a pledge to Chopped Onion blog

So, I thought I would take a minute to go over a few interesting things that I have realized about blogging and cooking. First, I don't think I made clear in the very very beginning of all this that I am no expert cook. You could probably tell but just in case you couldn't I am letting you all know now :) I am learning alongside all of you, trying new things, experimenting, reading about food, etc. When I started Chopped Onion, I thought "You know what, I am sure there are a lot of others out there doing similar things to what I am doing but we all aren't talking about it, sharing our ideas, mistakes, successes". So in an effort to make good with my blog and my readers (not sure if I have any :)) I am turning a new leaf and will begin to write on a more personal level about my adventures in cooking. Because really all it is is one BIG ADVENTURE. Especially when you go out of your way to pick up Sole (fish) at the store and plan a perfect (you think perfect) menu around it, make the dish flawlessly (you think flawlessly) only to be deeply disappointed that though everything was cooked, again, flawlessly, the taste was quite horrific! (no thinking, this you know)

Second, I am going to try and make more interesting lists for all you readers. I don't know if you are a list person but I think of lists all the time and never share them… for instance the top ten things you must have at all times in your pantry to make a variety of delicious meals… no joke, just ten things. I could maybe even pair this down to 5 to be even more dramatic but we will see.

Third, I hope to engage with all of you (again not sure if you exist readers). By doing this, I hope you will share your triumphs and losses with me, lists of your own and of course anything about your cooking adventure you find interesting.

Fourth, I will post more pictures! I realized not long ago that the blogs I read have tons of pictures, which make the story telling that much more flavorful (no pun intended). Also, my lovely friend Lea pointed out this great cooking blog by a friend in Iowa who posts lots and lots of pics of her dishes. Got it…must post more pics!

Last and most important, I will begin to study and write about different cooking methods. This seems to be the most important skill a cook can have, next to pairing flavors. Knowing all sorts of cooking methods can save you in the kitchen. I am not sure how I will work this out but I am thinking every week I will post a new cooking method that I have read up on and practiced. We will see how this part of the adventure goes… stay tuned.

Happy New Year everyone and away we go into February!

~Kelly

Holiday Goodies!

These are my cookie jars I made for holiday gifts this year. I found the jars at the container store and made the labels myself. Sadly I got crazy busy and wasn't able to get the job done in time... baking cookies takes a lot of time! So I turned them into New Years gifts. 4 done 6 more to go! They are so darn cute, I just want to keep them on display in my kitchen!

The tastey cookies inside are raisin pecan oatmeal from the Barefoot Contessa cookbook Back to Basics. Love her!!





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bolognese Marinara Spaghetti

I went out on a lim tonight and made a new type of spaghetti sauce. I usually cheat and use a can of marinara, add garlic and onions to spice it up and add meat.... this new recipe turned out to be WAY better. Experimenting can be rewarding (although not always)!

1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 32 oz can of crushed tomatoes (plain or italian style)
1 cup of water
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp oregano
additional 1/2 tsp salt

With a tbsp of olive oil, saute onions and garlic on medium heat until translucent (about 5-7 minutes). Mix in beef with onion and garlic. Add the salt and pepper. Break up the meat into small pieces while you saute. When the meat is half way done cooking add the remaining ingredients in the order listed, including the additional salt. Mix together, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. At this point you have a few choices. If you have the time, cook this for a few hours on low stirring occasionally with the pot mostly covered by the lid. If you want to eat right away, cook on med-low for at least 40 minutes with the lid off. You want to see the sauce thickening around the meat before you eat it. If it is too runny and you are starving then add a little tomato paste to thicken the sauce.

Serve over spaghetti

Bon Appetit!