Planning Ahead For Foot Surgery

[Ilaine]

I can tell you how it will turn out, so you don't need to bother making a control pot: THE ONE WITH AROMATICS WILL TASTE BETTER. Many hundreds of generations of cooks have already invented this wheel.

Zora, I have been thinking about your reply since you posted it. Of course you are correct, but that is not the end of the question.

I work full time, and also do some volunteer stuff.  If I cooked everything perfectly, the way I think it should be cooked, I would have time for nothing more than work and cooking.  I come home around 6:30, and I am hungry already, and I go to bed around 10:30 or 11:00.  Same for my husband.

So to me, the question posed is, what corners can I cut and still be reasonably satisfied with the results?  I already know frozen food purchased premade from the grocery store is, in general, not satisfactory to me or my family.  I already know that canned food ditto.

I am especially conscious of planning ahead because I am soon to have foot surgery, which will keep me off my foot entirely for weeks, and then my husband will be driving me to work and picking me up afterwards because it's my right foot so I can't drive for at least two months.  At least I won't be in a wheelchair, but probably a knee-based rolly thingie.  I will be bringing my lunch with me, and delivered food is out of the question health-wise or gastronomically.  I work in an industrial area midway between Springfield and Annandale.  The nearest restaurants are McDonald's and Burger King.

What to do?  Right now the only think I can think of is to make lots and lots of bone broth, because it seems to me that bone broth is a good thing to consume when one's bones are healing.    Other than that, my husband's standard repertoire includes pot roast, beef stew, chili, and meat loaf.

I guess one solution would be to make a massive pot of generic sofrito, onions, celery, parsley and garlic, and save that in the fridge or freezer, as one makes and saves a massive pot or two of stock.

[weezy]

I hear you.  I get home about 6:10-6:15 and try to have dinner on the table within an hour most nights.  Spatchcocking a not-too-big chicken and brining overnight really cuts down on cooking time and you just have to think about some veg to go with -- and roasting green beans or asparagus while the bird is cooking is easy as pie.  Leftover bits can be made into a chicken salad to take for lunch.  Quiches and frittatas are another quick, tasty dish that also make good lunches later.

Another thing I've done on several occasions to save time is to put together a casserole after dinner the night before that I can just shove in the oven as soon as I get home the next night and it will be hot through within 40-45 minutes.

[Joe H]

zoramargolis, on 09 Dec 2013 - 6:02 PM, said:

Zora, I have been thinking about your reply since you posted it. Of course you are correct, but that is not the end of the question.

I work full time, and also do some volunteer stuff.  If I cooked everything perfectly, the way I think it should be cooked, I would have time for nothing more than work and cooking.  I come home around 6:30, and I am hungry already, and I go to bed around 10:30 or 11:00.  Same for my husband.

So to me, the question posed is, what corners can I cut and still be reasonably satisfied with the results?  I already know frozen food purchased premade from the grocery store is, in general, not satisfactory to me or my family.  I already know that canned food ditto.

I am especially conscious of planning ahead because I am soon to have foot surgery, which will keep me off my foot entirely for weeks, and then my husband will be driving me to work and picking me up afterwards because it's my right foot so I can't drive for at least two months.  At least I won't be in a wheelchair, but probably a knee-based rolly thingie.  I will be bringing my lunch with me, and delivered food is out of the question health-wise or gastronomically.  I work in an industrial area midway between Springfield and Annandale.  The nearest restaurants are McDonald's and Burger King.

What to do?  Right now the only think I can think of is to make lots and lots of bone broth, because it seems to me that bone broth is a good thing to consume when one's bones are healing.    Other than that, my husband's standard repertoire includes pot roast, beef stew, chili, and meat loaf.

I guess one solution would be to make a massive pot of generic sofrito, onions, celery, parsley and garlic, and save that in the fridge or freezer, as one makes and saves a massive pot or two of stock.

Ilaine, I wish you the best.  I identify with your upcoming surgery:  as I type this I have an "Arizona Boot" on my left foot because of tendonitis.

