culinary school diaries: why I enrolled

November 05, 2022 by Shana Liebman in suburban cooking

This is a long story about becoming a wife and a mom. The last 13 years often feels like a series of wonderful, meaningful, crucial, beautiful and selfless choices. That includes becoming a stay-at-home mom, moving to the suburbs, losing/finding/losing jobs, trying to find my own space.

For most of my life, that space was writing. I wrote throughout high school, college, young adulthood. It was where I was me. In marriage and motherhood, I lost that thread. I didn’t have the time, the solitude, the stimulation. Instead, I gradually migrated to the kitchen.

It started as a place to own solace when I couldn’t be alone (early motherhood) and became a place I sought when there was nowhere else to go (the pandemic). It became a place where I continuously found myself. I turned to cooking when I wanted to get back into my own head, do my own work, earn my own cred.

The idea of culinary school presented itself after a two-week course I took with one of the ICE chefs. which provided me the opportunity to get out of the house and out of my role there. It was a glorious two weeks—learning, cooking, meeting new people, staying overnight in Brooklyn at the apartment of a friend and regaining some semblance of life as it used to be.

While a full-time culinary arts program is not nearly as luxe as that recreational course — in fact it’s much more strenuous and stressful than I ever expected — it allows me to take time off from home to do the thing that feels most like me these days. It’s a chance to reenter the world, to be in the city, to find my own ground, to reintroduce myself, and to then return to my family with the experience in my back pocket.

Will I become a chef? Everyone asks. Probably not. Will I become an amazing cook? Probably not. But it will lead somewhere else, somewhere new that has flecks of me in the wallpaper. Somewhere other than home, which ironically, will hopefully lead me back to myself.

homemade tofu?

October 30, 2022 by Shana Liebman in DIY, meatless, suburban cooking

It’s been awhile. And that’s because … I’m in culinary school! I enrolled at The Institute of Culinary Education as a student in the health supportive culinary arts program. It’s amazing, except for the four-hour daily commute. I’ve learned so much (see my IG account @adailydip for details and photos).

One of our classes was “Tofu and Tempeh” (since it’s a mostly plant-based course) and we made tofu from soy milk— and we made that soy milk from soybeans. As I watched chef Jay do his demo I thought to myself, how can I make this easier for myself at home? Now that I’m away from home all day and when I get home there is snack, homework, soccer, dog, dinner, dog, homework, bath and “please go to bed already!” So I asked, “Chef, can you make this with store-bought soy milk?” To which chef Jay answered “Great question!” Cut to me, beaming with pride. “Why don’t you try it at home?” Cut to me, distraught with an extra assignment.

The chef gave me some nigari (the coagulant/chemical which makes soy milk curdle into tofu curds) and told me to report back. I’m sure there are students who would have smiled, pocked the nigari and let it go at this point. But I am a lifelong nerd and so I immediately bought soy milk and started experimenting.

The first two batches were bunk and when I casually reported this back to Chef Jay (who scares the shit out of all of us) he responded in such a way that suggested that 1. he had completely forgotten about giving me the assignment; and 2. he had potentially completely forgotten who I was.

But I persevered. Because, well, see above. I threw out gallons of not-curdled-enough soy milk until I stumbled upon a recipe that clicked. It was an obscure website and yet there were two post-recipe comments that hit home, both of which alluded to the cook failing multiple times (as I did) and then finding success with this particular method.

It worked. I don’t know if it was the amount of nigari, the stirring configurations, the heating method or the fact that the pot was covered during the process. But the store-bought soy milk formed curds big enough to sequester into my tofu mold, and those curds actually formed a rectangle of delicious (creamy, rich!) tofu.

I’m not necessarily saying that I will make my own tofu from now on…but I’m happy that my experiment finally worked and that I can continue being the nerd that I’ve always been.

momofuku ramen

February 18, 2022 by Shana Liebman in recipes, suburban cooking

We got the Momofuku Cookbook as a gift and turned to the first recipe. Ramen! We love ramen! Quick noodles in a meaty broth with a soft poached egg? Delicious! Easy! That’s when the nightmare began.

