I'll admit I've been a little distant from my blog.
And I don't want you to think that I'm not still here, reading blogs and discovering new sites, cooking up a storm, and feeding my hungry husband--because I am. I've kind of enjoyed this mini hiatus from my blog and am here to tell you that it can be very freeing to just let go of any expectations that I might think someone else has of me and this little site.
Frankly, I am the boss of my blog, and as CEO, CFO, COO, and CIO of this little operation here, I gave myself as many sick days, personal days, mental health days and vacation days as I may have needed.
Since taking this time off, I feel renewed in my excited about food. I'm going to do a little renovating of the site to gear up for winter and spring (oh Spring, you are getting so near!). I've cooked some dishes and baked some goods I'd like to share with you, and I hope that you'll continue to engage in a dialogue about food, gardening, and life with me as we take on 2011 together.
Showing posts with label Other. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Other. Show all posts
1.14.2011
12.05.2010
OGFL Recipe Archive
Have you ever looked up at the top of my page to the tab that reads Good Recipes?
I can't tell through the computer screen if you are nodding or shaking your head. So while I am still waiting on our computer to be repaired, I thought I could ask you to take a walk down memory lane with me through my past recipes.
Too lazy to scroll up? Here's the link: Good Recipes.
Happy eating!
I can't tell through the computer screen if you are nodding or shaking your head. So while I am still waiting on our computer to be repaired, I thought I could ask you to take a walk down memory lane with me through my past recipes.
Too lazy to scroll up? Here's the link: Good Recipes.
Happy eating!
11.05.2010
The Messy Katie
I started a new position at work this week. In celebration of my final commute to Oxford I decided to indulge in one of the college town's most famous restaurants.
In fact, picking up a farewell sandwich was my friend Lia's idea, who as I told you before, encouraged us during Alumni Weekend to go not just once but twice to Bagel and Deli for late night food.
So I went to Bagel and Deli mid-afternoon, when the store was empty and only one bagel-maker was working, and I ordered my favorite sandwich--The Messy Katie.
If you're unfamiliar with Bagel and Deli, the name of the sandwich may sound strange. Who is this Katie and why was she so messy? But that's the thing about Bagel and Deli--all of the sandwiches are named for favorite combinations of past employees, famous (and infamous) visitors to Oxford, as well as past and present Miami students, who have left their legacy on the town and this little shop.
Man, that Messy Katie was so, so good.
In fact, picking up a farewell sandwich was my friend Lia's idea, who as I told you before, encouraged us during Alumni Weekend to go not just once but twice to Bagel and Deli for late night food.
So I went to Bagel and Deli mid-afternoon, when the store was empty and only one bagel-maker was working, and I ordered my favorite sandwich--The Messy Katie.
If you're unfamiliar with Bagel and Deli, the name of the sandwich may sound strange. Who is this Katie and why was she so messy? But that's the thing about Bagel and Deli--all of the sandwiches are named for favorite combinations of past employees, famous (and infamous) visitors to Oxford, as well as past and present Miami students, who have left their legacy on the town and this little shop.
Man, that Messy Katie was so, so good.
10.11.2010
Worth the Effort
As I sit here typing, I am still stuffed to the gills. I feel like I could lay on my side and roll down the hall to bed, giving in to the food coma that is lingering in my near future. I told you that there were big fall food plans in my menu this week and tonight I definitely have a recipe you should try.
I was tentatively planning to use that butternut squash puree tonight for a risotto, but my protein wasn't thawed yet so I had to rearrange my menu plans for the week. I decided to go ahead and prep tomorrow night's dinner, put it in the refrigerator, and then make something else for tonight's meal. I figured since I have to work a little late tomorrow night that making tomorrow's dinner ahead of time would make it easiest on Tim. Well, that and I could ensure that all of the food I picked up at the store this weekend wouldn't go to waste.
In fact, I was so excited about tomorrow night's dinner that I emailed my friend K.C., fellow step-mom and avid food blog reader, and told her, I'm going to make Smitten Kitchen's mushroom lasagna this week. To which she replied, I JUST finished reading that post--let me know how it goes. Great minds think alike.
But, when I got home from work, I realized that Dirty Dish Mountain (or Mount Dishmore? which do you like better?) had completely obstructed my ability to use the counter-tops.
Let's just say that between Dirty Dish Mountain and Tim's rumbling stomach I didn't get both dinners prepared. Tomorrow's dinner became tonight's dinner, and mushroom lasagna was an excellent choice.
First there was a pound and a half of cremini mushrooms to deal with. There was the rinsing them, the wiping any remaining dirt from them with a paper towel, then cutting off the stems and slicing them. While I worked on these I started a pot of water boiling for the lasagna noodles.
This recipe, as Deb mentioned in her write up of it, is not for someone short on pots and pans. While noodles bathed in the pot of boiling water and the cremini mushrooms sautéed in some butter and olive oil in a large skillet, I still needed a saucepan to heat up the milk and garlic and then add that to another saucepan to make the white sauce. I was starting to mentally thank our wedding guests again as I pulled out some pots we don't use very often. They really came in handy tonight! Deb did say you could heat up the milk and garlic in your microwave, but what if you don't have one?
Mount Dishmore was slowly growing in the sink again. Thankfully Tim and I have the ongoing deal that if whoever makes dinner doesn't have to do the dishes. I think I've done my fair share tonight already!
My sauce turned out excellent and came together very easily, though if you make this I'd recommend being liberal with the salt. Unless you are using a very salty cheese (like Pecorino), this is your best chance to flavor the lasagna.
