Restaurant Widow

Please Forgive Me for This Selt-Indulgent and Lazy Post::A Few Previously Unpublished Posts

So, the other night I was reading through everything which has been floundering in "draft" (for the past 2 1/2 years! I can hardly believe it!).

And so, I've decided - for better or worse, to share these long-unpublished things.  They are long, so I've had to employ the dreaded click-through.

Here's a teaser!

The following piece was written on August 26, 2006:

"Restaurant Life"

For your amusement, here are a few more things about my life in the restaurant, a continuation from another post many moons ago . . . This train of thought started when a fellow server and I were discussing the plight of the service industry in America.  I work in a pretty nice restaurant where our youngest server is 25.  We all either have college degrees or are working on one, most of us have had "real" jobs at some point in our lives.  In many European countries, we would just be working people like everyone else, but here in the states it's just something to get you through college.  I think it's a great job for those who have to pay the bills but aren't getting paid to do what they love. Yet.

- A guest once told me he was impressed that I could correctly use the world "infuse" in a sentence.
- I once spilled an entire plate of rainbow trout on a visiting artist, designer of quarter million dollar corporate art pieces.  He was not, in the slightest, amused. 
- A guest recently laughed at me when I told him the white Burgundy he wanted by the glass was a chardonnay (he didn't want to drink chardonnay).  He laughed as though I were some kind of idiot and told me, very condescendingly, that the two were mutually exclusive.  I can let the guest think he is always right but I cannot change the fact that the primary white grape grown in Burgundy is Chardonnay.
- I tell the same jokes over and over.  But then again, so do my guests.  I mean, do you really think you're being creative when you clean your plate and tell me you didn't like it at all?  Husband actually said this in a restaurant once the then a look of horror came over his face and he said "I can't believe I just said that."
- Occasionally I have had to wait on people with whom I used to work in corporate world.  Thinking about my cubicle at Giant National Retailer literally makes me shudder.  A few of these people have worked there for over 8 years - they started in college and never left.
- I can never forgive someone for saying I am "just" a server.  If you say that to me, we will never be friends.  About a year ago, I met the (then) girlfriend of an acquaintance and at one point in the evening (I will grant that she was a little tipsy), she said to me "I'm sorry, I forget, what do you do?  You're just a server?"  I would never say to you "Oh, you're just in middle management?"  "You're just an administrative assistant?"  "You're just a bank teller?" "You just work for the city of Columbus?"  You aren't just anything.  When people say things like this I like to say "Yes, I am just a server who makes the same amount of money I used to at Giant National Retailer in 60% of the hours I used to work without having my soul slowly drained from me by the Dementers who were Middle Management.  I decided to leave and pursue my dream of becoming a writer.  Do you have any dreams?"
- I once told an Episcopalian priest that ordering fried chicken would be good for her soul.  She just stared at me, kind of incredulously - "My soul?" She said.  Ooops, I guess I our everyday thoughts on "souls" are probably a little different. 

More after the jump...

Things to do in Columbus::August 29th Edition

Updated at 3:30 Wednesday with the Green Living Fayre (bottom of post)

Just because fall is coming doesn't mean it's getting any cooler outside.  I'm ready for August to be over; I think it's just the "school time" anxiety of having spent something like 20 years going to school of some sort; there's just a feeling of "getting it over with" at this time of year.  It's inexplicable, especially considering how many years I've been out of school, but nonetheless, I always have a feeling of blah around this time of year.  Fortunately, it's almost September.  Event though I consider myself a Summer convert, and usually eschew all forms of quash at the farmer's markets until at least October, this year I think I'm ready.  I'm even plotting this year's First Day of Football Chili recipe (read last year's); I think I'm ready for the cooler weather.  Word on the street - or at least in the Farmer's Almanac - is that we are in for a brutally cold winter.  I don't really mind cold, as long as we have snow to go with it.  And it's been awhile since we had one of those mornings where you wake up, OSU is closed, there's a ton of snow, and you know there's no way you're going anywhere, and you can cuddle in bed all day.  Will someone remind me of this post when I'm whining about the snow in a few months?  Thanks.

But why am I wasting all of this time waxing philosophical?  We have events to get to.  It is, of course, Labor Day weekend, so take some time to thank the people who serve you.  It's also the birthday of yours truly!  And, most of all, for a lot of you out there, it's the weekend with the first OSU football game.  Please don't park in my off-street parking.

Okay!  Let's get on with the events!  You can tell the summer is at an end; all of the summer music concerts in parks are either over or ending this week.  *sigh*  As always, if you have an event, please email me.

