Although we were without power for about twelve hours, we’re already back in business. I’m not complaining, but I hardly had time to put my put culinary survival skills to good use! Anyway, we’re pleased Irene is nearly history. Thank you all for sharing your power outage menus. The lucky winner of Michelle’s book is Lynn from Arizona. Enjoy!
Between last week’s little tremor and Irene heading our way, East Coasters are in a bit of a tizzy, so Three Many Cooks has decided it’s giveaway time. And as it turns out, the dish we’re offering is perfect late-summer fare and could be potentially the perfect dish to weather the storm.
Last week I was in Miami visiting with Michelle Bernstein, chef-owner of acclaimed Michy’s and Sra. Martinez. I had already seen her in action, so I knew she was a very gifted chef and savvy entrepreneur. What I hadn’t realized was that she was also author of a lively, appealing cookbook-Cuisine a Latina-that showcases her South American-Italian-Jewish heritage, along with her Spanish, Caribbean, Cuban, Mexican experience.
While you see Bernstein’s chef-y brilliance in each recipe, the food is very personal with the home cook in mind. I’ve heard that if a cook can find two good recipes in a book, it’ll stay on her shelf. If that’s true, Michelle’s book will find a place on mine. I’ve carefully paged through the book and there isn’t a single recipe I wouldn’t want to try.
In her introduction Michelle speaks of her mom’s early influence. “Thanks to my mother, I had a built-in comfort level with cuisines that were foreign to most American palate, with ingredients like cumin, boniato, hot chile peppers, and chorizo, and dishes like escabeche (fried marinated fish in oil and vinegar) and tamales.”
While she was home Michelle says she took her mother’s cooking for granted, but apparently not for long. While in New York pursuing a dancing career Michelle decided to trade in her ballet slippers for a chef’s jacket. Her mother’s influence continues. Tables turned, Mom bakes the cakes for one of Michelle’s restaurants.
We’re giving away a copy of Michelle’s Cuisine a Latina:
And remember, if you cook the fish and make the croutons ahead for Seared Halibut with Gazpacho Two Ways, you could be enjoying the storm in style.
Cheese, baguette, fruit, and red wine.
Our power goes off ALL the time in thunderstorms and unfortunately we always seem to be last on the list when a line is down, so I’ve had some practice. I usually wait to open the fridge in hopes that it will come back on soon, so I stick to crackers and peanut butter, canned tuna, the tomatoes that are inevitably sitting on my counter, and whatever else I can find in the pantry. If it lasts longer, then it’s whatever fridge ingredients we can polish off – usually means big salads and lots of cheese!
cheese, crackers, & sausage. maybe some grapes
Skinny Girl Margaritas! Nacho’s on the grill, and any meat/sausages/chicken in the freezer that will thaw, and make soft tacos and grilled corn. Hmmm…that sounds like a great idea for tonights dinner! Thanks for that! Take care everyone!
We fire up the grill and bring out a roast from the freezer – add some veggies and voila! A delicious pot-roast!
As a resident of Alabama who lost power for 5 days, I will say that hot dogs seemed to be the food of choice!
Sardines and saltines…
baloney sandwiches and potato chips
Peanut butter, nutella, and marshmellow cream on graham crackers with a glass of milk! That should cover all the necessary food groups!
Cheeseburgers on the bbq!
Peanut Butter and Fluff (Marshmallow Cream) Sandwiches!!
I would fire up the grill and cook all the meat and veggies I had in the fridge before they went bad! So if the power went out right this minute that would consist of Burgers and Grilled Chicken Thighs with some zucchini and squash!
I would have fresh raspberries, feta cheese, grapes, walnuts, spinach and raspberry vinaigrette.
When we were hit with Hurricane Andrew in Miami we cleaned out the fridge ’cause we knew it was only a matter of a day or two before everything went bad. Now that we live up north, we fire up the gas grill and go for the standard hot dogs and burgers!
It will be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!
Fresh fruit, canned fruit & vegetables, bread, cheese, chips & salsa!
Fruit. Lots of fruit!
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and any ice cream in the freezer…
I would like to eat cold cereal while the milk is still cold! And fruit.
When the lights go out … Dont worry! Use your bbq and make something fantastic with the leftovers in ur fridge before the food goes bad!!! LOLZ.. I grew up in Miami and I unfortunately experienced the trauma of losing EVERYTHING !!!! My husband, kids and I walked away with nothing but our van and the clothes on our backs … It was a very contemplative time as I truly realized that a home and all the things in it can be replaced your loved ones and dear friends cannot so cherish all the tiny moments everyday and go ahead and use the fine bone china thats locked away in your china cabinet… Oops! went on a tangent for a sec sorry… I love to cook so I would definitely say that I would do a grilled veggie stir fry… Knowing my home I would probably do a quick marinade on the chicken, cut the pork chops off the bone and into chunks and use the fresh veggies in my garden such as peppers, tomatoes and zucchini along with the wonderful herbs.. Cut up the hot dog buns spread a little butter on them and grill those up and top them with shredded cheese (which is always in my fridge) and basil and voila … yummy dinner…I also have canned pineapple so I would mix butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg … make a glaze ,spread it on the pineapple and grill the tar out of them . BTW, Love you three manys! Stay safe in the storm!!!
tuna, tomatoes and olives
Being from Florida, and going through many hurricanes, no electricity is something I am used to experiencing. My trusty grill is always nearby , but our favorite emergency go to meal is crackers with sardines or smoked oysters right out of the can, and a nice bottle of red wine, followed by s’mores from the fireplace, of course. Very romantic……….