Just as the early fall sun abandoned me completely, my mushroom lasagna was assembled and ready to bake. We watched last night's episode of Mad Men (a really, really good one, eh?) and tried to be patient. Thankfully, the lasagna was worth the effort.
Forgive me for the terrible photo, but it was well after 8pm by the time I got to snap this. There was no light left outside, and we are lacking on the bright indoor lights here. You can see, though, the incredible layers of sauce, mushrooms, and noodles and the amazing crispy Parmesan cheese top. It was earthy, salty, crunchy, cheesy, and rich.
I ate one slice, and then had to have a little more. I definitely could have stopped at the first, but this was the type of dinner you are afraid if you don't have just one more bite, you might not get another chance at it. Which is completely silly, especially when we're talking about lasagna in a two-person household. There are leftovers for days, which I sliced up and packaged individually so I can take it for lunches this week and we can freeze a few for another day.
If you'd like the recipe, visit Smitten Kitchen. Check out her recipe archive while you are there--you will be inspired.
As for what I was intending to make for dinner tonight--I guess you'll have to come back later this week to see for yourself.
I was tentatively planning to use that butternut squash puree tonight for a risotto, but my protein wasn't thawed yet so I had to rearrange my menu plans for the week. I decided to go ahead and prep tomorrow night's dinner, put it in the refrigerator, and then make something else for tonight's meal. I figured since I have to work a little late tomorrow night that making tomorrow's dinner ahead of time would make it easiest on Tim. Well, that and I could ensure that all of the food I picked up at the store this weekend wouldn't go to waste.
In fact, I was so excited about tomorrow night's dinner that I emailed my friend K.C., fellow step-mom and avid food blog reader, and told her, I'm going to make Smitten Kitchen's mushroom lasagna this week. To which she replied, I JUST finished reading that post--let me know how it goes. Great minds think alike.
But, when I got home from work, I realized that Dirty Dish Mountain (or Mount Dishmore? which do you like better?) had completely obstructed my ability to use the counter-tops.
Let's just say that between Dirty Dish Mountain and Tim's rumbling stomach I didn't get both dinners prepared. Tomorrow's dinner became tonight's dinner, and mushroom lasagna was an excellent choice.
First there was a pound and a half of cremini mushrooms to deal with. There was the rinsing them, the wiping any remaining dirt from them with a paper towel, then cutting off the stems and slicing them. While I worked on these I started a pot of water boiling for the lasagna noodles.
This recipe, as Deb mentioned in her write up of it, is not for someone short on pots and pans. While noodles bathed in the pot of boiling water and the cremini mushrooms sautéed in some butter and olive oil in a large skillet, I still needed a saucepan to heat up the milk and garlic and then add that to another saucepan to make the white sauce. I was starting to mentally thank our wedding guests again as I pulled out some pots we don't use very often. They really came in handy tonight! Deb did say you could heat up the milk and garlic in your microwave, but what if you don't have one?
Mount Dishmore was slowly growing in the sink again. Thankfully Tim and I have the ongoing deal that if whoever makes dinner doesn't have to do the dishes. I think I've done my fair share tonight already!
My sauce turned out excellent and came together very easily, though if you make this I'd recommend being liberal with the salt. Unless you are using a very salty cheese (like Pecorino), this is your best chance to flavor the lasagna.
Just as the early fall sun abandoned me completely, my mushroom lasagna was assembled and ready to bake. We watched last night's episode of Mad Men (a really, really good one, eh?) and tried to be patient. Thankfully, the lasagna was worth the effort.
I ate one slice, and then had to have a little more. I definitely could have stopped at the first, but this was the type of dinner you are afraid if you don't have just one more bite, you might not get another chance at it. Which is completely silly, especially when we're talking about lasagna in a two-person household. There are leftovers for days, which I sliced up and packaged individually so I can take it for lunches this week and we can freeze a few for another day.
If you'd like the recipe, visit Smitten Kitchen. Check out her recipe archive while you are there--you will be inspired.
As for what I was intending to make for dinner tonight--I guess you'll have to come back later this week to see for yourself.
10.10.2010
A Fall State of Mind
One morning last week, as I was leaving the house to go to work, I realized that the morning sun was reflecting off the frosted grass as if it were glass. As I stood there wondering where the warm weather had gone I decided I should go back inside and grab a sweater and my sunglasses.
The first frost came upon me so unexpectedly that my internal food compass (the one I told you about last month) pointed me towards winter squash and root vegetables. I started mentally preparing this week's menu while I sat in my office chilled to the bone. I wanted to make anything that would warm me up from the inside out.
But then today, in contrast to the last week, I walked outside to a warm, bright afternoon with temperatures nearing 90 degrees. Ninety. In mid-October.
That's Ohio for you.
I decided to keep my menu for this week as I planned it. I'm in a fall state of mind, and there is no turning back.
I spent much of my Sunday afternoon multi-tasking between organizing the mountains of clean (and dirty) laundry we've accumulated, catching up on some episodes of Cook's Country, and starting to prep some time consuming ingredients for dinners this week.
I got the inspiration for risotto from Cooking After Five. Nicole took pumpkin puree and mixed it in with her stock, infusing the stock with the flavor of the pumpkin. Then when she added the stock to the rice, the pumpkin flavor, but not the bulk of the puree, was transferred to the rice.