• This weekend is one of the premier eating festivals: Greek festival (I haven't been since I began this website, but you can read Columbus Foodie's account of last year's).  Greek festival, which takes place at the Greek Orthodox church in the Short North this Friday through Monday, celebrates all things Greek: there's dancing and all that, but mostly, there's food.  And it's good food.  More lamb and filo than you can shake a stick at.  Admission is $4, click on the link above for more info.
• It's a busy weekend in the Short North - of course, this Saturday is Gallery Hop, with the 9pm lighting of the arches being the main event.  Hopping takes place between 6pm and 10pm.
• Saturday marks opening day for the Ohio Rennaissance Festival, which goes on and on until the late October.  I'm sure there will be lots of corsets, jousting, and turkey legs to be had by all.  I probably have a few friends from college who will be hanging out there (we English majors, a silly lot all).  The Ren Fest takes place in Harveysburg, Ohio, which is right in the middle of Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati.  Admission is $17, and group and discount tickets are available online.
• This weekend is the grand opening for a new piano/jazz club in Downtown Columbus, James 88.  As a server in Columbus, people are constantly asking me where they can go to see live music, so this sounds like a pretty cool joint.  Let me know if you go, will ya?
• Monday is the Upper Arlington Arts festival at Northam Park (corner of Northam & Tremont rds in Upper Arlington).  There will be lots of art, of course, as well as music and an art area for the kids.  Admission is free; call 614.583.5310 for more information.
• Tomorrow, August 30th, is the Arthritis Foundation's Wine & Dine event at the Convention Center.  Tickets are $75, and there is always lots of food and wine.
• Head down to riverfront ampitheater this Friday for a special BalletMet performance beginning at 8pm - take a picnic!  There will also be a special exhibition of WaterFire on the Mile.
• Friday afternoons at Whole Foods, you can enjoy special beer and wine tastings, along with dishes prepared to match, for $5.  This event, which seems like a great alternative to the traditional Happy Hour, takes place every Friday from 5 - 7pm.  Tonight's wine tasting will feature the wines of the Greek Isles ($35, 6:30pm) Click through to their calender for more information.
• Cooking classes at Sur la Table are: Essential knife skills next Wednesday, September 5th at 6:30pm ($65) and a children's cooking class next Saturday, September 8th, will show kids how to cook healthy dinners at 10:30 am ($45).  Click through to their calender or call 614.473.12211 to sign up.  Classes require advance payment, etc.
• The Williams-Sonoma store at Easton offers free cooking demonstrations every Sunday morning at 11am.  Sounds like fun!  Call for more details: 614.476.2957
• Yet another thing I keep meaning to do is go to the Wilds. Saturdays through September, you can visit the Wilds for a special "Sunset Safari."  For $60, you can enjoy a buffet dinner and a personally guided tour, along with special visits to the cranes and rhinos.  Please visit the Wilds' website for more information.
• This weekend (Thursday, Friday and Saturday), you can see the Actors' Theatre Groups's performance of Taming of the Shrew at Schiller Park in German Village.  Take a blanket and a picnic and your date!  Performances take place at 8pm.  More info.
• Of course, there are some great ongoing events - Blooms & Butterflies at the Franklin Park Conservatory.  It's the last weekend!  Go!!
• Continuing also is Big Bugs! at Inniswood park.   Artist David Rogers uses natural materials to make these 10 foot ants, butterflies, and other bugs.    Click to their website for more information.
• Monday is the Ohio Green Living Fayre at Flying J Farm, which will be a great time to get out and visit a farm without having to go through a tour or bore the kids.  You can learn about sustainable practices including building a solar oven, bio diesel, and even straw bale builing.  The event takes place from 11am - 6pm (click for the schedule).  By the way, Flying J farm supplies all sorts of local goods, from meat to maple syrup to wheat, so for those of you looking to stock up for the winter, you might want to check out their market.  Click above for more information.

Succotash

 
It's that time of year.  Sweet corn and lima beans are in season at the same time.  Yeah, baby, it's succotash time.  Oh, you hate lima beans?  I don't think you do.  I think you hate canned lima beans.  Even frozen limas are miles better than canned.  But fresh lima beans?  Nothing beats fresh limas.  Soft, creamy, buttery - they're a delight.  And almost impossible to find.  Fortunately I managed to snag one (only one?!) bag at the farm markets last week.  They can be found (in short supply, apparantly) at Toad Hill Organics at the North Market), and you might be able to find them at Whole Foods.

Growing up, my mother's family had a succotash soup dinner each summer.  Looking back, it was a little bizarre - sweet corn, potatoes (I think there wer potatoes) and lima beans were cooked in milk and served with saltines.  I have never seen or heard of something similar elsewhere.  As a child, I liked it and hated it at the same time; but for some reason, that's where I remember learning that milk and pepper went really, really well together.  I can still see that rather peaked brew, little black pepper flakes floating on top.  I would put the vegetables on top of a buttered saltine.  (oh how I loved buttered saltines!)  This is the same family, by the way, who ate coffee soup: crunched up saltines topped with coffee, sugar, and milk.  One day, we'll talk about the strange things my dad's side of the family ate - those crazy Amish folk.

At any rate, the minute my fingers touched the pack of limas, they told me they wanted to be made into succotash.  Simple, healthy, full of bright late summer flavors, not filled with cream or butter or even *gasp* bacon, just pure vegetable-y goodness.  And a tiny little bit of spice.

This is yet another of those incredibly simple summer dishes.  Everything is fresh, local and full of flavor.  You could certainly add bacon at the beginning, to good effect (and you might try some of the Wayward Seed's incredible jowl bacon, which you have to ask for at the market).  You could add potatoes (I made potatoes along with this and mixed the two together for dinner) if you like, or really anything you find at the market.  It just now occured to me that my Toby Run shitakes would have been a good addition.  Next time. I bought lots of peppers at the market this week; you of course, don't have to go out of your way to use three types of peppers.

