Featured Community Member: BlueHatMan

Written Saturday, October 31st, 2009 by Theresa H Hall

I freely admit that the first impression of this member was the attitude of the man wearing the hat. Blue Hat Man is a blog of an eclectic nature, very well written and has an appeal to one who loves to read thoughtfully composed sentences. Schuyler Ingle is into many creative ventures, food, writing, carving wood, cooking and much more. He is most recently a graduate of a cabinet certificate program and can make dolls, bowls and other objets d’ art. He is after all Blue Hat Man.

First off let me say that your Oatmeal Griddle Cakes made me hungry, as did your newest recipe, Tomato Soup with Parmesan Cheese & Popcorn. How did you come up with these tasty dishes?

The oatmeal griddlecakes come from a cookbook I co-wrote with Sharon Kramis. As I recall they were what I had just eaten when I decided to add a recipe and see how the whole thing works at Half Hour Meals. The tomato soup with popcorn was simply a fit of whimsy. I don’t really believe that adding a box of soup to a pan makes a recipe. But the popcorn was just too fun to let pass.

I know you have a family because you said Joyce is the one who puts the popcorn on top of her soup. Does she like the fact that you write a blog? How does it fit in your life and do you have family support?

Joyce is my wife and business partner. She has 10 published books under her belt and no doubt finds it amusing I write a blog. It’s the false sense of namelessness I enjoy, being Blue Hat Man. Our children are deep into graduate school and law school and production jobs in Hollywood – they have to feed themselves now.

You stated you were a food writer back in the day. How did you become involved writing about food and tell us a bit more about the famous celebrity you interviewed.  What a cool thing that was!

I wrote locally in Seattle for years, as well as nationally, for newspapers and magazines. Remember those? I had a jones for long non-fiction narrative. So my idea of food writing often had more to do with where food came from and how it got to the table than it did with the “what’s hot and what’s not” food trend writing that took over. I was raising chickens and rabbits in my back yard and maintaining a burgeoning food garden – and writing about it – long before the notion of “locavore” wandered in. I wrote about sustainability before the term got applied. I honored the hard working people who caught the fish, grew the oysters, farmed the land. And I interviewed people who came to town, usually on book tours, Julia Child among them. She was patient and gracious and gentle and stern all at once. And she had enormous earlobes.

Tell us a bit about how you brew cold coffee. What are the benefits and is it easy to do?

I have done the rounds with coffee – home espresso, French press pot, filtered drip. You name it. But I got to a place where, no matter what, the acid in coffee just wasn’t mixing well with my gastric system. Rather than give up I switched to cold water infusion where a pound of coarse ground coffee sits in cold water over night, then drains through a thick felt filter. Out goes a majority of the acid, a lot of the esters and, regrettably, some of the flavor. I grind a dark Italian roast bean to get the flavor punch. You fill a coffee cup 1/3 full with the resulting coffee liquor, and add hot water. I then spike the heat in the microwave. Could that be any easier?

You believe in great customer service, as do I. Now you are selling homemade carvings. You have your on-line shop. Tell us a little more about it and how you came to want to create from wood. From whence did this passion come?

I practice an Afro-Cuban religion called Lucummi (or Santeria, to outsiders). Dolls can play a significant role in certain ways, and at one point I needed a black female doll who looked like part of the tradition. Well, go find one. Most of what’s out there are white dolls painted black, and that didn’t work for me. So I decided I would make my own. I ended up working on carving with Berkley, CA artist Sherilyn Tharp, a fabulous carver and a terrific teacher. And gradually, a doll came out of that. But even more important, a process came out of that so I could do it over and over again. What started with carving to make a doll to fill a purpose lead to turning. And turning lead to cabinetry and furniture making. And the downfall of the housing market lead me to open my own damn store, put what I do on display, and hope for custom orders. You can see all of that at Blue Hat Man.

I make dolls for people in the same religious tradition, and for doll collectors as well. Had you told me five years ago I would be doing this I would have wondered about your grip on reality. But now, if I could do this and nothing else I would be a happy man. It’s an amazingly magical creative process.

When did you start writing your blog? Do you see yourself doing it a year or two from now? What has it brought you?

I used to have a website, back before blogs and the software that supports them. But over time I simply lost interest. It was all food oriented. It was such a pain to format and upload and tweak, none of which had much to do with writing. I drifted further and further from writing, and the website just sat there.

And then blogs arrived, the grand mushrooming, the democratization of ideas, opinions, and expertise. But it wasn’t until I stumbled on Xomba.com that I regained an interest in writing. I think the anonymity was and is appealing. It takes the weight off the name. I have food writing colleagues – famous names – who have dropped from print media like so many other writers, only to end up in food website ghettos where the maintenance of their name recognition appears to be paramount to all else. And as a result they are still punching out the same tiresome stuff they have written for the last 30 years. So Blue Hat Man has brought me a kind of solace and freedom. While I make no great effort to be invisible, there is a wholesome kind of invisibility about it that I find invigorating.

