tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:11:53 +0000Real-Life Kitchen Triumphs and Misadventureshttp://apron-caper.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Erin)Blogger170125TheApronCaperhttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-9182486299567744080Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:01:00 +00002009-07-17T15:57:33.732+02:00MeatPorkGrillingRecipesEvery once in a while, quite unexpectedly, the ingredients in my house align perfectly. This happened the other day. I didn't feel like stopping at the store, so I pulled out some boneless pork chops from the freezer.It was hot, so I knew I wanted to throw them on the grill. And, since Kevin and I wanted to get a run in before dinner, I wanted to toss them in a marinade so they would be flavorfulhttp://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/07/grilled-chipotle-lime-pork-chops.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-4768685836405210535Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:48:00 +00002009-07-14T03:22:16.407+02:00whole grainsbakingRecipesbreakfastToday there was an article about granola on the New York Time Web site and there was a discussion about granola on the Martha Stewart radio station. I found this particularly odd, since yesterday afternoon I loaded up on granola making supplies, and already planning to make a batch today.I made a batch for Father's Day, since Kevin's not really a cake or cookie man. However, I think I ate more ofhttp://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/07/granola-with-cashews-pineapple-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-3746541069827020606Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:41:00 +00002009-07-14T03:22:39.209+02:00DinnerbakingRecipesMexicanPizzaThe other day I listened to a discussion of empanada on "Everyday Food," a program on the Martha Stewart channel on Sirus Radio. The conversation made me hungry. I kept thinking about the awesome empanadas that my friend introduced me to in her neighborhood -- Jackson Heights in Queens.I briefly considered making empanadas that night for dinner, but decided against it. First off . . . I'm trying http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/06/mexican-calzones.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-6302226267188950367Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:17:00 +00002009-07-14T03:22:59.306+02:00bakingRecipesPizzaThis recipe makes two 12 x 18 square pizzas or four large calzones.1 1/4 cups very hot tap water2 envelops active dry yeast2 cups all-purpose flour2 cups whole-wheat flour2 teaspoons sugar1 1/4 teaspoons salt1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil tablespoons olive oilAdd yeast to tap water. Set aside for a few minutes to let the yeast proof. If a bit of foam appears on the top of the water, the http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/06/whole-wheat-pizza-dough.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-7704326381687013202Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:24:00 +00002009-07-14T03:25:41.892+02:00GuacamoleRecipesAvocadoSaladsCondimentsWho doesn't love guacamole? Well, here's a way to have your guac and a salad too. By simply adding arugula, radishes, and carrots to a basic guacamole recipe this delicious condiment before a full-fledge side dish.1/2 red onion, finely diced1/2 cup chopped arugala3 radishes, cut into thin match sticks1 carrot, cut into thin match sticks1 ripe avocado1 tomato, chopped2 tablespoons finely cilantro http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/06/guacamole-salad.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-4276142401175416701Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:59:00 +00002009-06-16T21:27:56.875+02:00Baby foodTwice in the last five months I have been home by myself without the baby. So, what did I do with myself last week when I found myself home alone? Take a long bubble bath, cozy up with a novel? Paint my much neglected toes? Nope. I cooked.Even though the baby seems to enjoy sitting in his bouncy chair in the kitchen while I chop, simmer, and sauté, I still relished being able to take my time and http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/06/baby-food-101.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-8121884845439243462Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:16:00 +00002009-07-14T03:25:41.893+02:00FishRecipesCondimentsSalmon cakes are a standard week night dinner in my house, but they don't really say "company dinner" to me. That's why, when my sister and her family was visiting on Good Friday, I wanted to serve a fancier version of a fish cake. This version is still super easy to make, but the chopped herbs and horseradish sauce made it seem a little fancier. I cooked cod and mahi mahi, however you can swap http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/04/herbed-fish-cakes-with-horseradish.