Hello, everyone! I’m sorry I’ve taken so long to blog. Again.
I recently read Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. She was witty and it was well-written, but there was plenty of foul language in it. Didn’t exactly enhance the story line, in my opinion. However, I still enjoyed the story itself. She dove into the world of blogging in the early 2000s (2002, I believe). She decided to go through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, preparing every single recipe in the book in one year’s time. I think there were 524 recipes in the book. No big deal, right? Many of us cook at least one meal a day, that would surely clear a couple of recipes… wouldn’t it?
NO.
They were FRENCH recipes. Have easy access to calf bone marrow? If you happen to, do you know how to open the bone to retrieve the marrow???
I don’t have time for that kind of stuff. Besides, I have three small children. I’m all for encouraging more sophisticated palates, but come on, let’s get real here. (Besides, I don’t think I would have liked my eggs poached in wine.)
Anyway, my purpose for writing this evening. I’m going to do that. I don’t plan on Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but I do plan to go through many of the 2000 recipes in Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook. I’ve seen Cook’s Country on television many times. I love the show. They have test kitchens where they perfect recipes like potato salad, fried chicken, making smoked pork that isn’t really smoked in a smoker… Lots of recipes the average person wouldn’t mind trying!
So, my goal for the new year is to make my way through many of the 890 pages of this book. I say “many” because I have no intention of making every single recipe. I plan to make recipes I think my family and friends would be willing to eat with me. I also plan to try a few new foods I haven’t tried yet. For instance, fennel. I know, how can I have not tried it yet? I have had fennel seed. I hate the stuff. However, every show I watch on Food Network has prepared fennel in some form or another. And my cousin Chris has cooked with it. If he can, so can I. (Love you, Chris!)
I will not be posting every single day. I still have a life. I also still plan to post things my kids do or say and what happens on our farm/ranch.
I will try to take some pictures as I go, but will not promise to do so with every recipe.
I hope this finds you all healthy and off to a good start for the new year.
Barbed Wire and Bangles 
Chris
January 4, 2012 at 2:38 AM
I had a mouthful of pickled fennel this summer. I felt like someone slapped me in the face. It’s strong stuff!
Looking forward to borrowing recepie ideas after you’ve tried them out for me.
Melanie
January 4, 2012 at 8:25 PM
Is fennel a grain? I don’t even know. 🙂 I had a subscription to Cook’s Illustrated when they still made a magazine, and it was so interesting to read the science to the recipes. Our favorite waffle recipe came from Cook’s Illustrated. Have fun, and I look forward to hearing more!
barbedwireandbangles
January 4, 2012 at 8:59 PM
Fennel is a vegetable. Sweet and crunchy. (From what I’ve heard.) You can eat the seed, bulb and the feathery leaves (called fronds). I don’t care for the seed, so I assumed I wouldn’t like any of it. 🙂 Guess I’d better go buy some and try it. Some recipes call for the bulb part, some the fronds. That way you can use it all and not waste. Can eat raw or cook.
Chris
January 4, 2012 at 9:02 PM
Fennel is a bulb plant. It looks like dill above ground and produces seeds that get used in lots of Italian foods (Pizza Hut uses a lot in their sauces) and sausage. The bulb itself looks like celery and you don’t see it nearly as much, it has such a powerful flavor.
Cook’s Illustrated is still being produced – I get it and my mom gets Cook’s Country and we trade copies after reading them. They have such great ideas!
http://www.cooksillustrated.com/