tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7383179732396641322024-03-13T03:40:10.762-04:00Calamity Shazaam in the KitchenIt's my Pilgrim name from, you know, the days of yore!Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038842795987409191noreply@blogger.comBlogger423125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-71637268181944273502017-04-16T20:12:00.002-04:002017-04-16T20:28:52.984-04:00Eastah ScorchahIn April when the temps rise above 40, everyone around these parts switches over to iced coffee with a childlike glee that summah is just around the cornah.<br />
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However when the temps rise to the 80's we all just complain. It's too soon for the beach, in a day or two the temps will drop back to the 40's, everyone is hot in their Easter dresses, it's too soon for A/C. We complain because we know that summah does NOT arrive in April, no matter how much global warming is happening, the possibility of a snow storm exists right through the end of the month.<br />
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But hey, it was Easter and it was hot so we grilled and drank cold drinks and ate cool desserts.<br />
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Sriracha grilled shrimp is literally one of my most favorite things to grill. If you are a recipe person, use this recipe from Food 52: <a href="https://food52.com/recipes/246-spicy-shrimp" target="_blank">Spicy Shrimp Recipe</a>.<br />
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If you are a just-wing-it cook like me, you basically marinate peeled and deveined shrimp in a gloopy mess of olive oil, Sriracha, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, cilantro, lime, and salt for a couple of hours, then grill them, including the lime halves. Grilling the limes makes them super juicy, FYI. <br />
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This is a dish that everyone eats. Unless they are an alien. Aliens don't like spicy all that much.<br />
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Then there was a ham and some veg and stuff.<br />
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And then there was dessert which is obvs the most important meal of the day. A lamb cake is required at Easter. If we don't have Easter Lamb Cake my French grandma will rise from the dead and... no I actually don't know what will happen if we don't have lamb cake at Easter, but it can't be good.<br />
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This year I made it with King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free yellow cake mix because both the Evil Twin and her Thing 2 have Celiacs and not letting them eat cake is not very French.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The eyes, they follow you....</td></tr>
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Also I made Julia Child's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/magazine/eat-memory-sacre-cordon-bleu.html" target="_blank">Crème Renversée au Caramel</a> which I've been making my whole life since my Mom only made it on special occasions and she and I had wildly different idea of what a special occasion was, she said birthdays and holidays, I said Tuesdays and Thursdays.<br />
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I could probably make one in my sleep. Pro tip: don't try to get out of heating the milk or straining the frothy warm milk and egg mixture.<br />
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I could have taken a pic of the silky delicious interior, but I ate it all.<br />
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Here is to everyday being a special occasion.<br />
<br />Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-49754923657793607492017-04-15T13:57:00.000-04:002017-04-15T13:57:25.814-04:00Aggressive coffee.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Evil Twin got us iced coffees this morning because it's what you do in Boston when the temps are above 40 degrees.<br />
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Apparently she ordered hers "fucked up with 28 splenda".<br />
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There is no other explanation.<br />
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Unless it's "fuck you and your 28 splenda".<br />
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<br />Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-37317516152196395392017-04-15T09:24:00.000-04:002017-04-15T09:24:21.571-04:00I'm fine, how are you.Jeesus, it is hard to keep a blog alive when you don't do it on the regular and also when the med you take to keep you regular also happen to be the wet blanket to your creativity.<br />
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Also it used to be easier to find the time. The Evil Twin (<a href="http://www.calamityshazaaminthekitchen.com/search?q=evil+twin" target="_blank">remember her</a>?) is now the Proud Mamma of Thing 1 and Thing 2 and mostly my spare time is spent shaping them into my minions who will do all my bidding. <br />
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That all sounds like an excuse. It is.<br />
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So here is a photo of some fish and chips I had at the <a href="http://harpbard.com/" target="_blank">Harp & Bard</a> (that website tho... woof).<br />
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<br />Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-18521638077722240622015-09-30T17:00:00.000-04:002015-09-30T17:00:00.641-04:00In the night kitchen with Les Dames d'EscoffierSo I fell off the blog writing horse, and then the horse ran away and left me to wander in the writers desert. It's hard to write all the time when you do it because you feel like it because sometimes you just don't feel it, y'know?<br />