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-8782363664841436532Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:49:00 +00002009-07-14T03:25:41.894+02:00ShrimpRecipesSea FoodThese days I'm all about fast dinners, things out of the freezer, and the potential for leftovers. Last night's meal, by these standards, was a trifecta.My in-laws have a friend, who has a friend, who has a shrimping boat. Once a year they go in on a huge catch. When the shrimp arrive, everyone goes over to the friend's house to de-head the shrimp. They then place the shrimp in freezer bag in http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/03/shrimp-with-mushroom-and-peas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-7677253714755977787Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:16:00 +00002009-03-12T19:40:37.324+01:00Kitchen CapersKitchen triumphsCooking is my hobby. As far as hobbies go, cooking is a great one. You have to eat, so you might as well enjoy it. I love every part of the process: from reading cooking articles, dreaming up menus, and shopping for the best ingredients to chopping, stirring, and simmering to serving and eating. (Cleaning up is the one part of the project that I don't love. I now have a dishwasher and am thankfulhttp://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-difference-baby-makes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-5855290221043287010Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:08:00 +00002009-07-14T03:25:41.895+02:00SoupRecipesWith the baby my cooking style is changing already. Gone are the days when I would linger over cooking dinner. Instead, I am trying to get our meal in the pot as fast as possible during my little guy's impossible short naps.Last night I hit on success with a quick minestrone soup. As an added plus, it was easy to make a big pot, so Kevin and I both have lunch for a couple of days.1/2 tablespoon http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/02/phony-minestone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-3138267598747438764Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:39:00 +00002009-07-14T03:25:41.896+02:00Ricegrainswild riceRecipesSaladsIn the "great pantry stock up" before the baby was born I bought a giant bag of wild rice. I was surprised to find it at the Asian market on Duraleigh in Raleigh. Though wild rice is usually thought of as a food native to North America, I recently learned that it also grows in some places in Asia.It seemed like forever since I had made anything with wild rice (I don't think I saw it in the http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/02/wild-rice-salad.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-1399087551986065455Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:13:00 +00002009-02-02T17:00:17.515+01:00MeatBurgersYesterday, for the first time since the baby was born, I put on my apron and made dinner. It was nothing fancy: Old Bay burgers with caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, and Swiss and toasted baguette; baked sweet potato "fries;" and roasted Brussels sprouts. Kevin joined me and the baby happily bounced in his bouncy seat watching his parents. It felt good to get back into the kitchen as a http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/02/old-bay-burgers-bring-me-back-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-8635713266382778981Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:58:00 +00002009-01-28T16:18:24.837+01:00Pea SoupSoupI had the baby last week, right on schedule, which amazed me because I've never heard of someone delivering on their due date before. After two nights in the hospital, I was happy to come home and even happier that my Mom was able to come for a few days to help me get settled into parenthood.While she was here, she made a batch of pea soup for us. A perfect winter soup, this batch really hit thehttp://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/01/pea-soup-is-comfort-food.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-7957032658545187311Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:51:00 +00002009-01-19T21:06:39.078+01:00corn breadbakingBreadSome women nest. Apparently I cook.In preparation for the baby I've been making some dishes to throw in the freezer that can easily be reheated in the coming weeks when I may not have a handle on being able to whip something up for dinner.Among what I've prepared for the freezer so far are tomato sauce with chicken sausage, lentil soup, and -- last night's addition -- turkey chili.Along side the http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/01/filling-freezer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-3931237340148776045Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:11:00 +00002009-01-16T00:32:08.869+01:00shoppingKitchen CapersThere are certain Asian-inspired dishes that I make over and over again. A few of my favorites include peanut noodles, sesame tuna, wasabi vinaigrette, and chicken curry. I know that I am not super authentic in my preparation methods, but I do like to have a few special items on-hand so that I can whip up one of these dishes without assembling a big shopping list.I had a stash in the pantry in http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/01/restocking-my-asian-pantry.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-5656599025429895366Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:44:00 +00002009-07-14T03:25:41.897+02:00BeansSoupRecipesLentilsI am trying to spend the last weeks of my pregnancy stocking up on simple meals that will be easy to prepare when the baby has arrived. Last night I decided to whip up a pot of lentil soup. Half we ate for dinner last night, and the other half when into the freezer.The surprise ingredient? Ham hocks. A cut of pork from around the ankle of a pig, I thought it was very Southern to find them in my http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/01/lentil-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-3108532692597495030Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:02:00 +00002009-07-14T03:25:41.898+02:00ShrimpRecipesSea FoodOne thing that I don't love about my house in Raleigh is that it has an electric stovetop. As a consolation, Kevin and I bought a Mac Daddy propane grill last time we lived here. We placed the grill on the back deck, which is close to the kitchen and easy to use no matter the time of year.Kevin's parents were nice enough to store the grill in their garage while we were in Germany, and returned ithttp://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/01/simple-grilled-shrimp.