August Cook of the Month: Ellen Johnson

Our August Cook of the Month is none other than my big sister, Ellen Johnson. Ellen can be a picky eater at times, but she’s a great cook who knows what she likes and knows how to execute it. I lived with Ellen in 2010-2011 when I was a post-college party animal, and the healthy, comforting, home cooked meals she made for me in her motherly way are some of my best memories from that time. I still make her chicken sausage tacos at least once a month for a quick and delicious weeknight meal: Simply saute chicken sausage and onions in olive oil and eat with corn tortillas. Add rice, cheese, lettuce, salsa or whatever else tickles your fancy.

We used to work up quite the appetite in our Miami Dolphins cheerleading days. 

Another fun fact about Ellen? She has been on a strict gluten-free diet since 2006, which is way before celebrities, bloggers and grocery stores caught on to the fad. Gluten free products have come a LONG way since then, and my hat is off to people like Ellen who have legitimate allergies and had to endure many a grainy, dusty brownie in the dark days before Celiac awareness. She makes it work for her and rarely is tempted by that bread basket or Georgetown Cupcake line. Or so she says….

We caught up with Ellen to hear what she has to say about all things cooking:

Name: Ellen Johnson

Location: Arlington, VA

Age: 29

Occupation: Senior Account Manager at Leapfrog Solutions; Wife, sister, Doodle Mom

Who taught you how to cook? I would say I’m a “frankencook” — I’ve learned to cook from a ton of different people and adopted my own style through their teaching. Friends, both grandmothers, my mom and of course, The Capitol Cook have helped me become the cook I am today.

Tell us about a favorite cooking memory. My favorite cooking memories involve the Fall of 2009 when I lived with my Nanna in Atlanta. Every night we would make dinner together over a glass (or two) of tempranillo and talk about our day. I’d listen to stories about her childhood and married life and she’d teach me about cooking along the way.

Do you prefer cooking or baking when you’re in the kitchen?  I think I prefer cooking vs. baking because there is more drama to the big “reveal” after cooking a big meal. Lots of moving parts and pieces, which speaks to the project manager in me.

How often do you shop for food? What is an average bill for you? I end up shopping once every 10 days to two weeks and my bill is usually pretty steep — anywhere from $150-$200 depending on how long it’s been. Gluten free food is expensive!

What is your favorite type of food? I could eat pizza or pasta any day of the week, so I would say Italian. Although I have never been known to turn down chips and queso either!

Besides the obvious, how does your cooking differ when you are preparing food just for yourself versus your family or a crowd? When I’m cooking for myself, I tend to stick to basics and I don’t really deviate from my favorite 3-4 dishes: spaghetti, broccoli stir fry, marinated chicken — things like that. I’m a creature of habit. When I cook for a crowd I will get really ambitious and creative, looking for interesting dishes with unique flavors. It’s how I learned to love brussel sprouts, quinoa and pork.

What are the top five tools you use in the kitchen? Chopping board, garlic press, wooden stirring spoon, olive oil, and saute pan. I don’t start any meal without onion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper!

What are some of your go-to recipes, the ones you reach for time and time again and know by heart? If I’m using ground beef, I’ll make a mean spaghetti and meat sauce. With chicken, I’ll do a “Fiesta Chicken” with baked chicken, a can of salsa and melted cheese. If I’m going vegetarian, I’ll make a loaded fried rice with tons of veggies. When I’m craving sweets, I make my mom’s No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.

It’s Tuesday night, your significant other or family is all out of town and you are alone in your home for the evening. What are you having for dinner? It’s a toss up between a bowl of cereal with cold milk, a frozen pizza, or peanut butter on seed crackers. No muss, no fuss.

What is your favorite cook book/website/show/personality/etc.? My mother-in-law got me a subscription to Real Simple and I always look forward to their “10 ways” to cook a certain dish feature! Otherwise, I rely on The Capitol Cook 🙂

Ellen and me during our roomie days. 

