tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38166068042056936772024-03-12T23:58:09.132-05:00Supper Seedsmall potatoesmaeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-46935202377647288472012-05-15T09:06:00.000-05:002012-05-15T09:21:22.497-05:00new beginnings: parmesan baked eggs<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have (finally!) finished my Master's degree, so now it's on to new frontiers. Specifically, I will be a library media specialist in an elementary school this fall, and we're moving next month. I'm also ready to reinvigorate this blog, if only to fill the gap in my time left by the absence of school work (good riddance!). </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HVaXWWTmI6c/T7GvRo1i3cI/AAAAAAAABfw/_iUh3hsMM14/s1600/IMG_5773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HVaXWWTmI6c/T7GvRo1i3cI/AAAAAAAABfw/_iUh3hsMM14/s320/IMG_5773.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's fitting that I'm thinking of new things at this time in the year, when farmer's markets are reopening and little green shoots are arriving in CSA boxes. The best thing to do with those tender greens is to treat them very gently, if at all. Better yet, pair them with a perfectly cooked <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/04/spring-salad-of-asparagus-ramps-snap-peas-and-peas-with-poached-egg-and-lemon-zest-vinaigrette-recipe.html">egg</a>. I love this recipe for parmesan baked eggs from Pinch of Yum because it's simple and quick, yet it feels decadent to dip toasts into rich orange egg yolks. All it needs are some lightly dressed spring greens for a well-rounded dinner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Parmesan Baked Eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">from <a href="http://pinchofyum.com/parmesan-baked-eggs">A Pinch of Yum</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Pay close attention to the tops of the eggs and try to stick to the time recommendation. They may not seem done, but don't overcook as you don't want the yolks to get hard. The eggs will continue cooking a bit as they sit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 tbsp butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 tsp oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 shallot, minced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, minced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 tsp Kosher salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">6 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 tbsp heavy cream (or half and half)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">freshly grated Parmesan cheese</span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; line-height: 22px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px; text-align: left;">In a small saucepan, heat butter and oil. Add shallot and saute until soft and fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Add herbs and salt; remove from heat and stir to combine. The mixture should be somewhat coarse and just a little buttery.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; line-height: 22px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px; text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 375. Place a small pat of butter (about 1 tsp) in the bottom of each of 3 ramekins. Place in oven until butter is melted.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; line-height: 22px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px; text-align: left;">Remove ramekins from oven, add 1 tsp of cream to each, and crack 2 eggs into each ramekin without breaking the yolk. Sprinkle the her mixture over the top of each ramekin and return to the oven. Bake for about 7 minutes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">Turn up the heat to the broil setting and let the eggs broil for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from oven when egg whites are just set and yolks are still soft. Let stand for 3-5 minutes before serving. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with cheese. Serve with broiled hearty bread rubbed with a garlic clove on both sides.</span></span></div>
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</div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-38157790763143862872012-01-29T15:15:00.001-06:002012-01-29T15:19:34.958-06:00eating in manhattan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">waiting feet at Russ & Daughters</span></i></div>
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I need to finally get around to finishing my NYC posts, since I've already been on another food-heavy trip in the meantime. There are just so many photos of delicious foods backlogged in iPhoto that I get overwhelmed and keep putting it on the back burner! It's gotten so that I have neglected photographing meals that I cook, since I haven't been posting them anyway. I want that to change! And maybe it will soon enough, since I am now in my final semester of grad school. We shall see.<br />
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On our trip in August, we didn't even make it onto the island of Manhattan until the last two days, and then we had a lot of catching up to do, food-wise.<br />
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<b>Lower East Side</b><br />
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We are always on the lookout for a good donut, so I knew we couldn't miss the Doughnut Plant. To start off our day of devouring fried doughs from all over the world, we bought a half dozen donuts. Besides the one you see below, we also enjoyed flavors such as oatmeal, fresh peach, salted peanut, blackout, and a creme brulee raised donut. Man, my mouth is watering just typing this.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i>tres leches donut</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cocoron-soba.com/" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Cocoron Soba</a><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> came highly recommended from </span><a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/08/cocoron-lower-east-side-soba-nyc.html" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Serious Eats</a><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> and provided one of the lighter options of our day--yes, noodles dipped in scalding pork and kimchi was light, relatively speaking. And it was incredibly satisfying to boot.</span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">pork kimchee dip soba</span></i></div>
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Apparently the LES location of <a href="http://www.baohausnyc.com/index.html">BaoHaus</a> has closed since we went there, but it would be worth seeking out their new location for the tender, flavorful pork belly they serve. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>the Chairman Bao: braised Berkshire pork belly, crushed peanuts, cilantro, Haus relish, and Taiwanese red sugar</i></span></div>
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After recommendations from our buddies Joey and <a href="http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/must-visit-restaurants">Tony</a>, we had to hit up <a href="http://www.russanddaughters.com/">Russ & Daughters</a> for bagels and lox to eat on some park steps. To be honest, it was my first experience with lox (I realized lox was really not the same thing as smoked salmon) and I'm not sure I want to have it anywhere else after this. It was that good.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> everything bagel with lox, scallion cream cheese, red onion, and tomato</span></i></div>
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On the same park steps, we enjoyed our first knish. Every little place on Coney Island sells knishes, but our traveling host let us know that those are typically just frozen, heavy prepackaged things that they reheat. Although this knish from <a href="http://knishery.com/main.htm">Yonah Schimmel Knishery</a> was not exactly light (you should feel the heft of these things), the pastry was flaky and buttery and the potato filling well-seasoned. Since we were amateurs at knish-eating, we got ours topped with cheese. You can take the kids out of Wisconsin...anyway.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>mozzarella knish</i> </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/vanessas-dumpling-house-new-york">Vanessa's Dumplings</a> was just on the edge of Chinatown and on many lists of the best dumplings in the area. I didn't have any other dumpling with which to compare, but I certainly wasn't complaining about these. Be sure to find the Chinatown location, though, where dumplings come 5 for $1. The newish midtown location gets away with charging $3 for the same number. Please excuse the terrible photography as we were shooting in the low light of an apartment stoop.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">pork dumplings</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <i>steamed pork buns</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">sesame duck pancake - we were so stuffed by this point, but couldn't pass up the chance to try this</span></i></div>
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<b>Midtown</b></div>
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I don't know my New York geography all that well, so if I put a restaurant in the wrong neighborhood, please go easy on me.<br />
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One of my major goals in visiting NYC was to eat in <a href="http://supperseed.blogspot.com/2011/12/eating-in-queens.html">Flushing</a>. The other was to eat at a Momofuku location. Weird how I wanted to eat at the most authentic Asian restaurants and also one of the most popularized Asian chains.<br />
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Because we couldn't afford--or even get a spot in--the high-end Momofuku restaurant, we opted for the <a href="http://www.momofuku.com/restaurants/ssam-bar/">Ssam Bar</a>, with their delicious-sounding duck lunches. Indeed, delicious they were.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">rotisserie duck over rice with greens and many tasty sauces</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <i>steamed bun with pulled duck, sauerkraut, and smoked mayo</i></span></div>
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Waddling across the street, we completed the Momofuku experience by visiting <a href="http://www.momofuku.com/restaurants/milk-bar/">Milk Bar</a>. We had read some complaints that the quality was compromised when Milk Bar had recently centralized their baking operations and sent prepackaged sweets out to their several locations. I couldn't say for sure, but I do wonder whether the cookies wouldn't have been better fresh. However, we had no complaints about the pies...</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <i>candy bar pie</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">aptly-named crack pie</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>compost cookie - not pictured: cornflake marshmallow and blueberry</i> <i>cream</i></span></div>
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We waited in line for an hour to get ice cream at the <a href="http://biggayicecream.com/">Big Gay Ice Cream Truck</a> (since expanded into the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop), but it was worth it. The line moves slowly because the proprietor does everything himself: he takes your order, pulls the soft serve, carefully injects it with dulce de leche, grinds sea salt over it, dips it in chocolate shell, and handles the money. So good.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <i>the Salty Pimp</i></span></div>
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<b>West Village</b><br />
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Our only foray into the West Village was motivated by--surprise--food. We had read--and had it confirmed by a New Yorker--that <a href="http://www.taimfalafel.com/">Taim</a> had the best falafel in the city. I had not had a ton of falafel, and the falafel Matt had tasted he had not enjoyed. We both loved this. The green variety really is green, packed with herbs and flavor. Coupled with a refreshing mint ginger limeade, the sandwich made me forget my tired feet for 20 minutes.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <i>green falafel sandwich with hummus, israeli salad, pickled cabbage, and tahini sauce</i></span></div>
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That's it (finally) for my New York photos! Hope they were informative and inspiring. Check back for pics from our recent Portland trip and (hopefully) more home-cooked meal posts!</div>
<b><br /></b>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-45813819165373449862012-01-29T13:51:00.003-06:002012-01-29T15:20:39.990-06:00b00kl355Last night Matt and I had a great time at the Bookless Party inside the gutted Madison Central Library. I wish it would stick around longer than one night. Here's a gif I threw together of some cute pictures from the "photo booth" station.<br />
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<i>librarians know how to party</i></div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-83832487090536773432011-12-09T22:54:00.001-06:002011-12-09T23:39:15.217-06:00eating in queens<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Here comes the next stop on our NYC food tour...only three months after the first installment! Better late than never? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Oddly enough--and it seemed to strike New York residents as especially odd--we stayed exclusively in Brooklyn and Queens the first 2/3 of our week-long summer trip. We didn't even make it across the water to Manhattan until the last two (food-filled) days. Those photos will be coming along, hopefully soon. </span>It's not necessarily that we didn't want to go to Manhattan, but there was already so much to see and to eat in Long Island's boroughs. So, without further ado, Queens!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Long Island City</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We spent one hot day in LIC and managed to swing by <a href="http://mwellsdiner.com/">M.Well's</a> <a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1537527/restaurant/New-York/M-Wells-Long-Island-City">diner</a> for brunch between "Warm Up" festivities at <a href="http://momaps1.org/">MoMA PS1</a> and just before the diner was scheduled to move from its location at that time. (Not sure what the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/17/dining/a-series-of-farewells-for-m-wells-in-queens.html?_r=1&ref=samsifton">status</a> is currently.) M.Wells had just been named in the Bon Appetit <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/slideshows/2011/09/best-new-restaurants-america#slide=3">list</a> of Best New Restaurants in 2011. So, it was justifiably very busy, but worth the wait. All our food was amazing. Would definitely seek it out again when we return to the city.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bmiYFKwUNC8/TuLpFVIf3gI/AAAAAAAABX0/ybutlNmNrq8/s1600/IMG_5117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bmiYFKwUNC8/TuLpFVIf3gI/AAAAAAAABX0/ybutlNmNrq8/s320/IMG_5117.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>adorable diner car interior</i></span> </div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">egg-sausage sandwich with cheddar, pickled jalapenos, and tomato</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>fish & chips</i></span> </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>simple, but rich hamburger</i></span> </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>custardy maple pie</i></span> </div>