Late Summer Farm Market Succotash - serves 2

Cooking Spray (I like olive oil spray)
2 small white onions
1 small leek, white and light green parts only, slivered and rinsed of any dirt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 sweet red bell pepper, peeled and cut into small dice
1/2 long mildly hot red pepper, small dice
1/2 poblano pepper, peeled and cut into small dice
1/4 cup sweet corn broth (I just happened to be making a batch and it was still on the stove - you can substitute any vegetable or chicken stock)
1 cup lima beans - blanched for about 10 minutes, or until soft, if fresh.  I happened to have a chunk of rind from a piece of Oakvale aged Gouda I used up this week, so I tossed that into the water for a little flavor, but don't feel like you have to.
4 ears of sweet corn, blanched for 4 minutes and then kernals removed, or about 1 cup frozen corn
salt and pepper

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and spray with a little olive oil spray.  Add the onions and the leek and dust with cayenne pepper.  Cook until they begin to soften - about 5 minutes, then add the peppers and cook until they begin to soften - about 5 more minutes.  Add the stock and cook for a minute or so, until it has reduced a little, then add the sweet corn and limas.  Cook until the stock has cooked off and season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

Local sources for this recipe:  I purchased the onions - cippolinis - from Wayward Seed farm, along with the poblano pepper.  The hot pepper and the sweet corn came from my CSA this week, and the limas were from Toad Hill. 

Short North Arches will be Ablaze at Gallery Hop

The Short North arches have been steadily lit since they were first re-ignited in May.  Yay for the poor company who finally fixed all of the problems.  Husband and I were in the Short North last night and out of the corner of my eye, I though it seemed as though the arches had changed color.  I wasn't going crazy - they were testing out the new colors!  And they worked!  They were only testing three colors - green, blue, and purple, and after about 10 minutes, they went back to white. 

So, what's in store for the arches?  This Saturday at the Gallery Hop, the arches will show their new technicolors in grand form, beginning at 8:30pm at Poplar & High.  There will be stilt-walkers, dancer, juggles, and other performers dancing down the street in a "Mardi Gras" style procession, which will travel down High to Hubbard.  High Street will be closed from 1st Ave to Goodale, at around 8pm, and will be closed about an hour, so plan your evening accordingly.  The arches will be lit in groups, beginning with the southernmost arch and continuing to the 5th ave arch.  Click over to the Short North Business Association's website for more information.

I hope as many people make it as possible!  I love it when the Short North is crowded (as long as I'm not trying to walk somewhere with a purpose), it makes me feel like we live in a big city.  A real city.

Plan your parking strategy ahead of time, if you can't walk or take COTA (there are loads of park & rides along High street, by the way, and the #2 comes along every 15 minutes).  There is lots of free parking east of the Short North on Summit St and 4th Street, and you only have to walk a few blocks.

See you there!  More events coming up tomorrow.

Black Creek Bistro

Well, readers, I finally spent my hundred dollars!  Actually, $80, but I plan to make a lunch revisit very soon.  And the restaurant of choice was: Black Creek Bistro!

Black Creek Bistro opened quietly earlier this summer on Parson ave, in the space previously occupied by Elemental.  First of all, let's talk a little about the Black Creek philosophy: the restaurant is owned by a farmer, and the farm supplies as many of the vegetables and eggs as possible (soon, the ducks and chickens as well).  Care is taken to use as many local products as possible.  Dinner scraps are saved as compost for the farm, and leftover vegetable oil is recycled in bio diesel.  It sounds like it's right down my alley!  So much so, in fact, that I was a little put off to only have heard about it shortly before opening off-handedly from a friend who lives in the area.  They didn't do enough advertising (and still don't); but perhaps in was by design to have a soft opening.  Since the Eat Local Challenge is coming up, it seemed appropriate to spend my $100 in a restaurant whose philosophy is in line with eating locally.

Black Creek Bistro bills itself as a restaurant & wine shop, and indeed, they sell all wine to go at state minimum (wine consumed on-premise is state minimum plus $7, which is really reasonable, considering some restaurants ahem-CMR-ahem have markups as high as 500%).  Being there aren't many places to buy good wine in the area, it's a selling point.  So is the happy hour.  Every week, two beers and two wines are selected to be the features, and during happy hour, you can buy them at state minimum.  We're talking, $3.50 a glass.  Seriously, you could go in and have a light dinner at the bar, for $10 a person (click here for happy hour info) - they even have some healthy happy hour options - unheard of in happy hour culture - such as a trio of hummus. They also have a few $5 cocktails, like this pear pomegranate martini I tried:

Husband had the beer feature of the week, a dark German beer whose 22 ounce size made it a steal at $3.

