What I ate today—or how boring is that?
Sauerkraut skillet supper tasted a lot better than it looked.
Besides, I forgot the picture until I'd eaten half the sausage.
But it's here for the algorithms
Sometimes I feel, especiallyon dull days of which there are a lot, that this blog deteriorates into “andthen I did this …. And then I did that … and then I ate that.” Especially the “whatI ate” part because so much of my focus seems to be on food. But tonight I haveto say I nailed it with a dish that I cooked off the top of my head, withsuggestions from an anonymous friend who apparently wrote me a note about it.
When I was a child, my mommade a skillet supper of ground sausage and apples. I remember liking it a lot.But when I tried to duplicate it recently, it didn’t work. The dish had nocohesion, nothing held it together. It was just two separate things cooked inthe same skillet. Along the same line, my brother’s ex-wife used to caramelizesauerkraut—I can see her yet with a sugar bowl in her hand, patiently shaking abit at a time into the skillet, while turning the kraut endlessly—it was wonderfulto us, two kids whose German mother despised sauerkraut and never ever servedit. I didn’t taste it until I was grown and out of the house. But we couldnever duplicate what John’s ex did.
Recently I came across arecipe for a sausage, apple, and sauerkraut skillet supper. I must havementioned it to someone because I have some notes about how someone else didit. Meantime, Mary V. who comes for supper occasionally and is a willing subjectfor my experiments—she told Jordan tonight that she really enjoys dinners of allthe things my kids won’t eat—was scheduled for supper. I wrote and asked if sheeats sauerkraut (sometimes it is best to ask these things ahead of time ratherthan have an unpleasant surprise). She wrote back that she loves sauerkraut.But then weather interfered—the night she was to come was one of those when itgot down to ten degrees, and she didn’t want to venture out. I was left with alb. container (a plastic tub, not a glass jar) of kraut in the fridge, and fourlovely plump veal and pork sausages in the freezer.
Our schedules didn’t mesh, andtonight, almost three weeks later, we had the skillet supper. Here’s what Idid: I browned two sausages in plenty of butter in the skillet and then addedthinly sliced onion, peeled apple slices (I think they were McIntosh), andseveral forkfuls of drained (but not squeezed) sauerkraut. I poured white wineover all and stirred in about two Tbsp. dark browns sugar. I started to simmerthis with the lid on but realized all that liquid needed to cook off if thingswere to caramelize, so I set the lid aside. And that’s exactly what happened—afterabout half an hour on a 220o burner (knowing the temperature is anadvantage of an induction hot plate), the liquid was gone and the kraut,apples, and onions nicely caramelized. I turned it off, put the lid on, and letit sit.
Mary arrived, Jordan came outto drink a glass of wine, and we visited. Finally I turned the burner on forabout ten minutes and served supper. (Jordan left at this point lest the krautjumped out of the pan at her.) The caramelized things were terrific, thesausage mild and good with a bit of Dijon. I think maybe Mary liked it betterthan any supper I’ve given her, and I liked it a lot myself. When I was heapingapples and onions and kraut into the skillet, I thought I was making enough forCoxie’s Army and would have leftovers no one wanted, but they do cook downdramatically, and between the two of us we ate it all. So that’s what I ate.
A word about gratitude—and groceries.Every week I place a fairly lengthy order to be delivered from Central Market (youhave no idea how I long to be able to shop there in person). This Saturday, asI was unpacking five paper sacks and thinking what a boring, exasperating choreit was, I suddenly realized how many people in this world would feel so blessedto have so many groceries. My attitude changed immediately. And so tonight, Iam grateful for the good food we ate, the company of friends with whom I oftendine, and the comfort of my cottage.
May you all enjoy good mealsand the bounty of God’s blessings.
