Proposals and Culinary Compromises
Hello, my doves! It's a beautiful Tuesday in Texas. Well, except for the fact that today we're expected to break the all-time record for most 100+ days in a summer. Yay?
I've been working away on a new book proposal for the last couple of weeks. For those wondering, a proposal includes writing a few sample chapters and a synopsis. This sounds much, much simpler than it is.
First of all, it's not like I can just slap a few chapters down. I actually have to build the world, create the characters, figure out the story and the format, etc. This involves a lot of research and brainstorming and writing lots and lots of words to test out scenes that will never end up in the final book. Adding to the difficulty factor is the fact that I am not a linear writer by any means. So that's proving a challenge.
The good news is that I'm loving this new world. I can't tell you much about it yet because a) I don't want to spoil anything and b) I don't want to jinx myself. However, I can tell you it's set in a fictional town and it's been a lot of fun to create a setting from scratch. Anyway, I'm excited and nervous about it, which probably means I'm on something resembling the right track.
What's Cooking in Jaye's Kitchen: The Things We Cook For Love Edition
Those of you who have been following my kitchen adventures of late, might recall that I've been trying out all sorts of new recipes. I'm sorry to report that in the last week I've only made one thing I've never tried before. We'll get to that in a minute. But first, a brief explanation.
Sunday was Mr. Jaye's birthday. While he has been enjoying trying to fruits of my culinary adventures, at heart my man is a Midwestern boy raised by a Midwestern mom. Before he met me he never ate spicy food or strayed too far from his comfort zone. That didn't last long one I got my hands on him, but when it comes to comfort food he tends to prefer the blander dishes of his youth.
Enter: Steakumms.
Steakumms are thin, frozen sheets of meat. They're similar to the meat used in Philly Cheesesteaks but less flavorful. Mr. Jaye's mom used to make them for him when he was a kid and they remain his favorite meal. I'll admit that I am a snob about Steakumms. But I love my husband and make them for him on special occasions.
The Perfect Steak-umm, according to Mr. Jaye:
On a griddle, lay out two Steakumms. Cook for about 45 secs on one side, flip them over. Quickly add two sliced of provolone until melty. Slap that on a soft hoagie bun and slather with Ragu pasta sauce. Yes, it has to be Ragu. No substitutions are allowed.
Mr. Jaye's mom always makes french fries to go with the Steakumms. I used to get frozen, but I decided to try to make them from scratch this time.
Double Fried Fries
Three or four russet potatoes
Yellow onion
Sea Salt
Peanut or Canola Oil
Slice the potatoes using a mandoline. Do yourself a favor and get one, if you don't have one. Mandolines make uniform slicing a breeze. Here's a link to one if you have no idea what I'm talking about.
Cut the onion into rings–thickness is up to you. I like them somewhat thin because I like mine kind of burnt and caramelized.
Now here's the trick with fries. You actually fry them twice. First, heat up your oil (I do this in an electric skillet) to about 330 degrees. Once it's hot, fry the potatoes in batches (don't do the onions yet). When each batch has cooked for about 2 minutes–no longer–remove with a slotted spoon and set out on paper towel or recycled paper grocery bags laid out on a cookie sheet. The fries will be pale and limp. They're supposed to be.
Let the fries cool for at least five minutes. Meanwhile, up your temperature to about 375 degrees. Once the fries have cooled and the oil has heated, fry the potatoes again. I toss a few onions in with each batch. Fry until everything is golden brown, but keep an eagle eye out because they'll go from golden to burned in a blink. Once again, lay them out on fresh paper towels. If you have an assistant–and you should– have them toss each new batch with sea salt.
Wendy's and McDonald's have nothing on these bad boys. Serve hot or they'll get soggy.
So there you have it, my recent culinary compromise.
What foods do you tolerate because someone you love loves them?
