Food Epiphanies

Movin' on Up

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 03:03:03 GMT

Funny -- Culinary Epiphanies is today's featured blog on Bloglines, and I haven't posted a word since last October.

A lot has changed since then. I keep thinking I should update anyone who might actually still check in here on occasion (is there anyone out there...? I don't blame you if you're not.), but you know how that goes. I'll give you a quick rundown now (it starts out rough, but gets better).

Kevin's lifelong best friend, a captain in the US Army, was killed in Afghanistan on October 2nd, 2009, by a suicide bomber. The world lost a truly amazing person* that day. I wrote a bit of a tribute to him, but just couldn't post it. It was too personal and too painful. And it still is. I can't believe that was ten months ago already.

But it was also a kick in the butt that Kevin and I had been needing. We've both been unhappy with our jobs for way too long, and had both been thinking for quite some time about going back to school. We want to do something more. something better, something that might actually do some good for someone somewhere. I pulled it together enough to enroll in an online program through the SUNY (State University of New York) system in January, and have been loving it and doing very well, and am now fantasizing about transferring to a fancy expensive private school. Kevin started studying for the GRE in October and spent the fall applying to graduate schools. HE GOT INTO HARVARD!!! And a few other really good schools. But HARVARD! So yes, he's going there this fall. WE'RE MOVING BACK TO BOSTON NEXT WEEK!!! Yes, I'm a little excited. =) It will be hard to leave NYC in some ways (Rebecca, Khadija, Shakespeare al fresco, really good falafel), but I am pretty ready to get out of Dodge. I'm tired of the dirt and the smell and the assholes everywhere I turn. I'm tired of concrete and 95 degree days with 173% humidity and being so far away from home. I'm tired of the MTA and the noisy restaurant outside my bedroom window and not being able to breathe.

We've signed a lease on an apartment in Cambridge, on the same street we lived on a few years ago -- it's just a little closer to Harvard than the last place was. I'm going back to work at the same store I worked at a few years ago (no, NOT Starbucks!!!). I'll be closer to my family, Kevin's sister lives about two blocks away, and I still have a few really good friends up there. I'm taking four classes this fall (still with the SUNY program), and will take three or four in the spring, and will then be ready to transfer to a bachelor's degree program. And I've found the perfect school for that right in Boston! It offers major and minor programs in both of the fields I'm interested in. Unfortunately, it's a private (all women! no boys!) school, and it's NOT cheap. But I figure if I can get in, I can make it work somehow. I'll be OK with being in debt for the rest of my life if I can make this happen.

I'm hoping that the urge to cook and blog will return once I'm up there. I'd like to overhaul this site, or start a new one altogether. I'd like to go back to baking my own bread every week. I'm really tired of takeout and would like to eat more real food more often! I don't know where I'll find time for any of that, let alone to sleep, on top of four college classes and a full-time job, but it's a nice plan, isn't it?

Now the good-byes begin. Details are being worked out. The U-Haul truck will soon be rented, the men who will load the truck have already been hired. I only have a few more days with the people I love at the job I hate (and yet will still be doing in Cambridge. go figure.). I'm lacing Torby's water with Bach's Rescue Remedy so she doesn't freak out over yet another move. I'm stressed out. But it will all pay off soon. I won't quite be home, but I'll be a hell of a lot closer!

* * *

*If you'd like to know more about Kevin's friend, and would like to do something good for the world (as Ben had done for so many years), please visit this site.

* * *

Oh, and, one more thing: Lou, are you still out there???

Sometimes I'm a little slow.

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:23:41 GMT

So after three and a half years here, I have just now, just this very moment, realized the irony in the fact that I can't find a decent APPLE in THE BIG APPLE.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:49:24 GMT

one very small corner of Lake Winnipesaukee

sun, sand, water

toes (yes, mine)

Moulton Farm Stand, Meredith, NH

low-fat Munchkins

baby bale

crunchin'

ma(i)ze

ready for roasting

NH maple-apple wine

Maine-made When Pigs Fly bread (affectionately referred to as Pig Bread), super fresh NH corn, mostly NH and MA veggies

cran-apple bliss (made with super fresh NH apples, served with soy ice cream)

Cookie Monster feet (our feet were cold so Kevin searched his parents' closet for slippers. so cozy!)

