BBM4 - Singapore Package!

I was very lucky to have the lovely ST, a "born and bred typical Singaporean who loves a spicy chilli crab", to be my BBM4 partner! Thank you so much ST for putting together such a great package. I really enjoyed opening and trying all the goodies! And thanks to the Food Ninja for hosting a really spectacular round of BBM!

I received a Chinese New Year themed package that included a note explaining some New Year celebrations and traditions, a CD of traditional Chinese music with a modern twist, a package of gift envelopes, mango dessert mix (I think it's like pudding), pepper salt prawn spices














pineapple tarts her aunt made














& super cute mandarin orange jelly candies!

truffles

How can something so delicious make your tummy feel so bad?
I've only eaten 2 today...but it's still early.

My SP7 Valentine

My very generous Secret Pal sent me a HUGE Valentine's package that I got yesterday...yippee! She sent a handmade card, candy, candle, stitch markers, soaps, note cards, a pink dishcloth and much more...thank you SP7 so much!















I started working on a pair of Voodoo wrist warmers from Knitty. This is the first time I've used double pointed needles - a little confusing but fun.

Lamb Stew

We stayed in on Friday - very odd, but very nice. I finally was able to make Tina's West Side Market Stew. It took about 3 hours and was worth every minute. I pretty much followed Tina's recipe exactly, even including some optional rutabaga & parsnip (1 of each). How rooty! But couldn't restrain myself from adding an extra pint of Guiness and some fresh rosemary.

Prosperity Social Club

Over the past few months my friends and I have visited Prosperity Social Club numerous times and it has become my new favorite place to go drink. The service is great. On one visit a patron asked if they sold Camel lights. Bonnie the owner said no, but that she had to go get cigarettes for the bar anyways and would pick up a pack for him when she ran across the street. That's how you get return customers. Also, the women's bathroom is always clean - even after midnight on the weekends. This is very important to me. It makes me very happy!

They have a small menu and I have been pleased with everything ordered. The cheesy artichoke dip is served with pitas - one visit white pita and on another wheat. Last night we had mussels and fried oysters off the special $5 menu. I was weary of fried oysters (I like them on the half shell) but the bartender assured me that they're good. We took his advice and ordered them - you can also get them in a po'boy sandwich. They were pretty good - the oysters were not chewy or tough. The sauce that they served on the side was spicy and sweet and the breading wasn't greasy at all. Unfortunately, the first oyster I popped in my mouth had a bit of shell still stuck to it. I chewed very carefully from then on. The 1 pound of muscles came out hot and were decent sized - served with with nice soft rolls to soak up the wine broth.

They also have entertainment---stocked jukebox and bowling machine!

Pierogi Partner

Last night, after the Flying Chicken show, we headed over the the Beachland Ballroom for some music and drinks (and very tasty old bay fries). I was enthusiastically telling my friend Hillary about my future pierogi taste testing adventures and she informs me that she's never had a pierogi! Now, she isn't originally from Cleveland but she did go to grad school in....Pittsburgh! I didn't think such a thing was possible. She didn't even know what kind of fillings there are. She offered to accompany on some tasting nights - I wonder if I can drag her to all ten places and do a "side-by-side" review. I just hope she likes them or that wouldn't really work for the other 9 places. hmph.

Best pierogi?

Due to the Superbowl, there are many bloggers writing about the Steelers & tailgate food. I am not really into football but have enjoyed reading about Pittsburgh eating pierogis (entries #1 & #2) on Slashfood! Although, I am convinced that pierogi are more popular in Cleveland than Pittsburgh---the AOL City Guide : Cleveland has a Best Pierogi category, Pittsburg's does not. Last year the city's best pierogi award went to the Pierogi Palace.

I'm not sure when the competors of this highly prized award were officially announced but...(drum roll) The 2006 nominees are:

Babushka's Kitchen
John Christie's Tavern
Linden Tavern
Moosehead Saloon
Pierogi Palace
Sokolowski's University Inn
Stan's Northfield Bakery
Tick Tock Tavern

This year I have decided to try all nominees, so that I can cast an honest vote for where I believe you can get the Best Pierogi in Cleveland. Anyone craving carbs?

When Chickens Fly

My friend is having an opening tonight...

When Chickens Fly Becky Bristol's one-woman show features exploding fantasy-laced panoramas populated with animals and people surrounded by twisted roads, architecture and fauna. Bristol creates a storyboard painted in bright colors and exaggerated forms that force the viewer to question the subject matter, oneself, and what one sees. The show kicks off with a wine and cheese reception on Fri 2/3 from 6-9PM and runs through 2/25. Arts Collinwood Gallery, 15605 Waterloo Road. - from coolcleveland.com

Michael Ruhlman Article

"Michael Ruhlman leans back in a chair in his Cleveland Heights kitchen, a Marlboro Light in one hand and a glass of Laphroaig in the other. For once, the lanky 43-year-old author and chef seems at ease. He's just wooed a first-time visitor with an indulgent homemade meal, and he is obviously relishing the break from his omnipresent deadlines to talk about food and drink for a while." --- Article about Michael Ruhlman in the Cleveland Scene.

smell the coffee?

I never seem to have the time to make coffee in the morning. If I do, I either can't find my travel mug or end up leaving it filled sitting on the kitchen table. I've decided to give up brewing at home and stop most every day for coffee even though it makes me late to work at...

Civilization in Tremont- Love the ladies (and cute guy) that work there. Love the raspberry cheese croissant. Do not love that their large isn't the gigantic American "LARGE" coffee that I think I need to get through the first 4 hours of a work day. Love that if I can find my travel mug, they'll fill it for only a buck.

or

Cafe Ah-Roma, across from CSU on Euclid - Everyone there is soooo happy - to the point where it is borderline annoying. "Good Morning! How are you today? Can I get you some coffee? How about some breakfast?". Wow dudes, it's a bit early for me but I love the cute CSU guys that kinda look like Jack White and are super cheery. I wonder if they go through a lot of employee training--- Smile. Make eye contact. Smile some more! Love the BIG coffees and the Ah-Roma bagel sandwich with swiss cheese and ham. They also have really great sandwiches and salads for lunch - try the chicken salad.



If I'm really late I go to the "coffee cart" at work (after I make an appearance at my desk). Barista Bernard infuriates me with his constant banter plus his lack of consistency and speediness. After each visit I swear I will NEVER go back!

I went this morning. And waited 10 minutes for a cup of coffee out of a thermos.

Double-Zero

I happened to stuble upon Banana Republic this morning and noticed that their dresses are "Now Available in Size Double-Zero." What? Is that a real size? I was hoping that was a typo or something and what they really meant was "Now Available in Size Double-D".

Birthday Booty!

My birthday was last Sunday (1/22) and my dear family and friends graciously gave me some pretty cool stuff:

An Amazon gift certificate (already spent on The Art of Eating, Superfoods HealthStyle, David Lebovitz's Room for Dessert & The Soup Peddler's Slow & Difficult Soups) - I should have lots of new recipes to try out!

Some very relaxing Lush and Aveda products.

A gift certificate to get my hair done at Salon Sedona.

One pair of pretty blue glass earrings from Prosperity Studio, located on E. 40th St. in exotic Cleveland, OH.

From my Secret Pal a skein of white wool yarn with kool aid so that I can dye it and a new scarf pattern! Plus truffles! Yum :)

And from my dear husband (insert drum roll here)...
A DIGITAL CAMERA!!!

