Stop Blogging and Cook

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. ~Martin Luther King Jr (1929-1968)

One of the reasons I began this site was because of the importance of our getting back to the tradition of feeding ourselves.  It matters.  It matters a lot.  After thinking about the reasons why we are in such bad shape, eating-wise, I decided that if the only thing standing in the way of people feeding themselves was knowledge of what and how to cook, well that was something I could do something about.

They say that if it’s easy then everyone would do it.  Cooking, in this regard, is misunderstood.  People only think it’s difficult.  It’s not.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  Like anything else, it is a matter of degree.  You can certainly prepare things that are complex and time-consuming and expensive.  OR  You can cook real food in a way that is simple, quick and gives you a really good return on investment.  Here is where you can learn the latter.  I’m glad you’re here.  My goal is to fill your refrigerator.  I hope this site is helpful in bringing joy to your eating.

HAM BAKE
What can I say about ham?  Only that it’s truly one of the easiest things to cook.  I know, I know. You’ve heard me say this before.  But a pre-cooked smoked ham is nothing more than turning on the oven, putting it in a pan, and cooking it a few hours.  When it’s reached an internal temperature of 148 ºF it’s done!  Few things are easier to cook.  Let’s see.  Toast is easier.

There are hams in virtually every grocery store.  Buy a shank half pre-cooked smoked ham.  Pre-cooked hams contain a lot of moisture (as opposed to Virginia hams which are very dry), and a lot of it will evaporate in the baking process, improving the texture.  Use a meat thermometer, inserting it in the thickest part, not touching the bone.  Bake uncovered, fat-side up, in a preheated 300ºF oven for 20 min per pound.  It’s a good idea to remove the tough outer rind with a sharp paring knife, and trim some of the fat off before baking.  You don’t have to, but it’s a good idea.  Use a roasting rack to separate the meat from the fat.  Set the rack in the roasting pan and the ham on the rack  and bake on the lowest shelf in the oven.

Ham is a great thing to have every few months because you can use it to make so many things:

• Collard greens – coming soon
• Crepe filling
• Eggs Benedict – a classic brunch
• Ham & eggs – easy shmeasy
• Ham hash
• Ham sandwich – you can do this, right?
• Ham omelet – or just throw some into scrambled eggs
• Quiche
• Pea soup – this is coming up!
• Salads

Ham will keep in the refrigerator, but you can also freeze it to have on hand for future kitchen adventures.  We’ll be doing a few of these in the upcoming week, including using the bone for a hearty soup.  More easy.  Stay tuned!