Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts

One of the good ones









I thrive in structure.  It is therefore no surprise that a well-planned, well-executed weekend can do more than some might consider within the perimeters of sanity for the boosting of my mood.  Preparing dinner for company, cutting up lots of fruit for a non-alcoholic sangria recipe, eating well, a healthy dose of pampering and sunlight, and the company of good friends may be the cockatil I need in order to feel satisfied on a Sunday night.  I find this a humourous part of my personality.  I think most people love the weekends for their open-endedness (if you happen to be one of the lucky few Americans whose weekends are truly reserved for relaxing), but not having events or meals or plans upon which to schedule my leisure time somehow spirals into a lot of angst and restlessness, despite my best efforts.  

All of this analysis to say that this particular weekend, it was a good one.
I think of you and wonder what you need to feel truly satisfied with your times of rest - whatever it be, may it have been so on this first weekend of the new month.

P.S.
Two totally random commitments to share:
1. This week I will continue with my "no desserts" rule for the weekdays and enjoy in moderation and awareness on the weekends.  I do this because I could sincerely eat a donut every.single.morning for breakfast, no matter how crappy it makes me feel.
2.  I am going to post a new photographic journal at the end of this week.   This will contain no iPhone photographs. 
cooking food structure
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Saturday Evening Entrée











Cornish Game Hens with Tarragon and Grapes in a White Wine Butter Sauce.
AHHHHHHMAzing.

After a long leisurely stroll through Whole Foods, Joel and I decided that Saturday night would be spent cooking.  We decided on a dish from my French cookbook I love so much.  I put together the appetizer plate and nibbled while reading, and Joel worked on the entree.  I love the nights where the answer to "what do you want to do" is (Joel) making something fabulous in the kitchen.   



p.s. Do you like my galaxy nails?
cooking joel and i saturdays
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summer's bounty


Dinner tonight was to be the recreation of an amazing salad I had in San Jose while imposing on the hospitality of Allison.  Kelly and I spoke of it several times after dinner and the following day, trying to pinpoint the dressing.  Tonight's salad was delicious, but not quite right.  Interestingly enough, I had both versions of the salad after a yoga class.  There is something about watermelon after yoga...


Desert tonight was bathing in these summer beauties.  Apparently, I not only have roses; I have BEHEMOTH roses.  They smell like pepper and dirt.

It's so good to be home.
cooking flowers food
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the weekend report - on single-tasking

almond and apricot galette
dear bloggity-blog
slow to rise

Yet again, I have recently felt the need to over-simplify.  Like every human, I carry complexities, dichotomies, and paradox--all of these usually rivet and inspire me.  For whatever reason, however, I am just a bit tired of feeling unclear, convoluted, and conflicted about so many different issues.  As I wrote on a postcard this weekend, I feel the great urgency of momentum while simultaneously feeling the need to slam both feet down on the breaks.  I want to cut free and run wildly through the streets; I want to lock the doors and tuck in under mounds of blankets.  I want things to change; I want them to stay exactly as they are forever. I want to say everything; I want to be silent. I suffocate with anticipation; and cripple with dread.  Did I ever feel just ONE way about something?  It seems the impetuous nature of being a child would provide such clarity of desire, but alas, I am no longer a child.  In adulthood, is it impossible to regain?

While trying to honor this burden within, the strongest lingering toll it takes is exhaustion.  I therefore seek solace in the simple.  For me, this weekend meant single-mindedly focusing on making a good meal (which also happened to help meet my 2011 goal of trying a new recipe every month).  I had a huge list of tasks that it would have felt very good to accomplish, but when my eyes landed upon "cook a new recipe," I knew it was just the nesting I needed.  I was trying to quiet my active and productive mind, to shhhhhsh it into resting.  This is one of my newest disciplines- learning to do ONE thing at a time with total focus.  Perfecting the art of single-tasking.



So I did.
I took my sweet time at the grocery store.
I chopped and sauteed and measured with a deliberate care of slowness.

It was good because it was with purpose.

the next read
Wait.  I lied.  I also did finally chose a new book to read.
Oops.  
books cooking reading
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cuisiner

feast

What's everyone up to this weekend?  After a long pause in bed with Pablo Neruda, I decided that I wanted to spend the day cooking.

Le Menu
-Beef Bourguignon (not Julia Child's, but a good one nonetheless)
-Apricot and Toasted Almond Galette
-A delicious Amarone

I'm sad to admit (lest my beloved city interpret my complaint as disloyalty) that I am in desperate need of sunshine on my skin.  Since I cannot acheive this readily, I shall make it in my kitchen.

Bon Appetit,
cooking saturdays
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a meal in november

One of the ways I love to initiate my house as a home is to cook.  I didn't know this about myself even two years ago, but once I moved onto Capitol Hill (w/in 115 feet of Kelly), she and I used to cook together no less than twice a month, often more.  Though I deciding to teach myself, she was a great motivation.   She often touted it as a way to add a great deal of warmth and soul to your home.  Once we moved here, I admit that something in me was waiting to make this house a bit more complete...until she and I had  shuffled about the kitchen together.  I love cooking, especially when it's not a chore and when it's for several of the people I love.  This past weekend, we decided to make butternut and goat cheese raviolis and amazing gingerbread/pumpkin cupcakes with citrus frosting.


