By SALLY KETCHUM
Special to the Record-Eagle
February 26, 2008 04:00 am My focus today is "niggles." I think of a niggle as something like a half-emerging idea that won't emerge fully. Frustrating. In some dictionaries, "niggle" means some sort of a peeve or complaint. Yes, my niggles are slightly peevish, but closer to annoying. My niggles are simply things on my mind that I should deal with, get them out and forget about them. Since I have identified two niggles (my definition) in my head, I'm outing them now. The first is things my mother should have known and passed along to me, but didn't. These are things that took me years to learn. The second niggle is an unanswered question, "Why kitchen mishaps happen to me?" Or, "Why did I do that?" First, the things my mother never told me: That there are nifty tools like grapefruit knives and spoons, whisks, poultry needles and chef's knives (Mother was a hacker.) Faith is important. You have to believe that pounding that Swiss Steak is going to make it tender, that the soufflé will rise, and that spring and asparagus will come. Food has varieties. Mother wedged iceberg lettuce. Glorious lettuce mixes now are easy. They even come bagged. All pasta is not spaghetti. Dinners are more than meat, potatoes, canned vegetables, Jell-O and a beverage. The good cook usually adds ingredients in different stages, not "put everything in the pot and cook." It's interesting to cook and eat foods from foreign cuisines. Chop suey was invented in America. Pot stickers were not. Soup can be cold and cold soup can be delightful (think sour cherry soup in July). Fresh vegetables are virtuous, and deeply colored vegetables are best. Kitchens and cooking are sentimental. Look for revered items and use them. Consider: a child's yellow plastic cup, a silver-plated odd saltshaker, a grandmother's napkin ring, and a set of ruby red glasses used only at the holidays. Certain recipes belong in this category, too. Mom's mantra was: "Put them away." There are culinary ruts, and they sneak up silently on an unsuspecting cook. Mac and cheese, again? How many times did we have chicken soup this week? Second: Why me? Why do these things happen to me? Do they happen to everyone? For instance, I am at the sink running water to do dishes when I turn my head to He-Who-Must-Be-Fed, who beckons me to the phone. As I turn to him, the action of my hand to turn off the water causes my sleeve to catch on the faucet, and not only does this prevent me from turning the water off, but also it enables water to run up my sleeve. This type of thing happens more often that I admit. Add the incident to the burned breadboards list -- do not dry breadboards in the oven. Do not shrink-wrap soup -- pour hot soup into a plastic jar. You get the idea. Fare well in your kitchen. I'm trying and usually do. --- By the way, readers have asked about my home cooking. Last night, we had stuffed eggplant (eggplant halves, baked 30 minutes at 350 degrees. I scoop out the flesh and add whatever I have handy for the stuffing). Last night, I sautéed for a few minutes, to soften: onions, celery, celery leaves, garlic and the baked and chopped eggplant I had removed from the skins. I added cooked rice, splashed on some Worcestershire sauce and mixed it all together. Then I stuffed the skins and topped the halves with shaved Parmesan and croutons, and drizzled some oil over it all. Easy and savory are two of my aims. For instance, I like short ribs with rosemary, and I make them in my crock pot. The night before the eggplant, He-Who-Must-Be-Fed made hamburgers. He offered choices: Toasted buns or not? Cheese or no cheese? Paper plates or dinner plates? We had leftovers twice this week. I mention these things to show I'm just a home cook in a regular kitchen. Savory Short Ribs 5 1/2 to 6 lbs. short ribs 1 can (35 oz.) Italian plum tomatoes, drained and chopped 1/2 c. beef stock, more if needed 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 T. chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 T. chopped fresh rosemary 1/2 t. cinnamon (optional) 1/4 c. olive oil 1 t. freshly ground pepper 1 large onion, halved and slivered 1/2 c. dry red wine Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or use crock pot). In a bowl, mix together the tomatoes, stock, garlic, 3 tablespoons of parsley, rosemary and cinnamon. Set aside. Heat the oil in a medium-size skillet, and brown the short rubs on all sides over medium heat, sprinkling with pepper. Place the ribs in a shallow roasting pan. Add the onion to the skillet and cook for three minutes, stirring. Add it to the short ribs. Pour the wine into the skillet, and bring it to a boil, scraping up any brown bits. Pour the wine over the ribs and the onions. Pour the reserved tomato mixture over the ribs and stir well. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake 2 1/2 hours. Baste two or three times while it is cooking. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from oven. Skim off any grease; serve the ribs topped with the thickened tomato gravy. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Serves six. --Adapted from "The New Basics," Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins Sally Ketchum lives and writes in rural northern Michigan. Her home cooking is usually very simple; menus are apt to change because of specials at stores and family whims. She can be reached at ketchum1985@gmail.com.
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Sally Ketchum