Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

I remember the ice storm of 1978. Michael, our son, was two months old. We went to bed with the sound of the howling winds and ice pellets pinging at our windows. In the middle of the night we were awakened by crashing noises on our roof as large limbs fell from our sweet gum tree which shaded our house lovingly during the hot summer months. Michael was also awake. Who could sleep through that racket. When I went to get him from his crib I realized the power was out. Thus began a week of deprivation. We had no heat, no water, and no electricity. But what we did have was a wood stove. You would be surprised at how well you can function with a source of heat to keep you warm and allow you to cook. We bought bottled water, stretched our sleeping bags in front of the fire and cooked all of our meals either on top of the stove or in the ashes. We even had neighbors join us on several occasions. I have never forgotten the value of having an independent backup plan when community utilities fail you.

Our Lake Lure cottage was built with several backup options, the first being energy efficient insulation that has be done by the First Defense Insulation – Certified Insulation Experts. We also have a gas stove for cooking, using a large propane tank which also supplies the gas for our living room fireplace logs. This past December the temperatures dropped to the teens and the winds were blowing steadily at 20 miles an hour. We discovered that our new untested heat pump was not wired properly to allow the auxilary heat strip to come on, so it could not keep up with the demand. We stayed toasty warm with just the gas logs and the kitchen fireplace. Plus we love to cook in the fireplace because it is such a gratifying process. I posted earlier about the hearth grill that was my Christmas present. We also bought a spider which is a dutch oven with legs. You place the spider directly in the coals and you can braise anything from roasts to stews. We tried a pork roast and vegetables.

David browned the meat in the spider over the coals.

He then added the vegetables and some liquid. Wine is good here. Wine is always good. We also added fresh rosemary and thyme. The lid is then placed on top. The lid also has little legs on the top so you can invert it and use it as a griddle if you want.

To maintain even cooking you can put ashes on top of the lid so that the food is surrounded by heat.

The above picture was taken with the flash, but I thought it was very atmospheric.

After cooking slowly in the embers for two hours you have a pot full of goodness.

What a satisfying meal.

I wish you had all been there. . . . We are back in sunny Florida now, but I miss our hearth cooking. We had a small fire in the kitchen fireplace right before we left and David said “I feel like I should be cooking something in it”. It is a primal urge to cook over fire.

We bought our dutch oven spider through Amazon. Here is a link.

This is a very refreshing salad. It takes advantage of oranges in season and celery and radishes that add crunch. We went to our first weight watchers meeting today. I hate being so predictable, but yes, we too are on a diet. Isn’t everyone at this time of year? This is the first time I have officially joined Weight Watchers. In the past I felt it was enough to get the cookbooks and do it on my own. But there is something to be gained by the personal support that is offered at the meetings. Also, our good friends and neighbors have joined too and we are planning on getting together at each others’ houses twice a week to share the meals. I still plan on cooking great food. The advantage of Weight Watchers is that you can eat most of your favorite foods but in controlled portions. I am looking forward to the challenge.

The recipe for this salad was in the Best of Weight Watchers Magazine cookbook that I checked out of the library. Now if David can just get over his nightly need for chocolate crunch bars and I can curb my appetite for rich braised dishes, we may have a chance to lose a few pounds. We are giving it a month.

RADISH-ORANGE SALAD

3 small navel oranges
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbls olive oil
1/2 tsp ground coriander
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced radishes
6 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced

1. Cut off the peel and white pith from each orange. Cut the oranges into 1-inch thick slices.

2. Combine the lime juice, oil, coriander, and pepper in a small bowl.

3. Combine the orange slices, the radishes, and celery in a bowl. Drizzle the dressing over oranges and vegetables, and toss gently to coat.

Six servings. Points: 1

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January is a difficult month to get through sometimes. There is the let down from the excitments of the holidays and the weather that can be dreary, cold, and unpreditable. Now we don’t even have the Super Bowl and the attendant parties to look forward to. This year’s Super Bowl will be played February 7th in Miami at the Dolphins Stadium. But that does give you time for planning a party. Super Bowl food runs the gamut from chips and dips to pizza and subs. It is not the time to pull out the good china and the Coq Au Vin. One of my favorite easy comfort foods is a good sloppy joe. It is such a convenient choice for a crowd. You can put it in a crock pot to keep it warm. Serving from the crock pot is very convenient. A basket of good bakery rolls lightly toasted and a condiment bar can also be included. Condiments might include sliced pickles, pickled jalapenos, coleslaw, and shredded cheese. Another idea would be to offer the new slider size hamburger buns for those who want to exercise portion control. With some special potato chips and paper plates and napkins, you don’t even need silverware.
This recipe for sloppy joes is a little unusual. I adapted it from a recipe I saw on a website for Lindauer Family Farms. They raise natural, antibiotic free beef and their website includes recipes for beef. What I liked about the recipe was the inclusion of jellied cranberry sauce. I have used this before in making meatballs and it sounded perfect for sloppy joes. I love this recipe and it doubles easily for a crowd.

SLOPPY JOES
2 lbs ground beef round
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tbls brown sugar
1 Tbls dry mustard
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup ketchup
1 8 0z can jellied cranberry sauce
1 Tbls Worcestershire sauce
Brown ground beef and onions in a large sauce pan. Drain off fat. Add dry ingredients and stir and cook for a few minutes. Add ketchup, cranberry sauce and worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer on low-medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes.

This is one of those recipes that you can file in your easy and do ahead file. It is time again for Barefoot Blogger Thursday and this week’s recipe was chosen by Todd of A Cooking Dad. Ina Garten’s Indonesian Ginger Chicken requires only prep time at the beginning and then it marinates in the sauce until you are ready to put it in the oven. The honey and soy sauce thicken to coat the chicken and the ginger and garlic impart a flavorful note.

The next time I make this chicken (and there will be a next time) I will make the following changes. I will add another flavor component like pepper flakes or hot sauce. It was a bit too sweet. I will take the skin off of the chicken for a lower fat version. And I will use dark meat only. Although I love chicken breasts, the thighs and legs seemed to absorb the sauce flavors better. I also halved the recipe for just the two of us. Thank you Todd for choosing another Barefoot Contessa winner.

INDONESIAN GINGER CHICKEN

Ingredients:

1 cup honey
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup minced garlic (8 to 12 cloves)
1/2 cup peeled and grated ginger root
2 (3 1/2 lb.) chickens, quartered with backs removed

Directions:

Cook the honey, soy sauce, garlic and ginger root in small saucepan over low heat until honey is melted. Arrange the chicken in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan, skin side down, and pour on the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan, turn the chicken skin side up, and raise the temperature to 375 degrees F. Continue baking for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh and the sauce is a rich dark brown.

Printable recipe