To recipe or not to recipe?

How do you feel about following recipes?  I tend to begin to follow each step with good intentions then find I have drifted off on a tangent, creating another dish that is different, yet equally good.  I like to use what I have on hand, instead of frantically running out for oils and spices that I will never use again.  I am constantly substituting ingredients and cooking by feel to suit my taste, rather than by formula.  Since I hardly ever write my recipes down, I am often stumped when I try to recreate a dish. This tends to frustrate my family to no end. "Make that dish you made last month, it was so good."  "Why didn't you write it down?"  I think I earned this trait from my Grandfather who was always creating the most delicious soups and sauces, and never writing them down.  To this day I still dream of his Tomato Basil soup, forever lost.

I came across this article at Gilt, all about the recipe and how it is not always to best place to begin.  I enjoyed it so much that I decided to forgo a much needed trip to the store for a week to see if we could create dinners using only ingredients on hand.  The experiment was a success and we were able to come up with some delicious and creative dishes that we would have otherwise missed.

While I may not cook by recipe often, I will make an effort for my family and you all to take a little more time to write things down.  With that, enjoy these light Mustard greens with Garlic.

Cooking them is silly simple (hardly a recipe at all).  Wash thoroughly and pat dry with a clean towel.  I stack mine and cut them in a wide chiffonade.  They melt into one another well and soak up more of the delicious garlic flavor.  Heat a wok or pan on medium high and add olive oil.  While this heats, chop, mince or grate your garlic.  I use two huge cloves, or three to four small ones. When the oil is hot, drop your garlic in and cook for about one minute.  Add your greens and stand back.  Once the spattering has died down, turn your greens to cook evenly.  They are done when they have wilted considerably.  Add salt and enjoy with a bowl of pasta, on their own or as a topping on toasted baguette.

Pancake Day

I hope that you all had a nice weekend.  The weather is still brutally hot here, so we headed to the ocean for some kayaking.  Mornings usually begin the same way in our house.  I ask my daughter what she would like for breakfast and she will always ask what her options are.  I dilligently go through the list, even though she knows it as well as I do.  We begin every day this way, except for Sunday.  Sunday she doesn't have to ask because Sunday is Pancake Day.  

Still in pyjamas we whisk, mix and stir our way to happiness.  I have tried many recipes and variations over the years, but this version is hard to beat.  They come out light, fluffy and crisp around the edges, just the way we like them.  Often I'll fill a squeeze bottle with batter and we will "draw" our pancakes in the pan.  My daughter, who dreams of visiting Antarctica, requested a pancake picture of her, in snow gear, exploring the Arctic tundra.  A tall order, but I did my best.

If you do try the squeeze bottle pancakes, I found it helpful to outline the shape first then fill in the rest after that has set for a few seconds.  This will keep your creation tidy.

Here is my version of Perfect Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons melted butter (this is key)
1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
Handful of washed blueberries

First beat the eggs with the milk, until light and foamy, then stir in your slightly cooled melted butter.  Whisk in your dry ingredients followed by the ricotta cheese and let the batter stand for about 10 minutes, while you prepare your pan.  The batter will thicken slightly.
A griddle or frying pan on medium heat will work well for cooking.  I like to use a frying pan with a mixture of vegetable oil and butter to coat the hot pan.  The oil keeps the pancakes from sticking and the butter gives them a slightly crispy texture at the edges.
Ladle out cupfuls of batter or use the squeeze bottle to shape your pancakes.  Now is a good time to add blueberries to your pancakes.  Let cook until the batter begins to bubble in the center then flip each one to cook the other side.  Remove when browned and enjoy!

Late Summer Jams

We have been busy in the kitchen devouring every page of the Blue Chair Jam cookbook. So far we have made the Children's Strawberry Jam and the Pluot Jam with Orange blossom and Sloe Gin.  Summer may be over but  you wouldn't know it in Los Angeles