Actually, it was one of those nightmares that ends happily, with a big bowl of steaming ramen. But before you get to the table, you lose your phone and realize you’re naked in the sixth-grade hallway.

“I’ll get the ingredients!” Michael volunteered and then vanished for two hours. He came home with half of what he intended to get—neck bones are hard to find! I went next, hitting H Mart, Whole Foods and Stop & Shop. I started making the broth around 1pm on a Saturday and by 5pm, I had made little headway. I was on step #2 of 40. I’d basically only boiled some water.

David Chang’s recipe for ramen broth is a fool’s errand. Over forty steps and each step has its own steps. Four pounds of chicken wings and a pound of bacon went into the ramen broth, which I didn’t finish until the following weekend (when I finally found the right cheesecloth for the final strain.) And that was only the broth! There was another 15 hours of shopping, prepping and cooking to prepare the ingredients for the soup, including cured and roasted pork belly, sous-vide eggs and marinated bamboo. And I skipped the make-your-own noodles – after that broth, I couldn’t spend another week in the kitchen.

Was it worth it? Hell no. Was it delicious? Better than anything I’ve made in a long time. But next time, I’ll probably made a quicker broth in the Instant Pot (using pork bones and kombu). I did appreciate the cured and roasted pork and I’ll be sous-viding eggs for years to come. But next time, a bowl of ramen won’t take me three weeks to make. In fact, I might just make Momofuku reservations now.

birria as technique

December 21, 2021 by Shana Liebman in dinner party, DIY, suburban cooking

Birria tacos. Snore, right? Yeah, it’s been done before. But I’m not here to talk about birria tacos—although I did do a very deep dive into the subject for EATNOM.

In fact, I thought so much about birria tacos, and made so many birria tacos, that I realized that birria tacos are more than a trendy dish. It’s a technique that home cooks can use to make delicious and easy tacos, with or without the traditional Mexican recipe for long-stewed meat.

The technique is the process of “wetting” the tortilla in some kind of broth, stuffing it with a meat-like filling plus cheese, then grilling or frying it on the stovetop. I found that you can even make these tacos ahead of time and keep them on a low heat in the oven to stay warm.

I’ve now practiced this with a variety of tortillas (corn, flour, even low carb), and a variety of fillings (chicken, beef, pork, tofu). It’s the technique of pan-frying the moistened taco that achieves the crispy exterior and melted cheese phenomenon and that makes birria tacos so, well, delicious—and photogenic.

My go-to recipe is usually a small flour tortilla that I dip in hot chicken broth, stuff with shredded chicken and shredded cheese, then pan-fry on a greased skillet. This is the most basic version and it works with so many different ingredients.

Check it out here:

Give it a try! And let me know how it goes.

everybody's got choices

September 18, 2021 by Shana Liebman in best basics, suburban cooking, instant pot, cooking with kids

The Dilemma: Kids won’t eat tofu. Husband won’t eat beef. I have steak and tofu in the fridge. I don’t want to make chicken.

My Bright Idea: Rice bowls with your choice of protein and veggie add-ons. Choose your own adventure!

The Plan: Cook the tofu how I like it—baked and crispy. See this recipe for a best basic tofu. Make rice in the Instant Pot (see this recipe for the best basic rice.) Pickle some thinly sliced peppers, roast some broccoli and sweet potatoes, sautee some mushrooms, cut up some cucumbers and tomatoes. Make some simple peanut sauce: chunky peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce, hot sauce, water. Put it all out in a big dish in the middle of the table.

Variations: Mix and match any proteins or roasted/sauteed/grilled veggies (use leftovers!)—swap rice for quinoa or noodles. Choose a different sauce—like soy sauce/sesame oil or a garlic aioli.

