Cooking In Stilettos... » Random Mess

Anthony Bourdain Might Be Onto Something

Lys — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:33:56 +0000

Like many, I’m currently engrossed in Anthony Bourdain’s latest book Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook and he might have an idea that I believe current school districts might want to pay attention to.

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Growing up, I have to confess, I didn’t do much cooking, if any. My first recipe I remember making on my own was a homemade lasagna made from a recipe off of the side of the pasta box. My parents gave praise but looking back and remembering my concoction of spices that I “added to the recipe,” I think my parents were being WAY too kind (much like when my friends and I regaled the parents with Barbie Cabaret Shows that I think I charged admission to and they sat through patiently). I remember some other kitchen experiments that were attempted over the years and I’m positive now that perhaps my idiot fiancée was correct in his assumption that my cooking skills were *ahem* a bit challenged (well in his words I was the worst cook to ever come near a stove but then again, he wasn’t so great either!) Over the years, it was easier to call take out than rather try to put together something more challenging than a box of mac & cheese and I admit that it wasn’t until I really started to develop an interest in cooking that I learned that I do, indeed, have a skill set for cooking and even sometimes baking. Does that mean I’m going to open a restaurant or something along that lines – not in the least. I leave that for the more seasoned and trained professionals.

One thing I DON’T remember from growing up is taking a cooking class. While I’m sure my high school had Home Economics at some point or another, perhaps it was one of those electives where I chose to take Spanish (or per the directive of my father – Latin) and I just didn’t see the need for learning how to cook, properly vacuum or sew. At the time of graduation, I wasn’t thinking of anything outside of possibly being an entertainment lawyer (trust me, I got smarter as I got older and learned – hell to the no!) and lawyers don’t cook – they don’t have time. I also remember thinking high school didn’t prepare us for much of anything – sure we could read and write and possibly add 2 + 2 and get 4 but I didn’t realize that Algebra would be vital for balancing a checkbook or Chemistry would be much like cooking. Long story short, I probably could burn water if I tried.

Anthony Bourdain talks about the need for children to learn to cook and how cooking received a bad rap. Many of the boys wouldn’t dare take home ec due to ridicule and the stigma, while girls were expected to thrive in their “housewife training” class so, therefore, many girls decided to protest. If the boys didn’t have to take it, why shouldn’t the girls and the school districts caved, many not requiring their students to take home economics. He proposes a mandatory cooking skill set for children to learn that way they can fend for themselves when they get older rather than relying on restaurant dining and takeout.

The proposed culinary skills that children should learn include:

Proper knife skills
How to roast a chicken
How to make a vinaigrette
How to shop for and select produce
How to make soups and stocks (therefore adding frugal skills to the table)
How to filet and cook a fish
How to cook vegetables properly

Of course there is way more than that but I think he might be onto something. These are all skills I’m learning NOW and I’m well into my 30s. Somewhere, Julia Child is listening and nodding in agreement, I think.

What skills and techniques do you think today’s children should learn that you did not know growing up?

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Food Poisoning Is Bad For Business

Lys — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:46:02 +0000

Sadly, I have been hit by one hell of a case of food poisoning that has me questioning EVERYTHING in my fridge. As a matter of fact, I’m doing a full purge of everything this week and starting anew because, quite simply, I never want to have to go through that mess again.

I have been surviving on all things water, ginger ale and apple juice. One comforting thing, I do know what the culprit was that did make me sick and I’m happy to report it was NOTHING that I cooked. I often get prepared soups from Genuardis for those nights when I don’t have an ounce of extra energy to whip up something on the stove. Genuardis prepared chili was a mainstay in my fridge. Top the chili with a grating of cheddar and a dab of sour cream or crème fraiche and serve with some toasted bread and there you have it – better than takeout.

So, on St. Patrick’s day, while my friends were out and about, I was home violently ill, praying for whatever it was to stop! Not only did I have the usual normal gross symptoms of food poisoning, but add to that a fever of 102, chills, dizziness, etc. I haven’t felt that sick in a long time. You know things are bad when the dog and the cat are hovering around you to "cuddle" like they know you are sick. Now while I’m nowhere near 100% feeling better, I’ve found myself hesitant about cooking as well. What can I cook that won’t react badly I wonder. Things just don’t taste the same and being told I can not have coffee, tea or caffeine for a few days has me screaming internally. You know how I hate to be separated from my coffee. It’s been a tough week in the Lys household.

However, I wanted to point out that you have to be careful where you buy your food from. I have had quite a few incidents lately with Genuardis in Plymouth Meeting, PA where I’ve brought their meat home and it’s not fresh, has a rancid smell, etc. You can even smell it in the store by the meat counter – just that “off” smell that has you going “What The ???” I am extremely concerned about this as I used to love shopping there but if that is what I have to expect from them, well then I guess I will be taking my business to Whole Paychex, the farmers’ markets and other spots.