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-7172313890817828545Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:40:00 +00002009-07-14T03:25:41.899+02:00bakingRecipesAppetizersMy sister threw me a baby shower the day after Christmas. For most people, working full time and getting ready for Christmas is enough. Throwing a shower for thirty-plus people was a real feat of organization. She managed to pull everything together by planning ahead and being super organized.The shower was a late afternoon cocktail party. She served three kinds of cocktails: a blue martini http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/01/mini-goat-cheese-tarts-with-camalized.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-4255696457909416276Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:55:00 +00002009-01-06T17:19:22.607+01:00Though I have been cooking a bit since returning to the states -- our temporary apartment has a kitchen equipped with the base essentials -- I have had to spend a considerable amount of time and energy re-stocking my pantry. When I moved to Germany, I was allowed to bring some food items. That meant, spices, vinegars, and sauces were able to come with us. Upon return to the U.S. the movers were http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2009/01/rebuilding-my-pantry.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-3115130755131936154Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:47:00 +00002008-12-17T22:46:01.374+01:00On the RoadKitchen CapersI was worried that my niece -- a rather picky eater -- would have a hard time dealing with German cooking. Luckily, she'll eat just about an type of meat, so we didn't have a problem at all. Also, I found it ironic that she -- the same person who told me to stop writing about food on my other blog -- took a picture of every single thing she ate during her week abroad. Here is a collection of somehttp://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2008/12/food-blogger-in-training.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-3117525199555132374Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:21:00 +00002009-07-14T03:25:41.900+02:00bakingRecipesPumpkinI have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of pumpkin pie, but that is not the reason why I left it off my Thanksgiving menu.The real reason was that, since I had houseguests the week leading up to Thanksgiving, I decided to do my baking ahead of time and keep it in the freezer until the holiday. I knew the apple pie would freeze well, but I had some trepidation about freezing a pumpkin pie. Ihttp://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2008/12/pumpkin-cake-with-rum-raisin-walnut.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-3896903447954510383Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:47:00 +00002009-07-14T03:25:41.901+02:00Sweet PotatoesbakingRecipesPizzaThe surprise hit of my Thanksgiving fest? Sweet potato pizza. Sure, I got flack for replacing the traditional casserole or mash with an unconventional option. The traditionalists on my guest list were very skeptical. But, by the end of the meal, I won them over. The few leftovers were quickly eaten up the next day.Pizza dough3/4 cup very hot tap water1 envelope active dry yeast2 cups flour1 http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2008/12/sweet-potato-pizza.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-5577476934321688394Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:58:00 +00002009-07-14T03:25:41.902+02:00stuffinggrainsRecipesMy Aunt Kathleen always made stuffing for Thanksgiving. That was almost enough reason for me to travel to her house in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. every year to celebrate the holiday. When I cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner last year, there was no doubt about the type of stuffing I would make. Again this year, it had to be chestnut stuffing.1 pound chestnut in shell2 onions3 ribs celery1 http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2008/12/chestnut-stuffing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-6130652174784022450Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:16:00 +00002009-07-14T03:25:41.903+02:00MeatRecipesKitchen CapersKitchen triumphsI've written about my German butcher before. He's awesome and has great quality meats. And for Thanksgiving he didn't let me down.I ordered a 16-pound turkey about a week ahead of time. On Thursday morning, Kevin and picked up the fresh bird. To my surprise, the turkey was a bit larger then expected. This year's bird was nearly 20 pounds. Considering I had barley fit last year's turkey in the http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2008/12/turkey-for-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565375757231092400.post-1889591713661918925Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:13:00 +00002009-07-14T03:25:41.905+02:00Fast MealsRecipesKitchen triumphsPizzaIn general, I'm a fan of thin-crusted pizza. Sure, I can enjoy just about any type of slice from time to time. Yet, I always come back to the crispy crust sprinkled with just enough ingredients to cover the dough without weighing it down. One of my favorite places in New York, Gruppo on Avenue B between 11th and 12th Streets, does this to great effect.These days, since Gruppo isn't around the http://apron-caper.blogspot.com/2008/11/flat-bread-pizza.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Erin)0