All winter, busy daddy has been asking me to make my mother’s special homemade miso soup, but I had been too busy with work and stuff. Since I can’t use that excuse anymore, I hunkered down and made some of my mother’s special homemade miso soup for dinner tonight. It’s actually pretty easy to make, it’s just sort of a pain in the neck. Here’s how: In an eight-quart stock pot, add enough cold water so that the pot is about three-quarters full. Add a package of kombu (dried Japanese sea kelp), a package of bonito flakes (dried, shaved tuna), and a whole fresh fish head (I used salmon). Put the stock pot on the stove over high heat. As the fish and seaweed stock is coming to a boil, continuously skim the crud that collects on the surface. Your goal is to create a clear, aromatic stock that smells pleasantly like the ocean. When the stock comes to a boil, turn the heat down and let the stock simmer for 20 minutes or so. Once the stock has finished simmering, remove the pot from the heat. Discard the kombu and the fish head, and then strain the stock in a chinois that has a layer of cheesecloth inside. You should end up with a clean, clear stock. Put the stock back into the pot and dissolve about a quarter cup of miso paste into the soup. You can add more or less miso to taste. You might need to add some soy sauce if the soup isn’t salty enough. Add some diced soft tofu to the pot, then reheat the soup over medium heat. Don’t let the soup come to a boil, just heat the tofu through.  Voilà! Serve the miso soup over poached salmon. Yum!

All winter, busy daddy has been asking me to make my mother’s special homemade miso soup, but I had been too busy with work and stuff. Since I can’t use that excuse anymore, I hunkered down and made some of my mother’s special homemade miso soup for dinner tonight. It’s actually pretty easy to make, it’s just sort of a pain in the neck. Here’s how:

  • In an eight-quart stock pot, add enough cold water so that the pot is about three-quarters full. Add a package of kombu (dried Japanese sea kelp), a package of bonito flakes (dried, shaved tuna), and a whole fresh fish head (I used salmon). Put the stock pot on the stove over high heat.
  • As the fish and seaweed stock is coming to a boil, continuously skim the crud that collects on the surface. Your goal is to create a clear, aromatic stock that smells pleasantly like the ocean. When the stock comes to a boil, turn the heat down and let the stock simmer for 20 minutes or so.
  • Once the stock has finished simmering, remove the pot from the heat. Discard the kombu and the fish head, and then strain the stock in a chinois that has a layer of cheesecloth inside. You should end up with a clean, clear stock.
  • Put the stock back into the pot and dissolve about a quarter cup of miso paste into the soup. You can add more or less miso to taste. You might need to add some soy sauce if the soup isn’t salty enough.
  • Add some diced soft tofu to the pot, then reheat the soup over medium heat. Don’t let the soup come to a boil, just heat the tofu through. 
  • Voilà! Serve the miso soup over poached salmon. Yum!
You know how sometimes the last thing you want to do when you get home from work, after a long day of being a super-glamorous busy business lady, is to put on your vintage apron and cook something for dinner? No? It’s just me? Alrighty then. I mean, if food could be delivered through a medium like a nicotine patch, I would totes use something like that. Who needs to chew? Chewing is for the birds. Hey! Don’t steal my brilliant, trademarked idea for a food-delivery-slash-nicotine-patch, yo! It’s nights like these when I tell my family that we’re having Deviled Eggs for dinner. After everypony has gotten over their shock and disgust, they will begrudgingly eat what’s put in front of them. I’m too lazy to make real Deviled Eggs, so here’s a super-easy way to make “Deviled Eggs.” Hard boil some eggs. This sounds easier than it actually is. Here’s my foolproof method: place some eggs in a pot. Add cold water until it just barely covers the top of the eggs. Bring that shizz to a boil, and then immediately cover and take the pot off the heat. Let that shizz rest for 16 minutes. Perfect hard-boiled eggs. Peel the eggs and slice them in halves. Squirt some mayo on the egg slices. I recommend Japanese mayo, which is yum. Sprinkle with coarse ground pepper.  Voilà! Your family will hate lurve it! If they don’t, too bad.

You know how sometimes the last thing you want to do when you get home from work, after a long day of being a super-glamorous busy business lady, is to put on your vintage apron and cook something for dinner? No? It’s just me? Alrighty then.

I mean, if food could be delivered through a medium like a nicotine patch, I would totes use something like that. Who needs to chew? Chewing is for the birds. Hey! Don’t steal my brilliant, trademarked idea for a food-delivery-slash-nicotine-patch, yo!

It’s nights like these when I tell my family that we’re having Deviled Eggs for dinner. After everypony has gotten over their shock and disgust, they will begrudgingly eat what’s put in front of them. I’m too lazy to make real Deviled Eggs, so here’s a super-easy way to make “Deviled Eggs.”

