'T'is the season to wish for things that you can't have but would sustain you a whole year if you got them. Here's my holiday wish list*:
-a bottle of Junipero gin
-dinner for 2 at Coi or Eleven Madison Park
-episodes of Good Eats on DVD
Happy holidays!!!
(*This is my realistic, 3-item-limit wish list. One can get greedy and start asking for pie-in-the-sky, like having Michael Chiarello as a personal chef.)
In case of emergency
My beau has been compiling a stock of emergency supplies in case "the big one hits." I laughed along for a while, but I think it's naïve of me to believe that we'll be rescued immediately, or that I won't freak after being locked up for 24 hours without food or water, or that people will be loving and helpful. (My change of heart is also attributed to reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road.)
I am grateful now for all the work and research he did to compile our emergency backpack. Now we have to set aside some nonperishable food stuffs as well as lots of water. Here's my list of food that I pray will be in the house when the big one hits: (To be more precise, these foods will at least make me feel better about imminent death.)
1. Figs
2. Spinach (arugula, kale, chard, dandelion, collards, etc. are suitable substitutes)
3. Acorn and butternut squash
4. Coffee
5. Bourbon
And my shopping list for goods to stash:
1. Cannellini beans
2. Tuna
3. Veg-All
4. Coffee
5. Bourbon
What's on your list?
I am grateful now for all the work and research he did to compile our emergency backpack. Now we have to set aside some nonperishable food stuffs as well as lots of water. Here's my list of food that I pray will be in the house when the big one hits: (To be more precise, these foods will at least make me feel better about imminent death.)
1. Figs
2. Spinach (arugula, kale, chard, dandelion, collards, etc. are suitable substitutes)
3. Acorn and butternut squash
4. Coffee
5. Bourbon
And my shopping list for goods to stash:
1. Cannellini beans
2. Tuna
3. Veg-All
4. Coffee
5. Bourbon
What's on your list?
Summer lovin'
The pale ale has been drunk. The keg now sits empty and alone, waiting for its new yeastly friends to enervate it. With the next batch of homebrew, I will take the post-fermentation yeast slurry and attempt to make my own Vegemite.
Yes, the sewing has dwindled. I made baby slings for my pregnant younger sister. I finished off some grocery and produce bags, which will get some good use with the summer bounty. We're attempting to grow basil again, in the dining room against one of the few sunny windows in our apartment. If it lasts for several batches of homemade pesto, I'll be very happy.
Yes, the sewing has dwindled. I made baby slings for my pregnant younger sister. I finished off some grocery and produce bags, which will get some good use with the summer bounty. We're attempting to grow basil again, in the dining room against one of the few sunny windows in our apartment. If it lasts for several batches of homemade pesto, I'll be very happy.
Stitch in time
I haven't posted much on the food front lately because I've been obsessed with recipes/protocols of another kind: fabric patterns and sewing! I have rediscovered the joys and frustrations of thread. I have made several bags of varying styles and designs. In the first 10 days after retrieving my sewing machine from my brother, I averaged 1 bag per day.
I am obsessed. I skip workouts to sew. I daydream about fabrics. I mentally draw patterns on my bus commute. I lose track of time, forget to eat or drink. Hell, I'm now writing about it. I may have a problem. But I also know my creative processes, and I know this will abate. I have an art deadline to meet in a couple of weeks and my craft budget is dwindling. Most likely, I'll be lured away when the pale ale is ready.
Boil, boil, toil & trouble
My beau brewed beer a couple of weeks ago. My brothers have homebrewed, but I've never witnessed the process. I learned that preparation and cleaning are absolutely critical for a successful brew. It was awesome to see the cauldron bubble and to smell new aromas emerging from the kitchen.
Adding the pellet hops
The brew is resting now and may be ready to drink as early as next week. Hopefully, we'll tap the keg while our good friend--a beer lover--is visiting from Japan. Kampai!
Adding the pellet hops
The brew is resting now and may be ready to drink as early as next week. Hopefully, we'll tap the keg while our good friend--a beer lover--is visiting from Japan. Kampai!
Holy chili!
We're back from Bali, with warm weather and yummy food still in mind. People say that you can judge the quality of a vacation based on how much time it takes to get readjusted to (or frustrated by?) your routine life. With jet lag conquered, I'm happily still in vacation daze.
