Cooking in Quarantine

Everybody hates long blog posts that prelude a recipe, so I'm not going to indulge myself by describing to you how the COVID quarantine has affected me. Everyone's just handling it, and honestly, no one is interested in what I have to say. You're here because "cooking" is in the title.

In a nutshell, I'm no Chef Boyardee, but I've become proud of the dinners I've successfully produced over the last two.... sorry, five weeks of lockdown. If you care, keep reading.

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Homemade bone broth has become a staple in my house. It's good for you, and essential in lots of home cooking, especially for a Pole like myself. #soup #polska

Bone broth is easy enough to make as you only have to allow heat to extract fat and collagen from joints and bones over a long enough period of time, ie. 24-36 hours.

If you've got access to a slow cooker or an Instant Pot, you're pretty much good to go.

the broth

Homemade Bone Broth

You can use many different bones for your broth. Typically, I'll use some combination of the following, and I never really care what the combination is.

chicken carcass (save/freeze the bones from your rotisserie chicken, don't let it go to waste!)

oxtail

leftover pork rib bones

any additional fat/drippings

lots of water

If your chicken carcass is raw, bake it in the oven at 400° for about 35 minutes. It's okay if it's still a little bit uncooked. Feel free to bake your raw oxtail at the same time, and use the fat that comes out of it too.

Put your bones into the pot and cover it with water. You'll be simmering on medium/high for minimum 24 hours.

I now prefer to use the Instant Pot, because you can seal in the steam better than with a regular slow cooker. That being said, I used a slow cooker for a long time and it always came out great as well, so no pressure to use one above the other.

We typically use the broth within four days of jarring, and I'll usually use a few to make a soup. Filter it with a sieve and store it in glass containers so it can be refrigerated and easily accessible.

Mason jars are really handy for storing.

Properly jarring your broth is a process though, and I would recommend doing some research on how to do it safely, if you do not plan on consuming the broth quickly.

the jars

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The first thing that I've come close to perfecting is my Polish Pickle Soup. I'm pretty Polish, which means soup and sandwich is a religious practice. And to me, this particular soup is so important, that the first time I made it, I was immediately brought back to my childhood, having lunch at babcia's house with some rye chleb, butter, and tea.

The recipe is below, but I do warn you, I don't measure anything... so the recipe itself is quite "rounded".

You should be fine though.

the soup

Polish Dill Pickle Soup

2L broth (either boxed or homemade)

6 potatoes, peeled and cubed (literally any kind of potato, it doesn't really matter)

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and shredded

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups dill pickle, chopped and/or shredded

2 tbsp fresh dill

3/4 cup dill pickle juice (from the jar!)

1 bay leaf

salt/pepper to taste

In a big soup pot, sauté the onions and garlic in some olive oil or butter on medium-high heat until softish, typically about 5 minutes.

Add in the carrots and celery, allowing the steam to cook them slightly.

Potatoes and pickles can go in. Be sure to give everything a good toss.

Throw in the dill, pickle juice, and broth. Give that a mix and add your bay leaf.

Cook all of that on high until it reaches a boil, about 10 minutes. Reduce to a simmer and allow it to cook for another 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are just cooked.

Remove the bay leaf.

Take your immersion blender and roughly break up the ingredients. Leave a good portion of potatoes intact.

Serve with bread, like a good Euro. Add salt and pepper to your liking.

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Shepherd's Pie is something I've always wanted to make, but didn't care enough to attempt before the lockdown. I found a basic recipe on Pinterest and made some modifications, only because it called for things that I didn't have.

I don't have anything else to say, other than it's a shepherd's pie and it tastes good.

the pie

Classic Shepherd's Pie

2lbs ground beef

1 cup frozen peas

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp parsley

1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

salt/pepper to taste

5 russet potatoes

1 tbsp butter

1/4 cup cream higher than 5%

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

salt/pepper

bread crumbs (if you have)

Cook the ground beef entirely and drain any excess fat or water.

Add in onions and garlic. Allow to soften into the beef, about 5 minutes.

Mix in carrots and celery. Stir periodically and allow to cook, about 5 minutes.

Add in tomato paste, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Once adequately combined, stir in Worcestershire sauce.

Add peas last so they don't become too soft.

Turn off heat and allow to simmer in itself while potatoes are boiled. Mash them and add butter, cream, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

In a pan that can fit it all, evenly spread the meat along the bottom. Layer mashed potatoes on top, and sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes, uncovered.

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Thank you for reading, and for being interested enough in some stranger's food quests. Despite my note at the start, I do hope that everyone is doing alright and at least finding some time to reflect.

I hope moms and dads are enjoying this time with their kids, since crazy work hours and mountains of homework aren't in the way. I hope you're able to teach them some valuable things about life and maybe learn some new things about their likes and interests.

I hope you're able to spend some time reading books you've had on your shelf for a while, but haven't attempted because transit is never not crowded and it's impossible to focus on the words in front of you.

I hope you're able to create something; if not food, then maybe paint a rock with your toddler, or plant a flower. Do a puzzle, or learn to knit on YouTube.

Regardless of what comes next, I hope that this time isn't wasted, and we learn a lot from the ones closest to us. I believe the importance of frugality, family, and faith will enter our lives again, in a way stronger than we could have ever anticipated.

And to me, that's a good thing. Bone apple tea!