Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Episode Transcript

Transcript edited by Hannah “Asher” Sham and Miri Newman

 

Show Intro and Disclaimer

Kylo: You’re listening to Let’s Talk!. Let’s Talk! Is a digital space for students at PCC experiencing disabilities to share their perspectives, ideas, and worldviews in an inclusive and accessible environment. The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Portland Community College, PCC Foundation, or our community partners. We broadcast on our home website, pcc.edu/dca, on Spotify, on XRAY 91.1 FM and 107.1 FM, and KBOO Community Radio, 90.7 FM.

Meet the Hosts

Zoe: Hi, everyone! My name’s Zoe, and welcome to the third episode of A Slice of Life! Today, I’ve got guest hosting with us again, Kuma, because they’re going to help introduce a new miniseries on Crockpot Meals. Kuma’s taught me everything I know about Crockpot meals. And with that, I’ll let them just explain a little bit about what a Crockpot is. 

Kuma: Hi, I’m Kuma. So, Crock-Pots are a really great kitchen appliance that involves slow-cooking something all day long, even if you’re out and about. The nice thing about this is you can plug it in and they typically only have low or high settings. So, it’s really easy just to keep it going all day long, especially if you’re a really busy person like I am. There are different Crock-Pots that allow for multiple different settings as well, which is really cool. But, a Crock-Pot is just a really great modern invention for people that wanna slow-cook meals all day long if they don’t have the time to be at home all day. In my family, we did a lot of Sunday Roasts and stuff like that. Sunday Roasts are typically done in a giant stew pot that sits all day long. You boil it for a little bit, and then you bake it at a really low temperature. So, a Crock-Pot is kind of a nice bridge between that onto just like all-day cooking? 

Today’s Crockpot Recipe

Zoe: That’s wonderful. I’m really glad to hear that. Now, before you started teaching me cooking, cooking safety, and kitchen appliances, I didn’t even know what a Crockpot was. So, what kind of meals can we make in the Crockpot, and what are we making today?

Kuma: You can do a lot of things in a Crockpot. I personally just love doing roasts in Crockpots. I know a lot of people who do stews. You can do braised meat. I’ve heard of some people doing ribs, as well. I’ve heard of other people doing chicken and dumpling soup, or rice dishes even.

Zoe: That is true and, I have to say, the last time you made pot roast, you left it slow-cooking for an entire day and, gosh, that meat fell right off the bone, didn’t it? 

Kuma: It did! Yes! So, today what we’ve done is something really simple that I grew up on. It’s a 13 bean mix with pork haunches. So, pork- 

Zoe: Ham hocks? 

Kuma: Yeah, ham hocks. Wow, thank you! I added onion, bell pepper, a chili pepper, and then some Swiss Chard in there, and then also some cumin, bay leaf, coriander, salt and pepper, oregano, and a splash of lemon juice. 

Zoe: Now, all those ingredients; you can find the recipe and list of ingredients below on the same web-page or the page that you’re viewing this episode on. But, it seems so difficult. All those ingredients, all those seasonings. Once you prep all those ingredients, what do you do then? 

Kuma: Oh, you just put it in the pot. You add water.

Zoe: It’s that easy? 

Kuma: Yeah. I love adding some extra bouillon base in there. I forgot garlic. Add garlic too. I use bouillon base. I find it gives a bit of a more earthy flavor and then the bay leaf really just enhances that. The lemon juice, that acidity, really just helps those flavors pop even more. 

Zoe: Yeah! I was wondering, ’cause usually you have a little bit of sour in things like cocktails or in noodle dishes, like Pad Thai. But, how does the sour contribute to the soup here? I imagine it’s sort of similar to being like a tomato, where it accentuates the sweet and the savory as well. 

Kuma: Yeah, it does. So, the Swiss chard is typically a, pretty savory green. 

Zoe: Oh, that is true. 

Kuma: So, having a bit of lemon juice in there can help flavors like that come out. Especially with bell peppers also being slightly sweet in general. It’s a good enhancement. 

Zoe: And this lemon juice container that we got; it’s like, two quarts, we got at Costco. How much did we get it for?

Kuma: I don’t remember… 

Zoe: Oh, gosh. I think it was only six bucks at the time. It’s lasted a really long time, so it’s very economical. If you wanna splash up your meals; just a little bit of lemon juice really helps to bring out the sweetness, the savory. It’s so good! 

Kuma: Yeah! 

Zoe: So, you’ve loaded all your ingredients into the slow cooker, stirred in your seasonings, your water, your bouillon base, and you’ve just started it at low heat. Is it just as simple as that?

Kuma: Yep. 

Zoe: Okay. Well- 

Kuma: So, a low heat cook is good for, I would say, eight to 16 hours of cooking. 

Zoe: Ooh! 

Kuma: High heat would be four hours, or less. 

Zoe: Well, it’s just as easy as that. So, we’ve got our cooker here. How long has this soup been in the Crockpot and cooking? 

Kuma: Since 6:30 this morning. 

Zoe: Oh, and it’s around…

Kuma: 7:00 PM.

Zoe: Oh, it’s 7:00? So, it’s been 12 and a half hours! I bet that meat is gonna fall right off the bone. If you lift the lid, how does it smell? And, what’s the meat like? 

Kuma: Well, I need a spoon for that! 

Zoe: Yeah, it’s always good to taste your food so you can adjust your seasonings. 

Kuma: Ooh! Okay, okay! It’s nice and beany? It’s nice and beany. The ham hock has definitely fallen off the bone and, the nice part too is, there’s little bits of fat, still. So, it’s slowly simmering into that broth, so it’s gonna add just a touch of pork fat sweetness to it. 

Zoe: Yeah, that flavor, that lovely pork flavor!

Kuma: Yeah. So, let’s see. 

Zoe: If you’re worried about the fat, you can always skim that off too, off the surface and whatnot. How is it? How does it taste? 

