kitchengretchen

Hello! Well, wintertime makes me long for this dish. I remember my mom making it a few times when we were kiddos and it pretty much defines comfort food for me. I know it has the same effect on my children; when I serve it, dinner is a silent affair of devouring, and sleep comes easy for them on a full tummy/gluten-induced coma, so all around a win-win situation for my little fam. Used what I had in the fridge, veggie-wise, so heavy on carrots and fennel, with just a touch of celery and potatoes. Had some homemade stock and chicken breasts, so cut the chicken in large chunks and added it right before I topped it with dumplings, to just cook the chicken through and keep it moist. Topped it off with fresh herbs and orange zest to brighten the flavor. Yum- took this photo ages ago, but making me think I need to make it again...soon. Thanks for reading and much love from kitchengretchen

Hello! And happy almost new year! Decided to do a fun dinner tonight, after a fabulous tip from a holiday party made me feel like cooking a treat. Small portions of each protein kept the cost fairly reasonable, though, and also got the neighbors across the way a plate. Had a few goodies in my fridge, but decided to supplement a bit. Li'l man was itching for the escargots at Whole Foods, but then got excited over the clams. His antics entertained the crowd around us, so got me smiling, too. (I know that for li'l ones, my children are near-freakish in their food choices; as a chef, if they weren't, I'd feel like a fraud somehow... But believe me, we have our independence/power struggles elsewhere!) Anyway, dinner. Roasted a mix of cauliflower, King Bolete mushrooms, celery and onion in a bit of olive oil in a deep pan. After 20 minutes or so added garlic and diced tomatoes and juice. Topped all that with some cod, a few large, pretty shrimp, and some of the above- mentioned clams, plus some turkey bacon and Castelvetrano olives. Splashed some Sauv Blanc and olive oil over the mix, plus some fresh lemon juice. Baked until shrimp and fish were done and clams opened. Served with warm, crusty bread. Yum... Oh, and some (much too easy drinking) Vaucluse wine for me! Thanks for reading and have a fantastic, soul-satisfyingly full year of food! Much love from kitchengretchen

Hello! Special holiday time breakfast for the kiddos. Used chocolate almond milk for the batter, as well as added some unsweetened cocoa powder. Instead of traditional maple syrup, I heated up equal parts almond butter and honey and drizzled the pancakes with that. Chopped up some bittersweet chocolate as a final indulgent topper. Also, used a snowflake pan that was a gift a few Christmases ago to cook them in. Came out super tasty- fluffy and not too sweet, with a nice dose of protein from the almond butter. Kids devoured them, of course, and gave us energy to get all the holiday tasks done! Thanks for reading and happy holidays to all. With love from kitchengretchen

Hello! Yes, after a power yoga workout and a trip to Green String, where I found the first of the season mustard greens, I had to eat some pronto. Croutoned (yes, it's a verb here) up some homemade bread, poured them hot over the greens, then fried up some farm eggs in good olive oil. Drizzled the lot with Meyer lemon juice and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. The hot bread and eggs helped to wilt the greens just a bit, and the runny yolks covered the mess in all their goodness. Yum! I adore the kick of these greens- gets me fired up and ready to rock the day. A treat! Hope this inspires you to try some non-traditional breakfast. Thanks for reading and much love from kitchengretchen

Hello! Yes, I love to cook things with an Asian flair, though they don't show up often on my blog. These were both made for clients, though I should cook more for my little fam. The soup is packed with seasonal Green String Farm veggies (carrots, kale, Thai eggplant, celery, onions, mild and hot peppers), plus some organic chicken breast and gorgeous little organic local oyster mushrooms. Not foraged, sadly, but still cool to find organically grown mushrooms at the store. Hot and sour flavors come from traditional Thai ingredients- lime juice and zest, sweet chili, plus siracha. Also a nice amount of Thai basil and chopped cilantro. Shao mai are something I've been making a long time, especially for these clients. Ground organic chicken thighs, plus water chestnuts, green onion, cilantro, sesame oil, soy sauce, Ginger, garlic, egg, and my secret ingredient- Panko breadcrumbs. I mix it up at least an hour before I plan on assembling, so the flavors have time to mellow and the Panko softens. Just like in a meatloaf, the breadcrumbs add tenderness, allow me to add a bunch of other great flavors, and give it stability when it steams, so it holds its shape nicely. Yes, they are not pleated, but when I'm making 50 of them, in addition to a bunch of other things, something has got to give. Plus, they eat them so fast, it wouldn't make a lick of difference. I pre-steam them so all they need is a quick reheat out of the freezer. Hope you enjoyed the change of pace, in terms of continent of inspiration. Thanks for reading and much love from this goofy chef.

