August 2008 – The Kitchen Illiterate

End of the Summer Nectarine Galette

About two weeks ago, I set out to make a nectarine pie. I bought some nectarines, mixed up a batch of pie dough, and set it in the fridge to chill. And when I got to making the filling, I realized that the whole carton of nectarines was rotten and there were ants in the sugar! Infuriating! I was going on vacation, so I threw the pie dough in the freezer and tried to forget the whole debacle.

Last night I finally bought fresh nectarines and another box of sugar, but instead of making a pie, I thought I would try a galette, instead. Galettes are so much less fussy, and also smaller, which is good for a household of only three. Pies always end up being thrown away almost whole, because we can never eat that much pie. And now that I realize how much easier galettes are, I will very likely make them all the time. Who need a pie pan, anyway? They are just excess kitchenware.
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Quintessential Summer Dinner: BBQ Chicken, Potato Salad, Corn, and Biscuits

I told you I ate a lot of great food in San Diego. The best part of my trip was being able to enjoy awesome meals with my family and friends. There is something perfect, something I miss everyday living here in Boston, about sitting at a table with people I love, sharing food and conversation. I grew up in a house where family dinners were important: I remember waiting every night for dinner until everyone was home from work and school and practice and whatnot before we sat down to eat, and now that I’m an adult (ahem, ha ha) I realize how great, and perhaps uncommon, it is that my parents brought us up like that. So, thanks ma and pa. You guys are rad.

The last night I was in San Diego, my aunt and uncle and their two kids came for dinner, and we cooked up this way-too-classic summer dinner: barbecue grilled chicken, corn on the cob, German potato salad, and buttery biscuits. The only thing missing, perhaps, was apple pie. But we had vanilla ice cream with strawberries instead, which is pretty perfectly summery itself. And this dinner was truly a group effort. I made the barbecue sauce and biscuits, Mom made the potato salad, my brother’s grilled the chicken and corn, and Dad entertained us all, the goofball.

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Tri Tip, Asparagus, and Roasted Potatoes a la Patrick

After taking over his kitchen on Thursday night, I stepped out of the way and let Patrick cook dinner for my family and a few of our friends on Saturday. And I am glad I did. He grilled up some beautiful Tri Tip steak, roasted potatoes, and put together a unique asparagus dish with roasted red peppers and slivered almonds. All of it was spectacular. And I’ve been bugging him for the recipe, which he briefly relayed to me over dinner, but have heard nothing. So I’m going to have to attempt to recreate it from memory. Perhaps if I’m lucky he will post any corrections in the comments (hint, hint to the brother).

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Everything Summer Risotto

I think it’s pretty much official that risotto is my go-to dish whenever I’m cooking celebratory meals for others. It’s easy and impressive, and I can talk and sip wine during the endless stirring process. So when I had the chance to steal the kitchen away from my little brother and make dinner for the family, risotto was a sure bet. Of course, I didn’t steal the kitchen entirely away from my brother, and with both of us throwing ideas and ingredients around, this risotto ended up a surprisingly delicious hodge-podge of deliciousness: bacon, mushrooms, leeks, green beans, manchego cheese, basil, parsley, chives, and homemade chicken stock flavored with fresh thyme and oregano. Served with a big Caesar salad (with Patrick’s homemade balsamic Caesar dressing) and goat cheese crostini, this was a perfect, summery dinner to share with my family on my first night home.

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Banana Bread Ice Cream

Oh man, where the heck have I been? Well, sadly, no where. I didn’t go on vacation or anything. I have just been sitting on my tuchus, watching Big Love, reading the Twilight books, and eating way too much frozen, prepared, and/or take out food. Why, you ask? I don’t know. I just got really, very lazy and felt incredibly uncreative. And when I did manage to spend some time standing in front of the stove, my camera was no where to be seen and the mere thought of trying to blog about any of it was exhausting. How pathetic. I guess the end of summer vacation might do that to a person?

Well, I am going on vacation now, home to San Diego to see the fam, and I have plans for some cooking there which will definitely be shared. But I wanted to be sure to leave you with something small before I left. Small, but delicious: Banana Bread Ice Cream.

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