I know you are on Twitter. Do you use this venue to promote your work?

I do. Twitter and Facebook. All for nefarious reasons.

My wife and I are launching a marketing business targeted at business and product launches – that front-end window where you want everything to go just right. We call it Launchismo! So everything I am doing with and to and for Blue Hat Man, and the Blue Hat Man Mercantile, is a test of the waters. What’s the use of a blog if no one knows it is there? Or an on-line store? It’s one thing to talk knowingly about social media marketing, but another actually to tackle the problem and look at the metrics. It’s what you might call a liberal mixing of business and pleasure. And if all the lessons are learned right, the launch of Launchismo should be an obvious event to a whole world of people. Coming soon to a browser near you!

What is your inspiration for your blog? Which types of foods do you enjoy preparing the most?

We eat the majority of our meals at home and part of the inspiration for the blog comes of my deep-seated belief that the time it takes to make a meal is indeed a precious gift. It’s worth fighting for, worth carving out of a day. There’s so much information, so easily available there’s no reason for anyone not to know the basics of cooking. I think the basics of shopping are a little more tricky - what to buy, how much, how to store it properly. If you want flavorful, wholesome food today I think you need to plan on cooking it yourself. And that doesn’t mean reheating a processed product (except for tomato soup). I am happy to contribute in a way that sends people into their kitchens to feel good about themselves.

I keep several Mediterranean cookbooks within easy reach. It’s the flavor profile and diet I think is most fitting for my every day.

How did you hear about Half Hour Meals and why did you join?

I got email from the their administrator asking me to join. And it seemed harmless enough.

What are the features you like about Half Hour Meals?

I like to scan by main ingredient.

Have you tried any of our members’ recipes yet?

I have borrowed ideas.

If asked, what would you tell others about Half Hour Meals?

Food snobs should look elsewhere.

Thank you for sharing and giving us a real glimpse of Blue Hat Man!

Featured Community Member: Patti Londre

Written Friday, October 30th, 2009 by Penny Hawkins

Half Hour Meals Member Patti lives in Los Angeles and authors a fun-filled blog about unpretentious (“Larry approved”) food, her experiences owning her own food-oriented PR company, and the camp for food bloggers that she runs. From hanging out with Julia Child at IACP meetings to having actress Mandy Moore cooking in her kitchen, Patti’s life is quite busy and always fascinating. Add to that the worldwide travel adventures she shares with her husband Larry, and the comical antics of her pug, Sake, and Larry’s kitten, Penny, and there's never a dull moment! Read on and get swept up in Patti's world!

Your blog, Worth the Whisk, is two parts fun mixed with one part great recipes. Tell us more about the inspiration behind your blog. Thanks for the nice words! I started working in food at age 16, and earned my college degree in home economics. Pretty much every job I’ve had, including running my own PR firm for 25+ years, has been within the food world. Earlier this year, I was a guest speaker at the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) and decided to sit in on a session about food blogging. And *lightbulb!* It just seemed like a natural new challenge for my skills – AND my kitchen full of stuff!  Since I've always cooked, my collection of recipes, clips, friends' recipes was also the inspiration. So many things collected, yet not cooked - now was the time!

Every cook has had at least one kitchen disaster. Tell us about your most memorable disaster in the kitchen, and what you did to turn things around. One Thanksgiving, my girlfriend Gail suggested we make the “turkey in brown paper bag” which meant slathering it with mayo and roasting in a supermarket bag to soak up the oil (folks, DON’T try this at home, I came to realize those bags are recycled and full of toxins). We oiled up that big bird and – ZOOM – like a giant bar of soap; it flew out of our arms and skidded across the kitchen floor.  We applied the Universal Five Second Rule and managed to wrangle it back into our arms, then wiped it off and kept going.

If Julia Child were coming to dinner tonight, what would you serve? I’ve had the opportunity to be around Julia a few times at IACP meetings and know she loved many things – except airline food. She ate asparagus with her fingers, the mark of a Swell Gal. I’d probably roast a lovely chicken with rosemary red potatoes, definitely asparagus plus make a foolproof chocolate dessert so I could sit and enjoy her company. No use trying to impress her, just feed her well.

Name the one ingredient you can not live without. Eggs.

Tell us what you eat/cook when you’re home alone. Usually a starch topped with butter. Brown rice, noodles, spaghetti, toast, bagel.  On the sofa.  Larry and I always eat at the table, so when he’s not here, sofa eating happens.

