Alimentum & Airplanes

In food news, I went to the Housing Works Bookstore for the launch reading of the Summer 09 issue of Alimentum Journal, “the only literary review all about food.” Mark Kurlansky, who recently translated Emile Zola’s THE BELLY OF PARIS for the Modern Library, has woodcuts that he made of scenes from the classic French novel featured in this issue. He read a wonderfully vivid scene from his translation, which is centered around Florent, a young man who is mistakenly convicted of a crime and sent to Devil’s Island (French Guiana). He escapes, which Kurlansky pointed out last night and in his intro to his translation only happened 2-3 times total in the history of the penal colony because of the security, how infested the island was with disease, and the fact that it’s an island so there’s really no way out! Florent comes back to Paris, more specifically the bustling Les Halles, which was the central outdoor marketplace of Paris from the early 1180s until it was torn down in the early 1970s (to make place for a modern mall). I also heard two poets read their work about food from the Summer issue and I’m happy to have found out more about Alimentum through seeking out Kurlansky!

In other news, Erin and I are touching base by phone and making lists to prepare for our trip to Minnesota for Jen’s wedding. The three of us are college roommates and don’t see each other as often as we’d like, so it’s going to be a great weekend of catching up and celebrating. Plus, we get to meet Jenjen’s Minnesota friends that we’ve heard about since 2003 but never met! It’s going to be a great weekend, provided I remember to pack everything! I’m also going to go snack shopping, so I don’t end up buying overpriced, unappetizing, and fattening food at the airport. I’m thinking Pirate’s Booty…anyone have a favorite airplane or roadtrip snack?

weekend hitlist

Weekend Hitlist:
-Finish a reading this novel for work
-Run twice
-See Booser
-Try hair for Jenjen's wedding
-Post on Blog

During the week, I often make a hitlist for the day. This differs from- my to do list in that it's not extensive and lists only the things that I must get done that day. Everything doesn't necessarily get done, but I accomplish more with a hitlist than I do looking at the massive to do list. This weekend, I set a hefty hitlist hoping that I could knock out at least three things from it. I only knocked out one, the easy one, hanging out with a close friend (nicknamed Booser for strange reasons, none of them drinking) from high school.

A couple things got in my way - my belief in one's right to a weekend nap and Friday Night Lights. This show has taken over my life. Backstory: Good friends from work Smash & K.R. insisted that I watch this show Friday Night Lights. I push back, I push back, insisting that I enjoy comedies (a la 30 Rock, The Office, and Flight of the Conchords) and rough dramas (i.e. The Wire). On Easter of this year, Conor comes down with a horrible flu and we end up staying home from family get togethers. As Conor shivers in bed with the fever, I find myself awake at 9 am with little-to-nothing to do. I see all three seasons of FNL are on Netflix Instant and I give one a try. I am intrigued but not hooked, but remember KR saying that I needed to watch at least two or three episodes to get into it. What the hell, I have all day right? Six episodes later...addicted. Then I stop watching for awhile and six weeks later a month comes along where Conor is out for the night with friends and a poorly-timed Netflix return means nothing new is coming until Monday. Friday night, I go to bed at...four AM...after slamming through Season 1. So now the real obsession has begun and I watch when I can (sometimes for fifteen minutes at 7 am, when other people are drinking coffee and catching up with MSNBC, I'm catching up with Riggins' good streak, Saracen's love life, Lila's Christianity, Street's paraplegic athleticism and Coach and Mrs. Taylor's complicated life with two daughters 16 years in age apart.)

Anyways, the point is this weekend FNL, my addiction and my curse, kept me from accomplishing so many things! In the same way it's hard for me to learn to say no to a piece of good semolina bread with evoo & bv, it's hard for me to say no to fifteen minutes of FNL, which turns into thirty, and then forty-five when there isn't something pressing to take me away (surprisingly, this is why my AM watching sessions work so well, because I got somewhere to be at 9 am!).