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But then I was invited to join the Boston chapter of <a href="http://www.lesdamesboston.org/" target="_blank">Les Dames d'Escoffier</a> and after the annual meeting last night at <a href="http://www.forgebakingco.com/" target="_blank">Forge Baking Company</a>, I remembered that I do actually like writing randomly about food and things related to eating, drinking, and basically being merry.<br />
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The Forge space is gorgeous. It's in a s<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Forge+Baking+Company/@42.3841711,-71.1106736,3a,75y,199.16h,90.68t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sq-Yj8MYfDenVxEFWeiFsLA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x348628ea829c627!6m1!1e1" target="_blank">trip mall between a dance studio and a Chinese restaurant</a>, you really don't expect this space in there.<br />
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Also, you wouldn't expect it to be as homey as it was, it was a great space for a bunch of Dames to get together and catch up.<br />
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A few words from incoming President Louisa Kasdon, ever encouraging people to talk about food.</div>
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Followed by a croissant making demo with Lourdes Smith (yep, THAT <a href="http://www.fioredinonno.com/our-story/lourdes-smith" target="_blank">Lourdes Smith</a>) in the Forge kitchen.<br />
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It was an invigorating night for me personally and hopefully one that brought the horse back!Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-64283191107231216862015-04-08T22:35:00.001-04:002015-04-08T22:48:02.150-04:00Bitchin' ChickenIt's April here in the home of the bean and the cod, only you'd never know it because the weather is just complete crap. Today hail and snow, tomorrow sun and locusts, unless it's hail and snow.<br />
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The only reasonable and civilized way to cope with this rotten weather is lots of <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/dom+benoit+badoz+grain+de+poulsard+cote+du+jura+france" target="_blank">wine</a> and things you have to cook in the oven, preferably on high.<br />
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Roast chicken goes perfectly with wine.<br />
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The recipe in this lovely cookbook is so easy (you can find it <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/01/sunday-supper-simon-hopkinsons-roast-chicken.html" target="_blank">here</a>), and the only exra step I make is to pop the roasting pan (a cast iron skillet) into the oven to pre-heat. Oh and I borrow a step from the beloved Laurie Colwin and rub the birdy all over with paprika and a sprinkling of coarse salt.<br />
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Reader, I ate it.<br />
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Reader, it was delicious.<br />
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Reader, this weather can just go to suck an egg.Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-58038613220229505012015-04-05T13:45:00.000-04:002015-04-05T13:45:59.833-04:00Holy LambHappy Easter.<br />
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On account of ONE of us in the family being diagnosed with <strike>celiac</strike> coeliac (the British spelling makes it seem like a <i>smarter</i> diagnosis) the sacrificial Easter lamb cake is brought to you today by the letters "gluten-free cake mix".<br />
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As Americans are wont to do, rather than give up gluten, we create gluten-free gluten. I am pretty sure that normal people would be like "oh well, how about berries and sorbet for dessert?" but not us. Also, it's the damn SACRIFICIAL LAMB CAKE, how would Easter be complete without this cake?<br />
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Without the lamb cake, it's just Sunday dinner.<br />
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Which would be fine by me since I am not a believer.<br />
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I know it looks like it's already been slaughtered, but no, it's just taking a lie down. Turns out a lamb cake without gluten is basically like an actual lamb without bones - kinda floppy. I don't want to freak everyone out by serving a headless cake, so a lying down cake it is.<br />
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Or maybe it will resurrect itself. I'll keep you posted.Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-18638326227242085722014-02-13T16:11:00.000-05:002014-02-13T16:11:09.876-05:00You should be eating: Braised Chicken Meatballs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was an impulse order at the <a href="http://www.dumplingcafe.com/" target="_blank">Dumpling Cafe</a> on Washington Street in Boston.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(True story: when I was telling my Mom where it was, I used the Naked i as a point of reference.)</span></i><br />
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I'd actually gone for the xiao long bao (broth filled dumplings) also known as "Juicy Buns", which they are famous for apparently. Hey, better late to the party than to not party at all, right?<br />
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Because I did my homework, I knew to load one on to the spoon and then to nibble a little hole and suck out the piping hot broth. That is a tip that you will thank me for later, I promise you.<br />
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There is no time that biting down enthusiastically into a bun filled with scalding hot filling and broth will reward you in any way.<br />
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Also I knew from my homework that the key was to order everything at once while the waitstaff was near you. So in a panic I ordered the braised chicken meatballs.<br />
<br />
What a treat! They come with baby bok choy and a plate of rice. I totally think you should go eat them right now.<br />
