Teacher Training Days Mean Time in the Kitchen for Rei
I had the most important job to do on Monday while Rei labored in the kitchen: I got to keep Rei company and encourage them as they worked through three new recipes.
Rei found this not-so-little gem of a cookbook on the shelf and was flabbergasted to see it was actually signed by both Julia and Jacques. I must have gotten it from some public radio fundraising drive.
Rei got started with the choux paste for the puffs and followed a recipe that was slightly different from what I’ve done in the past. The recipe had Rei using the Cuisinart food processor to beat the eggs into the dough. As someone who has manually beat in the eggs with a wooden spoon, one at a time, this looked significantly easier. (It was indeed — I’ve made profiteroles both ways and I definitely like this way better~Rei). I noticed no quality difference in terms of taste or texture. This is a winner!
Rei moved onto the ice cream and used our very easy and basic vanilla ice cream recipe (cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla) and added some strawberry coulis before pouring into the Cuisinart ice cream maker. Halfway through the mixing/freezing process, Rei added chunks of strawberry. I have no pictures. I might have been getting Botox injections in my forehead at the time. (There’s no ‘might’ about it — you abandoned me!~Rei)(This forehead isn’t going to stay wrinkle free without assistance~Terri)
There was some choppy choppy (that sounds like something I would say — am I finally rubbing off on you??~Rei) (Too much wine is my defense~Terri) with the potatoes and the onto cooking some chicken.
The chicken needed to be browned a bit before adding back to the pan with mushrooms, potatoes, and herbs.
I remember hearing something like, “Oh, shit! This pan is not big enough!” (Yup.~Rei)
Rei must have figured it out because look at this! Chicken is beautifully browned.
While the chicken was cooking (far side), Rei got started on the tomatoes. They were pretty simple…seared with garlic and butter. We all agreed that they needed more cooking. We like them mushier. (I try to generally follow directions the first time so we have a control test, then go all out the way I like it in subsequent iterations~Rei).
This was the final product. Rei and Zeke ate without me as I got an unexpected call from a potential client and had to take it. Zeke was nice enough to sit with me as I ate (and Rei grumbled about doing homework). The chicken was great and I really liked the texture of the potatoes. Rei thought they should have been crispy. (That’s the problem with cooking everything together in one pan — it gets all mixed together and mushy. Definitely cooking the potatoes separately next time~Rei)
And then there were these beauties. I thought they needed a slice of banana to become a deconstructed banana split. (which reminds me…there are extras in the freezer…and now we have bananas!)
I’ll let Rei take it from here. They are working on some math homework and I know they are desperate for an excuse to take a break. And I need more wine.
Alrighty, y’all! Contrary to popular belief, I don’t mind doing math that much, I just have been doing my math homework for about an hour (give or take a few minutes) and needed a brain break.
In retrospect, I would change a couple things about this dinner. I would have cooked the potatoes in a different pan as to retain their crispiness (because I like crispy and not mushy potatoes, thank you very much). At the same time, I like mushier tomatoes (yes, I know I just said no mushy but these are TOMATOES) so longer cook time on that one.
Other than that, I wouldn’t change much. Maybe less honey in the strawberry jam/coulis (my body doesn’t hate honey as much as it does processed sugar, so I use that as much as possible) because it was verging on too sweet for my liking.
Okay! My homework is not going to do itself, so here is where I bid you adieu. Until next time, have a wooderbravulous day!
Rei and Terri
