"But whether we cook or not, from the gathering of ingredients to the eating of meals to the metabolic emergence of nutrients in our bodies, the feedback systems used to engage in complex analyses of factors in human life such as hunger, nutrition and environment are likely to be lost in the immediate experience of food or the larger narratives in which food participates. More often than not, the praxis of cookery distorts its 'being' to the extent that the pause required to consider why, how, when, where and what we eat, and how we participate by proxy in cookery, is non-existent. So that we may, indeed must, ask the question: In what sort of open or closed system does cookery praxis take place?
-- John Cochran, "Object Oriented Cookery"
Even before the 2020 lockdowns, cooking "project" media was gaining popularity across the Internet. Staying at home exacerbated this as many of us turned to our kitchens for recreation and the feeling of fleeting accomplishment: We all want to see our labor transform our world around us, even as that world shrinks.
This page is intended to pass on some of what I've accumulated in my kitchen practice. I will try to keep it as general as I can think to: none of this text is final and I will add to this page as I see fit.
Contents:
- Baking bread
- Crispy potatoes
- Potato salad
- Bean brownies
- Savory soy milk
- Mushroom stir fry
- Roast broccoli
- Broccoli salad
- My favorite sandwich
Baking bread at home became a common kitchen "project" joke early amid the lockdowns; I'll try to simplify it here (I've never made a sourdough starter).
It's easy to have hot bread on the table only two hours after deciding to do so. The first decision to make is what kind of flour to bake with; I now use only whole wheat, though I've yet to try eggy or milky breads that way.
Begin by dissolving some honey or sugar (or molasses) in some quantity of warm water (about 110℉/43℃ when you pour it: the water should feel comfortable on your wrist, neither too hot nor too cold), using about as much flour as water by weight, or about half as much water as flour by volume. I usually use only whole wheat flour, sometimes mixing in rye flour; some sources recommend not more than half whole wheat, insisting half the flour used must be bread flour or "all-purpose," but I haven't played much with this.
After dissolving the sugar in the water, sprinkle some active dry yeast on top. You probably need less than you think, certainly not a whole packet if your dough isn't very heavy or you aren't baking many loaves at once - if measuring with a scale, use about one per cent of the flour-weight. Stir in the yeast and then mix in the flour and some salt, with a fork or by hand, until all combined. Cover the bowl with plastic or a towel and let rise for at least an hour, or maybe a little less if you're in a hurry - but if you're really in a hurry just scrape the dough into a greased or parchment-lined bread pan and put it in the oven after an hour or two.
Once it has risen some, wet your fingers and "fold" the dough in on itself a few times by lifting a bit around the edge, all the way around (this is not "kneading"). Now you can pinch off bits of it to use as pizza dough, or put it in a greased or parchment-lined pan or parchment-lined bowl or basket. Let the dough proof as long as you can tolerate: one or two hours, less if you're impatient. Then put the pan in a very hot oven or drop the bowl-proofed dough with its parchment paper into a pre-warmed dutch oven (this is the best way to get a really fancy crust) and bake for three quarters of an hour.
If making pizza, put a pan in the oven to preheat. Meanwhile, stretch out a bit of dough as thin as you can onto a sheet of parchment paper. Spread some sauce on it very thin; I like to either blend canned tomato with garlic or use bottled barbecue sauce. Then top with whatever you want: cheese, vegetables, whatever. Cut or tear the parchment paper so it just surrounds the pizza and use a plate or pan or something to transfer onto the hot pan in the oven.
It's easy to make crispy potatoes at home without frying. Cut any potatoes into large bite-sized pieces, cover with water in a pot, bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about ten minutes after the pot starts boiling. Drain the pot, keeping the potatoes in it, and stir to evaporate some more water.
Then stir in some oil or butter, some salt, and whatever spices or herbs you'd like to flavor it with, but don't stir so vigorously the potatoes fall apart much. Spread in a baking pan, or portion them out in clusters like cookie dough if you mashed them too much. Place in a very hot oven for more than an hour.
To make potato salad, boil potatoes as above but in addition to oil and salt add a finely chopped onion, a finely chopped apple or pear, some vinegar, some mustard, herbs (I use dill), and maybe honey or some spices. Stir it well and serve chilled.
You can put anything in a potato salad; I don't like mayonnaise. If you want to be able to slice it, stir until the potatoes break apart and form a kind of slurry and then pack it tightly into whatever container you plan to serve it out of.
When I first saw a recipe for bean brownies I scoffed, but they taste better than I'd expected, and make a nutritious snack if not a sumptuous dessert. I'd like to experiment more with this; the proportions here result in something thin and somewhat leathery, almost like a tasty protein bar. My mother claims to like these very much.