Other things I "accomplished" besides what was on my hitlist: saw "Taking Pelham 123" with my friend Burf and "The Hangover" with Conor's sister Kat and ate at the delicious West Village Risotto joint Risotteria which I've been wanting to try out for quite a while now (had cotto ham, gruyere and arugula risotto with a mixed greens salad to start). Things I didn't accomplish: No running, didn't finish the book, and haven't tried my hair out for Jen's wedding yet (which is somewhat pressing as the wedding is next Saturday).

So here's a Sunday night modified hitlist:
-Try hair for Jen's wedding
-Read 25 pages of the novel at least before bed
-Get to bed by 10:30 so I can wake up and run/go to gym in the AM

Let's see how this goes...I think I can do the curling of the hair in front of Netflix Instant...

Back at it...or so I'll try

I think part of the reason I don't blog that often is because (sadly) I know no one is reading it. That, and I don't always feel like I have something to say. I ran across a few blogs this week via g-chat statuses - one is a good friend of mine from high school, from hers I was linked to another close friend from KC, from there I found their work friends who blog and here's a weird one, a blog of a girl that I found through a blog of a girl I had psychology classes with in college (random). Something that I saw and for the most part liked about all of these blogs is that the writers wrote even when they didn't have much to say. It's the same as any habit -- going to the gym, logging food in my log for my nutritionist, writing notes to friends -- you have to just suck up and do it sometimes even when it doesn't feel particularly rewarding or easy, so that it eventually becomes second nature, or at least less difficult. So here goes, my third (or fourth) attempt at blogging...same site, same subject (food!), same readers (wait...). So even if this goes out to the blogosphere without being read, it's my promise to make a point to write in hopes that it will become easier, and eventually, satisfying in some way. On top of that, once I start blogging regularly, people will (hopefully) start visiting regularly, because there will actually be content, not the same photos & post about asparagus from 5 months ago.

Now, off to the gym...
More soon (and this time, for real) - mk

a few delicious photos from thanksgiving

pancetta-wrapped asparagus
there are several ways to make this but i blanched the asparagus in hot water and ran them under cold water. next time, i think i will actually make ice water and dunk them in to thoroughly cool them down. then i cut pancetta into 1 to 1.5 inch sections and wrapped them around 2-3 spears. i drizzled olive oil on the bottom of this glass baking dish, put them on top with chopped green onions and drizzled more xvoo on top. I put them in the oven (350 i believe) until the bacon was slightly crispy (about 15-20 minutes). very delicious, and my main contribution to thanksgiving eve dinner.

a brussel sprout stalk - i had never seen one before

my cousin bridget's awesome apple corer and peeler

Eight months?!? (I almost went with a cornier Ate Months?!)

April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November…
Yikes! I’ve been away EIGHT months from blogging! What happened? Well, we fell into the inevitable come-home-from-work-at-9-and-have-great-takeout-places-near-our-house trap. Slowly though, due to my empty piggy-bank and an itch to get back to learning how to cook, I’ve started to cook more.


I’ve been sticking to Rachael Ray for cooking and box recipes for pies/desserts for a few reasons. One is that they are quick, straightforward, and difficult to mess up. I think part of becoming a good cook like Conor’s parents and mine is to have a decent amount confidence to know you can pull something off. C’s mom, Mary Anne and my mom, Salva, are definitely ladies who can throw something together (on the cusp, no recipes, perhaps just a touch of tradition) and be fairly sure it will be flavorful and usually healthy. Similarly, my mom makes fresh pasta sauce from the tomatoes and herbs she grows in our backyard garden in Kansas City, and while the flavor has become stronger and more complex over time, the consistency (considering it never came from a recipe and she never wrote it down) amazes me. I think this comes from confidence, and confidence comes from years of cooking and more importantly, succeeding at cooking. Therefore, I’m sticking to easier recipes, because it makes me feel like I am capable in the kitchen and that eventually I will be able to handle more complicated recipes and making up dishes on my own! Here are a few things I’ve made recently with recipe links below.

sour cream and onion turkey burger w/ roasted asparagus:

Here's the recipe, although I just made them as burgers, not melts : http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=2234

Pumpkin Pie (don't tell, from a can w/ an already made crust)

A quick spaghetti for a Sunday lunch, made with homemade pasta sauce!

