The Social Cook

Growing up take-out was served on a few occasions:

1. Friday night pizza
2. Long car trips to Maine
3. New Years Eve

Since my early youth, take-out has become a much bigger part of my life.  For breakfast when I am running late I will grab a muffin. For lunch when I am too busy take a break, I will grab a sandwich and eat at my desk. For dinner when I am too exhausted to cook one I will call up the local pizza shop and order. Needless to say, I have had my share of food wrapped and boxed.

Lately,  I have realized, I have been getting take out so often, it has lost it’s appeal, not to mention the work it has done to my health and the waste it has produced with all of its packaging.

Therefore, this month is about making your take-out at home, saving packaging, money and calories without giving up the precious convenience that take-out offers.

Here is my Take-Out Challenge:

1. No purchasing of take out food for the entire month of March…including Coffee.
2. If I am going to go “out to eat” then I have to sit at the restaurant and eat…perhaps even socialize!
3. All of the food I eat “on the go” must be made from home

The Plan

Making all of your food at home when you have a busy schedule is a challenge. To help myself out, I have created a plan. You can follow along with this plan as well and take on the challenge! Here is what you will need:

1. Tupperware
2. A stocked fridge
3. Basic cooking utensils

Take a look at the Menu of the Week Page to take on the Challenge.

Many of the flavors wrapped up in those devilishly tasty deserts actually come straight from nature. I use this fact to justify eating many of my favorite deserts as much a possible.  Although, from a nutrition standpoint I am sure that this is not completely justified, I like to think that using ingredients straight from nature does add that extra special touch to each desert.

Here are my top ten desert flavors straight from nature:

1. Citrus…oranges, lemons and limes
2. cocoa… chocolate…need I say more
3. vanilla bean…sweet and nostalgic
4. Cinnamon stick..smoky and spicy
5. maple syrup…to me it taste like pancakes but I think I have this backwards
6. mint…freshness
7. honey…pure sweetness
8. sugarcane…yes sugar comes from nature
9. Berries
10. coffee bean

Think of all of the yummy deserts that can be made with these ten flavors….any ideas?

February has arrived and with it comes the usual snowy weather and parade of delicious sweets.  As this month of love and chocolate carries on, it is hard to resist those sweet temptations that begin to fill offices, homes and shelves alike.  Of course, what better way to jump on this sugar filled bandwagon, then by taking out your own spatula and whipping up a delectable treat of your very own from scratch!

This month the Social Cook is celebrating deserts of all colors and flavors.  I will be posting about everything desserts for the next few weeks all culminating for the Social Cook event of the month. There is no better way to spend time with your family and friends then having your own Social Cook Party! Follow along with the recipes and activities that I post and put them together for an event everyone will be talking about.

Have a great desert recipe to share?  Send it to schipman1@gmail.com and  I will post it on The Social Cook.

Poached Pears I have always wanted to make a Poached Pear, take on the challenge and make this restaurant specialty right in your own kitchen!

Ingredients

• 1 (750-ml) bottle white wine, Riesling or Viognier
• 1 cup water
• 5 ounces sugar, approximately 3/4 cup
• 1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 4 firm Bartlett, Anjou or Bosc pears, peeled leaving the stem intact

Directions

Found at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/vanilla-poached-pears-recipe/index.html

The Social Cook had their first event of the year last Saturday.  One small apartment, 20 great people and whole lot of flour and eggs.  I was thrilled at how much fun I had, and from the smiles on everyone’s faces it looked like my guests were having fun too.

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Before everyone arrived me and my Social Cook partner set up the apartment to accommodate four stations. In the bedroom (maximum utilization of space) we put the raviloli station.  In the living room was the Gnocci station. In  the kitchen was the spaghetti station and cooking center.  Finally in the foyer was the eating station (my favorite!).

I laid out some food in advance for our guest when they arrived, bread with an olive oil dip and fresh pasta already cooked.  Once the guests started to arrive the party was busting with food.  Some brought appetizers (amazing olive spread, cheese ball…).  Others brought salads and sauces.  A few brought fresh pasta dishes of their own and there was even a pasta dessert!

In addition to the amazing food, our guests donated 30 items to the local food pantry!

Guests took turns eating the great food and making their own fresh pasta.  Many had the same reaction I did, “I can’t believe how easy it is to make your own pasta!”

My hope now, is that all my guests are at home on this gorgeous Saturday afternoon, elbow deep in flour and loving it!

Some Recipes From the Night:

Sam’s Favorite Sauce: All to taste

• Olive Oil
• Lemon Juice
• Garlic
• Basil

Pete’s Homemade Tomato Sauce: use ingredients to taste and cook for a minium of two hours at a soft simmer

• 1 can crushed tomatos
• 1 can tomato paste
• one chopped onion
• diced garlic
• basil
• salt
• 1 can of water (use the big crushed tomato can)
• homemade Butera Family sausage (sans the sausage for a vegan version)

One of the best things about pasta is that it comes in enough shapes and sizes to make a totally unique meal every night. 

How many shapes can you make?



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Pictures from http://www.ediblegeography.com/unesco-culinary-heritage-sites/

Happy New Year Social Cooks!

After the cookies, cake, roasts, appetizers and champagne is over, most everyone is thinking the same thing…”Man I need to go on a diet!”

The new year’s resolution is an age-old tradition that creeps into our minds around January 1st but is usually soon forgotten by Valentines day (when the cookies and champagne return!)

One new year’s resolution I know I will keep however, is my Social Cook resolution: To dedicate 12 whole months to great tasting food, made from scratch and shared with friends, family and other Social Cooks alike!

Of course, because we will be learning to make (and sharing) food from scratch, I think it is safe to say our waistlines will thank us come December (not to mention our taste buds!)

Check out the Social Cooks Event Page to learn how to throw your own Social Cook Even!

Who’s with me?!