Kuma: I feel like it could use a little bit more salt 

Zoe: Perfect. That’s what tasting and seasonings are for. 

Kuma: Can you give me the salt and pepper, please?

Zoe: Oh, 100%. We got us here, nothing too crazy, just a simple salt shaker and pepper grinder. But, if you have these seasonings, you can just, you can really spice up any dish. But, I don’t have to tell you that. 

Kuma: Okay. Oh, that’s much better. You wanna try it? 

Zoe: Sure! 

Kuma: Okay.

Zoe: Oh! You can really taste the pork. It’s got that earthiness from the bay leaf and the beans. The lemon juice really helps balance out the flavors. That is a fantastic soup! So, as we wait for this to finish simmering and cooling down; this could really use a side!

Kuma: It could! 

Making the Buttermilk Biscuits

Zoe: I mean, the Crockpot was just so simple. You toss everything in and we slow cooked it for 12 and a half hours. We have the meal and we didn’t even invest too much effort into it! What kind of side do you think would go well with this, though? 

Kuma: Well, if we’re going to Kuma’s childhood; Buttermilk Biscuits. 

Zoe: I’ve always thought Buttermilk Biscuits were really hard to make. I tried making biscuits and gravy once, and it turned out horrible! 

Kuma: Well, did you use store-bought biscuits? 

Zoe: I did not. Oh. I tried making my own biscuits, and they came out flat as a pancake. 

Kuma: Do you know how to bake? 

Zoe: Mostly only what you’ve taught me. 

Kuma: Okay! So, nothing wrong with store-bought biscuits. 

Zoe: That is true. 

Kuma: That is true. I love them. They’re so soft and fluffy. I think people find the gravy part to be the part that is the most challenging, and it’s really the biscuits if you’re going for making everything from scratch.

Zoe: Ah. Um- There’s a real big difference in a mediocre biscuit and a flaky biscuit that just blows your mind. 

Kuma: So, Buttermilk Biscuits are really easy to make, at least in my opinion. 

Zoe: You sure about that? 

Kuma: Yes! You’re talking to the baker in the household. I will say a piece of information that I really appreciate having, and always will share, is that you can actually buy powdered Buttermilk. 

Zoe: Ooh. 

Kuma: Yeah. You can buy powdered Buttermilk. Because in stores they typically only sell buttermilk in, uh-

Zoe: In the cartons.

Kuma: Yeah. “In the quart”? 

Zoe: “By the quart”, yeah. 

Kuma: Yeah, they don’t do anything like a pint or anything less than that. They only do quarts. So, you have a whole bunch of buttermilk then that’s gonna go bad. 

Zoe: That’s true, yeah…

Kuma: So, what are you gonna do with it? You’re just gonna make a whole bunch of biscuits? Not everyone wants biscuits all the time. It’s whatever. So, I use this brand called The Sacco Pantry, and it’s Cultured Buttermilk Blend.

Zoe: Ooh! 

Kuma: And, it’s specified specifically for cooking and baking. Now, the thing with this is after you open it, you need to store it in the fridge. 

Zoe: That is true. 

Kuma: So, I’ve already prepped it. That goes back in the fridge. So, for buttermilk biscuits we need three-quarters liquid cup, buttermilk. Not a dry measuring cup. You need a liquid measuring cup. 

Zoe: Mm-hmm. 

Kuma: You need two cups all-purpose flour, two teaspoons baking powder, half a teaspoon baking soda, a little bit of sugar, seven tablespoons of cold butter. Not frozen, cold. So, refrigerated. 

Zoe: Now, first of all, that sounds like a lot of butter. But, second, why should it be cold and not frozen or room temperature? 

Kuma: So, frozen, it’s not actually gonna curl into the pea shape nodules that we want. By having it refrigerated and cold, it’s still malleable in our fingertips. Which is really important. So we’ll get more product dispersing throughout the biscuits. If you had it room temperature, it’s just gonna melt. 

Zoe: Gotcha. 

Kuma: And that’s not what we want for Buttermilk Biscuits.

Zoe: These ingredients and the recipe can be found on this same page where you’re viewing the episode. But, the type of butter; I guess, I will leave that up to you. Because, Kuma and I like to use a very specific kind of butter! 

Kuma: Yes. Okay, so what we’re gonna do is you’re gonna take a mixing bowl. I would say for any bread product you are making; whether it be cake, whether it’s biscuits, bread, bagels, all your dry ingredients should be sieved through first into the mixing bowl. 

Zoe: Now, why would you sift all those ingredients into the mixing bowl? 

Kuma: It removes the clumps. So, say you bought donuts at the store, and you’re very excited about these donuts, and you bite into a donut that you really were anticipating, and you just get a mouthful of pure flour. 

Zoe: Ugh! That’s horrible! 

Kuma: Just pure flour in your donut. But, everything else is fine. You just bit into a spot with pure flour. That’s what we don’t want to happen. 

Zoe: Ah! So, by sifting it we avoid things like that. 

Kuma: Yes. So, a sift has a mesh screen on it as well. It’s really nice to use them. I have a really basic one that I bought from Safeway years ago that I use. I use it for all my baking. So, any sugar, flour, if it’s going into a huge dry mix, I’m using the sieve. 

Zoe: And you can use it for so many other things too. Draining vegetables, pasta. A very simple one is cheap, easy to buy, and you can take it home and use it for everything, basically. 

Kuma: Yep! 

Zoe: That’s a lot of what the podcast is about. Simple, delicious meals at a very affordable price that you can make at home. 

Kuma: Okay, so we’re pouring in the flour. One cup. Two cup. Now leave the measuring spoon in the flour container, ’cause we’re gonna need a little bit more later on when we roll out the dough. 

Zoe: Now, here’s a question for you. I have a friend who, despite trying her best to make like a bread on a bread show, has always been really experimental. So, she uses things like cake flour or mixing in whole wheat flour. What are all these other “flours” and why would we use “all purpose” rather than those flours in this specific biscuit. Because, her bread has been not great recently. 

