tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-208574262011-04-21T13:51:20.759-07:00Sharing my love of my favorite room in the house with any and all who enjoy cooking and eating good food.Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1155924629553552592006-08-18T11:17:00.000-07:002006-08-18T11:10:29.706-07:00

I know that last time I was here, I was griping about my kids not liking the red cabbage recipe I chose. Well, I was just looking through my photos and saw the ones I took for posting here, and a couple of them were just too pretty to throw away.....and seeing them made me remember how much I enjoyed that dish. Which means that I will be making it again. And who said that I needed to post only

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1154529568721022882006-08-02T07:39:00.000-07:002006-08-02T07:39:29.250-07:00

I think maybe I caught it visiting Catesa....she says her cooking groove is gone. Or maybe I jinxed myself, bragging about my kids being good eaters. But I've run headlong into a dry spell.Oh, I've been trying to cook, but nothing's been turning out well. I got a beautiful red cabbage last week, which my kids normally love (but they love even more now that they've learned how to make litmus paper

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1154100440934997212006-07-28T07:13:00.000-07:002006-07-28T08:27:20.936-07:00

I just finished reading an article that my mom told me about, Is buying local always best? The very first paragraph made me think, because it puts the whole issue of buying stuff into moral terms. I'm not ready for that kind of responsibility.....I just want to make good food for my loved ones, not be responsible for the success or failure of some farmer around the corner or across the world.And

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1153411830746161162006-07-20T09:10:00.000-07:002006-07-20T09:10:31.120-07:00

My kids are really good eaters. They understand the basics of nutrition and aren't afraid to try things. But, they also have an uncle that is kind of lazy in the cooking department. He's been known to have just popcorn for dinner, and they love that idea. My kids also understand the importance of good timing.The past couple of weeks have been pretty stressful for me. I'm trying to do too many

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1152815685803856862006-07-13T11:40:00.000-07:002006-07-13T11:34:46.183-07:00

Summer is the season of glory. Glorious sun, gloriously long, carefree days, glorious colors, and of course, glorious fresh food. The past several years I haven't been able to have any kind of garden, but this year I insisted and planted a small herb patch with the help of my children. It was a fun challenge, settling on just four herbs to put in our sunken container. The first slot was easy and

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1150841691336017012006-06-20T15:15:00.000-07:002006-06-21T08:15:17.670-07:00

Don't get me wrong, I love chocolate. I adore chocolate. I offer a silent prayer of thanks to the Mesoamericans who first came across the lovely cacao pod, Theobroma cacao, every time I encounter a new or really good type of chocolate. How else could the lowly pod have gotten its name, which means "food of the gods?"However.My worshipful demeanor often turns ugly when I'm working with chocolate,

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1150294599473251962006-06-14T07:57:00.000-07:002006-06-14T08:01:17.303-07:00

Lentils are wonderful little gems! They come in pretty colors and have lots of flavor, and are a good source of protein. I'm still not sure that all this mad cow disease talk is for real or just another scare, but I am sure about not liking all the chemicals that are given to cattle and probably get passed to us through their milk and meat. So I've been looking for good vegetarian entrees.....not

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1150120691963605442006-06-12T06:33:00.000-07:002006-06-12T06:58:13.926-07:00

Michelle, the Accidental Scientist, tagged me with the 5 items meme. What I want to know is, why are these things called memes? Unless I'm wrong about the definition of that word, these things aren't memes. Oh well, anyway, here's my list.5 items in my fridgeleftover lentil chili (based on Catesa's recipe)half and halffresh veggies and herbs: sage, cilantro, scallions, ginger, lemons, and other

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1149531518084779042006-06-05T11:14:00.000-07:002006-06-07T07:05:47.676-07:00

