China-Bear, cat friend extraordinaire 04-08-92 - 03-28-09

I don't have a whole lot to say, because when I start saying, I start crying, and I've been in the depths of despair for days with missing my sweet little cat. China-Bear and I were together for just-shy of seventeen years, but it doesn't seem nearly long enough.

When I first got China-Bear she was so tiny she could squeeze under little body under my bedroom door (when she got locked out at night for being an insane kitten). Over the years, she's been a best friend to me, to our other cat Loudmouth (gone now 11 years) and the K-Bear (more than friends). She had the sweetest disposition and the softest fur. Sometimes she held her breath. Sometimes she looked like a Thanksgiving turkey. She inspired songs. Once she took a big breath, and her front feet came up off the ground. She created and succeeded on the Catkins Diet.

She was loved. Very much.

And, I miss her terribly.

sea kittens

My dear friend Schwatts came to visit weekend before last. She's not only one of my favorite people on the planet, but also a/an:
-real good time
-awesome chef
-hi-freakin'-larious lady
-sweet as all get-out

I wanted to, nay, needed to make a fantastic lunch for her arrival. She's fed me so many fabulous meals over the years, taught me lots, and I wanted to impress her while making it all seem, you know, effortless.

She arrived at noon that Friday (I'd taken the day off), and Barbara got home from work not long after that. After a tour of our place, a little walk with the dogs, and some chatting, I got our lunch on the table. I made:
-watercress salad with fuji apples, Cypress Grove Purple Haze chevre and a lemon vinaigrette
-Spicy Autumn Vegetable Burgers with sharp cheddar on homemade hamburger buns
-carrot and sweet potato oven fries with chipotle-orange dipping sauce
-chewy-chocolate ginger cookies for dessert


Those hamburger buns were amazing. One of my favorite things I've ever baked. They came out so well, and were so soft and tender. Loved them! I think I might make some more this week.


The cookies are heavenly. I made them for my holiday cookie exchange at work. They have such a fantastic flavor and texture, and the little crust of sugar is super. YUM.


After lunch we just visited until it was time for our next meal--a stupendous feast at Eleven. I was extra excited about the dinner because they'd just received a really fantastic review the day before.

I'd been considering starting to include some seafood in my diet for a while. A month or so ago I tried a few bites of a delicious tuna dish E-dawg was having at Kaya. So, I decided to indulge at Eleven. I know that they have options that are sustainable, and preparations that honor the ingredients.

But, I never do anything halfway. I had four courses of seafood. It was stellar. A truly memorable meal. My guts hated me for about a day and a half while they were readjusting to fish and the like, but it was truly fantastic. Eleven's food is so thoughtful and so precise that I think I had an Eleven-hangover that still lingers.

Here's the menu:
1/2 dozen Long Island Sound oysters on the half shell
(we each got a cocktail - mine was the Badlands-hattan and she had something cucumbery)

then the Chef's Tasting with Wine pairing:
-Spicy Tuna Tartar & Yellowtail Sashimi
kumquat ponzu, seaweed salad, lemon miso, cucumber, radishes, spicy soy
(the ponzu was served in a tiny little kumquat half!)
served with champagne (Leon Palais Blanc de Blanc, Doue La Fontaine)

Wild Striped Bass
calamari, Israeli cous cous, oven roasted & sundried tomatoes, watercress and caperberries
served with some delicious red wine that tasted like dried cherries and smoke (2003 Poderi La Collina Platinum Nebbiolo-Barbera)

Chatham Cod
Jonah crab risotto, forest mushrooms, leeks
served with a really great white wine (not sure what this one was, but I just emailed the restaurant to ask)

Black Forest Trifle
dense chocolate cake, dried cherries, Kirsh, milk chocolate cream, a little fudge on the bottom and a cocoa nib tuile
served with an unbelievable sparkling dessert wine (2007 Castello Banfi Brachetto d'Acqul Rosa Regale)

Wow. Just wow. Chef Derek Stevens is a rock star.