Not pictured, but also highly enjoyable: lots of tea, many books, a really good jazz CD, a couple of nice hikes.

Deeply, deeply disturbed...

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:48:15 GMT

... is what I am right now.

I just saw a promo on Food TV for a new show called "What Would Brian Boitano Make?"

That's right. Take a minute to process that. I certainly had to. I'm still reeling a bit. My first thought was "This isn't April 1st, is it?"

My love and admiration for Food TV have been waning for quite some time now. Sara Moulton is gone. Gale Gand is gone. Jacqeus Torres? Gone. Wayne Harley Brachman? Toast. Michael Symon, who replaced that fraud on "Dinner Impossible," got replaced by that fraud. My TV used to be tuned to Food TV almost every second I was home. These days, however, if it doesn't star Alton Brown, I don't watch it. And when the Hell is he going to blow this clambake and start his own (good!) network (Kevin and I have been wishing for that for several years)?!?

So... not only has Food TV ditched nearly all of the real chefs it used to employ in favor of drunken old hags and perky housewives (not that there's anything wrong with being a housewife... that's still my dream job), but now they're stealing a really good "South Park" bit and making what I can only imagine will be an incredibly embarrassing half-hour of TV each week.

So why stop there? I think every cable network should have a Brian Boitano show. Here are a few ideas I've some up with since seeing the promo (all of about three minutes ago):

DIY: What Would Brian Boitano Build?
TLC: What Would Brian Boitano Wear?
Bravo: What Would Brian Boitano Design?
Discovery: What Would Brian Boitano Discover?
The Weather Channel: What Would Brian Boitano Forecast?
Cartoon Network: What Would Brian Boitano Animate?
MTV: What Would Brian Boitano Sing?
E!: What Would Brian Boitano Gossip About?
(insert name of your favorite news network): What Would Brian Boitano Report?
Travel: Where Would Brian Boitano Go? (alternately: PBS: Where in the World is Brian Boitano?)

Were I Brian Boitano, I surely would have kicked an ass or two the second I heard Food TV even suggest such a show.

Shiny

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:34:02 GMT

My new toy:

It's not terribly fancy, and it wasn't ridiculously expensive, but it feels good and sounds good. And until I know how to actually play something, it will do. =)

Hit me again, bartender.

Tue, 19 May 2009 01:56:00 GMT

So the humidity blew away with the winds last night. My lungs feel much better, and I haven't even hit the kiddie 'roids yet!

And then I woke up this morning with a cold.

I can't win.

But I've been taking every elderberry supplement I can get my hands on, I had a big bowl of vegan hot and sour soup (that wasn't particularly hot or sour, but it was full of tofu/mushroomy goodness) for dinner, and Kevin is out buying me some OJ so I can do some OJ/Quantum Cold & Flu shots tonight. I missed a day and a half of work last week because of the asthma issues, and I can NOT get sick enough to miss any more work right now.

Wish me luck.

Just call me K-Roid.

Mon, 18 May 2009 03:30:34 GMT

Thanks to the way-too-early-in-the-year ridiculously high humidity here in NYC, breathing has been a bit of a struggle for me for the past week or so. I have "allergy-induced asthma" that is also affected by weather extremes. I've had it all my life, and I usually keep it pretty well under control, but sometimes it gets away from me. Like it has this week.

I finally broke down and went to a walk-in clinic this afternoon. I've been before. It's a pretty good facility. And it's usually a lot easier than getting into my regular doctor (especially on a Sunday!).

