An All Over the Place Update

Busy, busy times these days – you gotta love summer. There is just so much going on, so much foodie-ness to bask in. Often times it seems like it is just flying by, but the good news is that I’ve been doing my best to take advantage of it, and I have a ton to update you on.

So, first things first – the cookbook project. I know many of you probably thought I’d abandoned said project, but I haven’t. It was on hold for a while (work has been out of control busy), but I’m back in the game. As I mentioned before, I’m kind of trying to take in chapter by chapter, starting, of course, with desserts. I’ve managed to complete three recipes lately – Coeur la crème, plum-raspberry crisp, and meringues Chantilly (pictured below).  A useful hint about Coeur la crème – when the recipe calls for heavy cream, it means heavy cream. Half and half will not be an adequate substitute and the Coeur will not set up. Not that I speak from experience…ahem. So anyway, making good progress there and I’ll be back with another update soon (I hope).

In other news – I saw Michael Pollan speak last week! It was awesome – he’s a fantastic speaker – funny yet obviously incredibly well-versed and knowledgeable. I found his talk to be both incredibly entertaining and inspiring. He was speaking as part of the Contra Costa County library summer reading festival, and to celebrate the library’s 100^th birthday. As such, the tickets were incredibly cheap ($12!) and the venue was very cool – the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek – which, by the by, apparently has great shopping and was a surprisingly cute town.

Birthday bash follow-up

I know, I know. I left you all hanging in that last post with promises to update again shortly…and now it’s a week later. A full, busy, chaotic, awesome week later, as I am about to expound on.

Obviously, the first order of business is to finish up the Chez Panisse post. Well, in case you couldn’t guess, the evening with capped off with me meeting Alice Waters. I know. I know! It was epic. I’d heard that she’s not at the restaurant all that much these days – after all, she practically has an empire to run. So I wasn’t expecting to see her at all. And then I spotted her early in the meal, stopping at various tables to chat. Alex and I began to notice something kind of weird – it seemed like everyone at the tables around us seemed to know each other, and Ms. Waters was kind of sticking with that group. Finally we deduced (well, a nice fellow at the table next to us explained) that it was a staff reunion night, which was why Alice was there in the first place and why they all seemed to know each other—because they did! Then, right before dessert, she stopped by our table and asked how everything was!!!! We chatted for maybe a total of 30 seconds, but they were an awesome 30 seconds. Alex commented afterwards that he was impressed with how composed I remained. Inside I was totally freaking out, to be sure. Anyway, it was a pretty excellent ending to an already fantastic meal.

But the birthday extravaganza didn’t stop there! Oh no, there was much more to come. First, Alex and I saw Bruce Springsteen that Friday night, and it was just an awesome show – I mean, Bruce never disappoints. And. And! He sang “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.” If you know me at all, you know what a big deal this was. BRUUUUUCE!

So then came my actual birthday last Tuesday. The last two birthdays Danielle and I have gone to Boston and ate lobster, so I was originally thinking that maybe this year would be kind of quite in comparison. Well, then Chez Panisse and Bruce happened, so there went that theory. But I still wasn’t expecting much else, especially on the day itself. Wrong again! The guys at work took me out to lunch at an adorable little French bistro in the city, followed by cake and champagne back at the office. Then a bunch of “the gang” went out to a very good Vietnamese place in Oakland (Le Chavel). It was a fun day.

And then. AND THEN. Everyone at work (which is a total of five people, myself included) went to Disneyland for a couple days. True story. An epic birthday all around. Let’s hope that this means that 26 is going to be an epic year. It’s off to a very good start.

Here I Am!

Wow. Over two months. That must be some kind of record. No, I’m not dead and no, I haven’t suffered in some terrible accident. I kind of wish I had some gruesome excuse to explain my lack of diligence, but truth be told, I have just been too busy, too overwhelmed, and yes, maybe just a tad too lazy to bothering updating my blog.