Begin by cooking some quantity of dates (say, ten) together with some water until it gets jammy. Then combine in a food processor with a can of black beans (or a cup and a half, cooked), half a cup of unsweetened cocoa, some baking powder, and not quite a whole cup of rolled oats. Spread out and bake at about 350℉/176℃ for about 35 minutes.
Savory soy milk is a convenient quick meal; this recipe is based on, but considerably from, one provided to me via email in response to an inquiry of the Pine & Crane restaurant group.
Begin by chopping or tearing up lots of some green, leafy vegetable like you choy or gai lan and put it in a pot with a spoonful each of whatever chili oil type condiments you have on hand (or omit these if you don't want it spicy). Add a spoonful of preserved mustard greens (the kind I bought comes packed in a jar with chili oil), or use more fresh veggies. Add a splash of vinegar and between a pint and a half to a quart of unsweetened soy milk (sometimes labeled "soy juice") and heat until it boils. The soy milk will begin to coagulate and you will get a broth with bits of tofu floating in it.
Cook the veggies through and serve, perhaps with scallions or sesame oil. This dish is often topped with bits of youtiao (unsweetened doughnut), but I use cubes of fried tofu instead.
Template for an easy mushroom stir fry: Clean and slice some mushrooms of any kind (it's okay to wash mushrooms; Harold McGee in The Curious Cook describes an experiment to demonstrate they do not absorb water) and place in a frying pan in heated oil with as much chopped garlic as you or your guests will tolerate; if this amount is none, use a milder allium like scallions, leeks, or chives, or omit altogether. Stir well, then when it all just begins to wilt add salt and stir again, maybe adding a heat-hardy herb like rosemary or thyme.
Leave the pan now mostly undisturbed until all the water cooks out, stirring more frequently as the pan dries and scraping up what "fond" forms. It's worth it not to rush this: Undercooked mushrooms with have a watery texture some describe as "slimy"; doing it well can take as long as caramelizing onions. (An alternative method recently published in Cook's Illustrated recommends instead starting with some water and mushrooms in a cold pan and only adding the oil and everything else after this initial water evaporates.) When the mushrooms are thoroughly cooked and have shrunk, add as much grated ginger as you can tolerate -- one or two thumbs' worth, with whose thumb to measure by and which knuckles to include being up to you. If available, also use some grated galangal.
Stir, let it all cook together for a moment, and then stir in as much of a chopped leafy brassica vegetable as will fit in the pan without it overflowing -- you can use kale, cabbage, bok choy, gai lan, etc., or omit if you've got some elsewhere in the meal. Stir to combine and then deglaze the pan with coconut aminos or soy sauce and any dark vinegar, balsamic or rice-based or otherwise. Stir and let cook down into a sauce as the greens cook through. If desired garnish with something chopped and green like scallions, chives, cilantro, parsley, fennel, dill, etc., and serve over rice, quinoa, your favorite multigrain bread, etc., or as a side dish.
My go-to method of roasting broccoli combines broccoli florets, raisins, almonds, and as many cloves of garlic as you can tolerate in a pan with plenty of oil with some salt. Leave this in the oven at 425℉ for up to two hours, stirring occasionally, until most of the the broccoli is crisp; everything will have blackened and turned sweet. Eat as a side dish, as part of a grain bowl, or between slices of multigrain bread spread thick with fresh goat cheese. This is an easy dish to make in large quantities to bring to parties.
In warmer months make a broccoli salad instead: Toss broccoli florets, raisins or cranberries, sliced red onion or shallots, maybe boiled chickpeas, and some grated root vegetable like carrots or beets in olive oil and red wine vinegar with some salt. Let sit for a while before serving, stirring occasionally.
I'm not sure whether to consider this kind of sprout sandwich to be a food typical of California; I've seen it described as such lately but no longer trust the restaurant review press in general; call it, perhaps, a "rainbow sandwich" or a "hippie sandwich." I remember buying these at supermarket deli counters a few years ago but haven't seen them around lately; at home you can put in it almost any veggies you have on hand.
My favorite version starts with two slices of multigrain toast. Spread across one of them a thick layer of fresh goat cheese; other popular choices are cheddar, cream cheese, Swiss, Monterey Jack, your favorite vegan alternative, etc. On top of this mash lots of avocado, a whole small one or half of a large one. On top of this layer grated carrot (and maybe beet), maybe some raw or pickled red onions, and a large bed of sprouts, preferably alfalfa or something similarly fluffy -- a lot of restaurants that carry sandwiches like this now use "microgreens" or sunflower sprouts instead, neither of which give the same effect. If desired, release a few drops of some vinaigrette or your favorite vinegar onto this pile of veggies, then spread your favorite mustard onto the other slice of toast to complete the sandwich.
return to top // return to writing