Comments on: In which the Clam discusses her (hopefully diminishing) domestic ineptitude http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/ One of the Good Shepherd's flock. Just hanging around, blogging, and eating my grass. Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:45:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: joie http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7461 joie Fri, 01 Aug 2008 02:29:48 +0000 http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7461 Oh Katie....I was giggling all through this post. I am not much of a domestic goddess either, although every year I do seem to get better at it. Definitely will never make it to Martha Stewart level- don't think I ever do really. Too many other fun things to do. Anyway, we ave a saying at our home...(when I cook) during the week we eat to survive, (when my husband cooks) and on the weekends we feast! :-) Oh Katie….I was giggling all through this post. I am not much of a domestic goddess either, although every year I do seem to get better at it. Definitely will never make it to Martha Stewart level- don’t think I ever do really. Too many other fun things to do. Anyway, we ave a saying at our home…(when I cook) during the week we eat to survive, (when my husband cooks) and on the weekends we feast! :-)

]]> By: Jennie C. http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7094 Jennie C. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:35:56 +0000 http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7094 Bravo! Bravo!

]]> By: Michelle Reitemeyer http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7062 Michelle Reitemeyer Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:05:53 +0000 http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7062 Steam first, add toppings later. How much? Um, say two generous servings of carrots (I use baby carrots)...try 2 TBS butter and maybe 2 tsp of lemon juice and then perhaps 1 tsp of dill. I don't measure, so try that and then adjust next time. You can't go wrong (well, a tablespoon of dill would probably be icky). Steam first, add toppings later.

How much?

Um, say two generous servings of carrots (I use baby carrots)…try 2 TBS butter and maybe 2 tsp of lemon juice and then perhaps 1 tsp of dill. I don’t measure, so try that and then adjust next time. You can’t go wrong (well, a tablespoon of dill would probably be icky).

]]> By: Kit http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7033 Kit Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:58:53 +0000 http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7033 Kasia - I added a few more starter selections to your cookbook list over at the bistro site - next, we shall move on to basic equipment! (This is the time to get all your kitchen stuff - I am regularly using wedding gifts to this day, 15 yrs later!) Kasia - I added a few more starter selections to your cookbook list over at the bistro site - next, we shall move on to basic equipment! (This is the time to get all your kitchen stuff - I am regularly using wedding gifts to this day, 15 yrs later!)

]]> By: Kasia http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7032 Kasia Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:19:25 +0000 http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7032 Tara - no problem, it's easy! (It must be, if I remember how to do it more than a decade after the last time...) The only thing that might be tricky is finding the right pan - she had a special one she'd bought at a craft show. Take two skinned monkeys... ;-) No, seriously, take one of those pop-canisters of biscuit dough, pop 'em out, and cut each round in half. Roll the half-rounds into balls. Dip the balls in melted butter, then shake them in cinnamon sugar (and do NOT let me hear you say you buy cinnamon sugar at the grocery store - if I can make it at home, so can anyone!). Then set the balls gently on top of one another in a small bundt or tube type pan and bake. Regrettably, I do not recall the oven heat or time, but you could probably adapt that from the package and it would probably also depend on the pan you use. My stepmom had a cute little stoneware thing that probably wasn't much more than six inches in diameter and less than six in height... Michelle - that is one of the things that scares me - how did you know? ;-) With your butter, lemon juice and dill carrots - do you add the toppings after steaming, or do you steam them with? And what proportion of butter to lemon juice? I've heard a 2:1 fat to tart ratio - is that what you use? Tara - no problem, it’s easy! (It must be, if I remember how to do it more than a decade after the last time…) The only thing that might be tricky is finding the right pan - she had a special one she’d bought at a craft show.

Take two skinned monkeys… ;-)
No, seriously, take one of those pop-canisters of biscuit dough, pop ‘em out, and cut each round in half. Roll the half-rounds into balls. Dip the balls in melted butter, then shake them in cinnamon sugar (and do NOT let me hear you say you buy cinnamon sugar at the grocery store - if I can make it at home, so can anyone!). Then set the balls gently on top of one another in a small bundt or tube type pan and bake.

Regrettably, I do not recall the oven heat or time, but you could probably adapt that from the package and it would probably also depend on the pan you use. My stepmom had a cute little stoneware thing that probably wasn’t much more than six inches in diameter and less than six in height…

Michelle - that is one of the things that scares me - how did you know? ;-)
With your butter, lemon juice and dill carrots - do you add the toppings after steaming, or do you steam them with? And what proportion of butter to lemon juice? I’ve heard a 2:1 fat to tart ratio - is that what you use?

]]> By: Michelle Reitemeyer http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7030 Michelle Reitemeyer Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:33:11 +0000 http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7030 Once you get the basics down (like how not to burn water and reading the recipe first to do everything in the right order), the hardest thing about cooking (I think) is getting all the dishes on the table at once. Not such a big deal in the summer when side dishes might be potato salad or marinated cucumber slices, but in the winter you might want two or three or four hot dishes all on the table at once. That requires experience in multi-tasking. Go slowly, build up by just adding one thing at a time (steamed carrots with butter, lemon juice and dill - yum) and do not tackle something like Thanksgiving dinner for a few years without help. Personally, I had the opposite problem when I got married. I was so happy to have a husband to cook for, that we both gained about 30 pounds that first year of marriage! Once you get the basics down (like how not to burn water and reading the recipe first to do everything in the right order), the hardest thing about cooking (I think) is getting all the dishes on the table at once. Not such a big deal in the summer when side dishes might be potato salad or marinated cucumber slices, but in the winter you might want two or three or four hot dishes all on the table at once. That requires experience in multi-tasking. Go slowly, build up by just adding one thing at a time (steamed carrots with butter, lemon juice and dill - yum) and do not tackle something like Thanksgiving dinner for a few years without help.

