Jen (Jenns food journey) is known as Tilapia Tootsie, the Sauce Maven, and Suzie Soup. She has earned these sobriquets by dint of persistent postings of excellent recipes. You probably should not assume that you are permitted to address her by these names. Better to simply address her as Jenn the Magnificent. (Gosh, I hope she’s blushing right now.)
My holiday gift to all of you is a very inexpensive one: my congratulations and
gratitude for being out there where I can find you often and regale myself with
your baking (help, I’m baking and I can’t stop), your stories (all embroidered
I am sure), your photos (I have to steal mine in the absence of a cooperating
camera and computer), and your enthusiasm for all things culinary.
But back to
Jen. A recent post of hers was for a soup, something she
does not often do. However, the important thing is that she got my attention
and I’ve spent the last few hours with soup sloshing around in my brain even as
I have been writing, answering emails, and plotting food Armageddon (I don’t
even know what that means). Sometime very soon you will notice Jenn has used
the “V” word (no, not the one that goes with “Monologues”) in a recipe. You’ll
see, and you’ll know when it happens.
As a result I now have the courage to use
“CP”, as in canned potatoes. I have cooked with them many times over the
years. Last night I made some potato and vegetable cakes and Peter qvelled over
them. I had sneaked the canned spuds right past him. The vegetables were
mushrooms, carrots, cauliflower, chayote sqash and celery, all of which had
been lightly poached in broth, Shiaxing wine, olive oil and butter. Sometimes I
toss them on salads, other times I snack on them right out of the fridge. The
canned potatoes, sautéed whole, make for a lovely side dish when browned up in
some butter. They have a unique texture and are not intended to be substituted
for the real thing except when time is short and hunger is long.
Scold me if
you must. I can take it.