I opted to swap the pumpkin for butternut squash. And in order to have some pureed butternut squash, I was going to need to make it myself. Using the method that I saw on Annie's Eats, I sliced a 3.5 lb squash lengthwise, cleaned out the seeds, and put both halves cut side down on a cookie sheet. I added a cup of water and roasted them for 75 minutes in a 350 degree F oven.
When I took them out, the flesh of the squash was soft. I let them cool for about 25 minutes while I folded a few loads of laundry (it won't go away unless I take care of it). Then I scooped out the soft squash and added it to the food processor, discarding the skins. I pulsed the food processor until the squash was pureed and there were no more chunks. Then, in the manner that Annie did, I lined a mesh strainer with a paper towel and attempted to strain out some water from the puree.
But truthfully, after an hour sitting in the strainer, no excess water had been strained out. When I went back to consult Annie's photos, my squash puree was much thicker than her pumpkin, and I guess the flesh of squash is just not as watery.
So, I measured the squash out in 2 cup increments and labeled the plastic containers. For me, a 3.5lb butternut squash made about 4 cups of squash puree. I'm going to keep one container in the fridge to be used in my risotto, but that only calls for 1 cup. I might have to get creative to find a way to use the other cup. Any ideas?
I will toss the other container in my freezer, stacked on top of our homemade tomato sauce and a few batches of frozen pot-stickers. If I keep making big batches of things, I'm going to end up needing a second deep freeze.
I have a few other thing to prep this evening so that Tim won't be waiting for hours after work to eat (he likes to eat on a schedule!) but I think I will surprise you with those.
Just think fall food and check back here later this week to see how my week of warm dinners went.
The first frost came upon me so unexpectedly that my internal food compass (the one I told you about last month) pointed me towards winter squash and root vegetables. I started mentally preparing this week's menu while I sat in my office chilled to the bone. I wanted to make anything that would warm me up from the inside out.
But then today, in contrast to the last week, I walked outside to a warm, bright afternoon with temperatures nearing 90 degrees. Ninety. In mid-October.
That's Ohio for you.
I decided to keep my menu for this week as I planned it. I'm in a fall state of mind, and there is no turning back.
I spent much of my Sunday afternoon multi-tasking between organizing the mountains of clean (and dirty) laundry we've accumulated, catching up on some episodes of Cook's Country, and starting to prep some time consuming ingredients for dinners this week.
I got the inspiration for risotto from Cooking After Five. Nicole took pumpkin puree and mixed it in with her stock, infusing the stock with the flavor of the pumpkin. Then when she added the stock to the rice, the pumpkin flavor, but not the bulk of the puree, was transferred to the rice.
I opted to swap the pumpkin for butternut squash. And in order to have some pureed butternut squash, I was going to need to make it myself. Using the method that I saw on Annie's Eats, I sliced a 3.5 lb squash lengthwise, cleaned out the seeds, and put both halves cut side down on a cookie sheet. I added a cup of water and roasted them for 75 minutes in a 350 degree F oven.
When I took them out, the flesh of the squash was soft. I let them cool for about 25 minutes while I folded a few loads of laundry (it won't go away unless I take care of it). Then I scooped out the soft squash and added it to the food processor, discarding the skins. I pulsed the food processor until the squash was pureed and there were no more chunks. Then, in the manner that Annie did, I lined a mesh strainer with a paper towel and attempted to strain out some water from the puree.
But truthfully, after an hour sitting in the strainer, no excess water had been strained out. When I went back to consult Annie's photos, my squash puree was much thicker than her pumpkin, and I guess the flesh of squash is just not as watery.
So, I measured the squash out in 2 cup increments and labeled the plastic containers. For me, a 3.5lb butternut squash made about 4 cups of squash puree. I'm going to keep one container in the fridge to be used in my risotto, but that only calls for 1 cup. I might have to get creative to find a way to use the other cup. Any ideas?
I will toss the other container in my freezer, stacked on top of our homemade tomato sauce and a few batches of frozen pot-stickers. If I keep making big batches of things, I'm going to end up needing a second deep freeze.
I have a few other thing to prep this evening so that Tim won't be waiting for hours after work to eat (he likes to eat on a schedule!) but I think I will surprise you with those.
Just think fall food and check back here later this week to see how my week of warm dinners went.
10.01.2010
She Knows What She Likes
One of the things I love about my friend Julie is that she knows what she likes. Some may call it picky, but I prefer to call it particular. In fact, she is extremely open minded about trying new things and takes life by storm, but she usually knows immediately if something is her taste or not (and I don't just mean food).
For example, I have only met one other person in my life who didn't like condiments on her sandwiches. I'm not talking hamburgers here--I mean, a club or a ham sandwich. She takes no mayonnaise, no mustard, no ketchup, not even a sprinkling of vinegar and oil.
I don't hold that against her. I mean, sandwiches are made-to-order nearly every place you go. And, on my wedding day, when I was so worried about having an upset stomach because of wedding planning stress and pre-wedding what-if-I-trip-while-walking-down-the-aisle nerves, I ordered my lunch sandwich just the way Julie would order hers--plain turkey with lettuce on wheat, nothing else. And it was exactly what I needed.
So when Julie told me she was engaged to her fantastic boyfriend Andy, I didn't have a single doubt that she was 100% sure. She knows what she likes, and I envy her for that.
Their wedding was in Baltimore this past weekend. And it was truly a celebration of their love and a chance for everyone to come together to share that with them.
On Saturday we had a lot of time to kill until the evening wedding, so our friend's Lia and Noah got a recommendation from the hotel concierge to walk to Mt. Vernon, a district in Baltimore that was young and would probably have good eats and good places to browse.