<br />Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-63693111315151155332014-02-13T12:49:00.000-05:002014-02-13T12:49:22.161-05:00You should be drinking: La Garagista<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.lagaragista.com/story.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3760/12500552034_dd2fca26c6_o.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Did you know that you can buy wine made in Vermont from grapes GROWN in Vermont? Incroyable!<br />
<br />
Back in December I was at the fantastic <a href="http://www.eatboutique.com/" target="_blank">Eat Boutique</a> event and was given a taste of this wine. My first taste was less than appropriate - I puckered up like a toddler who'd just had her first taste of a lemon. In fairness I am not a big wine drinker usually, and I'd just eaten a delicious maple and bacon donut from <a href="http://unionsquaredonuts.com/" target="_blank">Union Square Donuts</a> (you know the one I am talking about) so my tastebuds were all hopped up on sugar. Not ideal for wine tasting.<br />
<br />
But then I tasted the <a href="http://www.lagaragista.com/story.html" target="_blank">Vinu Jancu</a> and all of a sudden I totally got it. It's the wine of my people.<br />
<br />
No seriously, my Meme was from the town of L'Etoile in the Jura and her people were wine people, vin jaune people: bakers AND wine makers. One taste of the vinu jancu (Sicilian for orange wine) and the French DNA in me lit up like sparklers. Fortunately I was able to share this moment with the maker, a marvelous woman by the name of <a href="http://www.lagaragista.com/us.html" target="_blank">Deirdre Heekin</a> who, with her partner Caleb Barber, also run <a href="http://www.osteriapaneesalute.com/" target="_blank">Osteria Pane e Salut</a>e in Woodstock Vermont.<br />
<br />
It was a real epiphany.<br />
<br />
Anyway, so since December I've been waiting to get my hands on more of this wine and I finally did last night at a wine tasting at <a href="http://www.centralbottle.com/" target="_blank">Central Bottle</a> in Central Square. Yes, I crossed the river to The Other Side, but it was for wine, so it's all good.<br /><br />Now I have my own stash, as well as a stash for my Maman. And if you are smart, you will also get a stash of this wine. Find them on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Osteria-Pane-e-SaluteLa-Garagista/125257237573951" target="_blank">Osteria Pane e Salute / La Garagista</a> and get notified of where and when you can taste this very good wine.Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-22894229104085907012014-02-13T11:10:00.000-05:002014-02-13T11:10:09.358-05:00You should be tasting: CardamomThis is how our tongues taste cardamom:<br />
<br />
Cardamommmmmmm<br />
Cardamommmm<br />
Cardamom<br />
WTF IS THIS SOAP?<br />
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Yes, this lovely spice is lovely only sparingly. Too much of a good thing ends up tasting like you ate a small cake of Crabtree & Evelyn hand soap.<br />
<br />
Use it lightly and make <a href="http://food52.com/recipes/7249-mor-s-boller" target="_blank">Mor's Boller</a> as often as possible.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://flic.kr/p/iqTDct" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2875/11439736805_046ea7f348_o.jpg" height="400" title="Calamity Shazaam in the Kitchen" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mor's Boller - recipe from Food52</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-86567199093879481092013-12-20T14:06:00.001-05:002013-12-20T14:06:22.577-05:00How do I not have scurvy?My lunch today consisted of a bagel, a slice of cheddar cheese, and some grapes.<div><br></div><div>I don't even want to talk about my breakfast....</div><div><br></div><div>Did you know that oysters are high in vitamin C? (Thank you Internet)</div><div><br></div><div>And also zinc? Which I think means that oysters and martinis are on deck for dinner... A kind of scurvy inoculation, if you will. </div><div><br></div><div>But seriously, I hate my diet right now. </div><div><br></div><div> </div>Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-89524457762078212332013-12-20T10:35:00.001-05:002013-12-20T10:35:43.957-05:00Salt1986 called and wants their salt back.<div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0SFncezob8StcjTX9TrDmcQL0PCDRtgfnluxOcAxLz06GjfNeukjVR6ivY_bEvkYrpjS1oeYm7vFyv0Pf-VRPhQ-5dyJn-W5kOBfBaTy_mn8SavkyJej41v_AWcEHXcUcll8F5GRLOk/s640/blogger-image--1474856709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0SFncezob8StcjTX9TrDmcQL0PCDRtgfnluxOcAxLz06GjfNeukjVR6ivY_bEvkYrpjS1oeYm7vFyv0Pf-VRPhQ-5dyJn-W5kOBfBaTy_mn8SavkyJej41v_AWcEHXcUcll8F5GRLOk/s640/blogger-image--1474856709.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Also this salt contains yellow prussiate of potash, presumably used in this application as an anti-caking agent.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9dd5yon-3VMQAUDO8Bh_siK5WFVlbPO1JobtN5Jj-H5yuS4e19GF9IcChvzioU95K0Z3O9jbg5u31nEcqVfq-1-whsy9K2kKWe5bHNI7GWrESJq68Rxe9kMu6Wk4bbZcKyo_gSZgzMo/s640/blogger-image--585470538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9dd5yon-3VMQAUDO8Bh_siK5WFVlbPO1JobtN5Jj-H5yuS4e19GF9IcChvzioU95K0Z3O9jbg5u31nEcqVfq-1-whsy9K2kKWe5bHNI7GWrESJq68Rxe9kMu6Wk4bbZcKyo_gSZgzMo/s640/blogger-image--585470538.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">However sodium ferrocyanide (another name for yellow prussiate of potash) is also used as a stabilizer for the coating on welding rods, if Wikipedia is to be believed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">At any rate I am now convinced that there was one massive salt packet batch made in 1980, like a kabillion packets that will never be depleted.</div>Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-81904628687401146562013-12-19T22:22:00.001-05:002013-12-19T22:22:27.510-05:00Okay so keep this between us, yeah?I made Black Cake this year with fruit that MAY have been macerating for POSSIBLY three years. Sounds like a recipe for intestinal distress huh?<div><br></div><div>However, this cake batch is exceptionally delicious so I guess the extra long soak in the rumachevitz was a good thing.</div><div><br></div><div>You hear that Martha, A GOOD THING!</div><div><br></div><div>Man, this cake is strong. Am I shouting? I need a nap.</div>Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-7518066468777086652013-03-08T12:44:00.001-05:002013-03-08T12:44:09.645-05:00PreBirthday LunchUm yeah so I plan on eating ALL the bacon on my actual day of birth.....<br />