Kuma: Oh, I wish you could see the look on my face right now. So, it has to do with the gluten and protein content within the flour itself. All purpose flour has a pretty solid baseline on the protein, in the flour itself. Meaning you can use it for a lot of different things. If you want cake flour; I believe it has less protein in it. That’s specifically for if you’re making cakes. There’s pastry flour as well. There’s bread flour, which I always go for when I’m making a loaf of bread. Because, I believe it has a higher protein content in it. Whole wheat flour has a very short shelf life, as well. But, it has a very particular use, and that’s if you’re making sourdough starter, actually.

Zoe: Oh, I see!

Kuma: Or if you wanna make whole wheat bread. It’s best to keep that refrigerated, or in the freezer before you use it and after you use it. But, I would say your friend should stop. 

Zoe: They should. Yeah, we’ve been trying to tell her to stop, but she doesn’t listen! 

Kuma: Well, that is her prerogative then. I would say, though, mixing cake flour and whole wheat flour is a very bad idea. 

Zoe: Yeah. As evidenced by her many failed attempts. 

Kuma: Okay, so now we’re adding in the baking powder. So, that’s two teaspoons. 

Zoe: Okay.

Kuma: There we go. Then we’re gonna be adding in the baking soda, which is half a teaspoon. Then the sugar, which is a teaspoon. 

Zoe: And these are all easy, simple ingredients that you can get and store at home. 

Kuma: Yep! Keep them in bulk. 

Zoe: Yeah! Just like a run to Costco or the chef store, you’re set. 

Kuma: Yep. Now we’re sieving those dry ingredients into our flour.

Zoe: Okay. Okay. Oh, yeah, getting those clumps out and removing the impurities. For all you listening, for context, Kuma’s been my guide, cooking role model, and teacher for a while and around here; I don’t really know anyone outside of professional bakers really that can rival Kuma’s bread making. Kuma’s bread baking skills are legendary around here! 

Kuma: You know, I still have a lot to learn. 

Zoe: See, that’s the mark of a true bread lover, though! Because, no matter what, there’s always more to learn. 

Kuma: Okay, so now we’re adding in the butter. So, slice up your butter. We need the seven tablespoons of cold butter. You slice it up, ’cause we’re gonna be working with one tablespoon at a time. 

Zoe: Working it into that mixture. Okay. 

Kuma: Yes. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty when it comes to baking, unless it’s a cake. You’re probably gonna be getting your hands dirty. 

Zoe: Now, here’s the thing, though. If you’ve never kneaded dough or you’ve never really gotten your hands in there. I tell you, the first time I kneaded dough for bread, it was magical. It felt almost like the dough was alive. 

Kuma: Yeah, that’s the point! So, drop a tablespoon of butter into your flour and you’re gonna be pinching it in between your fingertips, okay? So, you’re rubbing your fingertips together, and it’s gonna slowly break up. 

Zoe: Okay.

Kuma: You’re gonna do that until you’re all finished with the butter, so all seven tablespoons are in the dough itself. 

Zoe: Okay.

Kuma: You’ll find that the dough, in and of itself, kind of becomes a little bit more congealed together. Maybe a little bit darker in color by just a shade. 

Zoe: I see. I see.

Kuma: Tablespoon three. 

Zoe: Ooh, very nice. When you’re working with these mixtures, really use your eyes and use your sense of touch to work it in because even without vision, even without the sense of smell for me, even just going by touch; master those skills. Master feeling how the mixture should feel.

Kuma: Okay, tablespoon four. You want it to be cold butter. Refrigerated butter. Otherwise, it’s gonna melt too quickly. 

Zoe: Now, if it melts too quickly, what will that do to the biscuits? I can imagine- 

Kuma: It wouldn’t make it fluffy. 

Zoe: Ah!… That’s probably what happened to me then! I remember using room temperature butter that I got last time. 

Kuma: Yeah, don’t do that. In some recipes it is great to be using room temperature butter, or sometimes even melted butter. It really depends on the recipe that you’re following. Okay. Now, I will say, baking is more of a science than an art. Okay, tablespoon five of butter. So, you need to be very precise in baking. I would say follow the recipe for baking as closely as possible until you get a hang in the kitchen and you feel really confident in your skills.

Zoe: Now that makes a whole lot of sense. For me, the lesson especially has to be that even though things taste good together, that doesn’t always mean that the flavor profiles match. Like this soup here is so simple but so delicious. After I left home and I was on my own, didn’t know what to do, striking it out in the world for the first time really, this was actually the first meal that Kuma served to me and offered to me, after we had first met. So, I look at this meal with a lot of nostalgia. It was so warm, comforting, and just absolutely delicious! 

Kuma: Okay, now we’re on tablespoon six. Also, yes, this was the first meal I gave you, and I thought you were- 

Zoe: I think I cried! 

Kuma: Yeah, I thought you were a little bit crazy when you started crying!

Zoe: Listen! Good food is close to the heart! 

Kuma: Bear in mind, we both know we have very different upbringings when it comes to food and everything. But, for me this is peak childhood. This is poor kid meal that we have, and you don’t even need to use ham hocks. You can use stew meat- 

Zoe: Oh, yeah… 

Kuma: chuck roast, even. Well, stew meat is just chuck roast chopped up. 

Zoe: Weren’t we thinking about beef shank, or something else this time? 

Kuma: Yeah, beef shank, yeah! You can use beef shank, too! 

Zoe: What about like chicken breast or like maybe even chicken tenderloins or thighs?

Kuma: Yeah, as long as you chop it up. You can totally use the bones in there if you wanna add a little bit of extra flavor profile. 

Zoe: Some of the, like nutrition from the bones. 

Kuma: Turkey leg. 

Zoe: Oh, yeah, turkey leg! That’s true! 