We ended up walking into the middle of a Book Festival in it's setting up phase, so we knew that post-brunch we would have something to check out. We dined at a little cafe called Donna's and ordered a variety of breakfast type meals.
Now, I'm not a restaurant critic, but I did find it odd that a place serving brunch didn't actually seem to have any whole eggs--just already scrambled eggs, limiting it's egg making abilities to a lackluster scramble and a pre-prepared breakfast stratta. The stratta got an A+ from our friends Abbie and Nick, but the scrambled eggs Lia ordered were strange and an odd shade of yellow.
My breakfast, however, had no eggs involved, and was truly incredible.
Three huge slices of French toast with an sweet apple and golden raisin compote over the top that didn't even require the use of the ramekin of syrup I was provided. It was heavenly and I am dying to recreate it. It's all about the bread. Do you know what type of bread I should use for the perfect French toast? Please share if you do.
After brunch we browsed the book festival, where we came across a few interesting things. The first was the reigning Baltimore "Hon" who wore a huge beehive wig and told us all about how she had won the "Honfest" and had spent the past year being the #1 Hon. It's sort of complicated to explain, but it has something to do with the movie Hairspray and big hair and big personalities. Check the link if you are really interested.
And of course in Baltimore there is the whole crab thing. Living in southwest Ohio and my only exposure to water being man-made community ponds and the occasional trip over the Ohio river, fresh seafood is not really a big player in my diet. Baltimore-ians are always suggesting that out-of-towners try their world-famous crab. Our cab driver from the airport to the hotel told us that you have to go somewhere where you can eat the whole crab (which involves digging it out of its shell) vs. eating it in crabcake form, because it's like "steak vs. hamburger." To which our friend Nick said, "I like hamburger." Touché, Nick.
We considered getting some crab and avocado tacos at the book festival from one of the food stands. This was far above normal carnival type food often found at Ohio festivals, so I was intrigued.
The line was long and in the end we all decided we had consumed too much brunch to go ahead and stuff ourselves with more food. The tacos were $8.00 but I'm not really sure if that's a good price or not!
We did eat crab--all of us, I think--because not only was there an amazing choice of crab & linguini in a red sauce at the rehearsal dinner, but there were mini crab cake appetizers at the wedding. So there was crab for everyone, and I must say crab does taste better in Maryland. Maybe it's just a state of mind thing. Either way, it was darn good crab.
The wedding was divine and the band--oh the band--it was incredible. I thought nothing could top the spread of Mediterranean appetizers (including the best hummus I've ever had) but then the band came on and played the best wedding music ever.
The whole night I kept thinking, "This wedding is so Julie." But what else could I expect from her? She knows what she likes.
(Best wishes to the bride & groom!)
For example, I have only met one other person in my life who didn't like condiments on her sandwiches. I'm not talking hamburgers here--I mean, a club or a ham sandwich. She takes no mayonnaise, no mustard, no ketchup, not even a sprinkling of vinegar and oil.
I don't hold that against her. I mean, sandwiches are made-to-order nearly every place you go. And, on my wedding day, when I was so worried about having an upset stomach because of wedding planning stress and pre-wedding what-if-I-trip-while-walking-down-the-aisle nerves, I ordered my lunch sandwich just the way Julie would order hers--plain turkey with lettuce on wheat, nothing else. And it was exactly what I needed.
So when Julie told me she was engaged to her fantastic boyfriend Andy, I didn't have a single doubt that she was 100% sure. She knows what she likes, and I envy her for that.
Their wedding was in Baltimore this past weekend. And it was truly a celebration of their love and a chance for everyone to come together to share that with them.
On Saturday we had a lot of time to kill until the evening wedding, so our friend's Lia and Noah got a recommendation from the hotel concierge to walk to Mt. Vernon, a district in Baltimore that was young and would probably have good eats and good places to browse.
We ended up walking into the middle of a Book Festival in it's setting up phase, so we knew that post-brunch we would have something to check out. We dined at a little cafe called Donna's and ordered a variety of breakfast type meals.
Now, I'm not a restaurant critic, but I did find it odd that a place serving brunch didn't actually seem to have any whole eggs--just already scrambled eggs, limiting it's egg making abilities to a lackluster scramble and a pre-prepared breakfast stratta. The stratta got an A+ from our friends Abbie and Nick, but the scrambled eggs Lia ordered were strange and an odd shade of yellow.
My breakfast, however, had no eggs involved, and was truly incredible.
Three huge slices of French toast with an sweet apple and golden raisin compote over the top that didn't even require the use of the ramekin of syrup I was provided. It was heavenly and I am dying to recreate it. It's all about the bread. Do you know what type of bread I should use for the perfect French toast? Please share if you do.
After brunch we browsed the book festival, where we came across a few interesting things. The first was the reigning Baltimore "Hon" who wore a huge beehive wig and told us all about how she had won the "Honfest" and had spent the past year being the #1 Hon. It's sort of complicated to explain, but it has something to do with the movie Hairspray and big hair and big personalities. Check the link if you are really interested.
And of course in Baltimore there is the whole crab thing. Living in southwest Ohio and my only exposure to water being man-made community ponds and the occasional trip over the Ohio river, fresh seafood is not really a big player in my diet. Baltimore-ians are always suggesting that out-of-towners try their world-famous crab. Our cab driver from the airport to the hotel told us that you have to go somewhere where you can eat the whole crab (which involves digging it out of its shell) vs. eating it in crabcake form, because it's like "steak vs. hamburger." To which our friend Nick said, "I like hamburger." Touché, Nick.
