monday...

Have you Pittsburgh peeps been outside today? It's sunny! It's warm! Where the heck are we? I just heard it's supposed to be almost 70 degrees tomorrow! I wish work would dismiss us due to weather.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! I did, indeed. A little chillaxin', a little qt with a Hurd, fun times with a lovely new acquaintance, brunch at Zenith, saw Juno (if you haven't seen it, do!), had the first Bushwicks practice with Mags in over a year. Good times, all.

[Incidentally, do not let a Hurd convince you that she doesn't like games. I mean, look how excited she is over Trivial Pursuit!]


So, so, so...so much to catch up on since I was a slacker with the bloggin' over the holidays. But, a quick overview:

1. xmas was great. I went down to WV to see the fam, and (to steal a clever phrase from The Gooch) to recharge my accent*. Here's me and my beautiful and youthful mom:

And, to add another generation on, here's my freakin' adorable niece, her only self:


*Regarding the accent, it doesn't take long for me to re-pick it up. I heard myself telling my step-dad, when I meant that I was going to get out of the car to walk my dog, "Ahm jus gon waukeem real quick" which translates as "I'm just going to walk him real quick." Whoa.

Also, my step-dad adopted a baby deer (now named Dixie), and has fed her for the last few months. She's joined her own herd, but she stills comes about three times per day for treats (apples, corn chips, deer kibble) and for pets. It was so fun to pet a baby deer! I wish I'd gotten a picture, but every time she came up my camera was charging, or downstairs, or something.

2. New Years Eve was great. I was at Zeke's with the and the K-Bear, and we had a lovely time with some pals who stopped by to count down to the new year.
K-Bear loves hats:


I made a spread of snacks for the soiree. I had:
-veggie sushi (assisted by the E-dawg)
-curried potato-pea-spinach puffs
-mini artichoke-spinach-sundried tomato quiche
-mini wild mushroom tarts
-buffalo tofu dip (this actually didn't turn out so great)
-my mom's famous cheeseball
-a gorgeous cheese spread (by E-dawg, with pears, honey and blackberries)
-a delicious mocktail (also by E-dawg), the Bramble with a juniper berry/bay leaf syrup mixed with seltzer water, fresh tarragon, meyer lemon juice and blackberries (this was SO good!)
-mesquite chocolate chip cookies


And, a few peeps stayed over, and Heather actually brought all the fixins for breakfast the next day--fancy french toast with banana yum and raspberry compote. Yum!


Also, I realized that you know when you are old when at the end of the night on NYE you're not passed out and/or making out with a stranger, but instead you're doing a load of dishes and sorting recycling. I loved it.

2. My new ride! I'm loving it!


I'm so glad to be mobile again.

And, now that we're back up to speed...

Hurd and I tried to check out the new Ethiopian restaurant, Tana, on Saturday, but arrived just as they were closing for a few hours between lunch and dinner. Kramer and Mags had lunch there last week, and gave it two thumbs up, way up. I can't wait to try it.

Tonight is Classic Book Club. We read Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison (Augusten Burrough's older brother). Plus, there are always lots of delicious and surprising snacks.

because i love thanksgiving

Actually, I'm of two minds when it comes to Thanksgiving. On one hand, I love a holiday that's all about the cooking and eating of food, tradition and observing a time to be thankful. On the other hand, I'm disturbed that we continue to honor an annual celebration of conquering and decimating a native population. I wish that were more acknowledged when people talk about the Thanksgiving holiday. But, apart from the genocidal undertones, I actually really, really enjoy Thanksgiving. And, I don't really want it to be over. Yesterday most of the talk around the water cooler at work, and in catching up with friends, was about Thanksgiving dinner. And, since I didn't cook the giant meal this year I'm not the proud owner of a refrigerator loaded down with leftovers. I kept craving stuffing all day yesterday. I could smell the sage and celery wafting from the workplace kitchen while everyone warmed their leftover feasts, and wanted more, more, more!

Now, I did actually end up with a beautiful container of leftovers from Thursday. I dubbed it "tupperware full o' love", but it was quickly gobbled up for breakfast and lunch on Friday. So, last night I had to--had to!--cobble together some stuffing. (Do you call it dressing or stuffing?) I didn't have all the ingredients I wanted/needed, but it still came out a-okay, if not exactly as I was picturing. Speaking of picturing it...


