The Autumn Blahs

I hate the Fall.

There, I said it.

I think most people up here would say that fall is their favorite season, what with all the beautiful colors and mild weather, and I concede them the point, but there is one thing that trumps all others when talking about autumn. I get sick. All the time. And I hate it.

This fall has been no exception. I've battled the occasional cold, a wicked bad sinus infection, and a bout with some intestinal bug. Add the facts that a). I'm also dealing with my continual back issues, and b). Kelly has also been sick this fall and you have the makings of one crappy season.

With the two of us battling our illnesses, stresses at home and work, and my physical limitations, it's been hard to do a lot of good cooking. There has been too many trips to Chipotle, pizza ordering, and nights where we just "fend for ourselves" which usually just ends up with me eating a bowl of Count Chocula for dinner.

The few times were we have put together a nice meal, we have gone the route of comfort food, and lately that has meant soups and sandwiches. Thanks to HWG friend Jessica, we got a fantastic recipe for a nice butternut squash soup...


< shameless self-promotion >be sure to check it out and add your own recipes on our Facebook page under the "discussions" tab  < /shameless self-promotion>


...that we paired with sandwiches of prosciutto and goat cheese with arugula and fig jam on ciabatta rolls (yes, they were as awesome as they sound).

Now that we are mostly on the mend, we have some pretty hearty meals in the works for the colder weather to come. Be on the look out for more posts with stick-to-your-ribs recipes to help you through the winter months!

Duck Tales (woo-ooo!)

The Alton Brown educational experiment continues.

Chapter 1: Searing

I am completely loving Brown's I Just Came Here for the Food because I am learning a lot, but also gaining a healthy dose of confidence (which I am finding is a critical ingredient to this whole cooking thing). Chapter 1 of the book is about searing, which, being a meat lover, I feel that I know a good deal about. Heck, before Kel and I moved into our home and got a grill my favorite way to cook a steak was a quick sear on the stove top and finish it in the oven for that perfect medium rare. I was almost to the point of skipping on to Chapter 2 (yes, I was overly cocky) until a recipe that caught my eye: Cast-iron seared duck.

I figured that it was time to challenge myself, time to take the bull by the horns (the duck by the feathers?) and try something I have 1. never cooked and 2. never eaten before. Let's do this!

So off to the West Side Market we go. 90 minutes later we leave with duck breasts, acorn squash, and some apple cider (along with other WSM essentials like a beautiful skirt steak and some Chinese Five Spice). The feeling I had leaving the market was sublime- I can't remember the last time I was so excited to cook something that was new to me. I knew that this was step one of my culinary education and I couldn't wait to get it started.

I was ready to cook. I had read the recipe for the duck and the side dish (apple cider roasted acorn squash) about 100 times so I knew them both backwards and forwards. Kelly has always told me that this was essential, but it wasn't until I read it in Alton's book that I took it to heart (sorry about the Kel). I figured out the timing of the dishes so they would both be done around the same time, I made sure the mise en plas was done before I started any cooking, and I checked the recipes one more time to make sure there would be no curve balls. I had never been so prepared for a meal in my life and that showed in the and product. Sure the squash cooked a little faster than what the recipe said, sure the hot skillet shot even hotter oil on my hand, and maybe a doubted myself for a brief moment before Kelly cut into the duck- but I never lost composure and I never once thought that we would be ordering pizza that night.

In the end we had a lovely meal - local duck, local squash (recipe found here), even the wine we drank was from a local winery. I thoroughly enjoyed the duck - oh my god is that crispy skin the best - and can't wait to make it again.

Maybe this halfway gourmet is taking a step closer to not-so-halfway. Only time, and a few more cooking adventures, will tell.

Confession time

Remember that part in Fight Club when the yet unnamed main character confronts Marla in his head? He berates her by calling her a "faker" and "tourist" and admonished her to leave.

Well my friends, in this world of cooking, baking, and all things culinary, I am Marla.

Maybe I'm being a little harsh on myself, but I feel that I am still only a novice in the kitchen. I can follow a recipe, sure, but can I riff off of it and make something that I feel is truly my own? No. Can I look in the cupboards, see what we have available, and create a meal from scratch? Nope. Can I keep my cool when something seems to be going wrong while I am cooking. Not even close.

Is it because I lack confidence in this part of my life? Abso-feaking-lutely. But I really think the answer lies in my main culinary fault...my lack of knowledge of technique. Sure I can follow that recipe, but if I actually was knowledgeable of cooking techniques I wouldn't even need it, right?

Enter Alton Brown.

I bought Alton's book I'm Just Here for the Food years ago with full intentions of, you know, actually reading it. I figure now is the time. It's a great little book that blends both technique and recipes in a way that is fun and scientific. I feel that reading this book cover-to-cover will better me in so many ways and help me with my confidence in the kitchen.

It'll be like a poor man's Julie and Julia.