The Verdict: Mostly success! Everyone was able to find something they liked. Mack wound up trying and liking the tofu while Nate stuck with steak/rice. With some hot sauce and a nice dose of the peanut sauce, the bowl of different healthy bites was surprisingly hearty and satisfying.

pasta la vista

August 18, 2021 by Shana Liebman in cooking with kids, suburban cooking

I hate making pasta for my family, which is a shame because my family really loves eating pasta. To me, it seems like a lot of pots (ie cleanup) for not enough delicious and/or interesting food. While watching Stanley Tucci’s show about food in Italy, I was introduced to the super pasta pan—a wide saucier that can mix pasta and sauce like a pro. I did my research and came across Serious Eats recommendation for this kind of pan, and of course swiftly purchased the $30 pan. I used it to make carbonara which was delicious.

Then today I was thinking — how can I make pasta ahead of time without a huge cleanup? And then I had an idea—I’ll boil the pasta for 6 minutes and then toss it over low heat with some oil/butter (in my special pasta pan); let it sit and then reheat it (in my special pasta pan) with some of the starchy pasta water. I also reheated some meatballs in sauce (which only one kid likes—which is also part of the pasta problem.)

Success! The pasta was easy to gently reheat in the special pasta pan and was not overdone. After serving the picky eater his plain pasta, I could mix in the sauce. It was a relatively easy cleanup and a very good meal that worked for all of us.

carbonara

April 01, 2021 by Shana Liebman in cooking with kids, suburban cooking

Have you seen the Stanley Tucci show? We as a family are enjoying its deep dive into Italian tourism, learning a little about the history of Italy and a lot about certain delicious dishes. Most of all we’ve been inspired to cook and eat pasta!

We started with Rome’s famous carbonara—which I’ve only had a handful of times and always get confused with alfredo, which is totally different. Carbonara is like many of Italy’s dishes, so simple and relies mostly on good ingredients and some technique. I researched the hell out of making it and even bought a pasta-pan (a wide deep saucepan for mixing the pasta with the other ingredients.) Serious Eats’ Daniel Gritzer did the reporting for me in his article which directed me to this amazing pan.

To prepare I also watched some videos—every chef has a slightly different way to combine the simple ingredients. Some drain the guanciale fat and add it back in at the end (or not); some combine the eggs and cheese over the heat; some use only yolks instead of whole eggs. But most agree that the authentic recipe is simply guanciale or pancetta (not bacon), eggs, pecorino (with maybe some parmesan mixed in), and spaghetti.

I went to Battaglia Brothers in Dobbs Ferry for my ingredients and then decided on a mixture of 4 yolks/1 whole egg and about a cup of mostly pecorino with a little parm. I used De Cecco spaghetti and boiled it in salty water, while I cooked the diced pancetta over low heat (no oil or butter—another mandate from the authentic chefs), then transferred it to my new pasta pan to cool. When the pasta was al dente I added it straight to the pasta pan with the pancetta and slowly mixed in the egg/cheese combo, then added a little more pasta-water to loosen it.

It was delicious but a little salty so next time I’ll have to adjust the water’s saltiness and the cheese ratio (maybe more parm .) We devoured it though—rich and creamy with chunks of fatty salty meat. It was definitely a good place to start on our Italy journey. One day may we eat it in Rome.

chicken potpie

March 13, 2021 by Shana Liebman in suburban cooking, recipes

I’ve always been curious about chicken potpie. You might even call it a fantasy. That gooey creamy American-midwestern Waspy dish that mom NEVER made. With two sticks (plus) of butter, heavy cream and frozen peas. It had no place in our kitchen when I was growing up. Or to be honest, in my kitchen as an adult. Hence the fantasy I guess.

Scrolling through chicken dishes on the NYT website however—which is yes a pastime these days, sadly—I came across Melissa Clark’s “White Chicken Potpie” recipe and thought—white meat, so it must be healthy. Two and a half sticks of butter later I know otherwise. At the time however it seemed doable, and like a good Sunday project. Michael had given it his casual thumbs up and his enthusiasm got me over the indecision hump.