Happy Cinco de Junio! I'm really sorry it's been so long getting the enchiladas recipe and instructions up. Beautiful weather, a strong urge to do some gardening, and antsy children don't add up to a lot of time for blogging! But you aren't here to read my excuses, so off we go to the enchilada extravaganza. Enchiladas are deceptive devils....it looks so simple to make a filling, wrap a tortilla

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1146854609316723122006-05-05T11:36:00.000-07:002006-05-05T11:43:29.426-07:00

Of course we're celebrating here with a big enchilada feast! I promise I'll get pictures and will post a recipe and beginner's guide as soon as I can. Meantime, if you want some good information on buying tortillas or making authentic tacos, see this article, Man on a mission to enlighten Seattleites about real tacos. (Tomatillo sauce on a mole taco? Gross!!!) There's a recipe at the bottom that

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1146673260485219072006-05-03T09:20:00.000-07:002006-05-03T09:21:00.546-07:00

We're a big family so hubby and I buy many food items in bulk sizes. Multiples of items in bulk sizes, even. (Yes, even though I don't like going there, Costco is our friend.) So it sometimes happens that two tubs of plain yogurt will get opened, or the sour cream will get pushed behind the produce for a week or three. And when that happens, unwanted little beasties often set up house in there,

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1146412729013622862006-04-30T08:43:00.000-07:002006-04-30T17:44:55.640-07:00

I'm probably not measuring up to your expectations of a good food blogger, but that's not what I'm thinking about just now. I'm thinking of the problems that can arise because of the American habit of relying on volume measures instead of weight in recipes. I have a decent collection of old cookbooks, including several that are compilations - church cookbooks, fundraising cookbooks, etc. Many of

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1145413195459475962006-04-18T19:04:00.000-07:002006-04-18T19:30:12.426-07:00

I was looking through my recipe bookmarks to find a new banana recipe. You see, I have this small problem.....I never throw bananas away! When they get brown, I put them in a freezer bag and store them in the freezer. When I want to make banana bread, I get a few out, let them defrost, and add them to the recipe. They're a lot easier to mash after being frozen, but the taste and texture aren't

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1145116665315376232006-04-15T11:52:00.000-07:002006-04-15T12:14:58.740-07:00

This is one of the best pork dishes I have ever had. You can think of it as a Mayan version of barbecued pulled pork. And just like American barbecue recipes, there's no one recipe that's right or most authentic. I learned how to make cochinita pibil (pronounced ko-cheen-EE-ta pee-BEEL) from the wonderful women of a large Mexican family I got to know while living in the southern part of the

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1144610703561117192006-04-09T11:35:00.000-07:002006-04-09T12:25:03.713-07:00

Not from coloring eggs (hubby's doing that this year)....nor am I doing a Lady Macbeth impersonation. Last night I started one of my favorite Mexican dishes, cochinita pibil. It's a colorful and flavorful pork dish that I learned how to make in Mexico. Achiote is the magical stuff behind cochinita pibil. Achiote is another name for annatto seeds, which gives the paste its signature color.If you

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1143736008239964182006-03-30T11:05:00.000-08:002006-03-30T11:08:11.680-08:00

Ilva's recent gluten-free recipes reminded me that I haven't posted one of my gluten-free triumphs yet: Swedish meatballs. What reminded me of it is she uses ricotta cheese in several of her gluten-free recipes, and it's what I use to replace the bread crumbs. My daughter isn't extremely sensitive to gluten, so she can give in to temptation sometimes. But the bread crumbs and flour in Swedish

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1143515020951698762006-03-27T17:30:00.000-08:002006-03-27T19:05:46.320-08:00

Ilva of Lucullian delights tagged me, which I guess means I need to answer these questions and then tag other people.1. Please list three recipes you have recently bookmarked from food blogs to try: Hahahahaha!!! Just three?! I have been a bookmarking fool lately! So I'll list the first three that I remember.    1: Ilva's Gluten-Free Ricotta and Hazelnut Cookies    2: The Accidental Scientist's

