Poppy Spot

When it rains, it pours

2009-02-26T17:50:00.000-08:00

Eeek! I knew it, I called it, and I did not disappoint. I've TOTALLY slacked on this blog. I feel like the kind of person who signs up for a gym membership on January 2 and never actually works out.

Between work, closing on the house, moving into said house, moving a tenant into our condo, work, family, friends, work (did I mention I'm new and trying to make a good impression?), training for my half-marathon...yeah. I am crazy, therefore life is crazy? Something like that. I would prefer to spread out all the wackiness and excitement, but this is how things seem to be for me. I graduated law school, studied for and took the bar, planned my wedding and started a new job all within a four-month span a couple of years ago. So! This is nothin'.

I miss my family and friends though. I know I haven't been too accessible by phone...you know who you are...I promise once things settle down, it's on for wine night on the new porch!

2009-01-17T17:01:00.000-08:00

Last week was crazy, hence the lack of posts. I started the new job and so far, everything is great! Everyone is incredibly nice and welcoming, including my boss. The work is interesting, the firm is great - life is good. I'm of course in my adustment period, so I'm a little frazzled because things are simply unfamiliar, but hopefully that will change soon.

We heard some bad news this weekend. Hubs' step-brother has advanced colon cancer and the prognosis isn't good. Not that it changes anything, but he and Hubs are not close (there is a big age difference and frankly, they don't know each other that well), but it still makes you evaluate the important things in your life. Which leads me to my next point...

The older I get, the more I appreciate my family. (I know, cue the Barbara Streisand music.) God knows mine isn't perfect, but the bottom line is, we love each other. And that matters more than anything. I wouldn't say I ever took mine for granted, but once you see how cruel and - maybe even worse, indifferent - some "families" are to one another, it really gives you a different perspective. I feel incredibly lucky that no matter what, my husband, mom, dad and brothers ALWAYS have my back!

No need to be a genius

2009-01-08T05:24:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading Outliers, written by Malcom Gladwell, and found it so interesting that I actually woke up two days in a row and dove right in (I usually read before going to sleep only). The book is based on Gladwell's theory that one's family, background, culture and plain old luck play much more of a role in that person's success than intelligence or IQ. For example, Bill Gates is smart, obviously...but maybe more critical to his success was the sheer luck of being born in 1955, attending a school called Lakeside, and most importantly, being dogged in his interest in computer programming.

Why does it matter that Gates was born in 1955? Because according to Gladwell, it meant that Gates was coming of age right at the time when computers were emerging from obscurity (Gladwell points out that many other major players in the computer revolution, like Steve Jobs, were all born within an approximate five-year range in the 1950s.) And Gates went to a prep school that had a PTA-like group which purchased a computer for the students to use - and Gates was hooked. He was 13 years old and spent hours exploring computer coding and programming - very unusual for that era. So by the time he got to college, he was not only light years ahead of most of his contemporaries, but he also had the bonus of tooling around with computers for thousands and thousands of hours.

I thought the Bill Gates story was interesting, but let's face it - Bill Gates probably IS a genius along with the other fortuitous events. What I found more compelling were the anthropological studies that led Gladwell's theory of why, for example, Asians are better at math. (Two main reasons: Western languages like English have a much more cumbersome and illogical numbering system, whereas Asian numerals are logical and succinct - this means that Asian children learn their numbers at a younger age and therefore get a leg up on their Western counterparts. The other main reason is sheer work - kids in China are in school almost double the time American kids.)

Then Gladwell goes into this whole dissection of rice cultivation in southern China back in the 15th and 16th centuries - and of course I'm reading along, wondering what the hell he's talking about. But the link was fascinating: the southern Chinese depended on rice for pretty much everything; it was their currency. It was also extremely difficult and precise to yield good rice crops, and it required constant diligence and back-breaking work year round. But the rewards were worth it, so the Chinese worked extremely hard. Gladwell contrasts that culture with French peasants during that same time period. They worked far, far less and literally hibernated in the winter - took to bed and purposely tried to slow down their metabolism and conserve energy. (The French were also subject to the feudal system, unlike the Chinese, Gladwell theorizes, so the Chinese had much more incentive to be movers and shakers.) So the theory goes that hundreds of years later, this Chinese work ethic and general frowning-upon of idleness means that Chinese kids simply....work harder.