Happy hour also includes a selection of appetizers for $5, and a bistro dinner for $10 (varies daily).  Husband and I opted for the crab cakes and the calamari.  The crab cakes are of the very crab-filled sort, and are pan seared versus being fried.  This scandalized a few other bar guests who could not stop talking about how crab cakes should be crispy.  I like the crispy sort, but I like the pan seared sort as well.  What was important is that the cakes were full of crabby goodness.  They were served with an Old Bay tartar sauce and some yummy, slightly spicy house made pickles:

Next up, the calamari.  I was shocked when Husband ordered it, because he usually views calamari with the same contempt he holds for creme brulee - totally overused, overplayed, and overdone.  Usually poorly.  But this calamari might have made him change his mind.  It's some of the best I've had anywhere in a long time, and it might make people who are tired of the cephalopods craze thing twice.  Black Creek uses day boat calamari (meaning, the squid is caught in a few hours and immediately sold at shore, whereas typically fishing boats go out for days or weeks and freeze everything on board).  The calamari, improperly termed as "tempura" on the menu, is cut into large chunks, dusted with cornmeal, and fried.  Perfectly.  The texture is fresh and perfect, only slightly chewy - in the good way which it should be, firm to the bite.  Alongside was a rather confusing mound of undressed greens (note to the chef: just save the money and leave them off) and an heirloom tomato marinara, which could have used a little more zing - onions, spice, and herbs would have been a fair treatment, as the pure tomato flavor wasn't quite enough of a foil.  But still, some of the best calamari in the city.  We were fortunate enough to have the last order.  And, considering it was a Monday, surely leftover from last week.  A testament to the freshness upon arrival (our server told us there is no freezer on site):

I really wanted to try the slow roasted duck gnocchi, but we both decided it sounded a little heavy for the time of year (don't worry, I'll go back), and instead selected the Garlic Festival Shrimp, which were firm, crunchy shrimp sauteed in large amounts of garlic and served with an heirloom tomato sauce (this time what seemed like an aioli base, rather than the straight tomato with the calamari).  These were delightfully garlicky and good - again, good-quality shrimp which hadn't been languishing in an ice bath for hours or days.  I thought this sauce, as well, suffered a little from lack of seasoning, but all in all, a great snack.  The shrimp were served with a side of almost pickled-tasting grilled zucchini, which was terrific.  So much better than the usual blah vegetable side:

Bread service consisted of good, soft rolls with compound butter - roasted red pepper on this day.  Having worked in a restaurant where the servers had to prepare compound butter on a daily basis, I can respect the use of fun butter.  Too bad I'm kind of off butter at the moment, but I did sneak one bite, and it was very tasty.

Lastly, we ordered one item from the entree list, the vegetable napoleon.  This was the only dish I was a little disappointed with.  Essentially just a piece of roasted eggplant topped with a piece of zucchini, topped with a block of goat cheese, it paled in comparison to the other things I knew the chef could do with vegetables, especially considering we're in the height of vegetable season - you could really make a vegetarian dish which even a meat-loving carnivore such as myself could appreciate.  The Napoleon was served on a good tomato sauce (maybe this one should be served with the calamari) and good, homestyle mashed potatoes topped with some pickled onions, which I liked - the pretty little pink onion slivers were a nice foil to the mashed potatoes, which tasted lighter than some cheese and cream laden versions I've had in town.  There were also a few sun dried tomato raviolis along for the ride, which were pretty and tasty, but a little confusing when there were potatoes.  Maybe it was the potatoes which were confusing, but they were so tasty I could forgive their out-of-placedness.  I'm usually out of place, so we'll let it slide:

I have to return if for no other reason than the Ohio sweet corn creme brulee, which sounds really good.  Husband flat-out refused to eat even one bite of dessert, and I was pretty full anyway, but I'll have to try that before sweet corn season ends.  Other desserts included a ginger-soaked pound cake and a brown sugar cheesecake, all of which sounded pretty tasty to me.  Must revisit with some sweets-loving girl friend, as Husband pretty much declines all sweets with the exception of Jeni's Ice Cream.

All in all, Black Creek Bistro is a reasonably priced winner.  have a feeling I need to return for some meat eating.  I have a feeling the chef is probably a whiz with pork, for some reason.  Something about the mashed potatoes and pickled onions makes me think there could be some good pork to be had, it must be the German in me.  They aren't reinventing anything, there's nothing ground-breaking - except perhaps their sustainable principles.  But the food is really good and reasonably priced - our dinner included the happy hour beer and cocktail, 2 happy hour appetizers, one small plate, one entree, and two glasses of wine for $65.  Service was prompt and funny, there was good-natured witty banter and trash talking about various football teams.

I hope Black Creek finds success.  I love their philosophy and their hard work.  The space is charming (pictured at the top of the post) and simple, just old wood and white table clothes, and many of the seats are made from pews - a holdover from Elemental, if I remember correctly.  Husband and I were commenting on the simplicity of the decor, plates and flatware.  There's no flash or pomp, just a good, solid, Midwestern appeal - the server's station in the bar is a giant hutch with pictures of the farm, wine, and various funny gourds.  The bouquets on the table are the sort of field-edging wildflowers I might have picked for my mother as a child - just the sight of the foxtail grass made me nostalgic:

Artwork is provided (commission-free) from the Chop Chop gallery. They also get props for being open on Mondays and for having a relatively up-to-date menu on their website.   

Info:  Black Creek Bistro, 51 Parson Ave (just south of Broad) 614.246.9662

Call for Suggestions - Philadelphia

Husband and I will be making a whirlwind trip to Philadelphia in early October.  We will literally be there Thursday afternoon through Saturday morning; we need one low-key restaurant suggestion for dinner, and then a (hopefully) celebratory dinner suggestion.  I will be spending a day going solo - which will be at least partially spent at the Mutter museum, a place I've been dying to visit for years, so a lunch spot nearby would be helpful.  Anything else I should see?