So, anyhow, to get to the title of this post, Katherine (aka "Schwatts") said that she'd read that PETA are now referring to fish/seafood as "sea kittens" to discourage people from eating them. And, we talked about the irony in that anytime anything is Super Cute we want to bite and/or eat it--you know, like babies' toes and, well, kittens. Oh, those wacky PETA-ers. I was down with them when I was younger, but the parade of blatantly sexist shock ads over the years, among other antics, soured me on them. But, that said, I do feel a little guilt at eating fish. I've been a vegetarian on and off since I was 13, largely because of the treatment of animals. But, I've also constantly and consistently missed the fish. My plan now is to occasionally eat seafood, but still primarily with a vegetarian diet. And, to make sure that the seafood I eat is sustainable. Just fyi.

Okay, so back to the incredible Schwatts. I mentioned to her that I have a problem with groceries. I buy A Lot of groceries. I spend a lot of time reading cookbooks and food magazines and food blogs and such, and every time I read about some new exotic or esoteric ingredient I feel like I.Must.Have.It. Even though, I already have a pretty bangin' pantry. I want to change this because I want to spend less and not overflow my space. So, she marched me into the kitchen with some boxes of glass jars and a sharpie, and we went through the entire kitchen--pantry, freezer, refrigerator--and cleaned out stuff that was old and/or unused and labeled and dated everything. And, then we went grocery shopping, and got some things to make some bulk snacks for the week. She made an enormous fruit salad, and we roasted four pans of veggies. She labeled all my leftovers. It was brilliant and such a lovely sight to behold! I feel so much more organized, and prepared to cook from my beautiful and well-stocked pantry. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Schwattzie-Bear.

I took fruit salad to work every day, and some incarnation of the roasted veggies. Here are some pizzas I made last week. One used the roasted veg, the other some sauce from a big batch I made, and I made a big batch of pizza dough, and froze some, so we've been able to just grab it and make a quick lunch or dinner any time.


I'm trying to be better about planning out our meals ahead of time, and having yummy stuff already ready to cook and eat. AND, trying to eat down the huge stockpile of food from the pantry.

Last night I made a variation of this wonderfully simple recipe from Mark Bittman's column "The Minimalist" in the NYT. I started my water boiling with some carrot, onion and garlic, and then swapped out the rice wine vinegar for an umeboshi vinegar, added cubed nigari tofu, swapped out the egg noodles for soba, and added some frozen peas right before serving. All told it probably took me twenty minutes, and it was completely delicious (and pretty low-fat and low-cal) and super fragrant. I brought the leftovers for lunch today, and it was even better. I love this recipe!

sea kittens

My dear friend Schwatts came to visit weekend before last. She's not only one of my favorite people on the planet, but also a/an:
-real good time
-awesome chef
-hi-freakin'-larious lady
-sweet as all get-out

I wanted to, nay, needed to make a fantastic lunch for her arrival. She's fed me so many fabulous meals over the years, taught me lots, and I wanted to impress her while making it all seem, you know, effortless.

She arrived at noon that Friday (I'd taken the day off), and Barbara got home from work not long after that. After a tour of our place, a little walk with the dogs, and some chatting, I got our lunch on the table. I made:
-watercress salad with fuji apples, Cypress Grove Purple Haze chevre and a lemon vinaigrette
-Spicy Autumn Vegetable Burgers with sharp cheddar on homemade hamburger buns
-carrot and sweet potato oven fries with chipotle-orange dipping sauce
-chewy-chocolate ginger cookies for dessert


Those hamburger buns were amazing. One of my favorite things I've ever baked. They came out so well, and were so soft and tender. Loved them! I think I might make some more this week.


The cookies are heavenly. I made them for my holiday cookie exchange at work. They have such a fantastic flavor and texture, and the little crust of sugar is super. YUM.


After lunch we just visited until it was time for our next meal--a stupendous feast at Eleven. I was extra excited about the dinner because they'd just received a really fantastic review the day before.