Where does your inspiration in the kitchen come from? Hunger, plus what’s in the ‘fridge.  We joke about “refrigerator management,” which means we need to eat what’s in there or cook with what’s in there.  Usually with the type of produce and proteins we have, an Asian or Mexican inspired meal can take place almost any day. 

I enjoy reading about your pug Sake, and Larry’s kitten, Penny. Do they get along? Yes, in an unbalanced way.  Poor ol’ Sake is 15, mostly deaf and quite blind, but we know he sees a bit. An orange maniac kitten flying at him from all directions happens several times a day and for the most part, he participates (Duck! Run! Watch out!). But he draws two boundaries – he won’t share a lap or a bowl.

How long have you been blogging and how has blogging changed your daily life?  Literally the day after I returned home from that IACP conference, I jumped on it, excited! Choosing a name, figuring out hosting, testing the name on my sisters, changing the name, buying a URL, designing the graphics, writing posts, deleting posts because they were lousy.  I took notes of my process, which now I am incorporating into my presentation at the Let’s Get Cookin’ culinary school in Westlake Village, CA, on January 27 called “How to Become a Serious Blogger.”  My schedule is fairly rigid now with planning what to cook, making the dish, photographing it, posting, producing the weekly newsletter, tweeting, guest posts and more. Luckily, we food bloggers get to eat what we blog about.

Do you see yourself still blogging several years from now? Like lots of serious bloggers, yes, I really do. And because this is an industry still in its infancy, I decided to conduct a weekend bootcamp for food bloggers called Camp Blogaway in the mountains near Big Bear, CA. Sessions on bettering our photography, food styling, Photoshop, recipe writing, copyrighting, SEO and more will take place, plus lots of good old fashioned camp fun.Half Hour Meals was recommended via a tweet from a food blogger. I joined the day I saw the tweet, which was about a month ago.

Why and when did you join Half Hour Meals?

What's your favorite thing about the site? Who doesn’t love meals you can make in 30 minutes?  It’s my favorite way to cook.

Have you tried others' recipes from Half Hour Meals? Yes I have, soups especially. And pumpkin recipes right now, as I made a very large quantity of homemade fresh pumpkin puree and need LOTS of ways to use it up.

If others were to ask you about Half Hour Meals, how would you describe the site to them? An easy, fresh resource for realistic recipes by capable cooks. The clean, uncluttered site is a breeze to negotiate. Try it!

 Thanks for sharing with us, Patti! I hope you all will stop by and visit Patti’s page here at Half Hour Meals, and be sure to check out her wonderful blog as well! Also, any of you serious food bloggers interested in attending Camp Blog-Away don’t forget to find out more by clicking here.

The Pot Pie War

Written Thursday, October 29th, 2009 by Anne Coleman

Pot Pie ... that wonderful dish of meat and potatoes in a rich gravy tucked away between two flaky pie crusts, a true comfort food. Right? Wrong. At least if you're Pennsylvania Dutch it's wrong.

I came from a family that made traditional pot pie - a lovely stew baked in a crust, the stuff you could buy in single serving size from the freezer at the supermarket (only better) and named the same. So, when I met my mother-in-law and the subject of pot pie came up I was entirely confused by her version.

I argued that my family's version was right, even the one in the store had the same name! No, she insisted, pot pie was so named because it was made in a pot and what we were eating was simply called "Chicken Pie" because, well ... it was.

I had to concede there. I mean, where on earth did the name "pot pie" come from in reference to what the rest of us were eating? The name the Pennsylvania Dutch were using seemed far more fitting; they were, in essence, making a chicken pie, but they were making it in a pot.

So, for your perusal, recipes from both sides of the battle, the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch version, and the one the rest of us eat, even if it is poorly named. Either way, there's no arguing the fact that both are delicious.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 chicken
3 onions
pastry (they don't specify here but, mom-in-law uses a basic pie dough)
4 potatoes
Salt & pepper

Wash, clean and cut chicken into individual portions. Place a layer of
chicken in the bottom of a large iron kettle and cover with thick
slices of raw potato, then with slices of onion and salt & pepper.
Roll dough out rather thick and cut in 2 inch squares and place on
top of onion. Continue until kettle is filled having the top layer of
pie dough. Add water to cover contents halfway. Cover kettle tightly
and cook over a low flame until chicken is tender.

Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book - Fine Old Recipes, Culinary Arts Press, 1936

Dutch Pot Pie

3 eggs
1/2 c milk
1 ts soda
1/2 ts salt
parsley, minced
1 tb butter, melted
1/2 c cream
3 c flour
potatoes
butter

Beat eggs, add milk, cream, soda, salt and melted butter. Mix well.
Gradually add flour until dough is stiff enough to roll. (May require
up to 4 cups). Roll on floured board and line a cooking kettle with
the dough. Place a large piece of butter in bottom of kettle and add
peeled and quartered potatoes alternately with small pieces of the
dough. The top layer should be potatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper
and minced parsley. Dot with butter. Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups water. Bake
at 350-F about 3 hours.

Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book - Fine Old Recipes, Culinary Arts Press, 1936

Anne's Chicken Pot Pie

This is one of those things that I just don't have a recipe for. My basic method is to make pie dough for a 2 crust pie and then make a basic and thicker chicken stew; chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions, and gravy; and then line a 9x13 pan with 1 pie crust, add the "stew", top with the remaining crust and cut a few slits in the top. I bake the whole thing at 350° until the crust is a golden brown and the "stew" is bubbling up through the slits in the dough.

Featured Community Member: Plum Bush Cottage

Written Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 by Theresa H Hall

Plum Bush Cottage is my kind of blog. It has the essence of feminine fragility and soft lush pastels inviting you to stay a while. It is a quiet place where I feel as if I have shut the outside world away and I am allowed to walk peacefully throughout its pages. This is a serene place to visit and I have done so on many occasions. Because I have enjoyed reading this blog it makes me wonder about the person behind the scenes …  about Shirley, who loves beautiful things and picturesque landscapes. Take it from me you will like it too.

How did you create this stunning site and how did you come to name it Plum Bush Cottage?

I started blogging several years ago and like many bloggers, it took me a while to find my niche.  I eventually made my way to Blogger and used many of the beautiful blogs I found there as inspiration to create my own.  I've always loved pastel colors and feminine surroundings and I wanted my blog to reflect my personality and what I love.  The name Plum Bush Cottage really has no significant meaning; I like plums, I like purple and I like cottages.  It's as simple as that.

“Your First Cheesecake,” turned out perfectly, and your “Virgin Voyage with Sourdough,” was just as successful. How long have you been cooking? Your “Roasted Bell Peppers,” were so well demonstrated and your scrumptious  “Pasta Caprese,” really inspired me!

I've actually been cooking for a very long time, since my twenties, and I'm now retired so that makes it over 40 years.  However, I never really enjoyed it or was very good at it.  I was a working single mother and by the time I got home from an exhausting job at a men's prison and did all the things all mothers do, I was really too tired to enjoy cooking.  It was just too difficult to put something delicious on the table and try to keep it original.  So most of the time it was the same few recipes that I could make quickly and inexpensively.  I always said that once the kids left home I was never cooking again.  And for a while I didn't.  Then I retired and had the time and money to do many of things I couldn't do before.  I needed to find things to do that would fill up my time so I got out a few cookbooks and started watching the Food Network, and began to try my hand at cooking.  I found that I loved it and was much better at it than I thought I could ever be. Now I love cooking for friends and family.

You have such varied interests, cooking, decorating, photography and gardening, to name a few. What are the best parts of these … what attracts you? How long have you been taking those marvelous pictures?

I think the thing that attracts me to all of these interests is the creativity.  When cooking, even though I may be following a recipe, I often adapt and adjust the ingredients to make it my own or to conform to our tastes.  The tomatoes, peppers and herbs that I grow go into the dishes I prepare.  Decorating allows me to inject my personality and part of myself into our home.  I have really gotten into photography more in the last several years when I bought a really good digital camera.  I began taking pictures of everything I could in order to improve my skills, and rarely leave the house without my camera just in case I run across something worthy of a photo.  Taking pictures of the dishes I prepare gives me a lot of practice too.  I take a lot of shots using different settings to get the effect I want.

New York is one of my favorite places. Are you in The Big Apple, or a different region? Have you lived in this state all of your life? What draws you, what do you like the most about New York?

I'm in the Hudson Valley region, about 70 miles north of NYC.  It's gorgeous here with mountains, streams, and lots of wildlife.  We have apple orchards and wineries and beautiful scenery.    I look out my windows to see water, trees, deer and many types of birds, even bald eagles.  Every season is beautiful here and I spend a lot of time photographing it.  I like the proximity to NYC because of the many wonderful and interesting things to do and see there.  I actually grew up in the Kansas City, MO area and moved here 30 years ago.

I saw you are on Twitter. Do you incorporate your blog into your Tweets?

Yes, I use twitterfeed to feed my blogs to Twitter automatically.

Do you like to travel? Please name a few of your favorite travel spots.

I love to travel; it is the thing I most wanted to do when I retired.  Most of my travel has been in the USA.  There are places I love in every section of this beautiful country.  The only area I haven't spent time in is the most Western part of the country, unless you count Vegas, which I don't.  My favorite place so far is Rockport, Mass., a beautiful, quaint seaside town.  I also love Hilton Head Island, SC and Colorado.  Coastal Maine is also a favorite.