Cornbread Stuffing
makes a 9x9" pan

1 16-oz bag of cornbread bread crumbs (or make your own cornbread, and crumble it up)
about 4 c. vegetable broth (always best if you make your own*, but I like this kind, too)
1 lg onion, diced
2-3 celery stalks, diced
1 c. dried cranberries (I was out of these, but they really make it!)
1/2 lb. mushrooms (any kind, I used white, 'cause that's what I had on hand), sliced
2 T. fresh sage, chopped
2 T. other fresh herbs (I used rosemary, thyme and parsley)
3 T. butter or olive oil (it tastes better with butter, but I was out so used evoo)
a little wine for deglazing the skillet
1 egg, beaten
freshly ground sea salt and pepper, to taste

So, I preheated the oven to 350, and lightly greased a 9x9 pan.

In a large bowl, add the cornbread crumbs and set aside.

I added the evoo to a skillet, and sauteed the onion and celery with the sage, rosemary and thyme until softened and translucent. Then add them to the cornbread crumbs. In the same skillet, without cleaning it first, add the mushrooms and parsley and cook about 8 minutes or so, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and then it starts to evaporate. Add a little wine (I used marsala, 'cause it was handy), and get all the goodness from the pan--the bits or herbs and veggies. Cook that for a few minutes, then add the lot to the bowl. Add the beaten egg (I actually don't usually use egg, but I needed a little extra moisture) and the stock/broth one cup at a time until it has a dough-like consistency. Make sure all the breadcrumbs get mixed in or you'll have hard bites in your dressing.

Transfer the stuffing mix to your greased pan, and pop it into the oven, covered, for 30 minutes. Then remove the cover, and return it to the oven for another 15-25 minutes (depending on how moist your mix was).

Yummers.

I also realized last night that I left two important items off my Thanksgiving menu list! Leslie also made a roasted truffle gravy and a salad with butter lettuce, oranges and fennel. We had the salad at the end of the meal (I love when the salad is at the end of the meal), and it was the perfect end to a lovely meal. The salad itself was light and fresh, and really ideal to conclude a big meal.

Unfortunately, I had to run out not long after dinner--way before I was at a point where I could eat pie--so I didn't get in on the pumpkin pie. Now I need some. I may have to make that this week, too. It's the never-ending Thanksgiving!

Here's a Natalie Dee Thanksgiving themed/pie themed slice of goodness:


Why did I have to run out so quickly after the meal, you ask? Because my excellent pal Dinah had an extra ticket to see Avenue Q! And, this was no ordinary ticket to a show. Oh no. This was front-row center! I've never had a seat like that before. I could peek down into the orchestra pit! I was sitting right behind the conductor! I could look over her shoulder and see the names of the songs and her notes on the sheet music! And, it was such a great show! I've had the song "The Internet Is For Porn" in my head for days, and even got Mags and the e-Dawg singing along on Sunday.



*I mentioned making your own vegetable stock above, and I've had a few people ask me how you do it. It actually couldn't be easier! Basically all you do is simmer vegetables and aromatics in water for about an hour and strain. I usually keep a bag in the fridge where I keep vegetable scraps--the stems from herbs, the end pieces of veggies, potato peel and ends, mushroom stems, etc. For your stock, you just want a bunch of veggies--I use my scraps, and then also add some carrots, onion, celery and garlic, all in large chunks. And, I usually add in a couple bay leaves, some peppercorns, etc., too. Add enough water to cover all the veggies and make a good amount, then bring it to a gentle boil. Then lower the temperature to med-low, and simmer for about an hour. Then pour the broth through a piece of cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer. I like to freeze it in several tupperware-style containers in about 4-cup increments, so I can just take it out and thaw it as I need it. Easy, peasy!

Tonight I'll be spanning time with my pal Zeke. The K-Bear just had a bath this morning (after rolling in some stench during our little hike on Sunday), so he'll be joining me. They're a cute pair. I also have Classic Book Club tonight, so I'll be reprising the lemon-rosemary-pinenut cookies, and I'm sure I'll get to taste all sorts of delicious treats contributed by my fellow book clubbers. I love book club!

Have you peeps tried out the Double Wide restaurant over on the S.Side? I didn't find out that it was uber-veg/vegan-friendly until they were temporarily closed due to a fire. But, they're back. And, I checked out their menu online yesterday, and feel very excited on the inside. Vegetarian Pulled "Pork"? Oh, hells yeah! The only glaring omission I notice is that they don't serve grits for their brunch. Seeing grits on a menu always makes my day. And, it seems to be such an obvious choice for their motif. Hopefully I'll be checking it out soon, and can personally tell them that they need to get some grits on the menu, tout suite! Will report back...

fitness by force

Yeah, that's how I roll. Not like forcing peeps into fitness, but requiring force for myself. Why can't you get healthy by hanging out eating crullers and smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee and getting your sporting in with a hotly contested game of Scrabble? Whyyyyyy?

