You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ category.
I really don’t mean to be boring and predictable, always linking weather to what I eat (or drink), but I just can’t help it. It has been over 80ºF here lately and so I am in a summer state of mind. And to me summer = backyard BBQ’s and lots of fresh libations. So, I am taking this weather to mean we should get a head start on those drinks.
One of my favorites for summer (and spring) is to make a big batch of fruit puree for an instant “specialty” drink. You can use fresh fruit of course, but frozen is easier, cheaper and means you have to wait until actual summer to get peaches.
Just puree any frozen fruit of your choice (peach, raspberry and strawberry are my favorite – but keep them separate, this isn’t a smoothie) with a little bit of liquid (I use peach nectar for the peach version and simple syrup with the raspberries) to thin it out. It’ll keep in the fridge for a few days, if you want to get a head start on things.
You won’t be disappointed … these unexpected additions to the bar (as well as the CB2 bottle decanters) were the (or rather, one of) the hit of a recent party.
A few ways to use fruit purees:
- Pour a bit into the bottom of a champagne glass and top with bubbly of your choice for a bellini. Have multiple flavors, instant bellini bar!
- Jazz up your standard vodka-soda
- With a bit (or more) tequila, Cointreau and fresh lime juice on the rocks for a fruit margarita that isn’t quite so embarrassing
What drinks would you make with these purees?
Am I the only person who feels disproportionally proud when I change the light bulb as soon as it burns out. It’s a really easy and obvious thing to do, but how often does it take you a day or two (or week) to change a light bulb … especially ones that require ladders or step-stools?
These strawberries are a bit like that. Nothing special at all and no real work, but not going to lie – felt a little self-satisfied (and like a resourceful pioneer woman) after I did this.
And what did I do exactly?
Took the forgotten and now-sorry-looking leftover strawberries out of the fridge and instead of tossing them (they were past the point of eating as is, but nothing suspicious about them that required immediate disposal) sliced them up and popped them in a small pan. Added some water and a teeny touch of sugar (lemon zest or a bit of a vanilla bean would be a nice touch too) and let it all cook down. The result – instead of more trash, I now have a simple strawberry sauce on hand, perfect to add to yogurt and granola.
Breakfast hasn’t looked this good (or smug) in a while.
Is there a word or phrase for once you see something it is everywhere? You know what I mean – learn a new word, boom it’s in books, on billboards, in every.single.converstion.for.the.next.week, in movies, in songs… Is there a phrase for that? If so, I need to learn it, so it too can show up everywhere, like egg salad for me lately.
I know it is spring and Easter and eggs, but seriously, I haven’t seen this much egg salad since 5th grade and all the mom’s tried to make their egg salad as good as Mrs. Killingsworth’s (sorry mom, ♥ ya, but her’s won).
It started in San Francisco, with an afternoon lunch at Radius. We tried lots of great things (excellent soups, salad, cookies) but what I loved was the egg salad on polenta bread. It was a super simple version without any frills and I loved it. Then Tamra Davis made it on her most recent cooking webisode. And, well you get the point. I have really been thinking about egg salad.
And so when the sun (finally) came out and at the same time David Lebovitz mentioned an eggless chervil mayonnaise, I was done. I knew that when I did set out to make an egg salad, it would be one of those simple ones – and up the “wowness” just with homemade mayo. And this herb version would pack a nice punch and without raw eggs. Double bonus as egg salad is best consumed when sitting on grass, in the sun, during a nice long picnic.
This was my first attempt at homemade mayo – eggless or regular – and it was a breeze. Maybe that is because I used the blender, but hey, that was in the instructions. And while I would like to say it was so easy it worked on my first try, that would be a lie. All instructions for mayonnaise require you to add the oil very very s l o w l y, starting just a drop at a time until it emulsifies. Well I was nervous, and so I went a bit too slow. I couldn’t see what was happening because whenever I tried to look in the blender, I would get garlic milk splashed in my face, so I kept at it, a drop at a time. After too many minutes, I finally stopped the blender and had a look. The motor got so hot that the milk was curdling and not at all emulsifying. Blech. It was so gross I am honestly still proud that I gave it another go.
