chez mk

Alimentum & Airplanes

2009-06-16T10:48:00.002-04:00

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

2009-06-14T20:54:00.007-04:00

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

2009-06-12T18:53:00.006-04:00

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

2008-12-08T21:29:00.006-05:00

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?!)

2008-11-21T10:50:00.010-05:00

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

2008-03-15T21:35:00.006-04:00

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

2008-03-09T14:28:00.004-04:00

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

a deliciou$ meal

2008-03-05T17:57:00.006-05:00

Long time, no write. Chez MK est pathétique! I have pictures of our saltimbocca that I plan on putting up soon!! It came out very well! I also still need to write about my parents visit to new york and the wonderful things we ate while they were here!!!

I went to a special celebratory meal with a friend to Le Bernardin a couple of weeks ago. According to their website, "Le Bernardin, New York's internationally acclaimed four star seafood restaurant, was born in Paris in 1972 by sibling duo Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze. Dedicated entirely to the cuisine of Gilbert Le Coze, the self-taught seafood wizard, it only served fish: Fresh, simple and prepared with respect. Le Bernardin was named after an order of monks who liked to eat and drink and a song about the monks that Gabriel Le Coze, Maguy's and Gilbert's father, kept singing to them."

This meal was exactly that - fresh, simple and prepared with respect. We chose from their prix fixe menu, which comes with a first course, main course, and dessert. While we waited for our drinks and food, we had a wonderful and not-too-strong salmon spread on bread and crisps. I started my meal with a four plump scallops, surrounded by mini tomato-stuffed ravioli. In the center of the scallops, sits one delicate piece of breaded calamari. For the main course, I had striped sea bass with langoustine. The waiters (who dote dote dote on their customers) poured Bouillabaisse Consommé and Curry Emulsion around the edge of the plate. The fish and langoustine was tender, but not to the point of being piecey, and the curry emulsion lent just enough flavor without overwhelming. Zagat says that the prix fixe menu "is a steal" because you get so much for your buck. While Le Bernardin is uberpricey, I have to agree. Also amazing was the attention to detail the waiters paid to us and our meal. At no time during our entire meal, were there not 2 waiters nearby to help, as well as a sommelier and others around to clear our dishes, offer more bread, and make sure we were sated. This is probably the best meal I've had since moving to New York and one of the best meals I've ever had. A fantastic place for a super special occasion with one other person or a small group.

jump in the mouth

2008-02-06T21:23:00.001-05:00

Lately Conor and I have really been slacking with cooking. We’ve been relying far too heavily on our favorite takeout menus (Antonio’s Pizza and Udom Thai) and on simple dishes like canned turkey chili or ground beef, pasta, and canned marinara. Especially since I found out I can have gluten, we have really been hoarding wheat – enjoying pizza and my favorite, crusty European bread with olive oil & balsamic. With weekends with college friends (both in DC and NY), we also have been imbibing heavily.

So this weekend, I’m going to try to make a concerted effort to make a great meal at home to a) prove to ourselves we can do it, b) prove that it doesn’t take as long as we think it will, c) save money, and d) eat healthier. When I say this weekend, I mean starting Saturday, because Friday for me will involve a Chinese New Years celebration with work pals, and Friday for Conor will involve catching up over about a dozen beers and hot dogs with his old track coach.

Family dinner was a tradition junior and senior year of college, where all of our freshman year gang would get together every Sunday to eat together. It was a wonderful way to stay in touch since we were all hanging out with different groups and had hectic schedules interning, studying, and boozing. It also was an amusing way to see what we could come up with to cook every week. We tried to have themes like Asian, Italian, or once Jewish Holiday (my suggestion, I brought the brisket and the matzo ball soup). Often we were completely blown out of the water by what our friends had made – Tif’s delectable chocolate creations, Benny’s bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, and Conor and Al’s Chicken Saltimbocca. This weekend, my goal is to recreate the Saltimbocca.