After we filled close to 50 wanton wrappers with butternut squash and a lovely sharp cheese, we topped the raviolis with toasted hazelnuts and fresh sage.  Then we threw together a fabulous winter salad.  I'd say everyone was pleased.


What have you cooked lately that just buttered your biscuits?


I would have snapped a photo of the cupcakes, but I was way WAY too deep in gastronomic bliss to pull myself away.


p.s. Here's the recipe!
cooking home new house
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preparando

Oh don't you feel it...that fabulously worn out, "I'm so tired I could cry" Friday feeling?  I'm feeling it, kids. But I must rally, for tonight I'm hosting my friends for a house-warming party, for which I'm making stew, fresh bread, an awesome wilted-spinach salad, and cupcakes!

  Right at this very moment, there are two big crock-pots full of Emirl's Beef Stew cooking. I got up at 5:45am to get it all started, but did a majority of the work last night.

prepping emril's essence

I am prepping Emril's Essence* here.  If you don't know, it's just a combination of great spices, but I admit to being a bit disgusted by the name...a person's "essence" sounds like his virility or seed, or at the very least, an ancient Mayan translation of someone's aura.  I don't know, I think it's a lame name.  It's also known as Bayou Blast, but dear god...don't even get me started on that name.

sous

I find something very comforting about Sous-Chef work.  All the chopping and slicing and juliening makes for a nice brain nap towards the end of the day.  I also usually require strong drink whilst cooking, but the night before I had a hot toddy and two 3oz pours of Bourbon...usually, my old man constitution would be able to handle this, but with only a cheese platter under my belt, I was pretty friggen sauced.  Since then, the idea of booze has made my stomach turn.

Sidenote: How many of you cook with your computer right there in the kitchen?  I think there's a total niche market for this, a specific computer, mounted, protected, etc.

Yes, that's really all I have for you at the moment.
Are you doing something big and social for the weekend or do you plan to pamper yourself with solitude and nesting?  Readers, I plan to do both.

That's just the kind of weekender I am.

Sincerely the weekend slut,


*Just FYI:

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup
booze cooking friends
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i've still got it.


Thursday Night Menu

Giada's Butternut Squash Soup
with Fontina Cheese Crostini
Winter Green Salad with Farmer's Market Tomatoes and Feta
Bottle of Root Carminere. 

_______________

One of the things I miss the most about being home all day
(which is entirely surprising and equally delightful, considering its a skill developed only during that time)
is 
CUISINER
(as the french would say).

The planning, the shopping, the prepping, the cutting.
COOKING.
(as I say).

These last two weeks back to full-time work have been a hodge-podge not only of emotions but also of meals. But I am proud to say that I was still able to cook at least 3 weeknight meals  
(meaning something frozen (albeit organic and tasty) was served those other nights).

Somewhere in the last two years, I taught myself to cook.
And like everything else I learned during that time,
I was afraid I would loose it.

But 
damn.
And I guess it just felt good to know that I still had it.
And even better to know that I still enjoyed it.
cooking
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Le. Mme bakes...

Yes, I am baking (as in dying of heat) in my home, but that is not my point.  I shall do my best to refrain from complaints regarding my copious glistening and inability to find somewhere to swim.

Moving on.

The other night, the proper saint wandered out of his office in search of a proper snack to accompany his proper Earl Grey.*  He bemoaned the absence of tea biscuits in our cupboard.  Little did he remember that he had made proper mention of said biscuit lack the week before, and I had written, "Make Shortbread" on my domestic "honey-do" list.  

Normally I would refrain from baking during the summer, but this particular night was rather rainy and cold and seemed a perfect time to whip up a batch of something instead of spending the night complaining about being cold while watching some nonsense on the tele.  

Obviously, I like to complain about the weather.
Moving on.

So I DID! I made the saint's mother's recipe, which really has the quaintest little story attached to it.  The recipe resides in a little book she made me one year.  She hand wrote many of the family's favorite recipes (one might think that a wise move on a mother-in-law's part, for surely it would decrease the frequency of annoying phone calls...but let's not forget who we are dealing with here.  This is THE SAINT'S MOTHER, so she would just love it if I called frequently) so we could have them at our disposal.  



Do let me transcribe it for you now.
Wait, I need to grab one to nibble.
Okay.

Scotch Shortbread Cookies
"Grandma Rosenquist's [the saint's grandmother] neighbor, Gloria Seibert, made these for our family every Christmas.  We loved it so much we would hide it from each other.  Finally, I asked Gloria how to make them (and she shared her recipe!)."

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup real butter (NO SUBSTITUTIONS!)
  • 5/8 cup sugar (that's 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp)
  • 2 1/2 cup flour
Directions:
Mix together butter and sugar thoroughly.


Add flour.  Stir with wooden spoon at first, but the "scotch secret" (according to Gloria) is to USE YOUR HANDS to continue kneading in all of the flour (it will be absorbed) until it forms a ball.  Roll about half of it to 1/2" thickness (I like to gently roll a springerle rolling pin over it at this point to create shapes and designs). Cut into desired shapes (squares are traditional) and bake at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

So.
Darn.
Tasty.

(No matter the weather!)






*Joel has been reviewing old Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes.  Therefore, whenever he makes a pot of Earl Grey tea (biweekly at the least), he is simply compelled to say, "Earl Grey, hot" in his best Captain Picard accent (biweekly at the VERY least).  What an adorable dork.
cooking family recipe
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