Kate's Cuisine

Why is cooking fish so intimidating? Is it because such bad things can happen if you don’t cook it all the way through? Or is it because it’s so easy to overcook? Maybe it’s because so often we simply don’t know what to do with it! Sometimes, you don’t have to do anything at all – as proven with this Simply Sauteed Salmon recipe!

The trick to cooking salmon (I find) is to always buy salmon with the skin on it. If you don’t like the look of it, you can always take it off once it’s finished cooking, but it’s so much easier to cook it when the skin is on, especially if you’re sauteing it. This is because you can (and should!) cook the salmon, skin-side down, for the majority of its cooking time. This way you can let the salmon cook mostly through, without worrying about overcooking it or burning the flesh. Once it’s mostly done, you can then just flip it over to get that nice browning on the other side.

So don’t be intimidated. Cooking salmon is easy, so good for you, and pretty inexpensive too!

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan $0.45
1 1/3 cups blackberries $1.25
1 1/4 cups, plus 2 tablespoons sugar $0.24
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour $0.21
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt $0.01
1/4 teaspoon baking powder $0.01
2 large eggs, lightly beaten $0.40
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract $0.11
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature $0.30

Total Cost                      $2.98
Cost per Serving        $0.33

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly butter a 5″ x 9″ loaf pan and line with parchment, leaving a 2″ overhang on all sides; butter parchment. In a food processor, puree blackberries with 2 tablespoons of sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.

2.) In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

3.) Transfer half the batter to the pan and dot with 1/2 cup blackberry puree. Repeat with remaining batter and top with remaining puree. With a skewer or thin-bladed knife, swirl batter and puree together, just until beautiful lines of the fruit can be seen interspersed with the batter. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours. Let cool in pan on a wire ack. about 30 minutes. Lift cake out of pan using parchment and place on a serving plate. Let cool completely before slicing.

4.) Serve and enjoy!

Read my review on Martha’s Blackberry Swirl Pound Cake here

I’ve talked before about how I always have an abundance of blackberries thanks to my grandmother’s ever-plentiful crops every summer. It’s something for which I’m very thankful. Paige can’t get enough of them, and will eat them frozen right out of the bag (we do have to freeze them due to the amount we have,) and I have grown to have quite a fondness for them myself. Best of all, those bags looking up at me every time I open my freezer are always forcing me to find something new and fun to do with them, such as this pound cake from Martha Stewart.

It’s a Martha recipe, so you know it’s going to be good almost before you make it. However, Martha left out one very big step in this recipe – and that’s to strain the blackberries! I didn’t think to, and it’s not stated in the recipe. What was left was a very, very seedy cake – not something I want in my pound cake. I also found that I didn’t need near the amount of blackberries called for in the recipe. But maybe after straining them, I’d have a lot less to deal with. I’m not sure, but I’m definitely straining next time.

I do also wish she had mentioned not to overwork the blackberry puree when you’re swirling it. Mine went from looking very pretty to very homely with just one swirl, and if I had known to be on the lookout for that, I would have been. All in all, a recipe I will be making again (and you can’t beat that price!) – just with those two minor changes!

The only fried chicken recipe I will ever use from now on. Ever. 

2 1/2 lb. frying chicken, cut into 8 different pieces $12.95
1 teaspoon salt $0.01
1 cup all-purpose flour $0.14
1 cup lard $0.44

For the Gravy:
2 tablespoons flour $0.02
3/4 cup chicken stock $0.35
3/4 cup light cream $0.66
1 teaspoon salt $0.01
1 teaspoon white pepper $0.01

Total Cost                    $14.59
Cost per Serving      $3.65

1.) Preheat the chicken to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse the chicken and pat them entirely dry with paper towels. Sprinkle pieces with salt on all sides.

2.) Put the cup of flour in a sturdy, brown paper bag. Drop the pieces of chicken into the bag, a few at a time, and shake until chicken is entirely coated with flour. As you’re finished coating the chicken, remove them from the bag, shake off excess flour, and lay on a rack over top of a baking sheet. When finished all pieces of chicken, leave them – untouched – for at least 15 minutes.

3.) When ready to start frying, melt lard over high heat in a 10″ – 12″ heavy-bottomed skillet. The fat should be at least 1/4″ deep; if it’s not, add more lard until it is. When a light haze has formed around the lard, gently drop the chicken pieces in, skin side down. Begin with the legs and thighs, as they will take longer to cook, before adding the breasts and then the wings. Lower the heat to about medium, cover, and cook chicken for about 6 – 8 minutes. Check the chicken periodically as it cooks to ensure that it does not burn.

4.) Once the chicken has finished browning on one side, turn over, cover the pan again and cook for another 3 – 4 minutes. When the chicken has finished cooking, place in a casserole dish and transfer to the oven to keep warm.

5.) Pour off all but two tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Add two tablespoons of flour and stir until the flour and fat are thoroughly combined. Cook for about 2 minutes to cook out the flavour of the flour. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock, and whisk until thoroughly combined and there are no lumps in the mixture. Then slowly add in the cream and whisk over moderate heat until gravy is smooth and entirely combined. If gravy is too thick, whisk is more chicken stock. If gravy is too thick or lumps remain in it, strain it through a fine sieve. Stir in salt and white pepper to taste, and then pour into a gravy boat.

