Skip to main content

Slow and Steady

Its late and I still need a shower before we start Shabbat.   We went on a family outing this morning and so I didn't get a chance to start cooking until 2pm.  Of course, today of all days I choose to cook dishes with long prep times. When will I learn.

We are invited out to lunch tomorrow, so its just tonight's meal that I need to prepare.  One of our friends is coming to visit this weekend, and my oldest is now on vacation.  Our total count is a measly nine.   No complaining, but dinner will likely be short.

I like making Onion soup.  I find it an exercise in patience. First I cut up 5-6 large onions and put them in a non-stick pot with a little oil.  Then I put it on medium heat and stir every few minutes.  After about an hour, this big pile of onions in now a small pile of lightly golden onions.  This is where I loose patience.   If I would just wait a bit, the color should deepen.  I bit in this case is probably another 30 minutes.  I just can't do it.  As soon as I start to see that dark color on a few random bits, I give it another five minutes and call it quits.  Better to have ok soup than to burn the onions.

The other thing I made today was Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.  This looks really nice.  It the first time I've made a roux and then dumped in vegetables to stop its cooking.  Once again, I probably should have waited a few more minutes.  I got a nice peanut color from the roux, but it could have been much darker before it burned.

Shabbat Parshat Pinchas
Dinner - 9

Onion soup (from scratch)
Stir fried chicken
Stir fried vegetables (Zucchini, peppers and carrots)
Corn on the Cob
Rice





Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
You can cheat a bit with the onions and add just a bit of sugar to coax the carmelization process along. BTW have you ever tried making this soup dairy? Using butter in place of the oil turns it into something otherworldly (plus then you can do the whole cheese and crouton thing).
July 18, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A change of pace (Kidney Failure)

I have been trying to keep this blog focused on hospitality and food.  God though has other plans for his creations and I find now that I will have to expand the scope to cover new topics.  I'll try to continue blogging about my menus and our guests, but expect more posts that have little or nothing to do with food. In February of this year, My second oldest son, Asaf was diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure. Simply put, both his kidneys are damaged and scarred from some infection or defect that happened years ago.  They will likely cease to function sometime within the next six months. The good news is that there is no immediate danger to his life.  Kidney Dialysis is a viable option and can maintain his health for up to ten or more years if necessary.  Unfortunately, the process is not easy and there are potential side effects. Given Asaf's generally excellent health and age, Kidney Dialysis is considered only a stop-gap measure and not a long term solution. The best solutio...
13 comments
Read more

Pesach 5768 (2008) Overview

Pesach is just around the corner and preparations are already underway.  Our current guest list includes 7 gentlemen from a post-high school yeshiva program and two young ladies.  Our total count stands at 17 for all five meals. My wife and family are already working on cleaning the house.    Some of the dry goods purchases have been completed, and now we are looking at the protein purchase (butchers bill) and the fresh produce.  To get the process started off on the right foot, we are making menus.  In the general way of things, I expect these menus to change over the next 10 days.  Yet, I want to keep them online and get your input.  Do you think they are too light, too heavy, or just plain not enough for our hungry guests?  Let us know! There are five major meals that we need to prepare. Friday Night Dinner Early Shabbat Lunch (which must be eaten before 9:30am and that needs to include bread) Shabbat Lunch (around 1:30pm, that cannot include bread or matzoh) Seder Dinner First Day ...
3 comments
Read more

B"DE Clark Evenchick

B"DE = Baruch Dayan Emet, Blessed is the truthful judge. This is the traditional jewish response to hearing that someone has passed away. My friend Clark Evenchick passed away last night. He suffered for a number of years from ALS. His passing is both a loss and a blessing. We will miss his wit and his powerful presence. On the other hand, ALS is a terrible disease for both the patient and their family. As the body becomes less responsive, the family and caregivers need to spend more and more time providing physical and mental support. Clark's passing frees both himself and his family from this disease. Clark built our house. At one time, he ran a construction company. Clark was not only an honest contractor, but also a joy to work with. At a time when most houses took up to two years from ground breaking to residence, Clark built our house in 7 months. Whenever there was a problem, we were more than comfortable telling him to find his own solution. I believe that...
4 comments
Read more