Why am I not posting millions of digital photographs right now? Well, he didn't know which camera I wanted so he just picked one off the shelf, so I had something to open. His intention being that I can return it and get the one I want. Isn't that sweet? He's a smart guy.

Thanks to everyone for the lovely gifts!

Chicken Tostadas

I made a version of this Martha Stewart recipe for Tostadas Salsa Verde last night. More like I followed the concept of the recipe and used what I had in the cupboard. No cilantro, substituted cheddar cheese for pepper jack and I added some avacado on top. I really missed the salsa verde - that's what peaked my tastebuds in the first place!



Hi Secret Pal 7!!! She sent me a picture postcard from Philadelphia - she took the picture from her friend's rooftop deck. I think it looks quite serene.

Meet the Bloggers Fundraiser

from Brewed Fresh Daily:

"In an effort to raise money to pay for interview transcripts, Northeast Ohio bloggers have organized a fundraiser for Meet The Bloggers, to take place Thursday night, January 26, 2006, from 5.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. at the Pearl of the Orient restaurant, located in Beachcliff Market Square, 19300 Detroit Road, Rocky River, OH.

Please distribute this information widely. We’ve got 4 or 5 outstanding transcripts and at least that many interviews scheduled already.

A tremendous thanks to Scott Bakalar for donating his time and arranging this opportunity for us. "

More sausage

Gloria Ferris posts about The Sausage Shoppe where you can get nitrate, msg, and preservative free, you guessed it, sausage!

I finally went shopping

Yesterday I went shopping and bought tons of groceries, toiletries and household supplies. I feel like a real person again - minus a substantial amount of money. I've also started going to Jazzercize classes. It's not very cool, but at least I am doing something physical.

Last night I cooked! Nothing too extravagant - Tuna Noodle Casserole. I used:

1 bag No Yolk noodles
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 8oz package of fresh mushrooms - sliced and sauted
1 can of peas
2 cans of tuna
sprinkling of cheddar cheese and bread crumbs on the top

What kind of interesting stuff do you put in your tuna casserole???

News...

Food: Not yet fully unpacked or ready to start cooking again. Tonight we had Barilla, for like the 12th time since we moved. bleh.

Music: The Black Keys are playing at the Agora (presented by the Beachland Ballroom) on Feb. 25th. I bought my tickets yesterday and hope you get yours soon. They are truly awesome.

Movies: Went to see Brokeback Mountain (wow!) and The Family Stone (crap).

Knitting: Currently working on the Windy City Scarf from Stitch 'N Bitch.


Swaps: I've received 2 swap packages recently. A snack swap package filled with popcorn, cookies and candy from the crafty Mary of San Diego and a thrift store package from Abby in Irving, TX. A Conway Twitty record bowl, belt buckle, necklace and cowgirl purse. Thanks for swapping!

The official Secret Pal 7 Questionnaire

I signed up for Secret Pal 7...here are my questionnaire answers for my Secret Pal.
Hi there - whoever you are!

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? I would like to be a yarn snob!

2. Do you spin? Crochet? Neither

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? Been meaning to make a case but right now they're in a tall glass vase.

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? About 1 year - beginner.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Amazon

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Nothing too flowery or sweet.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Verrrry sweet. Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, licorice, mint, not into hard candies that much.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Paper crafts, printing, cooking, sewing

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I like all kinds of music and LOVE my ipod!

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? I am a blue, gray, black (darks) kind of person when it comes to clothing but like to get a little more interesting with my accessories.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I am married and have 4 shubunkin goldfish

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wear scarves but oddly enought don't have any gloves, mittens, hats or ponchos - and I live in OHIO!!!

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I really don't have a favorite yet. I have mostly used all natural fibers though.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I don't like those very furry "fun" yarns.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Scarves, scarves and scarves. That's the only thing I've ever made!

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Well, scarves I guess!

17. What are you knitting right now? The Stitch 'N Bitch Windy City Scarf

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes!!!

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? I like both

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? bamboo

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? no

22. How did you learn to knit? Reading Stitch 'N Bitch and other books

23. How old is your oldest UFO? I've pretty much finished every knitting project I've started - so far!

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

25. What is your favorite holiday? My birthday, St. Patrick's Day and Halloween. And any holiday that gets me out of work!

26. Is there anything that you collect? cookbooks, earrings

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? none

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? not that i can think of

29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I'd like to learn how to knit socks

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Not sure but I wear a 9 1/2 size shoe.

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) 1/22

Hello 2006!

These past few weeks seem to have flown by and I feel so out of the blog loop. Work is starting back up this week (I'm doing a presentation on Monday about blogs!) and we are getting our cable hooked up on Saturday....I will finally be online again.

We moved December 23rd and we're still unpacking. Over winter break I was able to spend a lot of time with my family - some visiting from Colorado. It's been lots of fun. The apartment and cleaning can wait. Lots of eating and shopping and knitting. Not so much cooking. I really can't make much more than cereal in my kitchen right now.

A recent food highlight was New Year's Eve dinner at Parker's. Unfortunately, my husband had the flu but insisted that we still go. The poor guy wasn't able to finish any course and left with a full beer and glass of wine sitting infront of him. He was REALLY ill :(

Merry Christmas and Happy Moving!

I'm packing right now. The movers are coming on Friday. Saturday is Christmas Eve...Sunday Christmas. I am REALLY busy and overwhelmed. I went to the grocery store last night and bought tater tots, a frozen pizza and sandwich stuff l so I won't have to cook anything or leave the house at all this week. Now, I ran out of packing tape and have to do the exact thing I tried to avoid at all costs---mingle with the Christmas shoppers for something non-Christmas! Tape, not the kind to wrap presents but the kind to close moving boxes. Ugh.

It's quite depressing. No baking cookies or Christmas tree or decorations. Lucky me, I get to look at every single thing we own and put it in a box, again, and have my hands get covered in newspaper ink. But the weekend should be nice spending time with my family and pretending that the move wasn't that big of a deal. No, really we don't need any help. We can take care of it ourselves.

I did make a batch of Swedish toffee in the microwave last night. Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in a few more batches tonight or tomorrow to give out over the weekend.

Cabbage & Noodles

The Atomic Librarian's recipe for cabbage & noodles.
I love Mueller's Hearty Extra Wide Egg Noodles!

Holiday Eating Tips

from Just My Cup of Tea...

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention.

Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Sushi Rock

Wednesday is 1/2 price sushi at the downtown Sushi Rock on W. 6th St.

My husband, a friend and I went last night. If you're thinking about going on a Wednesday, you MUST make a reservation. We didn't the first time we went, but luckily were able to squeeze ourselves in at the sushi bar. It's very busy, hip, loud and crowded. The ambiance isn't my favorite, but I managed to get through it.

Our waiter explained a few things to us:
1. You have a 2 hour time limit on your table
2. You can only order once
3. You can not order sushi to-go
4. It takes a while for the sushi to come out so be patient

Feel the pressure?

I insisted we order the calamari appetizer because I was starving and knew it would be a while before our sushi came out. It was breaded and fried, then tossed with a sweet & spicy sauce. The sauce was good but made the breading soggy. Next time I would pass on the appetizer and just be more patient. We ordered big bottles of Sapporo and they tasted great while we waited!

