Pasta, Rice and Grains | A Girl and a Skillet

Archive of ‘Pasta, Rice and Grains’ category

08
Jun
2015

Cooking Binge Time

categories: Desserts, Life in Alaska, Pasta, Rice and Grains, The Kitchen

I was almost a little sad to go on vacation, but as I was looking out the window watching snow fall I became less sad. The husband and I haven’t learned to appreciate the art of the stay-cation, so I’m cooking my heart out while I can because I have a kitchen sink with a disposal and a dishwasher too! No more cleaning black beans out of the sink while I brush my teeth.

I am instead learning about convection baking and experimenting with the Pie setting on the oven. Yes and there is a Pizza setting too. Aren’t we fancy? Say yes.

I made ricotta gnudi from my Gourmet Today cookbook which is one of my favorites, I ended up making a quick marinara from the next recipe for fresh manicotti. The galette I made by making a simple all butter pie crust, doing about 2/3 wheat flour and no sugar, I did a little egg wash and coarse sugar around the edge. Filling is just 5 cups blackberries, 3/4 cup sugar, couple teaspoons vanilla, a bit of cinnamon (no I didn’t measure). It’s simple, rustic, the wheat flour gives it a little hearty nuttiness that balances the tart and sweet of the blackberries. I suggest homemade vanilla ice cream as a serving suggestion.

There has also been: cinnamon rolls, chocolate cupcakes, ribs, collard green rolls (plan on recipe post for that), sourdough bread, banana barley muffins, kale chips, goat cheese souffle to name a few.

Future plans: carrot cake, coconut cake, waffles, oven fries, raspberry pie. I should make some vegetables too…

03
Mar
2015

A Tile Backsplash with Grilled Cheese and Bolognese

categories: Life in Alaska, Pasta, Rice and Grains, Slow Cooker and Braising, The Kitchen

This is what my days are looking like. My temporary kitchen is a mish-mash of various meals in progress. Either that or it sits empty while we eat our takeout around the coffee table. Today I have a tomatoey bolognese simmering in the slow cooker, recipe from The Kitchn. The hotplate is grudgingly at work making a grilled cheese. I get to take a break from the tiling because I am the food provider. I am glad for the breaks, a rest is needed for my tired feet and aching back. I rinse the marble dust and dried up mortar off my fingers, stir the bolognese and rotate the sandwiches in the skillet. If not rotated, on side will remain soft and pale while the other becomes black and crisp.

Our counter tops are somewhere between Indiana and Seattle, they have estimated they will be here either March 9th or 11th, I don’t believe them, but we will see. So far the husband’s estimate of tiling time of 19 hours seems to be off, but unfortunately in the wrong direction. At this point we are maybe 28% done, with about 16 hours of work put into, you can probably do the sad math. But after that all that is left is building and painting cabinets by hand, installing them, installing the counter tops, installing appliances, painting, building the kitchen island, and building a light fixture. That’s ok though, because we have both decided that this will be the most amazing kitchen that has ever existed in the existence of kitchens.

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23
Jan
2015

Italian Sausage with Kale and Orecchiette

categories: Pasta, Rice and Grains, Recipes, The Kitchen

Just because my kitchen has gone from small and not very useable to the approximate size of a twin bed (extra long at least) does not mean I can’t cook a decent meal. Right? Because I thought no better time to start a food blog than while in the middle of a kitchen remodel. I am ripping down drywall saying a fond farewell to chipped baby blue laminate counter tops.

Just take a deep breath and think positive

I have been dreading/anticipating this endeavor with the husband for the past couple years. The thing is I don’t like remodeling, I like the finished outcome but I don’t like dust and loud noises. From our spare bedroom/temporary kitchen/office/nursery (more on that later)/wine cellar/shoe closet I will now be cooking and preparing our meals.

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