Kuma: Giblets…

Zoe: You can slow cook the bones afterwards to make like a stock as well. If you’re vegetarian that’s still no problem at all. You can remove the meat, add in substitutes. Because, at the end of the day the only thing that was non-vegetarian was just the meat. 

Kuma: Okay, now I’ve added tablespoon seven. So, it’s a little bit more crumbly now. But, it’s still holding together. 

Zoe: Ah, I see. What does it mean if it’s crumbly, but starting to like fall apart? 

Kuma: Well, that’s the thing. With buttermilk biscuits that’s kind of how you want the dough to be, with the dry ingredients, before you add in the buttermilk. 

Zoe: Ah, gotcha! 

Kuma: If that makes sense?

Zoe: Yeah, ’cause I think another thing too was that I overworked my dough last time and I used the room temperature, thawed butter. So, I think that those were the two primary things contributing to why these turned out so bad!

Kuma: Yeah, I would say, again, just follow the recipe as closely as possible until you actually feel confident in what you’re doing. 

Zoe: That is true. To any new kneaders of dough out there, it is good to knead the dough well, but definitely don’t overwork it, otherwise you start to break down the gluten in the dough, and it turns out just yucky and flat. 

Kuma: Yep! 

Zoe: So, work it well, but don’t work it too hard! 

Kuma: Exactly! Okay. So, now we have it all ready. Now we’re gonna add in the Buttermilk. Remember, I prepped this earlier. So, if you’re using fresh buttermilk, go ahead. We only need a three-quarters cup Buttermilk. Pour that into the dough. Well, the dry ingredients, that has the butter in it. Now, we’re gonna mix it all together into a soggy dough. This is where you’re getting your hands dirty!

Zoe: Does this recipe use eggs? 

Kuma: Nope! 

Zoe: Oh, wow. That’s a plus for all you people like me who are allergic to eggs out there! 

Kuma: Now, your hands are gonna get really dirty. 

Zoe: Yes, they are! 

Kuma: That’s perfectly okay. Don’t be afraid of it. I promise you it’s fine. 

Zoe: This is cooking. If your hands aren’t getting dirty, you’re doing it wrong! Now granted, a clean workstation and do your best to keep things tidy. 

Kuma: Could you get me a knife real quick? 

Zoe: Yeah, sure

Kuma: Scrape down my fingers. 

Zoe: Oh, okay. Let me get you- This one’s nice and dull. 

Kuma: No, it is not! 

Zoe: Not this one? Okay… 

Kuma: No! That’s a kitchen block knife, to scrape down my fingers?

Zoe: Oh, you’re scraping down your fingers? Oh, I’m sorry. Here, let me get you like this- 

Kuma: Whoa!

Zoe: Let me get you a spoon. Why would you ask for a knife?!

Kuma: ‘Cause the knife works just fine! Oh, my God, it almost had me! 

Zoe: Sorry, I thought you were scraping down something else. I didn’t realize that you were scraping down your fingers. Then I proceed to hand you like this foot-long kitchen knife! 

Kuma: Yeah. That’s a good way of hurting yourself in the kitchen, okay? Don’t do that. 

Zoe: Kitchen safety, everyone! Make sure that you’re careful with your utensils, and especially if you’re going to try this recipe. Make sure your slow cooker is somewhere where it’s safe. It can’t easily be exposed to water, it can’t cause any fires. ‘Cause safety first, everyone!

Kuma: Goodness, almost had me! 

Zoe: I did almost have you- …

Kuma: Chop off my fingers!

Zoe: I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! But, yeah, flavor profiles and good combinations! Even if it’s simple, as long as the flavor profiles really connect, it means that it’s gonna be absolutely delicious. 

Kuma: Do you wanna try my weird trick for the dough?

Zoe: No, not right now. I’m not encouraging students to… 

Kuma: Okay, okay, okay. Okay, fine! We’ll cut that part out! 

Zoe: Yeah, we cut that part out. Sorry, I don’t wanna encourage students to do so! 

Kuma: We can all be weird together! 

Zoe: Yeah, Kuma has this odd little trick the way that they test dough and- 

Kuma: It works out perfect! Okay?! Every time! 

Zoe: They taste the dough! 

Kuma: Okay, so now we’re pouring some flour onto our workbench. 

Zoe: Okay! 

Kuma: All-purpose flour. We are plopping the dough straight on there. 

Zoe: And, your workspace is just a counter, right? So, you’re just pouring it on the counter? 

Kuma: I put it on a cutting board.

Zoe: Ah, gotcha! Yeah, ’cause I know people do it on a counter, a clean cutting board. If you’re doing it on a surface, like your counter, then make sure you sanitize it well. 

Kuma: Yep. Okay, so now we’re gonna slowly be pressing the dough down. It’s still gonna be a bit soggy. Which is totally okay. So, think of it as like a half solid paste. We’re not gonna overwork it too much, but we still want it to be like a solid thing. So, that’s why I said keep the flour out. ‘Cause we still want this to hold its shape.

Zoe: Ham Hock and Green Soup plus Buttermilk Biscuits. So simple, but so delicious. Sometimes the simplest things are the best! It’s the reason why everyone loves their barbecue chicken pizza! I would tell y’all the kind of pizza I ordered yesterday, but Kuma can’t cover their ears and also I’m pretty sure they would hate me for telling y’all.

Kuma: Maybe we should not take you to any buffets or anything like that. 

Zoe: That’s probably for the best. Last time I went to a Chinese Buffet, I made this amazing smorgasbord of all sorts of vegetables, meats, and topped it all off with chocolate and tapioca puddings. Oh! And a banana with red sauce on top, with strawberry sauce. So, it was kind of like a meal, dessert all in one. It was like- 

Kuma: That sounds- 

Zoe: It was like awful benefits … 

Kuma: That sounds like a stomach ache waiting to happen. 

Zoe: No regrets! 