6.) Remove chicken from oven and place on a platter centered around, or alongside, gravy boat.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the Southern Fried Chicken with Cream Gravy Review

I got this book from the “American Cooking” volume of the Time Life Classics series, a delicious encyclopedia resource covering cuisine from all different regions of the world – France, Germany, Italy, and yes, America. My mother-in-law gave me the books just a few weeks ago, and I’ve just been feeding my culinary passion every second I get to sit down and look at them.

The series is especially cool because for each region, there’s a large 200-page or so hardback book explaining the different dishes, the influences on the region, and the traditions and culture of the people as they relate to food. To go along with each of these in-depth looks at the different areas around the globe, there is a little pullout recipe book so you can then cook all the delicious delicacies that you just read about. What can I say? Actual recipes and an entire wealth of food knowledge, all at my fingertips? My MIL is a fellow foodie at heart and is one of the few people I’ve met that loves food just as much as I do. Only a true chef at heart could know just how great these books are, and I’m so thankful that my mother-in-law thought to give them to me.

In this particular book, the author talks about how he took his wife to the South once and she had never had authentic fried chicken before (poor thing!) After she devoured all of it, and then sucked whatever she could off the bones, he had to explain to her that that particular fried chicken had been made the correct way – the way outlined in this recipe. He then goes on to say that every cook in the South has a different way of preparing fried chicken – they batter it in beer, they batter it in flour, they dust it in flour, or they dust it in different seasonings, or they don’t dust it in anything at all. Every way is different, and you can tell each way apart just after you’ve tasted the chicken.

I have to say, I have to agree with him in that there are many different ways to prepare chicken and this is the only right way. I’ve tried it many different ways (almost all of the ways he outlined in the book) and this is by far the best. I’ve tried soaking the chicken in batter, even overnight, and it doesn’t seem to matter – the coating still always falls off. The key with preventing that from happening with this recipe is to let the flour sit on the chicken for at least 15 minutes at room temperature. Then just make sure your fat is piping hot and you’ll be fine. I’ve also heard that the paper bag is essential, but I’ve tried it with a plastic resealable bag and it seemed to turn out just fine.

One more thing about this recipe – the gravy reminded me of KFC’s chicken gravy, which I totally love, but is that bad that food from scratch reminds me of fast food?

4 russet potatoes,  skins on $0.84
1 sweet potato, skin on $0.50
6 slices bacon, chopped $1.80
6 cloves garlic, smashed $0.06
12 – 14 fresh sage leaves, whole $1.75
1 cup chives, halved but kept in large pieces $0.30
Salt to taste $0.01
Freshly ground black pepper $0.01
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated $1.50
8 – 12 cups canola oil, for frying, plus one tablespoon  $11.00

Total Cost                   $17.77
Cost per Serving     $4.44

1.) In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed large stock pan, heat oil to about 375 degrees Fahrenheit (on my electric stovetop I set the burner between 7 – 8.) At the same time, bring a separate large pot of salted water a rolling boil.

2.) In a separate skillet, heat one tablespoon canola oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add sliced bacon pieces and fry until nicely browned and crisp. When done, drain bacon on paper towel and set aside.

3.) Scrub the russet potatoes and the sweet potato, leaving skins on, and dry thoroughly. When the water is at a rolling boil drop the potatoes in whole and boil just until they are fork-tender. Then drain and cool slightly, enough so that you can break them apart with your hands.

4.) Once potatoes have cooled enough and oil is hot, break potatoes apart slightly with hands and drop gently into the oil. Fry for 3 – 4 minutes, until outside of potatoes are golden and skin is crisp. At the very end, drop in whole chives and fresh sage leaves and fry for 1 minute. As potatoes and herbs brown, remove from oil, sprinkle with salt, and place on paper towel to drain.

5.)  When all potatoes and herbs have cooked, pile them in the centre of a plate, sprinkle bacon around, and top with Parmesan cheese.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Read my review on Michael’s Fried Potatoes here

I have to admit, I had never heard of Michael Symon before the daily show The Chew started, but I’ve since had the pleasure of spending one hour every afternoon with him. Since first seeing him on the show, I’ve found out that he’s an Iron Chef, owns several restaurants, is a huge family guy, and seems like just about one of the sweetest and funniest people you could ever meet. What I first noticed about him was also that I liked everything he cooked – everything! And he has my same philosophy about cooking – he loves lard, he loves fat, he loves pork, and as long as you’re still making real food, he’s not afraid of it. That being said, on with his recipe for Fried Potatoes.

Chef Symon made this on Fry-Day or Lard Day, or some themed day on The Chew promoting fat and unhealthy cooking in just about every way. Michael made this dish to prove that cooking in lard is ideal for deep-frying and that it’s not as terribly bad for you as people think. I didn’t have any lard on-hand (or else I totally would have used it!) but this recipe for fried potatoes is fantastic – one more winner from Michael Symon! He did include Parmesan with his, although his is sliced, which looks a little nicer on top of the potatoes; and he didn’t include bacon with his recipe. I figured that since he is the self-declared Prince of Pork, he wouldn’t have a problem with it. Also having to make do with the fresh herbs that I had in my fridge (which differed from his rosemary and oregano,) I can still say that this is an incredibly tasty dish that I will happily be making again!