Pan dulce (mexican bread) and milk!
I agree with Bubbles, using indirect heat, your grill becomes an oven. I have served the neighbors turkey pesto paninis, then believe it or not, chocolate chip cookies – yes Pam – they were from Cook Smart, and thawing in my freezer as we went days on end without power. Also this summer by Boy Scout sons and I have been working on dutch oven skills. They make a great Johnny Marzetti and pineapple upside down cake with their oven and some coals. Hoping you and your loved ones stay safe!
Peanut butter and home made raspberry jam sandwich or a bowl of cereal :o).
Anything on the grill…we even grill dessert! Ha!
Hmmm… I’m really stumped. I’d probably go hungry because there isn’t much in the house! But I have to say, I’ve got gas appliances so I’m pretty sure I’d be okay.
Bean salad, burgers on the grill, tuna sandwiches, fruit.
what I am going to eat up here in Maine is probably a combination of cold, dry cereal and peanut butter sandwiches lol. What I would LIKE to eat would be tamales, tostadas or carne asada with chirmol, guacamole and arroz!
Guacamole, fresh tortilla chips and an icy Coke or lemonade. Perfect.
The grandkids love to make s’mores when the power
is out. We light candles and melt marshmallows
over the flames before placing them between the
graham crakers with Hershey’s chocolate squares!
PB&J~~a staple in our house. 🙂
My grandchildren like to make s’mores over a candle
during a power failure. We warm the marshmallows
over a flame before placing them between graham
crackers with chocolate squares! Yum!
Nutella sandwiches, apples and iced tea!
We lost power for 8 days here once when we had an ice storm. Luckily our fireplace was gas. I made pork chops in a cast iron skillet on the fireplace one night. I even took my crock pot to work, where we still had power, to make dinner a few times. The rest of the time we ate lunch meat and takeout. We didn’t loose any food from the frezzer, we just put it in the back yard since it was wicked cold out there!
bruschetta
We eat anything that can be cooked on the gas grill. I must admit though, that after our first winter in “the country” and having to buy water since our well does not work without electricity, we bought a generator capable of powering the entire house. With four children still at home, it was a nightmare heating snow to flush the toilets!
Like most others, I would use up what is in the frige and cook it on the grill. Right now there is lots of chicken and plenty of ingredients for salads.
We lost power earlier this summer for a period of four days (freakish thing for our house since we live close to the power plant). We pulled out all perishables and started eating what did not required cooking such as fruit and sandwich fixings. Funny thing, the kids thought it was fun (for the first day). Fast forward to day four: pizza in town. Thank God for friends and family with extra room in their freezers.
PB&J – on white gooey bread, of course!
During the storm: hummus, with raw vegs, a glass of pinot grigio cheese on crackers.
After the storm: Dinner on the grill, fish, roasted vegs. bread baked on the grill. (Anything is possible with a grill and cast iron pots.)
When I know the power is going off I transfer food I want to eat first to a cooler. With plenty of blue ice in it frozen goods thaw slowly. Food we eat later is transferred to the fridge freezer with as many bottles of frozen water as we can fit in. I have kept food rock solid in my deep freeze for three days as long as we don’t open it.
Wine, with some bread and dipping oil.
Planning for Irene I bought canned tuna and crackers. I also made sure I had plenty of Bombay Safire for my martinis and Jack Daniels for Shuster’s Manhattans. Hope Maggy and Andy are in the country with you and Dave!
My mom’s flautas and refried beans that are in the freezer…that way I don’t have to feel the pain of having to toss them because of lack of refrigeration!
I completely forgot to get bread at the market yesterday and am not willing to go back again today! SO the plan is if we lose power I will make some fresh soft flour tortillas and we will grill chicken and veggies to fill the tortillas. My family has been making flour tortillas ever since we took a trip out west when I was 12 years old and visited friends of the family. Prior to that trip we would always have tacos from the box (the crunchy type) but our friends made fresh ones for us that day and we haven’t bought a boxed taco kit since then… we went for the trip over 30 years ago!
baguette, fruit, and red wine.
Garden tomatoes and goat cheese.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I also made up some banana bread in the event we lose power.
Anything on the grill!
hot dogs cooked in the fireplace.