Frugal Kitchens 101 - The Kitchen Journal

Like many cooks and chefs, I keep a kitchen journal.  A kitchen journal is essential for testing and tweaking recipes especially those you create yourself so that you can duplicate the recipe at a later date.  I have a very strong scientific background with advanced degrees so my kitchen journal is set up very much lab manual style.  In many ways this make a lot of sense when it comes to setting up a kitchen journal because the kitchen really is a lab.  The important thing to keep in mind is the kitchen journal can help you save money as well.  It's where you try, test, experiment and correct.  This week's Frugal Kitchens 101 discusses how I set up my kitchen journal.

• the book - I prefer an A91 lab manual which is a bound book available through any university bookstore.  You can also use a composition bound notebook available through most department and dollar stores.  The important thing is the book you use should be bound and not loose leaf (eg. binder) to prevent pages from going missing.  
• the format - Each time I start a new kitchen journal I write the title and start date on the front along with my name.  The first two full pages are labeled i, ii, iii, and iv.  These are for the index that will help easily locate entries later.  All pages after that are numbered.  This takes a few minutes to set up but again helps the organization in the long run.  All entries are dated with the entry added to the index.
• journalling - All journalling is done in blue ink pen with the exception of tweaking that sometimes is entered in the margin in pencil but most often done in green ink pen.  All dates are underlined in red.  If there is something about the recipe itself or instructions that is important I highlight it with a yellow highlighter marker.
• data recorded - I record the recipe and method.  If the recipe is regular cooking I record: source, prep time, cook time, cook temperatures, comments, any problems, tweaks, and cost per serving.  If the recipe is a canning recipe I record the recipe, source, canning method, pH of the product, pressure, processing time, cost per ml and anything else that will help me develop the recipe further.  I also record weather conditions for some recipes something that is important when making candy.  I'm a bit of a stickler too as far as adding additional comments with dates when I make that recipe again.
• loose papers - Like many home cooks I come across recipes online that I print off to try.  I also test recipes for a couple of magazines which require printing off and carefully recording notes.  Loose papers are securely attached in my kitchen journal using scotch tape.  I write any comments and notations directly on the sheets.

Creamy Carrot Soup

Homemade soups are nutritious, easy to make and very versatile. This is one area of cooking where your creativity can shine. Aside of not being laden with salt, sugar or preservatives homemade soups are far superior in flavour, in my opinion. An added bonus is homemade soup is generally considerably cheaper than store bought. I made creamy carrot soup so lets consider the cost.

If cream of carrot soup were available in the stores it would like cost 79¢ to $1.29 per 10 ounce can and since it would be more of a specialty soup somewhat like bean and bacon, it likely wouldn't go on sale. Cost per ounce would range from 7¢ to 9¢. My homemade version using fresh ingredients, purchased carrots and the more expensive cream came out to 4¢ per ounce. It would be less expensive if using carrots from your garden and omitting the cream.

Creamy Carrot Soup

Like all soups I make, I seldom use a recipe from another source. I prefer to create my own soups and record what and how I used ingredients in my cooking journal. That way if the dish was a hit, I can repeat or tweak as needed. The following recipe is a reflection of that. As always, use it as a starting point then add your own touches for something uniquely yours.

All cream soups start out with a vegetable(s), stock, seasonings but might not necessarily contain cream. Seasonings can include herbs, spices, aromatic vegetables. Creamy carrot soup is rich and creamy with a natural light sweetness. Garnished with sour cream and parsley, it makes for a nice presentation.

Creamy Carrot Soup
recipe by: Garden Gnome

3 lb carrots
4 c turkey stock
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
3 tbsp butter
2 c milk
2 c heavy cream
kosher or sea salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
sour cream
parsley, chopped
flour slurry (optional)

Prepare vegetables. Sauté onions until translucent and lightly caramelized in 2 tbsp of the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in carrots, celery, turkey stock and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until carrots are soft. Remove from heat. Remove the thyme sprigs. Purée the mixture using a stick blender. Return to medium heat. Stir in milk, cream and remaining butter. When heated through stir in flour slurry if a thicker consistency is desired. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and chopped parsley.

My Notes: The fat content in this soup can be reduced by using low fat or skim milk and eliminating the cream. If you do that, you will likely want to use the flour slurry to thicken the soup.

Potato and Leek Soup

I spent another enjoyable 80 minutes in the dentist's chair yesterday then made a stop at the grocery store in the same mall. I've been doing this as a way of treating myself. This time I picked up some nice leeks. Potato and leek soup came to mind as a comforting meal.

Potato and Leek Soup

Once home, I checked Jean Paré's Leek and Potato Soup in Company's Coming, Soups & Sandwiches, Pp. 23. Her recipe called for chicken stock and I knew I was out of that but had home canned turkey stock. Her recipe also called for light cream but I thought 1/2 and 1/2 would work fine. Chives or parsley were used as a garnish in her recipe so I changed that. Finally her soup was smooth and no bacon which I though would add nice flavour. I started by using her recipe as a guide but that quickly fell by the wayside as my creativity took over. Each step of the way, I jotted what I did in my cooking journal so I can repeat the recipe again.

I used Eco-Spuds™ Adora potatoes. These are quickly becoming my favourite potato to use because of their texture and flavour. They are grown much the same way I grow my own produce without the use of non-organic fertilizers or pesticides. The soup was nice and creamy accented with potato pieces and bacon. My husband declared the soup delicious!

Potato and Leek Soup
recipe by: Garden Gnome

2 qt homemade turkey stock
1 leek, chopped, white and light green portion only
1 medium onion
6 medium Adora potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 bay leaf
white pepper to taste
sea salt to taste

4 small potatoes, peeled, diced and steamed
1/4 - 1/2 lb bacon, cut to form small pieces, fried and drained
2 tbsp chives, chopped
1 c 1/2 & 1/2 cream

This is a two part recipe. Prepare the small potatoes then steam. At the same time prepare the bacon by cutting across the strips to form small pieces. Use one full pound of bacon the remaining can be froze or refrigerated for bacon bits on salad. Set these ingredients aside to be used later.

Prepare the medium size potatoes, leek and onion then put into a large saucepan. Add the turkey stock, salt and pepper to the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until the potatoes are cooked. Remove from heat. Using a stick blender, blend these ingredients until creamy smooth. Return to heat on low setting. Add the prepared potato pieces, bacon and chives. Slowly pour in the cream while stirring. Continue heating until soup is desired serving temperature, stirring to prevent the soup from burning.