cap at the right price:
The Chapeau Shack?
www.millerhats.com?(you mightlike this one)
Flip Your Lid?
Just Hats?
www.hatattack.com?

Big Hat Stores
2331 Cheswick Dr
Troy, MI 48084 map

This is just a partial list of course.

Ed C.

"Witica"-A collection of recently discovered ribauld and randy anecdotes, japes, witticisms and drolleries from underground sexually gothic Victorian America.

beckler said...

I think I saw a hat like that on your copy of the Scaught In The Act lp. Is that the hat you're talking about?

Anonymous said...

I believe that's Scaught N' The Act. The Act had a little known album out ("Act 1") before I rescued them from obscurity.

And really, who are we kidding, my hat is buried under a pile of thrift store dresses somewhere in our house.

-miller

Anonymous said...

snap!

-charvey

beckler said...

I think that now the market has proved me wise to keep all my investments in the form of thrift store dresses (with a small sideline in shabby used shoes). They kept a steady value throughout the housing bubble and as soon as the government comes through with that bailout money I will give myself and my board of directors a fat bonus.

Anonymous said...

And I'll use that money to buy a new fancy cap. Wait, I am on your board of directors right?

Verification word: billin

When I get that new hat I'll be stone cold billin'!

You know cuz hats have bills.

-miller

beckler said...

Bye dudez! I will be sciencin' it up in our nation's capital. Or is it capitol? Stay tuned to find out!

Anonymous said...

Keep an eye out for a nice tweed cap while you're there.

-miller

Verification: forepal. Perhaps a more conservative fuckbuddy?

Anonymous said...

Dear Heckasac readers:

Anybody do silk screening? I checked out the place on 26th and R but I got nervous 'cause I don't know what kind of shirts they use.Also it was a bit expensive -- not too bad, but just a touch. Which brings me to this question:

What color shirt would you like to buy from a band? Would you prefer a thin shirt or a thick one?

Just asking,

heckamax maxwell

PS most boring post ever?

Anonymous said...

Al, nobody likes a thick shirt. Nobody.
-biz
p.s. so....what's up with the secret blog?

Anonymous said...

one word maxwell: 'Sweatshirts'

-omf

Liv Moe said...

ooh, yeah sweatshirts. but maybe those late sevenites early eighties kind that actually fit you as opposed to the hella bag body bag kind that everybody rocks nowadays.

Anonymous said...

What color? Tie-dye eliminated that tough decision my man!

-miller

Anonymous said...

you should make a hoodie and give me one for free. otherwise you know I'm just gonna borrow the money from you to buy it.

-Madeline

word verification: kibibi - it's like kabbalah, I think, but not.

Josh Nice said...

hat nerds

beckler said...

I like my shirts to be hanes heavyweight XXL

Anonymous said...

Heckamax are you makig rtl shirts? Cause those should be Heavy As Shit!!!


qualla- Tiberius Flavius Qualla, a lesser known member of the Flavian dynasty that ruled Rome after the death of Ceasar

Anonymous said...

braise the roof?

-Ed C.