Contentment...

[shinytoaster]

I actually cooked tonight. Four pans, every burner on the stove going ... whoseyerdaddy...

I poached a rainbow trout fillet in milk, boiled up some Charlotte potatoes and broccoli so that it was just on the edible side of crunchy, and then I did a creamy buttery sauce with chives, parsley and basil. I don't know if I curdled the cream - although I expect it would be obvious if I had done - but any tips on how to whip up a cream sauce would be appreciated for future reference. Anyway, it was the best food I've cooked by my own hand in a very long time.

Then I had a dram of my Highland Park and watched Wife Swap USA. I've remarked frequently how much better the American version is, but this one was truly fantastic. All four of them were without exception thoroughly unpleasant gobshites, and when the couples 'discussed the experience' at the end there was an actual fight, which predictably ended with the redneck punching the liberal in the gob*, and an altercation with the local sheriff's office ensued. Wife Swap may be cruel, but it's a fantastic bloodsport that doesn't harm any foxes, and ... you know ... I have limited sympathy for people who voluntarily go in for reality TV, so I found it hard to whip up much internal guilt.

Payday tomorrow.

* Which he thoroughly deserved.

Comments

[heyorion.livejournal.com]

Use creme fraiche?

[february-sea.livejournal.com]

I do a very easy (basic) cream sauce which you can season to your taste with any number of things...I nearly use garlic and onion, OR nutmeg, OR a light sprinkling of whatever fresh green herb is around (like dill or basil or chives)...but the sauce, itself, is constant.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan and add 1/4 cup flour; cook over very low heat for four or five minutes, until the flour loses that raw flavor but is still NOT brown; then increase the heat slightly and add 2 cups of light cream (I actually just use milk, and non-fat milk at that; it thickens just fine without the extra fat and tastes lighter than a full-fat sauce, but whatever you like is fine). Cook the whole over a medium-low heat, stirring nearly constantly, until it comes to a slow simmer and thickens up nicely. :) Done.

(I tend to add the flavorings--whatever I've chosen--as the sauce begins to thicken; if you decide to use onion or fresh garlic, you ought saute it a bit to soften and release the flavor beforehand (in more butter, of course *g*) so that when you add it to your cream sauce, the flavors will blend with the sauce.)

*snugs you*

[february-sea.livejournal.com]

*sigh* Nearly always. Somewhen I will learn to proofread before hitting 'post'. Mayhap. In any event, love, the seasonings I decide upon depend on what I'm making the sauce for. *gestures vaguely* You know.