When did you start writing your blog? Do you see yourself doing it a year or two from now? What has it brought you?

I started my Blogger blog about a year ago but prior to that I tried Yahoo 360 and Multiply; in all, I've been blogging for about three years.  I do expect to still be blogging in a year or two because I really enjoy it.  There are wonderful talented people in blogland who I've learned a lot from.

Are you single, or married with or without children? How does your blogging fit in? Do you have family or friends supporting your writing efforts?

I've been divorced for a long time now but I've been in a relationship for many years.  I have five children and five grandchildren who are scattered around the country.  My blogging is actually separate from my family and friends.  Some don't even know I do it; I'm not sure why, I just haven't made a big deal about it.  I do it for myself.

What is your inspiration for your blog? Which types of foods do you enjoy preparing the most?

There was really nothing that inspired me when I first began blogging.  I was just trying to fill up some spare time.  But as I wrote and became better at expressing myself I really got into it.  Any inspiration came later as I branched out into trying more and different things.  I was inspired by the creativity and often by other women bloggers who caught my interest.

I really enjoy cooking Italian dishes because they utilize fresh ingredients and although simple to prepare, they taste amazing.

How did you hear about Half Hour Meals and why did you join?

I recently received an email from Half Hour Meals asking if I would like to join.  I took a look at the site and liked what I saw.  There was such a variety of simple to prepare recipes and all sounded delicious.

What are the features you like about Half Hour Meals?

I really like the way the site is laid out and the way the recipes are categorized.

Have you tried any of our members’ recipes yet?

I've made Focaccia Bread Pizza and pasta with a creamy mushroom sauce that we both enjoyed very much.  And I definitely want to try today's Meal of the Day, Stir Fried Tamarind Shrimp.

If asked, what would you tell others about Half Hour Meals?

I would tell others about the ability to find a large, varied number of recipes that are quick and easy to prepare.  This is so important for busy people who want to give their families something good and healthy to eat every day.  There is also a friendly community of "foodies" to learn from and become acquainted with.

* I certainly wish to thank you for sharing your time with me, and our members. It is truly a joy to visit and read your blog and personally, I sincerely hope you continue writing for many, many years to come.

Slow Cooker Comfort Food by Judith Finlayson

Written Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 by Penny Hawkins

According to the biography on her website, "After a long career as an author, journalist, editor, speechwriter and consultant, Judith Finlayson decided to transform her passionate love of cooking and interest in the culture of food into a second career." And what a successful career it has been...her six previous slow cooker books have sold over 600,000 copies! Through these very successful  books, Judith has shown thousands of people not only the convenience of preparing foods in the slow cooker, but also how it can be used to create truly extraordinary dishes not typically associated with this time-saving appliance. 

In her seventh slow cooker book, Slow Cooker Comfort Food, published by Robert Rose, Judith works her recipe magic once again and shows us how to use this humble appliance to prepare both sweet and savory comfort food from around the world. In the introduction to the book, she explains the power and global appeal of comfort food by stating that, " food, as well as wine, has the power to to ease emotional pain. Today we call this phenomenon comfort food- the home-style victuals we associate with emotional nourishment in addition to physical sustenance." She reminds us that comfort food is truly International by saying, " in our globalized world, fresh ideas for unpretentious dishes with the potential for emotional resonance are likely to come from anywhere."

Exploring and sharing comfort food from around the globe is something Ms. Finlayson does particularly well in Slow Cooker Comfort Food. Her recipes take us on an International culinary adventure with delicious choices like Polenta with Mushrooms, Basque-Style Tuna, Caribbean Pepper Pot, and Madame Saint-Ange's Peruvian Cream. By cooking your way through this wonderful book, you can practically take a trip around the world and never leave your kitchen!

The recipes in Slow Cooker Comfort Food are both delicious and unpretentious, and Ms. Finlayson's directions are clear and easy to follow for cooks of most skill levels. Each recipe is also coded to indicate if it is Entertaining Worthy, Vegan Friendly, Can be Halved, or Vegetarian Friendly. Additionally, there are hints and tips for achieving the best results from your slow cooker.

I was initially drawn to this book for two reasons: first, my not-so-secret obsession with comfort food, and second, my never-ending quest for a slow cooker book that was different from all the others. I am happy to say that Ms. Finlayson did not disappoint in either respect, and I have found the quintessential book for preparing truly amazing meals with my slow cooker.

