Cleanup

Indulged one of my favorites yesterday, Oatmeal Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies in the manner of Frog/Commissary that was often a destination when I went to Center City Philadelphia.  I substituted Crisco instead of my more customary half butter/ half Crisco.  It's better with the butter but easier to mix the sugars into the fat using Crisco and I did not have endless patience last evening.  They came out fine, and if I had used pareve chocolate chips, the cookies would also have pareve ingredients though prepare with dairy equipment.  Not hard to make, mix sugars, crisco, egg, vanilla, salt, baking powder, baking soda, flour with a mixer.  Add by hand oatmeal, chocolate chips, walnuts.  Drop a tablespoonful onto a baking sheet.  Bake for 14 minutes, turning the tray about halfway through.  Leaves a lot of dishes, though.  I put each of the ingredients in a cup or small plastic container.  The beaters get pretty sticky,  Measuring cups, including one with residual Crisco, and spoons. The mixing bowl.  Washing the baking tray takes some effort too.  Got started with the intent of finishing in time to use up our over ripe bananas as banana bread later today.  Dishes from dinner too.  One of the better efforts though.

Kitchen Adventures

Just unwrapped about a pound of gravlax that I had been turning end over end in a ceramic loaf pan morning and night under two heavy cans for four days.  Washed off the surface rub, tossed the dill into the garbage can and the loaf pan into the milchig tub for washing, then sliced off a chunk of the thicker end for myself.  Worth the effort.  Have to get more bagels.  Have cream cheese and some more dill. 

Next project, I think, Frog/Commissary Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies.  Have not made these in years but they are the best, also a little effort but worth it.

Unfortunately, FoodTV has deteriorated from masters trying to elevate amateurs like me to a series of Iron Chef wannabe competitions.  I only watch Triple D nowadays, the original, not the component where one tries to outdo the other.  Cooking as it develops into my most enduring hobby does not have an opponent.  It has beneficiaries.  I learn patience, a little creativity as I modify the core recipes to adapt to kosher or to use up ingredients at hand or just to experiment.  Some of the effort, particularly complete dinners, requires planning.  And I get to see the result, both in the product produced and the delight of those who share the meal or goodies with me.  Competition detracts from this.