Sounds crazy, right? But I couldn't help but think about Hubs, who is half-Chinese (MIL is from Taipei). When we first met, I was a little awed by certain characteristics completely foreign to me (no pun intended), like his immaculate closet (I swore he must have measured the hangers in finger-width spaces). He worked 14 hours a day and would still speak energetically to his boss on the phone at night after finally coming home. He worked days on end without a break with minimal complaint. Not zero...just not as much as someone else - ok, me - would have. Everything had to be goal-oriented, even Sundays. (Which frankly, can be kind of annoying - I'm deeply committed to my Sunday morning coffee-and-new-York-Times-in-bed routine.) Sooo....I'll be nice the next time Hubs pesters me at 7 am on a Sunday about what my "plans" are for the day. He can't help it, it's in his DNA!

Seriously, read the book. Whether you buy into it or not, it's still interesting and definitely makes you think about your own life a bit differently.

Changes all around

2009-01-07T16:14:00.000-08:00

My lady-of-leisure break is coming to an end in a few days...WAH!

Truthfully, I'm a little relieved. I've enjoyed sleeping in (if you can call a few days here and there of sleeping till 8 am "sleeping in"), but I've decided that without 1) a vacation lined up, 2) friends in like situations or 3) work-at-home jobs (or kids), this whole staying home thing is kind of for the birds. Remind me in six months to kick myself for saying that.

Anyway, last week it was a bit of a stretch to occupy myself, but this week I've actually been super busy because....we bought a house! Yep, fun times. But also the beginning of a thousand-and-one things to do. I've been extremely diligent because I know my time to do this at will is limited, so I was very happy we were able to do the inspection today. I was even MORE happy my dad took time from his busy schedule to come with me (totally unexpected). Hubs is away for work, so the company and advice was much appreciated.

(I had to laugh- to myself- when my dad started to answer questions I directed to the inspector...awww Dad. I don't think he'd like the inspector butting in if someone asked surgical questions, right? Anyway, it was cute.)

So I forsee a lot of home-decorating posts in the future and I'm welcoming any advice or links to pictures you may have! In a completely unrelated note, I gave that chicken fried rice recipe a second shot and MAN, what a difference a few key ingredients can make. I'm going to leave that as a parting gift - enjoy! (Sorry I don't have any pictures, but it does look lovely with all of the chopped scallions).

Healthy Chicken Fried Rice - in honor of Grace
1 small onion, thinly sliced and halved
1 zucchini
1/4 medium yellow pepper
1 can sliced water chestnuts
4 oz. frozen peas
1 lg. carrot, jullienned
2 c basmati rice, pre-cooked and chilled
4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken, sliced on the grain (totally appropriate to use Publix's lemon-pepper rotisserie chicken....just sayin')
1 egg
soy sauce (I like reduced sodium)
ground ginger, approx. 1 tsp.
sesame oil
chopped garlic
3-4 scallions, washed and white and green parts chopped

(In case you haven't noticed by now, I eyeball measure ingredients)

In a wok, heat approx. 1 tbl. sesame oil over medium-low heat with garlic and onion. Add julienned carrots, yellow pepper and ground ginger. Cook until slightly tender, approx. 5 minutes. Add zucchini, cook for a minute longer, then add peas and chicken.

Meanwhile, in a separate nonstick pan, scramble the egg and set aside.

Raise heat to medium high, add 1 more tbl. sesame oil and the chilled rice (the chilled part is verrrrrrry important!). Stir quickly, add a few shakes of soy sauce and cook until heated throughout. Combine the scrambled egg to the mixture, add more soy sauce if desired, and apportion to serving plates. Garnish with chopped scallions.

Chicken fried rice: epic fail

2009-01-04T17:48:00.000-08:00

I hit a bump in the culinary road tonight. I tried to recreate my mother-in-law's chicken fried rice, which is pretty much my idea of Chinese food heaven: fluffy rice married with crispy vegetables and only a smidge of chicken, topped with plenty of chopped scallions, and - most importantly - not greasy AT ALL. I've never been much of a Chinese food fan because everything is so oily and the MSG makes me thirsty like an untreated diabetic, but MIL's rice is scrumptious. Too bad mine came out nothing like it.

I'm pretty sure my minimal forethought and lack of ingredients are to blame. I had fresh zucchini, onion and yellow and red peppers on hand, but no scallions or soy sauce. The end result was ok in my opinion - certainly not what I'd call slop or throw away, but strangely, Hubs loved it and promptly ate three bowls. The major lesson I took away? Scramble the egg separately and add to the rice mixture at the end. Trust me. I'm going to ask MIL for her recipe and give it another shot soon.

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

This year, I resolve to...be better about updating this blog! I've always been a pretty introspective person but it's somewhat difficult (ok, tedious if I'm being honest) for me to commit these thoughts to writing. You're probably thinking, then why bother? Believe me, I know this blog isn't a significant contribution to...well, anything.