So I bought the buttermilk (white!) and the chicken (white!) and the leeks (almost white!) and set my sights on Melissa’s recipe.

A couple of hours and too many dishes later, it was too late to turn back, and soon I had chicken potpie, an ultimately foreign dish (to me) which was so so delicious. Yes, it was too much butter and too much cream, and I was already thinking how do I turn this into something healthier next time. I mean, I had trouble lifting the dish out of the oven, it was so heavy.

I called the kids into the kitchen for dinner, and I immediately sensed failure. There were cooked carrots, frozen peas and biscuits—something for everyone to hate. Maybe I should have made those tofu tacos! Did I read enough reviews? My Jew-anxiety was on red alert.

Soon enough Nate had snubbed his nose which triggered Michael to double down on his picky eater issues—”But mom spent two hours making dinner!” which then sent Nate into a tailspin and eventually into his room, punished for not even being willing to try a bite. Mack took one bite and politely asked for a bagel. Michael and I ate our share while Nate was in his room and Mack was solemn. I have to admit though—it was delicious. Decadent, yes, but satisfying, especially the biscuit topping. (I’m a biscuit girl—the highlight of NOLA for me is the biscuits and grits.)

Finally, we let Nate out and gave him a bagel too. There was so much cleanup during which time Michael kindly suggested that we didn’t need to save the leftovers. But of course, I did save them—stashed in the fridge in the garage, ready for me to pull out one day and devour. Perhaps alone. Because no one else deserves to relive the trauma of white chicken potpie. The end.

finally a decent tofu dish

February 09, 2021 by Shana Liebman in meatless, recipes, suburban cooking

So we’ve been quarantined for…forever now, and I’ve made every recipe you can imagine. In terms of meatless, I’ve enjoyed The New York Times’ tofu with green beans and chili crisp. And their Indian Butter Tofu is incredible but a lot of work. Last night I found a new recipe for Meatless Monday—it’s a sort of sag with tofu and I added roasted cauliflower to it and it was delicious, and healthy and filling! It’s this recipe but I changed it a bit: I sauteed shallots and ginger for 5 minutes then added all the spices. After about a minute, I added baby spinach until it wilted and then pureed that mixture in a food processor. Then I added in roasted cauliflower and the sauteed tofu. See recipe below!

Saag Tofu and Veggies

1 onion, chopped
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp tumeric
12-16oz baby spinach
1 package firm tofu
1/2 cup greek plain yogurt mixed with 1/4 tsp cornstarch
Optional: roasted vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

Heat 1 tbsp canola oil in large pot over medium high. When hot, saute chopped onion and minced ginger (or used store-bought minced ginger in a jar). Cook until soft, then add all the spices. Cook for 5 minutes until fragrant, stirring often.
Add spinach in bunches. (If pan starts to scorch add a few gulps of chicken broth.) Cook until spinach is all wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
In the meantime, heat frying pan over high heat and add 1 tbsp canola oil. When hot, add cubed tofu and cook shaking pan until tofu cubes are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Puree spinach mixture in food processor until smooth. Add back to pot. Then add yogurt-cornstarch mixture and stir. Add browned tofu cubes and taste for salt/pepper seasoning. Optional: add roasted vegetables.

whole30 inspired

January 10, 2021 by Shana Liebman in recipes, suburban cooking

So I can’t exactly say that I am doing the whole30 diet but Michael is, which has inspired this week’s pretty awesome menu of dinners. For the most part, we are eating salads and protein (though I’ve had some dairy, bread and a little sugar) but the constrictions of the diet have forced me to try a few recipes that may have otherwise been off my radar. For example…

This Vietnamese Beef Stew (Bo Kho), made with lemongrass, star anise, ginger. It was a lot of work and cooked for three hours but the results were worth it. Rich, buttery beef with bright distinct and unfamiliar flavors of anise and cinnamon. It would be good with rice but we just had it plain—although I have been making cauliflower rice which is really pretty decent. And this week I had some leftover cauliflower rice which I cooked like fried rice (see above), with bacon and a scrambled egg, plus some frozen mini-veggies. Mack loved it.

