Well ... I didn't get too far with the home makeover this week. I was planning, per Gary, on clearing the shelves and walls of everything non-essential, and then taking a minimalist approach to starting over.
We both forgot that nature abhors a vacuum. I would clear a space, and it would magically be filled by more junk. It would just happen. This is going to be a bigger battle than I thought.
Part of the problem was, I was trying to dosome prep-cooking for the weekend. I'm heading up to Pupukea with the surf gang tonight, and I offered to cook from Sat to Sun morning. I thought I had laid out a rational plan of attack, but I grossly misjudged the amounts. I wanted to do a gumbo, and picked up some sausages and ducks. I did it in true hunter style - I made a stock out of the back bones, and rendered fat from the skin to make my roux. I thickened the stock with the livers and lots of okra.
In the end, I destroyed my kitchen ... and produced enough gumbo for a small army. I had to pull the restaurant stock pot off the back shelf for this one. I froze half of it, and still have enough for fifteen to twenty guys.
I also made more tiki syrups to bring up, for sunset mai tais on Saturday and prosecco drinks on Sunday morning. Tonight, while up there, I'll mix up the starter for the bread. I intend to feed my boys properly. The full menu:
Sat Morning: Chorizo con papas, tortillas, fruit salad
Sat Afternoon: Whatever
Sunset: Mai tais, cheese, olives, bruschetta, crackers
Dinner: Gumbo, creamed corn, watermelon and feta salad, tomato salad, fresh bread
Sun Morning: Eggs with cheese, bread, homemade pate, prosecco
It didn't seem that ambitious, until I actually got down to the shopping and prepping. The shopping, prepping, and cleaning up took up three pretty full evenings. Good think I do this for love and not money.
We both forgot that nature abhors a vacuum. I would clear a space, and it would magically be filled by more junk. It would just happen. This is going to be a bigger battle than I thought.
Part of the problem was, I was trying to dosome prep-cooking for the weekend. I'm heading up to Pupukea with the surf gang tonight, and I offered to cook from Sat to Sun morning. I thought I had laid out a rational plan of attack, but I grossly misjudged the amounts. I wanted to do a gumbo, and picked up some sausages and ducks. I did it in true hunter style - I made a stock out of the back bones, and rendered fat from the skin to make my roux. I thickened the stock with the livers and lots of okra.
In the end, I destroyed my kitchen ... and produced enough gumbo for a small army. I had to pull the restaurant stock pot off the back shelf for this one. I froze half of it, and still have enough for fifteen to twenty guys.
I also made more tiki syrups to bring up, for sunset mai tais on Saturday and prosecco drinks on Sunday morning. Tonight, while up there, I'll mix up the starter for the bread. I intend to feed my boys properly. The full menu:
Sat Morning: Chorizo con papas, tortillas, fruit salad
Sat Afternoon: Whatever
Sunset: Mai tais, cheese, olives, bruschetta, crackers
Dinner: Gumbo, creamed corn, watermelon and feta salad, tomato salad, fresh bread
Sun Morning: Eggs with cheese, bread, homemade pate, prosecco
It didn't seem that ambitious, until I actually got down to the shopping and prepping. The shopping, prepping, and cleaning up took up three pretty full evenings. Good think I do this for love and not money.
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