My friend M also maintains a blog and expressed concern about the fact that hers doesn't have a specific theme. I say, who cares! I read stuff every day - articles, magazine snippets, hell, even advertisements in the ladies' room - that does absolutely nothing to enrich my life. Sometimes you just need a mental break, a change of perspective, or in my case, an outlet. I'm actually a pretty private person and it's not in my nature to blather about myself verbally, so...it's my blog and I'll blather if I want to. Just kidding.

Moving on. I hope you all had a fan-freakin'-tastic New Year's Eve (or Day - whichever one is the more exciting at your present stage in life). Hubs and I went to a good party with good friends and had a good time. Sounds pretty good, eh?

I'm so looking forward to this year. Frankly, 2008 was getting tiresome in our house. Nothing major - no health problems or serious issues, but the bad news just kept coming and it was getting old. But as a wise lady has often told me (thanks Mama), life is a bell-shaped curve. Things have started looking sunnier, and Hubs and I are excited about that.

On that note, I'll bring this rambling post full circle: I've left my job and am starting a new one in a few weeks. In the meantime, I'm enjoying a couple of weeks of much-needed mental relaxation, and I'll definitely be more attentive to the blog. So I want to know: are you excited for 2009? Why? Leave a comment and give me some more food for thought!

There's a goose in my office

2008-12-16T06:34:00.000-08:00

Well, not really, but I'm sure my coworkers think so. I have a miserable cold and am letting out the most undignified honk of a cough every five minutes. I let Zachy sleep on our bed last night (shhhh) and I'm pretty sure I drove him away too.

As Murphy would have it, I have an appointment this afternoon and I REALLY don't want these particular peeps thinking this is par for course with me (e.g. cherry-red nose and accompanying snotrag). I already had a phone conference this morning with one of our clients, and I could practically hear her distaste coming through the wire. Who could blame her? I hate when people like me come to work sick, hacking and sneezing and touching every communal surface possible.

Poor Hubs. I gave him the scourge and he's traveling this week for work. At least I get to skulk home at the end of the day and get into our fluffy bed with clean sheets and a warm puppy. It's the little things.

Celeb tidbits

2008-12-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's Friday, and that means I woke up just wanting to play! Damn this work stuff. Occasionally, I'll allow myself a Friday indulgence: a grande nonfat latte from Starbucks, something I cut out from my routine a long time ago. (Sidenote: don't underestimate the latte factor; David Bach was really onto something). But since I don't have coffee to keep me happy this morning, I moved on to Guilty Pleasure #2 - celebrity blogs. I love Go Fug Yourself, which is linked at the bottom of this page, and Jezebel, although Jezebel is really pop-culture, not just Hollywood trash. I normally reserve the latter for when I'm sitting under the dryer at my hairstylist - thanks T, for having such an eclecic selection of smut to choose from!

Moving on. I realized all of these blogs and magazines are spamming off each other, because there's an obvious homogeny to them. To wit:

Jennifer Aniston has a major chip on her shoulder about Brad and Ang, not newsworthy. But she's already moved past the five stages of grief over her and Brad's divorce so she's, well, lost her mind and is posing nude for GQ. (No comment other than, girl's got a set of fierce abs! And that we can all agree on.) Also mentions "cougars" a lot in interviews.

Jessica Alba apparently never had much of a sense of humor, but now she's unsmiling AND has a set of pretty tragic bangs, which for some reason remind me of the raspy-voiced mutt, Peg, from Lady and the Tramp.

Lindsay Lohan is a NOT a lesbian. Yawn.

Oprah is "embarrassed" to have gained 40 pounds in the past year. Sorry, did I fall asleep and it's 1996? Also, Oprah must be a masochist because the January issue of "O" features a "before" Oprah, with what must be Photoshopped abs, next to the current 200-pound Oprah. I've heard of dubious motivational tools like putting a fat picture on the refrigerator, but damn, an entire magazine cover?

Tom Cruise has a new movie coming out, so that must be why he's making amends with everyone he's managed to offend or scare with his Zulu-mind control theories, including Matt Lauer and Brooke Shields.

The girls from The Hills have cool-but-fake jobs at places like Diane von Furstenberg to match their cool-but-fake lives.

Heath Ledger has been nominated posthumously for an Oscar, which I think is fabulous. Hubs and I have watched The Dark Knight on our new pimp TV and Blueray for the past three nights. Yes, I realize that seems excessive but a) Heath is amazing in the role of the Joker and b) we've fallen into a hypnotic state by the new TV. (And c) Christian Bale is definitely a face to see right before you fall asleep!) I hope he wins.

It's back to the salt mines for me. Happy Friday!

I'm with the band

2008-12-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it: I'm hooked on Rock Band.

If you know me in real life, you're not shocked. Especially if you happen to own Rock Band, in which case I've probably overstayed my welcome at your house on more than one occasion...maybe even after you fell asleep on your couch.