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1143248288820172642006-03-24T15:54:00.000-08:002006-03-24T16:58:08.900-08:00

My mom just sent me a link to a news article that has me really mad. How many of you saw this last week? Cooking 101: Add 1 Cup of Simplicity. Here are the first four paragraphs of the story.At Kraft Foods, recipes never include words like "dredge" and "sauté." Betty Crocker recipes avoid "braise" and "truss." Land O' Lakes has all but banned "fold" and "cream" from its cooking instructions. And

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1143169879280660202006-03-23T18:25:00.000-08:002006-03-23T19:11:19.326-08:00

Orangette recently confessed to a cooking parlor trick or secret weapon she uses. Hers is to add an egg - and like me, she hasn't let the food nannies scare her away from a luscious runny yolk!If I do anything that's like Orangette's trick, it would be adding Tabasco sauce. That lovely ruddy liquid can add a lot to a dish!Here's a short list of things I regularly put Tabasco sauce in: omelettes;

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1143080828385993142006-03-22T17:59:00.000-08:002006-03-22T21:13:59.243-08:00

I've been thinking about this all last night and today, and I think the only way I'll get over it is to tell somebody about it.Yesterday I made a very nice dinner to celebrate the first day of spring. The main course was a pasta sauce with eggplant. That took extra time and work because it was cooked separately, and because eggplant tastes better if salt is used to draw off its liquid. Before

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1142558391205028162006-03-16T16:42:00.000-08:002006-03-16T17:43:55.553-08:00

Too, too busy since returning home! One of these days I might catch up!One of the nicest results of my visits to my sister's family is that her oldest daughter got interested in cooking, and has been emailing me with questions. I've been trying to explain the idea of mise en place to her, which is hard since I can't show her very easily and since I know she doesn't have a lot of the equipment she

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1141413954084182642006-03-03T11:07:00.000-08:002006-03-03T11:25:54.123-08:00

I wanted to make some praline candy for my sister's family today, but she doesn't have a thermometer. I remember seeing my mom make candies without using one, but she didn't let us help her with that so I wasn't sure what she was doing to tell if the candy had cooked enough. After a couple of minutes online, though, I found exactly what I needed, the cold water candy test. This page is so great

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1141316805577398082006-03-02T08:03:00.000-08:002006-03-02T08:29:27.060-08:00

After writing about el cheapo mac and cheese, I remembered an old favorite, pasta spirals with gorgonzola cheese. My sister has the cookbook it's from too, so I went to the store and got some cheese and made this for my lunch. I forgot how wonderful this is! Lemon, garlic, green onions, and cheese make every bite a flavorful party in my mouth. The texture differences are good too. I gobbled as

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1141144861624536452006-02-28T07:47:00.000-08:002006-02-28T08:41:01.653-08:00

Blogbuddy Michelle reminds me of the lean times I've been through, by myself and with a family. It's hard but good things can come from dregs from the pantry. In a comment on that post she reminded me of a meal I made from the lowly boxed mac n' cheese mix. The kids loved it so much they still ask for it sometimes. (They also ask for my homemade macaroni and cheese alot, so I'm not offended that

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1140974859705539042006-02-26T09:15:00.000-08:002006-02-26T10:36:50.443-08:00

You didn't misread my title and no, I didn't misspell anything. A few days ago I flew from Washington to the frozen midwest, and brought my own broth with me. There's got to be a good story behind that, right? Well, if I can tell it right it might be.I'm here helping take care of my sister's family for a while. That mostly means cooking, which is why I got invited out. My sister isn't the best

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1140543922724802872006-02-21T09:35:00.000-08:002006-02-21T09:45:22.743-08:00

It's been a zoo around here lately! Which means I haven't been very good at keeping up with shopping, or doing my usual preparations before I start cooking. You know where this is leading.....yep, I was in the middle of making a cake yesterday when I discovered I didn't have enough baking powder.Luckily, I remembered that I could make it myself, and that I had the recipe in my computer files. It

