I was going to tell you that I bought a nice computer program called "Cook'n Deluxe". It has a lot of good receipes and you can add to it. There are tons of other software titles that work with it. I bought quite a few of them on E-bay this weekend. Do you use any cooking computer software?
No, I don't. Somehow, I find it easier to work from good ol' hardcopy, as in books, but that's because I work from several recipes at once, comparing what one author/chef has to say with another.
For example, tonight I decided to try my hand at a warm potato salad, German style. My main influence was Rombauer (one of the older
Joy of Cooking editions), but I also checked maybe three other books. Der B liked the result, in any case, and it matched well with the mustard-glazed pork chops and buttered beets.
I started out with some
Yukon Gold potatoes (figure one large tater per person), which I washed and cut into wedges, and then covered with salted water, brought to a boil, and cooked until they were sort of
al dente.
Meanwhile, in a separate pot, I took about four slices of
bacon which I'd diced and let them cook over medium until they were crispy and the fat had rendered out. I removed the bacon and all but a couple of tablespoons of the fat, then added some
diced onion to the pot, maybe a quarter cup, letting them soften in the hot fat. When they were ready, I added a couple of tablespoons of
cider vinegar, about as much
water, a teaspoon each of
pickle relish and
sugar, and a half-teaspoon each of
paprika and
dry mustard, bringing everything to a boil, then turning it down to a simmer while the 'taters finished cooking.
When the 'taters were ready, I drained them, returned them to their pot, and then poured on the dressing, adding the cooked bacon (which I further crumbled into bits with my fingers, which were tasty on their own afterwards). Giving the potatoes a quick and light stir, I re-covered the pot and just let everything sit while I cooked the pork chops. Another stir before serving, and everything tasted great.
(All measurements approximate, of course.)