I'd been considering starting to include some seafood in my diet for a while. A month or so ago I tried a few bites of a delicious tuna dish E-dawg was having at Kaya. So, I decided to indulge at Eleven. I know that they have options that are sustainable, and preparations that honor the ingredients.

But, I never do anything halfway. I had four courses of seafood. It was stellar. A truly memorable meal. My guts hated me for about a day and a half while they were readjusting to fish and the like, but it was truly fantastic. Eleven's food is so thoughtful and so precise that I think I had an Eleven-hangover that still lingers.

Here's the menu:
1/2 dozen Long Island Sound oysters on the half shell
(we each got a cocktail - mine was the Badlands-hattan and she had something cucumbery)

then the Chef's Tasting with Wine pairing:
-Spicy Tuna Tartar & Yellowtail Sashimi
kumquat ponzu, seaweed salad, lemon miso, cucumber, radishes, spicy soy
(the ponzu was served in a tiny little kumquat half!)
served with champagne (Leon Palais Blanc de Blanc, Doue La Fontaine)

Wild Striped Bass
calamari, Israeli cous cous, oven roasted & sundried tomatoes, watercress and caperberries
served with some delicious red wine that tasted like dried cherries and smoke (2003 Poderi La Collina Platinum Nebbiolo-Barbera)

Chatham Cod
Jonah crab risotto, forest mushrooms, leeks
served with a really great white wine (not sure what this one was, but I just emailed the restaurant to ask)

Black Forest Trifle
dense chocolate cake, dried cherries, Kirsh, milk chocolate cream, a little fudge on the bottom and a cocoa nib tuile
served with an unbelievable sparkling dessert wine (2007 Castello Banfi Brachetto d'Acqul Rosa Regale)

Wow. Just wow. Chef Derek Stevens is a rock star.


So, anyhow, to get to the title of this post, Katherine (aka "Schwatts") said that she'd read that PETA are now referring to fish/seafood as "sea kittens" to discourage people from eating them. And, we talked about the irony in that anytime anything is Super Cute we want to bite and/or eat it--you know, like babies' toes and, well, kittens. Oh, those wacky PETA-ers. I was down with them when I was younger, but the parade of blatantly sexist shock ads over the years, among other antics, soured me on them. But, that said, I do feel a little guilt at eating fish. I've been a vegetarian on and off since I was 13, largely because of the treatment of animals. But, I've also constantly and consistently missed the fish. My plan now is to occasionally eat seafood, but still primarily with a vegetarian diet. And, to make sure that the seafood I eat is sustainable. Just fyi.

Okay, so back to the incredible Schwatts. I mentioned to her that I have a problem with groceries. I buy A Lot of groceries. I spend a lot of time reading cookbooks and food magazines and food blogs and such, and every time I read about some new exotic or esoteric ingredient I feel like I.Must.Have.It. Even though, I already have a pretty bangin' pantry. I want to change this because I want to spend less and not overflow my space. So, she marched me into the kitchen with some boxes of glass jars and a sharpie, and we went through the entire kitchen--pantry, freezer, refrigerator--and cleaned out stuff that was old and/or unused and labeled and dated everything. And, then we went grocery shopping, and got some things to make some bulk snacks for the week. She made an enormous fruit salad, and we roasted four pans of veggies. She labeled all my leftovers. It was brilliant and such a lovely sight to behold! I feel so much more organized, and prepared to cook from my beautiful and well-stocked pantry. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Schwattzie-Bear.

I took fruit salad to work every day, and some incarnation of the roasted veggies. Here are some pizzas I made last week. One used the roasted veg, the other some sauce from a big batch I made, and I made a big batch of pizza dough, and froze some, so we've been able to just grab it and make a quick lunch or dinner any time.


I'm trying to be better about planning out our meals ahead of time, and having yummy stuff already ready to cook and eat. AND, trying to eat down the huge stockpile of food from the pantry.