I think about the fried eggs atop nasi goreng, fresh tempeh (I'm not usually a fan), young coconut juice, flavorful bananas, thick coffee, the salt on my lips after a swim . . .
. . . and, of course, the chili peppers. I love chilis, in all of their delicious manifestations: fresh, stuffed, sauted, stewed, in paste, sambal, salsa, sriracha. It's not a macho thing, like how much heat I can handle before my eyes water. It's about complementing food, like giving an edge to sweet tomatoes, a savory depth to tangy limes, and fresh spice to salty proteins. Chilis also teach me a thing or two about fine balances. I think a cocky overindulgence on vacation led to a short bout of "Bali belly." Ouch!
I think about the fried eggs atop nasi goreng, fresh tempeh (I'm not usually a fan), young coconut juice, flavorful bananas, thick coffee, the salt on my lips after a swim . . .
. . . and, of course, the chili peppers. I love chilis, in all of their delicious manifestations: fresh, stuffed, sauted, stewed, in paste, sambal, salsa, sriracha. It's not a macho thing, like how much heat I can handle before my eyes water. It's about complementing food, like giving an edge to sweet tomatoes, a savory depth to tangy limes, and fresh spice to salty proteins. Chilis also teach me a thing or two about fine balances. I think a cocky overindulgence on vacation led to a short bout of "Bali belly." Ouch!
Before we left for vacation, I made homemade sriracha sauce using a recipe posted on one of my favorite food blogs (whiteonricecouple).
Distracted by Bali
Since my last post, I have made several, simple yet satisfying, dishes: lemon curd, spicy tomato soup, crab-stuffed jalapeños, and warm spinach & roasted potato salad. All required little cooking time but featured good, bright flavors. The lemon curd and tomato soup were motivated in part for a friend who recently underwent oral surgery and was on a week-long, soft food diet. My beau found recipes for stuffed jalapeños in celebration of Cinco de Mayo; we substituted with crab salad and washed it down with jalapeño margaritas. Roasting jalapeños mellows their flavor, so we wanted the spice back! He flambed the jalapeños in tequila to release the heat before mixing up the drinks. Mmm.
I will expand on the posts and publish the recipes at some point, but I am currently distracted because we're going to Bali! Consequently, I've been obsessed with reading and researching for the trip. Drop me a line if you have any good tips!
Stack 'em up!
I had 12 of these stacks for dinner tonight, but they would be excellent hors d'oeuvres for a party, served warm with the blue cheese slightly oozy. Alternatively, bring them as a salad for a potluck picnic, with a light squeeze of fresh orange juice.
Roasted beet + roasted fennel + blue cheese stacks
3 medium beets
1 fennel bulb
salt + pepper
olive oil
blue cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean beets and fennel. Slice beets into ¼” rounds. Cut fronds off fennel bulb and discard any tough, outer layers. Cut fennel lengthwise into ¼” slices. Arrange beets and fennel on a baking sheet/roasting pan in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt + pepper; toss to coat evenly. Bake for 30 min, or until beets are tender and fennel is golden brown.
Stack beets, fennel, and blue cheese to desired ratios and heights.
Roasted beet + roasted fennel + blue cheese stacks
3 medium beets
1 fennel bulb
salt + pepper
olive oil
blue cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean beets and fennel. Slice beets into ¼” rounds. Cut fronds off fennel bulb and discard any tough, outer layers. Cut fennel lengthwise into ¼” slices. Arrange beets and fennel on a baking sheet/roasting pan in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt + pepper; toss to coat evenly. Bake for 30 min, or until beets are tender and fennel is golden brown.
Stack beets, fennel, and blue cheese to desired ratios and heights.
Windy days, warm soup
In true San Francisco fashion, it dropped 30 degrees in the last week, and we’re back to sunny but blustering days. I made a warm soup for the windy day, featuring broccoflower. You can use broccoli, cauliflower, or a mixture of both.