Our reservation was at 6pm and the slab-of-sushi came out at about 7pm. I have to say that people were not shy with their ordering. I didn't think the wait was too bad. We ordered a ton and totally stuffed ourselves. It was real good, lets see if I can remember everything we got...

nigiri - salmon, yellow tail, eel, mackerel, tamago & scallop
rolls - spicy tuna, spicy california, alaska, shrimp california

After gorging ourselves (quickly - we only had 1 hour left to eat) the waiter came with our checks. Yes, you actually get 2. My husband asked why and the waiter explained that the 1st check was the regular amount and the 2nd was the real check that included the 1/2 price specials. He said "that's so people from Parma can figure out how much to tip. Ha, ha."

What?

This guy was pretty attentive and mildly funny throughout the night but the more I think about this situation today, the more I am annoyed. My husband said to him: "Really? I'm from Parma." Even though he's not. Waiter: "Oh really? I'm from there too!" and added something about hanging out at Parmatown when he was a kid. Way to cover yourself dude. And are 2 checks the best way to handle the specials? Couldn't you have one check that deducts the discount at the bottom?

Well, the evening was great fun and the sushi was delicious. Does it taste even better because it's 1/2 price? Probably...I'm sure I will be back again.

Kielbasa 2005

Grind pork and veal together. Add spices and knead together for 25 minutes. Gradually add water to mixture. Refrigerate overnight. Stuff sausage in rinsed casings the next day.

Roast sausage, covered with foil, in a 350 degree oven for about 30 - 40 minutes, removing foil during last 10 minutes.

2005 batches:

"Traditional"
20 lbs pork butt
4 lbs cubed veal
5 Tbs. salt
3 Tbs. pepper
6 cloves garlic
2 coffee mugs of water

"Red"
10 lbs pork
1 lb. veal
2 1/5 Tbs salt
3 Tbs pepper
5 cloves garlic
2 Tbs. marjoram
2 Tbs. savory
1 tsp. allspice
4 Tbs. paprika
1 coffee mug of water

"Dill"
10 lbs pork
1 lb. veal
2 1/5 Tbs salt
3 Tbs pepper
5 cloves garlic
1 Tbs marjoram
1 Tbs dill
1 1/2 tsp caraway seed (crushed)
1 coffee mug of water

grinding meat

It's that time of year again...time to make the kielbasa!

Last night my husband and I went to his parents' house where he ground 4o lbs of pork and 6 lbs of veal - with a hand crank meat grinder. Then we kneaded each batch of meat for 25 minutes on the kitchen counter.

The packet of kielbasa recipes has grown a lot. We write down what we use each year, but never seem to be able to repeat a recipe. Always tweaking or changing things. Every year we go through these same questions, like a million times:

How much salt did we use last year?
Did mom's recipe really only call for 3 tsp. of pepper?
Do you think it needs more garlic?
Did you think it was too salty last year?
Do we have any more garlic?
Do you think it needs more salt?
Do you think it needs more pepper?
How much salt did I add?

We're stuffing the sausage tonight. I'll post the 2005 recipes tomorrow.

to be french

I'm embarrassed. Tonight I'm heading over to the Strongsville branch of Cuyahoga Public Library to hear Mireille Guiliano talk about her book "French Women Don't Get Fat". After hearing her a bunch of times on radio and t.v. talk shows, I broke down and bought the book. I was won over by marketing and the thought of being thin and drinking champagne every day. I am a fool! Sales must be dropping for her to be doing a public library tour. Do you think she has some books to unload?

Anyways, here's the thing....the book is a load of fad diet crap (like eating bowls and bowls and cups of leek broth for days!) and I kinda feel like I'm supporting this sort of fad diet crap by going to the author reading. I don't want to fall for fad diet crap, but I obviously did because I paid money for the book. I'm sure it won't be the last time either. My friend, who borrowed my book, actually made the broth and ate it. She is WAY worse than me!

What I am saying is that I enjoy author readings and I really want to have the French Lady sign my book. And I really do love the idea of being thin and drinking champagne every day. Ok? So, I am going to Strongsville with my friend who just might bring thermoses full of leek broth for us to "snack" on! I am so from the Midwest sometimes.

Cleveland rocks

Here's a great letter from a proud Clevelander posted at CoolCleveland.com

La Tortilla Feliz

Saturday night my husband and I went to La Tortilla Feliz in Treamont for the first time. I can't really say why we haven't been there before. In the summer, everyone sitting outside at the little tables look like they're enjoying themselves. It's very inviting. I've heard good reviews from friends, but I've also heard it was really hit or miss.

For a Saturday night, the place was empty. We got there around 8:30pm and there were only 2 other tables of guests in the non-smoking side. When we left at 10pm we were the only ones left! They seated at a nice table against the front window - plants lined the window sill. There were little fake birds nestled between the leaves. A wine bottle with a drip candle was placed on each table. The whole restaurant had a nice, warm ambiance to it.

After ordering the beer special and picking up the menus we quickly realized that we were at one of those places where we have no clue what anything on the menu is. I love it when this happens! They do have nice descriptions of each dish and list all the ingredients, but still it was NEW to us!

On to the food...

We ordered the "you pick 3" appetizer plate. We picked:
1. Arepa de Reina Peplada (Venezuelan tortillas with an avocado & potato filling) I liked this filling a lot, it was really creamy and rich.
2. Chuchito de Pollo (corn flour dumplings, filled with chicken & special spices; steamed in cornhusks) OK
3. Ceviche de Tilapia (fresh tomato, onions, cilantro & tilapia in a lime juice marinade; with chips) *favorite*

My dinner:
Cochinita Costal (chunks of tender pork from the coastal Comals of Central America, bordered by a blue mound of singular cocoa milk rice with black bean accents, accompanied
by slabs of plantain) Pork was very tender and moist. They came in a fresh, chunky fresh tomato sauce. Rice sounded very exotic and was presented in an interesting cone shape on the plate, but was not very blue or cocoa-ish?. Pretty bland. The plantains were good.

His dinner:
Bife Borracho (pan seared beef in a drunken sauce of South American beer, tomatoes and onions. Served with saffron rice and broccoli.) He said that the sauce was really rich and liked it but thought I wouldn't because of all the onions. After eating the beef, my husband mixed the rest of the plate all together, coating the rice with the sauce and devoured every last grain.

Dessert:
A tiny chocolate cake with whipped cream on top. The waitress was a doll (and most likely bored at this point of the evening) and tried to make a smiley face on the little thing. This cake was about the size in circumference of a cupcake, but only a weee inch or so high. It was real dense and dark and moist. Not sweet, here's where my cocoa was hiding! But next time we each need to get our own cake.

Secret Cookbook Santa

Much more fun than my work gift exchange!

Sign up directions can be found at the Amateur Gormet - hosting is the famous Gourmet Survivor winner Jason Sholar. Happy Holidays!

Craft Swap & BBM4 sign-ups

Ok, seems like I haven't written in forever. Let's see...

I received my package from the purplepinkandorange November Craft Swap! My partner Kpoene' has her own clothing shop called Mignonette. She sent me the coolest t-shirt that is a very pretty pink color with flower petals sewn in (I stole the picture from her website). It reminds Kpoene' and me of cotton candy. Yummy :) Her site and clothes are cool - check them out and buy a Christmas gift for someone you love!



