Last night I made steak bearnaise for dinner because a) I found a great steak at the grocery store which was marked both ORGANIC (green label) and REDUCED (red label) and b) the tarragon that Tobias is growing in his herb garden is crying out to be used, and what better way to use it than in a fatty, fatty sauce which one pours over a nice grilled hunk of red meat?
Now I used to make steak bearnaise once every couple of months or so, and I didn't think it was a huge hassle. But last night it took me forever. Even just remembering where I keep the chervil and the tarragon vinegar was a chore. I felt like a stranger in my own kitchen. Which really hammers home the fact that I have not been doing much innovative cooking lately. Cooking, yes, because I have to feed all these people every day, but innovative cooking, no. Nothing different or new. I've resorted to burgers about once a week over the summer, and I don't mean interesting burgers either, just cheese, ketchup, and mustard.
The 100 new recipes category on this blog is feeling very neglected.
Part of the reason I haven't felt like putting much thought into meals is because taking care of M'hijo can be all-encompassing. I mentioned recently that he likes to go outside around the dinner-prep hour, which means that once I do get back in the kitchen, I'm in a rush to get something on the table. The freedom to cook for an extended period and alone is a luxury I don't get much of these days. Last night while I whisked the (half-pound!!) of butter into the bearnaise, Tobias held a tired and cranky M'hijo and eventually let him have a little cry in his crib. It made the sauce seem not worth it. (Luckily, this passed, and once we ate it, it was very, very worth it.)
The other thing that's hindered my enthusiasm is the season. It sounds blasphemous to say it, but I'm really over summer food right now. It's still hot out, but I don't want to eat barbecue, fresh, cheery salads, berry desserts, or anything cold, especially cold soups. Insalata caprese I don't mind, and good thing, because Tobias' cherry tomatoes are still coming on strong and I have to eat my fair share (about a gazillion pounds).
But other than tomatoes, summer food doesn't appeal. What I do feel like is some chicken curry, pork stew, risotto, red cabbage. Fall food = comfort food.
So, I expect to stay in culinary limbo land for a few weeks while the weather is too warm to really justify cassoulet, but I just can't bring myself to eat anymore potato salad. After that, we'll be on vacation anyway, and I'll be learning a whole new kind of cooking then: RV cooking.
Here's one thing that does inspire me: Sahsez' pumpkins happen to be in the same patch with some sage that I planted a couple of years ago. When I saw the two side by side, I instantly thought "Pumpkin ravioli with sage butter! Mmmm!" So you see my tastebuds are really ready for some colder temperatures.