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<b>Flushing</b></div>
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After seeing Serious Eats writers repeatedly gush about the food courts in <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/queens/flushing/">Flushing</a>, I knew we had to go. We took the long train ride out on a miserably rainy day and felt almost like we had left the states completely, the smells and sights were so fully Asian.</div>
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Here's a photo of the lovely food court at Flushing's <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/07/flushing-queens-ny-new-world-mall-food-court.html">New World Mall</a>.</div>
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Here's a small corner of the food court where we actually ate something: <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2010/08/guide-to-flushing-golden-shopping-mall-queens-chinese-food-courts.html">Golden Shopping Mall</a>'s food court. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jTtfW-fY8-Q/TuLpIrlvfHI/AAAAAAAABY0/iQCqywz2CWc/s1600/IMG_5166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jTtfW-fY8-Q/TuLpIrlvfHI/AAAAAAAABY0/iQCqywz2CWc/s320/IMG_5166.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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At the experts' <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2010/07/xian-famous-foods-new-location-east-village-new-location-st-marks-review-chinese-slideshow.html">insistence</a>, we sought out Xi'an Famous Foods' cold skin noodles, a Chinese dish--and a combination of textures--like none I'd ever experienced before. Hand-cut noodles with plenty of bite, cucumber, onions, and cilantro sit in a tear-jerkingly spicy sauce that's soaked up by spongey cubes of wheat gluten. I want to go back to try stir-fried skin noodles, plus everything else on the menu. <br />
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Later on that evening, in sheer, wet exhaustion, we stumbled into a shabu shabu place called <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-mei-shabu-shabu-flushing">La Mei</a>. The kind couple sitting near us recommended the all-you-can-eat-in-two-hours option. Even though we weren't all that hungry, we couldn't pass up the chance to dip a ton of different things in scalding pots of broth. Seasoned buffet-goer Matt broke down during the last leg of our eating marathon, but I got a second wind when the fresh udon noodles showed up. Oh man, I want some right now.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>just </i>some<i> of the many things we tasted: fish balls, beef, napa cabbage, corn on the cob, pork blood rice cake, lamb, whitefish, cuttlefish, shrimp, spinach</i></span> </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>tasty little straw mushrooms</i></span></div>
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Check back for food tours of the Lower East Side and midtown Manhattan!<br />
<br />maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-41374766258674161042011-09-07T00:16:00.002-05:002011-09-07T00:21:42.218-05:00eating in brooklyn<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So, a couple weeks back we were in NYC, doing a veritable walking food tour of the city, armed with suggestions from the trusty <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/">Serious Eats</a> and<a href="http://everybodylikessandwiches.com/"> Everybody Likes Sandwiches</a> blogs. I am not going to review the places we went, since I'm pretty sure Serious Eats has <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/">covered</a> every place we went at some point. I am simply going to tempt you with food photos and hopefully provide at least one idea for a place to stop next time you're in the Big Apple. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Let's start in Brooklyn! Bear in mind, I know there are more neighborhoods in each of the NYC boroughs--I'm just listing the places we managed to make it to!</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Crown Heights</span></b><br />
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We stayed with our friend in this neighborhood and had a lovely breakfast at Carribbean restaurant <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/dining/reviews/23brief-002.html">Trini-gu</a>l. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p98AddRazjY/TmbzOiW5MMI/AAAAAAAABXI/a4M2YhHxoP8/s1600/IMG_5236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p98AddRazjY/TmbzOiW5MMI/AAAAAAAABXI/a4M2YhHxoP8/s320/IMG_5236.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>a "double" from Trini-gul</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I could eat doubles every single morning for breakfast. The heavily seasoned chickpea stew glues two soft flatbreads together and fills my stomach with a satisfying ball of starch to start off the day right. Pictured with authentic Brooklyn chain link fence.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Our last meal in New York was a memorable one. A couple of days before we had passed on eating pastrami at <a href="http://katzsdelicatessen.com/">Katz's</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9dia5-bBHo">Deli</a> (the Lower East Side food tour coming soon!) in favor of wrapping up our trip with the pastrami at <a href="http://davidsbriskethouse.com/">David's Brisket House & Deli</a>. I guess I will never (?) know what I missed by skipping Katz's, but I do know I was not disappointed at David's. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>a classic pastrami on rye with mustard from David's Brisket House</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">My eyes probably grew wide when the fellow assembling sandwiches pulled a huge hunk of fragrant meat from a steam tray and put it on the meat cutter, juice dripping off the edge of the table and onto a strategically-placed towel. So tender, so fatty, so hard to forget.</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Williamsburg</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Sunday morning we made it out to the <a href="http://www.brooklynflea.com/">Brooklyn Flea</a> at the East River Waterfront in Williamsburg. There's also one in Fort Greene on Saturdays. It was every bit the foodie haven that it had been <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2010/06/video-the-brooklyn-flea-as-catalyst-for-small.html">advertised</a> to be. </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-veVBK6jzvhY/Tmb5THVeQSI/AAAAAAAABXQ/0sAHdwseZaA/s1600/IMG_5149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-veVBK6jzvhY/Tmb5THVeQSI/AAAAAAAABXQ/0sAHdwseZaA/s320/IMG_5149.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pupusa">pupusas</a> from the <a href="http://www.redhookfoodvendors.com/">Red Hook</a> <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2008/07/red-hook-vendors-soccer-tacos-guide-how-to-get-there-what-to-eat.html">Vendors</a>: pork "special" at left and chicken/cheese at right</i></span> </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lHJ1RRovgy0/Tmb5T7XsJiI/AAAAAAAABXU/8LKDKXbtBOU/s1600/IMG_5153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lHJ1RRovgy0/Tmb5T7XsJiI/AAAAAAAABXU/8LKDKXbtBOU/s320/IMG_5153.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>Matt, posing dutifully with watermelon juice from the Red Hook Vendors </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>a fatty, crunchy (!) roast pork <a href="http://iluvpork.com/?p=455">Porchetta</a> <a href="http://www.porchettanyc.com/">sandwich </a></i></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FanLBIaNwgY/Tmb5YQYENLI/AAAAAAAABXc/rl-j6oo_rlI/s1600/IMG_5155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FanLBIaNwgY/Tmb5YQYENLI/AAAAAAAABXc/rl-j6oo_rlI/s320/IMG_5155.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">for dessert: the "goodwich" from <a href="http://thegoodbatch.com/">The Good Batch</a></span></i></div>
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I wanted so badly to have stroopwafels from The Good Batch, especially the peanut-butter-filled kind. Somehow, even after we purchased an ice cream sandwich from that very stand, we failed to realize that it was indeed the stroopwafel place. Oh, well. They were probably out of them anyway and that would have just made me more crazy.</div>
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Not pictured (our camera battery died at dinner) is pizza at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/forcella-brooklyn">Forcella</a> in Williamsburg. Now, none of us ordered the montanara pictured in the Serious Eats <a href="http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/07/forcella-pizza-williamsburg-brooklyn-nyc.html">review</a>, but we did have a couple of the fried pizzas, and they were folded up and fried like calzones plus sauce, rather than flat as depicted. We were confused, but no less satisfied. </div>
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Coming soon: a pictorial food romp through Queens!</div>
maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-30965823421877372592011-08-17T22:18:00.001-05:002011-09-07T00:19:22.748-05:00all good summer thingsI have been criminally lax about updating this blog, especially for the summertime! In my defense, I've had a full course load this summer, but I have a few weeks between summer classes and fall classes to try and be productive. I am going to really make an effort to update things this fall, if for no other reason than to feel like I'm doing something.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4wYRRgJe7Mk/TkyDiz4FyOI/AAAAAAAABWE/v38V4WMKIoA/s1600/IMG_5072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4wYRRgJe7Mk/TkyDiz4FyOI/AAAAAAAABWE/v38V4WMKIoA/s320/IMG_5072.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Anyway, I thought it was about time I posted a recipe. We made this a few weeks back with one of the first summer tomatoes (from the farmer's market--we killed our tomato plant). We also happened to have an abundance of blue cheese leftover from another meal. We always have basil (out back), crusty bread, and our old standby, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sashay-Acres/147349128642968">Sashay Acres</a> bacon, on hand. A meal was born.<br />
<br />
Actually, we ate this as an appetizer, but it would be more than enough as an entree. I only stacked our salads a few tomato slices high, but next time I'd go even lower--one or two slices only--for easier eating. Next time I also think I'll splurge on the fancy French gray shallots at the farmer's market for more intense shallot flavor in the dressing.<br />
<br />
<b>Heirloom Tomato Salad with Bacon, Blue Cheese, and Basil</b><br />
very slightly adapted from Gourmet via <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Heirloom-Tomatoes-with-Bacon-Blue-Cheese-and-Basil-108328">Epicurious</a><br />
serves 2 (easily multiplied)<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EkVzA9Kmkf8/TkyDjg8klKI/AAAAAAAABWI/s5Ik5LWge28/s1600/IMG_5074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EkVzA9Kmkf8/TkyDjg8klKI/AAAAAAAABWI/s5Ik5LWge28/s320/IMG_5074.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
2 slices crusty white bread, like sourdough<br />
4 slices bacon (depending on how porky you like your veggies)<br />
olive oil (if needed)<br />
1/4 c finely chopped shallot<br />
3 tbsp Sherry vinegar<br />
2-3 assorted medium heirloom tomatoes, cut 1/4- to 1/3-inch thick<br />
15 small fresh basil leaves<br />
1 1/2 oz blue cheese, at room temperature, crumbled<br />
<br />
Cook bacon in (cast iron, preferably) pan until crisp, and remove to paper towels. Leave bacon drippings in pan.<br />
<br />
In the same pan, toast bread on both sides in bacon drippings over medium heat. If you don't like your bread bacon-y, pour off drippings into a heatproof bowl and reserve. Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in the same pan and toast bread.<br />
<br />
Using remaining bacon drippings (pour them back in the pan if you poured them off), plus a couple tablespoons olive oil if the pan is getting dry, cook shallots over medium heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar and simmer, whisking, until emulsified, about 1 minute. Season dressing with salt and pepper and keep warm.<br />
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Crumble bacon. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> Arrange bread on plates and divide tomato slices among them, stacking slices and sprinkling some basil and bacon between slices. Sprinkle cheese and remaining basil and bacon over and around tomatoes. Spoon some of warm bacon dressing over and around tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.</span>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-31135007071129832222011-07-13T22:29:00.001-05:002011-07-13T22:30:48.430-05:00portland: dinner highlightsSo, onto the other meal we ate in Portland. There were no lunches, since the breakfasts were so huge. Even though we ate at a lot more breakfast spots than dinner places, the dinners we had were some of my favorite meals on our trip.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/pause-portland">Pause</a><br />
<br />