Of course, everything will be documented.

See?  That's why I love you guys.

CSA & Columbus Farm Market Report for August 25th

(More pictures tomorrow)

Oh, the heat!  The wilting, energy-zapping, frizz-inducing heat and humidity.  The rain early in the week did nothing to chase off the humidity, it only turned the city into a swamp.  You can sit in the yard and watch the moss grow.  Anything left to its own devices might be covered in mold in minutes.  The evenings melt into steamy, misty, hot dark - there's no relief.  I am so grateful for air conditioning.  Of course, in February, I'll be cursing the black snow, the cold gray ice and freezing drizzle.  Can't win.  Oh well.  The rain has been creating a little havoc on the crops in Northern Ohio (10 inches in 4 days?!), but hopefully in the coming week it will dry out a little - and again - no rain, too much rain, etc.  Farming is a risky business, and this week, I don't envy any of you.  But, I'm glad you're there!

So, I was going to get loads and loads of things for preserving this week, but the heat zapped my will to carry more than 25 pounds at one time.  I was impressed that I managed to drop of my first load in the car at the Worthington market to go back and buy some extra sweet corn for freezing. 

I couldn't stand the thoughts of crowds this week, and so I made it to the North Market at 8am.  It was blissfully uncrowded and I was in and out. 

This week's CSA included skinny little wax beans, Swiss Chard, potatoes,  lettuce, delicious little orange cherry tomatoes (almost spicy), and sweet corn.  No eggs this week.  Maybe the chickens are too hot to work, too.  I also bought some tiny little heirloom squash - silver something?  Can't remember.

There were some shitake mushrooms from Toby Run (finally - I've missed them the past few weeks!), popcorn from Quiver Full Farms, some huge cippolinis and leeks from Wayward Seed Farms, as well as a few poblano peppers (for 2 years now, I've been meaning to stuff those with some lamb and cous cous.  Maybe this week we'll actually do it!).  I stopped by Sommerset herbs for some hot peppers and Black Prince tomatoes.

At this point, I almost called it quits, but I needed peaches and onions - not specialty onions, just big cooking onions, so I kept on keeping on.  I bought the most beautiful sunflowers ever (Sungolds, from Sun Dog) - I have to buy these every year, they make me so happy.  I got lots of complements on them as I was walking around.  The only bad thing about buying flowers at the farmer's market is that you have to carry them around without crushing them for the rest of the market.  Oh well, small price.

I bought my peaches and, alas, the first of the Gala apples at Gillogly.  I bought some heirloom garlic (Susanville artichoke variety, good for roasting and delicious, I had some for lunch in pasta) at Red Brick Farms, and then I bought my sweet corn and called it a day.  I'm going to try to get out to the midweek markets this week to buy some things in bulk.  I need a little rolling cart, I think.  I'd love to buy a hundred ears of corn for freezing, but the thought alone of carrying them from the Pearl Alley market to wherever I find a parking spot downtown makes me need a nap.

Speaking of which, it's time to get ready for work.  Three cheers for Saturday!

FoodSaver & Freezing Tips, Part Two::Vegetable Stocks

Today's lesson is what to do with all of those leftover vegetable trimmings.  I had tossed everything into a bowl and was about to tip out my blanching water down the drain, when I realized I had the perfect base for vegetable stock.  I also had a lot of Parmesan rinds in the freezer.  I made vegetable stock as well as sweet corn stock, both of which are incredibly easy and only take a few active minutes, and then a lot of simmering.  Parmesan makes a really great stock, especially if you are looking for a rich substitute for meat stock.  Because it contains large quantities of (naturally occurring) MSG, it provides a lot of "meaty" body and flavor.  You can purchase Parmesan rinds at Whole Foods, or you can just save them in the freezer as you get to the end of your grating Parmesan.  You could probably use the leftover rinds of any kind of hard grating cheese, or you can leave it out altogether.  Dried porcini mushrooms are available in any gourmet store, but they are probably least expensive at Trader Joe's.  I think they're around $4 a pack - compared to $12 and more at specialty stores.

One of the great tricks I've learned for freezing liquids is using silicone baking utensils.  They are nice because they can be washed in the dishwasher, and it is really easy to pop out the frozen blocks, unlike traditional ice cube trays.  It also makes measuring a breeze - the packaging materials will state the volume of each cup - most muffin cups are 2/3 cup, mini loaf pans are - if my memory serves - about 1 1/3 cups, etc.  You can find them at Target for around $9 a piece - muffin pan (pictured above, with parm & veg stock), mini loaf pans (pictured at top of post, with sweet corn stock), etc.  I also bought these pretty cool ice cube trays at Bed Bath & Beyond the other day, which make perfectly square cubes - cool for freezing stock or for making cocktails look extra purdy (cubes pictured below).  Be sure to store your silicone trays in a clean, dry place - everything sticks to them - dust, cat hair, lint, etc.

There aren't really measurements for making stock, I hope this doesn't cause stress.  I use an 8 quart All Clad stock pot for stock making, and usually start with it full to about 3 inches from the top.