Anyway, who's counting. Luckily for those people, I recently bought my own Rock Band 2 and am proud to announce that I scored an 85% on the hard level guitar last night. As if that isn't lame enough, I'll take it one step further and admit that I created a rocker chick avatar, Mia, because somehow, I just don't FEEL like a badass playing my fake guitar sitting on the couch while wearing fuzzy Christmas socks. Mia looks way cooler than I ever will holding a guitar, plus she has awesome hair and a cute little rockin' bod.

It's all about the street cred baby.
In which case, maybe I should learn how to, ahem, learn how to play a real guitar. Some day.

No Excuses

2008-12-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

It's not quite afternoon yet and I've already dealt with four separate people who have apparently bought into the popular notion that personal responsibility is for suckas. Now, I work in litigation so maybe it's an occupational hazard, but I don't think so. I've noticed a trend and maybe you have too - the facts and contexts vary slightly but the underlying theory is the same: "It's not my fault."

ARGH. So annoying. Here's the thing: I consider myself a reasonable and compassionate person. It's true that some things really are not anyone's fault. But MOST things don't fall in that existential "que sera sera" category. And you know, making allowances for people who shirk their responsibilities isn't helping them. As I type, I'm thinking of a few excellent examples of the above, but I'll save sharing for another day. An article I just read about "helicopter parents" comes to mind.

This morning I read an article in which the vice-chairman of GM basically called his company's CEO, Rick Wagoner, a "sacrificial lamb" because there's talk about conditioning bailout money on GM's getting rid of Wagoner. So...what's the problem? Isn't he at the very least ONE of the people who steered that company into its current shitastic state?

I mean, isn't that how we were all told this big mean world works? My fifth-grade teacher, Mr. Griffith, said this phrase alllll the time: "You better learn how to do this for yourself, because when you grow up no one is going to hold your hand and tell you how to do it." What a visionary! Telling a bunch of ten-year-olds to man up was probably ahead of the curve in 1990 and I'm absolutely certain it is today. Maybe we all need to go back to fifth grade.

That's my PSA for today. I'll try to stick to celebrity gossip or food next time! ;)

Parties for Dummies

2008-12-06T09:16:00.000-08:00

Tonight is our annual Christmas party. I say "our" because now I'm married and Hubs acquired entry rights into this thing by default. But I've been throwing Christmas parties way before Hubs came on the scene - so I like to think I know a thing or two about throwing a good shindig. Actually, it's not rocket science - you have to have good food, good drinks (preferably strong) and good music. The last item is essential - bad music is just painful. (Hubs and I kept this trifecta a priority while planning our wedding...honestly, no one cares if you have awesome invitations if their food tastes like rubber and they are stuck listening to the YMCA all night.)

But even yours truly has made some real rookie party planning mistakes. It's a no-brainer that your guest bathroom needs hand soap. (Um, duh.) Or that you should test out any vessel in which you plan on holding ice beforehand, so as to not leak water all over your floor. Or that you need to keep hot food hot in order for it to be appetizing for your guests. Yep, these are all things that I've learned over the years.

Luckily people are pretty forgiving, especially if they're your friends. So rather than point out things that have gone wrong, my friends tell me how much fun they're having and compliment my outfit, which makes me happy. (Hey, I'm a Leo.) So don't be intimidated to throw a party (which is pretty common, I've heard) - stick to the basics and you can't go wrong!

And if all else fails, utilize my secret weapon: dimmers on low and LOTS of candles. Your house will instantly look better and so will everyone who's there - a win/win situation.

Cheers! Pictures to come.

Hunkering down

2008-12-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

It's sooo cold today! I know the people who know me in real life, who know where I live, will make a crack about how I couldn't possibly know the meaning of cold. Trust this Yankee-trapped-in-the-South, it's teeth-chattering freezing.

I love it.

I love having soup for dinner.

I love evergreen-scented candles.

I love having cold feet and getting into my marshmallow-fluffy bed.

I love hot cider.

I love running early in the morning and seeing everyone's Christmas lights.

Bring on the holidays!

But please let my pants fit on January 1st.

A whole lotta turkey

2008-12-01T12:54:00.000-08:00

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! I hope you had a wonderful dinner with family, the kind that inspires meaningful and heartfelt discussion about gratitude and the truly important things in life.

I kid, I kid - who actually has those family holidays so reminiscent of a Publix commercial? The idea is nice, but at our house, there's usually chaos as everyone tries to sit down before everything gets cold. (We are a family of cold-food haters!) This year, I even toyed with the idea of idea of throwing in my own little message, but it seemed a little out of place, considering the grace delivered by my mother. It could be rivaled only by, say, Homer Simpson. (Sorry, Mom.)

