Coming soon: CUTE PICTURES OF THE DOG. Name TBA.
Here is THE DOG:
He is the sweetest, chillest dog ever. I love him. Already. He comes home tomorrow after a little hormone test to see if he needs an ........ adjustment of any kind.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
my life = suddenly more fulfilling
Today my roommate (this one) got a DOG. I am so. excited.
Coming soon: CUTE PICTURES OF THE DOG. Name TBA.
Here is THE DOG:
He is the sweetest, chillest dog ever. I love him. Already. He comes home tomorrow after a little hormone test to see if he needs an ........ adjustment of any kind.
Coming soon: CUTE PICTURES OF THE DOG. Name TBA.
Here is THE DOG:
He is the sweetest, chillest dog ever. I love him. Already. He comes home tomorrow after a little hormone test to see if he needs an ........ adjustment of any kind.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
I stopped shoving food in my face just long enough to write this blog post
I had a fantastic dinner tonight. I’m busy as all get out, and although I finished my latest knitting project (again: behold, KNITTING naysayers! I have completed something. Soon it will be blocked and in action, keeping me warm.) I have a shitload of homework to do. Like both Chef Yum Yum and ER, I eat every day. Sadly, I don’t knit every day, and those there are the two primary topics on my blog. That and … NOTHING.
This pasta is amazing. It’s nutritious and comforting. It’ll keep you warm. Especially when combined with red wine… And the seasoning is very simple, with satisfying results. It requires dirtying many pans, but it’s worth keeping those veggies separate from one another so things don’t get soggy. Also, if you start the squash a little bit ahead of time, each component on its own takes about the same amount of time, which is neat.
A warning, if you balk at excessive quantities of butter, this isn’t for you. Also, my blog may not be for you, either. I might not be for you.
1 butternut squash, diced
A handful of fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
2 small yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1lb mushrooms, sliced
1 lb linguine
a handful of grated parmesan (the nice kind)
Olive oil
butter
Kosher salt
Pepper
Squash:
Spread the diced squash evenly over a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for about 10 minutes, or until tender about halfway through each piece. Don’t overcook the squash! It will turn into baby food. Heat a generous drizzling of olive oil and about 3-4T butter in a large non-non-stick pan over medium heat. Toss the squash chunks with a small handful of kosher salt, generous crackling of pepper, and sage. Brown the squash mixture in the pan. This will take about 10 minutes – spread the squash evenly throughout the pan and leave it alone for a few minutes, turning it a couple of times.
Pasta:
Bring salted water to a boil, add linguine, and cook until al dente – about 12 minutes.
Onions:
Heat another generous helping of olive oil and a couple more tablespoons of butter in another non-non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and the garlic and allow them to brown for about 10 minutes.
Mushrooms:
Heat olive oil and butter in yet another pan (non-stick or otherwise), add the mushrooms with some salt and pepper, and allow them to cook until soft.
Drain the pasta. Toss the vegetables together and layer them over a plate-full of pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan and savor every bite. Or cram it into your face. Either way, it’s great.
Serves 3
[edit: serves more like 6 if you eat less than I do. I eat a lot.]
Alas. Back to the school work.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
coming soon: content!
I am allegedly (according to Chef Yum Yum, that is) a bad blogger. This is probably true. Or at least it has been true for the last month or so. But I'm happy to say that now that I have more than -2 seconds per week to myself, a SUPER sexy new computer, and a completed (but not blocked) knitting project and another cute one started, I may actually have some things to say. Photos (and words that aren't content-free babbling) coming soon.
Monday, January 1, 2007
a new year's eve menu for you and your roommate
I'm not a big fan of new year's eve as a holiday. I'm like a new year's scrooge. I don't like holidays where everyone gets the I HAVE TO GO OUT AND ACT REALLY DANGEROUSLY AND LIKE I DO NOT NORMALLY ACT idea (see Halloween for adults, and increasingly St. Patrick's Day as well), and everything costs a million dollars. Also, I just don't think January 1st is more different from December 31st than any other day is to the one before it. Need to change something in your life? Decide the next day is a fresh start and just do it. There is nothing special about January 1st in and of itself. Is it your birthday? Then it's special for that reason. Is it the day you decide to quit smoking / eat healthier / exercise / lose weight / whatever - then that's what makes that day special. This "first day of the new year = big special fresh start" ... I'm not buying it. Maybe that makes me a crabby bitch. So be it. New year's eves that I have enjoyed included, but are not limited to: being a kid, when staying up to midnight is exciting, attending a small dinner party where everyone wore pajamas, and last night's - sitting on the couch, eating a fancy dinner with my roommate, teaching her to knit, and watching a CSI marathon.