Last night I made a variation of this wonderfully simple recipe from Mark Bittman's column "The Minimalist" in the NYT. I started my water boiling with some carrot, onion and garlic, and then swapped out the rice wine vinegar for an umeboshi vinegar, added cubed nigari tofu, swapped out the egg noodles for soba, and added some frozen peas right before serving. All told it probably took me twenty minutes, and it was completely delicious (and pretty low-fat and low-cal) and super fragrant. I brought the leftovers for lunch today, and it was even better. I love this recipe!

bullied into blogging

Well, I guess not actually bullied--just encouraged. Pal Jess told me to sign up for Yelp, so I did, and was really curious about the Sousa dinner. So, I just did a quick review. I'm cross-posting it here. And, I'll backtrack on the other topics I mentioned next time.

Luckily, I found out about Kevin Sousa's guerrilla dinner series (while his to-be restaurant is still in its raw state) from a friend and fellow dining aficionado.

I read an article in the New York Times a few months ago about "The Anti-Restaurants" by Melena Ryzik and about a book called Secret Suppers by Jenn Garbee, and I was totally intrigued about these underground chefs and dining experiences. And, then I got to try one!

This dinner (03/22/09) was an all vegetarian six-course feast. The space is totally raw--no kitchen, even. Long tables, covered in paper and set with plastic-ware, and we saw friends and some usual suspects from the local dining scene. I really loved the atmosphere. Super casual, and charged with excitement.

The menu was:
1st: mushroom
wasabi, ginger, seaweed, rice cracker, avocado, ramp pickles, soy, cilantro, sesame

2nd: beets
endive, blood orange, truffle, mustard, fiore sardo, croutons, rosemary honey water

3rd: soy kefta
tomato, cumin, onion, chick peas, mint, parsley, shepherd's bread, quail egg

4th: miso risotto
chive blossoms, preserved meyer lemon, bok choy, smoked paprika, tofu

5th: eatloaf
tempeh, potato puree, green bean casserole, shiitake gravy, fermented pepper ketchup

6th: chocolate
yuzu, basil, lime, malt, yogurt, pumpkin seed rice krispies, peant butter

My preferences of courses was: 3, 1, 4, 2, 5, 6.

3: The soy kefta was phenomenal. Very rustic, seemingly simple street food-esque. Fantastic flavors. The spicing tasted Moroccan to me (kefta, in general, is a Middle Eastern/Greek-style dish). It also tasted like it could be the filling for the Best Sloppy Joe In The World. The little (soft) fried quail egg on top is a twist on a classic preparation, and totally key. The soft yolk with the spiced filling is just perfect. I could seriously eat this pretty much every day.

1: The mushroom course was very sashimi-ish. I was sad that the ramp pickles were left off my plate, but luckily my dining companion shared. The mushrooms were royal trumpets, and someone commented that the texture was similar to a scallop, and I definitely got that. Really nice and fresh-tasting. A perfect way to start.

4: The miso risotto was a revelation. I'd never think of putting miso in risotto, but it really gave it a wonderful richness. The preserved lemon brightened the flavor and provided a really lovely contrast. The risotto was perfectly cooked--quite impressive without a real kitchen.

2: The beets were tasty. I always love beets for their sweet earthiness and their gorgeous hue. I think this dish could really have been stellar with some spiffed up knife skills (pretty rounds of beets and small radish batons would have sealed the deal) and more blood orange.

5: The eatloaf meal was a nice spin on a classic Sunday supper. I really like tempeh, but several folks at the table weren't fans (of tempeh in any incarnation). It was good, but just didn't pop my socks off the way some of the other courses did. I liked the ketchup a lot, and the gravy was yummy, but the rest was largely forgettable.

6: My least favorite course was the dessert. It had a lot going on, and just felt sort of disjointed. The chocolate slice incorporated peanut butter, and felt really heavy compared to some of the other components. Also, I'm not really a foam fan. It just kind of looks like spit, but that's a personal preference. I would have loved a dessert concentrating on the citrus and basil flavors, but that's also a personal preference for me. I love chocolate, but I love fresh citrus even more.