And of course my brothers, the great conversationalists of the family, only add to the Rockwellian atmosphere at our Thanksgiving table. To paraphrase George Bernard Shaw, if you can't get rid of a family skeleton, may as well make it dance, right?

But it's ok. Life is not a Publix commercial (thank God - talk about pressure). And the next morning, as I stood on line at 6 am for a flat-screen TV with my loyal mom and dad, ready to spar - well, verbally - with anyone who dared try to ruin Hub's Christmas surprise, I realized that while no family is perfect, I'm pretty lucky to have the one I do.

Tamale train came to town

2008-11-25T13:17:00.000-08:00

For months, Caeser's Mom and I had been eagerly anticipating the Tampa stop of So You Think You Can Dance. Even without Mary's psychotic outbursts, I'm pleased to report the show delivered.

The top eleven finalists from Season 4 were there, although Twitch didn't perform, due to an injury. My girl Katee is awesome - which I already knew, but watching her up close confirmed it. Everyone did a great job, naturally. My only grievance was the corny space fillers by Courtney and Gev - painful, drawn-out improvisations that all of the 14-year-olds surrounding us found hysterical.

But. Regardless of the sentimental "reach for the stars" mantra and tears from the dancers (it was their last tour stop), it was an amazing show. Most of my pics came out blurry since it was so dark in the arena, but I'll get a few up here.

Pumpkin Madness cont'd

2008-11-24T09:51:00.001-08:00

For some odd reason, I got the urge to make pumpkin bread at 8 pm last night. Really, I could have tackled any number of higher-priority things but when the mood strikes, go for it, right? (This is generally my motto in all areas of life.) This baby is from the Joy of Cooking - a mammoth tome given to me by my mom's friend as a bridal shower gift. Seriously, it's more than 1,000 pages.

PUMPKIN BREAD
*My modifications: I doubled the recipe with no problem, and used 4.5 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of sugar-free applesauce. (If you make one loaf and want to halve the butter, I'd do 2.5 tbl. butter and 2 tbl. applesauce.) I also added chopped walnuts and golden raisins.

One 9 x 5-inch loaf

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
Whisk together:
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine in a small bowl:
1⁄3 cup water or milk
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat in a large bowl until fluffy:
6 tablespoons (3⁄4 stick) butter, softened, or 1⁄3 cup vegetable shortening
1 1⁄3 cups sugar or 1 cup sugar plus 1⁄ 3 cup packed brown sugar
Beat in one at a time: 2 large eggs

Add and beat on low speed just until blended: 1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin puree

Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk mixture, beating on low speed or stirring with a rubber spatula until smooth and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Fold in: 1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1⁄3 cup raisins or chopped dates

Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on the rack.

For now, I'll stick with some recipes

2008-11-11T15:27:00.000-08:00

I've had a lot on my mind the past few days.

But, I don't really feel like blogging about it. Instead, here are some tasty offerings from good friends William and Sonoma that I think you'll enjoy. Hope my introspection leads to some blog-worthy comments soon.

Beef Bourgignonne
from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Oui, this recipe was fantastique. I cut the ingredients in half, which was plenty for 3 or 4 average-sized appetite people. However, I was cooking for my husband, so there were NO leftovers! Quel horror. I also omitted the bacon and mushrooms (hubs loathes mushrooms, I'm indifferent). Resist the urge to skip the browning step before adding the beef to the crock pot - it really makes a difference.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

5 lb. beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

5 thick bacon slices, cut into 1-inch pieces

5 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch
pieces

2 yellow onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick

5 garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

6 fresh thyme sprigs

6 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs

1 lb. white button mushrooms, halved

1 bottle Pinot Noir

1 Tbs. beef demi-glace

Steamed baby red potatoes tossed with
butter and chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for
serving (optional)

Directions:
Place the flour in a large bowl. Season the beef with salt and pepper, add to the flour and stir to coat evenly. Transfer to a plate, shaking off the excess flour.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil until almost smoking. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a slow cooker.

Add the bacon, carrots, onions and garlic to the sauté pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker along with the bay leaves, thyme, parsley and mushrooms.

Off the heat, pour the wine into the sauté pan and set over medium-high heat. Whisk in the demi-glace and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Add to the slow cooker, cover and cook until the meat is fork tender, 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Discard the bay leaves.

Transfer the beef bourguignonne to a platter and serve with steamed potatoes. Serves 10.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
adapted from Williams Sonoma Bridal Cookbook

There are a lot of butternut squash soup recipes out there, but this one is perfect because it's fast - and healthy. To make it really perfect, pre-roast the squash and store in the refrigerator so that you can whip up some soup when the mood strikes.