The sign-ups for BBM4 have already begun! This time it's hosted by the FoodNinja (that's really a kick ass name!) of our northern neighbor Canada. He's chosen to give it a musical theme. I am excited because really enjoy making people listen to what I want to hear. The jukebox has eaten many of my hard earned dollars, just so I could have a little power trip at the bar. BTW, what's up with the 2 songs for $1? Sometimes ONE depending on how popular/unpopular it is. What happened to 3/$1?

And for dinner tonight....Mashed potatos, brussel sprouts and the kielbasa we made last December. How long can you freeze sausage? Well, it is the last ring from 2004 and it will be history shortly. We make it every December- from SCRATCH! It's gross and smelly but lots of fun and a holiday tradition. I will make sure to post pictures this year.

BBM3 package from Malaysia

My BBM3 package came from the lovely Twink---all the way from Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA!!! How exciting is that? International mail, shipped to me (who barely leaves Ohio)! I love, love, love it! Thanks soooo much Twink for a great package!!!!

So, I am obviously excited to tell you what all was in my box of goodies. Of course I am not including a picture because I am the ONLY person on this earth with a blog and no digital camera...so lets just move on to the treats and borrowed images.

Twink included a really nice note telling me that she was just about to celebrate Hari Raya. She wrote that since she lives in a very mulit-cultural society most people are able to enjoy all different kinds of holidays.

A bunch of newspaper clippings with recipes and tons of cool info and pictures.

Boh Tea - lychee & rose flavored - from a local tea plantation.

A bag of murukku, which she described as a snack in India, kinda like we eat pretzels. It is made out of spicy dough that's deep fried. Maybe more like a cheeto? I'm saving these to share with my friend who visited South India on a college trip.

Kinder Bueno Chocolate
The first thing I ate...


Brahim's Kuah Masak Merah - Spicy Tomato Sauce
Quick curry dinner


Mildura Layer Cake with Cashewnut
I'm taking this to Thanksgiving!

Salmon Patties

I try to have a few cans of salmon and tuna on hand at all times. That way when we have "nothing" to eat, there could be tuna sandwiches or salmon patties in our dining future. I loosely followed a recipe from allrecipes.com This is my interpretation:

Salmon Patties

2 6oz cans of skinless & boneless salmon (I used Trader Joe's)
2 eggs, beaten
12 saltines (give or take a few)
some onion powder
squirt of Gulden's mustard (I didn't have any mustard powder)
some chopped fresh parsely
olive oil

1. Drain salmon and flake the meat into a bowl.
2. Add eggs, saltines, onion powder, mustard and parsely. Mix well to combine. Add additional crackers if too wet.
3. Form salmon mixture into 6 patties.
4. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook patties until brown and then carefully flip over and brown on other side.

Serve hot with tatar sauce for dipping

Johnny & Harry

My husband HATES to go to the movies. He has various issues with it. Over the past 9 years together, I think we've seen a total of about 5 movies in a theater. So when we do go, it's a big deal. For example, he was supposed to take me to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on our 1st wedding anniversary but they were sold out!



This past Saturday we saw Walk the Line. He likes Cash and said he'd be my date. I thought it was a very good movie. Although, I agree with the Free Times review that Ray was better.

I also went with a group of friends on Sunday to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. My friend Jen wore the HP scarf I knitted her. No picture because I had to run it to her house the minute it was finished, but everyone knows what it looks like anyways!

Halite

Friday night we went to Halite for dinner. I had never been there before, but visited the other 2 "cool places to eat" Lava Lounge (frequently) and Fat Cats before. The only thing I really still order from Lava is the calamari. It seems that the food hasn't been that great since they did their last menu change. We were big fans of the old rib-eye sandwich and miss it!

Anyways, Halite was awesome! The decision to go there was made last minute so we didn't have a reservation. The bar was our only seating option, there were lots of lingering diners that were not moving anytime soon. I had a glass of wine, my friend a cosmo and husband chivas on the rocks (he was trying to act grown-up). The barmaid brought us bread and olive tapenade to munch on while we waited. Everything on the menu looked good, of course we had a hard time making a decision. My friend ordered the porkchop special and my husband had the walley special. They both enjoyed the dinners and totally CLEANED their plates off. I decided on the fettucini con frutti di mare - it included little neck clams, salmon, muscles, calamari and shrimp. I have never had calamari that was sooo tender. It was almost the same texture as the fettucini! We were very pleased with Halite and we will be back, with a reservation.

Lamb Stew

I totally agree with Tina about the West Side Market being one of the greatest things about living in Cleveland. She graciously posted her recipe for West Side Market Stew (make sure to check out the picture slideshow!) and I am going to make it today!

Baltimore Misadventures - Sunday, Day 3

On our last day we had only one destination - The American Dime Museum. Of course we had to walk a bit to get there and arrived before they opened. We ended up sitting in Baltimore's Penn Station to waste some time because there was no place to get a coffe or anything. BTW, nothing in Baltimore opens before 11am, they didn't open till noon. This station is actually where you would take a train to D.C. or other destinations. The museum was funny. The owner gave us his little introduction to the museum and a history of dime shows. I think he lived upstairs. I wonder if this guy just decided to open a musuem so he could show off his weird stuff. I put my gum on the amazing growing gum lady. Gross but damn funny. The FUNNIEST thing that I heard on our entire trip was from a dad who had brought his son and daughter thru the museum while we were there. The kids were probably about 8-10 years old.

Son: Dad, what is that?

Dad: Well (some hesitation) that's supposed to be President Lincoln's doody.
Me: HA, HA, HA, HA! LAUGHING OUT LOUD!
Kids & Dad: LAUGHING OUT LOUD TOO!

After all that museum fun, we were starving. We walked back to Penn Station and saw that the train we needed to get on was leaving. We hopped on without getting our tickets and took the train to the harbor to get some lunch. Well of course we got busted for NOT having a ticket. The conductor was really mean and we couldn't wait to get off that train. We ate at a REALLY touristy place called Tir Na Nog Irish Bar and Grill . Being a little tired of doing stuff "off the beaten track" we liked the idea of sitting out on their patio and enjoying the sun, while have a beer of course! I actually got a club and colcannon (instead of fries) which was quite tasty! They were REAL mashed potatoes, creamy and just a bit lumpy. I could go for some right now!

Our last adventure was to walk to the only part of Baltimore we had not seen yet - Federal Hill. It was Sunday afternoon and there was nothing going on. We had a beer at some empty bar. Tricia wanted to have another but I said no because it was getting late. Back on the train (with tickets) to our dumpy hotel, pick up our luggage, back on the train towards the airport. Wow. We didn't leave enough time for the trip to the airport. I was very nervous. The boarding time was 5:40pm. We got to the gate at 5:45pm. But, no worries! Our plane was late!

To wrap up the trip: I had a good time hanging out with my friend. Totally wished we would have had a car and some other destinations planned. The weather was absolutely beautiful the entire weekend and we really enjoyed it! Would I go back? No. Would I suggest other people to visit? I doubt it.

Baltimore Misadventures - Saturday, Day 2

Saturday - Due to problems with train transfers we took a cab to the area known as Hampden Village. One of the, well, maybe the only reason I suggested vacationing in Baltimore was to go to Atomic Books. Let's just say I have a "thing" for John Waters and he has his fan mail sent there. Lots of zines and comic books. I could have spent all day browsing. My other favorite store was Ma Petite Shop - all they sold were chocolates and shoes!!! Very yummy! Oh, I also bought myself a pair of sparrow earrings from the CUTEST store called Oh! Said Rose.

