September 30th Newsletter

I’ve been thinking about entering the local Christmas cookie contest. I had an idea that sounded just perfect. A simple cookie that had a crunchy texture, chocolate and peanut butter, and a little spice from ground ginger plus a hint of orange. I’ve thought about this recipe for weeks. I even put all the ingredients on the counter for a couple of days to really, really think about how the ingredients would blend. I finally made them. I was quite proud because they looked appealing although a little sticky to the touch. A problem I can solve.

I happily plated the cookie and gave it to my younger son. He picked it up and didn’t like the stickiness. I told him that I would fix that and was more interested in the taste. He took one bite and the look on his face was startling. He looked at the cookie and then at me. He put the cookie up to his lips again. And then he put it back on the plate with a “I just can’t eat that.” Then he rushed to the bathroom to brush his teeth. I thought, “Really, how bad could it be? The ingredients should be perfect together.” I took a bite. Well, yes it really could be that bad. My husband then took a bite. Same reaction. Not one of us could take a second bite. Without hesitation I threw the entire batch in the trash.

You might be wondering why I’ve recounted this story. I want to remind myself and other cooks that failure is a part of this business. I’ve been cooking a long time, and I still make mistakes. What do you think I did with this recipe? I put it in my cooking notebook along with a few notes - epic failure being one of the phrases. This isn’t one that I will even try to fix, but I do want to remember what I tried. I have a completely different thought for my cookie entry. The only similarity is a subtle orange flavor. Hopefully I will have better success.

Now onto the successful recipes of the week. I would like to highlight the Blackened tilapia recipe. Blackened refers to the look of the fish after it has been cooked. The spice rub on the fish turns a dark color after it has been cooked in oil or butter. This recipe is so quick and easy and delicious. We have eaten it two weeks in a row and have decided it’s our new fish recipe for fish tacos. Experiment with the spices to make it as mild or spicy as you like.

Happy cooking and eating! Email with any thoughts or suggestions!

September 23rd Newsletter

As I typed up recipes this week my thoughts focused on the order of the ingredients. I know it seems a silly thing to worry about, but when you are in a hurry a streamlined recipe is exactly what you want. My ingredient lists, for the most part, include prep work. Example: 1 tablespoon butter, cut into 6 pieces. I do this so that when you are executing the recipe you have everything prepped. Remember the term mise en place - everything in its place?

I was following the recipe for Spicy Cajun mix and realized that I listed wet ingredients in between dry ingredients. Example: I needed 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and then I needed 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. That meant that I had to use two sets of measuring spoons. It was not necessary, so I changed the order of the ingredients. This allowed me to measure the brown sugar first and then the Worcestershire sauce without having to use a second set of measuring spoons.

All of the dry ingredients are now listed first and then the wet ingredients. I also tried to list all the ingredients that used a tablespoon first then a teaspoon then a 1/2 teaspoon, etc. It’s a minor change, but I think it will make my recipes even easier and faster to follow. This isn’t always possible of course, but rest assured that I streamline the ingredients as much as I can.

Fall is definitely in the air here in Wisconsin or at least apples are ready at the orchards. This week the feature recipe is an Apple pie. There’s a saying, “Easy as pie.” Well it is once you get the hang of making the pastry. This week’s blog is on How to make and prebake a pastry. It is useful for both a pie and a quiche.

Next week will feature Blackened tilapia tacos.

Happy cooking and eating! Email with any thoughts or suggestions!

September 16th Newsletter

This week we feature two recipes from the cooking extremes. On the "quick and easy perfect for a weeknight dinner” extreme we highlight Chili con carne which can be used to top rice, baked potatoes, or hot dogs. It can also be used in nachos or as a stuffing for bell peppers. This meal takes about 30 minutes to prepare and allows you time to prepare a salad or vegetable while the chili is cooking.

On the “gourmet perfect for a dinner party or Sunday dinner” extreme we feature French-style beef short ribs which are nothing short of spectacular. This recipe requires upfront work to finely chop the vegetables and brown the meat, but once you put it in the oven there is no work for three hours. This recipe is not cheap either. In addition to the cost of beef, it requires two bottles of red wine. This is truly a gourmet meal when served with mashed potatoes and green beans.

iwannabeacook received a request for a Slow Cooker recipe of the week. That will begin next week.

Photos We would love to feature pictures from our followers! If you have a photo of food that you cooked from our website, please send it to us. We will either feature it in our newsletter or our website.

Video We posted a video of How to make Pete’s biscuits. Check it out.

Remember to email with any thoughts, suggestions, or questions!

September 9th Newsletter

This week was devoted to Kitchen equipment. Just like the  Pantry ingredients it is hard to know what equipment you really need in your kitchen when you first start out. When I helped my son set up his first apartment kitchen, we left out some very important items like a vegetable peeler, storage containers, and a dish drainer. At least that mistake helped me to make this list for the iwannabeacook website so it will be easier for you. The page is divided into several sections based on the type of cooking you do. For example, if you cook Asian or Mexican foods there is a list of specialized equipment. There is also a section on equipment needed for baking. With more experience you will find things which you specifically need in order to make your cooking job easier.

On the cooking side of things, this week was devoted to salsa and potatoes. I just love to make new salsas. If you put the salsas in condiment bottles, then you can drizzle them over foods making your food look like they are from a professional kitchen. Look at this recipe to see what I mean. If you are looking for a new way to prepare new potatoes, try Salt and vinegar potatoes. These double-cooked potatoes are not only attractive, but they can be used in numerous situations.

Email with any thoughts or suggestions!

September 2nd Newsletter

Shout out to the RIT students who requested a quick and easy Spaghetti with meat sauce recipe!

This week was devoted to the Pantry ingredients page. For the first-time apartment dweller stocking a kitchen can be a daunting task. The same is true for someone deciding to learn to cook. For the Basic pantry ingredients our goal was to create a list of ingredients that would allow a cook to create most recipes that they will encounter. The College pantry ingredients include a few more pantry items with their tastes in mind and their need for extra meals and snacking. The Intermediate and Gourmet pantry ingredients build on the basic pantry ingredients to make increasingly complex meals.

We also included a list of Spices and Freezer ingredients to complete the kitchen pantry. Ethnic cooking is a large part of iwannabeacook, so we included pantry ingredients for those who want to cook Asian,  Mexican,  and Indian foods. There is a comment section at the bottom of the Pantry ingredients page. Please add your suggestions for items that are necessary in your kitchen.

Tune in next week for Pantry equipment suggestions.

Email with any thoughts or suggestions!