Are you hungry for comfort food yet? Here's a little taste from one of Judith's recipes (I made this and it was out-of-this-world!!):

 Onion-Braised Brisket

Impress your friends with this easy-to-make, yet absolutely delicious brisket. My next-door neighbor, who was invited in for a tasting, described it as “ambrosial.”  When it’s served alongside steaming garlic mashed potatoes, he’s not far wrong.

Serves 8
Large (approx. 5 quarts) slow cooker
Can be Halved (see below)

2 tbsp olive oil, divided (25 mL )
4 to 5 lbs double beef brisket, trimmed (2 to 2.5 kg)
4 onions, thinly sliced on the vertical 
6 cloves garlic, minced 
1 tsp salt (5 mL)
1 tsp cracked black peppercorns (5 mL)
1 tsp dried thyme leaves (5 mL)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar (25 mL)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard (15 mL)
1 cup dry red wine (250 mL)
1/4 cup tomato-based chili sauce (50 mL)
2 tbsp tomato paste (25 mL)
1 cup beef  stock (250 mL)
2 tbsp cornstarch (15 mL) dissolved in 1/4 cup (50 mL) water 
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley (125 mL)

1. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of the oil over medium-high heat.
Add brisket and brown well on both sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to
slow cooker stoneware.
2. Add remaining tablespoon (15 mL) of oil to skillet. Add onions and cook,
stirring, until they begin to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic,
salt, peppercorns and thyme and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add vinegar,
mustard and wine and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring and scraping up brown
bits from bottom of pan, for 2 minutes. Stir in chili sauce, tomato paste and
beef stock.
3. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10
hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours, until brisket is very tender.
4. Transfer meat to a deep platter, slice and keep warm. Transfer sauce
to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes
to slightly reduce. Remove from heat and add cornstarch solution,
stirring until sauce thickens. Pour over meat and garnish with parsley.

Tip: If halved, reduce cooking time to about 6 hours on Low or 3 hours
on High. Be aware that these cooking times are general estimates. Not
only do cooking times vary substantially among slow cookers, people
have different preferences with regard to how well they like their
meat done. If you prefer fork-tender results, start checking after
the food has cooked for 6 hours on Low.

Make Ahead: Complete through Step 2. Cover and refrigerate mixture for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to cook, complete the recipe.

Photos and recipes from Slow Cooker Comfort Food courtesy of Judith Finlayson and Robert Rose publishing, September 2009, Softcover/$24.95. This is not a paid product endorsement.

Featured Community Member: Amybyrd21

Written Monday, October 26th, 2009 by Anne Coleman

Half Hour Meals community member, Amybyrd21 lives on a real working farm and chronicles her life there, in food, photos and more, on her blog, The Wayland Springs Cook. Besides being a very active member here, she also home-schools her children, cooks up a storm in her farm kitchen and writes a second blog, Amy's Favorite Food Products. She's one busy gal, but she took a moment to share more about herself with us.

Your blog, The Wayland Springs Cook is not just about cooking. What types of posts would one expect to find at your blog? My blog The Wayland Springs Cook is about homesteading, living off the land, pigs,chickens, bees, and cooking on the farm. The posts are generally about everyday life and about raising bees and pigs.

What kind of things might we find on a walk through your back yard? We raise bees (2 hives to start), 17 pigs at the moment, 39 chickens, 2 ducks, and 2 dogs. In the summer we raise tomatoes, onions, cabbages, potatoes, beans, peas, broccoli, okra, lettuce, watermelons, cantaloupes,turnip greens,corn, and peppers of all kinds.

What is the inspiration behind your blog? It started to let people know things about homesteading and a way to share my recipes. Now I use it for recipes and educating the public about pigs, bees, farm issues and green living.

Having a family and blogging can be a difficult to balance. How does it work for you? I blog at night when my husband is here to take care of the kids. This is my quiet time and a time that I use to wind down at the end of the day.

You've contributed so many recipes here at HHM, do you have a favorite in the bunch?
Bavarian Cheesecake. It is my favorite because it has a light and fluffy texture and a thin cake on top and bottom.

Name a handful of ingredients that you couldn't live without. Tomatoes, cheese, real butter, potatoes, and onions.

Share with us a day in your kitchen - what is the daily food like in your home? On the weekends we start out with a big breakfast of fried potatoes, sausage, bacon, homemade biscuits, gravy and eggs. Then at lunch we have sandwiches or leftovers from the night before. Dinner is whatever happens I never plan at all unless we have company. It normally consists of meat, potatoes, dried beans and corn bread. During the week the kids like to make ethnic foods and experiment with foods in the kitchen.

How long have you been a member at Half Hour Meals? Close to the first days it was launched.

What's your favorite thing about the site? Getting to meet different people with the same interest as I have and learning form them.