Carmelized broccoflower & onion soup
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
(optional: ½ tsp sugar)
1 bunch broccoflower/broccoli/cauliflower, cut into florets
4–5 c vegetable broth
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
(optional: ¼ c milk or cream)
Blue cheese, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and/or mint
Carmelized broccoflower & onion soup
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
(optional: ½ tsp sugar)
1 bunch broccoflower/broccoli/cauliflower, cut into florets
4–5 c vegetable broth
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
(optional: ¼ c milk or cream)
Blue cheese, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and/or mint
Heat butter and olive oil in a heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Sprinkle with salt (and sugar, if using.) Stir and cook until onions start to turn golden brown (carmelize.) Add broccoflower and cook until florets carmelize around the edges. Stir occasionally to carmelize vegetables evenly. Add vegetable broth, garlic, and bay leaf. Simmer until broccoflower is tender. Remove bay leaf. Puree soup with an immersion blender. Add more vegetable broth if the soup gets too thick. Season with salt + pepper, to taste. Add milk/cream and warm through.
Serve with crumbled blue cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. For a more springtime flavor, skip the blue cheese and serve with lemon juice and chopped mint.
Composing, then composting, the perfect sandwich
I woke up earlier than usual to move my car for street cleaning, the bane of my city-dwelling existence. I had about 10 minutes to spare so I decided to pack a lunch, which is something I’ve been trying to do more often to save money and eat more healthfully. I pulled out all the ingredients to make a Vietnamese sandwich, or “banh mi”: baguette, pickled vegetables, seasoned tofu, cilantro, and Maggi seasoning. I also grabbed some sriracha sauce and homemade chimichurri because they seemed like they would be nice, spicy additions.
I threw the baguette into the toaster to warm it and give it a little extra crunch while I prepped the other ingredients. I washed the cilantro and picked off the leaves. I sliced the tofu to resemble cold cuts. I drained the pickled daikon and carrot. Ready for assembly! Within a few minutes, I had a 4”-high tower of spicy, salty, vegetable-loaded deliciousness. I grabbed some plastic wrap to package it up. And then I heard my sandwich tumble to the floor.
“Shit.” I stood over the mess for a few seconds, in complete disbelief. My beautifully composed banh mi was splattered all over the floor like a drip painting. I considered putting it all back together and taking it for lunch anyway (I adhere to the 20-second rule), but it was pretty scattered. And the sriracha and chimichurri were smeared into the throw rug and across the linoleum. So I grabbed my compost bin and offered my delicious banh mi to the mulch gods. Happy Earth Day to me.
P.S. The banh mi debacle set me back a few minutes, so I literally ran out the door and to my car parked 8 blocks away. The parking police have ticketed me for not moving my car at 7 minutes into the 2-hour window—it’s perfectly legal but completely annoying—so I was desperate to avoid the $60 penalty. When I got to the block where my car was parked, I noticed that no other cars were moved; their windows were still dewy. I checked the signs: “Street Cleaning, 8–10 AM, 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month.” Yesterday was the 3rd Tuesday, and today is the FOURTH Wednesday of April. Am I having a bad day?
Sweltering spring
It hit 80 degrees in San Francisco today. The heat, combined with recovering from my sister’s wedding this weekend, made me crave a simple, healthful meal. I made a zucchini ribbon salad and crab-stuffed avocados.
Zucchini ribbon salad
Because this salad is so simple, use the highest-quality ingredients: organic zucchini and lemon if possible, a fruity olive oil that you reserve for eating (not cooking), aged Parmesan, gray salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.
2 medium zucchini
Juice from ½ lemon, ~2 Tbsp
Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt + pepper
Using a vegetable peeler, shave zucchini into long ribbons. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with parmesan shavings. Toss lightly before serving. The longer the salad sits, the more marinated (and soft) the zucchini will be.
Zucchini ribbon salad
Because this salad is so simple, use the highest-quality ingredients: organic zucchini and lemon if possible, a fruity olive oil that you reserve for eating (not cooking), aged Parmesan, gray salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.
2 medium zucchini
Juice from ½ lemon, ~2 Tbsp
Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt + pepper
Using a vegetable peeler, shave zucchini into long ribbons. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with parmesan shavings. Toss lightly before serving. The longer the salad sits, the more marinated (and soft) the zucchini will be.
Hello, world.
My life revolves around words and food. So here I am, mincing words for mulling over. (You’ll find that I’m not terribly good at mincing words.) Enjoy!
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