The Cooking Bug Bites Again!

As the temperature drops and darkness settles in like a tired old mutt after circling the block three times I find myself back in the kitchen, beer or wine in hand, cooking food for friends. It's like shrugging on that well-worn robe you forgot on the back of your closet door all summer.

Last night I wanted to caramelize onions. So I decided to make pizza and invite over my friend Hooman, thinking he would likely ask his roommate, my friend Emrah, along with. I arrive home to a funny coincidence: my roommate Meredith is cooking dinner for Susan, Emrah's girlfriend, and told her to invite both boys along. Ahhh, Serendipity ... not just a delicious restaurant in NYC.

I like to use Whole Food's 365 brand GF pizza crust. It's very difficult to screw up and can be spread to your desired thickness (that's right, you don't knead or roll out GF dough, you spread it.) I threw in a generous helping of Italian seasoning to the dry mix for an extra flavor boost.

For toppings I skipped the sauce and threw on some hunks of fresh Gouda plus a heaping amount of aged Gruyere (one of my all time favorite cheeses.) Piled on top of that were the onions I'd caramelized and some trumpet mushrooms I sauteed in evoo, butter, and some Adobo seasoning. A sprinkling of fresh, hand-torn sage followed by 20ish minutes in the oven and viola!

All of my friends were genuinely surprised at how tasty it turned out. So tasty, in fact, that I didn't take the above picture until after work today when I reheated a slice (the beer, as you can see, is Bard's sorghum beer.)

Tonight I spent some time with another dear friend, Alisa. I had a craving for bruschetta which she was only too happy to help make and then consume. Bruschetta is an easy one with some wiggle room for fun ingredient manipulation. This time being my first, however, I played it simple: chopped tomatoes heated in evoo (about 1 Tbsp oil per pound of tomato) with a sprinkle of salt and hand-torn fresh basil tossed in at the end, just long enough to release some flavor and aroma.

The bread is Against the Grain baguettes, halved and split lengthwise, then fried in evoo and some butter. And then before piling the thick, slightly crunchy, slightly chewy slices with tomatoey basily goodness I rubbed them over with a garlic clove half. YUM.

If it's your thing, you could also drizzle some balsamic vinegar on top. Or add more salt. I'm not really a salt person.

Later days.

And Now for Something Slightly Different

I have moved! So, so very far away. An entire 1/2 mile, in fact. I still have the same zip code, which you would think should have made the process somewhat less of a hassle.

WRONG!

After nearly busting my ass trying to avoid hitting an oblivious pedestrian on the ride home I drank two glasses of cheap red wine (three buck chuck cab from Trader Joe's - had to finish the bottle anyway) in quick succession to calm down and immediately began to move. Two van loads and three car loads later I was able to pass out in my somewhat navigable new bedroom at midnight.

Though I was a complete zombie at work yesterday I managed last night to set up the kitchen with Meredith (roommate for another round) and later we set up the living room with Dan (new roommate.) Once again a pass-out time of midnight.

However a set-up kitchen plus cooler weather means I was able to stretch my cooking muscles last night. So much counter space! And a dishwasher! Magical.

I finally fulfilled my pasta craving from the other week, though I couldn't find GF farfalle so I used fusilli instead. Cooked that up to squishy perfection and coated it with olive oil in which I had sauteed diced bell peppers (red/green/yellow, wish I had had the time to mince them but was far too hungry at that point,) some diced onions leftover from my other dish, and roasted garlic. Topped it off with Adobo seasoning for some serious yum. Also: vegan. Brought in some leftovers for lunch!

The other dish was a wilted spinach salad, this week's craving. Got a bunch of organic stuff from my much smaller but much closer neighborhood Whole Foods. Threw in the aforementioned diced onions, some minced non-roasted garlic, and chopped grape tomatoes. Topped it off with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and feta cheese crumbles. Seriously? Sometimes I impress myself.



Hopefully these two dishes will feed me through Saturday when I will be getting on a plane to the Left Coast! So excited for my trip. Spending Saturday through Wednesday just outside of Portland with my youngest aunt, Trish, then spending Wednesday through Sunday in San Diego with my friend Luke. I simply cannot wait to cook for these two. I love to cook for people important to me and try to impress them. Especially Aunt Trish, since she's such an amazing chef herself!