Have you tried others' recipes from Half Hour Meals? Yes I have made Sausage and Potato Pasties and Pumpkin Custard. We are hoping to try at least one a week for something different in the house.

If others were to ask you about Half Hour Meals, how would you describe the site to them?
A foodie's paradise.

HalfHourMeals, Chef Clive & Don Lemon all meet at BlogWorld Expo

Written Saturday, October 24th, 2009 by TrishB

Last weekend I attended Blog World Expo, in Las Vegas, Nevada. I left my husband and kids behind and off I went. I walked, no, I ran onto the plane. Five days of freedom!

Blog World Expo is a great event. Its mission is to promote the interactive digital media industry. The affiliated entities, Blog Catalog, BrooWaha, and of course Half Hour Meals, were together a main exhibitor at the event. You could not enter the exhibit hall without seeing their booth.

Half Hour Meals had its own counter where member, Clive Berkman, chef and cookbook author, demonstrated the preparation of different dishes during the two day event. Without a large stovetop he whipped up delicious meals in less than one half hour.

On Day 1 he presented shrimp and grits topped with artichoke and spinach. Outstanding!

On Day 2 he made strip steak topped with a mushroom sauce. Over the top!

For dessert, he prepared melt in your mouth chocolate truffles.

Visitors in the conference center, tempted by the mouth watering aromas, lined up to snatch a taste. He received rave reviews from those lucky enough to sample his wares. Even Don Lemon, CNN news anchor, stopped by sucked in by the bustle of the booth and its offerings. He interviewed Clive while videotaping him for an upcoming segment, and then returned for a second portion of the shrimp. You can check out Clive live from Blog World Expo on YouTube by clicking on the link in our Half Hour Meal Community Discussions. You can also learn more about Clive’s unique perspective on life and creative cooking on his blog, “Cooking With Clive”. You won't be disappointed.

Not only did visitors come by to fill their empty stomachs, they also stopped by to discuss Half Hour Meals. I met several professional chefs including a restaurant owner from Hawaii. I was also surprised and thrilled to meet HHM's very own Dawn Hall. Dawn is also a cookbook author and was recently featured by Anne Coleman on her Half Hour Meals blog.

Most of those I met, however, were people who rarely or never cooked. They claimed to be either too busy or frightened to do so because they never really learned how to prepare a meal. Once I took them on a tour of the site they quickly saw how posts from the Half Hour Meal community and its blog authors could inspire and teach them how to easily and quickly prepare a delicious meal. They loved the concept of having an interactive cooking site at their disposal on which they could pose questions, and get timely answers from an engaged community.

So, all in all, the event was a huge success. I took some photos I would like to share with you (violating the ultimate rule – what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas).

I hope you enjoy and maybe I can get to meet you there next year!

Review: Digital Balloon Whisk

Written Saturday, October 24th, 2009 by Theresa H Hall

Many times the question is posed as to which kitchen tool a cook would want to have in their work area. Mine is The Cuisipro Digital Balloon Whisk. Anyone who has ever made ice cream base, pastry cream, custard, caramel, candy and pudding will know, that these  recipes need to be cooked to a certain temperature, before they are considered done. If the heat is too high you will scorch or burn your sauce.

Using this brilliant tool has been a faster and more accurate way for me to produce perfect pastry cream, without having to try to hold a candy thermometer and keep whisking. This way you continue whisking and simply glance at the digital read-out. It cuts down on whisking and it keeps my sauces and custards perfect every time.

It is heat resistant and registers form 40º to 400º. I love it!

Featured Member: Lisa is Cooking

Written Friday, October 23rd, 2009 by Penny Hawkins

Half Hour Meals Member Lisa lives in Texas and authors a creative and entertaining blog, Lisa is Cooking, about her “slight obsession” with cookbooks, food writing and cooking. Her genuine appreciation and enthusiasm for all things food shines through in her writing, and you get the feeling that this lady wants to cook everything! Lisa’s writing strikes a chord with foodies because we can all see ourselves in how she expresses her feelings about anything food-related. Read on to learn more about Lisa and her foodie obsessions.

Your blog, Lisa is Cooking, is truly a feast for the eyes! I love the way you take us along with you on your culinary adventures, and the photos are incredible! Tell us more about the inspiration behind your blog. Originally, my blog was just for me to track what I’ve cooked and where the idea originated, and then all of a sudden some lovely people out there started reading it. I’ve had a lot of fun getting to know like-minded (food-obsessed) people through food blogs and really enjoy sharing my cooking experiences on my blog. I’ve been inspired by every blog I visit. There are so many funny, moving, thoughtful, and informative blogs that speak of food in all kinds of ways, and I take inspiration from all of them. 