We considered getting some crab and avocado tacos at the book festival from one of the food stands. This was far above normal carnival type food often found at Ohio festivals, so I was intrigued.
The line was long and in the end we all decided we had consumed too much brunch to go ahead and stuff ourselves with more food. The tacos were $8.00 but I'm not really sure if that's a good price or not!
We did eat crab--all of us, I think--because not only was there an amazing choice of crab & linguini in a red sauce at the rehearsal dinner, but there were mini crab cake appetizers at the wedding. So there was crab for everyone, and I must say crab does taste better in Maryland. Maybe it's just a state of mind thing. Either way, it was darn good crab.
The wedding was divine and the band--oh the band--it was incredible. I thought nothing could top the spread of Mediterranean appetizers (including the best hummus I've ever had) but then the band came on and played the best wedding music ever.
The whole night I kept thinking, "This wedding is so Julie." But what else could I expect from her? She knows what she likes.
(Best wishes to the bride & groom!)
9.22.2010
Summer People
I think having been born in August has given me a bias towards summer. The day I was born was probably a really hot one with the grass completely brown from thirst (not unlike August 2010) and humidity so thick in the air that it was like an invisible cloak. I'm sure that I came out screaming with joy that it was just as hot outside of my mother as it was inside, and thus a lover of all things summer I was born to be.
I feel like I can make a good case for summer, even to a winter person. For one, there is the whole no-school thing. Even when you are a slave to the man working a nine-to-five all year round, you can still see the sparkle in kids eyes when it comes to endless days of no homework. Sure, there are summer camps, but it's called summer camp, not summer school, in order to trick kids into not realizing that they are learning about things like survival skills, world history, or space travel.
And summers provide lots of opportunities to be outside. Sure, winter people can say that they have snow skiing and building snowmen, but I think that swimming, boat rides, picnics, and baseball games have a more broad appeal. Between the fact that I'm prone to sprained ankles and that I'm a summer person, I never had any desire to learn to snow ski, anyway.
Then there is food. Now, I'm not just talking here about what you can get on the corner farm stand (although I haven't been shy about my preference to shop from what's available locally), but summer makes me crave foods like mangos, creamy avocados, salty tortilla chips, margartas (rocks with salt), and pretty much anything else you'd imagine eating at a resort in the Carribean. Because in the summer, you can sit outside and eat it here and feel like you might actually be there.
We had some mahi mahi fish tacos last night and even though the end of September is creeping up on us, I felt like summer was still lingering here with me. Winter people--who are savoring every day that the temperature dips a few degrees lower--are really missing out.
I feel like I can make a good case for summer, even to a winter person. For one, there is the whole no-school thing. Even when you are a slave to the man working a nine-to-five all year round, you can still see the sparkle in kids eyes when it comes to endless days of no homework. Sure, there are summer camps, but it's called summer camp, not summer school, in order to trick kids into not realizing that they are learning about things like survival skills, world history, or space travel.
And summers provide lots of opportunities to be outside. Sure, winter people can say that they have snow skiing and building snowmen, but I think that swimming, boat rides, picnics, and baseball games have a more broad appeal. Between the fact that I'm prone to sprained ankles and that I'm a summer person, I never had any desire to learn to snow ski, anyway.
Then there is food. Now, I'm not just talking here about what you can get on the corner farm stand (although I haven't been shy about my preference to shop from what's available locally), but summer makes me crave foods like mangos, creamy avocados, salty tortilla chips, margartas (rocks with salt), and pretty much anything else you'd imagine eating at a resort in the Carribean. Because in the summer, you can sit outside and eat it here and feel like you might actually be there.
We had some mahi mahi fish tacos last night and even though the end of September is creeping up on us, I felt like summer was still lingering here with me. Winter people--who are savoring every day that the temperature dips a few degrees lower--are really missing out.
9.01.2010
Game Night and Homemade Pot-Stickers
I'm not really sure how it happened but board games have become a huge part of our relationship. It may have started around Tim's first Thanksgiving with my family. You see, after dinner we return to my parent's kitchen table and pull out our dominoes. This is no ordinary after-dinner-dominoes-game--we play Mexican Train dominoes all the way from double blanks to double twelves.
This game can take some time, and usually a long time, but my family is committed to seeing it through to the end. The usual suspects always play: my dear grandma, who like any loving grandparent loves to set up plays that will destroy everyone else's gameplan; my mother, who pretends not to be competitive but delights in winning (and wins often); my father, who acts like he's not interested in playing but plays anyway; my brother, who used to beat us all when he was 10 years old; and there is still my sister, her husband; and now Tim, my stepdaughter Melissa, and me.
I like to think that this enthusiasm for board games was one of the first things that Tim and I had in common (besides an affinity for good red wine and good music). Tim has learned that I am competitive when it comes to games, and lucky for me, he is my perfect match.
Now, Tim can lay claim to being the better of us at trivia games. I have never met anyone in my life who knows more trivia than him. My friend Meg has said that her husband is the same way, and that meeting of the minds that we've been planning needs to happen soon (and we'll need to start penciling in an inevitable rematch).
But Scrabble--that is my specialty. I'm not fancy, and I don't always draw the best tiles, but I always have a strategy. If I put the tile here, will that maximize my points? Can I save a Q until I pull a U so I can use that for a triple letter score or double word score?
On some game nights we just grab a couple of good blocks of cheese from Murray's Cheese Shop in Kroger. Other times we sip on Brandy Alexanders while we play. This past Saturday, I opted to make home made pot-stickers and Tim picked out some Tom Waits on vinyl.
