I'm currently looking for a new roommate and this is causing me to meditate a lot on what makes a home. for me, one of the important things, is a place where I can cook delicious food for myself and for my friends - and a place where we can enjoy the meal together comfortably. this was reinforced the other night when I made a recipe from a cookbook that my old roommate gave me as an end-of-lease present. each time I cook from it and use its recipes to make people feel welcome in my current home, I think about how wonderful it was to come home to her and how lucky I am to have her as a friend.
I'll be posting a recipe for israeli couscous stew soon. it came from the wonderful book, Entertaining for a Veggie Planet, which came from my wonderful friend, Jamie. until then, check out this New York Times recipe for asparagus and oyster mushrooms. I can't wait to try it out.
...perhaps for a new roommate?
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
very important questions about food, with sarah morton:
1. if you were a type of food, what food would you be?
hmmm... a vegetable I think. Probably a spring one, because I was/am precocious ... peas.... no. asparagus? garlic? garlic-y asparagus!
Or maybe butter.
2. if you could marry a food, which food would you commit yourself to for the rest of your life?
Tacos - one commitment, lots of options!
3. if you and that food procreated, what would your 1/2 food babies look like?
ew. that's gross, gina! (papas flautas).
4. what was your favorite food when you were five?
Mashed potatoes. With gravy. I have proof of this somewhere, I think. I wrote it down. When I was five.
5. describe your perfect food day.
Brunch. Including french toast *and* eggs benedict *and* homefries. (unless I was in England... then I would want baked beans, fried egg, toast and fried tomatoes. Thanks) Tea. Lunch... papas flautas with gaucamole and limeade. and a beer. Dinner. now it's getting hard. Fish from my lake in Norway, poached, drowning in parsley-butter sauce with lots of (preferably creamy) potatoes, cucumber salad. and for dessert... creme caramel. It is my favorite. I bet this would be different if you asked me again tomorrow.
6. if you could take three things on a picnic, what would they be?
I want to copy gina marie's answer, but that would be no fun for anyone.
Fresh warm french bread with pesto, curly fries from the Old Home Day celebration in Warren, NH, lots of berries.
thanks sarah morton! now, let's go picnic!
hmmm... a vegetable I think. Probably a spring one, because I was/am precocious ... peas.... no. asparagus? garlic? garlic-y asparagus!
Or maybe butter.
2. if you could marry a food, which food would you commit yourself to for the rest of your life?
Tacos - one commitment, lots of options!
3. if you and that food procreated, what would your 1/2 food babies look like?
ew. that's gross, gina! (papas flautas).
4. what was your favorite food when you were five?
Mashed potatoes. With gravy. I have proof of this somewhere, I think. I wrote it down. When I was five.
5. describe your perfect food day.
Brunch. Including french toast *and* eggs benedict *and* homefries. (unless I was in England... then I would want baked beans, fried egg, toast and fried tomatoes. Thanks) Tea. Lunch... papas flautas with gaucamole and limeade. and a beer. Dinner. now it's getting hard. Fish from my lake in Norway, poached, drowning in parsley-butter sauce with lots of (preferably creamy) potatoes, cucumber salad. and for dessert... creme caramel. It is my favorite. I bet this would be different if you asked me again tomorrow.
6. if you could take three things on a picnic, what would they be?
I want to copy gina marie's answer, but that would be no fun for anyone.
Fresh warm french bread with pesto, curly fries from the Old Home Day celebration in Warren, NH, lots of berries.
thanks sarah morton! now, let's go picnic!
food thoughts with sarah emily
At Betsy's suggestion, we will be doing some more q&a (see - if you comment, we will pay attention!) Below are some questions of sarah emily regarding food.
1: What is your favorite meal from when you were a kid?
my dad made killer nachos. the kind of nachos that were entree quality, not something that you eat up quickly to prevent passing out before the "real" meal arrived. the secret was his guacamole. to this day, I have never had guacamole as good as what my father can make.
2: Is there anything that you will order in restaurants but not make at home, or the other way around?
I will not make myself a sandwich. ever. in fact, it's one of the deciding factors in whether or not I go out to eat: if I'm in the mood for a sandwich, I'll be ordering it.* on the other side of the question, I cannot order spaghetti from restaurants - or other kinds of long, thin, white pastas. it goes back to seeing big trays of plain pasta in college dining halls. there was something about that sight that scarred me.
*I include "waking gina marie up and asking her to make breakfast sandwiches" in my definition of ordering a sandwich.
3: Are there foods (other than garlic, that's too easy for you) to which you attribute magical powers? If not, what food do you wish had magical powers, and what would those powers be?
4: Is there any food that you eat that you are ashamed of?
no, but I definitely am one of those people that can eat the same food for several days in a row with no complaint. I'm a bit ashamed of that. the fact that I can happily live off of granola or yogurt or literally only eat nuts and berries for every meal is a bit embarrassing. apple sauce. there was a period that I only wanted to eat apple sauce and I was really disappointed at all of these perfectly good foods because they weren't apple sauce. that's kind of awkward.