Saltimbocca means “jump in the mouth” in Italian – saltare meaning to jump and la bocca meaning mouth. It can be made in a couple ways, but the way we make it is prosciutto and cheese wrapped in veal or chicken. It’s a dish that sounds complicated but isn’t actually too difficult. We’ll be using a recipe from The Joy of Cooking – that fabulous failsafe in the world of cooking. Conor’s dad got it for me for Christmas and I couldn’t have received a better present – I grew up with my parents cooking from scratch, whatever they got at the city market or from the garden, and whatever hit them at the time they were standing on the green-carpeted kitchen floor (yeah, you read that right) in front of the stove. It’s exciting to have my own encyclopedia of delicious, now. The Joy of Cooking has a veal saltimbocca recipe (75th anniversary edition, pg 486-7), which is the more traditional dish, but we’ll be subbing chicken.

Anyways, the recipe is as follows:

Season:
4-6 (3-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded to evenly flatten
with Salt and black pepper to taste.

Lay the chicken out flat, and top each with:
1 paper-thin slice prosciutto (note: you can use bacon if you want, but I recommend having a little class and paying the extra cents for some proscuitto)
2 large fresh sage leaves.
(We are going to add some type of cheese - 1 or 2 thin slices will give flavor and serves as an adhesive for when we roll the meat)

Roll the chicken around the filling and secure with toothpicks.

Heat in a large heavy skillet oer medium-high heat:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

Add the chicken packets and cook, turning once, until lightly browned. Remove to a plater and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Add to the hot pan: ½ cup of dry white wine (I maintain that any the price or quality of white wine does not dictate if it will be better in a recipe).

Bring to a boil, scarping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits, and boil until the wine is almost evaporated.

Add:
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or as needed.

Boil over high heat until reduce to about ½ cup. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in:
2 tablespoons of butter, softened.

Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding a bit more lemon juice to taste. Pour the sauce over the veal packets.

On second thought, this meal isn’t healthy per se…Anything with the words “browned bits” probably can’t be the best thing for you.

We’ll probably steam some broccoli or haricot verts on the side, and perhaps if we are super hungry, a side of rice, cous cous, or quinoa. And of course, a glass of three buck chuck.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Lastly, I got the following heads-up from a great blog GLUTEN FREE GIRL (see link to the left).
Martha Stewart is having a contest to decide what her next big project should be to take over the world. Most of them are pretty lame and very materialistic (modern housewares for a younger demographic, pet gift line), but one is pretty fantastic. Proposed by an employee who has food allergies, it would be a magazine with accessible recipes for those who suffer from food intolerances or allergies. Maria is not the kind of person who watches Martha Stewart every day or for that case ever, but I have picked up her “everyday food” magazine before and I’d be lying if I said there weren’t great and simple recipes in it. To have this for people who can’t eat all foods safely would be the first time allergies have been addressed in such a widely-available and hip, if you will, forum. So, if you have a second, go to http://blogs1.marthastewart.com/martha/2008/01/the-big-idea.html and put in your vote, unless of course you’d like to subscribe to a special magazine about collecting.

Next week at chez mk: Parental Units Gerhardt and Salva visit NYC for the first time in over five years and we WINE AND DINE.

Love and prosciutto,
maria

and the allergy is (drumroll please)....

2008-01-29T09:02:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I went to my charismatic and guffawing gastroenterologist to get the results from all the tests and sonograms I had done. It turns out that I am not allergic to milk or gluten, or tree nuts or any food component at all. This is the good news. The not as good news is that I’m allergic to all northeastern grasses (they only test for those here in NY, so it could be grasses in the MW or the West, too or just NE), and dustmites (the bugs in our beds, on our skin, in our hair that we can’t see) and my body is responding by putting my GI system through a rollercoaster instead of the usual respiratory/eye allergies one might expect. Apparently, food or environmental allergies can cause symptoms on the entire spectrum, but food usually corresponds with GI, and environmental with respiratory. I guess I’m that lucky percent that has the opposite.