Our menu consisted of smoky mustard greens with chicken drumsticks, barbecued pork loin, and potato-corn hash. Becki was in charge of the (delicious) pork, so I'll only blog about my contributions. Here's what we did:
1/3 lb. bacon
8 medium-sized red potatoes
1/4 onion, diced
2-3 T butter
2 c. frozen corn, thawed
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 lb. mustard greens (really, any hearty coarse green thing will work here. I just wouldn't use spinach. But kale or something like that would be good.)
3 chicken drumsticks (or another kind of dark meat chicken)
1/3 c. dry white wine (or vermouth would be nice)
a few drops liquid smoke
1 T "better than bouillon" (this is a bouillon mix that comes in a jar and many flavors. I used vegetable last night because that's what I have, but any flavor would be great here. I've found it at Dominick's and the (evil, crappy, and over-priced) Hyde Park Co-op. If you can't find better than bouillon some regular old broth would be fine, but maybe add a little less wine so things don't get too sloppy.)
kosher salt and black pepper
Boil the red potatoes until they are about halfway done (so you can stick a fork in, but with difficulty). Strain them, and dump them into a bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking more. When they are cool enough to touch, chop them (with skins!) into bite-size chunks. Set aside.
Chop the bacon into strips about 1/2" wide and fry them over medium-high heat in a large skillet. When they're done to your liking, take them out of their grease with a slotted spoon and set them aside for later. Pour half the grease (carefully!) into another large skillet.
One of these skillets is for the potatoes, and one is for the greens.
Potatoes:
Cook the onions in the bacon grease over medium-high heat until translucent. Add the chopped potatoes and season heartily with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. My potatoes sucked up that bacon grease pretty fast, so I ended up adding a couple tablespoons of butter to help prevent sticking and make the outsides nice and brown and crispy. When the potatoes are nearly done, add the corn, just so it gets heated through. Sprinkle with bacon pieces when done.
Greens:
Cook the sliced onion over medium-high heat until golden. Add the chicken pieces with the skin side down in the bacon grease and cook until nicely browned. You may turn them to brown other sides as well, but the middle should be remaining uncooked. Add a generous sloshing of white wine, a sprinkling of liquid smoke, the bouillon, and a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. When the chicken is browned to your liking but not fully cooked, add your greens and cover the pan to cook them down. No need to dry them after washing - the water will help cook them. When the greens are about half cooked, remove the lid and allow them to cook the rest of the way as some of the remaining liquid evaporates.
Share with roommates, get comfy, and enjoy! Fyi, the left-over potatoes make GREAT hash browns in the morning.
Our menu consisted of smoky mustard greens with chicken drumsticks, barbecued pork loin, and potato-corn hash. Becki was in charge of the (delicious) pork, so I'll only blog about my contributions. Here's what we did:
1/3 lb. bacon
8 medium-sized red potatoes
1/4 onion, diced
2-3 T butter
2 c. frozen corn, thawed
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 lb. mustard greens (really, any hearty coarse green thing will work here. I just wouldn't use spinach. But kale or something like that would be good.)
3 chicken drumsticks (or another kind of dark meat chicken)
1/3 c. dry white wine (or vermouth would be nice)
a few drops liquid smoke
1 T "better than bouillon" (this is a bouillon mix that comes in a jar and many flavors. I used vegetable last night because that's what I have, but any flavor would be great here. I've found it at Dominick's and the (evil, crappy, and over-priced) Hyde Park Co-op. If you can't find better than bouillon some regular old broth would be fine, but maybe add a little less wine so things don't get too sloppy.)
kosher salt and black pepper
Boil the red potatoes until they are about halfway done (so you can stick a fork in, but with difficulty). Strain them, and dump them into a bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking more. When they are cool enough to touch, chop them (with skins!) into bite-size chunks. Set aside.
Chop the bacon into strips about 1/2" wide and fry them over medium-high heat in a large skillet. When they're done to your liking, take them out of their grease with a slotted spoon and set them aside for later. Pour half the grease (carefully!) into another large skillet.
One of these skillets is for the potatoes, and one is for the greens.
Potatoes:
Cook the onions in the bacon grease over medium-high heat until translucent. Add the chopped potatoes and season heartily with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. My potatoes sucked up that bacon grease pretty fast, so I ended up adding a couple tablespoons of butter to help prevent sticking and make the outsides nice and brown and crispy. When the potatoes are nearly done, add the corn, just so it gets heated through. Sprinkle with bacon pieces when done.