Another thing that concerns me is that the FDA has released yet another food recall list and I’m starting to question what is going on. There is supposed to be some system of checks and balances and I’m noticing that either the workers are quite possibly getting lazy and not paying attention or there are too many layoffs going on whereby there isn’t enough staff to ensure there ARE no problems. I am being a bit more proactive on reading the recall lists, ingredient lists and noting where things are originated from. And, of course, using my LOTUS system on any fruits & veggies. (If I ever meet the person that invented that, he’s getting a big hug! That machine is a lifesaver (and well worth the cost!)

One thing is a definite – I’m NEVER buying prepared chili ever again nor am I shopping at Genuardis!

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Cooking In Stilettos – There’s An App For That

Lys — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:39:24 +0000

Often when I’m grocery shopping, I will whip out my iPhone to see what I could make with a certain ingredients. For example, I was looking at some short ribs and saw an amazing pork shoulder so I whipped out the phone, started playin’ around and sure enough, I was able to get the ingredients for Rick Bayless’ pork tinga which is currently simmering away in the slow cooker. Now I have never done well with a written grocery list or to do list as I’m a gal who lets culinary inspiration guide my shopping excursions. I am, however, thankfully an owner of an iPhone who has a bunch of culinary (and fashion of course) apps.

Well Cooking In Stilettos finally has its own app for when you are away from the computer and, here’s the best part - it’s FREE!

So, feel free to check us out on iTunes and you can get some culinary inspiration when you are out and about. Just click on the link or the logo and enjoy!

Cooking In Stilettos App on iTunes.

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Question to the Readers: Ingredients

Lys — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:26:35 +0000

Weekly question time:

What was the most unusual or hard to find ingredient that you had to find for that recipe you just had to make?

For me, it’s a toss between Cajeta (goat’s milk caramel) or Tapioca Flour for some upcoming recipes. Thankfully I was able to locate these ingredients at MexGrocer.com (who gives cash back by the way) and Whole Foods that just opened here in Plymouth Meeting, PA.

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We Interrupt Previously Scheduled Programming…

Lys — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 07:45:26 +0000

As this gal has suffered a bit of a casualty. While making my honey garlic slow cooker chicken last night, this gal got the bright idea to add onions to the recipe at last minute. Well, I grabbed the onion and my new Global veggie knife which looks like a cleaver of sorts – see

and while chopping away while using my newly learned knife skills, I forgot one of the most important commandments – ALWAYS KNOW WHERE YOUR THUMB IS. See, while I was steading the onion, the thumb just got in the way and *swoosh*

Damn that knife was sharp!!! Needless to say it was a pretty deep cut, no stitches needed but who knew that a gal’s thumb plays a major role in most things. So now my typing is more of a hunt and peck of sorts, the texting – yeah, so not happening and the cut is pretty gross. I’m just thankful that my thumb is still attached. I was highly thankful that I kept a package of bandaids in the kitchen and applied the Girl Scout First Aid skills.

That onion didn’t fare so well – it never did make it into the recipe…

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What Happens When A Laptop Hits The Floor…

Lys — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:54:16 +0000

I was hoping to be able to tell you all about the knife skills class I recently took at Fosters – I was so excited to blog the other night and recount the 10 commandments of cutlery. But first, since I got home so late, I headed to the kitchen to make something light due to the Eat In Challenge (and no takeout! Day 8 – huzzah!) I really wasn’t paying attention to the constant fight of the furballs and figured I’d write after dinner.

The Furballs fight – CONSTANTLY. See, Shadow, my cat, has this habit of driving my pug and sous chef Wiggy crazy and entices him to leave his kitchen station and chase her down the long hallway. I had moved the laptop to a small table so I could blog from the comfort of the couch. Sadly, the wireless router I moved here with is beyond ancient and is not supported by Comcast so for the past few months, I have operated solely connected to the cable modem by means of a VERY long cord. So, that evening Shadow decided that it was time to get Wiggy in trouble and started her evening torture. Wiggy took the bait, began the chase – into the cable internet cord – and *boom* I heard a shaking thump. Yup, you guessed it, my laptop took a nose dive onto my “non-plushy” carpet and went boom and it refused to power up. I tried everything I could and I had to bury the Gateway. In other bad blogger news, I haven’t backed up in about 2 weeks so those recipes I bookmarked to try, the food photos I took to write about, the partial posts on my Windows Live Writer – all gone. A moment of silence please….

So, after doing much research on my iPhone (thank heavens for that internet connection!), I was able to figure out a new replacement Toshiba laptop, the correct WIRELESS modem and, ta-dah, we’re back in business. The only thing I hated was not being able to buy it online and get cash back but in the end, lesson learned.