I also made another Milk Street Magazine recipe, Moqueca, a Brazilian seafood and coconut stew, which was much easier and excellent—creamy and briny, with shrimp and cod. On a side note: Nate has started eating shrimp if I saute it with Old Bay. Mind-blowing. Trying not to get too excited as to scare him off of it but it’s now two in a row and I think it’s here to stay.

Because we are getting sick of Michael’s very good but very much the same every time vinaigrette, I fudged my way through a new recipe with the rest of the coconut milk from the stew and some vinegar, lime, fish sauce and olive oil. It was good, maybe not something I would make again, but a new twist that fit the diet guidelines.

And finally, and most simply, I sous vide some pork chops then finished them on the grill. Next time I would add some kind of sauce but they were good, especially with the fried cauliflower rice and the leftover veggies from this excellent butterflied chicken recipe (which I randomly found online but will definitely make again.)

Tonight we are going with an Eric Ripert recipe: Cod with potatoes in chorizo mussel broth from the New York Times. It looks complicated but delicious and we bought a beautiful piece of cod at today’s very cold outdoor farmer’s market. It’s not a recipe I would normally turn to so I’m grateful for whole30 for the inspiration and parameters, at least for this week. Next week I’d like to get back to bagels and beer.

weekly recap

December 17, 2020 by Shana Liebman in recipes, suburban cooking

Sunday: Leftover Jewish-style Brisket with onions and carrots from our Chanukah party: This was a really easy and traditional brisket which turned out delicious. I made it several days ahead of time and warmed it up at 325 for about 45 minutes before we ate it. We also had the remains of our dinner of sous-vide turkey breast with crispy skin, (see above), which I made for Thanksgiving and then remade a few weeks later because it was so good and so easy. The first time around I made a gravy from Mark Bittman, but this time I bought a house-made gravy from Whole Foods and the whole meal was super simple to make. There wasn’t enough crispy skin, however, either time I made it. But still a keeper.

Monday: We made a delicious and healthy veggie miso soup (with cabbage and shiitakes) from the Milk Street Cookbook. I just gave their new book to a friend for Chanukah so I decided to go back and check out the earlier book, which I love. The soup was light, nutritious and a perfect lunch dish, even though we had it for dinner, with some homemade yogurt pizza.

Tuesday: I returned to the Milk Street cookbook for a Filipino Chicken (marinated and cooked in a vinegar/soy sauce) which was excellent, and I served with (again) the Milk Street Cookbook’s charred brussel sprouts with anchovies and garlic (see above) which were made in a cast iron skillet. White rice on the side to soak up the amazing coconut-milk sauce for the chicken.

Wednesday: I made chicken tacos for the boys and us — which has become quite easy and a good weeknight staple that I can heat up for lunch.

Thursday: The snow day called for stew so we turned to Milk Street—see a theme here? And made their no-sear lamb or beef stew, opting for beef (see above). Skip the lemon juice at the end—otherwise a straightforward recipe for a hearty and warmly spiced stew served with cold yogurt and cilantro. Perfect for a cold night, and doesn’t require much more than some crusty bread and/or a salad.