5: What three food items do you need for a good summer road trip (this can include a picnic)?
fisheaters
I have talked a lot about seafood with people recently. Mostly about who likes shellfish and fish and who's allergic to what and what that might mean. So I had it on the brain. Also, I miss Norway and fishing there.
As I was reading through one of our new blog links (see the lefthand panel here at leisurely breakfast for that) I noticed something interesting. The blog is Locavore Nation from the public radio show, The Splendid Table. A whole bunch of people in different places in the U.S. are blogging about their attempts to eat primarily locally. It's pretty good! How can you not love things from NPR/PRI/American Public Media?
As I was reading through the most recent posts, I noticed that two different bloggers referred to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program. It seems to be a way to pick what seafood you are going to eat based on its sustainability, toxicity, and locality. Seems neat to me. So if you eat seafood and live on the east coast, check it out! There are also options for people who live other places there... but why would you live anywhere but here? (just kidding!)
As I was reading through one of our new blog links (see the lefthand panel here at leisurely breakfast for that) I noticed something interesting. The blog is Locavore Nation from the public radio show, The Splendid Table. A whole bunch of people in different places in the U.S. are blogging about their attempts to eat primarily locally. It's pretty good! How can you not love things from NPR/PRI/American Public Media?
As I was reading through the most recent posts, I noticed that two different bloggers referred to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program. It seems to be a way to pick what seafood you are going to eat based on its sustainability, toxicity, and locality. Seems neat to me. So if you eat seafood and live on the east coast, check it out! There are also options for people who live other places there... but why would you live anywhere but here? (just kidding!)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
experimenting with cilantro and avocado
so, as i often do, i ended up with an avocado and nothing to do with it. and the other day, i ended up with a *huge* bag of cilantro in addition to that avocado, and even though i would happily eat guacamole for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, i decided to try something new. so i found a recipe for tofu fajitas, and made them without the fajitas (but this is the recipe that i basically copied: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/vegetarian/tofu_fajitas.html). so it basically went like this:
chop some garlic
slice a whole red onion
get some frozen peppers (because that's what we had, not suggested, they were kinda lacking in taste)
cube a big chunk of tofu and marinate in the juice of an oldish lime (again, what was in the fridge) and cumin
those things all went in a pan with some olive oil, and then i added a *lot lot lot* of chopped cilantro at the last moment, and chopped avocado. and then i ate it and it was good. and then i went to babysit. the end.
note: this is a less than triumphant return to the food blog, but things i'm good at (breakfast sandwiches, and....well, that's kind of it) will follow...
chop some garlic
slice a whole red onion
get some frozen peppers (because that's what we had, not suggested, they were kinda lacking in taste)
cube a big chunk of tofu and marinate in the juice of an oldish lime (again, what was in the fridge) and cumin
those things all went in a pan with some olive oil, and then i added a *lot lot lot* of chopped cilantro at the last moment, and chopped avocado. and then i ate it and it was good. and then i went to babysit. the end.
note: this is a less than triumphant return to the food blog, but things i'm good at (breakfast sandwiches, and....well, that's kind of it) will follow...
easy, breezy, beautiful snow peas!
I really like the Minimalist, a New York Times column on making good, simple food. sometimes the dishes are not what I would personally cook for myself, but I appreciate the sentiment behind them. this week's featured dish is Chinese snow peas. it's crazy easy, but looks so tasty. I've linked to the recipe, not the column, so be sure to check out the article that accompanies the 2 steps that make up the instructions.
another great Minimalist column: how to cook with your microwave. it includes a recipe for a steamed chocolate pudding that is, according to the experts, quite good.
another great Minimalist column: how to cook with your microwave. it includes a recipe for a steamed chocolate pudding that is, according to the experts, quite good.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
food thoughts with gina marie
who out there has been wondering where gina marie's posts have gone? (sarahs emily and elisabeth raise their hands.) I now present an interview on food with the missing blogger:
1: What is the best food anyone has ever made for you?
corn chowder out of a bag. does that count as "made"? otherwise, my grandma's escarole soup.
2: What is the one thing you cannot make but would most like to learn how?
sushi! and curry. and corn chowder!
3: If you were to be chased by an item of food in a dream, what is it most likely to be and would you defeat it?
probs. the stay puff marshmallow man, so marshmallow. and i would call the ghostbusters.
4: Is there a food that you hated as a child but love now? Or vice versa?
i loved ghostbuster cereal, now not so much.
5: What three items do you need for a successful spring picnic?
watermelon, brie and green apple and mustard sandwiches, and lemonade.
heed her wise advise in question 5, folks. go outside for a picnic and bring supplies!
1: What is the best food anyone has ever made for you?
corn chowder out of a bag. does that count as "made"? otherwise, my grandma's escarole soup.
2: What is the one thing you cannot make but would most like to learn how?
sushi! and curry. and corn chowder!
3: If you were to be chased by an item of food in a dream, what is it most likely to be and would you defeat it?
probs. the stay puff marshmallow man, so marshmallow. and i would call the ghostbusters.
4: Is there a food that you hated as a child but love now? Or vice versa?
i loved ghostbuster cereal, now not so much.