The pot-stickers were relatively easy to make. The filling was a simple mixture of Asian staples that most people who cook stir fry on a recurring basis would probably have around and the amount of pot-stickers one batch made was enormous. As a bonus, we finally got to use the meat grinder attachment for our Kitchenaid to turn some boring boneless pork chops into ground pork.
I know that you can just grab a bag of ready-made pot-stickers from TJ's or Whole Foods any day of the week, but it was pretty satisfying to assemble these myself, and the recipe is so simple, it could be adapted any time to fit your mood or craving.
Whatever we are eating or drinking, I like to imagine that we are going to end up as that couple, stooped over the kitchen table, quietly putting together puzzles or playing cards, and enjoying that comfort of just sitting near one another. In many ways, we already are that couple, and that's nice to think about.
Fast Pot-Stickers
recipe from The New York Times
makes 45-50 pot-stickers
Dumpling wrappers can be a little hard to find in the grocery store. Tim found them with the refrigerated organics and natural foods at our grocery store. The kind we bought came as a pack of 50. Also, these could easily be made vegetarian (or even vegan, I suppose, depending on the dumpling wrapper) by upping the cabbage and perhaps adding some carrot or mushroom. The water is not necessary in the filling if you go the veggie route.
Ingredients
3/4 lb ground pork or other ground meat
1 cup minced cabbage
2 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
6 scallions, minced, white and green parts separated
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp soy sauce, separated
dumpling wrappers
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup of water, divided
Combine meat, cabbage, ginger, garlic, scallion whites, 2 tbsp soy sauce, and 1/4 cup room temp water. Using your finger or a small brush, spread a bit of egg around half of the circumference of the dumpling wrapper. Spoon about a teaspoon of filling into the center of the wrapper and fold over, pressing down to seal the edges together. Place dumplings on a parchment lined baking sheet. Do not stack dumplings.
You can freeze part or all of the batch at this step if you just put the baking sheet into the freezer for about 2 hours or until the dumplings are frozen, and then pack the dumplings into zip lock bags or air tight containers. Store up to 2 weeks.
To cook (fresh or frozen), add oil to a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add dumplings in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes or until slightly browned on one side. Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover. Let simmer about 3 minutes.
Uncover dumplings and cook another minute or two, flipping dumplings if you desire both sides to be cripsy, but it's not necessary. Serve hot.
For dipping sauce, combine remaining green scallions, soy sauce, and vinegar.
8.11.2010
Those People
It's come to my attention that Tim and I are now those people. You know, the people that others take pity on because we have black thumbs and couldn't grow anything on our own. The other day our friend Luke dropped by and gave us a bag of beautiful tomatoes that I promptly used in salads and a weeknight pasta dish. Then my sister gave me more than 20 jalapeños from her garden. I'd like to think that she just didn't know what to do with 20 jalapeños and figured I could find something, but secretly I think that when she stands in front of her thriving garden she feels badly that we don't have anything growing on our side of town.
Then Tim came home from work yesterday with two beautiful banana peppers that a coworker had given him. Pardon the cell phone pic--he texted this to me while I was still at the office.
I texted back: what are you going to do with them?
Tim's reply: stick them in my ears.
I married a jokester. I wouldn't want him any other way. But clearly neither of us know what to do with a banana pepper except put it on a pizza. Any suggestions?
Then Tim came home from work yesterday with two beautiful banana peppers that a coworker had given him. Pardon the cell phone pic--he texted this to me while I was still at the office.
I texted back: what are you going to do with them?
Tim's reply: stick them in my ears.
I married a jokester. I wouldn't want him any other way. But clearly neither of us know what to do with a banana pepper except put it on a pizza. Any suggestions?
7.27.2010
The Itch to Do Something
Out of nowhere, I get this itch in my fingers and toes to do things. Once on a whim I went camping with a friend in January. It was somewhat warm during the day but incredibly cold at dark. I shivered the entire night.
Another time I picked up and drove to Chicago on New Year's Eve. I danced until after midnight, then walked with no jacket and high heels around Wrigleyville spreading some New Year's cheer with my girlfriends until well after 4:00 am. It was my second best New Year's Eve (my best was my engagement to Tim).
In our first apartment, I decided Tim and I should do some painting. We picked out the colors and spent an entire day putting coat after coat on the plaster wall. I even have the before and after of that room.
Before:
After:
I think the color made an impact. We loved that little apartment--listening to vinyl, playing dominoes, and it's also where Tim proposed to me--right in front of that window on New Year's Eve.
We learned to cook together in that apartment, too. I give a lot of credit to Tim, who had a little more experience in the kitchen than me. He can whip up a mean Tuesday night stir fry. I did my part by perfecting the art of meatloaf. I heard on The Splendid Table radio program that you should make meatloaf the way you'd make a meat ball with lots of fresh herbs. So that's what I do, and my meatloaf is fantastic.
While we lived at that apartment, Tim took a job as the morning baker at a local store so that he could finish up his degree in the evening. He would toss his work clothes in the laundry basket and when I did laundry I would smell the flour and freshly baked bread on his shirt.
He usually does the bread baking at our house but this weekend I got that itch where I needed to bake. I browsed our cookbooks and some of the magazine clippings I have in a file, but nothing was standing out to me. I was in search of the perfect bread to make a fancy grilled cheese ala Courtney at Epi-ventures. Remembering that I had such success with a basic pie dough from Williams-Sonoma when I made my Tomato and Roasted Eggplant Pie, I decided to check out their website for a recipe.