I researched for our trip extensively. I tried to find cool places to visit and good places to eat. Well, numerous resources said if you wanted to eat a crab cake, it should come from Faidley's found at the Lexington Market. This is where the "misadventures" begin. As I mentioned before, we needed a car. To be honest, the area around the market was pretty scary. I just want to say that the crab cake was absolutely the best I have ever eaten and was worth the trip but at the same time I didn't feel safe walking around. I am usually not worried about things like that but I was in an unfamiliar setting. Also in their market area they sold oysters on the half shell. These were the biggest oysters I have ever seen or eaten! I made Tricia try one and she gagged on it. Damn it, she wasted a really good oyster!

After lunch we pretty much ran back to our hotel and took a little rest, changed clothes and got ready for the evening. Our first stop was a 100th Anniversary Greek Festival. Not so much fun. We left and stopped for a drink at a local dive bar to rethink our plans. We had play tickets and needed to kill 3 hours. Things started to get boring. Conversation slowed down. We were starting to get tired and cranky. The tv was all consuming. Should we leave this area and try to find someplace better to hang out? Should we hop on a train and go to D.C.? Eating Indian food killed our 3 hours. After dinner we attended a play at the Theatre Project, checked out Brewer's Art and ended up finishing the evening off with potato skins at a gay bar.

Baltimore Misadventures - Friday, Day 1

My friend Tricia and I went on a little weekend vacation to Baltimore last Friday. We got home on Sunday but I couldn't post because I was still recovering from the trip. What a trip it was. We knew there was a light rail in Baltimore so thought that we wouldn't need a car. That was probably the worst decision we made. Baltimore, like Cleveland, is not a walking city. The train only ran on one north/south track. Everything we wanted to see was east or west of the track. Most places were in walking distance but we spent A LOT of time walking and riding the train. Time that we could have used see more stuff. I wish we would have had a car. We wanted to leave a few places but were afraid that we'd spend so much time getting to another place - and that it might not be any better than where we were when we got there. Make sense? Well, here's the run down of what we did.

Friday - Safely arrived, took the train from the airport to our hotel and missed our stop. Walked to the Mount Vernon Hotel. Now, this hotel got mixed reviews online. We thought that since it was a hospitality management school's hotel, we would be supporting the school and that it could be interesting. Well, the place was a dump. There was no air conditioning. We had to have someone come and prop open the window (that had no screen) so that we could breath. There was no fan in the bathroom so the ceiling was moldy! The continental breakfast options were white toast, english muffins, brown bananas and cereal. The train stop was only a few blocks away but it was blocks of abandoned buidings. The Art Museum was only a few blocks away too, but in the opposite direction.

After putting our bags in the room we went to the harbor area and walked over to the American Visionary Art Museum. We were very hungry by then and first ate lunch at the Joy America Cafe. I had a beef fig quesadilla with a side of soggy fries and a Red Stripe - the Red Stripe was the best part. The museum had a very interesting exhibit about race, class and gender and beautiful mirror mosaics everywhere. Lots of inspiration! We bought some souveniers from the museum shop. One noticable thing was their lack of artists' merch. Although I was hoping to get a Ku Shu Lan (Chinese paper crafter) poster, I was like....duh, this woman cut up paper to decorate the mud walls in her Western China cave home. Um, maybe that's not something that should be reproduced for a tourist to hang up in her downstairs apartment in Northeast Ohio. Anyways, their sculpture buiding was kick ass and included a braball.

After the museum we took a Water Taxi to Fells Point for dinner and drinks. First we stopped at an Irish place called Kooper's Tavern. We then ate a dozen steamed crabs with mallets at Obrycki's and spent the rest of the evening at the Full Moon Saloon listening to bands, including one called Cowboy Amnesia.

Quinoa Salad

I checked out The Real Food Revival from the library a long, long time ago. It's way over due but I wanted to make this recipe before I returned it. Why didn't I just write it down or make a photo copy? I have no answer for that question.

I only got one bite of the salad so I can't really give a good review. I made it yesterday afternoon so that my husband would have something to eat when he got home from work. I had to work until 10pm and there was nothing left for me when I got home...geeze, thanks a lot! He seemed perplexed by the quinoa, although it didn't stop him from eating it all. I told him it was a grain and good for him and to just be quiet. Further investigation today, led me to the fact that it IS NOT REALLY a grain but "the seed of a leafy plant that's distantly related to spinach." Huh. I'm glad I found out the truth!

I used a little less salt and olive oil and cooked the onions with the peppers.

Quinoa Salad

1 1/4 C. quinoa, washed and drained at least 4 times, until the water runs clear
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 red peppers, cored, seeded, and julienned
1 jalepeno chile, seeded and julienned
juice from 1 lime
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro
1 small red onion, finely diced

Toast the quinoa in a medium saucepan over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant. Add 2 cups boiling water and the salt, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the red peppers and jalapeno and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Ina large bowl, whisk together the reaming Tbs. oil, the lime juice, cumin, and garlic powder. Stir int eh peppers, cilantro, onion, and quinoa. Serve cold or at room temperature.

I think people DO notice!

Your Hair Should Be Orange

Expressive, deep, and one of a kind. You pull off "weird" well - hardly anyone notices.

What's" Your Funky Inner Hair Color?

Kolachki, Kolacky, Kolachy, Kolace, Kolachi, Kolache, Kolachke

I am not sure which is the correct spelling but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about here - lovely, little Christmas cookies with tasty fillings. I used to make these with my grandma when I was little. She was a good Polish grandma...big and fun and generous and loud and kind. I do miss her a lot.

I made these last night for my BBM3 partner! I filled some with the Raspberry Jam I made in September and some with apricot or nut filling from the store! I cheated not having the time or energy to make all the fillings from scratch. Grandma never did either!

I had a few problems with my cookies "opening up" in the oven. They unfolded themselves. I believe the problem was that they were too small. One recipe I found used egg whites to glue the flaps together. I don't think this is necessary, but an option if you need it. Also, don't forget that the cookies are IN THE OVEN! While innocently checking my email, I did just that. One batch in the trash.

My grandma's original recipe used margerine!!! I followed these instructions:

Kolachki (about 2-3 dozen)

1/2 C. butter
3 oz cream cheese
1 C. flour
jam or preserves for filling

1. Preheat oven to 350. Allow cream cheese and butter to soften to room temperature Mix till well until fluffy.
2. Add Flour a little at a time and mix in till well blended.
3. Make dough into a ball, you can chill it in the fridge for easier rolling.
4. Roll dough out into a square shape 1/8 inch thick on board sprinkled with flour or confectioners sugar or a combination.
5. Cut the dough into 2 inch squares and place about ½ tsp of filling in the middle; draw up sides of dough around filling & pinch FIRMLY to seal.
6. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes.
7. Cool for a couple of minutes then place on wire rack to cool.

Cabbage and Potato Gratin with Mustard Bread Crumbs

I love the idea of using an entire head of cabbage in a dish. Something that's more creative than boiled/steamed cabbage and something other than Cha Cha Chicken Salad. I think I'm going to start a cabbage trend this winter - Holly brings a new cabbage dish to every family event! They're going to love me...heh, heh.