Wonderful seasonal and local dishes. I got to try my first fiddlehead fern and huckleberries. Seemed like sort of a Portland version of our favorite restaurants in Madison. Great for grown-ups and kids.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P0-GX8atTLU/Thuwwbl1NAI/AAAAAAAABUg/6F8j3RodSq8/s1600/IMG_4776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P0-GX8atTLU/Thuwwbl1NAI/AAAAAAAABUg/6F8j3RodSq8/s320/IMG_4776.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>special: seared halibut with morels, fingerling potatoes, fiddlehead ferns, and tarragon vinaigrette</i></span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hTUZ44QarcM/ThuwusWRIcI/AAAAAAAABUY/wuNtV752EBk/s1600/IMG_4774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hTUZ44QarcM/ThuwusWRIcI/AAAAAAAABUY/wuNtV752EBk/s320/IMG_4774.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">braised pork collar over greens and potatoes with apple butter</span></i></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vt1m7vUpdu8/Thuwvmu-I0I/AAAAAAAABUc/aMvCKaYYPMA/s1600/IMG_4775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vt1m7vUpdu8/Thuwvmu-I0I/AAAAAAAABUc/aMvCKaYYPMA/s320/IMG_4775.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">cuban sandwich with ham, roasted pork, house-made pickles, and mustard aioli</span></i></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OvLcSyvuOjc/Thuwy37NEkI/AAAAAAAABUk/EuFZo7eAqFA/s1600/IMG_4780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OvLcSyvuOjc/Thuwy37NEkI/AAAAAAAABUk/EuFZo7eAqFA/s320/IMG_4780.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>huckleberry cheesecake</i></span></div><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.torobravopdx.com/">Toro Bravo</a><br />
<br />
A Spanish tapas joint--my first tapas meal. We each ordered something we thought sounded good, then shared. It was a very nice, though dark, birthday meal for Matt.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IuCV07YPZrU/Thuw9XhQwFI/AAAAAAAABVQ/uSJKW1XWToU/s1600/IMG_4846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IuCV07YPZrU/Thuw9XhQwFI/AAAAAAAABVQ/uSJKW1XWToU/s320/IMG_4846.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>fideos with spring vegetables and bacon</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oF_A4VRZMNg/Thuw8gHpH-I/AAAAAAAABVM/zZbAZlAChXk/s1600/IMG_4842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oF_A4VRZMNg/Thuw8gHpH-I/AAAAAAAABVM/zZbAZlAChXk/s320/IMG_4842.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>drunken grilled pork over avocado salad</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wHBc1leojmY/Thuw76Ls82I/AAAAAAAABVI/S_sZIIH3D8Q/s1600/IMG_4841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wHBc1leojmY/Thuw76Ls82I/AAAAAAAABVI/S_sZIIH3D8Q/s320/IMG_4841.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>braised lamb with coriander and apricots over house-made noodles </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(my personal favorite of the night)</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://pokpokpdx.com/">Pok Pok</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Would definitely return for more spicy, rich, sticky Thai food. Whiskey Soda Lounge would make a fun stop--their related bar across the street serves really intriguing Thai appetizers.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rj4vEN-z6GM/Thuw4bkVEkI/AAAAAAAABU0/O9tmxUOZG6o/s1600/IMG_4791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rj4vEN-z6GM/Thuw4bkVEkI/AAAAAAAABU0/O9tmxUOZG6o/s320/IMG_4791.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>clockwise from top right:</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>khao soi kai - curry noodle soup</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>duck larb issan</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>sticky rice & sides</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>sai ua samun phrai - Ching Mai spicy sausage</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Vietnamese fish sauce wings</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VAr_RxOVjdI/Thuw3qc8WHI/AAAAAAAABUw/_YsIY4Ij93Q/s1600/IMG_4789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VAr_RxOVjdI/Thuw3qc8WHI/AAAAAAAABUw/_YsIY4Ij93Q/s320/IMG_4789.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>huckleberry drinking vinegars</i></span></div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-47985220592823278742011-07-11T21:47:00.002-05:002011-07-11T21:50:51.028-05:00portland: breakfast highlights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Matt and I went to Portland in May to visit his folks. It was a great trip. We ate pretty much constantly, as there are so many places to eat and we only had four days. Previously unbeknownst to me, Portland is <a href="http://pdxbreakfastblog.blogspot.com/">full</a> of great breakfast places. I'll try to do the quickest rundown possible of a very small sampling of Portland breakfasts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1280&bih=577&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=gravy+pdx&fb=1&gl=us&hq=gravy&hnear=0x5495a4253f4ebd9d:0x8d055b0268657e15,Portland+International+Airport,+7000+Airport+Way,+Portland,+OR+97218-1031&cid=5524419117067865855">Gravy</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Their namesake is delicious, especially the vegetarian version, full of sage and thyme and mushrooms and reminiscent of Thanksgiving dinner. Plus, a huge menu with lots of omelette and scramble choices, life-changing beignets, and a short walk to vintage and record shopping made this a fast favorite.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sb_5_cuwGMo/Thuw5NTUpSI/AAAAAAAABU4/2bG-vhMrd40/s1600/IMG_4798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sb_5_cuwGMo/Thuw5NTUpSI/AAAAAAAABU4/2bG-vhMrd40/s320/IMG_4798.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">beignets with powdered sugar and maple syrup</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qGZJuOy-zRs/Thuw5oQfA8I/AAAAAAAABU8/qPiWez3mAsE/s1600/IMG_4800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qGZJuOy-zRs/Thuw5oQfA8I/AAAAAAAABU8/qPiWez3mAsE/s320/IMG_4800.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">biscuit with vegetable gravy</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.slappycakes.com/">Slappy Cakes</a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Everything was great here, though to be honest, I've had better chicken-fried bacon. You really can't beat fluffy pancakes with house-made strawberry syrup and something called "pork belly benedict" (which, by the way, Matt can't stop talking about).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w3QFzRMsTW8/ThuwrOJGjOI/AAAAAAAABUI/SUl_bOKPXhI/s1600/IMG_4725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w3QFzRMsTW8/ThuwrOJGjOI/AAAAAAAABUI/SUl_bOKPXhI/s320/IMG_4725.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">huevos rancheros </span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xffr-AI8g3Y/Thuwppf-IwI/AAAAAAAABUA/W5N_-HqQTEE/s1600/IMG_4718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xffr-AI8g3Y/Thuwppf-IwI/AAAAAAAABUA/W5N_-HqQTEE/s320/IMG_4718.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> chicken-fried bacon with caramel sauce</span></i></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DnqBUe9j3ck/ThuwqRYNiGI/AAAAAAAABUE/5ug_6a3WCxE/s1600/IMG_4722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DnqBUe9j3ck/ThuwqRYNiGI/AAAAAAAABUE/5ug_6a3WCxE/s320/IMG_4722.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">pork belly benedict with bacon fat hollandaise</span></i></div><br />
<a href="http://www.arletalibrary.com/">Arlita Library Cafe</a><br />
<br />
A solid breakfast was had here as well. Nice specials and, based on the coffee cake, I'd say wonderful baked goods too.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SNI_dQGVuI8/Thuw254CV6I/AAAAAAAABUs/OW_YvdPJPug/s1600/IMG_4787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SNI_dQGVuI8/Thuw254CV6I/AAAAAAAABUs/OW_YvdPJPug/s320/IMG_4787.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">pear & fig coffee cake</span></i></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UjCTydzJvpQ/Thuw2UHyYvI/AAAAAAAABUo/gXLC6ghDzTY/s1600/IMG_4782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UjCTydzJvpQ/Thuw2UHyYvI/AAAAAAAABUo/gXLC6ghDzTY/s320/IMG_4782.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">scrambled eggs, asparagus, bacon, and stout cheese sauce on toast</span></i></div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com0Portland, OR, USA45.5234515 -122.676207145.412436 -122.8587801 45.634467 -122.4936341tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-63891134495381552482011-06-28T11:08:00.000-05:002011-06-28T11:08:16.799-05:00new finds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1gGVgLVRUkk/Tgn1JGSX8YI/AAAAAAAABQo/cx-egt1gAVQ/s1600/IMG_5004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1gGVgLVRUkk/Tgn1JGSX8YI/AAAAAAAABQo/cx-egt1gAVQ/s320/IMG_5004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>Lately I've only been posting about food, and mostly (or exclusively) Meatless Monday posts. So, I thought I'd share some of the rad things I've picked up in various locales as of late. The dress I found at a great little vintage shop on a recent trip to Portland, Oregon (can't remember the name, but it was on Mississippi). I wore it to me and Matt's fourth wedding anniversary dinner. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qU35xE-mJOo/Tgn1SgLIuWI/AAAAAAAABQw/oTcesaTnqxA/s1600/IMG_5002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qU35xE-mJOo/Tgn1SgLIuWI/AAAAAAAABQw/oTcesaTnqxA/s320/IMG_5002.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>60s wiggle dress, $25</i></span> </span></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">American Tourist "Tiara" suitcase, $15</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I got the perfect travel accessory at a little antique store in Dickeyville, Wisconsin, home of this place:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-js-imtqhfSo/Tgn1QspFjHI/AAAAAAAABQs/JZqyNkA5UQM/s1600/IMG_4967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-js-imtqhfSo/Tgn1QspFjHI/AAAAAAAABQs/JZqyNkA5UQM/s320/IMG_4967.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i> Dickeyville Grotto</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Luckily, the church adjacent to the grotto had a garage sale! I grabbed this super cute sewing box (the chimney is a pin cushion!) and also a coat, but it's way too hot right now to even look at a wool coat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SmNllJs6PAo/Tgn1VxF4w0I/AAAAAAAABRA/_TmzYi_pCdM/s1600/IMG_5014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SmNllJs6PAo/Tgn1VxF4w0I/AAAAAAAABRA/_TmzYi_pCdM/s320/IMG_5014.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">sewing box, $0.50</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qd7WO2xjjXY/Tgn1WpYi7NI/AAAAAAAABRE/gMKMORShKzI/s1600/IMG_5015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qd7WO2xjjXY/Tgn1WpYi7NI/AAAAAAAABRE/gMKMORShKzI/s320/IMG_5015.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Matt and I also had a very successful trip to our favorite local consignment shop a few weeks back and got the following items:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2omPB688FQY/Tgn1Tqk-6mI/AAAAAAAABQ0/snKG5_2xD4U/s1600/IMG_5011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2omPB688FQY/Tgn1Tqk-6mI/AAAAAAAABQ0/snKG5_2xD4U/s320/IMG_5011.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>metal cabinet, $25</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kcp5ejAvwQQ/Tgn1UbQSRwI/AAAAAAAABQ4/h87FSsJ1Al4/s1600/IMG_5012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kcp5ejAvwQQ/Tgn1UbQSRwI/AAAAAAAABQ4/h87FSsJ1Al4/s320/IMG_5012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gsAK3SHYc_w/Tgn1U8pqYBI/AAAAAAAABQ8/LSCJpW6OZqk/s1600/IMG_5013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gsAK3SHYc_w/Tgn1U8pqYBI/AAAAAAAABQ8/LSCJpW6OZqk/s320/IMG_5013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>set of 6 coasters, $2</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SjRRHa4c3L4/Tgn1Xekn2jI/AAAAAAAABRI/-mFg0RSJj30/s1600/IMG_5016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SjRRHa4c3L4/Tgn1Xekn2jI/AAAAAAAABRI/-mFg0RSJj30/s320/IMG_5016.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>vintage fan--watch your fingers!</i></span></div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-80680985535734281882011-06-20T22:29:00.001-05:002011-06-20T22:30:01.644-05:00greens overload--conquered!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our CSA has been pretty much straight greens for the first two weeks. Spinach, kale, arugula, bok choy, mustard greens. Although I could freeze the spinach and possibly some of the other greens, I've decided to take on the challenge of working through bag upon bag of leafy greens. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e1wQoDJ_2mM/TgAGzLQurMI/AAAAAAAABQY/cAo8XgjpcmA/s1600/IMG_4973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e1wQoDJ_2mM/TgAGzLQurMI/AAAAAAAABQY/cAo8XgjpcmA/s320/IMG_4973.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>spicy greens and soba noodles</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Have you ever had the experience where you look at a beautiful seasonal cookbook in late winter and salivate over the early spring recipes? Then you realize you're in the upper Midwest and those spring ingredients won't be available locally until June, or late May if you're lucky. I'm trying not to whine about other parts of the country being way ahead of our growing season. Instead I'm pulling out my spring recipes and enjoying the first crops of the Wisconsin summer.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YkJoCd7zMD0/TgAOrQ1Q1II/AAAAAAAABQg/qNBYTI58Srs/s1600/IMG_4981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YkJoCd7zMD0/TgAOrQ1Q1II/AAAAAAAABQg/qNBYTI58Srs/s320/IMG_4981.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>heat sources utilized</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>I've been taking some liberties with my recipes since I have had spring garlic and onions readily available. In addition to a couple of cloves of garlic, I added my last spring garlic stalk and tripled the green onion input. I was also pretty liberal with the ginger. And I opted to use some teeny tiny serrano peppers from the farmer's market in place of the crushed red chili flake. But when I got to tasting the noodles, the heat from the peppers was not coming through, so I threw in a scant teaspoon of gochugaru, Korean chili powder. When that wasn't cutting it either, Matt suggested we turn to togarashi, a tasty Japanese seasoning mix of sesame seeds, chili powder, orange peel, and more that was one of the only spicy things to cross our lips in Japan. My good friend togarashi finally did the trick. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yHq3z9_2lVI/TgAG1EYgHjI/AAAAAAAABQc/unVRRbKKcn8/s1600/IMG_4978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yHq3z9_2lVI/TgAG1EYgHjI/AAAAAAAABQc/unVRRbKKcn8/s320/IMG_4978.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This is an easy and solid stir fry that could be very flexible with the greens and seasonings used. Throw in whatever greens you've got on hand--they cook down quite a bit. It calls for balsamic vinegar, which I can only assume is a stand-in for Chinese black vinegar. Along with the rice vinegar, I thought it lent kind of an odd sweetness to the dish, so I think next time I might try sherry vinegar instead. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Spicy Greens and Soba Noodles</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">very slightly adapted from <a href="http://cookstr.com/">Cookstr.com</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"></span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">6 oz </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">soba noodles</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">; or substitute other Asian noodles such as udon, somen, or ramen </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">2 tsp </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">sesame oil</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">; or substitute peanut oil</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">1 tbsp </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">vegetable oil</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">, preferably peanut</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">1-2 tbsp grated fresh </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">ginger</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">2 tsp minced </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">garlic</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">½ tsp crushed red chile, such as piquin</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">¼ c chicken or </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">vegetable broth (be sure to use vegetable broth for a completely vegetarian dish!)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">8 oz </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">mustard greens</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">, bok choi, spinach, or other greens, stems removed and coarsely chopped</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">2 oz </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">straw mushrooms (I omitted these this time)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">1 c mung </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">bean sprouts</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">1 tbsp toasted </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">sesame seeds</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"> for garnish, plus sriracha, sambal, or togarashi as desired</span></span><br />
<ul class="recipe_attr_text" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 27px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">For the sauce:</span><br />
<div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">1 tbsp </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">balsamic or sherry vinegar</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">4 tsp </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">rice vinegar</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">1 tbsp </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">peanut oil</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">2 tsp </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">light soy sauce</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">1-3 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">green onions</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">, chopped</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">¼ tsp dark </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">sesame oil</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">¼ tsp crushed red chile, such as piquin or gochigaru</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">¼ tsp </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">sugar</span></span></span></div><ul class="recipe_attr_text" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 27px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></ul><div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1.4em; margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse the noodles and place in a bowl. Add the sesame oil and toss to coat. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1.4em; margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Heat a heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil, and when hot, add the ginger, garlic, and chile and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the broth, and when simmering, add the greens and cook until done. Add the mushrooms and mung beans and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir the sauce into the vegetable mixture, add the noodles, and toss to coat and reheat. Put the noodles into a bowl, garnish with toasted sesame seeds, and serve.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.midnightmaniac.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j4k56FPlWNM/TgAPRFc0oGI/AAAAAAAABQk/9xN2YwBDinI/s1600/MMMM-121x200.gif" /></span></a></div><div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1.4em; margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A meatless meal actually on a Monday...imagine that!</span></div></div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-86454824063890528962011-05-08T11:50:00.001-05:002011-05-08T11:53:33.643-05:00happy mother's day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k5RiTgQFMKI/TcbEvhrx1eI/AAAAAAAABQM/hcbOCpTx2BY/s1600/IMG_4559.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k5RiTgQFMKI/TcbEvhrx1eI/AAAAAAAABQM/hcbOCpTx2BY/s320/IMG_4559.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Ln-B0oGLsQ/TcbEu_gNYbI/AAAAAAAABQI/GSEO6MJnxqE/s1600/IMG_4557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
Today on Mother's Day I'm thinking about how much of my cooking abilities and interests are because my mom also loved to cook. I have often observed that I was never taught to do things like cut fruits and vegetables--I just sat and watched my mom. I know how to make basic meals without a recipe the same way my mom did, which oftentimes I think she learned from her mom. I hope I can pass that knowledge along someday. I also give her credit for helping me develop my tastes in food. She introduced me to different flavors from early on and set the ball rolling for me to expand my tastes more and more. Cooking and eating are such a big part of my life and I enjoy sharing it with my mom still. Thanks, Mom!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Ln-B0oGLsQ/TcbEu_gNYbI/AAAAAAAABQI/GSEO6MJnxqE/s1600/IMG_4557.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Ln-B0oGLsQ/TcbEu_gNYbI/AAAAAAAABQI/GSEO6MJnxqE/s320/IMG_4557.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Goat Cheese<br />
from <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/01/orecchiette-with-broccoli-rabe-goat-cheese-pasta.html">Serious Eats</a> (I think there's a missing step in their recipe, so I've filled in the blanks below with what I did.)<br />
<br />
<div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">1 lb broccoli rabe, chopped</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">1/3 c extra-virgin olive oil </span><br />
<span class="ingredient">6 garlic cloves, chopped</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">3/4 tsp crushed red chile flakes</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">12 oz orecchiette (I can never find orecchiette at my grocery store, so I used a short-cut pasta that looked close enough.)</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">2 tbsp lemon zest</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">4 oz goat cheese, sliced</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">salt</span></div><div class="ingredients-section"></div><div class="ingredients-section"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dXjLe-K8dGA/TcbEwP-fQQI/AAAAAAAABQQ/br9R6279t0M/s1600/IMG_4561.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dXjLe-K8dGA/TcbEwP-fQQI/AAAAAAAABQQ/br9R6279t0M/s320/IMG_4561.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="ingredient"> </span></div></div><br />
Pour about 8 quarts of water into a large pot, add a few tablespoons of salt, and bring it to a boil. Toss in the broccoli rabe and cook for 4 minutes. Remove it with a pair of tongs and immediately toss it in some ice water. Chill for a few minutes then drain and pat dry.<br />
<br />
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute 1-2 minutes until garlic is just golden. Add the broccoli rabe and cook 3-5 minutes until stalks are tender and the leaves wilted. <br />
<br />
<div class="procedure-text">Meanwhile, bring the pot of water back to a boil and cook the orecchiette according to the directions on the box. Taste the pasta with a minute left on the timer. If al dente, turn off the heat, drain the pasta, and transfer it to the skillet. Turn the heat to high, add the lemon zest, and season with salt. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly.<br />
<br />
Transfer the pasta to bowls or plates. Add a bit of goat cheese to each one. Serve. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.midnightmaniac.com/category/mmmm/"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hsdx-BiEjeU/TcbIXa0PiAI/AAAAAAAABQU/e5w8o9I70FA/s1600/MMMM-121x200.gif" /></a></div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-51913757500353000662011-04-18T21:58:00.002-05:002011-04-18T22:10:13.858-05:00easy french onion soupOkay, so here comes the second soup post in a row. But that's because I could probably eat soup every other day. And it's an easy meal to make hearty and yet vegetarian. The soup I made used chicken broth, but could easily be made with a nice homemade veggie broth. I keep scraps of veggies and chicken or other meat bones in large bags in the freezer, then when I need broth, I just pop the contents of the bag into the crock pot, covered with water, and cook it on low for 18-24 hours. How long you let it go depends on how strong you want your broth and how stinky you are willing to let your house get. Ha.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LSwqsjFHnmY/Taz6BxiOHOI/AAAAAAAABP8/aUP_S_EdMdY/s1600/IMG_4563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LSwqsjFHnmY/Taz6BxiOHOI/AAAAAAAABP8/aUP_S_EdMdY/s320/IMG_4563.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>french onion soup on Matt's grandma's handmade hotpad</i></span></div><br />
I liked that this recipe was simple, but I thought it was just a tad bit too simple, so I added a couple of garlic cloves and some dried thyme to the onions. Then it seemed just right.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-26JfMLVPEsU/Taz6ILraVXI/AAAAAAAABQA/YlcdAgjpuOk/s1600/IMG_4570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-26JfMLVPEsU/Taz6ILraVXI/AAAAAAAABQA/YlcdAgjpuOk/s320/IMG_4570.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> you know it's good--look at that doggy snout trying to get at it!</i></span></div><b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Quick, Light French Onion Soup</b><br />
slightly adapted from Serious Eats<br />
serves 4<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">1 pound sweet white or yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced</span></div><div class="ingredients-section">2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced</div><div class="ingredients-section">1 tsp dried thyme<br />
<span class="ingredient">2 cups dry white wine, such as Muscadet</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">2 tablespoons butter</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade</span></div><div class="ingredients-section">1 bay leaf<br />
<span class="ingredient">4 slices crusty bread or baguette</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">2 cups (5 ounces) freshly grated Gruyere cheese</span></div><div class="ingredients-section"></div><div class="ingredients-section">Preheat the oven to 500°F. Combine the onions, garlic, thymewine, butter, and a large pinch of salt in a baking dish and cook, uncovered, until the wine is absorbed almost completely into the onions, and they are tender and golden, 45 minutes or perhaps a little longer.</div><div class="ingredients-section"></div><div class="ingredients-section">In the meantime, bring the chicken or vegetable stock and bay leaf to a simmer in a large saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.</div><div class="ingredients-section"></div><div class="ingredients-section">When the onions are finished, divide them among 4 deep broiler-safe bowls. Cover the onions with chicken stock to fill the bowls, and place a slice of bread on each. Distribute the grated cheese over the bread and broil until the cheese is golden and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes.<span class="ingredient"> </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.midnightmaniac.com/tag/midnight-maniac-meatless-mondays/"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ARvzeh7nZi4/Taz869d4OvI/AAAAAAAABQE/s_4x600m-0s/s1600/MMMM-121x200.gif" /></a></div><span class="ingredient"> </span> </div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-71178179605216314962011-04-10T16:35:00.002-05:002011-04-11T19:22:59.818-05:00early spring warmthWe're still at a point in the spring season where we'll see chilly and rainy and generally miserable days, so I still need soup. But I'm definitely getting to the point where I want lighter, more vegetable-based foods. This soup provided a nice balance.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EhAeEP41Fuo/TaIh5F-FTpI/AAAAAAAABP0/6_sv2S-iT5c/s1600/IMG_4490.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EhAeEP41Fuo/TaIh5F-FTpI/AAAAAAAABP0/6_sv2S-iT5c/s320/IMG_4490.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
I love Cook's Country's take on <a href="http://supperseed.blogspot.com/2010/12/new-favorite.html">posole</a>, but I can only take that fatty, pork-filled stew so often. This potato soup begins with a similar pureed onion and chili base. I opted for a can of crushed fire-roasted tomatoes instead of crushed fresh, but if you have nice fresh tomatoes around, go for it.<br />
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I also wanted to add another texture or flavor, and debated between frozen sweet corn or hominy. I decided on hominy this time to keep the flavors smoky and earthy like the pork posole. If I make this later into the spring or summer it would be nice to use frozen or fresh sweet corn to brighten up the whole soup.<br />