I found a recipe for Rosemary-Olive bread that was closest to what I was looking for, but there were a few problems. The first is Tim doesn't really love olives, so I decided to make some roasted garlic cloves to put in the bread instead. The other is that I don't have a stoneware baker. That was going to be trickier to substitute.
I was shocked at how huge the dough was after it rose twice. I had originally planned on putting it in a loaf pan to make it easier for slicing, but it was never going to fit. I made a quick decision. The original stoneware baker that the recipe called for was covered, so I needed a big, oven-safe pot with a lid that I could bake the bread in. I pulled out my dutch oven, greased it, and decided to take a leap of faith.
This risk definitely paid off--the bread was beyond my expectations. It was light and fluffy with great rosemary flavor. The roasted garlic cloves were like bursts of garlic flavor in a bite but didn't overwhelm the bread.
Our fancy grilled cheese sandwiches with Ludlow cheese from Blue Jacket Diary were creamy and crispy, just like a grilled cheese should be. We had slices of the bread along side grilled chicken and summer squash the next night with just a little butter on them and it was still great.
It took a lot of steps to make the bread, but if you want to have a huge loaf of bread for a dinner party or for sandwiches, I'd recommend this. It would save you a step if you purchased pre-roasted garlic, but where's the adventure in that?
Rosemary & Roasted Garlic Bread
recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Ingredients for the Roasted Garlic
recipe from Bon Appétit, October 2006 via Epicurious
20 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp water
pinch each salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss all ingredients together in a small oven proof pan. Cover pan tightly with foil. To use for adding to the bread, bake garlic until tender but not mushy, about 40 minutes. If you are going to use for mashing with potatoes or as a spread, bake for 50 minutes until soft. When finished, remove foil and set aside to cool before peeling. For purposes of adding to bread dough, allow to cool completely on a paper towel.
Ingredients for the Bread
2 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast (or 1 package)
1/2 tsp sugar
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
5 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 1/2 tsp salt
15-20 roasted garlic cloves
Sprinkle yeast and sugar into the warm water. Allow to stand until mixture is bubbly, about 5 minutes.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, add both of the flours, rosemary, salt, and yeast mixture. Fitted with the dough hook, knead the dough on medium until the dough is soft and smooth, about 10 minutes. Turn dough out on to a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and let rise in a warm, dry place, like on top of a warm oven, until doubled--about 1 hour. Punch down and then let rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, press the dough flat. Press the pieces of roasted garlic into the dough so that they are evenly spaced throughout. Then stretch the sides of the dough down and under to form a tight, round shape. Pinch the seam under the dough flat. Place the loaf in a greased and floured 5 quart dutch oven (or stoneware baker). Cover with lid and let rise for 30-40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Using a serrated knife, but an X in the top of the dough. Cover and bake until the loaf is golden brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 1 hour.
Makes 1 loaf.
Another time I picked up and drove to Chicago on New Year's Eve. I danced until after midnight, then walked with no jacket and high heels around Wrigleyville spreading some New Year's cheer with my girlfriends until well after 4:00 am. It was my second best New Year's Eve (my best was my engagement to Tim).
In our first apartment, I decided Tim and I should do some painting. We picked out the colors and spent an entire day putting coat after coat on the plaster wall. I even have the before and after of that room.
Before:
After:
I think the color made an impact. We loved that little apartment--listening to vinyl, playing dominoes, and it's also where Tim proposed to me--right in front of that window on New Year's Eve.
We learned to cook together in that apartment, too. I give a lot of credit to Tim, who had a little more experience in the kitchen than me. He can whip up a mean Tuesday night stir fry. I did my part by perfecting the art of meatloaf. I heard on The Splendid Table radio program that you should make meatloaf the way you'd make a meat ball with lots of fresh herbs. So that's what I do, and my meatloaf is fantastic.
While we lived at that apartment, Tim took a job as the morning baker at a local store so that he could finish up his degree in the evening. He would toss his work clothes in the laundry basket and when I did laundry I would smell the flour and freshly baked bread on his shirt.
He usually does the bread baking at our house but this weekend I got that itch where I needed to bake. I browsed our cookbooks and some of the magazine clippings I have in a file, but nothing was standing out to me. I was in search of the perfect bread to make a fancy grilled cheese ala Courtney at Epi-ventures. Remembering that I had such success with a basic pie dough from Williams-Sonoma when I made my Tomato and Roasted Eggplant Pie, I decided to check out their website for a recipe.
I found a recipe for Rosemary-Olive bread that was closest to what I was looking for, but there were a few problems. The first is Tim doesn't really love olives, so I decided to make some roasted garlic cloves to put in the bread instead. The other is that I don't have a stoneware baker. That was going to be trickier to substitute.
I was shocked at how huge the dough was after it rose twice. I had originally planned on putting it in a loaf pan to make it easier for slicing, but it was never going to fit. I made a quick decision. The original stoneware baker that the recipe called for was covered, so I needed a big, oven-safe pot with a lid that I could bake the bread in. I pulled out my dutch oven, greased it, and decided to take a leap of faith.
This risk definitely paid off--the bread was beyond my expectations. It was light and fluffy with great rosemary flavor. The roasted garlic cloves were like bursts of garlic flavor in a bite but didn't overwhelm the bread.
Our fancy grilled cheese sandwiches with Ludlow cheese from Blue Jacket Diary were creamy and crispy, just like a grilled cheese should be. We had slices of the bread along side grilled chicken and summer squash the next night with just a little butter on them and it was still great.