Kuma: Okay. Well, that’s you… I’m sure you had some regrets. 

Zoe: The only thing I regretted was not putting more of that delicious teriyaki chicken on there.

Kuma: Okay, so now the dough is starting to firm up after we’ve been kneading it on our floured surface. If you have some of the dough sticking to your surface you can easily just wipe it up with your fingers and knead it back into the rest of the dough. 

Zoe: We don’t wanna waste any of this lovely dough, do we?

Kuma: No, we do not! At this point, it’s still a very soft dough. You can easily mold it. 

Zoe: Is it tacky, or is it starting to become more of a just soft and buttery? I don’t know how best to describe it! 

Kuma: I would say “tacky”. 

Zoe: “Tacky”. More so tacky? 

Kuma: Like sticky tacky, right? 

Zoe: Yeah, yeah, yeah! 

Kuma: So, it can still hold its shape and it’s still moldable. 

Zoe: Yeah. All right, I got you! I got you! 

Kuma: Okay, so now we’re going to… 

Zoe: And see, I worked it past that point last time, so I definitely overworked it.

Kuma: Yeah, we don’t want that. We’re going to pat this into a rectangle on the board, or as much of a rectangle as you can get. You can use the heels of your hands. 

Zoe: Okay. Would you use a roller or like a- 

Kuma: Yeah, you can! 

Zoe: Yeah, you can even use your forearm as a roller, I guess you could also do it that way.

Kuma: Uh… I wouldn’t suggest it. But, yeah… 

Zoe: I guess you can get your forearm nice and dirty, so yeah! Just use your hand! 

Kuma: So, now we have a rectangle. You’re going to fold one end of the dough over into thirds. You’re gonna do three rolls of the dough. 

Zoe: Okay, three rolls.

Kuma: I am going to be taking my rolling pin. I’m gonna be adding a little bit of flour to it. 

Zoe: Just to make sure the dough doesn’t stick? 

Kuma: Yeah, just a tiny little bit. And, I’m gonna roll out the dough. While this is all happening, make sure your oven is preheated to 450 degrees. 

Zoe: Nice and hot, I see. 

Kuma: It is, yes! 

Zoe: And, remember, careful with hot ovens. You wanna make sure that there’s no things to dry in the oven, or you keep other materials in the oven, make sure they’re all out of there. We don’t want anything burning. 

Kuma: Yeah. We’ve rolled out our dough. Try and get it to, I would say, half an inch thick. Now you’re going to cut out the biscuits. Now, if you’re somebody who doesn’t have a lot of baking gadgets; you can use, if you have, small drinking cups that are two inches in “circumference”. Or, not “circumference”, “diameter”. Diameter, 

Zoe: Diameter. 

Kuma: You can easily add a little bit of flour to that rim and use it to punch out the biscuits.

Zoe: That’s actually brilliant! Why did I never think of that? 

Kuma: I have biscuit and cookie cutters. So, I’m gonna use that. And again, I’m gonna add flour to that. 

Zoe: Ooh, okay, okay. 

Kuma: Just a little bit. So, the oven is preheated. We’re cutting out our biscuits. There will definitely be leftover dough from the biscuits, which is okay. ‘Cause you can easily roll that back up and use it to make more biscuits. 

Zoe: That is very true. Just roll it up. And would you press it out with a rolling pin again?

Kuma: Yeah. I would do that, yeah. 

Zoe: Okay, yeah. ‘Cause, last time I didn’t even press it out with a rolling pin. I just squished it with my hands.

Kuma: Well, I mean, you can. But, there’s nothing quite like fresh biscuits. 

Zoe: There’s a reason that my biscuits came out awful, and I’m assuming your biscuits here are gonna turn out spectacular. 

Kuma: So, now we have our pan. We’re gonna spray down our pan a little bit. 

Zoe: Is this a muffin pan, or is this just a regular baking sheet?

Kuma: Just a regular baking sheet. 

Zoe: Oh, wow. So, cheap, easy to buy. If you keep it clean and put one of those- What are the wax things on the bottom called? 

Kuma: Oh, Silicone Baking Mats? 

Zoe: Yeah! Yeah, silicone baking mats. It makes the cleanup so easy, and it makes it so you don’t burn food to your baking sheets, and it really helps increase the longevity of them.

Kuma: Mm-hmm. But, spray it down with just a touch of oil. We don’t want the biscuits fully sticking. So, now we have those biscuits that are cut out and we’re gonna set them inside. So, in total, out of this dough, I have 10 biscuits. Out of this whole doughy dough. Those will expand too, so make sure they have room to expand. 

Zoe: 10 biscuits, that’s a lot of biscuits. But, they are delicious! My guide dog, Tucker, he’s a fun, goofy guy. But, he’s also kind of picky. He’s a very quiet dog, but the last time he barked was when Kuma’s focaccia bread was sitting on the counter and he saw it. I was standing nearby and he jumps like straight up into the air and goes, “Woof!” 

Kuma: Yes. 

Zoe: These days, whenever I’m cooking or whenever I’m doing something in the kitchen, he does not come and check it out. He’s just like, “No, thanks. I’m all good.” But, if Kuma’s in the kitchen doing anything arbitrary in the hopes of getting like a taste of their bread or a treat from them, they will sit right outside the kitchen and just watch.

Kuma: Should we tell the public about why he does that? 

Zoe: I would consider it a learning opportunity. So, yes. Now, we have a special name for our the meals that I make. I won’t say directly, but just know that they’re terrible! So, if it’s like a “Zoe Meal”, that means a certain thing. Because, when I first moved in to my new place and Kuma was teaching me cuisine and lending me their cookware and everything and being just an outstanding person. I was basically a complete cooking newbie. I didn’t know anything about it. I was under the impression that when you combine a lot of things that you really enjoy together, then they taste better together. For instance- 

Kuma: Which is not true all the time. 

