Kindness

My absence has in large part been due to our new arrival.  Our son was born three weeks ago, and needless to say, my cooking has suffered greatly. After returning home from the hospital we've only succumbed to takeout once, mainly because Ryan has been a whiz and cooked us delicious dinners from scratch.  But also, due to the incredible kindness of a work colleague.

My mother used to work with a very wise, very kind woman named Louise who had an expression that really she often used, "People are interesting."  This was about as damning as Louise would ever get, because she was someone who was kind to the bottom of her heart.  And so it's been Louise I've thought about in the days after I've had my son and paid close attention to people's actions rather than their words.

Some of the people I worked with that I considered myself to be quite friendly with have not so much as texted congratulations after being told of our new addition, while others have sent lovely cards and gifts which warmed my heart and another showed just how big her heart is.

Throughout my pregnancy, one work colleague was beyond generous with her advice, time, unwanted baby clothes (tags still on) and prenatal yoga DVDs.  And so when she drove up to visit me the other day, I shouldn't have been surprised to see her kindness extended even further, to bringing us a delicious meal.

A quiche, a salad and a delectable blueberry pie.  Can you ask for anything more?

Okay, fine, you could ask for me to actually update this blog more frequently - which hopefully will start in late August.  And you could ask for a picture of the little one - which I shall respectfully decline at this point.  Maybe later.

Experimentation

I don't usually write about things that are purely experiments, especially if I'm not really sure I'll ever make them again, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

My parents are currently inundated with fresh produce, because they've been given the CSA share of a neighbor who is away on vacation.  Their solution has been to pass on lots of delicious veggies to Ryan and I.  Last week we ended up with kale, radicchio, zucchini (clearly for Ryan only) and red leaf lettuce.  By the time I got around to the radicchio I wanted something that didn't seem like greens or salad, so started thinking about making a pasta.  Maybe something with some white beans.  Then serendipitously, I ran across this recipe. So I thought I could use radicchio instead of escarole, keep the white beans, add some garlic and parm and have something that would resemble dinner.  I also had this box of Kamut and Quinoa pasta that Ryan had gotten as a free sample.  It is a bit shameful to admit, but I've never eaten any type of whole grain pasta, much less something as exotic as this.  But honestly, the earthy taste (and yes, there is one, it's not going to just hide under tomato sauce) went really well with the greens and beans.  Plus, I love the idea of getting extra protein in when I have a vegetarian pasta dish.  So I definitely need to experiment with different kinds of pasta in the future.

RADICCHIO, WHITE BEANS AND GARLIC WITH WHOLE GRAIN PASTA

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz whole grain pasta, I used Kamut and Quinoa Twisted Pair
3-4 C radicchio (I only had 2 C and was sad)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
1-2 t vinegar (I used red wine vinegar, but I think balsamic would have been a better match)
1 can white beans (reserve the bean liquid, but go ahead and drain the beans)
1/6 C bean juice
salt
red pepper flakes (1-2 t or more depending on how spicy you like things)
2 cups grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot, boil some water for the pasta and don't forget to salt the water.  This particular pasta said to cook for 10-12 minutes, but it was DONE at 6 minutes, I can't even fathom what disgusting mush it would have been if we'd let it go.

In a non-stick pan, heat up your olive oil, red pepper flakes and garlic on low heat, you want your garlic to release it's garlicky goodness, but not brown.  In 1-2 minutes when it is golden, go ahead and add the radicchio and let it wilt.  Radicchio can be extremely bitter.  So add some salt now, and a small hit of vinegar to combat that.  Definitely taste the radicchio to see if it's coming along nicely.  You want it to have a little bite (both texturally and flavor wise) but you shouldn't have to force down bitter greens.  A bit before you think the greens are done, add the white beans and some more salt.

When the pasta is done, drain it, reserving a bit of cooking water.  Add the pasta to the pan with the radicchio and beans.  Add a bit of the bean juice (I used 1/6 C) and a splash of pasta water to help it all be a bit of a sauce.  Add the parm and mix it all well to combine.  Recheck your salt, pepper and liquid, adding more of whatever it needs to become a normal dinner dish.

Type A Personality + Uncontrollable Events = A Full Freezer?

It is no surprise to anyone who knows me (or to longtime readers of this blog) that I prefer situations where I am in control.  Needless to say many people are cackling and rubbing their hands together in anticipation because they know that having a child will definitely lead to me being faced with an unbroken chain of uncontrollable events, possibly for the rest of my life.  And some people are mean and take perverse pleasure in things like that (oh, you know who you are).

So while I wait (ah yes, the waiting for the first of these uncontrollable events) there's nothing I can do other than to try to organize my food world.  So despite my husband's protests that we'll be able to cook dinner ourselves, I've been stocking the freezer.