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1140108882421803002006-02-16T08:41:00.000-08:002006-02-16T09:27:16.953-08:00

I don't know why, but I have a hard time finding good cookie sheets that I like. What's so hard about making such a simple piece of kitchen equipment? I have only one baking sheet that I like, and I almost always need more than one when I'm doing anything.Now that I finally live in a more civilized part of the country, that is with good stores nearby, I've been looking forward to finding out what

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1139510511530660172006-02-09T10:31:00.000-08:002006-03-17T13:17:30.826-08:00

I've been doing alot of research on starting a business making and selling candies from my home. I want to do this for many reasons, but I don't think it's possible. I was looking through Washington's laws and unless I have loads of money for special equipment and permits, I don't see how I can even try. And I don't have loads of money (hello, the reason for starting a business is to try to make

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1139255238510043752006-02-06T10:53:00.000-08:002006-03-17T13:16:51.186-08:00

What a weekend! A big windstorm came through our area (I saw a news report that said the closest town to us had reported the highest winds in all of western Washington) and knocked our power out. Not once, but twice. The second time was for over 16 hours. We weren't prepared for it but managed okay. Next time we'll do better.Our house is entirely electric. Electric stove, electric heat, water

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1138903456081170102006-02-02T09:29:00.001-08:002006-03-17T13:16:13.476-08:00

Michelle, the Accidental Scientist asked me for some information about buying cast iron. My answer got so long I decided to make it a post instead of a comment!There are lots of ways to clean and season cast iron, so if you aren't already using it, don't be intimidated or afraid. It's easier to handle than most modern cookware (especially nonstick skillets) and is very durable. And if you wash or

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1138728466893907032006-01-31T09:09:00.000-08:002006-03-17T13:15:36.503-08:00

Do Teflon coatings on cookware cause cancer or not? That's a hot question right now. A news report from yesterday says that a chemical used to make it is likely a carcinogen. A friend who has kept birds for years told me that if Teflon is heated too high, it gives off a gas that can kill them. I think I've ruined every Teflon skillet I've ever had, because I've heated them too high. I didn't

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1138384318865832142006-01-27T09:10:00.000-08:002006-03-17T13:14:30.470-08:00

{Before I get started though, an explanation's in order on my nickname. I want the focus to be on food, not on me, and I don't want to be dooced. That's why there's no name here. I chose the nickname because I liked the way it sounds (I'm a big sucker for alliteration), and because I feel most comfortable in the kitchen. I'm pretty handy for a girl, but the kitchen is the domain where I do my

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1138303010702642372006-01-26T10:45:00.000-08:002006-01-26T11:27:12.723-08:00

I meant to add to this blog much more regularly than I have. When I started it, I had no idea of all the time it takes to create a good blog entry! Plus taking pictures of the creations in progress....and editing the pictures....and don't get me started on trying to edit a Blogger template to create a unique look! It's overwhelming. Especially when I visit sites like the ones in my blogroll, and

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1137614391140323872006-01-18T11:03:00.000-08:002006-01-27T11:23:37.963-08:00

I don't work for Penzeys Spices and don't get any money for recommending them. I've been a very happy customer for over twenty years - that's why I recommend them!Penzeys is a great company that goes out of its way to find the best, freshest spices from all over the world. The selection is wide, from a nice fines herbes to wasabi and anywhere in between. Asian, Scandinavian, Italian, Mexican,

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20857426.post-1137043283611253522006-01-11T21:19:00.000-08:002006-03-17T13:12:53.656-08:00

Hi, and welcome to my food blog. I'm a fairly accomplished home cook, blessed to be from a line of very good home cooks. I learned a lot from my Swedish gramma, and my mother and her sisters. With so much more food and fresh produce available now through the internet and wonderful stores like Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's, I've been able to experiment with many more flavors and combinations

Kitchen Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00712244035346653705noreply@blogger.com0