I got there, filled out some paperwork, and was led into an exam room by a man who I assumed to be a nurse or PA. He had a Batman pin on his shirt and a Batman sticker on his stethoscope. I didn't really think much of it at the time. I figured they get a lot of kids in a NYC walk-in clinic. He took my temperature and said he'd be back. Five or so minutes later, he came back, took my pulse-ox level, and left again. Then the doctor came in, listened to my lungs, poked and prodded a bit, and told me that Batman would be back to to do a lung function test. I expected a peak flow meter or something similar. Instead, he led me out to a desk and parked me in front of a computer. He typed in some stuff, hooked up a little mouthpiece, and launched a program. On the screen was a cartoon of a fireman and a burning shrub. My mission, if I chose to accept it, was to blow into the mouthpiece and help the firefighter put out the fire. The harder I could blow, the more forceful the water would come out of his hose (hehehe). I actually said out loud "and suddenly, I'm 9." But I figured they get a lot of kids in a NYC walk-in clinic.

I couldn't put out the fire. Not on the first attempt, not on the second (though I got closer the second time!). Better luck next time.

So the doctor came back, looked at the test results, and handed me a couple of prescriptions. One is for the standard rescue inhaler, the other for a steroid inhaler. So I imagine that within a couple of weeks, I'll have about 500 taters in my rearview.

Actually, the side effects for inhaled steroids are almost nonexistent, at least in my experience. But I'd probably still get sidelined with Manny if I had to take a drug test.

I got home and looked up the steroid inhaler to see how it compares to others I've used: "Low-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) like FLOVENT are the preferred initial daily therapy for children 5 to 11 years old with persistent asthma, according to the National Institutes of Health."

Is anyone seeing a pattern here? I didn't, really, until Kevin got home and I told him the story of my day. I mean, I know I look young for my age (though my lungs apparently feel like they're 49, according to the nice firefighter who still loved me even though I couldn't make his hose work properly). But as I told the story to Kevin, I couldn't help but feel like I'd spent the day with a pediatrician.

And after all that, I didn't even get a damn lollipop.

Wingin' it!

Thu, 14 May 2009 19:16:59 GMT

Kevin and I have the day off together today, which happens about as often as Halley's Comet is visible to Earthlings. The weather is oh-so-cooperative: gray, humid, warmish, and not quite raining but not quite not raining. We have plans to go to the Museum of the City of New York. So far all we've accomplished is buying an SD card for the Wii and downloading and playing old-school Nintendo games. Well, OK, so I've watched Kevin play old-school Nintendo games on said Wii.

Then I got hungry. We don't have much to eat around here, and I'm not going grocery shopping until tomorrow (when it's supposed to be even warmer, more humid, and more rainy [and I walk to the grocery store!]). But there were a few baby carrots, some less-than-perfect celery and a jar of Veganaise that I have had for a couple months but have been too scared to open. I've never been a mayo fan. I have no idea why I bought it. I guess it seemed like a good vegan thing to do. And I always have far too many cans of chickpeas in the pantry. So I gathered what little motivation and creativity I could muster and threw together a vegan classic: not tuna salad.

Finely chopped carrots, celery, and onion smashed together with a can of very well-rinsed chickpeas (because the liquid in canned beans grosses me out to no end), mixed up with the juice of half a lemon, a little too much Veganaise, lots of freshly ground pepper, monsieur, some Mrs Dash Original and some Mrs Dash Extra Spicy (which really isn't very spicy), served on toasted Arnold's Sandwich Thins (which contain the dreaded Sucralose, but I didn't buy them, and it was the only bread we had in the house, and they are dead animal-free). Many vegans throw in dulse or nori flakes for a little fishiness, and Alanis Morissette knows I love my sea vegetables, but I really wasn't feeling like I wanted this to taste so much like tuna salad. I never touched tuna salad when I was a kid due to my strong dislike of mayo. I ate dry tuna on bread. Really. And these days I get very nervous when my food tastes fishy. Fish are friends, not food.

So... this was pretty good! I definitely will use a little less Veganaise next time, and will probably throw in some chopped pickles (memo to self: buy pickles when grocery shopping tomorrow). Maybe I'll even experiment with a "mayo" free version, dressed in something more vinaigrette-like, at some point.

Kevin had two of these sandwiches, by the way.

Off to the museum (or maybe a nap).

Someone call the HazMat team!

Wed, 13 May 2009 01:33:56 GMT

Yes, I am, shockingly enough, still alive. Frankly, I have had very little motivation or inspiration lately. But I'll get over it.