When I asked my doctor why I felt better when I wasn’t eating gluten and lactose, she said it could be that the probiotic I was taking at the same time as this abstinence was aiding my GI system so it was stronger than before. Or that I have a sensitivity or intolerance to gluten, lactose or both. Sensitivities don’t show up on the blood tests –for instance, my lips bloat, turn red, and itch (think a less attractive Angelina Jolie mouth) when I have avocados or mangos directly from the fruit, but I’m not allergic to tree nuts or pits. I just have intolerance towards them. This could be the same way with gluten and lactose. Since I felt better that week (and because in the long run, less chocolate and white pasta and European bread is better for me), I think I’ll still try to scale down my intake of it. I found out that I have high cholesterol for a 22-year old girl, so I’ll still be putting up recipes and healthful meal ideas on here, because more than ever I have to focus on my diet, even if it isn’t strictly no gluten, no lactose.

Plus, with a kitchen fully stocked with brown rice pasta, quinoa, soy delicious ice cream, and tofutti cream cheese, I really don’t have a choice but to lessen my gluten and lactose intake.

More soon (about food next time)!
mk

the background story of the gluten-free/lactose-free week

2008-01-21T10:16:00.001-05:00

This blog was spurred when I discovered I might be gluten or lactose intolerant. I was having stomach aches about four times a week, and was known for having a bottle of pepto-bismol in my bag, at home, and at work, as well as carrying around baggies of chalky tums. My pops gave me some Prilosec to see if it would "cut through" whatever I was having, as he is sometimes prone to having a tempermental stomach (again dad, thanks for the big feet and the stomach). Well that didn't work. My friends (at work especially) were threatening me if I didn't go see a doctor, and also after hearing a friend say, as I poured some delicious bismuth subsalicylate into my stained-pink medicine cup, "that's just not right," i made an appointment.

Within a couple minutes of interrogation by a sweet and understanding gastroenterologist (when I say sweet and understanding, I mean she laughed loudly at my jokes, which I appreciate), she knew that it might be an intolerance of some sort. She told me to go seven days without gluten or lactose and when I hyena laughed in her face, didn't flinch and waited until I accepted my fate.

If I can just review with you, I grew up on soy sauce (gluten) and noodle (gluten) dishes thrown together, as well as famous Kansas City BBQ dripping with sweet or spicy sauce (gluten). When I went to college, I began subsisting off pasta (gluten) and three-cheese canned sauce (milk), as well as quick chicken quesadillas (gluten, milk). When I studied abroad in Rome and started dating Italian Conor, I found myself eating chicken cutlets (gluten), with more pasta and lasagna (gluten) dishes than even before (if possible), some with cream sauce (milk). Through all of this, my best cure for a hangover, saturday night meal, and picnic favorite was a short loaf of crusty european bread (gluten gluten gluten), a cappucino (milk), and chocolate (milk). So here was a sweet doctor telling me that these things were gone. Well, what can I say? I like a challenge.

For that week, I had not one stomach ache although life was considerably more difficult (Wednesday night Pizza - out the window, Saturday night Thai - had to consider the soy sauce used before ordering). I learned a lot about what is gluten-free that tastes good and is an alternative and what tastes manufactured and is not. I learned about some gluten-free restaurants and tried one with Conor's sister on Friday. I also learned about what products may contain gluten even if it doesn't seem like it would (soy sauce is a great one). I made it through that week and I think it was particularly hard because I couldn't have gluten or lactose and that cut out huge chunks of my diet, leaving me with rice, steamed vegetables and meat (basically a mediterranean diet).

I called my doc on Thursday and I'm supposed to scale in 1/4 of a slice of toast for two days, 1/2 of a slice for two days, and see how I get without having stomach issues. I'm supposed to stay off of milk to limit the variables. At this point, I need to determine if it's delicious gluten that holds recipies together and is the basic ingredient for cookies, bread, and pasta, if it is milk which adds a rich texture to macaroni and cheese and chocolate, or if it is both. For milk, it could be an intolerance and I could occasionally take a pill, but for gluten it could be an intolerance OR an allergy. Gluten intolerance is when your body can only handle gluten in small and measured amounts, but it is not damaging anything, where as with a gluten allergy (also known under the scary term Celiac disease), when you consume gluten, your small intestine is damaged and it prevents you from getting proper nutrients. Often times people with celiac tend to lose weight before they are diagnosed because their body isn't getting the nutrients it needs - hmm...really, didn't seem to have that problem...