Greens:
Cook the sliced onion over medium-high heat until golden. Add the chicken pieces with the skin side down in the bacon grease and cook until nicely browned. You may turn them to brown other sides as well, but the middle should be remaining uncooked. Add a generous sloshing of white wine, a sprinkling of liquid smoke, the bouillon, and a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. When the chicken is browned to your liking but not fully cooked, add your greens and cover the pan to cook them down. No need to dry them after washing - the water will help cook them. When the greens are about half cooked, remove the lid and allow them to cook the rest of the way as some of the remaining liquid evaporates.
Share with roommates, get comfy, and enjoy! Fyi, the left-over potatoes make GREAT hash browns in the morning.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
because I need to waste more time:
So I should probably start spinning yarn.
Also, here is a picture of me dressed up as a T Rex for Halloween. I'm 4.
Also, here is a picture of me dressed up as a T Rex for Halloween. I'm 4.
Monday, December 25, 2006
baking porn
So what did I do for Christmas this year?
Spent 18 hours making bread!
I read that New York Times article from Mark Bittman about the no-knead 18 hour bread when it first came out, and got all worked up about it (is this for real? is it good? is it as good as kneaded bread?), and then forgot about it until Chef Yum Yum made it and told me all about her fantastic results... I believe she said, "best. bread. ever." or something along those lines. Needless to say, my interest was renewed...
Of course, the original Times article has gone into their "you've gotta pay for it now" archive, so I couldn't find the original, but a quick google search revealed that no less than 88,000 food bloggers had made this bread, posted photos, discussed the pros and cons of the recipe (um, mostly pros...), and on a few sites I found the basic recipe. I printed up this one for my use in the kitchen, but I saw basically the same thing on a few other sites.
I mixed up that dough, set it aside in the laundry room to rise (it's warm in there, and not drafty like the rest of the house...) and waited. About 20 hours later (18 hours first rise, then you move it around a bit and let it sit for another 2 hours) it was ready to go in the oven! Now, had I been at my place in Chicago I would have baked this in my le creuset pot. (I want to marry that pot.) But, in the land of Hillsboro, Oregon there is only fancy non-stick cookware. I used the largest of my mom's calphalon pots, which are supposedly good in the oven up to 450 degrees. I may or may not have destroyed the pot... It was smoking quite a bit and the bread cooked faster than I expected. When I make this again I'll definitely use the le creuset, not calphalon.
The results were delicious!!!! I love the method of cooking in the pot - BRILLIANT. The inside of the bread is moist and bubbly and the crust is ... crusty!
So here's where I get critical. (This part always comes, huh.) When I use this method again I think I'll add a little something to the dough. As written, it doesn't have the most interesting flavor. I think the recipe is really more the structure of a method rather than a finished product in and of itself. Like a skeleton... At the very least, this bread needs some oil. With its bubbly consistency I think a little olive oil would really help this stuff out. Maybe I'll add some cloves of garlic as well? Sometimes my mom gets this bread from a local bakery that is crusty and olive oil-y and is chock full of whole cloves of garlic. I love eating pretty much anything with whole cloves of garlic in it. Also, maybe a little sweetener. That yeast needs something to snack on while it's rising for 18 hours, for Christ's sake.
Finally, having made kneaded bread about 10,000 times before, I don't think this no-knead method really replaces the old-school one. In practical terms, yes, I am a whole hell of a lot more likely to make bread that requires about 15 minutes of effort on my part. But there is really something to be said for the incredibly developed flavor you get from dough that has been worked and developed through kneading. Although it does rise nicely, it just doesn't get that elastic-y quality from sitting for 18 hours. Maybe I'm being nitpicky (and I'm not being delusional - I'm absolutely sure of this), but this bread just doesn't have that "developed" taste to it. But yeah, I will probably set aside some flour and yeast on a Friday evening so I can have some fresh bread for my dinner on Saturday night and the bread will be fantastic.
Spent 18 hours making bread!
I read that New York Times article from Mark Bittman about the no-knead 18 hour bread when it first came out, and got all worked up about it (is this for real? is it good? is it as good as kneaded bread?), and then forgot about it until Chef Yum Yum made it and told me all about her fantastic results... I believe she said, "best. bread. ever." or something along those lines. Needless to say, my interest was renewed...
Of course, the original Times article has gone into their "you've gotta pay for it now" archive, so I couldn't find the original, but a quick google search revealed that no less than 88,000 food bloggers had made this bread, posted photos, discussed the pros and cons of the recipe (um, mostly pros...), and on a few sites I found the basic recipe. I printed up this one for my use in the kitchen, but I saw basically the same thing on a few other sites.