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<div class="ingredients-section" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hqK9fXbZQ4s/TaIh1SxgDqI/AAAAAAAABPw/tfIJ8AWpAbw/s1600/IMG_4488.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hqK9fXbZQ4s/TaIh1SxgDqI/AAAAAAAABPw/tfIJ8AWpAbw/s320/IMG_4488.JPG" width="320" /></a><b><span class="ingredient"> </span></b></div><div class="ingredients-section"></div><div class="ingredients-section"><b><span class="ingredient">Mexican Potato Soup</span></b></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">adapted from <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/09/healthy-and-delicious-mexican-potato-soup-recipe.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+seriouseatsfeaturesvideos+%28Serious+Eats%29">Serious Eats</a></span></div><div class="ingredients-section"></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">1 lb boiling potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">Kosher salt</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">28-oz can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes or 3 large red ripe tomatoes, about 1 1/4 pounds, peeled and coarsely chopped</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">1 canned chipotle in adobo sauce, coarsely chopped</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">2 c homemade chicken or vegetable stock (of course, go for veggie broth if you want it vegetarian)</span></div><div class="ingredients-section">28-oz can hominy (optional)<br />
<span class="ingredient">1/3 c cilantro, finely chopped</span></div><div class="ingredients-section"></div><div class="ingredients-section">Place in large saucepan and cover with water by about three inches. Season water with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender but firm to the bite (potatoes will cook further in step 2). Drain potatoes and set aside. Meanwhile, blend tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chipotle pepper in blender at high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.</div><div class="ingredients-section"></div><div class="ingredients-section">Pour tomato mixture into large saucepan. Add vegetable stock and potatoes. Stir to combine and season to taste with salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are completely tender, about 7 to 8 minutes. For thicker broth, mash a few potatoes against side of pot with wooden spoon. Add cilantro and hominy (if using) simmer for 2 minutes longer, or until hominy is warm. Serve immediately with extra cilantro and sour cream (I use Greek yogurt) as desired.<span class="ingredient"> </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.midnightmaniac.com/category/mmmm/"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zL3y2ZqauaM/TaIi0DO87RI/AAAAAAAABP4/j-CivxzKyLM/s1600/MMMM-121x200.gif" /><span id="goog_1301279354"></span></a><span id="goog_1301279355"></span></div><span class="ingredient"> </span> </div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-59780644633315234072011-03-28T18:50:00.000-05:002011-03-28T18:50:39.859-05:00in case you didn't notice...I set up new links at the top of the blog to take you to various types of posts. It's not exactly how I want it, but it's kind of a big deal for me, since I am certainly no web programmer! But it's a first step toward making my blog more my own, so I'm proud. Hope they make things easier to navigate. I welcome feedback!maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-53835542206810084742011-03-28T18:47:00.001-05:002011-03-28T18:47:37.278-05:00nickels and anchorsI haven't done a wardrobe post in a long time, and I really haven't taken any shots of my outfits lately, but I happened to get some pictures at a nickel arcade in Chicago last weekend.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AqYEtgKYyzg/TZEbh1RhTgI/AAAAAAAABPg/6dHfNXT4EOU/s1600/IMG_4454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AqYEtgKYyzg/TZEbh1RhTgI/AAAAAAAABPg/6dHfNXT4EOU/s320/IMG_4454.JPG" width="240" /></a> </div><br />
I made Matt stop taking pictures of my slack-jawed concentration face and catch my outfit.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-56pdo7c-wPk/TZEbiuluBBI/AAAAAAAABPk/8OzOyoffHZY/s1600/IMG_4460.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-56pdo7c-wPk/TZEbiuluBBI/AAAAAAAABPk/8OzOyoffHZY/s320/IMG_4460.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">dress - Zara in Tokyo</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">tights and cardigan - Target</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">boots - <a href="http://www.goodstyleshop.com/">Good Style</a></span></i></div><br />
The arcade was the greatest place to spend the afternoon! Tetris and PacMan for free and skee ball for nickels. My dress was perfectly comfortable for playing skee ball and had great big pockets for nickels! <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PmrGM_09bMs/TZEbjIAQaRI/AAAAAAAABPo/ZWWagqh-U0I/s1600/IMG_4463.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PmrGM_09bMs/TZEbjIAQaRI/AAAAAAAABPo/ZWWagqh-U0I/s320/IMG_4463.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We finished the night off with a nice dinner with friends. This was the only shot of the front of the dress, with its cute little anchor buttons. I picked up the dress in Shibuya last summer at Zara--pretty much the only affordable place in that neighborhood. Nautical style was everywhere, so there were lots of tempting pieces. I still sort of regret not buying an oversized T-shirt with a huge anchor.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IHoMT58cmxA/TZEbjnZzfzI/AAAAAAAABPs/MrzzS30fJu0/s1600/IMG_4474.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IHoMT58cmxA/TZEbjnZzfzI/AAAAAAAABPs/MrzzS30fJu0/s320/IMG_4474.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lucy & me </span></i></div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-10001340514518854382011-03-27T22:22:00.001-05:002011-03-27T22:24:37.364-05:00gorgonzola tortellini<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ogb7Lh-M1Tk/TY_94thiWAI/AAAAAAAABPc/FaY41anuxZI/s1600/IMG_4477.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bYmGSc8NR5o/TY_936XVmJI/AAAAAAAABPY/LIzUItN-uoU/s1600/IMG_4476.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bYmGSc8NR5o/TY_936XVmJI/AAAAAAAABPY/LIzUItN-uoU/s320/IMG_4476.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Awhile back I picked up a package of gorgonzola tortellini from a great Madison pasta maker, <a href="http://www.rpspasta.com/index.cfm">RP's</a>. Our local grocery store just started carrying it again to my delight. Anytime I can buy a local product I'm happy, but especially so when the product is high quality and not prohibitively expensive. I figured I'd find something to do with it and went searching for a recipe.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ogb7Lh-M1Tk/TY_94thiWAI/AAAAAAAABPc/FaY41anuxZI/s1600/IMG_4477.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ogb7Lh-M1Tk/TY_94thiWAI/AAAAAAAABPc/FaY41anuxZI/s320/IMG_4477.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">gorgonzola tortellini with walnut cream sauce</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">on my favorite Charley Harper book!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">What do you know, but RP's has suggested recipes at their site for their pastas! I gladly accepted the suggestion, but added some sauteed mushrooms and peas. The vegetables brought some much-needed freshness to the otherwise heavy dish. I also swapped the sour cream out for non-fat Greek yogurt, which may have been the reason my sauce was less than smooth. I'll take any pointers anyone has for keeping a cream sauce from breaking! In any case, the texture was not ultimately affected since the final addition of ground walnuts makes the sauce lumpy anyway.</div></div><br />
Oh, and this is the prequel to the <a href="http://supperseed.blogspot.com/2011/03/breakfast-of-champions.html">mascarpone post</a> from the other day. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YgxLQHu3LDw/TY_93LiifxI/AAAAAAAABPU/bTzRDJnN9ho/s1600/IMG_4475.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YgxLQHu3LDw/TY_93LiifxI/AAAAAAAABPU/bTzRDJnN9ho/s320/IMG_4475.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>Gorgonzola Tortelloni with Walnut Cream Sauce</b><br />
adapted from <a href="http://www.rpspasta.com/Recipes/GorgonzolaTortellini.cfm">RP's Fresh Pasta</a><br />
serves 2<br />
<br />
I used less pasta then the recipe called for, but kept the sauce ingredients the same, since I like a saucy pasta. If you like things a bit drier, cut back the sauce ingredients or up the pasta to 1 lb. <br />
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1/2 c walnuts <br />
9 oz RP's Fresh or Frozen Gorgonzola Tortellini <br />
3 tbsp butter <br />
5 crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced<br />
1 clove garlic crushed<br />
1/3 c milk <br />
1/2 c sour cream or plain yogurt<br />
1/3 c mascarpone cheese <br />
1 c fresh or frozen peas<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
<br />
Heat an empty pan over medium heat and cook walnuts until browned. Grind toasted walnuts in a food processor or spice grinder. Wipe out the pan carefully with a paper towel. <br />
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Return pan to heat and melt 1-2 tbsp butter. Cook mushroom slices in butter until browned and cooked down, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes. Add milk, sour cream or yogurt, and mascarpone. Add peas and bring to a light simmer and reduce slightly.<br />
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Add ground walnuts and salt. Boil gorgonzola tortellini until tender and top with sauce. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-38989901274564040272011-03-25T10:54:00.000-05:002011-03-25T10:54:11.098-05:00breakfast of championsYou know how you buy an ingredient for a recipe, use the tiniest scoop, then have the majority of it left to deal with? How sometimes those things go bad before you can find a use for them? With the recipe I found, a leftover container of mascarpone is not a problem. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-VGXny0UO4uQ/TYy2KMFkNEI/AAAAAAAABPM/5ptSOl7BJi0/s1600/IMG_4506.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-VGXny0UO4uQ/TYy2KMFkNEI/AAAAAAAABPM/5ptSOl7BJi0/s320/IMG_4506.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">strawberry mascarpone grilled cheese</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div> This sandwich was inspired by a recipe for a mascarpone and Nutella grilled cheese topped with strawberries, but if I bought a jar of Nutella, I'd be in the same mess all over again. And as good as Nutella is, I didn't want it around to chocolify every breakfast. So, I cut the Nutella and put the strawberries inside the sandwich. Also, the recipe called for brioche, which I couldn't find at my local grocery store, so I went with challah. I was pleasantly surprised that the challah I got happened to be orange-flavored. That meant the bread was the sweetest part of the sandwich, with the cheese mild and creamy and the strawberries a welcome tartness.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gxz2CMF3Qi0/TYy2JCjs0rI/AAAAAAAABPE/hV6U-LyBL48/s1600/IMG_4503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gxz2CMF3Qi0/TYy2JCjs0rI/AAAAAAAABPE/hV6U-LyBL48/s320/IMG_4503.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Tomorrow, I might put bananas with the strawberries. Or maybe I could top the strawberries with some fresh basil and make a sweet, syrupy balsamic reduction to dip the sandwich in. I was just telling my friend that my incredibly technical grad courses this semester are killing my creative brain. I hope today a little of that brain came back!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Mx6DaDwHVPw/TYy2JrPEdfI/AAAAAAAABPI/_4ipW3z98F0/s1600/IMG_4505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Mx6DaDwHVPw/TYy2JrPEdfI/AAAAAAAABPI/_4ipW3z98F0/s320/IMG_4505.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
In my tweens, I developed a fail-proof system for making grilled cheese (since that was basically all I could cook). Butter both pieces of bread, then place them buttered sides together on the cutting board, so as not to get butter everywhere. Ingenious, right? I thought so. Anyway, then put your cheese and whatever else on top of the bread stack you made, then when you're ready to cook them, separate the buttered pieces and assemble the sandwich in the pan. This worked well for me today, since I could add one more smear of mascarpone to the top piece of bread before closing the sandwich.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-iE72B4B6ObY/TYy2KvsBGfI/AAAAAAAABPQ/Xk71HvdYTdg/s1600/IMG_4510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-iE72B4B6ObY/TYy2KvsBGfI/AAAAAAAABPQ/Xk71HvdYTdg/s320/IMG_4510.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>Strawberry Mascarpone Grilled Cheese</b><br />
adapted from <a href="http://frim-fram-sauce.blogspot.com/2010/05/nutella-mascarpone-grilled-cheese.html">Sweet & Saucy</a> (be forewarned--the blog plays music)<br />
<br />
4 slices brioche or challah bread<br />
2 tbsp butter<br />
2-4 tbsp mascarpone, as much as your heart desires<br />
6 strawberries, rinsed and sliced<br />
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Butter one side of each slice of bread. Then smear 1-2 tbsp mascarpone on the other side of each slice. Place strawberry slices, overlapping, on top of mascarpone.<br />
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Heat cast iron skillet to medium heat. Cook sandwiches until browned on each side. Attend to the pan carefully, since these went from golden to black for me very quickly. Also, turn with care since the mascarpone doesn't really stick the slices together like a slice of American cheese would.maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-186790746100048912011-03-24T16:26:00.001-05:002011-03-24T19:30:51.820-05:00graham...crackers?I happen to have a lot of Japanese posts to make lately, but in the interest of showing that I do not only eat Asian food, I'll post a good ol' American burger recipe today. Actually, I'm just going to share the instructions for the onions. If you're like me, you know how to make sandwiches and burgers. You just need some ideas for different toppings sometimes. Even my beloved <a href="http://supperseed.blogspot.com/2010/03/friday-night-burgers-and-fries.html">chipotle caramelized onions</a> get old.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FcM6U7-O7q8/TYuz3k0_9tI/AAAAAAAABPA/eD2NU_yLLTg/s1600/IMG_4487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FcM6U7-O7q8/TYuz3k0_9tI/AAAAAAAABPA/eD2NU_yLLTg/s320/IMG_4487.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">bison patty with brie, quick-pickled red onion, garlic mayo, and greens on ciabatta </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The onions atop Graham Elliot's Grahamburger are simple enough that I'll be making them many times in the future and flavorful enough that they stand out against a meaty burger patty. The vinegar and oil marinade gives the onions a kick that actually makes them seem fairly fresh and bright. The only change we'd make to this next time is to grill the top of the bun as well, a la the chargrilled lamb burger from <a href="http://thebreslin.com/">The Breslin</a> restaurant in NYC (no, we didn't take a trip there--I saw it on <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_258512040">"The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Burgers</a><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-best-thing-i-ever-ate/burgers/index.html">"</a>). The ciabatta bun was a tasty and substantial, but got a little bready on top and needed some crunch.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8bVSGy6GTQ4/TYuz3aEfXqI/AAAAAAAABO8/CIS8k1ey_qE/s1600/IMG_4484.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8bVSGy6GTQ4/TYuz3aEfXqI/AAAAAAAABO8/CIS8k1ey_qE/s320/IMG_4484.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Quick-Pickled Red Onions </b></div><div style="text-align: left;">from <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/01/dinner-tonight-grahamburger.html">Serious Eats</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Follow the link above to see full burger recipe.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span class="ingredient">1 c apple cider vinegar </span><br />
