Homemade Stock

Sierra and I are Ina Garten fanatics.  Her show is like therapy to us; equal parts inspiration and relaxation.  We've tried her recipes on a few occasions (veal and pork meatballs was a good one) and we haven't been disappointed.  But I'm really watching less for the recipes than I am for her technique. 

Ina, along with other cooking authorities I've read about and respect, encourages people to make and use their own homemade stock.  I've tried it a number of times with mixed results.  It didn't come out bad, especially when compared to the canned stuff, but when Ina made her's (link) on TV, it looked almost like jello it was so rich.  Mine looked like chicken flavored water.  But then it occurred to me - her technique - when she made chicken stock, she used the whole bird, not just the bones.  Finally I was able to assemble a chicken stock worth the time and effort.  I have a feeling the second time around will yield results much the same.

The next day I made Onion Soup Les Halles from Tony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook.  I pulverized the onions - overly so - as opposed to "melting" them, so I wasn't entirely pleased with the result, but, despite the onions, the flavor of the soup was spot on.

Cincinnati Comfort Food

Cincinnati-style chili is definitely an acquired taste.  Its thin, soupy texture and sweet flavor make it completely opposite from what most people would consider "chili".  Since it isn't something I grew up with, it took a few tries for me to decide I liked it.  Before I knew it, I was a believer, and now it's definitely something I crave.

My favorite brand is Gold Star but I like Skyline, Dixie Chili and Empress Chili too.  When I have Gold Star at home I usually make a "3-way" or "Chili Spaghetti".  My "3-way" consists of spaghetti noodles, Gold Star chili, crumbled up saltines crackers, shredded cheddar cheese, diced onions, and hot sauce.  And yes, I call it a "3-way" regardless of how many toppings I use.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Cincinnati-style chili, this post will probably not be appetizing.  For those of you who are, I hope it gives you the same happy feeling that I had while writing it.

Jacob's Blueberry Bread

Please enjoy this guest post from a fellow wannabefoodie, my nephew.

My name is Jacob Lewis and this is my version of blueberry bread.  I am a seven year old chef in training.  My mom was making dinner and I decided to make the dessert.

My mom got out everything I needed and I mixed the ingredients myself.  First I measured out one cup of water and poured it into a mixing bowl.  Then I cracked an egg perfectly and added that and two bags of blueberry muffin mix to the bowl.  I mixed it in the bowl and then poured it into a bread pan and baked it at 425 degrees for one hour.  

Then we ate it, it was yummy.