All in all, it was a really great meal, and really fun atmosphere. I wish I'd taken my camera. I hope I get to attend another of these before the actual restaurant opens, but I'm also looking forward to the seeing what the space and menu end up looking like.

If you have a chance, check out one of the upcoming dinners. And, reserve early; they sell out.

foiled!

Well, I loaded all my images in on Friday evening for my bloggin' extravaganza on Saturday morning, and then...my NEW computer broke. Yep, the laptop I bought one mere month ago. The display went out. And, despite the best efforts of the help desk, it didn't come back. Now I have to wait for a mailer, ship it in, wait for the repair, and then to have it re-shipped home. It could be as long as a month. And, my hard drive will be wiped. My heart is broken.

And, then a couple hours later my glasses broke. Snapped in half. Luckily the awesome lady at Perle Vision in Waterworks (thanks, Jamie!) was able to find a pair of frames that kinda fit my lenses, and was able--through heat and ingenuity--to reform the frames around my lenses. Phew!

So...my blogging was foiled despite my solemn swear.

But, I'm going to try to get some time on a computer in the next few days because now I have even *more* to report! I did some great eating this weekend. On Saturday, Barbara and I went over to the home of our pals Liz and Emily (and Ben B-R, Erma and Janet-Angel-of-the-Lord) for a Liz-made Indian feast, and I went to one of Kevin Sousa's guerrilla dinners last night that was really fun and delicious.

i solemnly swear

I really do. I solemnly swear to blog some time this weekend. I have SO much to share!

-a truly memorable meal at Eleven
-a visit and kitchen overhaul from my dearest Schwatts
-some baking adventures
-some other assorted good eatin'
-a change in the way i'm eating
-trying (and struggling) to get back on track

advice corner

1. Do not get kidney stones.

Well, that's pretty much all the advice I have right now, but it's valuable, peeps. After two ER visits, two nights in the hospital, and a surgery, I can say with certainty and some authority that kidney stones are a drag. And, they said that it was the size of a freckle. It's unbelievable what a freckle with bad intentions can do to a body.

I am very lucky to have Barbara to nurse me and play Scrabble endlessly. (thanks, baby).

I got home from the hospital on Friday late morning, and am definitely feeling better, but it's relative 'cause I still feel pretty darn cruddy. Also, all the medicine than I'm taking has it's own set of issues. Let's just say that there's some irregularity happening, and leave it at that.

Well, one more thing about the irregularity, but only because it ties into a recipe. I shuffled downstairs this morning determined to try to deal with it from a dietary angle. I made some buckwheat waffles with flax seeds and blueberries. I adapted it from this recipe that was adapted from a recipe in The Pancake Handbook (I just requested that from the library), but here's what I did:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup golden roasted flax seeds, ground coarsely
1 egg, separated
1 cup 0% Fage greek yogurt
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup blueberries (I used some I had frozen from this past summer)

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients, the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. In a smaller bowl mix up the egg yolk, yogurt, water and butter. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients all at once and stir just to blend. Like usual, whip the egg white with a hand mixer or a whisk until soft peaks form, then fold the whites gently into the batter.

If using a waffle iron, let it heat up first, then portion out about 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter into the iron. Liberally sprinkle the blueberries (I used them frozen, straight from the freezer). Close it, and wait for it to stop steaming. The waffle should become slightly browned and crisp. Serve with warm maple syrup.


Fun fact that I learned from the Dinner With Kirsten blog: buckwheat is an herb, not a grain, and is a cousin of rhubarb. Crazy!

I have been trying to do some baking each weekend, but I don't think that will happen today. But, I am trying to score some sourdough starter, so hopefully I'll have a post about that soon. I've never made a sourdough bread, but I'm excited to try it. Last weekend I made some basic whole wheat bread from a recipe in the The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book: A Guide to Whole Grain Breadmaking book. Barbara made some potato-leek soup to go along with it. The bread was good, but not that exciting. The soup was souper!