Basic Vegetable Stock, with Parmesan

Vegetable trimmings.  I probably started with a pound of trimmings
1/2 pound Parmesan rinds
2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
leftover water from blanching veggies, plus more - I had about 2 cups of water from this batch (which involved steaming only), and added about 5 quarts of water?

Bring everything to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer for 4-6 hours.  Strain the stock into a bowl and then refrigerate overnight, just in case there is fat leftover from the Parm.  I froze the stock in silicon muffin pans and mini-loaf pans, and then vacuum sealed the frozen disks and blocks, so that I have the stock in various amounts.  Ice cube trays also work nicely.

Sweet Corn Stock

Corn cobs with the kernels cut off
Leftover water from blanching corn - this time I didn't add water, as I already had a lot of it, probably about 6 quarts.

"Milk" the cobs into the pot of water by scraping them with the back of a knife, and place the cobs into the water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 4-6 hours, then remove the corn cobs.  Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve and freeze.  There is so much residual sugar in this stock that it is sticky, seriously.  I froze this as above - in silicon muffin pans.

FoodSaver & Freezer Tips, Part One::Veggies

So, I'm impressed that I have such vast, sweeping influence that lots of you have e-mailed to tell me I inspired you to buy your own vacuum sealer!  (click here for the original post. And I just outed myself for re-using pictures, SORRY!!)  Why aren't more companies sending me free things!? (just kidding, sort of).  A lot of you have e-mailed to ask me what I'm doing with mine, etc.  Just for the record, I purchased this model at Costco for $140, which seems like a great all-around model.  There are some cheaper, and some more expensive.  I would definitely recommend something with a "pulse" mode.

First of all, I'll tell you this: lots and lots of restaurants use vacuum sealers for practically everything.  Of course, they have a giant, powerful one which wouldn't fit on even the biggest kitchen counter top and will seal anything, no matter how liquidy.  And costs thousands of dollars (like, say, $6000).  For the rest of us, we have our own smaller version which can be a little tricky but, I still think, is worth it, especially if you are concerned about where your local food is going to come from in the wintertime.  It's so much easier than canning, and I think the results are much better, at least for vegetables.  I don't think anyone things canned sweet peas are a good idea, even if Saveur did have them as one of their 100 things this year, a travesty for which I will never forgive them. I think I've figured out the vegetable portion, although I have to admit I haven't yet tested how long to boil my veggies in the bag when I take them out of the freezer.  Maybe that's something fun for next week.  To thaw or not to thaw?  That will be the question.

I am not a professional food putter-asider, just for the record.  If you think any of my suggestions are faulty, or would just like some validation or other questions answered, I highly recommend the Pick Your Own website, which I've been relying on for years.  They have a treasure-trove of information, which will guide you all the way from the farm to the kitchen, with recipes for canning, jelly-making, and everything else you can imagine.  Bookmark them.

Here are my general guidelines for processing vegetables:

1. If applicable, trim your vegetables - take the ends of green beans, cut florets from broccoli, etc.  If you are doing corn, simply shuck the corn and remove as much silk as possible, but don't cut the kernels from the cobs (it's much easier after a little soak).  Save all of your trimmings!!
2. Clean your sink really, really well - maybe even apply a weak bleach solution and then wash with hot soapy water.  Rinse really well and put a stopper in the sink.   
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
4. Here, you can either steam, using a steamer insert (without the veggies touching the water) or blanch (completely immersing the veg into the water).  I did both, but found that blanching the sweet corn was much easier than steaming because I could fit 15 ears into a stovetop canner, but only 4 in the steamer insert.  However, anything smaller went into the steamer for ease of shocking (see #7)
5. While the veggies are steaming, place about 2-3 pounds of ice in the sink and add cold water.
6. Blanch for 3 minutes, steam for 4.  This was my general guideline: you might want to consult a traditional food preservation book for this, but I like things to be as minimally cooked as possible when they go in the freezer so that I have more control when they come out. 
7. When your timer goes off, remove the vegetables from the water and plunge into the ice water.  This is where a steamer basket comes in handy - if yours has a handle (I use this one, which came with my ALL-Clad set; if you have a multi cooker, this is the perfect time to get it out), you can remove the whole thing and plunge it, veg and all, into the sink.  Otherwise, you'll have to strain - which you don't want to do!!  This process is called shocking, and it stops the cooking process.  I do this a lot when cooking veggies, and it's a process you'll see in almost every restaurant kitchen.  You can cook the veggies halfway ahead of time by steaming for a few minutes, then shock them to stock the cooking, and then you can finish them however you'd like for service.  A great trick for party planning.
8. Do not strain your blanching/steaming water!
9. Why?  Because, after we save everything, we're going to make vegetable stock.  Notice how green it is?  It's full of vitamins!
10. If you're doing sweet corn, this is the time to cut the kernels from the cob.  Cut them off with a sharp knife - if you've only tried this with raw corn, you'll be amazed at how neatly the blanched kernels will fall, all in rows, onto your cutting board.  Do not throw those cobs away!!
11. Write on your bags with a Sharpie (yet another indispensable kitchen tool - restaurant kitchen or home) - the date, the item, and what else might be in the bag.
12. Here, you can go one of two ways: Freeze all together or freeze individually.  If you are going to be boiling-in-the-bag to use the entire frozen amount as a side dish, you probably want to freeze everything in one lump, skip step #12 and go to #13.  If you want to freeze pounds of green beans in one bag and shake out a few at a time and re-seal, then you should probably freeze the green beans separately, then go to step #12.
13. Strain the veggies and arrange them on a parchment-lined (or silpator other silicone-lined) sheet tray in one single layer and place in the freezer.  Freeze until hard and then proceed with step #14.
14. If you are going to be boiling these bags to serve as side dishes, drain the veggies well and place desired amount into a bag (1/2 cup - 3/4 cup per person, or thereabouts).  At this point, you can sprinkle in salt and pepper and even throw a pat of butter in there, as I did with the sweet corn, above).
15. If the veggies are individually frozen, place them all in a larger bag.
16. Seal.  For the freshly blanched veggies, you might want to use a pulse setting if you have it, so that you can stop the vacuuming as soon as liquid begins to rise from the bulk of the veggies.  You might even want to use the pulse setting with the frozen veggies, just to be sure they don't break.  If you have a super neato sealer which automatically accounts for liquid, well, then you can do whatever you'd like.
17. Freeze!
18. If you are short on time, throw your corn cobs into a bag, your trimmings into another bag (or, I suppose, the same one), and freeze those, too.  You can freeze the leftover water in a plastic container or something, too, and then get to it at a later date (although in truth, the next step doesn't take work, only time).