Hello! So, these were made two different nights for dinner for the kiddos and I. I adore Petrale- for fresh seafood, it's affordable ($8/lb or so), it's a sustainable, clean choice, and it's almost always one of the freshest looking fish at the market. Plus, it's beautiful pale color, and tender, mild flavor make it a family favorite. The top photo are Panko-crusted, oven-baked "fish nuggets." Since it's pretty thin, I cut the fillets in half length-wise and then folded the pieces over on themselves to make a thicker bite. A light spray of olive oil on both sides keeps it crunchy and keeps it from getting greasy. Steamed a couple of artichokes, made a quick dip with olive oil mayo (a splurge, but so worth it in terms of flavor) and cocktail sauce, plus melted butter, and a lemony side salad. Kids went nuts on it all! The photo below is a more traditional take on the fish- shallow-poached sole. Had some pretty little onions and some fennel from Green String, so poached it over those, thinly sliced, in a bit of white wine, water, and lemon juice. Steamed some green beans, then reduced my poaching liquid and whisked in a bit of butter and chopped fennel fronds. Simple, but so fresh and delicious. Thanks for reading. Take care and much love from kitchengretchen

Hello again! Another cake, plus dinner spread for my fave client. Wanted to feature the tomato sauce I'd made with some of her tomatoes, and wanted a casual feel, since it was a multi-age family affair. So, my version of chicken parmesan on the far right, which is a much lighter version than most restaurants serve. Mac and cheese for the kiddos, made with all local cheeses next to that, green beans with crispy pancetta, lemon zest, and thyme in the forefront (from my beloved Green String Farm), and my late summer version of Caesar salad, with lots of lemon zest in the dressing, plus quite a bit of torn, multi-colored basil mixed in with the Little Gem greens. It really brightens and lightens the final salad. For the cake, wanted to do something a bit more "manly", so skipped my usual florette and curlicue piping, and went with a more rustic circle and dots feel. (A lot of the fruit in the background is from my clients farm, and though completely coincidental in the placement, makes a nice color contrast to the chocolate frosting.) Her granddaughter helped with the candles- so cute! Thanks again for reading and again, buckets of love from kitchengretchen

Hello! Yes, it's small, but it is officially the first wedding cake I've done, and my first attempt using fondant. I have no idea why I didn't turn the cake to find the most perfect side to photograph, but hey, this is "reality blogging." Also wish I'd had time to make a trial run; I know some things I would have done differently to up the overall look, but I'm pretty proud of it and it feels great to have actually pulled it off. Felt some serious pressure, as it was for such an important occasion in two people's lives and I didn't want to disappoint. But, the bride loved it, and I know the cake itself and the frosting were top of the line quality. Hope to get the chance to do a multi-layer fantasy creation one of these days- I do love a challenge! Thanks for reading and much love from kitchengretchen.

Hello again. Forgot to add this. The dinner that went with the bread! A simple white bean soup that reminds me of my grandmother. Actually bought the dry beans with her in Yakima at this cool old mill/local dry goods store, and then packed them into my suitcase to fly back. She used to make a similar soup when we were kids. Had to have small, perfectly diced onions, carrots, and celery (one of my grandma's trademarks), plus a hint of herbs. So soothing and tasty. A light salad and vino and it's a lovely day dinner for a day off with the kiddos. (Not to worry. Kids got milk, in plastic cups.) I remember they "joined the clean plate club" that night. We rarely have dessert, but sometimes I tell them if they eat everything on the plate, they get a treat. So, they finished their dinner and got their little lollipop. After the lollipop, they asked for more soup, please (and not another lollipop.) Thinking their kids might be making the soup one day, too. Thanks for reading and much love from kitchengretchen

Hello! Had a bit of time a couple of weeks back, aka time to cook outside of my job, and discovered a trove of photos that I'd meant to post about. Since apparently it is not my style to do a weekly regular post, the posts might come in groups. First, this simple, old-fashioned potato bread. Wanted a do a lower-gluten bread, so lots of potatoes, all-purpose instead of bread flour (lower gluten), plus xantham gum (used in many gluten-free baked goods) for structure. Sprinkled half the rolls with this rocking salt mix: sea salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and fennel seeds. Think it's called "omnivore's salt." Fabulous on so many things. Loaf is a bit dark on top for my perfectionism happiness. Really, this oven is quirky and causes me some grief. I can't wait to burn it out so the apartment managers have to get me a new one. And the buns are not perfectly even-sized either. Oh, well, I am just a chef who enjoys baking, and not a baker by trade. Plus, it was my day off, so I've got to cut myself some slack. Embrace your faults! Thanks for reading and much love from kitchengretchen