This time I did a few drops and then slowly switched to a thin drizzle (and the martini shaker I found in the cupboard worked great for this). And you could feel it (or hear it rather) when it started to thicken. I’m not going to lie, I felt a little amazing – although it is something people have been doing for years. And now I could peek inside and see the magic happen. And my mayo didn’t need all the oil it called for, so I should have stopped a bit shy (when I felt like it), but rather I added the whole amount. It ended up a bit thick – which was fine for the egg salad – but when I make another batch for the artichokes in the fridge, I’ll go with my gut.
And since chances are you have a few extra eggs already hard-boiled right now, I think the time is just right for egg salad.
It is popping up everywhere.
(Pics of the picnic are on my Holga – when I get around to having the film developed, I’ll add them in. The top pic is from an older picnic).
Recipes…
This salad has no story, expect that it is delicious. That’s it – well, pretty much.
The other day I went for a nice long walk along the Hudson (it was freezing, but at least the sun was out, so I was happy) and on my way home I stopped at the Manhattan Fruit Exchange in Chelsea Market. I needed to pick up some dried cranberries for this, and thought that detour would be more fun than my regular stops. The little market was teeming with spring goodies, the asparagus and English peas that I have been dreaming of and an abundance of fresh fava beans.
But surprisingly, I passed over all those things I had been waiting for, and picked up a teeny cantaloupe that was so fragrant, it literally jumped out at me as I passed by.
When I got home, I paired it up with some strawberries, fresh mozzarella, basil and mint. A drizzle of balsamic would be good here, but lo and behold when I went to grab it, we were out. (Which seems odd because I don’t remember using it for eons, but then, some days my memory isn’t the best. Now you know who you can tell your secrets!!)
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that this was a hit – strawberries and basil are a match; melon and mozzarella – obviously; melon and mint, another winner – but altogether … out of the park! This salad should have yielded leftovers and didn’t.
I think if you are looking for something fresh to add to Easter brunch, look no further.
While in California, I (with my mom, a girlfriend and her mom – who did the heavy lifting) hosted my first baby shower. It was a bit of a head-game, as I’m still 20 (obviously) and therefore not old enough to have friends who are having babies.
But all my mental issues aside, we planned early that this wouldn’t be a standard issue baby shower – there was nary a diaper or duck insight. Rather it would be a proper party with yummy food and lots of drinks and oohing and aahhing over the guest of honor, who just happened to be hidden behind a really cute dress.
But since this party was more cocktail style than ladies lunch, we decided there should at least be some little activity, and if it was something that the future parents could use, all the better. And as little as I know about kids, I do know that they aren’t using the same plates as mommy and daddy. And yes, I know that eating real food is a ways off, but we figured they would have plenty of onesies.
Plus, knowing my friends, Thomas the Train or Disney Princess plates probably don’t quite match their style.
Enter the Make-A-Plate.
Remember the ones you made in kindergarden, the ones that Mom may or may not still have hanging in a kitchen or laundry room?
We thought it would be fun to have the guests make these, as little mementos for the new family. It may take a while for the baby to appreciate it, but I am guessing that mom and dad will love having something tangible for their new family, especially the ones from the great-grandmas-to-be.
I bought the kits online from http://makit.com, but a little online search looks like you can find them at Target too. This particular kind uses Crayola markers and special paper, that you mail and shortly thereafter receive your custom melamine plates.
Next I am thinking about making some for myself, in a slightly more grown up version – stripes and dots and designs with maybe a monogram. I think they would be perfect for summer BBQs and much cheaper (and more personal) than the Neiman Marcus or Jonathan Adler versions.