My current freezer status ~

HOMEMADE:
5 balls of homemade pizza dough - This recipe would make 6, but I stole one for calzones.
4 artichoke and spinach calzone although made with a small amount of provolone rather than mozzarella
2 huge portions of macaroni and cheese
2 big (but not huge) portions of fancy macaroni and cheese
2 meals worth of meatballs although I added garlic to them
3 meals worth of lasagna

STORE BOUGHT:
Ice cream - this is critical for my sanity.  I have a coupon for Ben and Jerry's and you better believe I'll be adding a few pints to the collection.
Tortellini - this is one of my go to foods when I'm not actually cooking.  I pretty much lived on it during the first trimester.  I bought a huge club pack from Wegman's.  Just plain cheese.
Lou's Natural Sausage  - A while back we did a taste test of chicken sausage and these won.  I love them especially because they don't have sausage casings (Ryan won't eat sausage casings, so I have to peel them off).  I got a few flavors.  They go along way to turning mac and cheese into a meal.

SPECIAL TREAT:
We are lucky enough to have an amazing farmer's market nearby.  And because of where we live, this farmer's market includes a few stands run by the Pennsylvania Dutch (I don't know whether or not they're Amish, I do know they wear bonnets and old fashioned clothes).  One of these stands has homemade baked goods and for years (I wish I were exaggerating, but I'm not) I've wanted to try their cinnamon buns.  They look amazing.  Last week my mother surprised me with a package, all individually wrapped, ready to freeze and enjoy later.  I did test out one, just for quality control reasons you understand and I was not disappointed.

I really don't feel like it's enough but it's what I've got and there's not a ton of room left in there as you can see.  What else do you think I need in my freezer?

Imagine this was a new picture. Imagine these were Korean-ish. Imagine I'm not a failure.

My current fail category in life is pretty much full.  Sleep?  FAIL.  It's currently 2:40 in the morning and I am too hot to sleep.  What's that about air conditioning?  Oh we have it, and it's on.  I'm just still too hot to sleep.  So I guess that would put me at a fail for body temperature regulation as well.  Returning phone calls and texts?  SUPER FAIL.  I haven't called back my darling cousin who I adore and am massively proud of because she just graduated from med school.  I haven't texted or called back two lovely people I work with who just wanted to check in with me and have been supremely kind to me.  Preparing for the baby I am supposed to be having in less than 3 weeks?  PROCRASTINATOR FAIL.  Carseat? Not installed.  Crib or other similar sleeping device?  Not in place.  Diapers of any sort? Not purchased.  Any type of book on how to actual keep a baby alive once you get home from the hospital? Unread.  And of course, the one you all are familiar with, keeping up with my blogging?  EMBARRASSING FAIL.  And the worst of it is, it didn't need to be this bad.  I have things to say about food.  Last night Ryan and I went out to a fancy dinner, probably for the last time pre-baby.  I fully intended to write about it here (even if I didn't cook it, I thought you might be interested) but of course, another fail, this time in the category of taking pictures.  I made sure to pack my phone which takes much better pictures than Ryan's phone.  I told Ryan to remind me to take pictures.  And then I ate my appetizer without taking one.  So in between courses, again, I told Ryan to remind me.  I reminded myself.  And then I ate my dinner, without taking a picture.  I didn't even bother with that charade by dessert.  I just shoveled it down without a thought.

So, PHOTOGRAPHY FAIL.  That would be why, instead a of brand-spanking new photo up there, you're getting a recycled one.  But that seems only fair, because instead of a brand-spanking new recipe, you're getting a recycled one.  Or at least a twist on a recycled one.  Remember these deliciously tasty lettuce wraps? Well, while spending far too long in the doctor's waiting room reading magazines, I stumbled across a suggestion to make lettuce wraps with Korean flavors.  They had me at gochujang.  I e-mailed myself some sketchy notes on what ingredients to include and then came home and (I know, brace yourself here) actually made dinner.  Right?  I never would have expected it of me either.

Anyway, they were completely delicious, so my fail category must have been full, because cooking? When I actually get around to it?  Actually competent!!

KOREAN-ISH LETTUCE WRAPS
Inspired by some magazine.  Good Housekeeping?  Southern Living?  What do they normally have at the doctor's office...

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground turkey
1 T grated fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1 T peanut or vegetable oil
2.5 T soy sauce
3 T rice wine vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1.5 T gochujang (I am a huge wimp about spicy right now. If you like spice, add at least 2 T)
1/4 C dry roasted, unsalted peanuts
lettuce - about 3 big leaves per person

DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet, heat up the oil to medium.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook for about 3 minutes or until the garlic is slightly golden.  Increase your temperature to medium high and add the turkey and cook until mostly browned (look, once you add the other stuff, it's kind of hard to tell if the turkey's fully cooked, so go ahead and cook until until done if you don't trust yourself with that kind of thing).  Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar and gochujang.  It gets a bit soupy with all those things, so you'll need to stir it and cook it a bit longer to make sure they're all incorporated.   Then toss in the peanuts and stir again to coat them.  Serve on a lettuce leaf.  If you've made yours spicy, you will be relieved to have rice as a side.