So, I'm looking for a bit of inspiration -- mostly of the food persuasion. I've been eating way too many Amy's frozen meals lately, and far too little homemade food. Not that Amy's food is unhealthy -- as far as processed foods go, it's pretty impressive. But I still worry about the lack of whole foods in my diet, all the waste I'm generating, and how much money I spend on the aforementioned frozen meals (not necessarily in that order).

(I also eat A LOT of fruit, if that's of any concession to you.)

I recently found a food blog that I am really enjoying. The author doesn't say as much, but seems to be vegetarian, and is very health-conscious. Now, please keep in mind that I've only been reading this blog for a few days. As far as I can tell, she's a big fan of Flatout Flatbreads. I've also seen them mentioned on various and assorted other blogs I frequent. They sound interesting. So I just did a little Googling to see if my place of employment carries these breads. No such luck. They seem to be available at places like BJ's Wholesale Club and Wal-Mart Supercenters. Red flag! Red Flag! I decided to check the ingredients and nutritional info:

(from flatoutbread.com) "Flatout Healthy Grain Multi-Grain Ingredients: Water, Vital Wheat Gluten, Whole Wheat Flour, Oat Fiber, Flax Flour, Soybean Oil, Liquid Brown Sugar, Contains Less Than 2 % Of Each Of The Following: Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Wheat Bran, Maltitol, Yeast, Yellow Corn Meal, Baking Soda, Bulgar Wheat, Wheat Protein Isolate, Oat Flakes, Barley Flakes, Rye Chops, Wheat Flakes, Potassium Sorbate & Sodium Propionate (Preservatives), Fumaric Acid, Calcium Peroxide, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Calcium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Annatto Color, Salt, Enzymes, L-Cysteine, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin."

Oh my.

There is more potassium sorbate (a preservative with questionable potential for toxicity) than vitamin B2. Calcium peroxide? I just Googled it and found many matches for its Material Safety Data Sheet. For those of you who did not work in a hardware store for nine years, an MSDS is some sort of official document that documents the hazards of common and not-so-common chemicals used for things like bleaching wood, removing rust from one's deck furniture, and (apparently) baking flatbread. Oh, and, calcium sulfate? Also known as Plaster of Paris. Mmm.. 3rd grade art class sculpture in my tummy...

So now I know why my place of employment does not stock Flatout Flatbreads. I'll stick to the store-brand whole wheat tortillas for all my wrapping needs: organic whole Wheat Flour, water, organic expeller pressed soybean oil, salt, baking powder. All of which I have in my pantry, therefore eliminating the need for an MSDS before I can eat.

Spelling Bee

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 02:18:19 GMT

Overheard in the break room at my place of employment yesterday: "Brooklyn has two Os?!?"

Equilibrium

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:03:01 GMT

I was on the phone with my mom earlier this evening. She was watching "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern," and mentioned that someone was "making something grassy." Now, I don't regularly watch that show for what I think are very obvious reasons, but I didn't think that "grassy" foods were necessarily up Andrew's alley. So I switched my TV over to find Zimmern at the home of an LA based raw chef. There went my blood pressure, right up to the sky. Leave it to someone like Zimmern to portray healthy, plant-based foods as "bizarre!" It's people like him who give veganism a bad name. Raw food? Bizarre? I mean, really? Grrr. I promptly switched back to whatever it was I hadn't been watching earlier (yes, I have a very bad habit of having the TV on whenever I'm home alone. I really need the sound and light to keep from feeling too lonely.), which may or may not have been "Wheel of Fortune," but only because it's on right after "Jeopardy."

And then I saw this article on the New York Times Dining and Wine Page. Hooray!!! Granted, there are still a few points with which I may not entirely agree, but knowing that HFCS is being phased out of some heavy-hitting American foods made me very, very happy. I can't wait to have a Coke with REAL SUGAR in it! And no, I don't make a habit of drinking Coke, but the first HFCS-free one I see WILL be mine.

Also, there is a Red Sox (pre-season) game on TV here! Yay! Of course, if you're from here, I guess it would be a Yankees game. But I am most definitely NOT from here.