Personally, I had the opposite problem when I got married. I was so happy to have a husband to cook for, that we both gained about 30 pounds that first year of marriage!

]]> By: tara http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7019 tara Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:54:40 +0000 http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7019 Cooking is fun! Except when it's hot outside. You should see my collection of cookbooks, must be where my daughter the chef/food-stylist got her ideas from. Monkey bread? I would like the recipie! The only part I don't like about cooking is the cleaning up. Cooking is fun! Except when it’s hot outside. You should see my collection of cookbooks, must be where my daughter the chef/food-stylist got her ideas from.

Monkey bread? I would like the recipie!

The only part I don’t like about cooking is the cleaning up.

]]> By: Kasia http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7017 Kasia Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:17:48 +0000 http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7017 I'll do you one better, Jean - I'm going to buy it come payday. :-) Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll do you one better, Jean - I’m going to buy it come payday. :-) Thanks for the recommendation!

]]> By: jean http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7016 jean Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:47:35 +0000 http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7016 Kasia, I suggest you register for one of my favorites: Better Homes & Gardens Anyone Can Cook. My parents bought me an old (1965) Better Homes & Gardens cookbook when I moved into my first apartment with my friend Michele. I loved it and still use it a lot, but I had no idea what some of the cooking terms meant. I wish I'd had "Anyone Can Cook" when I first started, because it has all the recipes marked by skill level and illustrated with photos of the preparation. And at the bottom of the recipes is a graph box labelled "Ask Mom" that gives page numbers for related questions you might have. I still am learning things, such as why my pan-fried fish always fall apart (because I'm only supposed to turn them ONCE). Kasia, I suggest you register for one of my favorites: Better Homes & Gardens Anyone Can Cook.

My parents bought me an old (1965) Better Homes & Gardens cookbook when I moved into my first apartment with my friend Michele. I loved it and still use it a lot, but I had no idea what some of the cooking terms meant. I wish I’d had “Anyone Can Cook” when I first started, because it has all the recipes marked by skill level and illustrated with photos of the preparation. And at the bottom of the recipes is a graph box labelled “Ask Mom” that gives page numbers for related questions you might have.

I still am learning things, such as why my pan-fried fish always fall apart (because I’m only supposed to turn them ONCE).

]]> By: Kasia http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7015 Kasia Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:39:53 +0000 http://clamrampant.stblogs.com/2008/07/20/in-which-the-clam-discusses-her-hopefully-diminishing-domestic-ineptitude/#comment-7015 Oh, Sara - I LOVE my slow cooker!!! It's the only reason I've eaten a self-made home-cooked meal in the two years I've lived here... :-) Mine is a smaller one - probably three quarts - so Canuck and I registered for a six-quart one for the wedding. There is absolutely nothing better than coming home and smelling dinner cooking...and if you live alone, the slow cooker is the way to do it. I am always the one to bring soda, plates, or chips to something...that, or something store-bought. I'm actually ok with it, except it gets sort of daunting to be in the kitchen at a family holiday and be the one that no one trusts to do anything other than set the table... ;-) Kit - I'm not a big fan of the celebrity chef cookbooks, but Canuck wants them for himself. I think "aspic" sounds like it should be poisonous, and the closest I ever want to get to goose liver is removing the bag with the organs if I ever happen to cook a goose... ;-) Never fear - I am quite sure he'll be the one primarily using those. Though he did look over them before registering, and he said the Gordon Ramsay one looks like it's mainly relatively quick meals (half hour prep rather than three hour prep). The Bourdain one is probably more complicated, but Canuck said that it's based on Provencal cooking, which he tells me is the meat and potatoes of French cuisine. So hopefully there will be a minimum of hyper-foodie weird stuff... ;-) And he readily endorsed my registering us for the ATK cookbook you recommended. :-) Thanks again!!! Oh, Sara - I LOVE my slow cooker!!! It’s the only reason I’ve eaten a self-made home-cooked meal in the two years I’ve lived here… :-) Mine is a smaller one - probably three quarts - so Canuck and I registered for a six-quart one for the wedding.

There is absolutely nothing better than coming home and smelling dinner cooking…and if you live alone, the slow cooker is the way to do it.

I am always the one to bring soda, plates, or chips to something…that, or something store-bought. I’m actually ok with it, except it gets sort of daunting to be in the kitchen at a family holiday and be the one that no one trusts to do anything other than set the table… ;-)
Kit - I’m not a big fan of the celebrity chef cookbooks, but Canuck wants them for himself. I think “aspic” sounds like it should be poisonous, and the closest I ever want to get to goose liver is removing the bag with the organs if I ever happen to cook a goose… ;-)
Never fear - I am quite sure he’ll be the one primarily using those. Though he did look over them before registering, and he said the Gordon Ramsay one looks like it’s mainly relatively quick meals (half hour prep rather than three hour prep). The Bourdain one is probably more complicated, but Canuck said that it’s based on Provencal cooking, which he tells me is the meat and potatoes of French cuisine. So hopefully there will be a minimum of hyper-foodie weird stuff… ;-)
And he readily endorsed my registering us for the ATK cookbook you recommended. :-) Thanks again!!!

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