Zoe: That is not true. A “Zoe Meal” is when you do something like; “I love Junior Mints and I love Hot Pockets. Let me put Junior Mints between these two Hot Pockets, microwave it so the Hot Pockets cook and the Junior Mints melt then together, and then put more over it so it’s like a chocolate confection with Hot Pockets in the center!”. I can tell you from a friend’s experience, it’s not very good.

Kuma: No. No… Okay, so we’ve rolled out our dough. We’ve cut out the biscuits. We’ve placed them on the pan. You’re gonna take a little bit, maybe a tablespoon max, of buttermilk, put it in a cup, and you’re gonna take like a little silicon cooking brush and brush the top of the biscuits with it.

Zoe: And, those brushes are just like a couple bucks. 

Kuma: Yeah. They’re really easy to buy. So, we’ll use them for cooking and baking. A lot of people use them when making barbecue. ‘Cause they’ll sop the sauce all over the meat. Okay, so now our oven is preheated. Everything is ready. We’re gonna take the pan and put it in the oven. Because I bake frequently, my recipes tend to just say the timeframe of, “bake until this color.” I will say that’s not for everyone and it depends on the oven you use as well. So, I would say, typically, 10 to 15 minutes or lightly browned on the top. 

Zoe: Lightly browned. I’m sure if you’ve ever had like a really nice crispy, flaky biscuit then you’ll know what it looks like. You don’t want it to go dark brown. Then it’s starting to burn! 

Kuma: Yep.

Zoe: Ooh, that heat! 

Kuma: Okay, so now that’s in the oven. Now we can clean up! 

Zoe: So, while you’re cleaning up, Kuma, you’ve told me a lot about the Crockpot Cooking, the biscuits. But, since you’ve been such an inspiration and taught me so much, I’d like to ask you some questions about; let’s say your background and what a Crockpot means to you. 

Kuma: Can I pull up this bowl first? 

Zoe: Yeah! 

Kuma: Okay, let me do that.

Zoe: That’s what the cleaning’s all about! 

Kuma: Then we can circle back to your questions, because I just dropped something and it made a loud noise. Let me do this real quick, okay? Plus that “dough bowl” has to soak. 

Zoe: If you’re cleaning, you can always soak the bowls and whatnot. I’m really thankful that you agreed to come and be a guest on this episode as well. Because, next week I’m planning to invite a guest on who will talk about what it’s like cooking and eating not only without vision, but with diabetes as well! It’ll be really interesting because she’s going to likely give us a recipe for a dessert. I’ve really never actually thought about what dessert would look like or what even shopping would look like without vision for someone who has to watch their sugar and calorie intake. So, it’s gonna be really amazing! But, for this week, Kuma, thank you for helping me start this miniseries on Crock-Pot meals! How much did you get this Crock-Pot for? I’ve always wondered. 

Kuma: Oh, I bought it used, so I spent less than $10 on it from Goodwill. 

Zoe: That’s so nice. It could be a little bigger, but at the same time you can get one of these easily for 10/ 20 bucks from Goodwill. That’s amazing! 

Kuma: You can get bigger ones- So, this is a four-quart one. You can get a six-quart one. I think they sell ’em, at minimum, $30? 

Zoe: That’ll hold a lot of stuff. I know a friend who made Lamb Rogan Josh. 

Kuma: Ooh, yummy! 

Zoe: Yeah! It was really good in the slow cooker. ‘Cause they slow cooked the lamb neck until it was… Fall apart- You could have eaten it with a spoon, I tell you! 

Kuma: Give me the recipe! Please! I love a good lamb recipe! 

Zoe: Oh, goodness, yes! Just seasoning it to how you like. Tasting is always nice. So, can you tell me a little bit, while these buttermilk biscuits are slowly getting ready to be eaten, can you tell me a little bit about what Crock-Pots or like, you know, Crock-Pot cooking has meant to you growing up, and how they’ve influenced your life and how you see cooking?

Kuma: Kind of just what I said earlier about it being a good way for my family to make hot meals. I grew up with divorced family and a single parent taking care of me, working 12/14 hour shifts sometimes. So, him getting this all ready before he’s going to work, and I am his child who has to eat, and he has to eat too. It’s a good way of having a hot meal ready after a really long day. 

Zoe: That sounds so amazing. You were in the kitchen for not too long, and you prepped everything and just got it into the Crockpot, but it seemed so easy, and I was done. All I had to do was season. There was so little effort involved, but a big time investment. So, for you folks who are at home and you’re on the edge like, “I don’t know if I should.”, this can make such amazing meals. This can make a pot roast. You can make wonderful Indian Curry dishes. You can make this soup, other soups, things that need to pressure cook. When I tell you that really good slow-cooked pork comes out falling off the bone! 

Kuma: And that’s low heat- 

Zoe: That is low heat… 

Kuma: for a long time. 

Zoe: What was that place that we ordered from? Well, not ordered from. What was that place that we went to that was practically the best barbecue in Portland, I would even say! That’s a personal opinion, but still! 

Kuma: Reverend’s Barbecue. 

Zoe: That’s right, Reverend’s Barbecue. The pork ribs that he gave us, fell off the bone! It was so good!

Kuma: Where were we? 

Zoe: Yeah, you were talking about a hot meal, ’cause your dad would leave for work. You needed to eat, he needed to eat and this seems a lot healthier than taking even a Pasta Roni and just whipping it together; it seems so much easier than those frozen meals too, so much more nutritious. 

Kuma: It really just depends on who you are as a person. It’s totally up to you. I love a good soup. I love a good stew. Stew with a grain next to it. That’s the life for me. 

Zoe: Do you remember that time, that you and I went to one of my favorite childhood places back then, that I remember? I would come to Portland to play like table tennis, and sometimes afterwards, out of necessity, we would go shopping at this place called “Phu Bon” in Portland. Do you remember last time, Kuma, that you and I went to Phu Bon like about a month or so ago? 