Wondering...

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:54:46 GMT

... what 18,000 MPH feels like. Holy crap in a pita.

Brunch for Dinner

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:48:17 GMT

I hope you're sitting down -- this entry is about food! Shocking, I know.

In celebration of Pancake Day yesterday, we had, well, pancakes for dinner!

Super fluffy and yummy (and vegan, of course!) pancakes, recipe courtesy of Post Punk Kitchen, made with half all-purpose flour and half spelt flour, slathered with Earth Balance and the last of our maple syrup from last fall's trip to New Hampshire. Hash browns from the grocery store freezer section (I'm not afraid to admit that!). Fresh blueberries and blackberries, surprisingly sweet and juicy for February. And Prosecco Mimosas. Are they still mimosas if they're made with Prosecco, and not Champagne? Probably not. But I'm OK ith it. And what's brunch without a little sparkly wine?

Because it's the only way I know how to reach you:

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:09:06 GMT

Hey, Lou -- Send me your damn e-mail address! I still use the same AOL address. =)

You know you're homesick when...

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 00:31:38 GMT

... you're excited to hear Susan Collins' (R - Maine) voice on the news.

Coincidence?

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 03:07:29 GMT

Earlier this week, the FDA approved stevia as an actual food, and not just a "dietary supplement."

Stargazing 12/18/08

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 04:37:50 GMT

So Kevin and I went to see "Black Watch" again this evening -- it was my third time and Kevin's fourth. Yes, it's THAT GOOD.

When the play ended, and the actors had gotten three rounds of applause (yes, it's THAT GOOD), we stood up and Kevin said "did you see who was sitting across from us?" I said no... I was too focused on the show. "Liam Neeson." I asked if he was gone yet, and Kevin said he was. And then, as we were leaving Kevin nudged me and whispered "to your left!" We were ten feet away from him! We saw him play Joe in Samuel Beckett's "Eh Joe" a few months ago. It was amazing. Much like "Black Watch."

Three wrongs making a right?

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:20:09 GMT

If I had to name three things, right this very second, on demand, of which I am not a big fan, I would choose the Coca-Cola company, stevia, and the FDA.

Coca-Cola is a giant conglomerate that is poisoning unsuspecting Americans with HFCS (they use real sugar in their sodas made in other countries. shocking. who knew sugar could be used to sweeten soda???). Plus, they own Odwalla, who killed Fresh Samantha. I've been holding that grudge for years. But that's another story for another day. Not that you even care.

Stevia, if you haven't heard of it, is a "dietary supplement." It's an herb that is something like 200 times sweeter than sugar, but is not approved by the FDA as a "safe food." Only as a "supplement." I hate stevia -- it tastes like sweet sticks to me -- but it's been used in other countries for decades as a sugar substitute. I think the FDA probably found one article online that said stevia carries some health risks, and panicked. Never mind that whole Serevent thing. I took that stuff for several years. I wonder if there's someone I should sue?

And the FDA? Really, I said about all I want to say about the FDA in the previous paragraph. Or I could rant for hours. But I'll take the shorter option for now.

So how are these three wrongs making a right in my eyes? Coke is planning to unveil a new line of Odwalla beverages this week. Guess what they're sweetened with? Stevia! Even though the FDA says it's not OK! Coke is totally sticking it to The Man! Take that, FDA!

I'm not as articulate as I generally like to be this evening. I blame the weather. It was 64 degrees here this afternoon. On December 15th. In the northeast. I am so confused. And if I were watching "Top Journalist," if such a show existed, I would yell at me for admitting that I'm doing something wrong instead of totally owning it. Plus, it's past my bedtime. Maybe I won't even post this. Or maybe I will. I should probably go to bed now.

That's my opinion. I welcome yours (bonus points to anyone who can identify that line!).

Just wondering...

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:58:11 GMT

... are you out there somewhere, Lou?

(Matt -- this is the brilliant post I came up with to get Lou's attention. Pretty good, huh?)