5: What three items do you need for a successful spring picnic?
watermelon, brie and green apple and mustard sandwiches, and lemonade.
heed her wise advise in question 5, folks. go outside for a picnic and bring supplies!
a call for polenta recipes
my friends, I have a dilemma. I love polenta. I love all kinds of polenta. this is not the dilemma. the dilemma is that all the recipes I have for polenta involve making the polenta, not what to do with the polenta once it has already entered into existence. sometimes I cut rounds of polenta and grill tofu and basil and tomato on top of it. sometimes I cut rounds of polenta and saute it with salt and pepper. but that is it. that's all I've got. and that is what we call a dilemma.please send polenta recipes. or suggestions. or encouragement. I just need to re-jump my imagination. I need a slap on the back of the head from the polenta fairy.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
sylvia makes risotto!
someone reads our blog and makes the food! sylvia has posted some pictures of chard risotto on her flickr ... check it out!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
lightly battered tofu (wwggwe)
to begin: W.W.G.G.W.E. stands for, "Which Will Go Great With Everything." I think wwggwe is an underlying philosophy of my cooking. garlic would fall into the wwggwe category, although it's not a recipe.
to continue: this recipe came to me via sean, who adopted it from his ex, who is - I hear - a formidable cook in her own right. if I were to judge based on this recipe, I would heartily agree.
you will need:
*one package of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
*1/3 cup whole wheat flour
*1/3 cup cornmeal
*1/3 cup nutritional yeast
*salt to taste
*seasoned salt or garlic salt to taste
*plain soy milk
*olive oil
*a ziploc bag
combine the cornmeal, nutritional yeast, whole wheat flour, and salts in the ziploc bag. odds are that you'll want more salt than you'd think to put in, but that amount varies for everyone. if you're the sort of person that needs specifics, start with a tablespoon and go from there. seal the bag, shake so that everything is mixed, and set aside.
slice the tofu as you see fit. when dealing with a block, I like to slice it in half width-wise, creating two half-inch high rectangles. you can either make tofu "fingers" or cubes - whatever tickles your fancy. the important thing is to make sure your cut leaves the tofu with sides large enough to batter and brown. slivers won't work here, darlings.
pour the soymilk into a dish or tupperware container. you'll want enough in there so that you can coat the tofu. the exact amount will vary based on the size and shape of your dish. take about half of your tofu slices and coat all sides with soymilk. they don't need to be saturated, just wet enough so that the batter will stick. the tofu pieces go from the soymilk into the ziploc bag. pop the suckers in, seal the bag, and give it a good shake. you may want to do a little...massaging to make sure that every piece is getting coated on all sides.
heat a healthy amount of olive oil in a large, low saucepan. when the oil is hot, drop the tofu in. cubes can be done in two batches, tofu strips will need more than that. after a few minutes, flip one piece over. if it's golden brown on the bottom, flip the rest. cook for a few more minutes and then remove when the second side is a similarly wonderful golden brown color.
it make take a few tries to get the process down. I end up coating the second batch while the first one cooks, but if you have a partner in crime, you can have a continuous loop of coating and cooking. this recipe is so yummy. it is wwggwe for seri.
to continue: this recipe came to me via sean, who adopted it from his ex, who is - I hear - a formidable cook in her own right. if I were to judge based on this recipe, I would heartily agree.
you will need:
*one package of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
*1/3 cup whole wheat flour
*1/3 cup cornmeal
*1/3 cup nutritional yeast
*salt to taste
*seasoned salt or garlic salt to taste
*plain soy milk
*olive oil
*a ziploc bag
combine the cornmeal, nutritional yeast, whole wheat flour, and salts in the ziploc bag. odds are that you'll want more salt than you'd think to put in, but that amount varies for everyone. if you're the sort of person that needs specifics, start with a tablespoon and go from there. seal the bag, shake so that everything is mixed, and set aside.
slice the tofu as you see fit. when dealing with a block, I like to slice it in half width-wise, creating two half-inch high rectangles. you can either make tofu "fingers" or cubes - whatever tickles your fancy. the important thing is to make sure your cut leaves the tofu with sides large enough to batter and brown. slivers won't work here, darlings.
pour the soymilk into a dish or tupperware container. you'll want enough in there so that you can coat the tofu. the exact amount will vary based on the size and shape of your dish. take about half of your tofu slices and coat all sides with soymilk. they don't need to be saturated, just wet enough so that the batter will stick. the tofu pieces go from the soymilk into the ziploc bag. pop the suckers in, seal the bag, and give it a good shake. you may want to do a little...massaging to make sure that every piece is getting coated on all sides.
heat a healthy amount of olive oil in a large, low saucepan. when the oil is hot, drop the tofu in. cubes can be done in two batches, tofu strips will need more than that. after a few minutes, flip one piece over. if it's golden brown on the bottom, flip the rest. cook for a few more minutes and then remove when the second side is a similarly wonderful golden brown color.
it make take a few tries to get the process down. I end up coating the second batch while the first one cooks, but if you have a partner in crime, you can have a continuous loop of coating and cooking. this recipe is so yummy. it is wwggwe for seri.
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