Okay. I did this before. I was on a roll. Maybe even On Fire. I can do it again. Right? Right!

Kramer has bullied me into starting up morning walks again. We used to do them last winter/spring every weekday morning through Allegheny Cemetery. We started again this morning, but it was a short one--largely because I forgot to set my alarm an hour earlier. But, it wasn't horrible. I mean, I was sorta cursing her name while we did it, but then it was fine. We just did a mile this morning, but I think we used to do three. She read on the internets that we should walk for an hour five days a week. And, she made me plan a biking outing for next weekend, too. (don't point out to her that she's just helping me Kick Her Ass at the weight-off off).

But, as much as I want to raise my tiny fists to heaven and bellow out: I HATE YOU, JEN KRAMER!, I realize that this is the kick in the pants that I really needed. It's tough stuff. So, thanks, Kramer. How have you all dealt with set-backs and forcing yourselves back on track?

In other news, I attended the Classic Book Club meeting last night, and a good time was had by all! Have I mentioned how much I love book clubs? They are the apex of hanging, reading, talking, snacking, drinking and nerding out that I aspire to every day. We'd read a rather silly, much-too-young-for-us book, and so there wasn't a whole lot of discussion about it, but I think that the next book sounds pretty interesting: The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine, M.D. Judging by the impassioned and lengthy comment reviews by amazon customers I imagine it's going to be great fodder for discussion. Right on.

Apart from the reading, we got down to some eating. I made a salad with the white beans I cooked yesterday and a bunch of veggies from this week's CSA. It was pretty. See?

But, I over-mixed it, aesthetically speaking. I kept thinking to myself, "If Heidi made this, she would've mixed in the dressing with the beans first, and then just gently folded in everything else so it was beautiful and lightly flecked with purple, orange and green. But, I sir, am no Heidi Swanson. WWHSD? Ah well. Next time I'll try to keep the pretty in mind. I mean, it was still pretty 'cause of the colors, but still.

Here's what I did:

CSA Salad

white beans, cooked, rinsed and drained
green beans
tomatoes (I used red, yellow, red cherry and green zebra), cut into chunks
purple cabbage (I grated half of a small head)
carrot (I grated one large-ish carrot)
green onion (the ones I got were HUGE, so I just used one, but probably could have used another), thinly sliced--white and greens
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
some grated and/or shaved parmesan for topping (I used both)
several basil leaves torn into small pieces or julienned for topping

pesto:
big bunch of basil
pine nuts (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup)
garlic (used 1 clove)
olive oil (about 1/2 c)
parmesan (grated, about 1/4 cup)
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

I didn't really measure anything. Just kinda tossed it together until it looked like enough of each thing.

I soaked the white beans overnight, and then cooked them for about 40-ish minutes with a piece of kombu (helps make the beans more digestible). While the beans were cooking, I cleaned the green beans and steamed them in a mesh colander in the pot where the white beans were cooking (one less dirty dish!) for a couple minutes, then shocked them in some ice water so they'd retain their bright green loveliness.
Made up the pesto in my handy dandy chef's chopper (mini food processor), and left it kinda chunky.
Then just mixed everything together (see my note about WWHSD? above). Don't go crazy with too much pesto. It's better to let the vegetables' flavors come through. Freshness personified. Dig it. It was super-easy, and it was fun to just reach into my bag o' CSA goodness, pull something out, and use it right then and there.

Oh. You know what else I'm reading right now? (Well, some of you do since you're now my goodreads friends. Holla!) Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver (written with her husband and daughters). I just started it, but it's good. Like, good-good. I just read this utterly fascinating passage about asparagus. Check it out, folks.

And, I've said it before, and (I'm sure) I'll say it again: if you haven't yet read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, what're you waiting for? It's fan-effing-tastic, is right up your alley (I think; if you're reading this blog), and completely blow-you-away fascinatingly amazing. Classic book club read it month before last, and we talked a little again about it last night. The part about the mushrooms? Woah. (what? you don't know the part about the mushrooms? yeah? well, read it! it's even out in paperback now! do it! it feels good!)

no rest for the wicked

Dang, it's been a busy few days. Or weeks. Or months. Something like that. Good busy for the most part, but still. But, now I have a minute to settle down with my breakfast (fage 0% total greek yogurt, a handful of blueberries and a drizzle of honey--yum) and write a little something in this here blog.