A new law is passed, and you can only keep one of your many cookbooks, which one would it be and why? Having only one cookbook would kill me. I don’t think I could do it. If I have to pick only one, my answer today would be Michel Richard’s Happy in the Kitchen because it’s inspiring and full of fun ideas that get me thinking creatively about cooking.

You can invite any famous chef you want to your house for a meal. Who would it be and what would you make? I would invite Jacques Pepin because I think he’d be kind and charming and full of interesting stories. I’d keep the menu very simple and feature comfort food. Maybe serve my Mom’s creamed chicken and mashed potatoes or something like that.

Name the one ingredient you can not live without. Extra virgin olive oil. No, pasta. Make that cheese. I’m no good at choosing one thing. 

Where does your inspiration in the kitchen come from? My inspiration probably comes from a different source each day. I’ve learned from Martha Stewart for years, I want to cook everything I see Ina Garten prepare, food magazines always inspire me, and sometimes I attempt to re-create dishes from restaurants.  

How long have you been blogging and how has blogging changed your daily life? I’ve been blogging for about a year and a half. I’ve always spent every waking moment thinking about food, so no there’s no change there. What has changed is planning how long it will take to cook and photograph things. These days, dinner isn’t ready until the photos are shot.

Do you see yourself still blogging several years from now? I definitely see myself continuing to share my cooking experiences. That may take a different form if some new way of delivering the information comes along, but I think I’ll be continuing what I’ve started.

Your food photos are amazing! Any tips you can share? Thank you! I really know almost nothing about photography and therefore probably have nothing to share. I wing it. I just really try to show exactly what the food is like on the plate. I don’t use many garnishes or props since I really just want the food to be seen and understood.

Some of the recipes you try are not for beginners (and certainly not for the faint of heart!). Are you formally trained in the culinary arts, or just a naturally talented cook? I have no formal training. Again, I wing it. When a recipe or technique seems daunting, I remind myself that it’s really just food. If all fails, I can order a pizza so why not give the challenging things a try? I’ve learned so much from just going for it like that, and the more I learn the more I want to keep learning.

Why and when did you join Half Hour Meals? I heard about Half Hour Meals on Twitter and joined just a few weeks ago. It looked like a fun food community.

What's your favorite thing about the site? My favorite thing about the site is how easy it is to interact with other people. Also, the recipes are clearly presented, and you can click to print or share via email.

Have you tried others' recipes from Half Hour Meals? I’m always adding to my to-try stack, and since I’ve only been using the site for a few weeks, I haven’t gotten to any recipes in the stack yet.

If others were to ask you about Half Hour Meals, how would you describe the site to them? I would tell them that Half Hour Meals is a site with recipes you can browse, and those recipes have ratings and clearly noted cooking times and degrees of difficulty. There’s also a list of food blogs browsable by topics. And, the community feature allows you to participate in discussions about food with the other members. It’s a fun and easy to use site.

Thanks for sharing with us, Lisa! I hope you all will stop by and visit Lisa’s page here at Half Hour Meals, and be sure to check out her wonderful blog as well!

Four Fast Casseroles

Written Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 by Anne Coleman

In my family, casserole is a four-letter word. The kids love them, as do I, but the moment that three-syllable word hits dad's ears, it's all over. So, when dad isn't home or doesn't feel like dinner, I do the quick casserole for the rest of us.

If you happen to live in a home where casseroles are welcomed, count yourself lucky! Not only are the more often than not budget-friendly, they're also quick to put together and the best part is there's only one pan to clean.  Here are four with five or less- ingredients, that is. Super-fast and tasty, too - they'll become an instant part of  your repertoire for those nights when anything else is too much work. Each bakes for 30 minutes and they feed a family. Add a green salad or vegetable and bread, if desired.

1) The Reubenesque Casserole: Not really a reuben since the bread is missing, it's still as satisfying, and cooks quickly and feeds 6-8. Layer in a 9x13 baking dish, 6 cups mashed potatoes, 2 pounds rinsed and well-drained sauerkraut, 1 1/2  pounds corned beef - chopped, 1 cup Thousand-Island dressing and 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes in a 350 degree F oven.

2. Pierogi Lasagna: Serves 6 - Layer in a 9x13 baking dish: 32 potato and cheese-filled pierogies, 2 cups marinara, 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes in a 350 degree F oven.

3. Chicken Spaghetti: Serves 6 - Layer in a 9x13 baking dish: 1/2 pound cooked pasta, 4 cups cubed cooked chicken, 2 cups marinara sauce, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes.

4. Bean and Ham BBQ: Serves 6: Layer in a 9x13 baking dish: 4 cups cooked pinto beans, 3 cups cooked and cubed ham, 1 cups barbecue sauce, 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Bake, covered,  for 30 minutes in a 350 degree F oven.