I'll report back on my gustatory and other adventures when I'm back on the Right Coast.

Later days.

Increasing My Ground Speed

I have purchased a bike! It is a red-brown Raleigh Sprite, with all it's original parts. Not sure what year, but it's in great condition and I've managed not to destroy it on the six rides I've made so far. Being a bike owner/rider opens up an entire new world for me. I find myself overcome with the urge to buy pants that stop mid-calf and the need for a miniaturized tool kit. Before you know it I'll have various body parts wrapped in reflective tape and dreadlocks. Viva la bicyclette!

Last night two new Couch Surfers arrived from NYC, Emily and Arielle. They brought me a gift: two slices of the most moist, flavorful, mouth-wateringly beautiful gluten-free carrot cake in the world. This cake can be purchased for a surprisingly non-exorbitant fee (surprising given its miraculousness) at Risotteria in Greenwich Village. They also serve GF risotto, pizza, panini, salad and BEER, amongst other desserts. Even the table bread sticks are GF!

The desire to cook continues to elude me. Though outside temperatures and humidity may be slighty improved my apartment continues to retain heat like ... like ... like water! (Get it? Because water has such a high specific heat? Just go in the ocean late at night, you'll feel it.) What I mean is I neither want to be inside nor do I want to be home, specifically. Though that part is unavoidable, packing must occur. I can't tell you how super excited I am for my new huge kitchen! Prepare yourself for an Autumn/Winter full of dinner parties and recipe experimenting!

I did help prepare a small, light dinner with good friends Sunday night - leafy greens with a vinaigrette, pan-roasted corn and tomato salad, oven-roasted asparagus, Caprese salad, blackberries, a cheese plate, and a glass or two of red wine. Enjoyed on the back deck with a relieving evening breeze. Parfait!

I leave you today with a poem. I wrote it for my best friend's wedding toast, as was my duty to compose and recite as Maid of Honor this past Friday. It is also the poem I will be performing at open mic tomorrow night sometime between 8-10pm, if you happen to be in the vicinity of the Cantab Lounge in Central Square, Cambridge.

Her love is Spring. The cheerful pastels of youth, the scent of warmth on each mild zephyr, the coiled energy in its name. And the determination of each new flower as it burst through the soil and proclaims "I am here!" The art of creation. The dimple in the year's cheek.

His love is Summer. The ever-present, life-giving sun, scorching in its passion and echoing with children's play. It makes and keeps the promise of hot, lazy, breakfast-filled weekends, settling into your belly with the warmth of home.

My love is Autumn. Ever-changing and unpredictable, a tumultuous jumble of color, punctuated with teasing winds. But hidden inside from this bitter exterior is a house filled with comfort foods and familiar aromas and a sense of settling down, readying yourself for what's to come next.

Our love in Winter. Still and calm. Uniform and reliable. Though piercing winds may lash at exposed skin it only drives us inward, back to the core of our being. Together, we can withstand any Nor'easter.

And your love ... your love is without season. It is the audible hum of life present on the longest and shortest of days, during drought or downpour. Your love holds the entire year in the palm of its hand. It stretches its fingers, reaches out, and nearly grasps eternity.

The Concern with Cocktails

My lapse in blogging is directly proportional to my lapse in cooking. My desire to cook is indirectly proportional to the temperature. You pickin' up what I'm throwin' down?

Due to a lack of funds Nacho Quest 2009 is temporarily on hold. Instead, I've returned to making my own nachos. I've got to say, my favorite combination, based on flavor and price, is thus:

Trader Joe's Veggie & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips
Trader Joe's Colby Jack Cheese
Trader Joe's Spicy, Smoky, Peach Salsa
Scallions
(Sour Cream, depending on my mood)

Still, I experiment from time to time. And on the topic of experimenting, I am surprised to report that Mark Bittman and I have something in common. Money? Fame? Ingenuity in the kitchen and with the written word? Nope. We are both moving. And hence, we are both trying to empty our stores (a.k.a. pantries) in order to lessen the burden of moving.

