The Case for Working With Your Hands

Recently, the NY Times published an articled entitled, "The Case For Working With Your Hands,"  which resonates with me.  The author, Matthew Crawford, a Ph.D. turned motorcycle mechanic, argues that our society has placed too much emphasis on "knowledge workers" at the expense of those who work with their hands.  Crawford argues, that often his job now as a motorcycle mechanic is more difficult and rewarding, then his days musing philosophical conundrums in the Ivy Tower or working at a think tank on K Street in D.C., in part because his decisions often have real consequences, every answer is not in a manual--he has to figure things out, and he has to be creative every day.  Furthermore, at the end of the day you have a result--the motorcycle works or it doesn't.  The irony of the knowledge worker is that often creativity is not encouraged and an environment that theoretically should be intellectual is not.

Summer Rolls with Soy Ginger Dipping SauceI'm not ready to give up my desk job yet, but I think that Crawford articulates many of the reasons why I love to cook.  I get to be creative (something I am not rewarded for in my job), I modify recipes based on what has or hasn't worked in the past, and in the end (hopefully) I have a delicious creation that is not only rewarding to me, but to whoever shares the meal.

Tonight, I am not only going to work with my hands, but I am going to eat with my hands!  We are going to have Summer Rolls with Avocado, Mango, and Shrimp.

Fabulous Favas

Blanched FavasI fell in love with fava beans on my first trip to Italy.  The large, slightly starchy, flavorful beans are only available in the spring (they wither and turn black in hot weather), but its a treat I look forward to every year.  In Italy, Favas are prepared simply--a bit of fresh spice and maybe some broth. 

Because they are fresh, they cook quickly.  However, I am the first to admit they are a pain in the neck to prepare.  Trust me it's worth it (or if you don't trust me, the next time you see them on a restaurant menu, try the dish!)  First you must remove the beans from the shell.  This is fairly easy and mindless.  You can watch Favas in the half shelltv, listen to the radio, or blog at the same time.  The beans that emerge look ready to eat, but they're not.  Blanch the beans for 10 seconds in boiling water, drain, and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process.  Now the time consuming part begins.  Pierce each shell with a sharp knife and squeeze.  The bean should pop out!

TFavas and couscousonight we are going to have beans prepared two ways--with tomatoes and herbs, and Favas with garlic and thyme.  We are also going to have Mushroom couscous.

Acid + Oil + Spice = Marinade

The base of marinades is very simple: an acid, an oil, and spice. The acid works to break down proteins thereby making the meat tender, the oil lubricates the protein and makes the meat juicier, and spice of course flavors the meat. Many marinades also have an emulsifier which is usually an agent that has both a hydrophobic (water averting) and hydrophilic (water loving) side. The emulsifier can add flavor (for example, Dijon mustard), but mostly it just binds the acid--which is made mostly of water--to the oil.

Once you know this simple formula, the possibilities are endless.

What ratio do I use, you ask. Well, it depends on what you are cooking. If you are using a tougher meat (for example an eye round or a pot roast) increase the amount of acid as compared to an oil. Also, allow the meat to marinade for a longer period of time. Chicken should marinate less unless you want to eat mush (although tonight's recipe requires that the chicken marinates for 24 hours). Fish has such a delicate texture that unless you actually want to cook the flesh in acid (sometimes you do, for example when you make ceviche), do not marinade for more than 30 minutes.

The most common acid is vinegar, however you can also use citrus (lemon or lime with fish or chicken is delicious), wine, buttermilk, yogurt....you get the idea.

Cornell ChickenI grew up in upstate New York and one of the treats we craved the most was Brooks chicken...slightly salty vinegary New York style barbeque cooked over a pit. For all of you southerners, we know how to bbq in the North as well. The Brooks recipe is actually based off of a recipe developed at Cornell University by Dr. Robert Baker who, according to the Cornell website, came up with Chicken nuggets as well.

Incidentally, Saturday is National Kitchen Klutz day. I'm not making this up folks. I read it on the internet, so therefore it must be true. You can even send a greeting card to your favorite Kitchen Klutz! Let the celebrations begin!

Summer Grillin'

Roasting Weiners over an open fireWe had an awesome weekend hanging out in wild and wonderful West Virginia, although Macaroni and Cheese, aka, Gooey Deliciousnessbetween the macaroni and cheese (delicious, and as much as I have tried to pretend it is calorie free, for some reason my imagination is not making this a reality), hotdogs, hamburgers, s'mores, bacon, and more mac and cheese my body is craving something light and full of protein.  We're going to have swordfish...Lemon and Herb Grilled Swordfishit's light, incredibly flavorful, and grills beautifully.  The downside is that is higher in mercury than other fish, and thus my husband thinks I'm trying to kill him, but I promise I'm not....yet.

I marinated the swordfish in lemon juice, fresh sage, thyme, oregano, garlic, and olive oil.  By the way, for those of you that don't find duck egg souffle comforting, try my mac and cheese.  I promise you'll love it!

Comfort Food

It's been pretty miserable in DC the past few days--cold and rainy--great weather to wear pajamas and stay in bed all day. Unfortunately I have to work. I keep on wondering if April showers bring May flowers, what do June torrential downpours bring?

When its cold outside, I like food that is warm, easy to eat, tastes delicious, and makes you feel slightly guilty, but happy. Macaroni and cheese and chili are great options, however tonight we are having soufflé. I know you are thinking that soufflés are difficult, fancy, and certainly not comfort food.  I'm here to tell you this isn't true!  They are easy and delicious (eggs and cheese, how can you go wrong???) and a great comfort food. 

enjoying the souffle!I have duck eggs in the refrigerator so I am going to use an Alton Brown recipe but substitute regular eggs for duck eggs and cheddar cheese for Parano cheese.  Why, you ask, do I have duck eggs in my refrigerator?  On my aforementioned hiking trip, we stopped at a farm market that had them, and I was curious.  I'll keep you posted on what they taste like!

Update on Sunday, June 7, 2009 at 7:18PM by Klutz in the Kitchen

Duck egg yolks are huge!The souffle was delicious, and the duck eggs were a novelty, but the flavor was similar to chicken eggs. The most noticeable difference was the yolks are much bigger than chicken egg yolks.  They were fun to try, but I'm not sure if I would buy them again.