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Which means eating healthy-ish until Sunday.<br />
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But I can't make any promises. <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUKwGp1qdsgd2o0IMdhQuX31-i_FUZ3hY1IzGkaq26xWNByNsUWZubRqq1ieYT5WWBAoFozNBOIASeJPcg6aUzJVsnARuYpjRWtPo5gsliY22F1pwOpZuF0PUq8Z3YQGqnQHlYft4HL8/s640/blogger-image-1336024261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUKwGp1qdsgd2o0IMdhQuX31-i_FUZ3hY1IzGkaq26xWNByNsUWZubRqq1ieYT5WWBAoFozNBOIASeJPcg6aUzJVsnARuYpjRWtPo5gsliY22F1pwOpZuF0PUq8Z3YQGqnQHlYft4HL8/s640/blogger-image-1336024261.jpg" /></a></div>Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-14048415677314946092013-02-09T22:21:00.000-05:002013-02-09T22:21:36.960-05:00Blizzard beansLast winter - no snow.<br />
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This winter - no snow. Until February when BA-BAM we got all the snow. All the snow at once.<br />
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Did I go out in it? Hell no. I used to love winter weather, but I got used to no snow. Think of it this way - if you ease yourself into it, you CAN go swimming off the coast on Maine in June. But if you plunge in, you are going to jump right out because it's too much all at once. If you don't immediately die of a heart attack from the shock, that is.<br />
<br />
If we'd had a little snow all season, it'd be easier to cope with the mountain of snow that is at present parked right outside my front door.<br />
<br />
Ugh. Wah wah wah. Call the wahhhmbulance.<br />
<br />
So rather think about that, I thought about lunch and about how it ought to have bacon in it.<br />
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I had some nice bacon that I chopped up and cooked with some onion and garlic. Then I added some black beans and slow cooked the whole thing for a few hours.<br />
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Frankly, I could have just eaten it without the beans...</div>
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But then I wouldn't have had THIS for lunch. </div>
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And it was delicious. </div>
Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-48043422348998301782013-02-01T16:56:00.000-05:002013-02-02T07:32:15.752-05:00Ah le weekend est arrivee!Man do I LOVE Friday. It holds so much promise, a lovely two day blank slate. Providing you don't think too much about the laundry, dishes, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, basement, that need cleaning and all that other crap. <div><br />
</div><div>On the list of things I want to do this weekend, aside from the fantasy where I totally finish every unfinished project around the house, is to take the MiniET to the latest iteration of Flour Bakery + Cafe on Clarendon. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Not only is there a tot-lot across the street from it, but I love Joanne Chang. And frankly, who doesn't? No one. I worked for her about a million years ago and didn't appreciate it at the time because, well, for lots of reasons and none of which speak well of my own character at the time. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Let's just say it took me a very long time to grow out of the center of my own universe. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Nowadays when I churn out a meal in my wee kitchen, I think about my brief stint at Flour and how I was trained to work in a small space with a minimum of utensils. Even today it's faster for me to whip cream by hand rather than lug out the stand mixer, and I make a great lemon curd. So yeah, I will always be a fan. </div><div><br />
</div><div>And I am gonna make the MiniET (aka the niece) a fan too. But that won't be too hard - a brioche and the playground, it's a toddlers dream come true. </div><br />
<br />
So here is to the weekend, I hope you have a good one. <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2rGwtC7b_zBQHwEUWpc3rYhc92XU7e5eyYuEf6Sc3IxPMVvqPz31qoOkZOb8QOR-1PYE-eiRGXj_A5_emH-WGcR8rXYotDgDjE3WHmdwe-_p0Esky8kOdX7DagB4QxzSeUtF7rx68AM/s640/blogger-image-873547301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2rGwtC7b_zBQHwEUWpc3rYhc92XU7e5eyYuEf6Sc3IxPMVvqPz31qoOkZOb8QOR-1PYE-eiRGXj_A5_emH-WGcR8rXYotDgDjE3WHmdwe-_p0Esky8kOdX7DagB4QxzSeUtF7rx68AM/s640/blogger-image-873547301.jpg" /></a></div>Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-90649537260107725622013-01-31T18:00:00.002-05:002013-01-31T18:00:27.088-05:00After school snackMy after school snacks used to involve tater tots or ramen noodles.<br />
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But now I am a grown-up and I get to have Nutella & peanut butter sandwiches.<br />
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Two things: one is that I am fairly confident that a Nutella & peanut butter sandwich is marginally better than a Nutella & Nutella sandwich. Plus it's on wheat bread which makes it already better. Right?<br />
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And two, this sandwich would have been AWESOME toasted.<br />
<br />
Ugh.<br />
<br />
The day I finish this tub o' chocolatey deliciousness is going to suck for sure.Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-89817819209644074572013-01-31T13:37:00.003-05:002013-01-31T13:37:50.298-05:00This is why I need to wire my jaw shut....Went to lunch yesterday at <a href="http://www.viamattarestaurant.com/index_noflash.htm#" target="_blank">Via Matta</a> and stuffed myself stupid.<br />