<span class="ingredient">1/2 c olive oil </span><br />
<span class="ingredient">1 lg red onion, thinly sliced </span><br />
<br />
<span class="ingredient">Mix vinegar and oil in a medium bowl and toss onion slices in the mixture. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. </span><br />
<br />
Heat grill pan over medium until very hot. Pat marinated onions dry and grill until soft and colored, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to bowl.<span class="ingredient"> </span>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-28565824482473790752011-03-23T11:54:00.001-05:002011-03-23T11:56:08.859-05:00umamiAt the beginning of March was the grand opening of Madison's new ramen and dumpling restaurant, <a href="http://umamiramen.blogspot.com/">Umami</a>, on Williamson Street. It's tucked up into a residential stretch, so if you blink, you might miss it. The Wednesday before the grand opening we tried a sampling of their menu for their "soft opening". We've had our eye on the development of the restaurant since the fall, so we were were thrilled when we finally got to try the food.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oQeZdqMADuY/TYoe7Fmc3YI/AAAAAAAABOU/3UUfHqqxbrk/s1600/IMG_4376.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oQeZdqMADuY/TYoe7Fmc3YI/AAAAAAAABOU/3UUfHqqxbrk/s320/IMG_4376.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
The restaurant's shell is a quaint old home that looks like it could have come out of a Miyazaki movie, but the interior is surprisingly modern with great atmosphere. We sat at the bar, which had a rough-hewn feel reminiscent of the ramen-ya where we ate at in Tokyo mixed with a sleek contemporary feel complete with backlighting.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-X3u_C05x_Zs/TYoe7hVDdmI/AAAAAAAABOY/6ES2-O3vp6o/s1600/IMG_4377.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-X3u_C05x_Zs/TYoe7hVDdmI/AAAAAAAABOY/6ES2-O3vp6o/s320/IMG_4377.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SQDad3UZWJI/TYoe8JTXHvI/AAAAAAAABOc/rSajw5Pov6I/s1600/IMG_4379.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SQDad3UZWJI/TYoe8JTXHvI/AAAAAAAABOc/rSajw5Pov6I/s320/IMG_4379.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We started out with tasty salads, which were not particularly Asian, but definitely solid. The inclusion of some not-so-Japanese items on the menu will prove helpful when we take less adventurous friends and family to Umami--and we certainly will!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-m-eMogZWE2g/TYoe98p8MXI/AAAAAAAABOs/FQ1aCR7BIeo/s1600/IMG_4385.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-m-eMogZWE2g/TYoe98p8MXI/AAAAAAAABOs/FQ1aCR7BIeo/s320/IMG_4385.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mxS6fjE90j4/TYoe9EEQuJI/AAAAAAAABOk/IJt0ODjDMdo/s1600/IMG_4382.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mxS6fjE90j4/TYoe9EEQuJI/AAAAAAAABOk/IJt0ODjDMdo/s320/IMG_4382.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We did not get shots of the gyoza (dumplings) since for the soft opening we were served passed dumplings on a platter. We enjoyed the traditional pork dumplings, but surprisingly liked the chicken and mushroom best. The pork bun and tuna poke were both impressive--the pork bun with a nicely cooked piece of pork belly on a fluffy steamed rice bun, and the poke a pile of fresh raw tuna tossed in a pleasantly spicy and gingery sauce. This from a woman who would never have considered eating raw fish a few years ago.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xPUHNcpl01I/TYoe8ufsv-I/AAAAAAAABOg/650kzKfsgdc/s1600/IMG_4381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xPUHNcpl01I/TYoe8ufsv-I/AAAAAAAABOg/650kzKfsgdc/s320/IMG_4381.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">pork belly with hoisin and pickles on a steamed bun</span></i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-B4LT6kupgW0/TYoe9S2KeEI/AAAAAAAABOo/WhP4rQhJnxQ/s1600/IMG_4384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-B4LT6kupgW0/TYoe9S2KeEI/AAAAAAAABOo/WhP4rQhJnxQ/s320/IMG_4384.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> tuna poke</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The main event--and honestly the reason we went--was the ramen. Matt ordered the thicker, richer tonkotsu broth topped with pork and I tried the lighter miso broth with chicken. They also had a vegetarian option that we did not try. I had not had miso ramen previously, and that might be why I was surprised at its lightness. The miso ramen had a nicely cooked egg and tender chicken on top, but I still preferred Matt's (perhaps because a richer broth is what I'm used to) and ate a lot of his noodles. Tonkotsu broth is cloudy, salty, fatty, porky--definitely multidimensional--and the flavor seemed to soak into the noodles more than in the miso bowl. I didn't get any of the pork, but Matt (obviously) liked it and wished there had been more. Ultimately, both bowls had that essential smell and flavor of ocean that typifies Japanese food and took us right back.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XC9wUJ1-hQ8/TYoe-MEj3uI/AAAAAAAABOw/M3DuJTMRuOg/s1600/IMG_4389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XC9wUJ1-hQ8/TYoe-MEj3uI/AAAAAAAABOw/M3DuJTMRuOg/s320/IMG_4389.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> tonkotsu ramen with pork (left) and miso ramen with chicken (right)</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">My dessert order was a no-brainer--green tea creme brulee. The tea flavor was not overwhelming, but present. I always enjoy a good creamy creme brulee with a nice crackly crust, and this hit the mark. Matt's ice cream sandwich was fine, but not a stand-out. I'd go with the brulee again next time.</span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pfDLucsdjxg/TYoe-nzyE9I/AAAAAAAABO0/F-a-df8nIrw/s1600/IMG_4390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pfDLucsdjxg/TYoe-nzyE9I/AAAAAAAABO0/F-a-df8nIrw/s320/IMG_4390.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> green tea creme brulee</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Mee1q0uV8zY/TYoe_dk0JcI/AAAAAAAABO4/YUaP75lTid4/s1600/IMG_4391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Mee1q0uV8zY/TYoe_dk0JcI/AAAAAAAABO4/YUaP75lTid4/s320/IMG_4391.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">For their first week in operation, Umami made a great first impression. I look forward to trying their menu again and taking others there for the variety of tasty dishes and fun atmosphere.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-40536292175880029892011-03-22T10:32:00.002-05:002011-03-22T10:34:20.306-05:00tv dinnerSo, I've already missed my goal of blogging every day during break. Last night the internet was out for awhile in the evening, and then I fell asleep on the (very orange) couch. Oh well.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_aFpRM036DA/TYi5Ss6RHVI/AAAAAAAABOI/7HWYxBmJmxU/s1600/IMG_4400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_aFpRM036DA/TYi5Ss6RHVI/AAAAAAAABOI/7HWYxBmJmxU/s320/IMG_4400.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I had already enjoyed Makiko Itoh's <a href="http://www.justbento.com/">Just Bento</a> and <a href="http://www.justhungry.com/">Just Hungry</a> websites, so when Serious Eats posted recipes from her <i>Just Bento Cookbook</i>, I was ready to jump on the chance to try some reliable and fairly simple Japanese recipes. By the way, I just found out that Makiko lives what must be an amazing life split between Japan, Switzerland, and Southern France. Wow.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wFJ2f5kpSL0/TYi5TNZhcjI/AAAAAAAABOM/TzwrGV2bhDE/s1600/IMG_4401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wFJ2f5kpSL0/TYi5TNZhcjI/AAAAAAAABOM/TzwrGV2bhDE/s320/IMG_4401.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
My first foray into Just Bento recipes was Chicken Karaage - Japanese fried chicken. I typically avoid frying foods at home, but this sounded too great to pass up. Unfortunately for my health, but fortunately for my taste buds, this frying adventure led to several more fried dishes in the following weeks.<br />
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The recipe called for boneless chicken thighs, which I was unable to find, so I struggled with pulling the bones out of a package of thighs. I do recommend using thighs, despite the hard work. All the fatty strains liquefied and just made the already juicy dark meat even more succulent. I opted to leave the skin off this time, but I'm sure my husband would have appreciated the inclusion of the skin.<br />
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The chicken karaage was meant to be a bento meal for the following day's lunch, but after our first bite, we couldn't stop eating until it was all gone. Best TV dinner ever.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oC2U9GHhCvQ/TYi5T0ghIMI/AAAAAAAABOQ/SbUBS2b6zuY/s1600/IMG_4403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oC2U9GHhCvQ/TYi5T0ghIMI/AAAAAAAABOQ/SbUBS2b6zuY/s320/IMG_4403.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>Chicken Karaage</b><br />
from the <a href="http://www.justhungry.com/2004/04/karaage_japanes.html">Just Bento</a> Cookbook by Makiko Itoh<b> </b>via <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/02/chicken-kara-age-japanese-fried-chicken-recipe.html?ref=related">Serious Eats</a><br />
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This recipe was intended for one serving for a bento lunch. I quadrupled the recipe to use a 1-lb package of chicken thighs and it served two, although it could serve more if you are not as gluttonous as we were! We dipped our chicken pieces in green onion sauce as we ate them, but I'd be interested to see what the texture would be like if I followed the directions and dipped them right after frying.<br />
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<div class="ingredients-section">1 lb<span class="ingredient"> boneless chicken thigh, with or without skin, cut into 3–4 pieces </span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">4 tsp soy sauce (if you are not making the green onion sauce, increase to 2 tsp)</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">4 tbsp sake</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">4 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">vegetable oil, for deep-frying</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">8 tbsp cornstarch</span> (or enough to cover chicken pieces)<br />
<span class="ingredient">handful green salad leaves or other vegetable</span></div><div class="ingredients-section">cooked short-grain rice</div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient"><b>For the green onion sauce:</b></span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">4 tbsp rice vinegar</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">4 tbsp soy sauce</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">4 tbsp finely chopped green onion</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">Pinch sugar </span><br />
<span class="ingredient">A few drops sesame oil </span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">4 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger</span> </div><br />
Combine the chicken, soy sauce, saké, and ginger. Let marinate for at least 10 minutes or overnight. (If you need to leave it marinating for more than 12 hours, omit the soy sauce and add it 10 minutes before cooking, or the salt will draw out too much moisture from the chicken and make it dry.)<br />
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Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, drain, and coat in the cornstarch.<br />
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Heat 1 inch (2.5cm) of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Test the oil temperature by putting a little of the cornstarch-and-marinade coating on the end of a wooden chopstick and dipping it into the oil. If the coating sizzles and turns brown immediately, the oil is hot enough. If the oil starts getting smoky, turn down the heat.<br />
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Fry the chicken pieces in the oil, turning once, until a deep golden brown. Drain well on paper towels.<br />
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To make the green onion sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small frying pan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Put the chicken pieces in the pan and toss to coat each piece with the sauce.<br />
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Let cool completely before packing into a bento box. Putting a layer of arugula or other salad leaves under the chicken enhances the color of the chicken and provides another texture in the bento.<br />
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<small><b>Note from Serious Eats:</b> You can cook chicken karaage the night before. If I’m making this for dinner, I usually set aside a few pieces for the next day’s bento. Chicken kara-age can be frozen uncooked and marinated, or cooked. To freeze it uncooked and marinated, put the chicken and marinade (excluding the soy sauce) into a freezer bag. Defrost in the refrigerator in a bowl, adding the soy sauce before frying. Cooked frozen pieces can be defrosted in the refrigerator, then crisped up for a few minutes in a toaster oven. I don’t recommend defrosting cooked pieces in a microwave, since this will make the chicken tough. </small>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-10559589076600934082011-03-20T20:57:00.009-05:002011-03-20T21:02:25.406-05:00friday night pizzaI'm on spring break for the next week, so my goal is to blog every day--I definitely have plenty of pictures backed up. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KFzF0Vbj_yQ/TYavORlXU6I/AAAAAAAABOA/6M0R6JjdDHQ/s1600/IMG_4446.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KFzF0Vbj_yQ/TYavORlXU6I/AAAAAAAABOA/6M0R6JjdDHQ/s320/IMG_4446.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
