Egg Fu Yong

The other day I found a recipe for Egg Fu Yong in my old 1960's Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. So, I went out and bought the ingrediends, and set to work.

I cooked a pot of rice first, and due to my husband, it turned out perfectly. He kept lecturing me on the need to leave the lid on the pan. And I'm very involved with my cooking, so I wanted to lift the lid every few minutes. I set the timer for 15 minutes, let the rice cook, and without removing the lid, I took it off the burner and set it aside while I worked on the rest of the meal.

Unfortunately, I'm working with a hotplate, so my Egg Fu Yong turned into Egg Fu Yuck. The eggs didn't cook like I wanted them too, it stuck to the frying pan a little bit, and it just didn't seem to work out all that well. Instead of those pretty little brown disks that you see in the chinese restaurants, I had a bright yellow pile of eggs and shrimp.

I made Chinese Brown Sauce, which, not to toot my own horn, was amazing! Even if the egg mash didn't work, we would at least have rice and brown sauce!

But somehow, it all came together. Everything was cooked on the same burner, but was still hot by the time it went on the table, everything was just perfect. ...Then we heard a honk come from our driveway. Yup. People.

After an hour long visit, the water was luke-warm, the food was icecold, and I was in tears. My beautiful dinner had cooled, congealed, and looked like stale muck. But, we ate it. It was not at all as bad as it looked, and everything seemed okay for a moment. Then my darling husband gave me a kiss, and said in his blissful innocense, "That was a really good omelet Honey".

Artichokes and Monkey Bread

Okay, last night was a night of firsts. It was my husbands first time eating an artichoke, and it was my first time making Monkey Bread.

First I called dad to find out how to prepare an artichoke, then, following his instruction, borrowed a pressure cooker from the Mom-In-Law, and cooked the artichokes under pressure for 15 minutes. While those were cooking, I started in on the bread. Using the Mom-In-Law's recipe I made one loaf, and realized I had too much dough, so I sat, with the bread baking, and my only burner occupied, rolling little lumps of dough for monkey bread. I dipped the dough in butter then rolled it in cinnamon and sugar until it was well coated, and arranged them in two layers in a greased round cassarole dish. I covered it and set it in the refridgerator for morning.

As soon as the time was up for the artichokes I took them off the burner, and immediately put the prepped skillet on. In the skillet was Butter, whole Rosemary and Thyme leaves, then chopped Oregano, Sage, and Basil. I melted the butter, then threw in a cubed boneless chicken breast, and sauteed until the meat was golden brown. I took the Artichokes out and set the table for an appetizer and I set the chicken to one side and started the water for the noodles. Half way through the appetizer I took the bread out of the oven, and the water was ready. So I threw in the noodles, set the bread to cool, and went back to the artichokes. As soon as we were done with the Artichokes, the noodles were ready, and supper was set on the table. Unfortunately, I did cheat a little bit and used Ragu Parmesan Alfredo Sauce (which I don't care much for), but I would need another burner to get the Alfredo and the noodles cooked at the same time.

Now that you've heard about my culinary masterpiece (at least I think so...), you can get the tour of my kitchen if you'd like to read further.

My kitchen is a box with 11 foot ceilings. It has 3 windows with Northern and Eastern exposure. It is the first room you walk into when you enter our home. And when I talk about my kitchen, I have to start with my porch. When my Husband and I were engaged, I kept thinking of food. The sorts of meals I would prepare, and the delightful aromas that would fill our over sized, yet comfortable, home. I went with the Mom-In-Law one day to a green house in a town about 30 miles away. I loved it. My dad was the person who introduced me to cooking with fresh herbs, and my sister taught me how to cut and dry them for the winter months, so needless to say, I bought some. I was conservative, at first, knowing exactly what I wanted. Rosemary was a staple. Oregano was a must. Basil to keep things sweet, Thyme was of the essence, so I took some Sage advice, and bought them all. I planted them in an old metal wash tub and set them on the porch to grow.

And here they sit. On my front porch, and they've now expanded into their own separate pots, lining the front steps, the washtub still holds my Sage and Basil because they've gotten so big. They're watered every day, and I even keep a few inside just for decor, and the hopes that they'll survive through the winter.

On my kitchen walls are some sparse cupboards and counter tops, a very small refrigerator, and two stoves that currently don't work (my gas range, and the Mom-In-Law's wood range). The counters are cluttered with things like my hot plate, and toaster oven, and an electric mixer my mother bought for me several years ago. I have my own baking counter, which, by two doors on the same wall, seems to be separated from the rest of the kitchen by invisible walls. The cupboards are all painted white for a fresh look, with their original copper handles. The walls are painted yellow to always keep the sunshine around me as I cook. And the final touch, my parakeet Andy sits in her cage in the corner, so she and I can sing while I cook.

And that is my grand life of food. The sunniest room in the house, also the warmest, most inviting, and deeply inspiring. I can only say I love my husband, my kitchen, and my life.

I Wanted To Be An Average Housewife...

   Right before I got married, I lifted up a small prayer that I would make a good wife with meals on time, a clean house, and an ever-welcoming kitchen.

   I knew at that time that my kitchen would be perfect. I love food, so why not have a perfect kitchen?! Always filled to brimming with hot savory dishes that make your heart melt and your mouth water by just one deep inhale through the nose. And that's where I woke up. I wanted a 4 burner and attatched griddle gas range cooktop. I'm stuck with a hotplate. I was in love with the thought of a pair of  double stacked ovens perfectly suited to making sure that every dish was set at the table at just the right moment. I have a toaster oven.

   Dont get me wrong, I have a real stove/oven combo, it's even a gas range! But...my house isnt plummed for gas in the kitchen, so my oven is sitting exactly where I want it with a piece of countertop laying across the burners, no food cooked on it thus far. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, the stove was free, I actually am starting to enjoy my hot plate, and sometimes I'm sure that my toaster oven is a dream come true, but I do miss having a real stove top so I can cook all the dishes at once, rather than cook them one at a time, and letting them take turns in the toaster oven to keep warm.

   Tomorrow, or whenever I see a computer in the next few days, I will give you a tour of my kitchen, and show you how I prepare my meals for myself and my brand-new husband.

   Tonights menu, Chicken Alfredo, fresh Itallian bread, and pressure cooked artichokes flavored with garlic. (This is my husbands first experience with artichokes, so wish me luck!)