Seasonal Cooking?

[keltin]

So it seems that in this day and age, heat and time are the things we consider. This is very interesting!

ETA: And no, I'm not being "smart" or "difficult", I'm just wondering WHY we cook what we cook. Serioulsy....is it taught by family and growing up, is it the environment or season, or is there something else? Really......ever really think about the WHY of cooking?[/quote]

 

[jpmcgrew]

The steak and baked potato with chives and sour cream to me is purely a craving does not matter summer or winter when you want it you just want it.However I dont waste my stomach space with appetizers or with the obligatory extra vegetable, salad is ok but optional even though Im a girl I like the old throw back much improved caveman dinner.And you cant stop me.

 

[keltin]

The steak and baked potato with chives and sour cream to me is purely a craving does not matter summer or winter when you want it you just want it.

Got to agree with you on that one!

 

[Alix]

Me too, but sometimes it isn't a big enough craving for me to dig my way out to the BBQ!!

 

[keltin]

Me too, but sometimes it isn't a big enough craving for me to dig my way out to the BBQ!!

Yeah....but you guys in Canada get real snow!!!

 

[jpmcgrew]

I'll speak as someone from the frozen north and tell you that y'all are wimps if you can't drive on a snowpack of 8 inches in the winter. LOL.

Keltin, to answer the seasonal thing, I don't make stuff like chili in the summer because it heats us up from the inside out. LOL. We cook to keep the house cool in summer and to warm it up in the winter. I still BBQ occasionally in the winter, but I really really hate trying to find the BBQ when the snow is deep. Its more a matter of convenience than anything else. If I'm craving a steak then I might make the effort to excavate the BBQ, otherwise, its oven and stove for me.

As to what is heavy and what is light, well salad is light, and pasta bolognese is heavy. Light is something quickly digested and heavy is something that leaves you feeling full for a long time. I don't believe everyone has the exact same description of that, but I think most of us adhere to that definition or something close to it.

Snow pack is nothing its safer than slush.Contrary to popular belief we in Northern New Mexico get alot of snow we actually have a couple of world class ski areas I worked at the Taos Ski Valley for 11 winters and had to drive the 20 miles in all kinds of conditions to get to work.Oh and by the way nobody there races to the store for milk and bread because of an impending storm.Puleeze, we go to the store when we feel like it storm or no storm

 

[Fisher's Mom]

You're so right jp, ya'll do have some very fine skiing in New Mexico.

 

[Alix]

Yeah....but you guys in Canada get real snow!!!

You know it baby!

jpmcgrew, I was being a bit facetious on the snow pack thing. The worst accidents happen when there is no snow, just a hard frost on the road, or a light dusting and a temp around the freezing point. Folks somehow forget what it was like and stomp on the brake and tailgate like idiots.

 

[jpmcgrew]

You're so right jp, ya'll do have some very fine skiing in New Mexico.

They certainly do, its called dry powder or fluffy fluff no wet icy snow like back east.I dont ski but I worked there because I was head chef and worked there to cook and make great money.I always wanted to make a t-shirt that said.I dont ski and I dont care probably would have got my butt kicked for that one.God,I loved that job.

 

[jpmcgrew]

You know it baby!

jpmcgrew, I was being a bit facetious on the snow pack thing. The worst accidents happen when there is no snow, just a hard frost on the road, or a light dusting and a temp around the freezing point. Folks somehow forget what it was like and stomp on the brake and tailgate like idiots.

Or the absolute worst which is called black ice.A bad one for sure.

 

[jpmcgrew]

Not only that but some people think that just because the have 4 wheel drive they can actually speed on ice and snow.Sometimes the storms are so bad you cant drive faster than 25 miles an hour of course you always get the idiot that passes you because they think they know better and are from out of state guess what you come around the curve and there they are upside down in a ditch we used to just wave and keep on driving.Not to worry they were not hurt but looking pretty stupid at the same time.

 

[MsAnya]

We rarely get the ubercold down in Fort Worth Tx so I pretty much just make whatever I feel like. If I want a grilled steak in January then I have it. If I want stew in July, you got it, I have that too

 

[Michael in FtW]

LOL - yep, Keltin - but that 16-oz rib-eye feast is usually a once a year event - either in April (Mom's birthday) or November (my birthday). But come to think of it - if I'm doing a steak it's usually 12-14 oz min., BBQ chicken is usually 1/2 of a 3-lb bird ... etc. Okay - I'm a carnivore with a good appetite. But, that's not every night. There are many days I just "veg" out ... microwaved sweet potato with salt, pepper, butter - steamed vegs, etc.

 

[jpmcgrew]

LOL - yep, Keltin - but that 16-oz rib-eye feast is usually a once a year event - either in April (Mom's birthday) or November (my birthday). But come to think of it - if I'm doing a steak it's usually 12-14 oz min., BBQ chicken is usually 1/2 of a 3-lb bird ... etc. Okay - I'm a carnivore with a good appetite. But, that's not every night. There are many days I just "veg" out ... microwaved sweet potato with salt, pepper, butter - steamed vegs, etc.

I like big steaks as I never eat the whole thing and I will grill an extra one ,the next day I slice them to make them thinner and then make a great steak sandwichmedium rare makes a great cold beef sandwich tender and tasty especially with a glass of cold milk and made with a good bread.

 

[Dave Hutchins]

When I was a kid we lived on a farm and ate fresh all spring and summer come fall Mother would can fruit,vegetables, and freeze meat and sauces so I have allways ate according to the seasons. And when the snow flew( in Ia It flys) Mom allways had a soup or stew in the stove and plenty of home made bread. we were poor but we ate very well

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I like big steaks as I never eat the whole thing and I will grill an extra one ,the next day I slice them to make them thinner and then make a great steak sandwichmedium rare makes a great cold beef sandwich tender and tasty especially with a glass of cold milk and made with a good bread.

I do this, too. The kids and I look forward to the leftover steak sandwiches almost as much as the dinner they came from. (In fact, I made 3 steaks tonight and we'll all be having those great sandwiches tomorrow!)

 

[buckytom]

i grill all year long, and make soups, stews, and roasts indoors in all seasons as well.

about the only thing that influences my cooking method is if it gets really hot out in the summer. then i will opt more often for the grill outside, to help save energy and keep the house cooler. but if i have a hankering for a stew in the dog days of august, i'll just use the crock pot.

this thread reminded me of some old pictures that i posted here a few winters ago. i was grilling some pork tenderloins on a warm-ish (maybe 35 -40 F) february evening when dw snapped these.

 

[PytnPlace]

Definately in the seasonal camp and it works good for me. I look forward to the food every season offers. Grilled food, salads etc. in the summer. Heavier fare in the winter. Soup is one of my favorite foods but I do not crave it during the dog days. And chilled soup is not my thing.

 

[Andy M.]

I often grill in the winter. Sometimes I have to shovel a path to the grill to do so.

BT, I'm glad to see you wore a nice warm coat over your SHORTS!!!!

 

[Loprraine]

We tend to eat "lighter" in the summer, and "heavier" in the winter. We grill often during the summer, mainly because we spend a lot of time in the backyard, and we don't want to heat up the house. It might be that 10 oz steak or chops, but the sides are much lighter. IN winter, we keep the house cool, so simmering pots on the stove or in the oven are very welcome! We grill during the winter (unless the snow and wiond are really howling), I pull the BBQ close to the door, and keep a shovel handy. I buy seasonal foods from the farmer's market, so it stands to reason that there will be more salads etc during the summer, and more root veggies in the fall.

Neat light! I need one of those!