It took a lot of steps to make the bread, but if you want to have a huge loaf of bread for a dinner party or for sandwiches, I'd recommend this. It would save you a step if you purchased pre-roasted garlic, but where's the adventure in that?
Rosemary & Roasted Garlic Bread
recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Ingredients for the Roasted Garlic
recipe from Bon Appétit, October 2006 via Epicurious
20 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp water
pinch each salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss all ingredients together in a small oven proof pan. Cover pan tightly with foil. To use for adding to the bread, bake garlic until tender but not mushy, about 40 minutes. If you are going to use for mashing with potatoes or as a spread, bake for 50 minutes until soft. When finished, remove foil and set aside to cool before peeling. For purposes of adding to bread dough, allow to cool completely on a paper towel.
Ingredients for the Bread
2 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast (or 1 package)
1/2 tsp sugar
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
5 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 1/2 tsp salt
15-20 roasted garlic cloves
Sprinkle yeast and sugar into the warm water. Allow to stand until mixture is bubbly, about 5 minutes.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, add both of the flours, rosemary, salt, and yeast mixture. Fitted with the dough hook, knead the dough on medium until the dough is soft and smooth, about 10 minutes. Turn dough out on to a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and let rise in a warm, dry place, like on top of a warm oven, until doubled--about 1 hour. Punch down and then let rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, press the dough flat. Press the pieces of roasted garlic into the dough so that they are evenly spaced throughout. Then stretch the sides of the dough down and under to form a tight, round shape. Pinch the seam under the dough flat. Place the loaf in a greased and floured 5 quart dutch oven (or stoneware baker). Cover with lid and let rise for 30-40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Using a serrated knife, but an X in the top of the dough. Cover and bake until the loaf is golden brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 1 hour.
Makes 1 loaf.
7.15.2010
Sneak Peak
Want to see what we did last night?
You (I mean, we) are going to have to wait a while to see if they are good. I promise I will let you know.
7.09.2010
A Summer List
I'm a list-maker by nature. I think it started as a coping mechanism to deal with my memory issues but now it is a habit. Grocery lists and menu plans are my favorite after-work lists to make these days. I'm learning to adapt my grocery list-making to be more in tune with what's available at the farmer's market, but I still fill out two columns of this and that like two kinds of cereal for Tim and cooking essentials for me like olive oil and lemons. It's a sense of fulfillment at the grocery as you put each item into your cart, synonymously scratching it off your list.
When I pack for a trip I make lists of everything I absolutely need before I walk out the door. I wouldn't want to be vacationing at a lake without a swimsuit or sunscreen or the necessary lounging clothes to wear while reading a good book on the dock. In fact, it's important not to forget that book, especially after all the mounting anticipation before you got your hands on it. (I finished that book already, by the way, and I can't wait to get to the market on Saturday to start making some of the recipes). So the swimsuit, sunscreen, dock clothes, and book go on the list, and are satisfyingly crossed off one by one as I pack them up.
This is all probably the reason I like recipes, because each ingredient gets added in a deliberate order to make the dish complete. Everything has a reason--a purpose. It creates a little order in my crazy life.
Inspired by Anna, The Baker's Daughter, I think it's time to make a summer list of things I want to do, try, see, be. There is still enough summer left, right? Summer in Ohio can last until mid-October
Here is my list:
make lemonade
find uses for my growing-like-a-weed mint
have cocktails on a patio with friends
make my own ricotta and mozzarella
pick flowers
try fennel
pickle things like carrots or cucumbers or anything else
go to a baseball game
take evening walks
go camping with Tim
shop at the farmer's market
wear skirts
make strawberry jam
take more pictures
go to a pool with Abbie
look at the stars
wear less make-up
wake up earlier
eat raspberries
wear my hair in a bun
Now it's your turn. What's on your list?
(One last thing--If you want to become a better menu-planner and grocery-list maker, visit Annie's Eats. She said everything there that I would have told you!)
When I pack for a trip I make lists of everything I absolutely need before I walk out the door. I wouldn't want to be vacationing at a lake without a swimsuit or sunscreen or the necessary lounging clothes to wear while reading a good book on the dock. In fact, it's important not to forget that book, especially after all the mounting anticipation before you got your hands on it. (I finished that book already, by the way, and I can't wait to get to the market on Saturday to start making some of the recipes). So the swimsuit, sunscreen, dock clothes, and book go on the list, and are satisfyingly crossed off one by one as I pack them up.
This is all probably the reason I like recipes, because each ingredient gets added in a deliberate order to make the dish complete. Everything has a reason--a purpose. It creates a little order in my crazy life.
Inspired by Anna, The Baker's Daughter, I think it's time to make a summer list of things I want to do, try, see, be. There is still enough summer left, right? Summer in Ohio can last until mid-October
Here is my list:
make lemonade
find uses for my growing-like-a-weed mint
have cocktails on a patio with friends
make my own ricotta and mozzarella
pick flowers
try fennel
pickle things like carrots or cucumbers or anything else
go to a baseball game
take evening walks
go camping with Tim
shop at the farmer's market
wear skirts
make strawberry jam
take more pictures
go to a pool with Abbie
look at the stars
wear less make-up
wake up earlier
eat raspberries
wear my hair in a bun
Now it's your turn. What's on your list?
(One last thing--If you want to become a better menu-planner and grocery-list maker, visit Annie's Eats. She said everything there that I would have told you!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)