start at the very beginning

For my birthday, my daughter took me out for lunch and pottery painting. This happened about 3 weeks after my actual birthday, because she was away at university when my birthday took place. At the time, she sent me a handmade card with a promise of lunch. The pottery painting was a bonus.

We decided to paint bowls for one another, so that when she returned to university, we could eat from the special bowls, and feel close together, even when we were apart. I made her a small bowl for oatmeal, something that she enjoys most mornings in her residence room. She made me a big bowl for salads. We both love big salads. My daughter does not get to make these often in her res room, but we make them all the time at home.

I love my bowl. It's just the right size for large, main course salad. It's delightfully oversize for any other use. I am enjoying using it for lots of different foods.

I decided to start a new blog, based on the yummy foods that I put into my beautiful bowl. It's a way of sharing my enjoyment of cooking and eating, and a way to connect my daughter with our kitchen, even when she is far, far away.

So here is my first post, with a bowl full of goodness.

Ground Beef and Udon Noodle Stir Fry

I cooked this for my son last night. My husband was at work, and my daughter was out for supper with a friend. Alex and I just wanted to enjoy a quick, hearty supper and a beer while we watched The Big Bang Theory on TV. Here's how I made it:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion - chopped chunky
1 bunch broccoli - chopped
1 carrot - peeled and chopped
1 chayote squash - peeled and sliced
1 large clove garlic - sliced
2 packets fresh udon noodles
sesame oil
soy sauce
siracha

In a jumbo skillet, I sauteed the beef until it was starting to crisp a bit, then I set it aside, and sauteed the veggies. At the same time, I heated a big pot of water and cooked the noodles (they take about 5 minutes). When the veggies were nearly ready, I added the cooked meat, and seasoned with the 3 s-ingredients: soy sauce, sesame oil, siracha. I drained the steaming hot noodles and stirred them in. It was really good!

The new thing about this recipe was the chayote squash. I have never cooked with it before, but it looked so fresh and green at the produce store, and it has been featured on the TV show, Chopped a few times recently, so I wanted to try it. It was fresh and light and crispy - kind of like broccoli stems but a bit less dense.

It was so yummy I probably could have filled the bowl all the way up and eaten it all myself, but then what would Alex have eaten for supper?

Happy winter supper from the big bowl blog.