Kitchen Through the Lens: What it’s about

First of all: I hate naming projects. I hate naming projects because despite my marketing background and despite the fact that I’m totally hilarious and funny (it’s my blog, I can say what I want), I have a difficult time coming up with cool catchy names that make you want to pay attention.

You want to pay attention.

In scope of a lot of stuff going on in my world, I decided I needed a project. I needed a fun project, but something… productive. I needed to incorporate something I love, but I also needed to incorporate room for growth. I think this project does both.

I have picked (with some help!), 50 recipes. They’re not all main dishes – some are desserts, some are beverages, some are appetizers, some are sauces. I don’t love cooking (you know this, right?) but there’s no reason for that. I love baking, so, uh… why not cooking? Each week, I’ll prepare one of these new things (not necessarily in order of the list!), and – here’s the fun part – document the process with my camera. Food photography? It’s freakin’ hard, y’all BUT this gives me the opportunity and reason to work on those skills also.

(Win, win)

Without further adieu, here’s the list of 50. I don’t anticipate changing any of these items out – but it could happen. And if and when it does, you won’t roll your eyes at me too much, will you? You’ll be super understanding and supportive and say, “That’s okay, Sarah, you really didn’t want to make that other thing anyway.”

  1. salsa
  2. tortilla soup
  3. pesto
  4. tomato sauce/marinara
  5. caipirnha
  6. croissants
  7. sourdough bread
  8. patatas bravas
  9. potstickers
  10. roast chicken
  11. char siu bao
  12. vinaigrette
  13. strawberry shortcake
  14. fortune cookies
  15. tequila bars
  16. a savory biscotti
  17. cream puffs
  18. Emperor’s pancakes
  19. beer bread
  20. mashed potatoes
  21. homemade pasta
  22. chicken enchiladas
  23. salted caramel ice cream cake
  24. hamburgers
  25. margaritas
  26. prosciutto wrapped melon
  27. tamales
  28. infused vodka (okay, I’m not making the vodka part)
  29. caramel corn
  30. fruit smoothies
  31. Grandma’s molasses cookies
  32. spaghetti tacos (you have kids that watch iCarly, don’t you?)
  33. a homemade treat for the dog
  34. blueberry muffins
  35. fresh juice
  36. cinnamon bread
  37. lemon pasta
  38. Greek salad
  39. Hasselback potatoes
  40. chicken tacos
  41. hummus
  42. risotto
  43. feta stuffed gyro burgers
  44. chipotle stout braised beef tacos
  45. key lime cheesecake
  46. taco pasta shells
  47. empanadas
  48. Narsai mudslide cookies
  49. Wendell’s cookies
  50. Thanksgiving dinner (turkey & stuffing)

The last several are recipes given to me by others  – so pretty specific versus the mostly vague first half of the list. Wendell is my grandfather who died in the late 80s – the recipe I’ll be making, Wendell’s cookies – those were his favorite. I received the Narsai mudslide cookie recipe from my dad – who has brought them up in conversation several times. Joe from The Hungry Dudes gave me links to recipes for items 43 – 46 and when a foodie gives you recipes, you take note.

The kids wanted to make some kind of biscuit for the dog – granted, I won’t be taste testing that one, but… why not? Tequila bars are a Guy Fieri recipe (yeah, I know) that I pulled from a magazine because…tequila. I’m more inclined to pay attention to his recipes if I don’t have to listen to him. Or watch him. Or want to rip the sunglasses from the back of his head and want to beat him with them. Anyway, worth a shot right? I pull a LOT of recipes from magazines…and never make them. This project will help me face down some of that list – maybe discover some new favorites.

Alright. Are you with me? Here we go.

I’m starting tonight. Got my lemon zester ready for some lemon pasta. Let’s do this.

 

TIL Tuesday: Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

Are you watching this show yet?

I mentioned Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution last week – I saw the premiere episode Sunday evening and watched that same episode AGAIN Friday night, followed by a new hour of the series. And yeah, I’m pretty much hooked.

I love the idea – the concept – and I love thinking of what the end result could be if he is successful in revolutionizing the way we eat – even if only at the school level. I’ve watched in awe as Jamie has made efforts to make positive changes in the menu of this West Virginia elementary school, only to be met with steely-faced mean-spirited opposition from the lunch lady crew. Those same people, of course, are afraid they’re going to look bad on television – yet seem to revel in smug glee whenever Jamie hits a stumbling block in his challenge.

Why are they so resistant? Set in their ways? They just don’t like this stranger butting in? The cooks were so giddy when Jamie’s menu doesn’t meet the “two starch” requirement and I was boggled – TWO starches? Because we’re concerned that our kids don’t consume QUITE ENOUGH carbs?

I realize there are other factors in play – that there are government regulations on the nutrition content of school meals (and I don’t have stats or specifics on it – mainly because I’m just too lazy to Google it). I know those nutrition guidelines are based in some sort of reason – a common theory I’ve heard is that for many kids, that may be their only real meal they get each day. But there is a difference between having a real NOURISHING meal and having miscellaneous chicken parts all ground up together and squashed into a deep fried nugget and served to children (and when I saw Jamie do this on Friday night’s show, I literally cringed).

Jamie Oliver could easily be condescending – to the employees of the school, to the children and to the families he works with – but yet, he remains focused on the goal to promote better eating. HEALTHIER eating.

Are you watching this? Have you gotten sucked in too? What are school lunches like in your neck of the woods? Have you signed Jamie’s petition?

No one asked me or paid me to talk about this show. Just a fan. A very enthusiastic, nerdy fan.