Please Stand By...We Are Currently Experiencing Technological Difficulties

Here's the thing people. Under normal circumstances I have access to three computers. A work computer, my own laptop and my husband's laptop. Allow me to break my current computer status down for you.

Work computer which cannot under any circumstances be used for anything other than work = dead battery.

My own laptop = dead power cord, leading to a dead battery.

My husband's laptop = at work with him. For all of the million bajillion hours he works.


Which means a) computers don't like me and b) I'm typing this right now on my mother's itty bitty netbook. So I suppose I could type up a recipe for you. Maybe I could. But it would be without a picture. And a picture is worth a thousand words, and I am not the type of person that has an extra thousand words lying around. I am the type of person whose computers all fail at the same type in some type of computer-based anti-blogging conspiracy. So I beg of you. Do not abandon me. I have AT LEAST 4 yummy recipes. Ready to go. With pictures. Just as soon as I can get the whole pictures part of that happening. And as soon as I actually, you know, type them up instead of just having them scribbled on notepaper in my kitchen and story ideas sloshing around in my brain. You could vote on which one you want first though! In my only tech-savvy move of the week - a poll!

poll by twiigs.com

Been An Angel All Year...

Well not quite an angel, but Santa (erm, my parents, Ryan and friend L) certainly hurried down the chimney with lots of kitchen goodies.

1. & 2. Reusable sandwich and snack bags - no more using up ziplocs at an alarming rate, these cute little bags will keep my lunch together and do the environment some favors in the process.

3. A three piece glass food storage set, because even though I have BPA free plastic, it's still plastic and eventually they're going to find out that plastic turns you into a newt or something.

4. A tiny dish for my salt and pepper mills to sit on so they don't shed salty and peppery bits all over my counter.

5. Itty bitty portable utensil set, so I can stop eating with a spork. Because the cafeteria only gives out sporks.

6. Nigella Express - you've already benefitted from her cheddar risotto, just think of all the other delicious recipes!

7. New candy thermometer (so meat thermometers no longer need to be inserted in white chocolate).

8. A second silpat mat! I can actually prepare a second batch of cookies while the first is still baking! More cookies! More cookies!

9. Everyday French Cooking by Christian Constant. I have been kicking myself for not buying this ever since Ryan and I left Paris (a few years ago?) We loved our meal at Cafe Constant, particularly the duck (which sadly isn't in the cookbook). It is not for the faint of heart though, it has a somewhat unthinkable number of foie gras recipes.

10. Digital meat thermometer - my current meat thermometer and I often have differences of opinion. I'm hoping I get along better with this one.

11. Empanada maker - this sucker is sweet! You use the bottom to cut your circle of dough, stick the circle on top, drop in some filling, and smoooooosh! Empanadas. Turnovers. Handpies.

poll by twiigs.com

Disappointment and Pondering

This is a beautiful honey cake. I made it using a fairly majorly altered version of this recipe. Sadly, as pretty as it is, it's just not for me, there just wasn't enough going on there - which is odd, because as I was mixing together the nine million ingredients I was thinking there was too much going on there. At any rate, I ended up very disappointed that I hadn't made my usual (but very nontraditional) little honey cupcakes.

Now I'm left with an underwhelming bundt to finish off and also a bit of roast chicken. (Come on, I know I'm not the only one in this position around Rosh Hashanah). The obvious choice right now is to make soup. But I'm feeling awfully whiny about what kind of soup. Also I kind of want meatballs. I know, not helpful. Since I'm being less than helpful, perhaps you can help sort it out.

poll by twiigs.com

When the Cat's Away...

Ryan is out of town. As much as I love him, sometimes that makes me really, really happy. It means I can do whatever I want (sadly, this meant scrubbing the apartment from top to bottom), watch whatever I want (Sleepless in Seattle) and of course, EAT whatever I want. You see, we eat together just about every night. A real meal, cooked from scratch. We go out or take out once every few weeks, and Ryan certainly does some of the cooking, but cheating around here is frozen ravioli. And that probably only happens once every few months. So secretly I get really happy when I can make whatever I want for dinner. Even if that's something Ryan would strongly maintain is NOT dinner. Last night, I made a little variation on Welsh Rabbit. Mmm. Yummy. So what do you do when the cat's away?

poll by twiigs.com

WELSH RABBIT
for one

INGREDIENTS:
2 pieces of good bread - I used a loaf of french country
1/2 a large tomato sliced thick
3/4 - 1 C sharp cheddar cheese shredded
1 t Worcestershire (I would have used 2 but my bottle ran dry. Alas.)
1 t dijon mustard
teensy pinch cayenne
salt and pepper
Most recipes call for some beer - I skipped that. If you want, add a T.

DIRECTIONS:
Cut your tomato slices and remove the seeds. Then sprinkle with salt. Lay them on a wire rack, or a pad of paper towels to dry out a bit. Grate your cheese, mix with the other ingredients. Turn on your broiler (I use my toaster oven's broil setting). After 5-10 minutes, pat the tomatoes dry and place them on the pieces of bread (you can toast your bread first if you like). Then cover the tomatoes with the cheese mixture. Put in a baking dish or on lots of foil or on an oven proof plate if you're working with your toaster oven. Broil for 3-4 minutes until you have a melty cheesy mess.

Decisions, Decisions

I'm having a bit of a difficult time with decision making today.

Last night I'd planned on making baked mozzarella sticks (baked, not fried) and a luscious fresh tomato no cook pasta dish. But, I couldn't find any ripe tomatoes. So now I have these beautifully breaded mozzarella sticks hanging out in my freezer just waiting for their turn in the oven, but I have no freakin' clue what to have with them. I keep trying to channel my fried mozzarella stick eating days but I'm pretty sure back then I considered them a main course all on their own.

Please help me decide? Pretty please? I promise to give you the recipe for the mozzarella sticks if they turn out.

Come on. Just vote. One click. Do it.

poll by twiigs.com