Exam Prep:
Last night I said that I wanted to finish the module I was studying and start the next one today. I didn’t realize how massive the module I was working on was. Looking back at my FM 1 class the material that was in this past module was the most critical to understanding the rest of the course. I’m glad it is out of the way and looking forward the next two modules are significantly shorter. I didn’t get started on the next module like I wanted to. Instead I made flashcards of the past two chapters to better memorize the formulas I need to know.
Cooking:
The last two weeks I’ve tried some new recipes that I have been very excited by. Yesterday I made a chicken soup from scratch. It was very basic soup and I think it’s a good start. Using a whole 4.25lb chicken was very cool. I got a cut up whole Purdue chicken which worked very well. I had trouble skimming as much of the fat and whatnot off the surface as I would have liked. I’m not sure what I can do to make it easier next time. The onions were floating on the surface as well, but I probably could have sacrificed more of them to clarify the soup better.
Last week I made “Carbonnades Flamandes” which is a Belgian style beef stew. I’ve been wanting to make a beef stew for a while and I never have before. I used a 2.5lb piece of beef chuck, carrots, onions, parsnip, turkey bacon, thyme, caraway seeds, beef broth, flour, and a beer. Building the stew flavors from the bottom up with the turkey bacon and browning the meat in the pot was an experience. I expected it to be done after 2 hours of slow simmering but the beef was not as tender as I’d hoped. At 2 and a half hours it was perfect. Right before serving the stew I added a Tbs of course-grained mustard which cut the flavors of the stew nicely. I enjoyed this quite a bit. Megan had never had a beef stew before so these were all new flavors for her. I don’t think it was her favorite dish, but I am going to try a different type of beef stew next time to see if we enjoy it more.
Also last week I introduced Megan to veal for the first time. I prepared a veal scallopini with rosemary, capers and tomatoes. She loved it! I bought veal scallopini at Stop and Shop but didn’t pound it out thinner. I wasn’t sure what to use, maybe I could have used the heel of my hand. I don’t have anything to pound it with and I think I’ll add that to my list of small items to register for.
Other Stuff:
I got my new glasses today! Very exciting stuff, I got two pairs because they were running a really great deal at the eye shop. The pair I’m wearing right now have a very good chance of being the EXACT SAME FRAMES that my brother Elliott has.
I’ve been getting some reading done, I’m partway through the 6th book in the wheel of time.
Tomorrow:
-Start and get through most of the next module for my FM prep exam.
-Get new tires for my car
-Get my grocery shopping done
-Prepare for a game of warhammer Thursday against Omar
That’s it for tonight, we’ll see how tomorrow goes.
if you wanna skim the fat off, usually you can make it the day before, chill it overnight, and skim the fat off in the morning or before you reheat it (soup is generally good when you reheat it anyway).
ReplyDeleteand when i'm trying to thin meat i usually just put it in a plastic bag, put it on top of a kitchen towel, and hit it with the side of a tomato can or something since they're pretty heavy...works just as well as a mallet or something.
also, you should definitely look into registering for a slow cooker...they're super easy, and you'd be surprised how well some things can come out in there if you find the right recipes (or experiment a lot)...its like the slow and low principle for bbq.