Kuma: Mm-hmm. 

Zoe: What did I get from the deli again? It was like a really delicious Banh Mi, right? 

Kuma: Oh! I think you got a like- 

Zoe: Like a Barbecue Pork Banh Mi?

Kuma: Yeah, I think it was barbecue pork, or it was some Marinated Pork Banh Mi.

Zoe: It was a really good meal, and it was only five/ six bucks, I think? 

Kuma: Mm-hmm. 

Zoe: What did you get again? ‘Cause, I got so clapped by whatever you got! 

Kuma: So, folks, let’s bear in mind; Zoe cannot see anything! 

Zoe: Or smell. I have no sight and no smell- 

Kuma: Or smell. We were at the deli, and I looked down and I saw on their menu they had this thing called fish stew and it looked really good. Now, I would say maybe my definition of stew is a little bit different from theirs, which is perfectly fine. To each their own. No judgment. But, we’re talking fish steaks sliced straight through the vertebrae, skin still on that was simmering in a pot with, I think, onions, garlic and ginger was in there? 

Zoe: Yeah, yeah. 

Kuma: And it looked really good! Really, really good! It was only… I think I only paid- 

Zoe: It was like seven bucks.

Kuma: Yeah!

Zoe: And, you got a small and the thing was huge! 

Kuma: Yeah. And Zoe, our dear listeners; I think the terminology was, “batshit insane”. You called me “batshit insane” for getting that. 

Zoe: I didn’t call you “batshit insane”. I called you “bonkers off the rockers”. 

Kuma: Okay, well close enough to me! 

Zoe: “Bonkers off your rocker”, or something like that. 

Kuma: Close enough to me. Granted, I also knew she couldn’t see it, but it looked really good. It smelled really good.

Zoe: For context, the last time that I talked about fish stew consistently with Kuma, has been, “I’m gonna get it. I’m gonna get this British Fish Chowder with Curry Powder and Mashed Peas on the side!”, and Kuma was like, “If you bring that home into this house, you are disowned!”.

Kuma: Zoe. 

Zoe: Yeah? 

Kuma: Bless your stupid little heart. 

Zoe: Ah! No! 

Kuma: Bless your soul… 

Zoe: Thank you. So, when I heard that Kuma was getting fish stew from this hot deli, I was immediately like, “What? That sounds horrible!” Again, because I had no prior conception of what it was, or how they had made it. But, it was so different from what I expected. The container was a big cylinder, and I don’t think you even managed to finish it. 

Kuma: No. It was multiple meals. 

Zoe: Yeah, you steamed some rice and you got multiple meal. It was only seven bucks! What was the flavor like? 

Kuma: It’s been a month. I’m trying to remember! Oh, no! 

Zoe: No worries! 

Kuma: So, the fish fell right off the bone. That was slightly sweet. With that fishy taste. Then the aromatics. The ginger, the garlic, the onion. But, then also-

Zoe: There was like this earthiness to it too that was seamless. 

Kuma: Yeah, basil maybe? 

Zoe: I think it was basil. ‘Cause, I don’t know how they made it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they had slow-cooked it in a crockpot. The flavors were spicy. They popped. They came together most beautifully, and that fish was so tender and so flavorful. It was so good! 

Kuma: You thought I was… 

Zoe: I thought you were absolutely insane for getting it. 

Kuma: Yes, and then I proved you wrong. Like almost always … 

Zoe: yeah, on the ride home, I was like thinking to myself, “Oh, I’m so happy I got a Banh Mi, and Kuma got some awful little fish stew thing! They’re gonna know pain when they get home!”. Then there I am like being like, “Oh, this is a good Banh Mi.”, and Kuma’s over there being like, “This is the best dang fish stew ever!”. I was like, “No… There’s no way. I must have some…”. Sort of evil villain-esque and then being like, “It can’t truly be that good.”. I tell you all folks listening at home, it genuinely was! I still need to find the recipe for that, because if I could slow-cook a fish stew like that! I would be over the moon!

Kuma: Mm-hmm! 

Zoe: How are the biscuits looking so far?

Kuma: They’re not quite golden yet, but they have risen, and the nice part about buttermilk biscuits with the butter and the buttermilk is they slightly separate just a little bit. So, we’ve probably got about 10 more minutes, just based off of this- 

Zoe: I suppose, yeah. That’s the art part about being fluid, knowing exactly when they’re done. ‘Cause if you have like smaller biscuits, they’re gonna cook faster than if you have big plonk biscuits.

Kuma: Mm-hmm. 

Zoe: So, yeah. It’s all about having your time, having your measurements, but cooking to your own tastes and your own desires. Like this soup, maybe somebody might find it not salty enough. Maybe someone might find it too savory. Maybe someone might want a little bit more pepper, or a little bit more lemon juice, or white wine vinegar. It’s all about being able to customize, turn it into what you enjoy, and what can fit your diet as well. 

Kuma: Mm-hmm.

Zoe: For me, growing up, having to play a lot of professional table tennis, it was very important that I get the right nutrients. So, it’s something I always like to think about. But, cooking wise, I’ve only ever thought about the eating aspect of it, never like combining different ingredients like carrots, corn, potatoes, beef, all the things you need like your starchiness, your meatiness, your vegetables, your greens.

Kuma: Mm, girl… 

Zoe: is it that good?

Kuma: You’re just like, “Flavor is everything,” and it’s like there’s so much more than flavor! 

Zoe: That’s true. Part of it is also how I grew up, just having a lot of very flavorless food and consistently bland food. So, going out into the world, trying some foods for the first time; I never had a “gyro” until I was 23, yes. A “gyro”? 

Kuma: “Gyro”. 

Zoe: Gu- gyro? 

Kuma: “Gyros”! 

Zoe: If anyone has any feedback on how that’s pronounced; I always heard that people called it, “gyro”.

