Sunday, December 9, 2007 - WHAT DO YOU MAKE WHEN YOU'RE A HOME COOK?

Well, I was a cooking machine today!  Not a lot of fancy food, but a lot of good, old fashion New England cooking.  I started the day off by making a pot of steel cut oatmeal with apples for breakfast.  After the kids had their breakfast, I got to work on the real cooking.  I started making a beef stock from the farm’s worth off beef bones I got this summer (I’m working through Freezer #3, the bone freezer) using Michael Ruhlman’s oven method.  Once I got that in the oven, I started a batch of Papa’s Beans.  Got those gently cooking on the stove and started a braised beef for lunches this week.  OK, that’s cooking on the stove top.  I’ve got a 16qt stockpot on the oven, a pot of beans on the stovetop and another pot of beef, wine and stock next to it. 

At this point, I empty the dishwasher of last night’s dishes and promptly start to fill it up again.  I’ve got spoons, tongs, dishes, plates, glasses, etc.  I’ve got more dishes than I thought I touched today – but, whatever; in the dishwasher they go.  And why not, I start it up.

After a bit of rest, I start the chicken for dinner.  This has to fit in the upper oven which is only a third of the height of the lower oven.  So, I cut the backbone out and lay it flat.  I folded the wing tips under the body and rubbed it down with softened butter mixed with fresh sage and salt.  Popped it in the oven on a sheet pan and now I have four things going.  By now, Papa’s Beans have come off the stovetop and are in the lower oven next to the stock.  Just before I take the chicken out, I throw some green beans on for five dishes at once – just like a real line cook, in a not-even-close kind of a way.

The chicken comes out and I let it rest.  After a bit, we sit down to a meal of roast chicken, baked beans and green beans.  After dinner (quite a good dinner, if I do say so myself) and then I start cleaning.  Empty the dishwasher (again) and fill it up (again).  And what else do I do?  I start it up (again).

I hear the dishwasher going silent.  I guess it’s time to empty it (again).