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Basically it was a joyfully excessive carbohydrate overdose that left me in a drowsy food coma for the rest of the afternoon. I went straight home after work and I am pretty sure I was in bed at 7pm.<br />
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The pizza on the right is lamb sausage and sweet potato and it is really good. As is the spaghetti aglio e olio con pomodoro up there in the top of the photo. The crispy duck pizza on the left was good, but it turns out that I am not really in love with duck, and anyway anything with sweet potato will win me over every time - unfair advantage to tubers, story of my life.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(I should mention that I work for this restaurant organization in accounting and so get a discount, hooray!)</span><br />
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So today I am repenting with yogurt, fruit, and soup. And a haircut later to get some of this weight offa me.<br />
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Thankfully January is over today and I can forget all about my New Year's resolution to adhere to a more austere diet. No wonder Fat Tuesday comes the first week of February!Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-41067466326424421732013-01-29T22:20:00.001-05:002013-01-29T22:20:48.274-05:00Old Man WinterYou wanna know why it's called Old Man Winter? It's because by January you are shuffling like an old fart in tatty slippers with a runny nose and the ambition of a limpet.<br />
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It's cold out, it snows, it sleets, it accidentally hits 60 degrees for one hot minute then minus 7 degrees the next, snot flows freely from every nose, and it is totally fine to go to bed when the sun goes down at 4:57pm.<br />
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I am tired and sun-deprived and all I want to do is eat toast with strawberries and Nutella until summer rolls around...<br />
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Nutellaaahhhh<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-JxGVmXfogm7Zgekg2ylCOroSse-E8MSLkExRqyw9kRxstUM5PgwWhi3ztvJsHD6-WDWFq6TiPC_3Yf8c7gAui7z7U2xl4QR4D6xWqtnPa7U8lF1ZGoamexW2WbEkUOifUP_aFPjSu0/s1600/130129_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-JxGVmXfogm7Zgekg2ylCOroSse-E8MSLkExRqyw9kRxstUM5PgwWhi3ztvJsHD6-WDWFq6TiPC_3Yf8c7gAui7z7U2xl4QR4D6xWqtnPa7U8lF1ZGoamexW2WbEkUOifUP_aFPjSu0/s400/130129_0009.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The child in me is like "ooh eat it, eeeeeeeeat it all!!!" However my adult pancreas is like "B*TCH, PLEASE!"<br />
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So I compromised. Kind of.<br />
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I hacked a cauliflower into bits and sauteed it together with a can of chickpeas, some garlic, salt, pepper, and a bit of parsley.<br />
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I didn't even bother to pre-cook the cauliflower. Nope. Just rinsed the chickpeas. And added a little water while cooking just to prevent any scorching.<br />
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The whole thing came together in like 15 minutes. And it is SO good. </div>
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Perfect thing to eat while cozying up in a cardigan, sweats, and slippers, after Nutella that is.Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-72714868756603363022013-01-03T17:35:00.000-05:002013-01-03T17:35:00.325-05:00Macaroon, macaron, cookie, cooky, yeah, I'll eat it.Unless of course it is a macaroon made with coconut. That's not right.<br />
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I love macaroons (<i>macaron</i> si vous êtes en France) but I love the almond ones that are just the cookie, not the fan-saaaay kind with the smooth tops, crinkly bases, and creamy fillings.<br />
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No, I just love the plain old almond macaroon in all its chewy deliciousness. When my great-aunt passed, they ordered trays of almond macaroons from "The Club" for the reception afterwards. My grandpa and I filled our pockets up and made a slow getaway then ate them in the car and said nice things about Aunt Ruth.<br />
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Man, that is how you want to be remembered, right?<br />
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Anyway, I stopped by <a href="http://www.baccoswineandcheese.com/" target="_blank">Baccos Wine & Cheese Shop</a> on New Year's Eve for some thing savory and guess what they sell?<br />
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<a href="http://www.mymacaroons.com/Welcome.html" target="_blank">Saint Emilion Macaroons</a>. Handmade in Eastie. In a tub.<br />
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O crap.<br />
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<a href="http://www.gillinghams.com/pages/Vermont%20Foods/macaroon.htm" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXLQG6nAcdl_ocX4L6W9H1t5cxGN-avwoNvt9lFegINFeETi4GeTOB2RN8CrKm5htVRQ9TODEpiklfPctCgCE_ZVdibkcjIF4BxSeAnVElBLNh2jkQAuHM2wxJb7bhdl1Kz6vQGtWNOA/s400/MacaroonsTin&Tub.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yeah, I bought a tub. Yep, you can totally feel free to judge me.<br />
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Me and my pancreas will just be lying over here in a coma. A delicious, delicious coma.<br />
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Happy New Year!Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-74538956627423204452013-01-01T22:20:00.001-05:002013-01-01T22:20:11.717-05:00T'was the season to eat everything in sight...Gawd I love to eat.<br />
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The best thing about Christmas is that everyone is feeling jolly and hungry and thirsty and sociable. AND it's cold out so you can cover up the jiggly bits with a thick sweater and make like you are just, y'know, <i>big-boned</i>.</div>