Kuma: So, what I’m doing right now is I’m pulling out the bones. 

Zoe: Oh, okay. And if you take those bones, you could pressure cook those, right? 

Kuma: Yeah, you totally can. I would just say, because it’s filled with like spices and everything, maybe not. 

Zoe: Ah, that’s true, yeah- 

Kuma: That’s just me, personally. 

Zoe: Although, the way that my mother used to put it; she would pressure cook the bones until they created a stock and were so soft that, according to her, you could feed them to dogs. I wouldn’t personally do that, because pork bones they don’t splinter like chicken bones, but if they have like a hole in the center they can get caught in dog teeth, or if it’s too hard the dog can injure themselves. So, always be careful about what you feed your dogs. 

Kuma: Yeah. 

Zoe: But yeah, growing up, we had this pressure instant multi-cooker. But, it was interesting because we never really used it to its full potential. Mostly we just cooked like rice or porridge or, occasionally, some pork. But, I never learned about what Crockpots really could do here. This is such an amazing, hearty, and delicious soup. Pre knowing Kuma, I would’ve never known how to make it. So, in a way, I suppose this heals my trauma and it also makes me jealous of the Crockpot. He’s mine now! 

Kuma: You’ll get your own Crockpot! 

Zoe: I will! 

Kuma: Okay? That’s not the issue. What was I gonna say? 

Zoe: I don’t know. Will Santa bring me a Crockpot? 

Kuma: Santa’s bringing you Ugg Boots, because that’s what you asked for. 

Zoe: That is true. I do want a good pair of Ugg Boots. 

Kuma: Oh, I know! Fiber. We were talking about fiber. You had mentioned fiber. So I would say a lot of people don’t actually have a good fiber intake nowadays. 

Zoe: That is true, yeah. 

Kuma: Beans are the most common way of getting a good source of fiber. People don’t eat a lot of beans. Which is to each their own. 

Zoe: And I know that some people are like, “Oh, the calories or the carbs”, or whatever. But, if you’re worried about that you can also go with like some good celery. Raw celery is really good. 

Kuma: I would say, too, it helps prevent colon cancer. It’s not just good for your body, but beans provide a very good fiber content and also really good protein content. So, if you’re a vegetarian and you don’t eat meat, beans are a good way of getting it; or vegan, too. 

Zoe: That is true, it’s really good to get lots of good fiber. Doesn’t spinach have a lot of good fiber too? 

Kuma: “Iron”. 

Zoe: Oh, “Iron”! Gotcha! Spinach has always just been a real favorite of mine, ’cause it’s got flavor, it’s got depth, and you can eat it raw on sandwiches. You can have it in a salad, in soups- Oh, it’s got so many wonderful uses!

Kuma: We’re gonna pull out the biscuits now. 

Zoe: Okay. How do they look and smell? 

Kuma: That’s a hot oven. Nice and golden brown! 

Zoe: I don’t actually hear anything. Is that normal? 

Kuma: Huh? 

Zoe: I don’t hear anything. So, I suppose I won’t be able to tell by, if you can hear me by listening to them whether they’re done, but… Oh, yeah, if you tap on them, they’ve got this nice sorum hole, but also you can tell that it’s a nice thick biscuit sound to them. They’re not sizzling or anything. So, our buttermilk biscuits are done and the soup’s ready. Let’s go ahead and plate it up and see how everything tastes together! Thank you. That’s such a nice warm bowl of soup, and with a buttermilk biscuit too. Oh, divine! 

Kuma: So, the biscuit is in there. I like having a grain that sops up the soup- 

Zoe: sops up that soup, that lovely broth! 

Kuma: Mm-hmm. So, why don’t you try it? 

Zoe: Okay! 

Kuma: There’s the biscuit. 

Zoe: Along with some broth, yes.

Kuma: Hope it’s not too hot for you.

Zoe: The beans have integrity. They’re not mashed. They’re really good. The soup has flavor, and the biscuit has that nice doughiness. It’s so delicious! It’s like when you just pour cereal into the milk and it’s still crispy, but it’s still in the milk! It’s kind of like that. It’s so good. Oh, I’m crying a little bit.

Kuma: If you can’t tell, this is a common occurrence in our household where Zoe cries over food. 

Zoe: Yes. But, yeah, what are your opinions on the meal? Give it a taste. I can’t wait! 

Kuma: I think it’s delicious! I don’t know. I cooked it! 

Zoe: Truly, but yeah, I need the chef’s seal of approval! 

Kuma: Oh, goodness. Okay. Okay… oh, my God, so good! All this childhood, right there. 

Zoe: The biscuit is just so full of flavor, so amazing. If y’all can’t tell, one of my main roles is to exasperate Kuma!

Kuma: She has succeeded this time. 

Zoe: Yeah. But, at the end of the day, when you taste it and you hear nothing; usually, for me, that’s a good sound. Because, that means that they’re so enjoying the flavor that they have nothing to say. 

Kuma: Can I go enjoy my meal now? 

Zoe: All right. Well- 

Kuma: I’m hungry, okay?! 

Zoe: Yeah, we’ve been cooking for a long while, and thank you for listening, everybody! So, with that, thank you again, Kuma, for guest hosting this new miniseries on Crock-Pot Meals. Tucker and I are signing off, and Kuma’s gonna say bye to you in a second as well. Thanks for listening, everybody! 

Kuma: Bye-bye! Enjoy your meals! 

Zoe: Yay!

Outro

Asher: Thank you for listening to Let’s Talk!, Portland Community College’s broadcast about disability culture. Find more information and resources concerning this episode and others at pcc.edu/dca. This episode was produced by the Let’s Talk! Podcast Collective as a collaborative effort between students, the Accessible Education and Disability Resource Department, and the PCC Multimedia Department. We air new episodes on our home website, our Spotify channel, XRAY 91.1 FM and 107.1 FM, and KBOO Radio, 90.7 FM.