My Husband was a Chef

My husband worked in kitchens for over 20 years and he was a chef for a good number of those years. He finally got out of it at the end of last summer because we both finally realized we'd never be the family we hope to be with him always at work covering for people, hosting a big event, or having to answer his phone every 20 minutes.
I've picked up a few things from him over the six years of our marriage. Everything listed below are things I didn't know until he taught me. I hope there are a few things that help you out.

Sanitation and health
1- Wipe down all surfaces at the end of the day- this doesn't just look good and help you feel better, it keeps you to 1-scrub week old crusties off your stovetop and  2-keep bugs from making your kitchen their home. This includes around and in your sink by the way.
2- Change dishcloths EVERYDAY- my husband is so particular about this he will get out a new one if doesn't know for sure its been changed that day.
3- Any cloth used to wash a dish or utensil that has been in contact with raw meat (especially chicken) should go straight into the laundry basket- don't wipe down anything with it! Raw chicken is deadly, don't leave anything to chance!
4- Don't cover hot food unless necessary- bacteria grows in those warm, steamy situations. Put in in the fridge uncovered and cover it when it's cool
5- A fizzing sound (like when you open a can of pop) or little bubbles indicate the item has gone bad- this really applies to things like salsa, ketchup, mustard- things that can stay in the fridge for a long time and are generally kept in bottles or jars.
6- Never put a cutting board away damp- you run the risk of botulism

7- Always use a fan when frying- this helps prevent grease build up

Cooking
1- All you really need is salt and pepper- Complicated flavours and spices are great but it's also just as good to let the food speak for itself by just adding salt and pepper. Steak seasonings are great but you can enjoy it just as much with plain old salt and pepper.
2- Potatoes absorb salt- if you over salt a dish that has potatoes in it, just let it be and the potatoes will absorb the salt.
3- A teaspoon of sugar offsets the acidity in any tomato dish (depending on amount you're making, start with a tiny amount (1/4 tsp) and slowly work up from there- be careful!)
4- Pour olive oil into water you're boiling for pasta- this keeps the pasta from sticking together
5- When making a roux, fry the flour and butter for a minute or two to keep your dish from tasting like flour. I add my cream just as the flour and butter are beginning to turn brown
6- Don't use milk when you have cream in the house (like in mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, biscuits, and so on). If you want something creamy- make it creamy!
7- Work dough as little as possible unless otherwise instructed by the recipe
8- Always choose bone-in- it's the most flavourful

9- Allow your roast to rest for half an hour- the meat will absorb the juices and will be nice and moist.

10- If your food is sticking to your non-stick pan, your oil is not hot enough- make sure your oil (or butter) is nice and hot before starting to cook

Equipment
1- Place a damp cloth under your cutting board to keep it in place

2- Take care of the motor in your standing mixer by using the paddle attachment and mixing heavier things on slower speeds- for example: only use the whisk attachment to make whip cream/meringue or anything light
3- Make sure your toaster is out in the open when using- it's a small fire hazard if anything should go wrong
4- Clean out your dishwasher regularly- it's more efficient and your dishes are cleaner
5- Purchase a kitchen thermometer and use it- it's a good way to see if something is done without cutting in to it and if you have any doubt on whether or not something is safe to eat, it will ease your mind

6- Those round knife files we all have in our knife racks are only there to 'maintain' knives, they don't keep our knives sharp- get a professional to sharpen your knives once in a while

Grocery Shopping
1- Always go with the bigger size- you get the best value
2- Steelhead salmon are actually trout
3- Never buy farmed salmon- it's not worth it and it's not good for you
4- You can get kitchen supplies for a better deal at restaurant supply stores

Okay so that's all I can think of and I'm sure I'll think of more and update this. 

My Non Traditional (but very yummy) Mennonite Borcsht

Hello, my name is Grace and I've started this blog to compliment my main blog Salt + Vinegar.
I tried to start blogging for a year and started a few different blogs with a few different names- this one- Keeper at Home- being one of them.
I never posted on this one and actually gave up blogging but God weighed it heavily on my heart and finally, with the right heart, spirit, and purpose I started and continued Salt + Vinegar.

This is not Salt + Vinegar so I will not talk about it's purpose (you can read it here).
The purpose of this blog is for me to post things I'd like to post on Salt + Vinegar but won't because it would detract from what Salt + Vinegar is all about. This blog is for me to share recipes, needlework things, cleaning things, personal things, and stuff like that. God has been putting it on my heart to start this one up for a few months now and I'm so happy I'm finally getting around to it.
The ultimate purpose of this blog, like Salt + Vinegar is to bring glory to God and edify His saints.
I hope it is a blessing to you.
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I really can't think of a better way to start this blog off than by sharing one of my family's most favourite meals.
My mother-in-law spent her very early years on a farm in a Mennonite colony before moving to Oregon. She grew up eating Mennonite Borscht, my husband grew up eating it, and now our son has been eating it since he's been on solids. B get's so excited when he sees me making it and he demolishes it when we put it in front of him.