First of all I'd like to sing the praises of Fred's Eggs. You can occasionally find them at the co-op, and I'd been hearing about them for a while, but had never been lucky enough to be there at the precise moment when they had some in stock. That is, until last week. I heard someone freaking out (in a good way) in front of the dairy case, and went over to inspect. Fred's Eggs! I snatched up a dozen, and I'm so glad I did. These are the premiere eggs in this here township. They're from Araucana chickens--who happen to not only be cute, but to also lay really beautiful blue eggs. And, in addition to being just lovely, the eggs were super fresh and very rich. Everything I've made with them has showcased the brilliant orange yolks and have been full of deliciousness. That's what you get when chickens are allowed to be true to their chickeny nature (paraphrasing Joel Salatin in the narrative related by Michael Pollan in The Omnivores's Dilemma). By the way, if I can convince you to do one thing this year, it would be to read The Omnivore's Dilemma. Pollan is a fantastic writer, and he takes us through the history of four meals--one from industrial agriculture, one from industrial organic agriculture, one from local, sustainable "organic", and one that he hunts and forages himself. It's fascinating, and he examines these meals from every aspect. And, while he clearly has an agenda (he's become a superstar for slowfooders and the like), he's never preachy. He's not even a vegetarian, if you're worried about him convincing you away from your favorite foods. Read him. Do it. It feels great.

Okay. Anyway, I was talking about Fred's Eggs. See for yourself:


I've done just the littlest bit of cooking the past couple of days. On Monday evening I went to Classic Book Club. I'd been on hiatus for, like, a year, and it was my first meeting back. Guess what we discussed? Ding! Ding! Ding! The Omnivore's Dilemma. I read it back in March, and was all fired up then, and now I'm all a-fire with love for it again. Since I knew it was going to be a snack-a-thon (it was), I just made a snack to take, and went hungry. I made my white bean dip again, but this time made a basil oil dressing to drizzle over it. It's easy as pie.

White Bean Dip

-some cooked white beans (I used white navy beans, soaked them overnight, and cooked them for about 50 minutes with a piece of kombu) - about 3-4 cups
-2 cloves garlic
-1 T. olive oil
-a little of the reserved cooking liquid from the beans (or the can, if you're using canned) to thin the dip to the desired consistency
-sea salt, to taste

Put it in your food processor and puree. Voila! You can also serve this as a side dish like you'd serve mashed potatoes.

...

Basil Dressing
(I just really made this by mixing and tasting, mixing and tasting, so all the amounts are approximations)

-a big handful of basil leaves, washed and patted dry (probably about a closely packed cup)
-1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
-the juice of two lemons
-1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
-1/4 c. toasted pine nuts
-sea salt and pepper to taste

So, it's just like a very thinned-out pesto sauce. Just puree it in a food processor, and just keep tasting until it's delish. Then I drizzled some on the bean dip (and have plenty leftover for salads), and served it with some sliced carrots and cucumbers.


And, last night I went over to my friend Emily's for dinner. She made possibly the best version I've ever had of Sesame Peanut Noodles (spicy-i-licious!), and we had a little white wine (contributed by the other guest, Susheela, who I met for the first time last night) and I brought dessert, a baked lemon custardy thing. I googled for the recipe, and I totally forget where I ended up finding it, so sorry I'm not crediting you, Random Person On The Internets. But, it was really easy and really tasty. I forgot to take a picture, and it's all long gone. But, here's the recipe:

Baked Lemon Custard

2 T. butter, softened
1 C. sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 T. flour
juice and grated zest of 1 1/2 lemons
2 C. evaporated milk
1 t. lemon extract

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in egg yolks, 1 at a time. Add flour, juice and zest. Add milk and lemon extract. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold lemon mixture into egg whites. Pour into a buttered 10-inch pie plate.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake 1 hour until brown and firm. Let cool slightly. Consistency is between a custard and soufflé. Cut in wedges and serve warm. [ek note: it didn't really hold up in wedge-shapes, it was more like a blob. maybe if you chilled it first? but, it was so good warm.]

I forgot to bring lunch today, and my thoughts have turned to my faithful friend the java fried rice from Spice Island Tea House. I texted my friend Susie to try to talk her into going with me, but didn't hear back, and am thinking I might just hold out and maybe order it when I leave work, and pick it up on the way home. Except it's in the wrong direction since I need to go pick up my CSA, then go meet Ellen at the pool (unless it's thunderstorming then). Hmmm...should I just go now? I'm hungry thinking about it...