And this shall be my stage....
It's no secret cooking is not my forte. I've tried on quite a few occasions - sometimes surprising myself with a delicious meal, other times scraping off the charred edges only to find out the whole thing is overcooked. But despite the successes, it continues to be a task I find myself avoiding for three reasons. One, I prefer cooking with someone else. The fun factor rises significantly, especially when enjoying good music and wine during the process. Two, in my opinion it's just not worth the time and mess that goes into it. You cook for 30 minutes to an hour, eat for 10, then clean up for 15. You do the math. Three, I work almost every night on freelance projects and quite frankly, I'd rather order in.
That being said... two recent events have me rethinking this. First, I am on a bit of a spending freeze given my recent romp around NYC and shopping spree. Second, my mom sent me home from Thanksgiving with an 8oz filet mignon that she wasn't planning on cooking and a russet potato. Two nights later, I once again returned to the kitchen, not wanting to waste such deliciousness. I pulled up a recipe for pan-searing steak and serving with a red wine reduction. Simple enough. Googled how to make a twice-baked potato. Ok, I can do that.... I thought. After a couple mishaps where I was convinced I destroyed both items, it ended up being absolutely FANTASTIC!
So with this new boost of confidence and a desire to spend less by eating at home, here's what's on the roster for tonight:
With the Christmas tree up at my place and the temperatures settling in the 30s all week, I'm in want of a big pot of my favorite soup. The best part about making a pot of soup is that you'll have meals for the next several days! Win win! My mom always used Julia Childs recipe (which I looooove) - she uses Swiss cheese instead of Gruyere - but I think I'm going to pick up both cheeses at the store and decide once and for all which I prefer.
(this photo is topped with sea salt and ginger)
I'm joining my best friends for a Christmas cookie exchange breakfast Saturday morning, and I plan on bringing my favorite cookie recipe. I've always helped my mom bake me these in the past, but I've never done it myself. I'll photograph the outcome and share the recipe at that time.
Ok, will report back. Wish me luck. Over and out!
Sounds like so much fun! I featured your home on my blog today, it is really beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGreat job with the cooking! I love making french onion soup during the cold fall and winter seasons. I use gruyere cheese, based on a recipe from a cookbook bought in Paris. I think it makes the soup perfectly cheesy.
ReplyDeleteAnd I cheat a little and use "Better Than Bullion" beef base to make the beef stock and the soup turns out wonderfully. You can find it at any grocery store.
Your steak and potatoes meal sounds like it was wonderful! Good luck with your soup and cookies..I'm sure they'll turn out great. Looking forward to seeing the results! xo
ReplyDeleteSounds absolutely delicious! Would love to see some recipes and pictures when you're all done! xo
ReplyDeleteGood luck! I find cooking, more so than baking, to be hard because you have to deviate from the recipe to adjust for the heat of your stove, water content of whatever you're cooking, etc. It's just a lot of judgement but you'll pick it up with practice! I'm actually making french onion soup tonight myself but I'm going to use goat cheese on the croutons. We'll see how it turns out!
ReplyDeleteGood luck, it sounds delicious! My best advice with French onion soup is to be patient. Caramelizing onions takes a lot of time and love. Keep the heat low, stir often, and don't let them burn. All the dark color and flavor that you think of on onion soup is from this process! The end result will be well worth it. Cheers and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteFYI, swiss cheese = gruyere. Swiss cheese is just a generic term for cheese that comes from Swizterland. Gruyere cheese comes from the town of Gruyere, so it actually makes no difference whether you buy swiss or gruyere.
ReplyDeleteHope it turns out well. Take some pics for us.
i'm always nervous with cooking/baking skills. mostly because my mom is so awesome at it.
ReplyDeleteMMMMM! Those cookies look so yummy! Can't wait for you to share the recipe with us!
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Good luck! Can't wait to hear how it turns out. :)
ReplyDeleteMmm those cookies look so great! I'd love to see photos of all the cookies at your party. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSuch a pretty kitchen! And I'm with you....cooking is so much better with Wine and a friend. It sounds like you are coming right along with you cooking skills....pretty Impressive! Merry CHRISTmas!
ReplyDeleteYour kitchen is so simple yet so airy and bright full, love the pops of yellow! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSounds absolutely wonderful! I have a love-hate relationship with cooking too.
ReplyDeleteYour kitchen looks wonderful. Sad but true, cooking at home does save money and depending on your choice of recipe...calories. Hope your cookie exchange goes well.
ReplyDeleteIs that your kitchen??? Because it's awesome!
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way about cooking (although I've always loved baking) until I moved in with my fiancee and began to experiment.
And gruyere cheese? It's ALWAYS good :)
Yum to all the above. Hi I've just happened upon your blog and very please I have too. I adore your kitchen and my favorite Bentwood chairs. The last time I had a nice French onion soup was in Paris. It's near 30C here in Melbourne so I think salad is on the menu at my house. Another happy follower for you. Pop over, say hi and follow if you like.
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