Now, I do have at least a partial excuse for why I have been so busy. On top of graduating last month (yay!), I got a new job at a small local newspaper in Massachusetts and moved to the Berkshires! This changes the premise of the blog slightly – I am no longer eating my through Vermont, but rather, I have relocated and am eating there (duh). I sorely miss my dining partner, Danielle – I don’t know anybody in my new locale, so dining out has become kind of an issue and taken a back burner, at least for now. Instead my focus has been on home cooking, embracing the abundance of local foods available here.

Much like in Vermont, my new home has a strong focus on locally grown, locally produced food. There are a number of farmers’ markets every week, plus lots of farm stands, a local co-op market, and more – so obtaining fresh, local food is not an issue. I have been to a number of the markets already (I am writing a piece about the area’s farmers’ markets for the paper – what an awesome job) and I have been impressed – the vendors are all so friendly and eager to help. I bought a tomato plant the other day. I am known for my black thumb (I.e., I kill every plant I come into contact with), but I am going to give it a go.

There are a number of appealing-sounding restaurants around; I just have to work up the courage to go and dine alone, I guess (or make some friends). Several places advertise using local ingredients, which is a nice reminder of home (wait…is Vermont home? Texas? Mass.? I am a wandering nomad).There are a few seafood places – and you know how I feel about seafood – including one that advertised lobster rolls. I hold all lobster rolls to a very high standard set by the Clam Shack near my grandparent’s house, so we’ll have to see if these live up. I actually discovered a new magazine, Flavor New England, which is a food and wine mag all about this area – love it. There’s a recipe in there for a stove-top clam bake, which I am super eager to try – I have never cooked a live lobster before, but I’ll give it a go (I keep thinking about that scene in Julie and Julia when Amy Adams have to cook a lobster…”lobster killer…”).

Other recipes on my mind include anything and everything that features summer produce, esp. summer fruits. I love looking at foodie mags this time of year – all those fresh fruits and veggies, prepared simply yet deliciously. I can’t wait to dig in (honestly, it’s a little early in the growing season here –late July and August are more the height – but we have fresh strawberries, cherries on the way, and lots of greens). I had a “grilled” pizza last week (grilled on my indoor grill/griddle/Panini maker combo, but still). It had a pita as a base, topped with swiss cheese, prosciutto, and sliced nectarines, and then finished with some arugula, olive oil, and fresh cracked pepper – as pictured. Can you say yum? Super simple, and yet so flavorful. That is how I like to showcase quality items and fresh produce. I am looking forward to more options as summer progresses!

(Also pictured – my recent haul from Rubiner’s Cheesemongers and Grocers. Nice!)

Happy Heart Day

No, I’m not dead – just incredibly busy. Let me give you a quick rundown of a typical week for me these days:

Monday—Internship at EatingWell (yes, you read that right!) from 10-4. Then straight to a Weight Watchers meeting until 6:00 (yes, you read that right too). Then I usually have to pick up the dog at doggie daycare, and its 7:00 by the time I get home. Eat, watch the new episode of How I Met Your Mother, and then crash.

Tuesday—Work from 7 until 3:30 (and work has been nuts lately), then my creative writing workshop at school. Again, its 7:00 by the time I get home.

Wednesday—Work again, then usually a meeting with my thesis advisor. Last week I work overtime (until 8pm!!) Wednesday and Thursday. I try to fit in a quick walk with the dog in the evening, as long as it is not too dark out or snowing too hard. And it basically is snowing every single day up here right now.

Thursday is pretty much the same as Wednesday, and I often babysit Thursday or Friday evening.

Friday –Work until noon, then the internship until 5:00.

Saturday—regular work day, plus any errands – grocery shopping, etc.

Sunday is my only day off. Last week I had to reschedule a haircut four times before it finally got done (you can probably see why). Clearly, blogging has taken a back seat in my life this past month or so. But not to fear – I am starting to get a routine figured out and hope to be more consistent again.

