Tormented Kitchen

I used to make stew a different way. It was the way my mom made it, which technically happens to be a vegetable beef soup. My "official" stew recipe, this one I'm posting right now, came from Justin's grandmother Rose. The technique of dredging the meat in flour, then frying, helps to thicken the liquid so it's not so soupy, and it adds complexity to the meat flavor. Simmering the meat in tomatoes also tenderizes the meat very well. It works on tough cuts of beef, which may take longer to really get tender. However, it also works well on wild game meats, which typically don't have as much fat marbling as beef, which would make them more dry. We actually made our first meal of Justin's elk as stew, the photos shown here are from that meal. I have to admit, I usually prefer deer meat to elk, but this one is especially tender and mild. This summer we had record amounts of rain and apparently, the game had plenty of tender and tasty greens to eat. I also ...

I have a problem. It's a horrible addiction to baked goods and chocolate. There are some days on the drive to daycare and work, all I can think of is eating pumpkin bread, or a croissant, or whatever strikes my fancy that day. Since the weather has offically turned cold, I have been looking for more reasons to bake. One fine day, not too long ago, I set up my mixer and started tossing things together, hoping to get a good home-made replacement for Starbuck's pumpkin bread. A few tries later, (including one semi-disaster involving a molasses) I'm happy to share my discovery. The coloring is good, spices aren't too overpowering, texture is good. I made a batch as muffins a few days ago for a bake sale at daycare. Eric helped mix the dry ingredients and put liners in the muffin tins. I like having an assistant. This recipe will make 36 standard size muffins or two cake loaves. Ingredients 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking ...

Who knew such a simple thing as shrimp and rice could be so succulent? It's one of the few things that Justin still makes because he can do it better than I can. I don't know how, but he can just tell by looking at the sauce that it's ready. We only make this on special occasions, which ends up being about twice a year for someone's birthday or a holiday. But, for shrimp lovers, this is a must have dish. Ingredients For the scampi 3 lbs shrimp, deveined 2 cloves of garlic per 10 shrimp (You'll probably need 6-8 cloves for the sauce), chopped 4 Tablespoons parsley, chopped 1 cup butter 1/4 cup regular olive oil 1/2 cup cream sherry 1/2 cup white wine, we usually use a Chardonnay For the rice 2 small cloves of garlic, chopped 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice 3 cups water 1-2 Tablepoons parsley, chopped Method 1. Start the rice: I always rinse the rice grains two times with cold water. Drain off as much rinse water as you can. Add the measured...

I knew I should have grabbed the camera when I was making these. These are fast, easy, and taste good. Picky eaters ate them! So DING DING DING WE HAVE A WINNER! Try them and see! Ingredients 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs, such as Italian or Garlic-Herb 2 Tablespoons olive oil Method 1. Wash and pat dry the chicken. Remove any fat or sinewy, tendon pieces. Slice each breast into four narrow strips. Or slice into small chunks for nuggets. 2. Using the olive oil, brush or rub each piece of chicken. 3. Spread the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish or plate. Roll the chicken in the breadcrumbs so it has an even coating on all surfaces. 4. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes, depending on the chicken's thickness. Note: If you have plain breadcrumbs, add your own seasoning and mix well. You can use just about anything you like. I have some Luzianne Cajun Seasoning that is really good. You will need to taste-test the crum...

It's Autumn! It's pumpkin season! I love visits to the pumpkin patch with the kids and smelling the crisp, cool fall air. It makes me hungry for baked squash, pumpkin pie, pumpkin scones, pumpkin bread, hot tea, hot chocolate, soup...I think you get the idea. About a week ago, we visited the pumpkin patch with the kids. That got pumpkins on my mind. We happen to have three very large pumpkins waiting to be carved for Halloween plus a variety of squash in a bowl on the counter. I already fixed the butternut squash and it's history. Then Justin went hunting. For the second trip to get a buck. I told him if he got one, I'd make a pie when he got home. He loves pie. LOVES pie. Even Eric got excited for pie. Saturday afternoon Justin called and said they got the buck. So now it was up to me to make the pie. Sunday afternoon I started baking. I made up a batch of pie crust mix . Eric dragged all three big pumpkins into the kitchen "helping" me so I could ...

Saturday was Haley's first birthday. We had a small family party at our house. I put Haley in a super-cute pink dress. I made Haley's cake and frosting completely from scratch. I took photos of each step along the way. I was excited! Then it was time to dig in. I decided NOT to post the cake recipe. It was not an instant success. The batter was good. The only problem, once I cooked it, it was hard to get it to come out well. I live in "high altitude" Nevada, so baked goods always need adjusting. I had to cook it more than the recipe said. The recipe said bake for 20-24 minutes. OK. I went for 22 to start. It was still pretty liquid in the center. I gave it 4 more minutes. It looked set up, but the toothpick test yielded a wet toothpick. Another 3 minutes later, the edges were brown, pulling away from the pan, and I got a dry toothpick. Lesson learned: shaped pans with uneven depth make cooking a bitch. I cooled it in the pan a few minutes, then...

My mom has been making these for as long as I can remember. I had a few birthdays where I asked for these instead of a regular birthday cake. These are nothing like brownies from a box, so if you are used to the typical "thick and fudgy" you're looking in the wrong place. Buttermilk brownies are light, fluffy, cakey, but still plenty rich and decadent. I happen to like mine without nuts, and with a thin layer of frosting. I suppose people that like nuts could add some walnuts or pecans, but I have no idea how much you would want to add. I'll throw out a guess of 1/2 to 1 cup of nuts in the brownie mix. Another adjustment would be to the frosting. I happen to like it thinner and more like doughnut glaze, just how I have it written out below. But if you like thicker, fluffier frosting, you could just add more powdered sugar. An extra cup works well with the amounts of liquids. However, when you make the frosting with more sugar, it's not as pretty and shiny. Br...