Aja's Blah-log

Although I do have other hobbies, cooking...and eating are at the forefront of all my time well spent. The artform of flavor and aroma paired with the visual beauty of a dish, delights my soul to the core! Not only do I love to experience food, but I love to feed my friends and loved ones and watch as they experience each flavor and texture sensation. My husband and I love to entertain and to cook together. We also love to eat out on the town and recreate the dishes that we try.

My favorite things to cook
I love to cook rissotto. I love the time consuming but mindless task of adding the broth and stirring. Watching as the husks on the rice slowly turn transparent and the gluten begins to thicken and look creamy. I also love to make home-made pudding. I think I must like stirring...mind-numbing bliss with a delicious reward!

My favorite family cooking traditions
Pie crust the way my mom makes it. It's a science, you know? Half lard, half butter. Keep the fats cool but not too cool as to be too hard to incorporate. Cut in the lard first using butter knives, then cut in the butter leaving large pebbles. Add ice ice ice cold water 1 tablespoon at a time while stirring till dough just holds together then turn out onto the counter and knead 2-3 times. Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. You can see the butter in the dough as you roll it out...there's your flaky crust. The trick is to not let the dough come to room temperature where the fats in the crust will begin to break down.

My cooking triumphs
Created recipes for a brandied pear gallette and seared scallops in a lobster mushroom cream sauce. These are the only original recipes I have created although I have "copied" several dishes that I've tasted on many different occasions.