My first pantry pilfering attempt was an unmitigated FAIL. I wanted rice, something akin to the fluffy, limey, cilantro-enhanced vats produced at Mexican chain restaurants. But with a few extra ingredients.

In my pantry = long grain brown rice, can of diced tomatoes in olive oil and garlic.
Purchased = 1 onion, 2 limes, bunch of cilantro

Result = too soupy! I couldn't figure how to get all that extra liquid out of my pot. In addition, it's not the greatest pot. It's an old metal thing, not tempered or layered or whatever it is they do to pots these days to ensure even heating and lack of things burning and sticking to the bottom unless you watch it constantly. They were a hand-me-down from my mum, to whom they were given when she got her first apartment in the early 70s, most likely purchased sometime in the 30s/40s. Oy.

Anyhow, the rice was tasty and edible (and GF and vegan) so I will consume it this week. The remaining staples in my pantry to be experimented with: black lentils, quinoa, lots of GF flour/baking mixes. Too bad it's been in the 90s and unbearably humid or else I'd be baking up a storm, seeing as how I have 10 eggs in my fridge.

To catch up: Maine was lovely. Swimming, napping, eating, and oh yes, excessive drinking. I finished my 31 days of sobriety 2 weeks ago but didn't really dive back into that lifestyle until Maine. Reminder to self - drinking eats up a lot of time, money, and calories, in both meanings of the word. This past weekend was slightly calmer, with my only adventure being a refreshing jaunt out to Walden Pond (side note: I didn't realize until high school that Walden Pond was famous) followed by a brief stop at my parents' house. Just to say hi. And pet the dog. And look through some clothes my sister is giving away. And eat.

This week's craving: farfalle with a light garlicky oil and minced bell peppers.

News Flash: I ate some guacamole on Saturday. And ... actually enjoyed it. This is huge news for all of my avocado-obsessed friends. The reason I was able to enjoy it? Made fresh, in front of my eyes, with excessive overuse of cilantro and lime, at Ole in Inman Square. The best damn (nice) Mexican restaurant in The Greater Boston Area. Perhaps it is time to start giving guac more of a chance ... since apparently it's everywhere in San Diego, one of my upcoming adventure destinations.

Later days.

Home is the place where ...

I spent this past weekend in New York City. Having lived there for three and a half years, my NY weekends are not what you would expect. Mostly I spend time with my friends, walking around, playing video games, watching movies, and trying out new gluten-free fooderies.

This weekend, however, lacking somewhat in funds, I only revisited two favorites: Ivy Bakery by my friend's place in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn for a gluten-free carrot cake cupcake (still the best GF cupcakers I've found) for "breakfast" on Saturday and a huge, glorious dosa from Hampton Chutney Co. (the one on Amsterdam between 82nd & 83rd) on Sunday to consume on the bus ride back to Boston. yum.

Otherwise the most NY thing we did was re-explore St. John the Divine, the largest cathedral in the world and by far my favorite (it has peacocks! live ones!), and meander from there (110th and Amsterdam) to a Red Sox bar called Professor Thoms' on 2nd ave between 13th & 14th. a roughly 6 mile walk, as shady as we could make it in Saturday's sunshine.

The reason we ventured back to our old NYU neighborhood and a Sox bar (my friends consist of a Mets fan, a Phillies fan, and an agnostic) was to try their nachos. According to my online research, the nachos offered at this establishment are the best in NYC. So I considered it part of my sacred duty as chairperson of Nacho Quest 2009 Boston to dive into these nachos face first.

While excellent in the categories of portion size (it came on a pizza tray!), price, and salsa, they only fared average in cheese, sour cream, and extras. The chips themselves were sub par and while we received a lovely little pile of jalapeños there was an overall lack of flavor. A zestlessness, if you will.

If Nacho Quest 2009 has taught me only one thing so far, it is that the chances of finding nachos better than the ones already holding spots numbers 1 and 2 in my heart are slim to none. Still, we march on. There are many nacho providing establishments in The Greater Boston Area still on our quest. And I have compiled a short list for my NY friends to explore on their own, so that when I next visit mayhaps my nachoing experience will be somewhat improved.