 

Peace, love, and Gluten-free brownies,

The Capitol Cook

 

July Cook of the Month: Hannah Shatzen

My little sister Hannah is a great cook, but more than that, she is the go-to person in our family for fun activities. She always spices up our SFRA (Shatzen Family Reply-All) emails with creative ideas for get togethers like homemade pizza night or blindfolded wine tastings (perhaps as revenge for the years we spent making her play “blindfolded baseball,” a game in which she was the only one blindfolded. Yes this was as dangerous as it sounds but she was the little sister, after all).

Our love for cooking goes way back. When we were little, we spent hours on our “cooking show,” where we took literally everything out of the pantry, set it out on the island in our kitchen, donned my mother’s aprons and played “Cooking with Sandy and Mandy.” We even had our little opening song featuring our stage names: “Sandy and Mandyyyy/Mandy and Sandyyyy” before we cut in to introduce ourselves to the viewers at home:

Me: “Hi, I’m Sandy!” 

Hannah: “And I’m Mandy!”

Together: “And you’re watching ‘Cooking with Sandy and Mandy!'” 

It was a very creative and groundbreaking intro in its day. 

I don’t think we made it past that line before collapsing in a fit of giggles. After that, we’d proceed with making our recipe of the day, which was usually something like Ritz with Kraft American cheese or Bagel Bites. Which you have to admit are both delicious. 

When off the set of Sandy and Mandy, Hannah moonlighted as Beach Patrol. 

These days, Hannah’s cooking is a bit more sophisticated, albeit heavy on the fish tacos. Hey, the woman knows what she likes. I caught up with Hannah to talk more about her cooking philosophy:

Name: Hannah Shatzen

City, State: Washington, DC

Age: 24

Occupation/Role: Channel Marketing Manager, NetApp, Entrepreneur and Sister 

 

Who taught you how to cook? I think I kind of taught myself over the years by watching the ways that my mom and grandmas cooked, how they interpreted recipes, timing, the hotness of an oven, the way to mix the dry ingredients before the wet ingredients, etc. Of course my mother and both of my grandmothers taught me how to do certain things hands-on over the years too, which I can apply to recipes when I personally cook. But at my age now, I tend to throw together things based on taste and look; I hardly ever use a recipe (but I should definitely start!).

 

Do you have a favorite cooking memory? What is it? I remember playing sous chef for my mom when I was little and we lived in Miami. She would always give us small tasks we could do while she cooked a big meal and it always made me feel special and like I was adding value to the meal (even though I was probably making more work for her, ha!). I also used to have a cooking show with my sister, Jill. The SANDY and MANDY show. We would throw on aprons and big chef hats and pretend to be on camera and could “cook” for hours on end. We had an intro song and everything, “Sandy and Manddddddy, Mannndy and Sanndd…” I’ll spare you the rest 🙂 (EDITOR’S NOTE: Jinx.)

 

Do you prefer cooking or baking? Why? I think I prefer cooking. I enjoy salty things more than sweets, so I would say that is why. Queso over cookies any day!

 

How often do you shop for food per week? What is your approximate food bill for an average trip to the store? I probably go grocery shopping every two weeks. I have started to go to Trader Joe’s and I’ll spend around $50-90 every visit. I can get SO much more food there than Giant and definitely more than at Whole Foods, although Whole Foods has much better quality food, so if I want to splurge, I’ll go there.

 

What is your favorite type of food? I could never live without Mexican or Spanish-style food. I love fish tacos garnished with cabbage and chipotle sauces, guacamole, carne asada, chimichurri sauce, plantains, it is ALL so delicious and so flavorful.

 

Besides the obvious, how does your cooking differ when you are feeding just yourself versus your family or a crowd? I cook to get by when I cook for myself. When I cook for a crowd, I want it to be delicious, look amazing and just be perfect. When I am alone, if it is hot and resembles food, I’ll eat it!

 

What are the top five tools you use in the kitchen? I am always cooking out of a skillet, which means using a spatula, too. I have to have Tupperware for leftovers, some olive oil and always salt and a dash of hot pepper flakes!

 

What are some of your go-to recipes? The ones you reach for time and time again and may even know by heart? I always make a lemon and garlic sauteed spinach for a quick side dish. Whenever I have leftover veggies, I will put together a veggie salad that usually consists of tomatoes, avocado, chickpeas, cucumbers, salt and pepper. Really easy, quick and delicious, served cold. If you want it to be a little bit more hearty, add some protein. I like it with chicken!