Luisa kindly posted about Cabbage and Potato Gratin with Mustard Bread Crumbs on The Wednesday Chef. This is the recipe I used for for Halloween dinner! Turned out real well too!

Sex and the City

Yesterday my husband was off doing work things while I sat in bed for the entire afternoon. I watched 6-8 episodes (honestly, i lost count) of Sex and the City - Season Six, Part 1, ate ice cream and knitted. Now, all I can think of is that I wish I could do that again today.

lunches

I usually go out to lunch at least 2 - 3 times during the week. I am too lazy to pack a lunch at night for the next day, I get up too late to do it in the morning and I get antsy at work and like leaving (for ANY reason). There was a ton of leftover lunchmeat in the fridge from our party last weekend and I forced myself to eat sandwiches all week - I didn't want to waste it. I hate eating the same thing every day and couldn't take in anymore by Friday.

So, I treated myself to some yummy sushi from Kimo's Sushi Shop in Ohio City - this was my first visit. The presentation in my to go box was beautiful, even after being tossed around in my car. I had a piece of tuna nigiri, salmon nigiri, a california roll and a dynamite roll -to go. The nigiri pieces were huge, it was absolutely necessary to eat them with 2 bites. The outside of the california roll was covered with a substantial amount of orange roe, which is one of my favorite things about sushi. Those little eggs are like a party in my mouth! The dynamite roll was rolled in black sesame seeds and also really good. They were cooking some Udon noodle soup that smelled delish. Must try some next time!

Tales from Pittsburgh

How happy I was last night when I checked my mail box!!! There was a package from the super cool girl - Linda - author of the super cool bloc - Toast. She also happens to be from one of my favorite cities to visit...Pittsburgh!

Things I drive to Pittsburgh for: Mattress Factory, Carnegie Museums, Andy Warhol, Raphael Vinoly, bridges, & of course IKEA.

Well, back to my BOOKS! Not only did Linda send me 2 books, she also included a great postcard telling me a little about how she grew up on old fashioned English children's books. She loved the magic and the realistically imperfect children of E. Nesbit's Five Children and It.

She told me that she found The Princess & the Goblin truly scary! The copy she sent me is from a vintage edition from the Looking Glass Library (not the one pictured below) - it's in perfect condition!

I really love the fact that these two volumes have the original illustrations in them. I'm a huge fan already! Thank you so much Linda for the wonderful editions to my library!

Pasta with Winter Squash and Pine Nuts

Wow. This dish was really amazing. I looked through the October Cooking Light and then read Alice's great post about this recipe---she's totally right about this being "unbelievably good". If you have butternut squash , you MUST make the pasta! If you don't have that issue of Cooking Light, go on over to My Adventures in the Bread Box and get the recipe.

Party review

My Pumpkin Carving Party went pretty well, considering it rained all day. I was surprised how many people didn't take thier pumpkins home with them. They're overflowing on my front steps! I think this could be an annual event at our house. Next year I need to remember to start the party later. 6pm was too early, I think 8 would have been better.

We had waaaaay too much food and beer, but it's always better to have too much rather than not enough. The cider (I tripled this recipe, threw in a hand full of cinnamon sticks and served it out of a big coffee server to keep it hot) and raspberry bars (Sept & Oct 2005 issue of Cook's Illustrated) were a crowd pleaser. I will be sure to make them again.

Hot Spiked Cider

1 quart water
3 orange tea bags
1/2 c. light brown sugar
2 c. apple cider
1 1/2 c. Captain Morgan's

Pour water into saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and toss in the orange spice tea bags. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and stir in sugar, apple cider and rum. Heat just to steaming - do not boil.

Halloween Swap Package!

I want to thank Moki for sending me a really great Halloween Swap package! She inlcuded Abuelita Hot Chocolate tablets, a bat cookie cutter, black sprinkles, a spider bookmark, little pack of halloween tissues, pencils, suckers, a pumkin pin and a freaky eyeball necklace! Thank You!

And Magpie posted that she received her package from me. Happy Halloween!

Tower City Parking

Interesting topic and discussion about a parking ticket from the Midwestgrrl.

Projects

Today I made 2 batches of beef & bacon chili for our Pumkin Carving Party on Saturday. The rest of my party menu (to be made Friday and/or Saturday a.m.)...artichoke dip, vegetarian chili, raspberry bars & hot spiked cider. We're also going to grill some brats. I swear we can't have a party without eating bratwurst or kielbasa.

I finally started to knit a Harry Potter scarf last night for my friend. I promised her I'd have it finished by the time Goblet of Fire movie comes out -Nov. 18th! Since it took me an entire night to figure out how to use circular needles, I really better get crackin'. I'm following the pattern from atypically.knit. Directions are to knit rows of 70 stitches. I've finished one stripe and have already added 2 stitches. I am not starting over again.

FYI - I am not a wierd Harry Potter fan. I read the first 3 books and liked them quite a lot, but decided I will not be devoting my time to read all 7. I should read Goblet of Fire again though. You know, during all my free time when I'm not working on the scarf.

smoking chicken!

Last night I tried to roast a chicken. The Amateur Gourmet posted about his fowl the other day and it looked like a good October dinner!

How is it that I try a seemingly simple recipe and fail?

I followed Adam's post on the Barefoot Contessa's version. Pretty simple...put a lemon, head of garlic and some thyme inside the bird. Brush it with butter and roast. How can you screw it up?

Well, the entire house filled with smoke. I'm pretty sure it was the butter and drippings burning in the bottom of the roasting pan. Wow, I'm a freakin' genius. Can someone tell me how to roast a bird and not make my husband think I'm burning the house down? What am I doing wrong? I added water to the pan and that seemed to help a little. Not much. Then, to add insult to injury, I took it out before it was done. I just wanted to stop the smoke! We nibbled on the wings while the bird went back in. I just wrapped it in foil and threw it back in the oven. Ugh.

I should have bought a rotisserie.

Swap Bot Postcards Received!

Thank you!

Jen


Lindsay


Karin


Ryan

fun filled friday!

Wow, my husband and I both had yesterday off. We spent so much "quality" time together it was sick!

• got some cool heirloom pumpkins from Rosby's to put out on the front porch
• had breakfast at Nate's, stopped at the Market for some cinnamon almonds
• took a drive out to Blue Jay Orchard in Hiram and bought some apples
• ate lunch in Garrettsville (not so yummy)
• went to Tremont for the Art Walk. Thanks to Tremonter for posting about the Mutt Hutt's Doggie Disco - in was fun!
• watched Pulp Fiction - it's been so long since I saw that movie, it was like I had never seen it before!

I am just about to get off work now. This afternoon is not going to be near as much fun as yesterday. We have plans to do lawn work and clean the garage, in preparation for our Pumpkin Carving Party next Saturday. That I am looking forward to.

Fun Picture Meme

Found this at Alice's and thought I would participate...hope you do too!

Here's what you have to do:
Do a Google image search of the following and post the first (or favorite) result for each:
* The name of the town where you were born
* The name of the town where you live now
* Your name
* Your grandmother's name (just pick one)
* Your favorite food
* Your favorite drink
* Your favorite song
* Your favorite smell

I was born in Cleveland...




I live in Clevand! It will soon look like this...




My name...