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My Auntie Bets sent us cookies. Holy crap. SO delicious.<br />
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How do I know? Well, because I promptly ate them all up. That's how.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute, huh!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extra tasty heads....</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chomp.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gone</td></tr>
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Seriously, I cannot be trusted around food at the holidays. I know that in the spirit of the season, I will be forgiven for my devouring ways. And anyway, January was invented by Weight Watchers, so it's cool.<br />
<br />Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-88109739746825935662012-11-18T15:27:00.000-05:002012-11-18T15:27:02.813-05:00Liquor is delicious. So is liquor.Sunday afternoon cooking is awesome up until 4:45pm, when the lovely long rays of afternoon sunshine that filter through the yellowing maple leaves suddenly switches to midnight blue and you still have a massive amount of washing up to do. <div>
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Sigh. </div>
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Today I am starting to prep the Thanksgiving meal. Usually I make the stuffing base early because I like all the flavors to meld together into mushroomy-buttery-garlicky- sagey deliciousness which I will combine with bread, turkey sausage, and broth on the Big Day. </div>
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And today I got to thinking about mushroom liquor. Did you know that oysters and clams also produce their own liquor? I knew it, but I never thought it out before. Recipes for both oyster stew and for clam chowder often instruct the cook to "reserve the liquor" and now I am thinking, other than mushrooms, what other veg produces a "liquor"?</div>
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And for the record, mushroom liquor is DELICIOUS. </div>
Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-83218641263492066012012-11-18T11:35:00.003-05:002012-11-18T11:39:36.225-05:00Thanksgiving comes first<div>
Oy vey. No one tells you that as you age you stop staring at your navel and start slowly looking at the world around you through the lens of experience. Which is making me into a complete Debbie Downer.</div>
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Ugh. </div>
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I love Thanksgiving and I am not sure exactly why I should still. It signaled the brutal eradication of an entire civilization which we mark by stuffing ourselves stupid. </div>
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Can you imagine if in Germany there was a national holiday to give thanks for Kristallnacht? Maybe now is too soon, but in two or three hundred years? Who can say. What I do know is I can't discuss this with most people because pretty much no one wants to talk about sh*t that happened in the past, especially if they think they are going to be made to feel guilty about it. Everything ugly gets swept under the rug and we hope for better tomorrows. </div>
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You see where I am at with this kind of thinking? Debbie Downer City. </div>
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However I can't bring myself to not have some kind of fall celebration of gratitude. It's as though I am genetically programmed to do so deep down in the primordial goop of my DNA. Thanks for that Pilgrims. </div>
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And so here it is the Sunday before Thanksgiving and I am finally getting into the spirit of it. </div>
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It should also be said that since Grandpa passed away, I haven't really been as enthused about this weekend. I miss him terribly right about now. I miss picking him up, getting Dunkin Donuts coffee (small with cream and sugar) and donuts (cinnamon for him, honey-dipt for me), driving out to Wendell, getting the Turkey at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DiemandFarm" target="_blank">Diemand Farm</a>, and then heading home with a pit stop at the <a href="http://ww.1761oldmill.com/" target="_blank">Old Mill</a> in Westminster for a late lunch. He was my Thanksgiving buddy and it's just a small ritual that I miss. </div>
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Now I send Dad out to get the turkey since he works out in those parts. And I sit here in the comfort of my cozy kitchen and think up a menu. I used to be totally OCD about it. I would plan out the menu in October and put it all into excel. My shopping list would be organized by the supermarket's planogram to save time. </div>
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I think about it now, and I get a headache. </div>
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These days I wing it. I get an idea of how many people are coming, add three to that number, and adjust my recipes accordingly. Experience tells me that I will need LOTS of stuffing, always double or triple that recipe because it's the one dish that you will want to eat the next day and possibly through the weekend. And buckets of gravy as any mistakes, food or otherwise, can been forgiven with a gravy bath. </div>
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Lastly you should have a really good cranberry sauce. </div>
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There are only two kinds you should consider: the canned kind that splorches out of the can ready to slice, OR Brandied Cranberry Preserves from the <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jams-Jellies-Other-Sweet-Preserves/dp/1558324062/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353255871&sr=8-1&keywords=joy+of+jams" target="_blank">Joy of Jams and Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves</a></u> by Linda Ziedrich*. This is hands-down my absolute favorite way to eat cranberries. I make more of it than I need at Thanksgiving and then I eat it for days. It's good on toast, on pancakes, on roasted pork, on ice cream, just with a spoon... You get the idea. </div>