The options are endless. Just look at a few of the cute ones that the guests made.
I’ll make sure to update with pictures when the plates and bowls arrive.
When buying carrots, I often like to buy bunches that still have their greens – it seems to me as a sign of their freshness (whether true or not).
But when you store them, make sure to remove the tops, as the greens will draw nutrients and moisture away from the carrots. Carrots without the greens will stay fresher and crisper longer.
However, if the carrots you have are young (so the greens aren’t bitter) and organic (pesticide free), there are a couple of fun ways to use the tops, so it doesn’t feel like a total waste. Salads and soups are my favorite, and here are a few more ideas.
Do you use the carrot tops?
After my California trip, I was ready to come home to sunshine, asparagus and English peas… Instead, I was welcomed by rain, temperatures back in the 30ºs and more of the same at the market. Not be a be a total bore and keep mentioning the weather, but this was not quite what I had in mind.
To make the most of it, I decided to make one last winter salad. The hearty grain kind that I can keep in the fridge for a few days, and have it for lunch while we wait out this (please let it be the last) cold-snap.
We know that beets and carrots are a great match, and since they are some of the few things in the produce section that I have yet to tire of, I thought they would make a nice starting point for this salad. I decided to use golden beets, knowing this salad will likely sit refrigerator for a few days, and their color does not bleed the way red beets do. As for the prep, they were roasted and cubed, but I kept the carrots raw – you know, with spring *being here* and all.
The Art of Simple Food really is that – an art. I am constantly delighted and surprised when simple foods, prepared simply become much more than a sum of their parts.
After I made that lasagna, I had a sweet tooth and a basket full of strawberries, so I decided to skim through Alice Water’s book again (since it was out) and see what looked good. I knew I wanted something easy – no baking or making, just really one step more than eating them plain. I also wanted more than just letting them macerate in their own juices or tossing them in some balsamic – both great preperations, don’t get me wrong, but they weren’t wowing me that night.
Alice, not surprisingly, had the answer.
Marinate sliced strawberries in fresh orange juice.
Thank goodness the woman has been winning awards for years. So simple and and obvious combination once you read it, but I can’t say I would have ever done it on my own.
I had two blood oranges in the fruit bowl that needed to be used, so I used the juice from those and sliced up some strawberries. The recipe suggests adding a bit of sugar too, but I didn’t think it was necessary. After letting it marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, I poured the strawberries and juice over a bit of ricotta that I still had on hand and it was a d.i.v.i.n.e. combination.
It would also be great with greek yogurt, vanilla ice cream, or just plain and served cold. In fact, plain and cold is what the book recommends.
I think now, regardless of the preparation, any time I make things with strawberries, I may have to add a bit of orange.
Just snapped this pic of colored vases in action. The ranunculus of course aren’t bad, but the it’s the vivid bud vases that really help brighten up this nightstand, particularly on on a rainy day.
Excited to wake up next to this tomorrow.
Note: can’t quite tell you where the vases came from, as this situation came with pre-stocked cabinets.
Something either terribly amazing or just plain terrible happened this week.
I discovered Dos Toros Taqueria and how ridiculously close it is to my house. I’m thrilled because they have great (CA style) tacos and burritos with highly quality ingredients – primarily local and/or organic – and great prices. I’m not so thrilled because having damn good tacos and quesadillas near by can be a bit dangerous.
So on my 18th trip in as many hours, I decided to pick up enough to share and bring it home for dinner. As an impulse buy when I was paying, I asked them to throw in some chips and salsa.
But when I got home, I realized it wasn’t salsa, but pico de gallo (fresh tomato salsa). And as far as I am concerned, that doesn’t work as a dip for chips. I love pico de gallo on plenty of things, don’t get me wrong, but I want something smoother and spicier when I think salsa.
It turns out we didn’t have any jarred in the fridge (that stuff goes quickly around here), but thankfully, salsa is a breeze to whip up.