The Dog/Cat chase and Cords = Non-Mixy Things.

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Question to the Readers: Cooking Classes…

Lys — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 02:36:54 +0000

So, dear readers, while watching Julie & Julia for the umpteenth time (LOVE this film), I decided that I need to bite the bullet and take some cooking classes – starting with a knife skills class. Fosters in Center City has some really good classes – check out the course schedule HERE. I’ve had one too many “close calls” with the santoku for me to put it off any longer.

Have any of you ever taken a cooking class – and, if so, what can one expect?

I have visions of my first day of college and, I have to say, I’m terrified. I’m not really one for being the “new gal” – way too shy for one’s own good (Mel – shush!). Any insight would be most helpful…

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Cool New Blog Alert: Melly’s Kitchen…

Lys — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:26:53 +0000

Indulge me a bit would ya – my gal Mel has decided to jump feet first into the foodie blog world and, of course, having some of the best readers on the planet, I was hoping that you might be able to drop by her spot and welcome her to the Foodie world… She’s one heck of a spunky gal and, from what I hear, can throw down in the kitchen…

You can find her spot here: Melly’s Kitchen

Thanks in advance!!!

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The Joys of Moving or In The Alternative – Where The Heck Is That Spatula??

Lys — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:14:54 +0000

First of all – let me just say that moving over 1,000 miles will NOT be an option. It took about 3 weeks of unpacking and lugging HUGE boxes around the new abode to find my pots at the BOTTOM row of boxes. And, to make things worse – I’m still looking for things here and there. I figure I have about 10 boxes or so I need to finish going through and then I can move onto reorganizing the den which is currently known as “Moving Box Central”. The amount of boxes I’ve had to break down has been insane.

So, 3 weeks of take out, delivery and micro meals does not make a happy food blogger.

Before I left, my friends came over and kicked my butt into moving overdrive. SL, Jay & Kar helped me box up the hell known as my kitchen and also helped take a bunch of things off my hands – specifically my pantry and liquor cabinet; both of which were not coming with. SL now has a spice cabinet to die for loaded with some serious goodies like truffle oil, meyer lemon oil, coffee and goodies shipped from the Italian Market. Heck, since I could go to the Italian Market on Saturdays, I could replenish it – right? However, one thing I haven’t been able to find is my creole seasoning – for some reason they just don’t seem to have that here. I’m hopeful that maybe Whole Paychex or Trader Joe’s might have or else I’m calling SL to ship some to me stat.

I can say that my kitchen is MUCH bigger in terms of counter space and, while I don’t have an island, I might just not need it. And, now that the pans have been located, I’ve been getting back my cooking mojo. Won’t my neighbors be thrilled The pantry is a bit smaller so it’s going to mean I’m going to have to find some new ways to keep everything moving along.

Now please excuse me while I make plans to have yet another run to Crate & Barrel in the morning for more spice jars and a few more organizing ideas so I can actually have this kitchen running smoothly. Oh, and so I can make room for the *ahem* new goodies coming from RueLaLa from the Calphalon sale… *shhhh* just don’t tell anyone.

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Reason Why You Should Make Friends With Salespeople…

Lys — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:36:46 +0000

I always say when something stinks, I’m going to tell you and when something is amazing, I’m REALLY going to tell you. I may be tough but I only expect good customer service. Above average customer service really makes me take notice.

Here’s why I advocate being friendly with salespeople in your favorite stores – they will alert you to some good deals coming up, they will take care of you and other perks. I have stores I go to time and time again in Orlando – especially when it comes to all things kitchen and entertaining. At the top of my list, of course, is the Le Creuset outlet at the Prime Outlets.

Greg and his staff always take care of me. They know that I obsess over everything Caribbean Le Creuset and a couple weeks ago I got a call from one of his top salespeople going “Lys, we just got in the Le Creuset soup pot in Caribbean and we’re holding it for you if you want to drop by.” Can I tell you at the first opportunity, I flew to the outlets and didn’t make my usual rounds to Saks Off Fifth, Neimans or Stuart Weitzman – it was straight to LE CREUSET to see the latest addition to my household. And, mind you – I’ve had my eye on it for a bit since I saw it at Sur La Table a few months ago. (Sidenote – hello - Williams Sonoma – When are you going to *ahem* start carrying Caribbean? Seriously – love that color!) Not to mention, hello – the outlet had it on SALE! Double score. Let’s just hope the outlet gets more Caribbean because I still have a couple more things I need for my kitchen *cough* wide oval dutch oven *cough*

Ahhh – isn’t she lovely? Almost as lovely as my new Loubous but that’s another post for another blog on another day…

Much thanks to Greg and his staff at the Prime Outlets in Orlando. I can’t recommend a better store for all things Le Creuset.

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