The nice thing about making these little packets is they don't take up a lot of space in the freezer, as boxes would.  And, because they make compact and relatively hard packets, they won't freeze over the wire shelving in the freezer, never to be pried loose.

Okay, that's your first tutorial.  I hope it helped.  Later today, I'm going to talk about what to do with all of that leftover water, trimmings, and corn cobs.  I'm sorry to break it up into two segments, but I wanted them to be easily searchable.  Happy freezing!

Please feel free to leave your tips!

Things to do in Columbus, August 22 Edition

Updated Thursday, with 2 art events - Pecha Kucha and Come On Down!  I am still researching events but posting this anyway.  As always, if you have an event you would like to add, please send me an email.

The rain!  Oh, the rain.  I wouldn't be surprised if I personally began to sprout moss, it's so humid in Central Ohio. I don't know how it will effect vegetable growth; I do know last year we got a lot of rain in August which caused all of my tomatoes to split open.  Of course, my yard is mostly shaded, unlike the sun-baked fields in which produce in grown.  Okay, enough of that.

Am I the only person who can't believe it's almost September?  You know what September brings, right?  My birthday (which, this year, is on Labor Day. No fancy dinners for me)!  Yeah Virgos!  We're always right!  Better still, we don't mind backing off and letting you figure that fact out for yourself.

So, there are still a few good events for you and the kids this week.  I am also going to include some cooking classes - something I have neglected all summer.  I am, after all, a Columbus food blog. 

Okay, not to wax philosophical or anything, but every time late summer rolls around, I am reminded of all of the things I meant to do over the summer and didn't - I still haven't gone to Blooms & Butterflies, or Shakespeare in the Park, or Dawes Arboretum, had a corn-based picnic in the corn park, or the Winds for their patio, heck, I haven't event spent my $100 yet (I can be uninspired for long fussy meals when it's 95 degrees out, with 75% humidity, as it will be today.  Just give me some sushi.) 

Wow! there are a lot of events this week.  It always seems as though everyone has to cram everything into these last few weeks leading up to Labor Day and the beginning of the school year.  I'm happy all of these events are going on, because it makes Columbus a great place to live - to know that for every event I write about, there are 10 which have flown under my radar - but it also means slow weekends in restaurants.  So, for those of you whose primary entertainment in life is eating, take my advice and go out to eat this Friday.  If you can only get out on the weekends, this is a good weekend to do it.  Everyone else will be:

