We've finally received some rain after a two-year drought here in Southern California. When I first moved here, I was amazed at the panic that occurred during rainstorms that were -- in my Midwestern experience -- fairly light. But it quickly became evident that the reason for the panic was that the entire infrastructure is unprepared for any precipitation.
There's almost an arrogance here in Southern California, especially for those of us living by the ocean, that we really don't have to worry as much about such niceties as shelter from the weather. After all, the weather here is perfect more often than not. As another transplant put it, "If my car breaks down here, I'm not in danger of dying." So the roads are pretty much slapped down without regard to such basic engineering nicities as grading, which means that any time it sprinkles, water pools up everywhere, even on the highways where the speed limits are higher and the danger of hydroplaning is greater than in any state I've lived.
Rudimentary sewer systems -- everything drains to the ocean -- don't help the situation and the soil that makes up the hills here is sandy and unstable, kind of like packed sandcastles, so it's really easy to make it slide.
But after more than 10 years, I'm used to it. We actually live in one of the safest areas around, considering all the natural hazards. So when the rain comes, we just settle in and listen to the drops falling on the skylight. I also like to cook up warming meals that fill the house with the wonderful scent of cooking food.
This is Rob's very favorite recipe, so I make it for him on special occasions. But, just to keep things fresh, I trot it out randomly from time to time. It's super easy, but the flavor is amazing. This is one of the recipes that I make regularly that uses Reynolds oven bags. After years of trying different methods, -- slow cookers, braising in Dutch ovens -- I've found the bags offer the easiest way to make some really wonderful meals. All the food goes inside, so there's very little mess, the food cooks evenly and the flavors develop very well in the steam-filled environment. It's close to a traditional Swiss steak, but with a few differences. I know some people would look down their noses at the onion soup mix addition, but it really adds a depth of flavor. The low cooking temperature ensures a tender dish.
The thing that really sets this recipe apart is the mashed potatoes. I've worked for years perfecting my mashed potato recipe, and it's pretty close to perfect. The important thing is to take the extra time to make sure all of the ingredients are the same temperature.
Swiss steak and mashed potatoes
1 2- to 3- pound chuck roast or round steak, whatever is cheapest, slightly salted and pounded with a meat tenderizer
1 tablespoon flour
1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
1/2 cup red wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 large can Progresso crushed tomatoes in puree
3 bay leaves
Heat oven to 295 degrees. Place flour and soup mix in a large Reynolds oven bag and shake to coat the interior. Place meat in the bag and shake to cover the meat. Add wine, Worcestershire sauce, crushed tomatoes and bay leaves in the bag and massage to mix. Tie the bag and poke the top with a couple of holes to steam. Place the bag on a roasting pan and cook for at least 3 hours or until meat falls apart.
Mashed potatoes
3 pounds peeled Idaho or russet potatoes, cut into large (2-inch) pieces
1 stick butter, softened (Put cold butter in microwave for 15 seconds to soften)
1 1/2 cup milk warmed in microwave for 1 minute
salt
pepper
Cook potatoes in salted boiling water until they are tender when speared with a fork. Drain thoroughly. Return to dry pot and mash together with butter with potato ricer. Add milk until soft and fluffy. Season to taste. Serve hot.
Accident update
For those of you following my recovery from my 2007 accident, I am scheduled for surgery Sept. 21. We're starting with a arthroscopic procedure, and hoping that does the trick, although the knee looks to be in pretty bad shape at this point. But my foot was in a lot better shape than the doctor initially thought, so with any luck ...
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