So, we'll see how it goes, but that's the loooong background story, so if you see me posting gluten-free or lactose-free recipes or restaurants in the future, you don' t think I'm off my rocker and trying some fad diet.

pace, mk

for ice's anniversary- french-african cuisine

2008-01-18T17:04:00.002-05:00

My good friend Ice just told me about a place she and her boyfriend Erik are going tonight to celebrate their anniversary. It’s called Les Enfants Terribles on Canal and Ludlow and she says it’s amazing. Apparently, it’s French-African cuisine – served in a hole in a wall with waiters who are having such a good time living life that the service can be slow. She says, “go with someone you like” but that it is completely worth it. # 873 on the list of restaurants to hit up in NYC.

http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/les-enfants-terribles/

happy anniversary, ice & erik..."don't be gross"

here we go, here we go (mario voice required)

2008-01-18T11:03:00.000-05:00

Well, hello there. In the past couple months, I’ve found myself yearning to write, but not knowing what to write about. In Europe this past summer, my boyfriend and I kept a blog of our daily adventures as we traveled for a month (theglobetrotters.blogspot.com) and we found it to be a rewarding experience and valuable once we returned home. “What was that great restaurant in Nice and what was the Welsh couple’s name sitting next to us?” “Where did you have that delicious foie gras crème brûlée? I know they were speaking French, but that doesn’t really narrow it down.” A quick reference to the blog answered those questions and brought back the wonderful memories of two carefree college grads bumming around Europe before real life snatched them up.

Since we’ve come back, it’s been busy and writing has taken, not even the backseat, the luggage rack, to entry-level jobs, a fresh apartment, and life in a new city. And then, through recent trials I’ve been having with my gastrointestinal area, I have been forced to realize how much my life centers around food. I love food – it’s what the majority of my income is spent on (besides rent). It doesn’t have to be gourmet, rare or foreign – I’m happy with a chili hot dog or a good plate of spaghetti made at home. I just love food. As a break in the busy work day, Conor and I send each other Frank Bruni reviews and websites of restaurants offering the best BBQ in NY (without a doubt, no match for Kansas City), strange meat delicacies, and heavy Belgian fare. When my good friends from Washington and Vermont visit, our time is spent at our kitchen table, breaking off pieces of bread, sipping wine, and sampling the four cheeses we chose at the overpriced “gourmet” store a few blocks away. When people visit, Conor and I like to “brunch” them and take them to one of a couple favorite all-you-can-drink places. Our life revolves around delicious food –finding, enjoying, and recommending it.

So I figured, if I want to write and I enjoy food, why not combine the two and write about food? Well, I know it’s been done before. I know just from trying to register a name for my blog that cibo (food in Italian), vino, ciboevino, vinoecibo, food, foodie, phoodie, phood are all taken. I asked my friends if I should start a blog considering it has been done before many times, and they replied honestly, “If you’re okay with only your friends reading it and that’s it, then go for it.” I’m not going to lie and say that wasn’t hard to stomach, but I’m realistic and I know that’s probably true. I know I have my parents, who when not jetting from one… extraworkicular…activity will faithfully check in on me here. So that makes a total of five people, and I’m okay with that (or so I’m telling myself). If my experience with theglobetrotters.blogspot.com told me anything, it’s that it’s just as important for me to enjoy the writing as it is for readers to visit the site (as self-indulgent as that might be).

So, here we go. I know how to cook some basic recipes and Conor and I are slooowwly adding to our repertoire of dishes. As I cook, as I eat, as I discover delicious restaurants, dishes, or products I think you (my sweet and gentle five readers) will benefit from, I’ll write it on “chez mk”. Conor’s parents and my own are fantastic in the kitchen, so I know I’ll have some great recipes from them (as well as possible comments from the mothers telling us how to marinate meat or use a wok better). And if no one ever visits the site except for me, at least if I ever want to know what I ate on March 8th, 2008, I’ll be able to find out…