On Friday nights I often feel like "junk food" to wind down the week and kick off the weekend. Sometimes it's a <a href="http://supperseed.blogspot.com/2010/03/friday-night-burgers-and-fries.html">burger</a> or <a href="http://supperseed.blogspot.com/2010/03/perfect-nachos.html">nachos</a>. Last week it was pizza. As spring creeps out of hiding more and more, I find myself wanting to eat more fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, it's still chilly at night and I want something hearty. So, I made a vegetarian pizza, but one with enough heft to fill me up. Meaty veggies like zucchini, eggplant, roasted peppers, or mushrooms are a must. This one involves roasted marinated mushrooms and zucchini. The marinade with its soy sauce for salt and maple syrup for sweetening may sound a little crunchy-granola, but trust me, it gives the whole thing a lot of depth. The recipe is from a whole foods (and I think vegan?) cookbook, so the original recipe didn't include cheese, but--hey--this is Wisconsin.<br />
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I am typically not ambitious enough to make my own pizza dough on any night of the week, but I am certainly not in the mood on Friday nights. I'd tried various flatbreads and pre-made crusts with some success, but I really liked the pita-marketed-as-pizza-crust from Kontos that I tried this time. The chewy, crispy crust was topped with the rich and tangy roasted and marinated veggies, a smoky and garlicky sauce, and melty fresh mozzarella. It was a hit and will certainly reappear in the summer when the vegetables are available locally.<br />
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My only complaint is that the zucchini left a bit of unwanted liquid behind under the cheese, so next time I would squeeze out some of the excess water before placing it on the pizza.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5AE8ALNjXxE/TYavNxpJK7I/AAAAAAAABN8/2JLHbbm9wEk/s1600/IMG_4445.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5AE8ALNjXxE/TYavNxpJK7I/AAAAAAAABN8/2JLHbbm9wEk/s320/IMG_4445.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
<b>Rustic Tomato Thin Crust Pizza with Roasted Zucchini, Portobello Mushroom, and Red Onion</b><br />
slightly adapted from The Balanced Plate by Renee Loux<br />
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Try this with a sprinkle of aleppo pepper or some peperoncini and a nice beer like New Glarus apple ale!<br />
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3 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil<br />
1-2 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 tsp balsamic vinegar<br />
1 tsp soy sauce<br />
1/2 tsp maple syrup<br />
2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried (optional)<br />
1 large portobello mushroom or 5 baby bella (crimini) mushrooms, thinly sliced<br />
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced<br />
Kosher salt<br />
Black pepper<br />
2 round flatbreads (6"), 2 tortillas (9"), or 1 large flatbread (9'-12')<br />
1/2 c tomato sauce, purchased or homemade (see below for recipe)<br />
2-4 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced <br />
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1/2 c thinly sliced red onion<br />
6 cherry tomatoes, halved<br />
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Preheat the broiler. In a small bowl, mix together 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, the garlic, balsamic, soy sauce, maple syrup, and thyme (if using). Pour over the mushroom and toss to coat evenly. Let stand for 10 minutes or more to absorb and develop flavor.<br />
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In a separate bowl, toss the zucchini with 2 tsp of olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place both the mushroom and zucchini on a baking sheet under the broiler until browned, about 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, gently press on the zucchini with a paper towel until the vegetable has released most of its excess water.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush one side of the bread or tortillas with the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. Place the oiled side face down on a baking sheet or pizza stone. This will make it crisp nicely. Spread the sauce evenly over the bread or tortillas, leaving just a 1/4" border at the edge. Distribute the mushroom and zucchini evenly. Cover with the mozzarella slices, then sprinkle the red onion slices and cherry tomato halves over the top of the cheese.<br />
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Bake on the middle rack for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Let cool enough to cut and serve.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-B4FT8wwchIk/TYavNTDcgvI/AAAAAAAABN4/NqjFWEpxoJs/s1600/IMG_4444.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-B4FT8wwchIk/TYavNTDcgvI/AAAAAAAABN4/NqjFWEpxoJs/s320/IMG_4444.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
<b>Quick Tomato Sauce</b><br />
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28-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes<br />
3-4 cloves garlic, minced<br />
olive oil<br />
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Drizzle about 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan. Heat on medium heat, then add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes, until beginning to brown. Add can of tomatoes with juices and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid is mostly cooked off and the sauce is thickened. Add salt if you like.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/Link%20to%20the%20carnival:%20%20http://www.midnightmaniac.com/tag/midnight-maniac-meatless-mondays/"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9Xf9hGLNKpU/TYaxirIGD3I/AAAAAAAABOE/vqiINnD6a3Y/s1600/MMMM-121x200.gif" /></a></div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-40705927878670647672011-02-20T16:31:00.001-06:002011-02-20T16:35:02.782-06:00eat your veggies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UEemRGD0fI0/TWGO7UaEFdI/AAAAAAAABNw/7J0wYzhvoXQ/s1600/IMG_4277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UEemRGD0fI0/TWGO7UaEFdI/AAAAAAAABNw/7J0wYzhvoXQ/s320/IMG_4277.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">creamy cauliflower and pasta </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I love cauliflower. Raw, cooked, in cheese sauce, and especially in this pasta. Luckily, my husband, who is usually cauliflower-averse, also likes this pasta. The cauliflower is meant to be creamy and fall-apart tender. Really it just melts in with the pasta and Parmesan. I made this once before, but didn't cook the florets long enough--trust me, you don't want the cauliflower tender-crisp in this case. I also added in a can of diced tomatoes this time, which added to the pizza-type flavor of this dish along with the garlic, oregano, and cheese. I used the end of a block of Wisconsin Parmesan to top the pasta, but recently I bought a chunk of Parmesan from Hook's cheese out of Mineral Point. It's by far the best Parmesan I've ever tasted and would have made this meal even better. Alongside a piece of baguette slathered with roasted garlic, the whole wheat pasta and cauliflower made this a hearty (and fairly healthy) winter meal.<br />
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Every time I browse through my favorite cookbook, Simply Organic, I find more to try. This recipe is located in the "deep winter" section of the book, but I'm looking forward to trying it again when we can get local cauliflower from our CSA or the farmer's market. And, as a side note, we signed up for the CSA through <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php#%21/pages/Amazing-Grace-Family-Farm/330964116016">Amazing Grace</a> once again. So excited for spring to come! <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GHk__7m9Hn8/TWGO5ivPeII/AAAAAAAABNs/qjCeUmx-7EQ/s1600/IMG_4276.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GHk__7m9Hn8/TWGO5ivPeII/AAAAAAAABNs/qjCeUmx-7EQ/s320/IMG_4276.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Creamy Cauliflower and Pasta<br />
from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Organic-Cookbook-Sustainable-Ingredients/dp/0811860442/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1298240499&sr=8-1">Simply Organic</a> by Jesse Ziff Cool<br />
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1 head cauliflower, cut into florets<br />
1 lb whole wheat pasta, such as shells or rotelle<br />
1/3 c olive oil<br />
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced<br />
1/2 c dry white wine<br />
15-oz can diced tomatoes, drained (optional, but recommended) <br />
1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano<br />
1/4 c kalamata olives, pitted and chopped (I omitted these--we're not olive fans.)<br />
1 tsp red pepper flakes<br />
4 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, stemmed and chopped<br />
Salt & freshly ground black pepper<br />
1/4 c shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese<br />
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Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon to a medium bowl, reserving the water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions in the reserved water. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.<br />
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While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes, stirring and breaking the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Add the wine, oregano, tomatoes and olives (if using), and red-pepper flakes and cook for 3 minutes, or until the cauliflower is very tender. Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the pasta and toss to coat well. Top with the cheese.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.midnightmaniac.com/tag/midnight-maniac-meatless-mondays/"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qt2PqZmzosw/TWGWsOhBoOI/AAAAAAAABN0/lwRfGbUEPYs/s1600/MMMM-91x150.gif" /></a></div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-78435514957107641762011-02-19T23:18:00.000-06:002011-02-19T23:18:04.193-06:00one pound<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Cy3pm6oSaQ/TWCSYj0aXYI/AAAAAAAABNg/e2xJOHCaCsk/s1600/IMG_4305.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Cy3pm6oSaQ/TWCSYj0aXYI/AAAAAAAABNg/e2xJOHCaCsk/s320/IMG_4305.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>pork and lemon meatballs </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I know I've mentioned <a href="http://supperseed.blogspot.com/2010/08/1-chicken-4-ways-summer-edition.html">before</a> that when I'm not cooking meatless dishes, I try to stretch our meat to make several meals. Whenever I buy a pound of ground meat (lamb, beef, buffalo, or pork), I plan to make two recipes with it. This week the meat of choice was a package of wonderfully fatty ground pork from a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sashay-Acres/147349128642968?v=wall">local farm</a> that supplies our bacon and the recipes were both knock-outs: pork and lemon meatballs and pork and scallion dumplings. This is a two-for-one recipe post, outlining how well you can eat if you have just one pound of pork.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tZdOxGCVlsk/TWCSbtizAxI/AAAAAAAABNo/AxWUMtrU11I/s1600/IMG_4335.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tZdOxGCVlsk/TWCSbtizAxI/AAAAAAAABNo/AxWUMtrU11I/s320/IMG_4335.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">pork and scallion dumplings</span></i></div><br />
First, a meatball recipe from a favorite Serious Eats column, Dinner Tonight. I have two or three meatball recipes that I rotate, but this one stands out. The pork is mixed with breadcrumbs, herbs, anchovies, Parmesan, and some lemon, then dredged in flour before frying in butter and olive oil to create a nice crispy coating. Then chicken stock is added with the meatballs, which I thought might have made the meatballs soggy, but it actually had the effect of making the coating into a velvety glaze. I want to try other meatball recipes with this technique! The flavor was great too--the Parmesan and anchovy provided nice depth. The citrus and pork combination reminded me a bit of the delicious Laotian lemongrass pork sausage I had at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/lao-laan-xang-restaurant-madison">Lao Laan Xang</a> awhile back.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OMXMm2ewevo/TWCSXWYxEeI/AAAAAAAABNc/hW90gg-QyqQ/s1600/IMG_4302.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OMXMm2ewevo/TWCSXWYxEeI/AAAAAAAABNc/hW90gg-QyqQ/s320/IMG_4302.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Pork and Lemon Meatballs<br />
from <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/02/dinner-tonight-pork-and-lemon-polpettine-meatballs.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+seriouseatsfeaturesvideos+%28Serious+Eats%29">Serious Eats</a><br />
serves 2 <br />
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The recipe here is halved from the original since I wanted the other half pound of pork for dumplings later in the week. Click the link above for the original recipe.<br />
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<div class="ingredients-section"> <span class="ingredient">1/4 c flour</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">3/4 c fresh breadcrumbs</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">1/2 lb ground pork</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">2 tbsp parsley leaves, chopped</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">6-8 springs thyme, leaves removed</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">3 tbsp grated good-quality Parmesan</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">5 anchovy fillets, minced</span> (or about a tbsp anchovy paste, if you keep that on hand like I do)<br />
<span class="ingredient">salt and pepper</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">1 tbsp olive oil</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></div><div class="ingredients-section"><span class="ingredient">1 1/2 tbsp butter</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">3/4 cup chicken stock</span><br />