Between the Arizona boot ( http://orthocraftinc.com/Pedorthic.php ) and a fabric brace I wear both every waking minute.  I've also worn both for about two and a half months now in the hope of fending off foot surgery.  FWIW, I started w/o being able to walk more than a few feet without a pronounced limp. Today, I did three miles and I am about to give up the Arizona boot and only use the fabric brace.  (I use the fabric brace when I walk distances.)

A month or so down the road I should be sort of back to normal.  As an aside, I didn't cook for a month.  I was also fortunate because it was my left foot-not my right.  If I'd had a clutch I would have been in trouble!

Good luck to you!  This is one moment in life where it is good that time goes by faster, perhaps much faster as we get older!

[zoramargolis]

My sympathies--I have spent several long frustrating slogs, trying to cook while on crutches, not putting weight on one leg. It's a real drag. But when you are just talking about using a slow cooker because you need to save time when putting together meals and to avoid take-away food, that's really a different story. As far as aromatics go, an onion, rib of celery and a carrot can be peeled, chunked, tossed in the food processor and ground up ready to cook in your slow-cooker in about five minutes total. Smash and peel a couple of garlic cloves with the side of a knife and toss them in, another 30 seconds. A bay leaf, a couple of stalks of parsley and thyme--toss them in, you can fish out the stems when you serve the meat-- another 30 seconds. Adding 6 or 7 minutes to your prep time will make a world of difference to the flavor of your finished dish. If you are organized and know what you need to do, you don't need to dumb down your flavors in order to save time.

And I hope you have an ice circulating pump to manage post-surgical pain. Highly recommended.

[Ilaine]

Hi Zora, I was specifically wondering about making a sofrito for the aromatics vs. just putting them in raw.  I would never omit them.

What ice circulating pump do you recommend?

[zoramargolis]

Hi Zora, I was specifically wondering about making a sofrito for the aromatics vs. just putting them in raw.  I would never omit them.

What ice circulating pump do you recommend?

Well, a sofrito is essential for Spanish stews and paellas, but briefly sauteing and sweating the aromatics is all I do in most instances.

I don't recall the brand of the ice pump. It was one sold to me by the foot and ankle surgeon's practice when I had achilles tendon reconstruction. It looked like a little beer cooler. And I brought the bootie that the ice water circulates through with me to the surgery, and they put it on over the gauze and under the Ace bandage.

[Ilaine]

Zora, I am from New Orleans, and cannot imagine cooking without the Trinity, but my own version, onions, garlic, celery, and flat parsley (not really a Trinity), NOT bell pepper.  For most dishes, I feel that bell pepper does not really bring anything essential to the table for most recipes.  Similarly, mirepoix, I just don't see what carrot brings to the table.  I mean as part of a mirepoix.  Why does one pre-cook carrots?  I don[t see the point.  Or, for that matter, bell pepper.

Flat parsley, on the other hand, is essential.  And celery, too.  Neither of which benefit from sweating or browning. But UBER essential are onion and garlic, which are  MUCH much better sweated first, or even, in the case of onions, not just sweated but cooked down towards caramelization, and garlic is better lightly toasted to a golden color.

And then, of course, herbs.  I cannot be a happy cook without fresh thyme.  Cooking without fresh thyme is as impossible as cooking without salt and pepper. Our big pot of thyme in the front yard is still going strong even after snow storms and ice storms.  And, of course, bay leaf.

Hmmm.  Thinking about it, what really needs to be browned are the onions and the garlic (lightly).  I guess it's not so hard to brown the onions after chopping, while cutting up everything else.

[zoramargolis]

Well Ilaine, I agree with almost everything above, except about carrots. Both Italian and French cuisines include carrots in their mirepoix, sofrito or pestata. And I include carrot in many Mexican and Spanish dishes, too. Carrots bring an earthiness and sweetness to the dish. When they are in season in the fall, I also use parsnip, which has the carrot's earthiness with less sweetness. I almost never have green bell peppers in my kitchen: red bell pepper, absolutely. And green poblanos, jalapeí±os, serranos.