I used a can of crushed tomatoes with sauteed onions, garlic and mushrooms. I used Rachael Ray's mushroom recipes as a basis, as well as my good friend Smash's 3-mushroom pasta as inspiration.

Also, made Salmon Burgers (very easy and super delicious). No pictures unfortunately (couldn't find the camera, otherwise you know there would be one on here), but here's the recipe: http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=4

A friend from Kansas City, Margaret, visited this past weekend and we made dinner with another close friend from home, Jess, also known as "Booser".

Chicken Stir Fry (recipe: a call to my mom) w/ white Rice (made to perfection with my rice cooker, given to me as one of the best birthday presents ever by my friend Ice).

in preparation:

ready to eat:

That's all for now!
This weekend, I'm thinking some spaghetti and turkey sausage meatballs, and perhaps some pumpkin bread.

saigon grill

Quick note about a favorite restaurant of ours:

It's a Vietnamese restaurant you might have seen near Union Square - SAIGON GRILL on 91 University Pl.

This is a fabulous place to go if you need a quick and reasonable meal before a movie or after work. It's also great if you have a big party - we went with nine people when my parents were in town and they didn't balk at our number and since we made a reservation, we were whisked in past the long line. The line seems longer than it is - when they say 10 minute wait, they actually mean 10 minutes. The serving staff is efficient and the decor is bright and modern. The food is excellent and comes in large portions (enough to take home and devour at three in the morning after a night out). Apparently it's not authentic Vietnamese, but it's tasty and I think the people who insist on authentic foreign fare usually forget that if food tastes good, food tastes good. It's also ALWAYS packed and you can always find a diverse crowd, so that gives it some legitimacy in my book.

I am remembering to post this now because I'm finishing my Bun Xao with chicken from last night!

Check it out! there are other chains around the city as well.

signing off/maria

foodtography

When Conor and I first started dating, he used to ask, perplexed, why I took so many pictures of food. I guess it's a habit that started at some point in high school, when, still convinced I would be the next Annie Leibovitz, I thought food was a good subject to practice on. Think about it, photographing food often involves negotiating bright colors and interesting textures. I think he's gotten used to this habit of mine. As I have learned to cook, it's become even more important to me because it's visual proof that I made something that looked appetizing! Below are some photos of the saltimbocca we made a couple of weeks ago, as well as a cooking experience we enjoyed in upstate when my parents were in town.

We went to visit my pops' friend in Cortland Manor from his days in Chicago in the late 70s/early 80s, Frank Ninkovich and his wife, Carol. They made a massive and delicious lunch for us - to start, grilled zucchini, crabcakes, olives and a glass of white wine. Then we had a salad with an amazing dressing (see recipe below) with another glass of white wine. Finally, we had salmon, risotto, and perfectly-steamed asparagus (Frank abides by the seven-minute rule, which, seems to work) with a couple more glasses of white wine. To wrap it up, we had espresso and cappucinos with home-torched crème brûlée. It was an amazing, five-hour lunch experience. We drove home satisfied and full.

MIXED GREENS WITH PEARS AND SPICY PECANS

Add Spicy Pecans:
1/2 Tsp. Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Chopped Pecans
1 Tsp. Sugar
1/8 Tsp. Ground Red Pepper

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add nuts, sugar and pepper. Cook four minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from pan.

Dressing:
2 Tbls. Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tbls. Honey
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Tsp. Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Tbls. Olive Oil
2 Tbls. Crumbled Blue Cheese

Whisk together everything except cheese. After blended, add cheese.

Salad:
7 Cups Greens
2 pears, chopped

Combine Salad Greens and Pears in Bowl. Drizzle and toss the salad.

Sprinkle the nuts.



saltimbocca (chicken)



saltimbocca (chicken)



Crème brûlée at frank and carol ninkovich's home in cortland manor, ny