<span class="ingredient">1 pound cooked couscous or pasta (I made couscous with butter, salt, and chicken stock. Yummy!</span>) </div><div class="ingredients-section"> </div><div class="ingredients-section">Sprinkle flour on large baking sheet. Combine breadcrumbs, pork, lemon zest and juice, parsley leaves, thyme, Parmesan, and anchovy filets (or paste) in large bowl. Add good pinch salt and pepper and mix ingredients thoroughly by hand. Shape into 18-20 balls, about heaped tablespoon each, and put on floured baking sheet.</div><div class="ingredients-section"> </div><div class="ingredients-section">Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat until butter melts and foam subsides, then roll enough meatballs that will fit comfortably in skillet in light coating of flour. Cook until golden all over, in batches if necessary, 10-12 minutes total. Avoid moving unless necessary to promote caramelization.</div><div class="ingredients-section"> </div><div class="ingredients-section">Pour off most of fat from skillet and add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and reduce for 2-3 minutes. Serve with pasta or couscous and juices from pan. </div><br />
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</a></div>Tonight we enjoyed the following pork dumplings. Recently we've tried a couple different methods of cooking dumplings. I made gyoza which were meant to be fried, then doused with water to steam. Those fell apart when we added the water. On New Year's Day, I made <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/dining/08minirex.html?_r=2">shrimp and cilantro shu mai</a>, which were very tasty, but stuck to the basket when I tried to steam them (should have sprayed the basket first!). This recipe called for the dumplings to be simmered in a pot of water, which has been the most successful technique yet. The directions say to fish the dumplings with a slotted spoon, but I seem to have lived on my own for 6 years without picking up that kitchen tool. We tried just dumping the contents of the pan through a strainer, but the force of the water tore some of the dumplings. I finally just pulled them out with a regular spoon. Needless to say, I will be purchasing a slotted spoon soon, plus one of those handy little wire skimmers.<br />
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In any case, these were very flavorful and pretty easy. If you're like me, you'll have most of the ingredients on hand and will only have to pick up a few items. I actually had half a package of dumpling wrappers left over from the New Year's shu mai, so I really only had to pick up scallions. I love it when I can use up what I already have in the freezer or cabinet! I served them on a bed of red cabbage for a bit of freshness and crunch. I could see serving them the same way for a party--they can be frozen in advance and cooked as needed which would be ideal for entertaining.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_IiYpRgG1w/TWCSatpNIvI/AAAAAAAABNk/LmP1nFppTm0/s1600/IMG_4331.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_IiYpRgG1w/TWCSatpNIvI/AAAAAAAABNk/LmP1nFppTm0/s320/IMG_4331.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Pork and Scallion Dumplings<br />
from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pork-and-Chive-Dumplings-350205">Epicurious</a><br />
serves 2 as a main dish (24-30 dumplings)<br />
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We had a bit of pork leftover, which made yummy a few meatballs with some panko thrown in.<br />
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1/2 lb fatty ground pork<br />
1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (I substituted sherry)<br />
1/4 tsp Asian sesame oil<br />
1/2 tsp Vietnamese chile-garlic sauce (preferably Huy Fong brand)<br />
1 1/2 tsp finely grated peeled ginger<br />
1/2 tsp rice vinegar (not seasoned)<br />
2 tsp soy sauce<br />
1/2 tsp kosher salt<br />
Pinch of white pepper<br />
3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro stems<br />
3 tbsp finely chopped scallions, flowering chives, or flat Chinese chives (garlic chives)<br />
24 to 30 round dumpling (gyoza) wrappers<br />
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Make the dipping sauce by mixing all the following ingredients and let it sit while you make the dumplings.<br />
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1/2 c soy sauce<br />
1/3 c water<br />
1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or sherry)<br />
1/8 tsp Asian sesame oil<br />
1 garlic clove, smashed<br />
3 (2-inch) dried red chiles, wiped clean<br />
1/8 tsp sugar<br />
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<div class="instruction"> Combine all filling ingredients (except cilantro stems, chives, and wrappers) in a large bowl, then stir in cilantro stems and chives. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice to keep chilled while forming dumplings. </div><div class="instruction"><br />
</div><div class="instruction">Place a slightly rounded teaspoon of filling in center of a wrapper and moisten area around filling with water. Fold in half to form a crescent and press to seal. Moisten one corner and bring corners together, pressing them, to form a tortellini-shaped dumpling. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers. </div><div class="instruction"><br />
</div><div class="instruction">Cook dumplings in a large pot of gently simmering water until pork is just cooked, about 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a platter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-52322022385669299602011-02-13T22:34:00.000-06:002011-02-13T22:34:27.752-06:00meatless with mushrooms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UXQ2oVG88RI/TVilZlxdGgI/AAAAAAAABM8/eJWEaYNzaZ8/s1600/IMG_4279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UXQ2oVG88RI/TVilZlxdGgI/AAAAAAAABM8/eJWEaYNzaZ8/s320/IMG_4279.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This week was a pretty good week for animals. We had several vegetarian meals, which were all very yummy. This meal will be my first official "Meatless Monday" link for the <a href="http://www.midnightmaniac.com/">Midnight Maniac</a> blog (whose author I was delighted to discover is a fellow Wisconsinite!). Our vegetarian attempts have recently become even more appealing, as our trip to Japan helped Matt and I both get over our mushroom "issues" once and for all. Their earthy, meaty qualities were perfect for these flavorful meatless tacos.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m21idoSJfig/TVila695HsI/AAAAAAAABNA/l-m3sej5K8w/s1600/IMG_4281.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m21idoSJfig/TVila695HsI/AAAAAAAABNA/l-m3sej5K8w/s320/IMG_4281.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
I was able to whip this up fairly quickly since I had roasted and peeled the hot peppers earlier in the week to make our <a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/5444167756_d04998bfd2_m.jpg">own</a> rendition of <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/01/a-sandwich-a-day-chorizo-torta-at-xoco-in-chi.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+seriouseatsfeaturesvideos+%28Serious+Eats%29">this</a> decidedly meat-ful torta (I'll leave description for another post). I am about ready to start roasting up a huge batch of peppers--poblano, red, yellow, orange, and otherwise hot--on the weekends to have on hand all week for sandwiches, salads, soups, and the like. I could also use a vat of roasted garlic in the fridge at all times.<br />
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Anyway, I digress. I simplified the taco recipe a bit by switching out fresh epazote for dried oregano and omitting the coxita cheese. I also used some frozen fresh salsa I stored away last fall instead of making the <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Salsa-Quemada-Roasted-Tomato-Salsa-358769">salsa quemada</a>, though it sounds quite tasty as well. Next time we thought we'd add a bit of Greek yogurt (our go-to sour cream substitute), but overall this turned out very well. But look out--for us this made a ton of filling. I'll be eating this as a salad topping all week!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OXKNwi_0JwE/TVilXvMOpgI/AAAAAAAABM4/gfKuaHTGEyo/s1600/IMG_4278.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OXKNwi_0JwE/TVilXvMOpgI/AAAAAAAABM4/gfKuaHTGEyo/s320/IMG_4278.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
Mushroom, Rajas, and Corn Tacos with Queso Fresco<br />
adapted (slightly) from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mushroom-Rajas-and-Corn-Taco-with-Queso-Fresco-358750">Epicurious</a><br />
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2 Anaheim chiles<br />
1 poblano chile<br />
1 c frozen or fresh corn kernels (about 1 ear)<br />
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil<br />
Kosher salt<br />
1/2 white onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice<br />
1 lg clove garlic, thinly sliced<br />
6 oz cremini or white button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered<br />
1 tsp oregano, preferably Mexican<br />
Fresh-ground black pepper<br />
1/2 c queso fresco, cut into small cubes<br />
6 warm corn tortillas<br />
<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/358769">Salsa quemada</a> or your favorite salsa<br />
Cilantro sprigs<br />
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<div id="preparation"><div class="instructions">Roast the chiles as for rajas. If you have a gas stove, it's simple to quickly char the skin on the peppers directly over the gas flame. If you're like me and are stuck with electric, it's not much more difficult. I roast the peppers under a hot broiler in a small pan lined with foil for about 5 minutes on each side, staying nearby to check every so often, until all sides are blackened and beginning to blister. Put the peppers in a plastic zippered bag and seal for about 15 minutes, or until the chiles have cooled and the skin is readily peeled. Pull the stem from the top and strip the skin from the peppers, then remove the seeds and cut into 1/2-inch dice.</div><div class="instructions"><br />
</div><div class="instructions">Heat a heavy pan (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat until very hot. If using frozen corn, place corn in colander and rinse until thawed. Allow to drain and dry somewhat before the next step. In a bowl, toss the corn with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Spread the corn in the hot pan and let it blacken slightly, without stirring, for 30 seconds. Have a lid ready in case the kernels begin to pop. Remove the roasted corn from the pan. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and diced chiles and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and beginning to brown. Season lightly with salt and remove from the pan. </div><div class="instructions"><br />
</div><div class="instructions">Reduce the heat and add the remaining olive oil. Add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the corn and chiles to the pan and stir to reheat. Turn off the heat and stir in the oregano, black pepper, and queso fresco. </div><div class="instructions">To assemble the tacos, spoon some vegetables onto a tortilla. Top with a generous tablespoon of salsa. Top with cilantro and sour cream or Greek yogurt, if desired.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://midnightmaniac.com/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hvxv7R8hdEM/TViwZ96qwhI/AAAAAAAABNE/ddRES7QTClI/s1600/mm.jpg" /></a></div></div></div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816606804205693677.post-81802780765401500162011-02-08T19:54:00.001-06:002012-01-23T12:52:55.202-06:00six new-old thingsOver my break from grad classes, I finally put inspiration from Casey's <a href="http://blog.caseybrowndesigns.com/2010/04/getting-organized/">blog</a> to work and made this jewelry holder. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lhl00CE86B8/TVHsNcwYJHI/AAAAAAAABMg/8oSGBkLdSkI/s1600/IMG_4223.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lhl00CE86B8/TVHsNcwYJHI/AAAAAAAABMg/8oSGBkLdSkI/s320/IMG_4223.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I painted an old bulletin board with an old off-white paint on the cork, then taped the cork off and spray-painted the frame glossy black. Then all I had to do was screw in some inexpensive gold cup hooks and I had a much more attractive and organized way to keep my jewelry. The cork holds my brooches and pins as well as extra pendants on straight pins.<br />
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Next up is a new Madison spot we like that is not really all that new to the city. In the past year or so, <a href="http://www.madisonsourdough.com/">Madison Sourdough</a> opened a restaurant featuring their yummy breads.<br />
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I got a the bacon/goat cheese deal, which I liked better than Matt did. He got the chicken salad, which he liked better than I did. Both were really solid sandwiches with tasty side salads. Plus we ordered a chocolate croissant, too quickly inhaled to be photographed. We will be returning. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>bacon with fig marmalade and goat cheese on five grain sourdough</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">chicken salad with apple, pine nuts, red onion, aioli, and greens on country sourdough </span></i></div>
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Right after the holidays, Matt and I had a very successful trip to <a href="http://goodstyle.zolajesus.com/">Good Style Shop</a>, which has just changed hands but will likely still be providing a great deal of my vintage wardrobe. I found this lovely spring coat. Let's hope the groundhog was right so I can wear it soon! It has a nice houndstooth wool lining, but it's not nearly heavy enough to tackle these below-zero windchills. And, since I've been practically living in my boots this winter, I was thrilled to pick up this cute new-old pair. Apparently, I've got a thing for camel-colored clothing right now.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lhl00CE86B8/TVHsQRjyfFI/AAAAAAAABMk/nWSgIpjUIBo/s1600/IMG_4226.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lhl00CE86B8/TVHsQRjyfFI/AAAAAAAABMk/nWSgIpjUIBo/s320/IMG_4226.JPG" width="240" /></a> </div>
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Below is a video of my favorite new song, played live. It's from Ty Segall's last full-length, Melted, which came out last summer. I'm just a little slow on the uptake sometimes. (I'm working on getting the sizing of the video right...) <i>Edit: I </i>finally <i>got the size of the video right!</i></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="284" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/10wpX7mQTJA" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe><br />
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Finally, just for fun, is a brand-new picture of my old dog. Not all the white on that face is snow!<br />
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Stay warm! </div>maeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00164250991864375859noreply@blogger.com0