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A Question of Time
October 2005
It’s been a
little over a month since I returned from Italy but it seems like
years. Funny how it is when you return from vacation, it always
seems as if it went by in a flash. Yet, while I was lying in the hot
Italian sun, listening to the melodic sound of this most beautiful
romance language being spoken around me, it felt as if I hadn’t
heard English for months, rather than days. Was it because I was so
far from home, not only in distance but also in mindset? Or was it
that I was consciously trying to relish every moment? All of this
makes me wonder, “What is it about time that makes it seem to speed
by, while at other times it seems to never end? Are we doomed to
feel time crawl when we’re miserable and zoom by when we’re having a
ball? Can we learn to harness time? The Italians seem to be able
to. They seem to have the time to enjoy a leisurely mid-day meal
(though this is unfortunately changing in many businesses) stop by
the local café after work to enjoy a glass of wine and a chat with
friends and take the customary stroll in the evening after a late
dinner. In the land of “la dolce vita” shouldn’t time zip by?
When it comes to
cooking, time is often either your friend or enemy. Too much
cooking time can turn the freshest cut of meat or fish into
something resembling cardboard, pasta or rice into mush and the most
flavorful vegetables to become bland, limp and unrecognizable. Too
little cooking time can make chicken, turkey or pork into something
downright dangerous. And how do we work with time when there isn’t
enough of it and we have to get a meal on the table in minutes? How
can we harness the intoxicating aromas of cooking when we have all
the time in the world and our family is snuggled in the house on a
stormy day?
No matter how you
look at it, time is always a key ingredient in cooking. Over the
years, I’ve figured out a few things that I continuously use to help
me manage time and enjoy a good meal. I have a list of meals (in my
head, but you can make an actual list if you like) that can be made
in mere minutes as well as others that take a bit more time, usually
reserved for special occasions or days when cooking is a featured
part of the day. Just recently, I had occasion to use both short
and long cooking methods.
The other night,
while staying with my brother and his family, work hours ended early
so his wife Jane could go to an open house with their son John John
and my brother (also John) and I could go into town to pick up an
LCD TV that was on sale. We had a few minutes to start dinner but
no time to eat it. I had just bought an electric wok, he had a rice
cooker and there were shrimp in the freezer and string beans in the
refrigerator. I took the shrimp out to defrost, cleaned the beans,
placed them in a bowl of water and in the microwave for 5 minutes
(so they would be par boiled) and off we all went. Two hours later,
we all arrived home, within minutes of each other and starving. The
rice went into the rice cooker (The stove-top works just as well,
though it takes a bit longer.) the shrimp were shelled, and the
string beans drained. I turned on the wok to 375 degrees, added a
bit of olive oil; towel dried the beans and threw them in. I
stirred them for a few minutes, added some fresh garlic, a bit of
soy sauce, a bit more chicken broth and a few spoonfuls of leftover
tomato sauce. When the beans were cooked but still crunchy, I
poured them into a beautiful large platter. Next I added a bit more
oil to the wok and tossed in the shrimp along with another chopped
clove of garlic. I seasoned with salt and pepper and two minutes
later the shrimp were cooked so I poured them over the string beans
in the platter. While in town, I picked up some pre-washed baby
spinach so I placed it in a bowl along with a few fresh tomatoes,
sliced red onions and a few mushrooms along with a side of cucumber
& horseradish (see recipe this month) dressing I made the night
before. I then sliced some fresh bread and now all of the
components of this meal were ready for the table. The whole process
took no longer than 15-20 minutes and dinner was great.
This same week, I
also cooked a pork roast for hours in the oven inspired by my friend
Diane and former Biscotti pastry chef who said she made one and
topped it with a caramelized fennel and shallot sauce. (see recipe)
I was instantly intrigued and had to try it. This is a meal for
pure indulgence. The aromas of the pork in the oven, along with the
liquorish smell of fennel simmering on the stovetop filled the house
with mouth-watering aromas. And the best part was, though this meal
took hours to prepare, I didn’t have to spend hours in the kitchen.
Most of the time, I was outdoors, enjoying the beautiful fall day
(It doesn’t have to be stormy outside to enjoy). The meal
cooks itself!
So, is there a
lesson here on how to deal with time? I don’t know. Maybe it’s,
“If you can’t beat it, join it.” And of course, always try to be
in the moment.
Chef Silvia
In recipes, check out the flavorful
Cucumber & Horseradish dressing, and Caramelized Fennel Shallot
Sauce, both mentioned in this month's Notes From the Chef.
Also, some pictures of my trip
to Italy are posted for you to view.
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