Jul 26, 2017

Other people's recipes – Kandy Shepherd


Do you have his/hers/theirs recipes in your house? I love cooking, it’s a hobby as much as a household necessity. My husband is a good cook. He says that’s only because he can read a recipe but it’s more than that. When I was in my day job, often working long hours, he did more cooking than I did. Husband tends to specialise in stir-fries and omelettes. He never, ever bakes—wouldn’t dare, he says. I love baking probably best of all!

I like baking and trying new recipes! This decadent treat is German Chocolate Cake from the Joy of Baking website

My daughter, the dietitian-in-training, enjoys cooking too. Her specialities tend to be very healthy and often vegetarian. She surprises us with the deliciousness of dishes I would never have thought of cooking. Her salads are supreme. And she keeps us healthy with fresh vegetable juices.


Fresh green juice courtesy of my daughter

The thing is, none of us in the family cooks what the others cook. The dish and the glory that goes with it belongs to the person who cooks it. We enjoy it all the more because of that.  And it feels strange if we veer away from that. It’s like a form of infidelity.

Yesterday, my husband was scheduled to cook. Suddenly there was a minor emergency with his work. This meant I had to cook his planned dinner. This had never been done before. But the ingredients had been purchased. Nothing else was planned. I had to tackle his specialty of Japanese Chicken With Brown Rice—more commonly known as Dad’s Japanese chicken and a real favourite. The recipe comes from a wonderful Weight Watchers cookbook, published in Australia. I can’t find the book at the moment or I’d give you the name of it! We work from a photocopy we made to save the cookbook from kitchen spills.

It’s a flavoursome dish made with chicken, baby eggplant (aubergine), baby (Dutch) carrots and ingredients like Tamari (Japanese soy sauce) and Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine). Was I up for it? I went into the kitchen with some trepidation.

My attempt at Dad's Japanese chicken (those are not dead bananas in there but baby eggplant/aubergine!)
Cooking hubby’s favourite recipe was like wearing someone else’s clothes that didn’t quite fit. I did my best. However I couldn’t resist tinkering. I added some sesame oil to the peanut oil. Snuck in a fat clove of garlic. He hadn’t bought gai lan (aka Chinese broccoli) to serve with it. I used ordinary broccoli I had in the fridge. Fried the eggplant first as I think eggplant tastes better that way (thus using a bit more oil than the Weight Watchers allowance.) And didn’t have any green onions to garnish it with.

My husband graciously told me my version tasted better than his. I didn’t agree. It tasted good. Very good. But it wasn’t the same as when he made it. I like it so much better when it’s Dad’s dish. (And, okay, when I don’t have to cook it!)

I’ve found the recipe online, as well as being tasty, it’s also easy! Here it is: Weight Watchers Japanese Chicken with Brown Rice.

Do you have any family favourite dishes? Maybe one that is jealously guarded? A favourite that you like to make? I’d love to see your comments!

17 comments:

  1. My mom was born in 1919 and she or her mother began a cookbook way back when. It is about 10x16 and the pages are made from pieces of wallpaper. They glued newspaper recipes inside, as well as hints on how to satisfy your man. Quite a hoot. When Mom died in 1995, none of my three older siblings wanted the book. I put it in my yard sale section but then I took it out. I just couldn't say goodbye to it! So it sits here, gathering dust probably, but every so often, yes, I DO take a gander at it. It has Mom's handwriting in it, as well as HER mother's (who died before I was born). None are my mother's original recipes but, rather, are all someone else's tried and trued recipes.

    I created my own cookbook in Word several years ago. I list all the ingredients as found in publications, but I too tweak them, noting my substitutions/varieties below. I have only included two of my own creations so far. One was for chili. I was tired of chili taking hours to cook, I don't like kidney beans all that well, and I detest tomatoes. So I created one with brown beans (always on hand), Ketchup (yum), red and green peppers, and lean ground beef. No spices (because the Ketchup is spicy enough). And everyone just loves it. 15 minutes from start to finish if the beef and diced peppers are thawed. Throw in garlic bread and shredded cheese and you have perfection.

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    1. Laney, thank heaven you pulled your mother's cookbook out of the yard sale. That's a family heirloom! It must be wonderful to see not only your mother's comments but also your grandmother's.
      I have an old book I started handwriting recipes in when I was about 16. Computers have put paid to that. Now I've got a Word file too to save recipes that I have tweaked.
      Your chili sounds great- I'm all for quick and easy!