So, what’s been happening in my foodie world these days? Honestly, not too much – another reason for the lack of posts, I suppose. Danielle and I checked out Church and Main a few weeks ago, and that was awesome. We sat at the bar because the wait for a table was extensive – even on a Wednesday evening! The bartender was very friendly and energetic though, and we had a nice time. Danielle had a hot buttered rum that was to die for (I seriously think one might accidentally kill themselves with these). I started with a grilled pear salad, and it was really good – the pears had a really unique smoky, almost meaty flavor that was unlike anything I’d ever tasted, but it was yummy. Then for my entrée, I had lobster mac and cheese. Can you blame me? Soooo good. Ever since Boston and dinner at the Union Oyster House, Danielle and I have been on a bit of a seafood kick. It is just sooo good, and usually pretty good for you, and somehow always tastes better out at a restaurant than when prepared at home. Finally, I ordered profiteroles to take home for dessert, topped with a creamy vanilla marscapone. Over all, a very satisfying meal.

Cooking-wise, I do not have anything too exciting to report. I tried a recipe out of the recent issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray and was disappointed – not the recipe’s fault; I just didn’t care for the flavors. It came from a feature on meatless meals (very popular in the food world these days) – Portobello Mushrooms with Au Poivre sauce. Eh. I made my mom’s rice pudding over the weekend, a longtime favorite of mine, but I swapped in brown rice for white. I was pretty happy with the results.

I think I have mentioned the CSA I belong to, with Pete’s Greens. Well, they had a terrible fire last month and lost tons of produce and machinery. It’s been all over the news up here as the community comes together to fundraise for them. I’ve already pledged the rest of my credits to go towards a spring share.

Nothing else happening these days, at least right at the moment. I’ll check in again soon – and not two months from now.

A Quick Update

Oh, what to talk about today? In truth, not much has been going on in my own little foodie universe. I have been busy with work and school and life in general, leaving less and less time for cooking and watching Food Network and so on. Some highlights to hit on:
I went to visit my grandparents over the weekend – something I try to do every month or so. They live about three and a half hours away, and I always enjoy my visits. While there, I had my last lobster roll of the season. We go to this really cool place called the Clam Shack. It is just a seasonal stand with picnic tables outside. The menu is heavy in classic New England seafood dishes, including the infamous lob-stah roll. They do a really good job on it, too. A simple grilled and buttered roll, topped with 100% lobster – no mayo, no filler – served with a side of onion rings and a pickle. Perfect!
Yesterday I went to the grocery store and stocked up on ingredients to make three different autumn suppers, all of which I am looking forward to preparing (and eating). The first is a skillet rosemary chicken. I can use rosemary from my herb garden, which is always extra special. This lemony rosemary chicken is prepared completely in one skillet, and served with new potatoes. Yum. The second dish is a turkey cutlet with herb gravy (again from the garden) and an apple celery salad. The third and final meal is one I have prepared before, tried and true (whereas these other two are new). It is an autumnal roast of sorts – baby potatoes, chicken, italian sausage, shallots, and black grapes are all roasted together with EVOO and herbs, and then topped off with a balsamic drizzle. I got this recipe from Rachael Ray (of course), and it has become one of my favorite easy, simple cold weather meals. And it is supposed to be chilly this weekend – highs in the lower 50s! Brrr.
I am pretty sure I see another apple pie in my future. This time I will be sure to take a pic and post the recipe. I have been eating a lot of different varieties of apples this fall, when they are all so plentiful. As a native Northeasterner, I am of course biased toward the macintosh – and with good reason, in my opinion. They are sweet but not too sweet, juicy, and they stand up well to baking and other cooking methods (such as homemade applesauce). To answer a previous comment, macs are usually my apple of choice for making pies. I do try to incorporate some variety to add interest to the pie, so I might use mostly macs but include one or two apples of a different variety. Same goes for applesauce and apple crisp (another seasonal favorite that I have not even touched on yet). My favorite apple for just munching on, however, is the honeycrisp. Crunchy, as the name implies, and sweeter than most, they are the perfect snack. Too bad they also tend to be a bit pricier than other varieties.