So I've been feeling down lately. Real down. Down, down down.
I figured I needed a hobby, or a project to keep my mind a little more busy. But hobbies are darn near impossible when you've got a crawling little guy that gets into everything. And potentially expensive. So I decided to make it cooking oriented, since I have to cook anyways.
I thought about heading to the used book store and finding a new cookbook, maybe try the ole "cooking through the book" thing again. But why spend money on a book when I've got a bookshelf full? But I couldn't find one that I thought I could, or wanted to, make a dent in. And then I realized I had the perfect project. All my notebooks. I'm up to 14 or 15 now, I think. They are all recipes that I chose to keep, that for one reason or another I wanted to make. So why not start cooking through all these recipes I've been saving for years?
I call it "Project Notebook", for lack of a more imaginative/better name.
I have given myself a few rules. I can make any changes I want to or need to. If I have previously made a recipe I don't have to make it again, unless I want to. And if there's anything I want to skip, I will.
I am starting with Book 5, because that's the first one I grabbed off the shelf. I've been working on this project for a while now (month? month and a half?) and I no longer remember what order I've made these in, but I do remember this one was first.
Tomato Tartar with Tomato Water Sauce, Jacques Pepin
This was definitely the way to get this project started. This was AWESOME.
Diced tomato, onion and bread with a tomato juice and olive oil vinaigrette. I made this 3 times in as many weeks and can't wait until tomato season next year to make it again and again. Just super.
I found the recipe online, slightly changed from what I have written down. The tartar in my notebook has 3 tb of olive oil in it, and there are no herbs in the tomato water. Recipe.
Homemade Breakfast Sausage, Rachael Ray
Easy to make breakfast sausage with not bad flavor.
Pasta all Checca, Canyon Ranch
I made this after our Davison Farms visit in September, with their yellow tomatos. I liked that it was no cook and had tons of flavor.
Grilled Steak and Mashed Potato Wrap, Rachael Ray
I found a little steak in the freezer and had wraps and potatos, this project has actually been very helpful in using up food I have in the freezer and cupboard. This reminds me of a restaurant I went to years ago with my friend Simon in Calgary, they did all sorts of wraps and soups. I loved it because they had wraps I had never imagined, like steak and potatos, or turkey and cranberry. It was a good restaurant.
Orzo with Ham and Goat Cheese, Gourmet
It turns out we have made this before. It's really good.
Beef Hoisin Mini Meatballs, Rachael Ray
I do love me a good meatball, and these were ok. Kind of a soft texture. Hoisin and garlic and green onions in the meatballs, browned and simmered in a sauce of hoisin, red current jelly, garlic, ginger and water. I made these because I had some red current jelly I wanted to use up.
6 recipes down!