1 large butternut squash
1 large yellow onion
4-5 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup half and half
1 tbl. unslated butter

Preheat oven to 400F. Peel and chop the squash (it will roast faster if you chop into smaller pieces). Spread on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until soft when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, finely chop onion and saute in the butter until translucent and slightly brown, about 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil the chicken stock and add the onion and roasted squash. Simmer about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.*

Using a food processor, immersion blender or blender, puree the stock mixture in batches. When all batches are complete, add back to the saucepan and warm over medium-low heat.

If you care to, sprinkle some parmesan or shaved fontinella on top. I served this with cumin-toasted pita and a green salad.

* This step is actually really important, especially if you're using a blender. I have minor burns on my forearms to prove it! Boiling soup WILL force the lid off your blender. Cheers!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2008-10-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

Whew! If I thought I was behind in other areas of my life, keeping up with this blog takes the cake. Anyway, onward and upward.

I really can't believe it's October - the END of October actually. I don't know if it's the election, all of the depressing news about the economy or the phenomenon described to me by those wiser who say time starts to fly as you get older - but the past few months really passed quickly.

A couple of weeks ago, hubs and I went to our alma mater homecoming game, where we sweated profusely but had a great time cheering on the Bulls.

Last weekend, Zachy and friends dressed up in their Halloween finest and went to the annual pet costume contest in the Park. (Pics to come.) It was a great time, as usual. Dogs amuse me to no end.

Luckily, this week brought the first cold front, so I broke out my new boot(ies) and put my flatiron away. Yahoo! And Halloween is this weekend. I know Halloween is a love-or-loathe holiday for many, but I happen to love it. This year, I'm breaking out the full gore and going as a vampire. For once, Hubs can take part in the revelry, so he's going as a pirate. No lame-o couple costume for us!

I've also been cooking up a storm lately, probably because I get jazzed every year by the proliferation of pumpkin-flavored things. I came home with 10 cans of packed pumpkin the other day (yes, Hubs thinks I'm insane). So on that note, I'll leave you with a little somethin-somethin I whipped up for dinner the other night. Hubs gave it an A+.

Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe
(from Simply Recipes)
Ingredients
6-8 cups chicken broth (use vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided into 4 Tbsp and 1 Tbsp
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cups butternut squash, peeled, and finely diced
2 cups arborio rice (can substitute medium grained white rice, but arborio is preferred)
1 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp chopped chives or garlic chives
Salt

Method
1 Heat broth in medium sized saucepan and keep warm over low heat. Melt 4 Tbsp of butter in a large saucepan; add onion and butternut squash. Cook over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

2 Add rice to onion and squash. Cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine. Cook, stirring constantly until wine has been absorbed by the rice or evaporated. Add a few ladles of broth, just enough to barely cover rice. Cook over medium heat until broth has been absorbed. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes.

3 During the last minutes of cooking, add remaining tablespoon of butter, 1/3 cup Parmesan, and chives. At this point the rice should have a creamy consistency. Add salt to taste. Serve with remaining grated Parmesan.

Serves 4 to 6.

The curse is broken

2008-08-08T18:57:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since my last post but who's counting? I suspect not many. (That's my own fault - why broadcast my slackerdom to the world?) Anyway, I've been on auto-pilot for the past couple of weeks, but something happened yesterday to light a little fire under my....rear. I swear it turned Indian summer in the span of a couple of days. Anyone else living in the same vicinity as me would say I'm nuts, since it's still hotter than, well, Florida in August. But it's something about the light that's different - it's a little more orange-y- that's got me excited for fall.

I got home today to a lovely birthday surprise from LP - an Ina Garten cookbook. As I'm sure I've mentioned, I'm no domestic diva, but LP and I were talking a few weeks ago about Ina and her badass brioche and whatnot, and how she manages to make everything look so effortless. (Bitch.) LP told me that every now and then on the weekends, she gets the urge to cook up a storm and pretend she's Ina. I'm sure her hubs, who is no doubt the recipient LP's kitchen whirlwinds, doesn't mind. So while that is definitely on my to-do, I decided to tackle another recipe today.

Now, baking and me are like oil and water. And not in the way that produces a fluffy coconut cake. I'm the type of baker who forgets to put sugar in her Christmas cookies. Ok, I'm not "the type" - I actually did that a couple of years ago.

So it was with a bit of trepidation that I attempted the recipe in this month's Food and Wine's "Last Bite" feature. The olive oil thyme cake with fresh figs looked gorgeous, and the recipe seemed simple enough. I was sure it was a trap, but I decided to give it the old college try. And......maybe I should be knocking on wood, but I think the cursed baking days are over! I modified the recipe a little, since I didn't have fresh thyme. (And I'm not even sure I like thyme.) But I did have fresh rosemary, so I made Olive Oil and Rosemary cake with fresh figs instead.