The Menu

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:57:03 GMT

Above is my first vegan Thanksgiving dinner. Would you have guessed from the picture that this meal was cruelty-free? Ha! Didn't think so! Soy milk and Earth Balance are your friends, people. =) Everything is made from scratch (even the stuffing!) except for the "roast."

Now, I dont want to seem immodest, but I am a good cook. I'm OK with saying that for all the world to read. I'm just not a neat cook. Fortunately there was no blood today. There were, however, sweat and tears. Incidents and accidents. Probably even some hints and allegations. But I digress. Below, please find today's menu, complete with anecdotes:

Celebration Roast
The instructions were to heat the roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 325F. After about 20 minutes, the outside was barely warm. I removed the roast, sliced it, and nuked it for a couple minutes (no, I haven't gotten rid of the microwave yet). It was quite good!

Cranberry Sauce
   Boiled over. Red spatters all over white stove. There may also be a raw cranberry under the couch. Unless Torby found it and chased it into the bedroom. In which case it will never be seen again.

Simple Green Salad
   I put Kevin in charge of the salad. He forgot. In his defense, he had to work today. He is forgiven. We'll have leafy greens another day.

Mashed Potatoes
   Peeled with a too-dull vegetable peeler, resulting in one broken nail (don't ask). Boiled over potatoes. Turned off burner to let water calm down. Burner wouldn't turn back on. Finally got potatoes cooked on the only burner that would work (memo to self: check later to see if all burners are back in working order. very old stove may have just been very tired by 4pm. if not, call landlord. yay.). Put potatoes through ricer, resulting in projectile splattering of said potatoes all over a six-inch radius of pot.

Roasted Buttercup Squash
   Resulted in the breaking of my favorite casserole dish. Cried over casserole dish. Finished squash in microwave. Better not hear any "I-told-you-sos" re: microwave from brother.

Herb Stuffing with Dried Cranberries
   Best dish of the day, especially considering I totally winged it. Wung it? Did wing it? Anyway -- it was awesome. No incidents, no accidents. Yay!

Creamed Pearl Onions ("AKA Eyeballs in Sauce")
   Should have listened to friend T and used unsweetened, rather than plain, soy milk. Quite good, but had a distinct vanilla flavor. Nutritional yeast helped to mask vanilla-ness.

Spelt Spice Rolls with Cranberry Butter
   Forgot to make cranberry butter. Spread the rolls with Earth Balance and cranberry sauce instead. Yum.

Assorted olives and tiny pickles
   A very Hanson thing. I realized the other day, though, that I don't have fancy cut crystal condiment dishes like my mom and aunts have. Served them in cute little Japanese rice bowls instead (memo to self: try to remember to steal a fancy cut crystal condiment dish from Mom when home in January).

Cranberry-Apple Pie
   Had some trouble putting on top crust. Finally won that battle. Used a fancy, handy-dandy aluminum crust shield instead of foil around edges to prevent burning. Result: too-dark-for-my-taste edges and one very burned spot. Still the best pie ever. See Thanksgiving 2005 for more information.

Good Karma Organic Rice Divine (Vanilla)
   The best non-dairy ice cream I've had. Not nauseatingly oversweetened. If I didn't tell you it was dairy free, you'd probably never know it. Nearly broke cookie scoop trying to make cute little ice cream balls. Flung ice cream all over kitchen instead.

Winterport Winery Cranberry Wine
   Illegally imported, and totally worth it!!!

See how easy it is to have such an amazing meal without using animals or their by-products? Kevin and I were talking about how many "traditional" Thanksgiving dishes are naturally vegetarian, except for the turkey, and how easy it is to veganize everything. I think even my dad and my brother would have been pretty happy with this meal. Or at least close to it.

Oh! Are you wondering what I'm thankful for? All the usual stuff, like food and a job and people who love me. And for the new Harry Connick Jr. Christmas CD. And for my dishwasher. Probably mostly for my dishwasher right now. And definitely pie.

And Sara, this one is for you: I'm not thankful for the fact that I was stupid enough to break my favorite casserole dish!!! It was totally my own stupid fault.

Happy Thanksgiving, especially to all the animals who didn't die for my food this year!