Grandma (Victoria Falls)...




Ok, this is disgusting!




Drink it, don't smoke it...well, snort it.
Whatever.



I can't stop listening to the White Stripes, Blue Orchid




Can you smell them?

veggie burgers & baked fries

Last night I made veggie burgers and baked fries for dinner. Does anyone know a better way to make Dr. Praeger's veggie burgers? The first time I baked them in the oven and they were mushy and fell apart when I tried to get them off the cookie sheet. Yesterday I cooked them in a frying pan on the stove...still mushy. I really like the consistency and taste of these veggie burgers - you can see pieces of carrot and whole lima beans in there! - but I want more of a crispy crust.

Oven Fries:

Oven 400 degrees

6 small potatoes
2 T. olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. old bay

I used my gradma's old french fry cutter to slice the potatoes into traditionally shaped french fries, but you could also do wedges. It will just take longer to cook. Add oil and seasonings to potatoes and toss to coat. Lightly spray cookie sheets (2) with cooking spray and arrange fries in a single layer. Flip fries after 10 minutes. Cook an additional 10 - 20 minutes depending on size of potatoes.

honey hut

I just RAN up to Honey Hut. MY ALL TIME FAVORITE ICE CREAM EVER!

EVER!

I live 1 block away and it's very dangerous. I somehow feel it's ok to eat ice cream if I walk there. I got a single, in a cup, in a sugar cone, chocolate pecan and strawberry. That's right! A single with 2 flavors! I didn't even know that was possible until I heard another customer do it this past summer. The truth is that you really get 2 scoops in a single, so why not get 2 flavors? Genius. Although, I kinda feel a little guilty ordering it. The workers have to scoop from 2 different freezer containers for one cone. And I usually end up wishing I had gotten all chocolate pecan, because it is the best flavor anyways.

I heard tonight that they're last day open is going to be November 22 (pumpkin pecan!). You better go soon, or you'll have to wait for St. Patrick's Day (pistachio!).

Swapmeet

Here's another great place to sign up for swaps...SWAPMEET. There is still time to sign up for the November Craft Swap! I just can't seem to get enough!

book swap

I just signed up for the 2nd BJF Book Swap....you should too! The theme is YOUR Favorite Children's Book!

How fun is that?

slow roasted tomatoes

Yesterday I attempted Stephencook's master recipe for slow-roasted tomatoes. I only had about a dozen tomatoes, so I halved the recipe. The house smelled great all day long while they were roasting. The only thing that I didn't like about my batch, is that the garlic dried up into little garlic "chips". I ended up picking most of them off and discarding before I slid the skins off the tomatoes and put them in the oven.

So, today I found this recipe at Epicurious to use up my tomatoes: Bulgur Pilaf with Roasted Tomatoes, Onions, and Garbanzo Beans. I just roasted the onions first and then added the tomatoes from yesterday, garlic and chickpeas and roasted them all together for about 10 minutes in the oven. I didn't bother adding the dill or lemon juice (didn't have either) and it still had lots of flavor. Probably from the herbs added to the initial batch of slow roasted tomatoes.

The Art of Cooking

Today I got my hands on 3 new cook books. Well, not "new" but new to me. The Art of Irish Cooking (1965), The Art of German Cooking (1967) and The Art of Italian Cooking (1948) - all are out of print now but seem to early volumes of Hippocrene International Cooking Classics. I've leafed through them and found it amazing what ingredients cross cultures ...for example calf brains and eel. The Italian book has great chapters on Italian herbs, festival menus, antipasto and the correct order of serving wine. It actually outlines what type of wine to serve with each course and the desired serving temperature. Awesome! Now I know that I should be drinking chilled Chianti with my spaghetti or ravioli!

City Artist at Work

Check this out on Friday or Saturday...my friend will be selling her purses!

Blogging By Mail 3 - Sign up!

Cathy over at My Little Kitchen is hosting the third installment of Blogging By Mail. She has assigned this round a theme: "Home for the Holidays". Plus a list of items that every participant should include in their packages this time - like a picture of your kitchen . I think this is a great idea! Can't wait to get my partner!

Go sign up now...

Last CSA :(

My last CSA delivery just arrived. And do you know how great of a customer I am? I forgot to leave my check to pay! I want to give a big thanks to Basket of Life Farm. I'm looking forward to next year!

Delivery:
2 butternut squash
1 acorn squash
1 spaghetti squash
1 watermellon
3 red apples
3 yellow apples
15 tomatoes
1 head of cabbage
4 bell peppers
1 bear of HONEY!
1 jar of homemade pepper jelly!


Also, today I'm sending out my postcards for the Swap Bot postcard swap. Lots of flamingos will be going through the mail! Do flamingos fly?

Cleveland's Best???

I'm reading the Cleveland Scene's Best Of Cleveland '05 issue. Why do I even bother? I just get annoyed when I read "best of" reports by local papers and magazines. Most of the places are the same as last year---except for the "Best NEW fill-in-the-blank". Who makes up ridiculous categories like Best Downtown Grocery or Best Barbecued Spaghetti? Sometimes publications list the the Top 3 fill-in-the-blanks. But, I'm seeing categories where there aren't even 3 contenders in existence! I mean really...how many downtown grocery stores are there? Was this even a category when Dave's was the ONLY one? Also, if anyone knows who else serves bbq spaghetti beside the winner, please let me know.

I am way off base here?

I hope that these publications are trying to promote local business. Maybe I'm supposed to say to myself "Best Frisbee Golf"---that sounds like fun!" and that's great. But when they list Border's as the Reader's Poll Winner for "Best Bookstore", like I said before---it kinda annoys me. I know that a lot of people buy books at Borders.

Package Received

A couple days ago I was going down my driveway and saw a box on my front porch. I just knew it must be my BBM2 package!!! Yay! I jumped out of my car, got the box and did not resist the temptation to rip it open at a red light on my way to work. Ha!

My gal Rebecca from New York sent me a really great box of goodies...delicious chocolate chip banana mini-muffins (which I ate most of in my car), her "secret" sugar cookies (covered with blue sprinkles), a bottle of onion chutney from London, spicy mixed nuts, a little shaker of extra spicy spice plus a bunch of weird candy! Including a cute little box of Dutch chocolate sprinkles--DeRuyter. I'm waiting for a really special morning to eat those on my toast!

Thanks so much Rebecca for sending me all the great treats and to Samantha for hosting BBM2!!! And I had a wonderful time putting my package together and sending it off to Heather ---hope she likes it and looking forward to BBM3!

Hot Pepper Jam

This recipe was stapled to a bag of Santa fe Grande Peppers in my CSA delivery from Basket of Life Farms...

Makes 5 half pint jars

3/4 lb peppers
2 cups cider vinegar (divided)
6 cups sugar
2 pouches liquid pectin
orange food coloring (optional)

Prepare and process canning jars and lids according to pectin directions.

Wash peppers and drain. Remove stems and seeds - remember to wear gloves! Puree peppers and 1 cup of vinegar in a food processor or blender. Combine puree, remaining vinegar and sugar in a large sauce pot. Bring to boil, boil for 10 minutes stirring constantly. Stir in liquid pectin. Return to rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Stir in a few drops of food coloring if desired. Ladle hot jelly into jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims of jars and fit with 2 piece lids. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Blogging by Mail 2

I put my Blogging by Mail 2 package together tonight and will be sending it off to my partner Heather in the a.m. Thanks Samantha for hosting. I can't wait to see what I get!!!

last batches?