Friday: I got my first shipment of Fly by Jing chile crisp so I made this excellent recipe from the NYT for Tofu and Green Beans with Chile Crisp. I’ve made it several times before without the green beans and we threw the tofu on a salad or had it with rice for lunch. But the addition of the beans is smart and with some white rice makes a filling meal.

ziggy's cafe

August 12, 2020 by Shana Liebman in suburban cooking

I have only eaten at one restaurant since March and that was Ziggy’s, the restaurant created for me by my loving family and named after our new rescue dog: Ziggy. As you can see the menu was, um, interesting but the food was excellent and the waitstaff was adorable. I’ll be reserving a table there again whenever it next pops up.

summer picnic at home

August 12, 2020 by Shana Liebman in dinner party, suburban cooking

One of my favorite meals of the summer was this cold picnic dinner party feast. I made the NYT’s Tandoori-Style Chicken, served cold with some of the unused marinade as a sauce. Then three salads: this Corn-Fregola Salad (from Bon Appetit, without the haloumi but with feta); an amazing Panzanella salad (with anchovies and capers) from the cookbook In Season (by Sarah Raven) and a Zucchini Salad with Herbs, Lemon and Ricotta from Milk Street Magazine.

The joy was making everything ahead of time and just leaving out on a table (indoors) until we were ready to help ourselves and eat (outdoors).

more chicken!

August 12, 2020 by Shana Liebman in suburban cooking

Has anyone seen Padma’s new show on Hulu? It’s pretty good, though very earnest. I think it’s a great fit for kids and I forced my kids to watch one episode—the second one about German food in Milwaukee, and as a result they learned a bit about their heritage (they are 1/4 German) and we made schnitzel ! I had made schnitzel before but I usually relied on a less authentic, more gourmet recipe—think Panko and butter instead of bread crumbs and canola oil. But this time I did it for real—pounded the shit out of chicken breasts then coated in the lightly seasoned flour, egg wash, store-bought bread crumbs then fried in an inch of oil (at 350 degrees) for about 2-4 minutes. The trick is not to over-bread or push the crumbs into the meat—just a light coating and hot oil. And the apparently traditional highlight—a poached egg on top! I have to say, they were a huge hit. Tasty and satisfying. I served with lemon wedges, pureed cauliflower and coleslaw and the kids said it was the best dinner of the pandemic.

chicken wars

June 08, 2020 by Shana Liebman in recipes, suburban cooking

So yeah we’ve been eating a lot of chicken lately. It might have something to do with the fact that Michael became a vegan and then a pandemic hit. Somehow that meant we couldn’t eat meat…but chicken was okay. And then we just went crazy on chicken.

We made Jerk chicken, Thai chicken, Filipino Chicken Adobo, Vietnamese chicken (fried, grilled and baked on a bed of salt), Japanese fried chicken, chicken tacos, chicken pozole, chicken shawarma chicken schnitzel, chicken curry (from Swati) and chicken tandoori (from Dave) and butter chicken. This one was really good: Turmeric Coconut Curry (but of course we made it with ground chicken instead of pork.) We even made Brooklyn chicken, or rather brick chicken from Marlow & Sons which was amazing. (And courtesy of The New Brooklyn Cookbook.) As well as Jonathan Waxman’s famous roast chicken.

At some point in all this madness, Michael had the idea to formalize these meals into a competitive draw: chicken wars, ala March Madness, in which we would have winners and losers and seatings and whatever else goes with whatever March Madness is. (I’m still learning the terms.)

We haven’t yet gotten around to an actual tournament but we’re still making so much damn chicken that it’s definitely a war—on poultry, but also between dishes. We haven’t yet declared a winner winner chicken dinner, but the dish I made last night came pretty close—it was a riff on lots of recipes that I’ve been reading and cooking. We happened to have a bunch of cilantro stems left over from the pozole, and I’m currently obsessed with fish sauce, so I turned those two into a marinade for chicken thighs that we grilled and served with a sauce I made up. It was so good I had to write it down.