I'm Sorry, Were You Expecting a Recipe?

Honest truth?  I have barely cooked in the past two weeks.  Barely.  I have eaten out, from crappy prepared dinners from Whole Foods and cheap chinese food and to amazing black pepper fettucini with pork guanciale, english peas, onion cream and grana padano which was so good I went back and had it a second time within a week.

I have eaten leftovers from a party thrown by my mother.  Amazing smoked pork barbecue, cheese and spinach pie and moist rich chocolate cake, none of which I have the recipe for.

I have gratefully eaten anything my husband has put in front of me, either on the weekend or late after he comes home from work and finds I have made no progress towards dinner.

I have managed very little in the way of cooking and you have my sincerest apologies.  Tonight I am going to cook something and if it's any good, I promise to tell you all about it.  In the mean time, thanks for not giving up on me entirely.

Not Another Potato Salad...

Actually, yes, yes, another potato salad.  Why?  When I already have two recipes for potato salad, why would I possibly need a third?  I don't know.  Why do I need more than two pairs of shoes?  More than two colors of lipstick?  Is it greed?  Or is it just good old fashioned variety?

All I know is that this potato salad is delicious and was a huge hit at our Memorial Day gathering.  It was the perfect compromise between the traditional mayonnaise laden potato salad my mother and I prefer and the elegant if not somewhat austere green bean and red potato salad dressed in vinegar that satisfies Ryan's stringent no mayonnaise requirement.

This is tangy, but casual, rich, despite its lack of cream.  And so, yes, here I am, with another potato salad.  With hard-boiled eggs and bacon, it's plenty festive and feels indulgent.  The spicy brown mustard dressing, dotted with bits of jalapeño gives it a tangy kick without being fire-y in the least.

POTATO SALAD, TAKE  3

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs red potatoes
6 slices of bacon
2 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 + 1/8 C extra virgin olive oil (you could possibly increase this to a half cup)
3 T apple cider vinegar
1.5 T spicy brown mustard (none of that high-faluting dijon here)
1 scallion minced (white and light green parts only - about a tablespoon)
1/2 a jarred jalapeño, minced
1 t salt (adjust to your liking)
pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Cook your bacon until crispy and set aside.  If your potatoes are large, quarter them.  If they're little, you can half them or if they're tiny, leave them whole.  Add them to a large pot of boiling water.  Cook at a boil for 10-15 minutes.  You want them to be able to be cut, but not mushy at all like you'd need for mashed potato.  Drain them and set aside until they're cool enough to handle.  At that point, you'll need to cut them into bite-sized (1-2") chunks. Place these in a large bowl, big enough to handle the potato salad.

Mix up your dressing.  I used a dressing mixer, but a whisk should do nicely.  You combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, the jalapeño and the scallion.

Grab your large bowl of potatoes.  Pour the dressing over it and gently toss to coat.  Get your bacon and cut or crumble it into little pieces and toss it into the salad.  Peel and chop your hard-boiled eggs.  Add them to the salad as well.  Toss it all extremely gently, you don't want the eggs to disintegrate.  Taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly.

This is much better when it's had time to sit, because the potatoes need to absorb the dressing a bit.

Also, if you hate jalapeños or just want to make the whole thing more kid friendly, consider substituting chopped up baby gherkins.  Because who doesn't like little sweet pickles?

Brilliant Ideas Converge

I can't even tell you how long I have loved this idea that David Lebovitz wrote about on his blog.  The picture above (borrowed from his blog - definitely taken by David Lebovitz and NOT me) shows a set of napkins he spotted at a farm.  Diners were encouraged to write their names in permanent marker on napkins so that each would know his own.  Over time, the napkins show the history of visitors to the farm, recent ones marked brightly, some others faded into near obscurity.  I'm not doing it justice, so read the whole post here.

For years I have dreamt of having a set of napkins at my own house that could be used for company, labeled, washed and treasured as a record of guests in my home.  Of course, this would require that I actually have guests in my home, which at present is certainly nothing but a dream.  It would also require the perfect napkins.  I have yet to find the perfect napkins.

Until this week...

They are completely perfect right?  They'll go with anything, the stripes will be perfect for collecting the names.  Just perfect.  

They're available from Furbish, but I spotted them on the owner's design blog, i suwannee.

Now if I can just get my act together to order two sets (four in a set) before the end of the weekend, I can even get 15% with the code LONGWEEKEND...

Then I can focus on finding some guests.  Any takers?