 

It’s Tuesday night, your significant other or family is all out of town and you are alone in your home for the evening. What are you having for dinner? I am throwing a turkey burger on the grill, sweet potato and a side of spinach. But did you say I am home alone? Realistically, I would probably order Thai and watch Real Housewives!

 

What is your favorite cook book/website/show/personality/etc.? My favorite cookbook is the one my mom grew up using, it is black and white and I forget what it is called, but there are SO many great recipes in there that I grew up with: homemade bread, old fashioned soft sugar cookies and more. My favorite cooking show was actually the kid version of Hell’s Kitchen. It was so adorable watching the kids cook and they were so good, too. My favorite website is Capitol Cook, duh!!

Sandy and Mandy, present day. 

Cheers,

The Capitol Cook

Capitol Cook Proudly Presents: Cook of the Month Joyce Holder

 With my grandfather, Edward Holder

For our very first segment of the Capitol Cook’s “Cook of the Month,” I am featuring my grandmother, Joyce Holder, a wonderful southern cook who inspired the delicious Summer Peach Pie and many other recipes. Some of my most cherished memories are from days spent in her kitchen in Arkansas, where she let us play a little game called “recipes,” which meant we could put pretty much any combination of baking ingredients together and bake them. This often resulted in cakes so sweet they hurt your teeth, but that was Grandaddy’s problem as the taste tester, after all. And he always said they were the best cake he’d ever eaten!

I also couldn’t finish this post without including her recipe for Creamy Herb Pasta because it is an absolute CAN’T MISS. I mean it.

 

Nonnie and Grandaddy on their wedding day, August 9, 1953

Name: Joyce Holder

City, State: Conway, Arkansas

Occupation: Wife, mother, grandmother.

Who taught you how to cook?

I learned by watching my mother and big sister, then learned special techniques in home economics in high school.

Do you prefer cooking or baking? Why?

Baking. To me, it is more of a “specialty” cooking, it seems to be enjoyed more, and I have more pride in the finished product.

How often do you shop for food per week?

Once a week, and sometimes an extra trip to pick up an item or two.

What is your favorite type of food?

My favorite is any type of food that comes fresh from our summer garden in my back yard: Corn on the cob, fresh green beans and ripe tomatoes. As for regional foods, I enjoy Mexican dishes. And, bring on the dessert!

Besides the obvious, how does your cooking differ when you are feeding just yourself versus your family or a crowd?

At my house, ‘cooking for myself’ means my husband and me. So for the two of us, I often cook whatever we want at the time, based on what is available in the pantry or freezer. For company, I try to cook dishes the guests will enjoy.

What are the top five tools you use in the kitchen?

Paring knife, vegetable peeler, tongs, mallet, whisk.

What are some of your go-to recipes? The ones you reach for time and time again and may even know by heart?

Pasta with creamy herb sauce, chicken tetrazzini and meat loaf.

It’s Tuesday night, your significant other or family is all out of town and you are alone in your home for the evening. What are you having for dinner?

Whatever I can find in the refrigerator; leftovers or perhaps something I can find for a sandwich.

 What or who is your favorite cook book/website/cooking show/personality/etc.?

My favorite cookbook is the cook book my two daughters compiled of family recipes. My next favorite is my blue loose leaf notebook in which I keep favorite recipes that I have gathered from my co-workers, daughters, other relatives, and recipes from newspapers and magazines.

Nonnie with a very sleepy, very little Capitol Cook.

Nonnie’s Pasta with Creamy Herb Sauce

1/4 stick butter or margarine, melted
Mix in 1 Tbsp. flour
Add a pinch of grated nutmeg
Add a pinch of cayenne pepper
Add about 1 1/2 cups of half and half
Just before it reaches a boil, add 4 oz. or more parmesan cheese.
Stir until it thickens slightly (It won’t thicken much, but that’s okay.)

Meanwhile, cook 8 oz. egg noodles, according to directions on package. When noodles are done, drain and pour sauce over noodles.

You can add cooked chicken and/or cooked broccoli to recipe, if desired.

 

Cheers,

The Capitol Cook