Vaguely Thai Chicken

Marinade:
1 bunch cilantro stems, chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp lime juice
2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
1 Serrano pepper roughly chopped
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor. It will take a few minutes to break down the stems but blend until you get a green sauce. Marinade 4-6 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)in sauce for at least 2 hours. Grill on high until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Dipping Sauce
2 tbsp chili-garlic sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp Kewpie mayo (or regular mayo)

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and serve with grilled chicken.

cooking around the world

May 20, 2020 by Shana Liebman in recipes, suburban cooking

Now that we’re trapped at home all day, it’s nice to spice up the home cooking with some food from other countries and cultures. I’ve made Vietnamese chicken (baked over a bed of salt), Japanese boneless fried chicken and today for lunch, soft tofu stew (Kimchi Soondubu Jjigae) adapted from a recipe from this Korean site. It was seriously easy and fast. And delicious.

Here’s my version:

1/2 a package of extra soft/silken tofu
1/3 cup thinly sliced kimchi
3 ounces pork or beef (I used one small pork sausage out of its casing)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 cup broth
2 to 3 tablespoons juice from kimchi
salt to taste and pinch black pepper
1 scallion, finely
1 egg (optional)

Combine the kimchi, sausage, garlic powder and sesame oil in a small pot, and place it over medium heat. Stir-fry until the meat is almost cooked, 3 - 4 minutes. Pour in broth and the juice from the kimchi. Bring it to a boil, and continue to boil for 3 - 4 minutes. Add the soft tofu, salt to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon) and black pepper. Cook for 4 -5 minutes. Add the chopped scallion just before removing the pot from the heat. If desired, crack an egg into the stew to serve while it’s still boiling hot.

my new air fryer

May 20, 2020 by Shana Liebman in DIY, instant pot, recipes, suburban cooking

So I finally broke down and got the air fryer lid for the Instant Pot which literally turns the IP into an air fryer, though a small one. I figured I’m cooking SO much, it would be a fun tool to play with. And it is. Despite Melissa Clark’s lackluster review, I’ve found it really useful for a few items. One is veggies: brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, shishito peppers— well seasoned with a little olive oil then air fried for about 15 minutes per batch at 400 degrees turns out really yummy little bites of crispy veg. I’ve served them with dinner but also as a pre-dinner snack.

For both the cauliflower and broccoli, I mixed the small florets with 1 tablespoon of olive oil plus a spice mixture (garlic powder, cajun spices, smoked paprika, salt and pepper—but you could use any mixture you like; just use enough to coat). Then air-fried for 15 at 400.

Chickpeas were good too—crunchy and healthy with just a little bit of oil. A good snack to serve with a cocktail. French fries were amazing—similar to a fast food fry—though you have to air-fry them in small batches to get the right about of crisp. I’ve also thrown in small new potatoes cut in half with just a bit of oil, salt and pepper.

I have yet to try any meats or bigger objects, so I’ll have to check back in when that happens. Perhaps fried chicken or a piece of fish? Stay tuned.

save yourself

April 22, 2020 by Shana Liebman in instant pot, recipes, suburban cooking

You know that feeling right?

It’s a lot. Staying home and cooking ALL THE TIME. But then again, you could have your head crushed by Abomination. That would be worse.

So the latest issue in this busy kitchen is: How do you cook enough not to cook every day but also have variety? We’ve had a leftovers-lunch-rut lately—someone has to finish the lentil soup! And then there’s the kids: I can’t eat pasta for lunch and dinner! I’ve realized (not that this is news to anyone else) that it all comes down to making a big recipe and then portioning it out.

For example I made a batch of tomatoey white beans in the Instant Pot this week. It took me about 10 minutes of active time. We then ate it with grilled chicken one night. The next night I mixed in a little sauteed kale. We finished it for lunch with some canned tuna flaked in. You could also add some sausage or broth and turn it into a soup. I know everyone’s talking about beans these days but this recipe turned out to be very versatile and forgiving, even for my formerly vegan, maybe still vegan when this whole thing is over, husband,

A great big batch recipe to make for the kids is this incredible recipe for Mac and Cheese in the Instant Pot. It’s easier than anything else I’ve made in a few months and it’s delicious, and freezes well. Make the whole recipe (one box of pasta which makes about 10-15 servings) and then freeze meal-size portions in small Tupperwares or plastic bags for when the kids refuse to make what you ate that night.