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  3. Hi Kandy

    WOW I will give that recipe a try sounds really yum for me I am the cook in the house Hubby not so much although when I worked night shift he would often cook but it was very plain sausages potato that kind of food which filled the kids up. I make curried sausages that the family love pretty plain but filling and warming on a winters night my family are not too happy with anything with too many new flavours but here and there I love trying a new recipe :)

    Have Fun
    Helen

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    1. The chicken recipe truly is delicious, Helen. And easy too! I hope you like it if you get a chance to try it.
      Curried sausages are always a favourite aren't they!

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  4. Good lord -- look at that cake. Just...wow! And I am definitely going to try that Japanese Chicken recipe. :-)

    Mr Douglas does a very nice Shepherds Pie...and I love Shepherd's pie.

    My family laugh as I always bring something home baked whenever we catch up -- usually a cake or a slice...but while they laugh there's never any left by the time I'm ready to go home again. ;-)

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    1. Hi Michelle, that cake took hours to make but totally worth it!
      I love shepherd's pie, how nice your husband does a good one. Hmm, it's making me want to make one - just the weather for it Down Under.
      I couldn't think of anything better than someone bringing home baked goodies when they visit. Your family is fortunate - and it sounds like they appreciate it!

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  5. Kandy, that cake looks amazzzzing!!! and well worth the time spent and effort. I bet it tasted delicious as well.

    I am the only cook in my home and that's fine most of the time because I'm not a person who eats for sustenance. I eat for enjoyment and so I love to cook and to experiment. I tire of cooking the same recipes and am always looking for new favourites. I am totally going to try your Japanese chicken; it does sound like something we'd enjoy.

    Today I have made (sugar-free) carrot cake so I can feel virtuous even while eating cake. And I have a beef stroganoff in the slow cooker for dinner. I follow quite a few foodie people on social media and these are recipes I grabbed from their sites.

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    1. Bron, it sounds like your family eat very well! I like trying new recipes as well, I've got so many cook books and magazines. Plus online ideas. I love beef stroganoff, haven't made it for ages and never in the slow cooker. The sugar-free carrot cake sounds like something my daughter would make.

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  6. My joy of cooking was sucked out of me many years ago Kandy with a fussy eater child but before that I used to love to bake and desserts were my specialty!
    I'm getting my cooking mojo back finally but still prefer to "construct" food - mashing up a bunch of already prepared food - than making something from scratch...

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    1. That's sad Amy! But glad to see some joy is creeping back. Nothing wrong with constructing food, when I was editing food magazines the "cheat's way to cook" sections were always very popular!

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  7. I love to bake and cook, but never really had time to do anything but basics or slow cooker meals when my kids were in school, as I was working full-time nights as a nurse and I was always too tired or busy. Once they moved away, it was just me at home and cooking for one isn't much fun. Now that I am "retired" I have had lots of tie to try making things I never made before, and I can portion the results for future meals. If I bake goodies, they get taken to one of my boy's houses so I am not so tempted. I also have recipes and some 1920's cookbooks from my grandmother that have become favorites, and i find myself watching the FOod Network and Cooking Channel a lot during the day. I would record some of the shows and my kids will tease me "Why did you record this episode....you are allergic to shellfish and hate fish" but I can adapt some of those recipes to chicken or pork!

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    1. Hi Laurie, how wonderful you have some of your grandmother's cookbooks from the 1920s - those are things to treasure! I like watching cooking shows too. It's good watching how they actually make the dishes. Very inspiring.

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  8. Kandy, remind me to gatecrash dinner at your house! I love the look of that cake too! We all cook, but like you it tends to be different things, which works well. I've got a few treasured recipes but love finding new ones. One idea I love now belongs to my daughter. I bought her a blank book and she asked family and friends each to share a fave recipe in it, often written in their hand - it's a keepsake and a source of no-fail recipes!

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    1. Annie, you are welcome to dinner at our house anytime! I love the idea of the book you've started for your daughter. What an excellent idea! I might do that for my daughter if you don't and me pinching the idea.

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  9. All I can say is well done you for marrying a man who can cook. I plan to do that in my next life!

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    1. Yes, Jen, he was a good cook when I met him. Maybe that's one reason I married him. My father was a good cook too!

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