Ok, I may be going a little jam crazy but I can't seem to control myself.

Unfortunately, the figs I purchased to make preserves were starting to get moldy! I had to throw them all away. I only had them in the fridge for 3 days. I guess it was too long. Now I have 3 vanilla beans with no plans for use. Maybe I'll buy more figs. How long do they last?

I made hot pepper jam this afternoon instead. The recipe only made 5 half pint jars, but how much of this stuff can you use? It's supposed to be good with cream cheese on crackers or with chicken. At least I used the peppers for something and didn't let them go to waste.

hope you like jamin'

Made a batch of strawberry jam today! With the precious frozen berries I picked in June. It made me sad to use them. I didn't want to do it---but I know I couldn't save them forever.

I still have one bag left in there...for a winter strawberry shortcake.

Signed up for a Amy's Halloween Swap!

raspberry jam

Last night I thought I had to work. When I got there, someone else was already working. This really irked me off but I decided to make use of surprise night off.

I went to the local berry farm and picked 4 quarts of raspberries! Yay! I brought along my ipod for company and listened to George's Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl. It was a nice to plug up my ears and ignore everyone else, besides a few bugs and crying kids in the field.

Anyways, at the end of the night I was left with 18 jars of seedy, ruby red, raspberry jam. I have some strawberries I picked last June in the freezer which may be turned into jam as well this week.

Last week I went to Aladdin's Baking Company for lunch and they had cases of fresh figs in! Oh, were they gorgeous, but what the heck would I do with a CASE of figs? Then, (I think it was a sign) I came across Fig Preserves with Vanilla from the hungry tiger. It sounds like a match made in heaven to me.

Signed up for Swap-bot's postcard swap!

csa delivery

1 tiny watermelon! (not very sweet or flavorful, but it made me smile)
2 eggplants
2 acorn squash
1 spaghetti squash
hot peppers
roma tomatoes
small bag of green beans - i wish there were more of these!
1 little bell pepper

Body Worlds

Went last night to the Body Worlds exhibit at the Great Lakes Science Center with my friend T. It was a very educational experience, but not for the weak of heart. Honestly, the bodies with their skin and hair still attached made me a little nasaus. And the mother with baby still inside was terrifying and beautiful at the same time.

I bet that Gunther von Hagens is a really interesting fellow. I better find a biography and read up on him.

White Stripes

Last Wednesday we went to the White Stripes concert. It was at the Ohio Theater in Playhouse Square, which I found to be a very interesting venue for a concert. It was funny to see all the elderly Playhouse voulunteers, showing people to their seats, with those little flash lights. If you like a few cigs and drinks with your music, this is not really the place to go. We had a few beers before the show, but that was all. It's too much work to get in and out of the seats and the theater. A few people did get thrown out for smoking--I mean it was very obvious when they lit up.

We had really crappy seats in the 3rd last row! I waited too long to get tickets and paid for it in the end. Other than that, we had a great time. I love that Jack White!

waves

Do you feel like you do things in waves?

Just this past weekend the last thing I wanted to do was cook. In the past 3 days I've made zucchini bread, gazpacho, quacamole, cha-cha chicken salad and broccoli quiche.

What's up with that?

Cha Cha Chicken

Instead of take out, we actually just went to Siam last Saturday for dinner. That was a big stress reliever. Not even any dishes to clean! Yay! And we had a really fun time.

Last night I did an enormous amount of slicing and chopping. The CSA delivery brought me a head of cabbage last week that I need to use. Cabbage and Nooodles sounded lovely, but aren't necessarily the healthiest thing to make for h. so I decided to do a Vietnamese chicken cabbage salad.

Yesterday afternoon I ran over to Trader Joe's to pick up a few items (salmon and not corn dogs). They just happened to be passing out samples of chicken salad. I was sold right then and there! I thought it must be a sign and put a bottle in my cart. It was tasty and much easier than making the dressing myself. Long list of ingredients to purchase.

I sliced my head of cabbage and a red pepper real thin like, poached and shredded some chicken, added some shredded carrots and topped it off with a sprinkling of peanuts. I made a little assembly line with the dressing at the end. I didn't mix it all together because I thought it would get soggy. We used up all the cabbage and have a bit of chicken left over. Perfect for making some "regular" chicken salad today.

take out

I am really in a bummer mood today. It's my job and I argued with h. (husband) last night. I'm waiting to sign my contract. Until then, I'm only working around 4 hours a day and I feel like I'm wasting away at home. It's quite stressful and depressing. I think I have soooo much time on my hands, but when you have to start work at 1pm it's really easy to surf all day or watch bad t.v. or just putz around and do absolutely nothing. I have no desire to do any more laundry, dirty any more dishes or clean the floors. I'd rather sit around and throw myself a pity party and eat an entire frozen pizza. Oh, and then be disgusted with myself because I am lazy and fat. Good thoughts, huh?

When you start to hide food boxes and fast food wrappers from your h. I think it's getting pretty bad. There is definetly something wrong with me.

So, why is this post titled "take out"? Because I need to be taken out of my house! And my friend and her new husband are coming over for dinner tomorrow. We were planning on grilling out in the backyard, but as I write this I had the fantastic idea of just getting Siam Cafe take out. You see, I work all day every Saturday this semester. That's right! It's my ONLY full day right now. And I don't feel like spending my Friday night grocery shopping and then rushing home on Saturday to work. This is so unlike me. I pine to be be the hostess with the mostess.

michigan tomotoes

Last weekend h. and I went up to Detroit for our friend's birthday party. Good food, but not nearly enough of it.

Our friend has a little garden in her backyard and gave us 4 huge tomatoes. They were enourmous! Well, I decided to make a recipe adapted from Toast's Farm Box series. A very valuable series of posts when you have so much produce on hand! Not only did I procrastinate for an entire week, letting those plump tomatoes get redder and redder and start to bruise from sitting on the counter for so long, then after finally processing the tomatoes I left the bowl in the fridge for two days! Today, I finally made the tomato sauce. Have I used it yet? No. I bought chicken and angel hair pasta but alas, I had to come to work. And I doubt I will start making dinner at 10:30 tonight.

Blast! That reminds me....I left my container of yogurt in my PURSE! I forgot to put it in the fridge :(

p.s. That's right....the majority of the time I'm "working" I read and write blogs! That's what I'm doing to pass the time right now. Oh, you do it too! Well, I doubt mine but someone's!

this week's csa delivery

• heirloom plum tomatoes
• green beans
• red and green peppers
• various chili peppers
• 2 habenero peppers! hot! hot!
• 1 head of cabbage
• 1 zucchini
• 2 squash

peach pie & iNGENUiTY

Well, I made my third test recipe. Peach pie. Late, but I did eventually do it (I cheated and bought a pre-made crust!). Anyways, now I can't find the place to submit the darn recipe and comments. The link is taking me right to the publisher's website. Maybe they changed it or something. This annoys me.

A few friends and I went to the Ingenuity Festival last Friday night. I'm so happy that there are people in Cleveland who have the courage and determination to try and do something here. I'm planning on going back sometime today. Here's to many, many more festivals in the years to come!!! Cheers!

edit: I did submit my 3rd recipe! The website worked the next day! Hooray!