(I know you're thinking this sounds like a Carraba's side dish, but trust me. It's good.)

Olive Oil Rosemary cake with Fresh Figs
(adapted from Food and Wine, Sept. 2008)

Cake
1 c plus 1.5 tbl cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3 large egg yolks
1/4 c plus 1 tbl. extra virgin olive oil (I don't care how long it is to spell out, you can shoot me before I start saying EVOO.)
1/2 c water
1.5 tsp rosemary, chopped fine
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla etract
1 c plus 2 tbl. sugar
5 large egg whites

Figs
1 lb. fresh figs, quartered (wash them gently)
1/4 c sugar
1 tbl. olive oil
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper (I used slightly less)
pinch of salt
1/2 c creme fraiche

Heat oven to 375. Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper, spray lightly with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking soda.
In a large bowl, mix the egg yolks with the olive oil, water, rosemary, salt and vanilla, and 3/4 c plus 1 tbl of the sugar. With a handheld mixer, beath the egg yolk mixture until frothy (about 3 mins). Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated.

In a clean bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 c plus 1 tbl of sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff and glossy, about 4 mins. Scoop a cup of the egg white miture into the batter and mix completely. Fold the remaining egg white mixture gently, until there are no more streaks.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake for approx. 35 mins. The sides will pull away from the pan and the top should be golden. Set on rack and let cool completely, about an hour.

While the cake is baking, prepare the figs:
In a medium bowl, toss the figs, olive oil, sugar, pepper and salt. Let stand at room temp for about an hour, so the figs can release their juices.

Cut the cake into 12 rectangles and transfer to plates. Spoon the figs/juice mixture over each slice, and top with a dollop of creme fraiche.

New York state of mind

2008-07-16T07:12:00.001-07:00

I'm lusting, bad...for a trip to NYC.

I know fall is supposed to be "the best" time to be in the city, but I have a permanent love affair with Manhattan in the sweltering summer months. No matter that the humidity is basically as high as it is here in the dirty South. I don't care that my favorite activity - just walking the neighborhoods - leaves me as sweaty as a spin class can. There's just something about it that causes me to regress back to 1989 and I get that excited, school's-out-for-the-summer feeling. Lunching at outdoor cafes, lolling on the green at Central Park, an ice cream while strolling through SoHo, baking to golden perfection at Jones Beach - well, I've learned my lesson on that last one. (Now it's spf 80 and the biggest hat you'd ever imagine.)

And then there were all the trips to Long Island. My aunt and uncle have lived in the same house for virtually their entire married life together, and I have so many fun memories of summers spent there. Sitting on the Adirondack chairs on the back porch of their olive Cape Cod-style house, biking through their Levittown-style neighborhood, Italian ices at the local pizzeria and sparklers on the roof on the 4th of July.

In August 2000, my mom and I traversed the city together like we'd never return. We hit all the usual places - Chinatown, SoHo and the Village, the Upper East Side, Central Park. We hit MOMA for the grand re-opening; had cheesecake at Juniors, and bought knock-offs on Canal Street. This would be the summer of the event I'll dub "The Mascara Incident," and it goes a little something like this:

My mother has a dear friend from her teen years - we'll call her Drama Queen, not because there are any negative connotations, but because she is theatrical and articulate in every sense of the word. DQ has a son my age, call him Mr. Mayor, and he's always up for a fun time in a cousinly kind of way (that is, if your cousin drinks like a fish and knows half of Manhattan).

DQ and Mr. Mayor met my mother, my aunt and I for dinner one night on this memorable trip. The ladies and I were shacking up at the Plaza (lest you think this was typical, it was not - Mama had a credit to utilize). The plan was for Mr. Mayor to take me to some of his usual watering holes and, as always, we had an extremely fun and late evening. I distinctly remember trying to find the appropriate elevator at the Plaza, and in my drunken haze, thought I saw Madeline glaring at me disapprovingly from her portrait in the lobby. It was THAT kind of a night.

I found the room and let myself in. Tiptoeing in, aware that there were three sleeping bodies not to step on, I located the bathroom and waited until I closed the door to turn the light on. When I did, I found a pristine, Plaza-standard white hand towel with a message crazily scrawled in ransom-note fashion: DO NOT FLUSH.

What was next, a stigmata? Was it a message from Satan? Clearly I had drank enough to hallucinate. I barely supressed a shriek - actually, I don't think I supressed it at all. My mom came into the bathroom and I howled about the towel, the message, the fact that "someone was out to get me."