Pretty Healthy

Generally speaking, I am not in charge of the vegetables.  I leave them to Ryan.  Sometimes, if he asks about them, I manage a slightly dismayed and mystified expression, as though I have somehow inexplicably forgotten.  That really, I'd planned for some but somehow it just slipped my mind.  I'm sure this stopped working years ago, but I still try.  It's not that I dislike vegetables exactly, it's more that I forget that I do like them.  At least, I like them certain ways.  And I definitely like them as red cabbage slaw.  It's tangy and crunchy and with the apple, just the slightest bit sweet.  Also, it's really pretty.  Ryan likes it because it is entirely mayonnaise free.  It's the perfect dish to master with summer right around the corner because it goes fabulously with bbq and fried chicken.

RED CABBAGE SLAW

1/2 head of red cabbage

3 carrots
1 apple, julienned (can you julienne apple?  I certainly tried)

1/2 C apple cider vinegar

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C chopped shallot

2 t celery seed

1 t sugar

salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Slice your red cabbage into bite sized pieces.  I like pieces on the longer side.  So basically I core the half and then slice down to make long strips and then cut those long strips in half.  Put all the cut cabbage into a strainer, rinse with water.  If you have time, you can sprinkle with salt and let sit (around 30-60 minutes) to remove some of the water, but if you don't it's not a big deal at all.  If you do salt it, rinse it again once you're ready to use it.  After you've rinsed the cabbage, pat it dry.

In a very large bowl, combine the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, celery seed, sugar and a healthy amount of black pepper.  Whisk them up.

Peel and grate your carrots.  I did mine using the mandolin, which made nice long uniform strips.  Use whatever kitchen tool you prefer.  Your goal is carrot strips.

Put the carrots, chopped shallot and cabbage into the large bowl with the dressing. Toss it well to coat and let sit at least 1 hour.  Add the apple.

This was still delicious several days after making, although it did accumulate more liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

Cinco de Mayo

In theory, I love this holiday.  I support any holiday that involves Mexican food and people getting to drink their fill of whatever festive alcoholic beverage strikes their fancy. But in practice, I don't think I've ever gotten my act together to actually celebrate Cinco de Mayo.  (Probably, this is good and I should stand on some sort of moral high ground for not co-opting the holidays of others).  This year, for example, I will be having crab cakes and artichoke.  Not even a little bit Mexican.

But just in case you're in the mood and are hunting for some probably inauthentic but tasty and manageable by the home cook type of recipes, here are some Hungry Hippo offerings...

Really good vaguely authentic enchiladas

My mother's probably really inauthentic, but delicious, very easy and infinitely more photogenic enchiladas

Out of this world, reasonably labor intensive but definitely worth it empanaditas

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili (okay, not really Mexican, but goes well with guacamole)

What are your favorite Mexican recipes?  Are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo?  Already?  

For Boston

Today I read an article somewhere in the great internets about how the current generation is so self-absorbed that they tend to co-opt tragedy as their own.  They regale people with stories of how they could have been there at the site of the tragedy du jour.  There but for the grace of God...

This Boston tragedy was not mine.  It belonged to others, some near and dear to me who were at the scene of the bombings.  Others I've known and cared about over the years.  But it could not have happened to me.  I have been a long time gone from that city.  But in a time when the Yankees are playing Sweet Caroline to honor Boston, certainly I can say that in my heart of hearts, Boston you're my home.

And that my heart is breaking for all of those who have no need to co-opt tragedy, because it is their own.  Because it came right up to their doors and into their homes. Should you want to help, rather than retell your own plans to someday maybe run the marathon, check out charity navigator's advice on ways to donate.

And since you came here for food (you did come here for food, right?) rather than lectures on how to properly handle your reactions to crisis, how about a recipe from The New England Clam Shack Cookbook for some delicious scallops?  It's a much better way to feel like an honorary New Englander.

Verdict:  If I have any common sense, I'll get this in regular rotation in time for the summer.  Curing homesickness through cooking is something I definitely sign on for.




PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS
modified slightly from The New England Clam Shack Cookbook

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb sea scallops - select scallops that aren't sitting in a lot of liquid, scallops are better when dry.  Also pick ones that haven't started to separate
1/4  t salt
1/4 t sugar
1/2 t thyme
1/8 t garlic powder
1/8 t onion powder
olive oil
lemon wedges

DIRECTIONS:
Mix together the salt, sugar, thyme, garlic powder and onion powder.  Heat a cast-iron pan to medium high and add a bit of olive oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan (I used a paper towel to help smear it around and make sure I didn't have too much oil).  Pat your scallops dry and then sprinkle them top and bottom with the seasoning mix.  When the pan is hot, place the scallops in the pan, not touching.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side, then if they are golden brown, flip and cook for 2-4 minutes on the other side.  Cooked scallops should be more opaque than when they started, firm to the touch and have those nice golden edges.  Garnish with lemon wedges (you know, so you can squeeze lemon on them).