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It's easy and it bakes in the oven, no splattering or scorching on the stove top. Anyway, here is the recipe. :</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Brandied Cranberry Preserves</b> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Makes about 1 1/2 pints</span> </blockquote>
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
12 ounces cranberries<br />
2 cinnamon sticks<br />
Zest of 1 orange, in thin shreds<br />
1 1⁄2 cups sugar<br />
1⁄3 cup brandy or Grand Marnier </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<u>Instructions</u><br />
1. Spread the cranberries in an ovenproof 8 x 11-inch pan and nestle the cinnamon sticks among them. Sprinkle the orange zest and sugar over the cranberries and pour the brandy over all. Tightly cover the pan with aluminum foil and put the pan into an oven heated to 250°F (preheating isn’t necessary). </blockquote>
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2. After 30 minutes, gently stir the berries. Replace the foil and continue to cook the mixture for another 30 minutes, or until the berries are tender. </blockquote>
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3. Store the cooled preserves in a covered container in the refrigerator, where they will keep, tightly covered, for at least several weeks. Or ladle them hot into pint or half-pint mason jars, add lids and rings, and process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.</blockquote>
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Personally I reduce the sugar to about a cup, maybe a little less. It's a lot of sugar, but that is my palate - I like spicy and tangy and sour so if you don't, keep the sugar at a cup and a half. </div>
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And that my friend is my Thanksgiving editorial for 2012. I hope that you and yours are able to gather together and share a meal and a laugh. And if not, let me know - I will have extra gravy and stuffing.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*I happen to work for the publisher of this book however this recipe is SO fricking good that I have no problem promoting it. Plus, I love this particular book. </i></span></div>
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Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-63177865308808721352012-11-09T14:10:00.002-05:002012-11-09T14:10:28.956-05:00My name is Calamity Shazaam, and I am an addict. Things took a turn for the worse when I bounced my forehead off my desk this afternoon. Turns out nap-nods can escalate quickly to nap-faceplants.<br />
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Uh-glee! Definitely NOT a pretty sight at all.<br />
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Why so tired you ask? Well, guess what I forgot to do today?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1:47pm - November 9, 2012</td></tr>
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Yes. I forgot to have coffee.<br />
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It's like forgetting to put pants on in the morning. Coffee is as fundamental as oxygen and chocolate, as far as I can tell.<br />
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And then I saw this image on Pinterest (a whole 'nother addiction) and first I was like "yep" and then I was like "hahahahahahahahahah!"<br />
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I hate that I totally get it.<br />
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And also I hate that I am about to go back for cup number 2 just as soon as I click "Publish".Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-50039375738055304062012-11-07T17:25:00.002-05:002012-11-07T17:25:48.806-05:00Oh hey, I have a blog.So what if I am slowly starving it to death, right?<br />
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Well thank you to YOU dear reader, you are the only one left.<br />
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What have I been up to since August? Oh, not a whole lot. I think that I've been a bit lazy of late with the blogging thing - too many photos of what Ima puttin' in mah piehole and not enough writing to go with it.<br />
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You wanna know why? Because I fricking HATE writing recipes. OMG I would rather scrape wallpaper at a hoarders house.<br />
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I know how to cook like people know how to drive a stick shift and for the record I cannot operate a manual transmission unless bunny-hopping from point to point is considered operating. So I have lots of empathy for people who can't cook and who rely on microwave meals and powdered crap in a box.<br />
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Which you would think would make me super patient and recipe-writeable. You would be wrong. I just cook. Occasionally I will read a recipe because I've forgotten how to clarify stock or to look up the set temperature for jelly, but at this point in my life I kind of just know how it all goes together.<br />
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Right now I am eating lots of beets. And I really need to look up if eating this many beets will make me diabetic. But all I do is rinse them really well, wrap the whole lot in foil and roast them at about 375 degrees until a knife goes through them like <strike>butter</strike> buttahhhh.<br />
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When they've cooled enough to handle, using a wad of paper towels to handle, take one in one hand and use another paper towel to rub the skin off. <br />