  • Hard boil some eggs. This sounds easier than it actually is. Here’s my foolproof method: place some eggs in a pot. Add cold water until it just barely covers the top of the eggs. Bring that shizz to a boil, and then immediately cover and take the pot off the heat. Let that shizz rest for 16 minutes. Perfect hard-boiled eggs.
  • Peel the eggs and slice them in halves.
  • Squirt some mayo on the egg slices. I recommend Japanese mayo, which is yum.
  • Sprinkle with coarse ground pepper. 
  • Voilà! Your family will hate lurve it! If they don’t, too bad.
The boy called off sick from school and stayed at home today because he has some kind of stomach bug. As a result, he’s been eating super-bland food all day to help settle his tummy. When I got home from work, the boy said to me, “Dad, can you look on the Internet and find out how to fix a stomachache?” I said, I’m not sure that there’s much you can do, except maybe rest and get the bug out of your system. And the boy said, “Ewww!!! I have a bug in my system!?!” And I said, Not like a real bug, but something that’s making you not feel well. And the boy said, “Bugs are horrible.” I said, You’re telling me, kid. I asked the boy what he wanted for dinner, and he said, “Boogers.” I said, Well, boogers really aren’t a food group that we usually eat in this house, but I guess I can make an exception since you’re sick and stuff… And the boy said, “You know I’m joking, right? I don’t really want to eat boogers.” And I said, Really? Because I was just about to whip up some booger soup for you. And the boy said, “Ewww!!! I don’t want to eat booger soup!!!” And I said, Well, that’s what you requested and I already started… Then the boy said, “Seriously, dad, I don’t want to eat boogers. I’m just joking. Really. I’m joking! Sheesh!” So then I said, How about some summer rolls? The boy said, “OK!” Whenever we go for Vietnamese eats, the boy will get an order of summer rolls, but he’ll only eat the rice paper wrapping and the rice noodles, and discard everything else—kind of a waste. At the boy’s request, I started making rice noodle summer rolls, which is super-easy to make and super-bland for an upset tummy. Here’s how to make it: Prepare the rice vermicelli noodles by placing a sheet of rice noodles in boiling water, cover the pot, and then remove from the heat. After three or four minutes, stir the noodles to separate, then rinse the noodles in cold water. Take a sheet of rice paper wrapping and dip it in some cold water until it’s softened, less than a minute. Place the softened rice paper wrapping on a cutting board or plate, then put a handful of cooked (and cooled down) rice vermicelli noodles in the center. Fold two ends of the rice paper wrapping toward the middle, then roll the whole thing up like a burrito. Voilà! If I was making a real summer roll, I would have included shrimp, a sprig of mint, and maybe some sliced pork. But since the boy’s diet today was all about bland, this rice-on-rice summer roll hit the spot for him.

The boy called off sick from school and stayed at home today because he has some kind of stomach bug. As a result, he’s been eating super-bland food all day to help settle his tummy.

When I got home from work, the boy said to me, “Dad, can you look on the Internet and find out how to fix a stomachache?” I said, I’m not sure that there’s much you can do, except maybe rest and get the bug out of your system. And the boy said, “Ewww!!! I have a bug in my system!?!” And I said, Not like a real bug, but something that’s making you not feel well. And the boy said, “Bugs are horrible.” I said, You’re telling me, kid.

I asked the boy what he wanted for dinner, and he said, “Boogers.” I said, Well, boogers really aren’t a food group that we usually eat in this house, but I guess I can make an exception since you’re sick and stuff… And the boy said, “You know I’m joking, right? I don’t really want to eat boogers.” And I said, Really? Because I was just about to whip up some booger soup for you. And the boy said, “Ewww!!! I don’t want to eat booger soup!!!” And I said, Well, that’s what you requested and I already started…

Then the boy said, “Seriously, dad, I don’t want to eat boogers. I’m just joking. Really. I’m joking! Sheesh!” So then I said, How about some summer rolls? The boy said, “OK!”

Whenever we go for Vietnamese eats, the boy will get an order of summer rolls, but he’ll only eat the rice paper wrapping and the rice noodles, and discard everything else—kind of a waste. At the boy’s request, I started making rice noodle summer rolls, which is super-easy to make and super-bland for an upset tummy. Here’s how to make it:

  • Prepare the rice vermicelli noodles by placing a sheet of rice noodles in boiling water, cover the pot, and then remove from the heat. After three or four minutes, stir the noodles to separate, then rinse the noodles in cold water.
  • Take a sheet of rice paper wrapping and dip it in some cold water until it’s softened, less than a minute.
  • Place the softened rice paper wrapping on a cutting board or plate, then put a handful of cooked (and cooled down) rice vermicelli noodles in the center. Fold two ends of the rice paper wrapping toward the middle, then roll the whole thing up like a burrito.
  • Voilà! If I was making a real summer roll, I would have included shrimp, a sprig of mint, and maybe some sliced pork. But since the boy’s diet today was all about bland, this rice-on-rice summer roll hit the spot for him.
I didn’t get a chance to cook a proper dinner tonight because I was too busy playing with my fetch hurr did shooting a video with the boy where we admired my fetch hurr did finishing up some work, so I ended up reheating some of the Italian pot roast that I made last night. When busy daddy got home from work, he was all, “What’s with the wig?” And I was all, I did a video with the boy because at work today while I was minding my own beeswax, someone came into my office and accused me of having a bad hair day and… Then busy daddy interrupted me and said, “I know what happened! I read your blog, sheesh!” And then I was all, Don’t hate the player, hate the game. And busy daddy was all, “I think you’ve lost your mind. What’s for dinner?” Turns out Italian pot roast makes for some pretty yum leftovers. I modified grandma Melissa’s terrific family recipe and used the Crock Pot, so it’s really easy to make. Here’s how: In a dutch oven, brown a hunk of meat, which you’ve rubbed with some kosher salt. I don’t know what cut of beef I used, but it should be nicely marbled, otherwise it’ll be too dry. When both sides of the meat are browned, take it out of the dutch oven and put it into your Crock Pot. Add about two cups of diced sweet onions into the dutch oven, let them carmelize a bit, about six minutes, then add 10 cloves of smashed garlic. Stir, then add about a cup of red wine and a cup of beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the tasty, crusty bits. Reduce the liquid by about half, then pour the onion-slash-garlic sauce over the beef in the Crock Pot. Add two small cans (or one large can) of diced tomatoes into the Crock Pot, and toss in a bay leaf and a few sprigs of thyme. Set the Crock Pot to low and let it do its magic for about six hours or so. Voilà! I usually stir in some sautéed Crimini mushrooms, but since I didn’t have any, I used shiitake mushrooms instead. Serve with garlicky roasted potatoes. The roast actually tastes better the next day! So fetch!

I didn’t get a chance to cook a proper dinner tonight because I was too busy playing with my fetch hurr did shooting a video with the boy where we admired my fetch hurr did finishing up some work, so I ended up reheating some of the Italian pot roast that I made last night.

When busy daddy got home from work, he was all, “What’s with the wig?” And I was all, I did a video with the boy because at work today while I was minding my own beeswax, someone came into my office and accused me of having a bad hair day and… Then busy daddy interrupted me and said, “I know what happened! I read your blog, sheesh!” And then I was all, Don’t hate the player, hate the game. And busy daddy was all, “I think you’ve lost your mind. What’s for dinner?”

Turns out Italian pot roast makes for some pretty yum leftovers. I modified grandma Melissa’s terrific family recipe and used the Crock Pot, so it’s really easy to make. Here’s how:

  • In a dutch oven, brown a hunk of meat, which you’ve rubbed with some kosher salt. I don’t know what cut of beef I used, but it should be nicely marbled, otherwise it’ll be too dry.
  • When both sides of the meat are browned, take it out of the dutch oven and put it into your Crock Pot.
  • Add about two cups of diced sweet onions into the dutch oven, let them carmelize a bit, about six minutes, then add 10 cloves of smashed garlic. Stir, then add about a cup of red wine and a cup of beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the tasty, crusty bits.
  • Reduce the liquid by about half, then pour the onion-slash-garlic sauce over the beef in the Crock Pot.
  • Add two small cans (or one large can) of diced tomatoes into the Crock Pot, and toss in a bay leaf and a few sprigs of thyme.
  • Set the Crock Pot to low and let it do its magic for about six hours or so.
  • Voilà! I usually stir in some sautéed Crimini mushrooms, but since I didn’t have any, I used shiitake mushrooms instead. Serve with garlicky roasted potatoes. The roast actually tastes better the next day! So fetch!
Forgot to mention: before bedtime last night, I set up a batch of Crock Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal for breakfast. Steel cut oatmeal is way better than ordinary oatmeal, and once you’ve made it in a Crock Pot (which is super-easy), you’ll never go back to the instant crap. I was inspired by Mallory to revisit this Busy-Lazy Shack winter breakfast staple. Here’s how to make it: Put one cup of uncooked steel cut oatmeal (the stuff that looks like pebbles, not the stuff that looks like flakes) into your Crock Pot. Add two cups of cold water, a cup and a half of heavy cream, and two tablespoons of maple syrup. Stir. Set your Crock Pot to low, cover, and let the machine do its magic overnight, about 10 hours. Easy peasy. Voilà! In the morning, you’ll have a pot of perfectly cooked oatmeal. I usually serve it with a splash of heavy cream and a generous spoonful of brown sugar. It’s really good and super easy to make!

Forgot to mention: before bedtime last night, I set up a batch of Crock Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal for breakfast. Steel cut oatmeal is way better than ordinary oatmeal, and once you’ve made it in a Crock Pot (which is super-easy), you’ll never go back to the instant crap. I was inspired by Mallory to revisit this Busy-Lazy Shack winter breakfast staple.

Here’s how to make it:

  • Put one cup of uncooked steel cut oatmeal (the stuff that looks like pebbles, not the stuff that looks like flakes) into your Crock Pot.
  • Add two cups of cold water, a cup and a half of heavy cream, and two tablespoons of maple syrup. Stir.
  • Set your Crock Pot to low, cover, and let the machine do its magic overnight, about 10 hours. Easy peasy.
  • Voilà! In the morning, you’ll have a pot of perfectly cooked oatmeal. I usually serve it with a splash of heavy cream and a generous spoonful of brown sugar. It’s really good and super easy to make!