If you care to test my favorite nachos, head over to

1.) Sunset Grill & Tap (or Sunset Cantina, since they're the same franchise) in Allston (off the B line) and order the South-of-the-Border Giant Fiesta Nachos. Now, to be fair, the straight-up Buenos Cheese Nachos are beautiful in their simplicity and still executed expertly but let's get real - you want a gastronomical challenge. The word "giant" is an understatement. The full plate can comfortably feed 4 average to somewhat-above-average eaters. Even if you are starving you could never hope to finish an entire half plate by yourself. Unless, maybe, you practiced. Unsurprisingly my go-to chili choice is the Veggie 3-bean. Delish!

or

2.) CBC (Cambridge Brewing Company) in Kendall Square: tri-color chips, top-notch distribution, amazing extras, including some seriously hot peppers if you like your bites to be super spicy!

And remember, readers, the motto of Nacho Quest 2009: If we didn't layer our nachos, what would separate us from the animals?

Meanwhile, back on the farm, I passed my Kaplan audition. The next step is a one-on-one interview to make sure the fit is right and to figure out where and when I can train. As long as it doesn't get in the way of the wedding or my Left Coast trip, I'm gold. Otherwise I can always try to get back into coaching.

Later days

In Media Res

Sometimes I do things I know I'll regret later just because they're so enjoyable in the moment. For example, drinking. Though not so much lately, being 20 days into my month of sobriety.

In this moment I am thoroughly enjoying the dregs of a box of salt water taffy that my co-worker Natasha passed on to me. I'm quite aware that the sugar high will end, leaving me to plummet into a headachey oblivion (in my mind I picture this as Wild E. Coyote suddenly realizing that the ground has run out beneath him, holding up a 'Yipe!' sign.)

Last night was a gustatory adventure. My roommate Meredith, our good friend Nicolas, and I had a dinner party. While using the CouchSearch function on http://www.couchsurfing.org/ to figure out just where our profiles came up, we realized just how many Surfers there are in Cambridge and Somerville whom we've never met. So we did the logical thing and messaged three strangers each to invite them over for dinner!

Meredith made her infamous butternut squash enchiladas (gluten-free, vegetarian.) The ratio of squash to cream cheese to scallions, smothered in even more cheese, easily makes this dish our go-to dinner party/potluck choice.

Butternut Squash Enchiladas
1 medium butternut squash
4 oz. cream cheese
4 scallions
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander or cilantro
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
vegetable oil
12 corn tortillas
48 oz. salsa
1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
shredded iceberg lettuce

Split squash down the middle & bake at 400 for 45 to 60 minutes [probably more] until soft on an oiled pan. Scoop out 2 cups and mash with cream cheese, spices, and scallions until fairly smooth. Soften tortillas by frying or steaming [I nuke each one for 12 seconds]. Apply half of the salsa on the bottom of a casserole dish, roll filling into tortillas, and bake with cheese and remaining salsa on top for 25 to 30 minutes at 350. Garnish with sour cream and lettuce.

I "helped" Nic make some Mexican rice (gluten-free, vegan when replacing chicken broth with vegetable broth, from my America's Test Kitchen cookbook. Thanks mum!) to accompany the enchiladas. Also the night before I had thrown some sliced grapefruit, green apple, bosc pear, and lime into some blush wine with orange juice for a lighter summer sangria, adding some gingerale just before serving.

Our guests pitched in as well, mostly with beer and wine, but also with some nice cheeses and Nut Thins to hold over our appetites. One pleasant surprise was a salad thrown together by the two women currently surfing with Meredith and I - spinach, strawberries, and chopped walnuts with a lovely ginger miso dressing from Whole Foods. YUM!

I predict more new-friend-dinners like this in the future.

Unsurprisingly the Surfer I talked to the most was the one visiting his brother from San Juan. Of course now my new fantasy is to save up enough money to go visit in December where Geo promises to teach me how to surf and longboard. We'll see ...