Long story short: She wrote it. In mascara. At 2 a.m., when she realized I'd wake up my aunt, who is a notorious and grouchy light sleeper, by coming in and - you guessed it - flushing the toilet. (If you're asking 'why mascara'....I guess she didn't have a Sharpie?)

This was a very entertaining story the next morning at brunch, and I would have enjoyed it much more had I not been face-down in my omlette.

A couple of Augusts ago, when Mr. Poppies and I were still dating, we stayed in Tribeca. It was our first trip to the city together, although he is from NY as well. Just engaged and giddy with excitement, we shopped and ate our way all over the city. This was the trip of The $80 Cheeseburger: whilst catching up with the World Cup in a charming little boite called Cafe Felix, Mr. Poppies and I ordered a cheeseburger and Coke (him) and a salad, side of fries and glass of white table wine (me). The waiter brought our bill and Mr. Poppies, who could never be accused of being a cheapskate, nearly choked on his bouef. Yep, $80 (not including tax or tip) for our light meal.

A couple of months ago, I happened to catch Big Daddy (the Adam Sandler movie) on TV. Adam Sandler's character is taking his young charge out for a walk around his neighborhood when the kid says he has to pee right now. AS then instructs the kid to go along the side of the wall and even demonstrates how to do so. Smugly, I pointed out to Mr. Poppies that the wall they were degrading was none other than that of Cafe Felix. It made me smile.

Ah I love New York in the summer!

Favorite things

2008-07-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Friends and food, of course!

I spent a very lovely Sunday afternoon with friends Kiki and CaesarsMom, and CM's new baby. Let's call him Fussypants, cause that's what he is these days. Poor guy seems to have ongoing GI distress, and we all know what that can be like...

Anyway, FP is super cute and I was happy to spend time with him. Every now and then I get a baby twinge but, like indigestion, it usually fades within the hour. Right now it's perfect being Auntie Poppies. I had a great old time holding FP and giving him a bottle, which he chugged happily. It's amazing how instantly one can be gratified by being fed. (I should know.)

It was also nice catching up with my pals. Sometimes I get a little wistful when I think about how everyone is a "grown up" now, with mortgages, spouses, kids and careers. That's why it's great to realize you're never too mature (at least, in my crowd) to look up stupid youtube videos and spend the afternoon laughing your ass off.

My other noteable activity for the weekend was channeling my inner Martha. Those who know me in real life know why this is amusing...I'm the anti-Martha! But I do like to experiment with ingredients in the kitchen (I guess that would be cooking; I look at it more as playtime). My culinary creations included Berry Cobbler Rip-off and Kitchen Sink Shrimp in Mustard Sauce.

Yes, I made up those names. They're pretty self-explanatory, no?

Here are the recipes, while I figure out how to create links in this damn blog. Mangia!

Berry Cobbler Rip-off
4 c fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 c blackberries, rinsed
(Why be so formal...you can really add whatever berries you want.)
1 c flour
1 c brown sugar instant oatmeal
2-3 tbl unsalted butter

Dump the berries in a glass pie pan.
Mix the flour and oatmeal together, then work the butter in with your (clean) fingers until crumbly. Pour evenly over the berries. Add more butter if you like it and are not trying to lose weight at the moment. Bake at 350 for approx. 40 mins, or until brown n' bubbly. Serve with vanilla ice cream or fro yo.

Kitchen Sink Shrimp with Mustard Sauce
This is my adaptation of a very chic recipe from a Williams Sonoma cookbook (Skate with Mustard Sauce). While definitely a poor relation to its sophisticated cousin, it's very tasty.

3 small-med red potatoes, boiled and then diced
1 oz. proscuitto, chopped (can use pancetta or bacon, too)
3 c fresh spinach
2-3 summer squash, chopped
dijon mustard
olive oil
chopped garlic
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails off, if you're like me)

Saute 1-2 tbl. garlic (I am heavy handed with it) in olive oil in a large pan. Add potatoes and prosciutto, cook for about 5 minutes. Add squash, cook for another 3 minutes or so.

Mix 3 tbl. mustard with a few tablespoons of water, just so it's thinner but not runny. Pour on ingredients and mix - you can add a tbl of unsalted butter if so inclined (or just add a bit more olive oil).

Add the shrimp and cook for only about 1 minute, then add spinach (may have to add in batches). Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Make sure everything has been covered by the mustard sauce. Add salt to taste and crushed pepper, if you want. Serve over basmati rice.

Blog virgin

2008-07-12T05:04:00.000-07:00

Greetings! Despite every past snide comment I've made about bloggers and their self-indulgent tendencies (sorry), I decided to take a stab at self-chronicling. (Er, you know what I mean.) Stay tuned!