Mennonite borscht is a delightful concoction of creamy and acidic. There's tomato puree, white vinegar, and lemon pepper brought to balance with creamy potatoes, and sour cream. The best part is the chopped up dill which adds a subtle complexity to the broth.
This is a wonderful recipe for the winter but we usually make a large pot of it at least once during the summer. It's very comforting and is perfect with buttered sourdough or saltine crackers broken into the bowl.
I don't like the purple borscht but I love this borscht. I really hope you try it and make it your own.
I have to clarify, the following recipe is how I make it. I am sure it is not a traditional mennonite borscht recipe. I make it different from my mother-in-law, and she has made changes from the recipe she grew up with.

Mennonite Borscht

The end goal

This recipe makes a large pot of borscht. If you just want to make a small batch, use a few bone in chicken breasts (or thighs if you like flavour ;)) to make a smaller stock.

The tomato puree is missing from this picture

You will need:

A large stock pot (my pot fits 9 litres or just under 10 quarts)

Ingredients:

1 whole Chicken

1 1/2 Onion

2 Bay Leaves

1 small to medium head of cabbage

5-7 Yukon Gold potatoes (or any yellow potato)

Large bunch of dill

1 28 fluid ounce can pureed tomatoes (you can also use tomato sauce)

500g container of sour cream

1 TBSP white vinegar (optional)

1 TBSP lemon pepper (I bought ours at Costco)

Salt to taste (possibly up to 1 and a half TBSP)

Method:

Make the broth
1- Wash the chicken and place in the stock pot along with half an onion chopped loosely, both bay leaves, two teaspoons of salt, enough water to cover chicken by at two inches
2-Place over high heat and bring to a boil, once boiling lower heat to medium and simmer until chicken is done (about 45 min to an hour depending on the chicken)
3-While chicken is simmering skim off excess fat and any of that foam that collects at the top
4-When chicken is done (I count it done when I can easily pull off the leg) remove from pot and place in a bowl to cool. Remove onions with a slotted spoon and discard.

I cut my potatoes in medium sized pieces- chunky but small enough to eat easily

Make the soup
1-While waiting for the broth to be done, peel and chop potatoes, chop cabbage, cut up onions, remove stems (or don't if you like some crunch) and chop up dill
2-Once the chicken is out of the broth, place potatoes, cabbage, onion, and half the dill in pot along with a teaspoon each of salt and lemon pepper, pureed tomatoes, and tablespoon of vinegar if you like more acidity
3-Leave on medium heat and let simmer until potatoes are tender
4-When the chicken is cool enough to handle, take all the meat off the bones and cut into bite size pieces. If you add the chicken while the potatoes are cooking, the chicken will be a lot more tender and will likely fall apart- which is how I like it. If you like chunks of chicken, add it just as the potatoes are done.
5-Once the potatoes are done, remove pot from heat, add half the container of sour cream, and the rest of the dill
6-Taste the soup- add more sour cream if you think it needs it (we add the whole medium container), add more lemon pepper if you need, you will likely need a few teaspoons of salt (potatoes absorb salt). At this point its up to you to make the borscht authentic and pleasurable to you.
*I like mine really tart and salty so I add about half a teaspoon of lemon pepper and a quarter teaspoon more salt to my own bowl before I eat it.

Serve with buttered sourdough for dipping and saltine crackers. 

Some notes on my method:
-My mother-in-law makes her soup with four chicken breasts and all the vegetables mentioned above covered in water and 'enough Better than Bouillon to make a tasty broth' (her words)- Just throwing that out there
-I do not add carrots and celery to my broth because I don't like the flavours they add to it. I find the carrots add a sweetness that contends with the tanginess of the soup
-The potatoes must be yellow potatoes or they will fall apart too easily and spoil the broth
-My mother-in-law started putting vinegar into her borscht when she was making it for her own children (it was not how she had it growing up). I like it because it adds a sharpness to the tartness of the broth
- Just a note on cutting up a whole cabbage- which I had never done until I started making this soup:
my husband taught me to remove the core first like so:

Insert your knife angled toward the centre of the cabbage, do this all around the core- be careful!

Pull the core out

I cut the cabbage into squares and pull the leaves apart when I throw them into the soup.

I've had them cut smaller too

There you have it! If you try it I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for reading~