• Thursday is Pecha Kucha at Junctionville Studios in Grandview.  Pecha Kucha is a networking event for artists and designers, which allows each presenter only a brief amount of time to display his or her work.  Sounds perfect for the feint of attention span, such as yours truly.
• Come On Down! is an interactive art show, and by all accounts, loads of fun.  You can win prizes and get cultured at the same time.  The event will have one last fling this Friday night at the Mahan Gallery (1042 N. High st), which will be the last time the gallery will be open in its present location.  After that, it will move to the Yukon building (entry on Poplar).  Win something for me!  Better yet, root for my efforts to beg for the night off so that I can go myself!
• For those of you Columbus Undergrounders, tonight will be yet another one of those CU Happy Hours I can't attend.  Word on the street is, lots of folks will have their kiddos in tow.  MoJoe lounge in the Short North, 6pm - 9pm.  I won't be seeing you, but I'm sure there will be many other cool kids.
• I think, if I were a kid, I would love "Walking with Dinosaurs - the Live Experience."  I've seen a few commercials for it, and it looks pretty cool.  The event is based upon a BBC documentary, which recreated the time of the dinosaurs.  There are 15 giant special-effects dinosaurs which will be roaring around; it sounds like a great - if expensive, tickets are $30ish to $70ish - show for kids (and I'm sure adults will enjoy it, too).  Click to the Value City Arena website for more details.
• This weekend's CAPA summer movie series has more Hepburn!  First, though, are you ready for your closeup?  Sunset Boulevard will play today and tomorrow at 7:30.  Lovers of campy goodness can get their cult classic fill at a double feature this Friday, where you can see She Done Him Wrong and Cobra Woman.  Showtime is at 7:30pm.  Saturday & Sunday (2pm & 7pm both days) you can see Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant in Charade. 
• Speaking of films, this week at the Wexner Center for the Arts, you can see the intriguing Vengeance is Mine Thursday at 7pm; Friday & Saturday's double feature will be Guest of Honor and The Boss of it All, showings are at 7pm, tickets are $7.
• Did you know that on Tuesdays (through next Tuesday, anyway) you can take a picnic to the Topiary park (480 E Town Street) and enjoy a concert for lunch (beginning at 11:45 am)?  Not to mention stroll through the Topiary Park, which is pretty cool.  Next Tuesday's concert is Knot Fibb'n - "Celtic with a Kick."  Click through to the Music in the Air website for more details on this and other concerts.
• So, on Friday afternoons at Whole Foods, you can enjoy special beer and wine tastings, along with dishes prepared to match, for $5.  This event, which seems like a great alternative to the traditional Happy Hour, takes place every Friday from 5 - 7pm.  Other Whole Foods events this week are: Sushi 101, Thursday night at 6:30 ($25), and next Wednesday night's wine tasting will feature the wines of the Greek Isles ($35, 6:30pm) Click through to their calender for more information.
• This week at the Sur la Table cooking school, you learn to make pates and terrines with chef Richard Blondin of the Refectory Restaurant (3pm, $65).  You can also learn to Grill with in-house chef Martin Moran (6:30pm, $65), with whom you can also learn essential knife skills next Wednesday, August 29th (6:30pm, $65).  The Sur la Table culinary program website takes you around the block like 3 times, so click for the calenders, or call 614.473.12211 to sign up.  Classes require advance payment, etc.
• WAGfest! is a dog-centered event at the Prairie Oaks Metro Park (in Plain City, which is a lot closer to Dublin than you think).  There will be treats and samples, your pup can swim in the pond, get microchipped, enter a costume contest, or do loads of other things.  More info on their website.  Sounds like fun!  Too bad we have cats.
• Another day of fun for dogs is Woofstock, Saturday 2pm - 8pm at Camp Mary Orton (North of Worthington on rt 23).  Loads of peace and love for our doggie friends.  Click for more info.
• Once upon a time, I was a grunge goddess with a lot of time on my hands, and I've strung together a necklace or two.  Every so often, I think of taking up the sinew again.  This week at Vets Memorial, beaders of all stripes can see the best the world has to offer at Beadstreet, USA.  Admission is $6.  More info.
• This Saturday is the Grandview Art Hop, along Grandview Ave between 1st & 5th Aves.
• This Friday (6pm - 11pm) is "Brew at the Zoo."  Tickets are $45, which gets you 12 samples of beer, appetizers and music by 6 Pack Theory.  Click to the Zoo for more details.
• In more Zoo News, which, yes, is just like Gnu Gnews, this week's JazZoo concert, the last of the season, will celebrate the blues.  Go see Columbus' own Bobby Floyd on his B3 and get down.  The show is Saturday at 8pm, and tickets are $27.
• Yet another thing I keep meaning to do is go to the Wilds. Saturdays through September, you can visit the Wilds for a special "Sunset Safari."  For $60, you can enjoy a buffet dinner and a personally guided tour, along with special visits to the cranes and rhinos.  Please visit the Wilds' website for more information. 
• This weekend (Thursday, Friday and Saturday), you can see the Actors' Theatre Groups's performance of Taming of the Shrew at Schiller Park in German Village.  Take a blanket and a picnic and your date!  Performances take place at 8pm.  More info.
• It's in the future, but next next Friday, August 31st, marks the return of WaterFire on the Mile on the riverfront.  It's pretty cool, although smoky.  The 31st will showcase BalletMet at the Amphitheater (by COSI).  Last time, this event was at North Bank Park; I'm not sure where the event will be this time, I guess near the amphitheater.  Their website, although interestingly designed, does not seem to tell you where the fire will be this year.  Good job, guys.  And, just for the record, although pronounce sigh-OH-tuh, the river is actually spelled with two "O's" - SCIOTO, not, as you have spelled it, SCIOTA (here).  Oh, and "coming," as in "coming up," is spelled with one "M." Not two (here).  I didn't mean to start a diatribe, but the website is pretty irritating.  You have to click on every link twice.  Not double click, because one click activates the control, shifting the page, and the other clicks on the link. I'm sure I have my own share of site foibles and misspellings, but I'm doing this for free.
• Of course, there are some great ongoing events - Blooms & Butterflies at the Franklin Park Conservatory. 
• The following events are ongoing, but should be enjoyed when the weather is beautiful: you can hear free music in the park in Gahanna at Friendship park, in Worthington on the Village Green, and at Whetstone Park (all are at 7pm Sundays throughout the summer). 
• Continuing also is Big Bugs! at Inniswood park.   Artist David Rogers uses natural materials to make these 10 foot ants, butterflies, and other bugs.    Click to their website for more information.