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Chop them up and sprinkle some feta cheese all over, as well as salt & pepper. Sometimes I might splash a little vinaigrette over, or just a bit of plain vinegar, along with the cheese. At the moment I am eating the feta made from goat milk that I get in my Farmers to You order - it is a very mild feta and just so very delicious.<br />
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The other thing I am eating is sliced and roasted delicata squash. It has made a squash eater out of me. I used to be of the opinion that all squash were just overgrown decorative gourds waiting for a coat of shellac. And now I eat squash almost every night.<br />
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All right, so there are two ways to do this, but no matter which way you go you need to give them a really good clean because you are going to be eating the skin. And think about it - squash grow on the ground, something probably crapped on it. Like a bird, or field mouse.<br />
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Scrub it well, dry it off a bit, then cut it down the middle lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and at this point you can just rub the halves with a little olive oil and roast them face down until they are soft and squidgy. Afterwards you can stuff them with a little bit of cooked quinoa mixed with a little Romano cheese, some finely diced cooked beets, a couple of raisins, and maybe a bit of chopped garlic or parsley. You can really stuff it with whatever stuffing you like. That is just how I make it. Although thinking about it, I bet a homemade version of Stove Top stuffing would be amazeballs...<br />
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Alternatively, after you've scraped the seeds out, you can simply cut them in slices, toss them with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast them. Do I need to tell you that you should roast them on a foil lined sheet tray? See? THIS is why I don't like to write recipes! I never know how much detail people need or want. And also I always sound like a condescending jerk when I tell people what to do.<br />
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Roast them until they are lovely and caramelized, you will have to flip them at some point. It usually takes about 25 to 30 minutes per side. But that is just me, you will have to see what works for you in your oven. The half-moons of squash will shrink up so make a little more than you think you will need. Leftovers are great sauteed with a little garlic and parsley and tossed with cooked pasta. Or just cold, with your fingers and some wine.<br />
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At this time of year pretty much everything that is local and fresh is best roasted. It heats the house up and goes well with parsley and garlic fried up in a little olive oil with some red pepper.<br />
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When I move on to something else, you will hear about it here first! Or maybe about four months after, something like that.<br />
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<br />Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738317973239664132.post-65570294290830860112012-08-22T12:27:00.000-04:002012-08-22T12:27:57.752-04:00Wednesday LunchIn April a really sweet man died suddenly. He was a good friend of our family, a man of many diverse talents, and we all miss him terribly still.<br />
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But life goes on in that awful, inexorable, healing way. Somehow we get past the initial pain, which transforms into a phantom limb, no longer there but inexplicably vividly felt when thought about.<br />
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Kenny was also a gardener. So I inherited a couple of tomato plants that he'd started.<br />
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These are no ordinary tomato plants, oh no. They are tomato plants that Kenny had propagated from seeds that he'd been saving from one year to the next year for the past forty years.<br />
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No pressure or anything.<br />
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I am really brilliant at growing weeds and the thought of having to nurture these tender plants (when I got them they were only just newborn plants) to full growth was totally stressful.<br />
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Completely gave me a case of Dontfuckitupitis and fearing a constipated summer, I called in an expert.<br />
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My good friend ABanana lives near me with her boyfriend who knows all about such things in nature. He kindly came over and saved my bacon. He brought over cages (who knew tomatoes aren't cage-free!?) and compost and good advice, which I followed to the letter.<br />
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The end result is that last night I picked me one of these:<br />
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I have to say that I am not a fan of raw tomatoes 99% of the time. Most supermarket tomatoes seem mushy and mostly flavorless to me and I will occasionally get some from a farm stand, but not often enough to be like "oh yeah, I like raw tomatoes".<br />
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But this one was different. Of course it was, I helped it grow! And then I ate it. Rawr....<br />
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Honestly this tomato was like eating warm summer sunlight. So good. I chopped it up, and tossed it with some pesto, chickpeas, Nicoise olives, and a little crumble of goat feta.<br />
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Amazeballsdeliciousness.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">And to Kenny, wherever you are, thank you. We love you and we miss you.</span><br />
<br />Annabelle B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16673588828273184476noreply@blogger.com0