Another one—humous. I usually just mix two cans chickpeas, 1/4 cup tahini, 1 lemon’s juice, salt/pepper, 1/4 cup Olive Oil and a few ice cubes in the blender and then store the whole thing in a Tupperware in the fridge. It will keep for at last a week or two and everyday when you heave it out for snack time, place a small amount in a bowl and flavor it however you want for the day: chili powder; cajun spice; sesame seeds, hot sauce; EVOO and extra lemon. Each day it becomes a little new.

Of course part of this strategy is making a plan: writing down the exciting meals you will make that week using the 3-5 major big batch dishes you choose to make. (Some other ideas: any bean dishes; grilled or baked chicken (put it into tacos, pasta, soup); slaw; pasta; roasted salmon (eat it cold or turn it into these amazing salmon cakes; ) It takes some time to plan it all out but honestly, what else do you have right now?

Day 93, or something like that

April 19, 2020 by Shana Liebman in suburban cooking, recipes, meatless

I’ve lost count. I’ve cooked so many damn meals they would be melting together if I didn’t keep this photo diary of my daily restaurant specials. I’m quite proud of myself for cooking every meal but burnt out at the same time. Last night Michael grilled veggie burgers and hot dogs and it was a relief not to be in charge. So one night a week should be daddy’s night, I think. The problem is we’re making the most of limited supplies so creativity and skill is crucial. Michael did make this lentil soup this week, and made it entirely on his own—super impressive. So we’re both reaching out of our comfort zones.

I actually think this quarantined time has an advantage in that we are spending more quality time together as a family doing things I like to do—being at home, cooking, watching movies, reading. There’s no soccer or baseball or neighbors yelling in our playroom. Today with video games allowed since it is Sunday, I’m feeling a bit lonely—the kids are doing something that doesn’t involve me, nor that I get any pleasure in. But strangely that isn’t normally the situation these days.

I’ve read a lot about how this time befits introverts (Larry David) and even depressives….which is interesting. There are no social plans or run-ins and we’re all supposed to feel a little bad. Plus we’re at home, where some of us like to be, doing quiet activities. So yeah there are some positives. One of them being: bread. We made this bread—which is something we would never ordinarily do. But it was crazy easy and yummy—it makes a ton so you can keep it in the fridge and bake off a loaf when you feel like it.

day 13: more soup

March 28, 2020 by Shana Liebman in instant pot, meatless, recipes, suburban cooking

Finally Saturday when I don’t have to homeschool! We started the day with cleaning, which was supposed to be a family affair but was mostly me and Michael, plus a little help from the kids. Mack was in charge of Vacuuming his room and he asked: Do I have to Vacuum everything, or just the floor? Clearly these kids don’t do enough chores.

Well, we got plenty of time for that now.

After cleaning I moved on to…cooking! I made an easy broccoli and cauliflower soup but substituted gouda for cheddar. I think it turned out really delicious but Mack said it was “smelly and hot.” My kind of soup. And then I had some leftover broccoli and cauliflower so I decided to make a stiryfry which meant that I basically didn’t leave the kitchen for like 6 hours. On the other hand, not much else to do. Strange times.

Broccoli and Cheese soup

Ingredients

2 tsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots (about 2 medium)
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups broccoli, roughly chopped (about 1/2 lb)
2 cups cauliflower, roughly chopped (about 6 oz)
salt & pepper, to taste
1 1/3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or gouda)
1 tsp sherry vinegar
1 TBSP heavy cream

Instructions

Instant Pot Directions:

Turn on the saute function, melt the butter in your pot and cook the onions and carrots in the butter until they start to soften .
Next, add the roughly chopped broccoli, the cauliflower, 1 tsp salt and the broth. Put the lid on and set on manual for 3 minutes, quick release when it's finished.
Blend in batches in a blender and return to pot. Add cheese, salt and pepper to taste, sherry vinegar and cream.