I mixed up that dough, set it aside in the laundry room to rise (it's warm in there, and not drafty like the rest of the house...) and waited. About 20 hours later (18 hours first rise, then you move it around a bit and let it sit for another 2 hours) it was ready to go in the oven! Now, had I been at my place in Chicago I would have baked this in my le creuset pot. (I want to marry that pot.) But, in the land of Hillsboro, Oregon there is only fancy non-stick cookware. I used the largest of my mom's calphalon pots, which are supposedly good in the oven up to 450 degrees. I may or may not have destroyed the pot... It was smoking quite a bit and the bread cooked faster than I expected. When I make this again I'll definitely use the le creuset, not calphalon.
The results were delicious!!!! I love the method of cooking in the pot - BRILLIANT. The inside of the bread is moist and bubbly and the crust is ... crusty!
So here's where I get critical. (This part always comes, huh.) When I use this method again I think I'll add a little something to the dough. As written, it doesn't have the most interesting flavor. I think the recipe is really more the structure of a method rather than a finished product in and of itself. Like a skeleton... At the very least, this bread needs some oil. With its bubbly consistency I think a little olive oil would really help this stuff out. Maybe I'll add some cloves of garlic as well? Sometimes my mom gets this bread from a local bakery that is crusty and olive oil-y and is chock full of whole cloves of garlic. I love eating pretty much anything with whole cloves of garlic in it. Also, maybe a little sweetener. That yeast needs something to snack on while it's rising for 18 hours, for Christ's sake.
Finally, having made kneaded bread about 10,000 times before, I don't think this no-knead method really replaces the old-school one. In practical terms, yes, I am a whole hell of a lot more likely to make bread that requires about 15 minutes of effort on my part. But there is really something to be said for the incredibly developed flavor you get from dough that has been worked and developed through kneading. Although it does rise nicely, it just doesn't get that elastic-y quality from sitting for 18 hours. Maybe I'm being nitpicky (and I'm not being delusional - I'm absolutely sure of this), but this bread just doesn't have that "developed" taste to it. But yeah, I will probably set aside some flour and yeast on a Friday evening so I can have some fresh bread for my dinner on Saturday night and the bread will be fantastic.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
i heart learning
So, regular visitors (both of you, ha ha) may notice that I've been messing around with the look of my blog, and that I put this bizarre photograph of some crosses on an apparently man-made hill at that top of the page. (Also, I made it CLICKABLE. I'm really proud of myself, can you tell?) I took that picture a couple years ago when driving to Virginia (from Chicago) for Thanksgiving. I think this was my first real trip to the south. (I KNOW, I KNOW. I grew up in New England. Give me a break.) I had been to Memphis in high school for a flute camp thing, but it was at Rhodes College, and anyone who's ever been to Rhodes would realize that the delicate little flute girls were kept within the iron gates of that campus the whole time. Seriously. There are gates. This is so creepy and bizarre. BUT, I did get to go to Graceland with my dad. That was fun.
Anyway, on this trip to Virginia my companion (ahem, ex-boyfriend) and I drove through a bit of Kentucky, where we kept seeing these small-ish hills with crosses on them on the side of the highway. The one in this picture was definitely the biggest we saw, and it was pretty far away, and I think it was the only one with three crosses instead of just one. I vaguely recall (and I could be making this up) telling my ex's dad about this (he was from Kentucky) and him saying he thought these roadside cross-mound sites were by a particular artist, or maybe a group or something. Now, if I'm going to have a picture of something on top of my blog, I want to know a little something about it. I like the picture, and I liked the roadside crosses, but, not to mince words, I just want to be sure I'm not putting some weird racist or otherwise inappropriate image on my blog and looking like an idiot. I tried some googling, but I know so little about what I'm looking for that this didn't get me very far. I did find this interesting piece on NPR referring to this book... But it doesn't exactly address what I'm looking for. Am I looking for something that's not there? I just want to know the story here. What can I say - I study religion. I'm curious.
Thoughts? Anyone?
Anyway, on this trip to Virginia my companion (ahem, ex-boyfriend) and I drove through a bit of Kentucky, where we kept seeing these small-ish hills with crosses on them on the side of the highway. The one in this picture was definitely the biggest we saw, and it was pretty far away, and I think it was the only one with three crosses instead of just one. I vaguely recall (and I could be making this up) telling my ex's dad about this (he was from Kentucky) and him saying he thought these roadside cross-mound sites were by a particular artist, or maybe a group or something. Now, if I'm going to have a picture of something on top of my blog, I want to know a little something about it. I like the picture, and I liked the roadside crosses, but, not to mince words, I just want to be sure I'm not putting some weird racist or otherwise inappropriate image on my blog and looking like an idiot. I tried some googling, but I know so little about what I'm looking for that this didn't get me very far. I did find this interesting piece on NPR referring to this book... But it doesn't exactly address what I'm looking for. Am I looking for something that's not there? I just want to know the story here. What can I say - I study religion. I'm curious.
Thoughts? Anyone?
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