February 2012
19 posts
5 tags
Stracciatella
Stracciatella is possibly the easiest soup to make on the planet. Really. All you need is stock, spinach, an egg, and some parmesan cheese. It’s ready in about five minutes flat, from the time you open your fridge to the time you sit down to slurp. And it’s really, really good.
Stracciatella is something I learned to make in college, and it fell off my radar some time after...
3 tags
Frank the Tank
I’m sorry, were you trying to be productive?
4 tags
Clean House and Mind
Culinary therapy, how I’ve missed thee.
3 tags
Uber DC
Several weeks ago I was invited to the launch party for Uber DC, a new car service offered here in the District. Uber falls somewhere between a traditional car service and a taxi: a private (black) car for a fraction of the price, clocking in at roughly 1.5x taxi fare. Uber is accessed via smart phones and the internet, using GPS to estimate wait time and calculate fares.
Since...
7 tags
Insult to Injury
Apparently standing for ten hours a day plus walking the half mile to/from the metro at a clipped pace has triggered my ankle injury from when I was training for the half and full marathons. As in, both ankles. Every night they ache and throb and scream. Every morning they are tender and tentative.
Last week was the first time it hurt as bad as the initial injury. I woke up and semi-limped...
4 tags
Buttery Cinnamon Apples
I made these apples as an impromptu dessert a couple of Sundays ago. We had been making reductions in cooking class during the weeks prior, and so these apples were born from similar inspiration.
I cored and quartered an apple and then sliced it into thin slivers. In a pan, I melted 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. I then pan-fried the apples with a bit of cinnamon and a pinch or two...
2 tags
Woe Is We
The landlord is away on business for the week. The creatures are so beside themselves they crawled into the tub to pout. Lucky for them I shooed them away before turning on the faucet.
5 tags
Holy Cupcake, Batman!
Yesterday I dipped, cored, filled, frosted, and decorated 800 cupcakes. As you read this, I’m in the process of doing the same to 1,000 more. Tomorrow will be 1,200.
Apparently I’m the only one who’s ever had to frost so many cupcakes at one time. As tired and sore as I am, it feels good to have accomplished such a feat. Now if only 12-hour days weren’t the norm.
...
8 tags
Peanut Ginger White Bean Burgers
I’ve been wanting to make homemade veggie burgers for awhile. I came across this recipe from Big Girls Small Kitchen a couple of weeks ago, which piqued my interest anew. I was in the mood for bright Asian flavors so opted to make the burgers along the same lines as the garlic peanut noodles.
In the food processor, I combined 3/4 can white beans, 1 shallot, 2 small scallions, 2...
6 tags
We Spell Love N-E-R-F
Whoever said the key to a man’s heart is through his stomach clearly hadn’t seen said man wielding a Nerf gun.
Ladies, I did GOOD.
4 tags
Call Me Wilma Flinstone
The landlord gave me a dino hat (hand-knit in Nepal!) for Valentine’s Day. You should see the matching mittens.
5 tags
Le Sigh
Remember when I got to stay home all day and snuggle with these two? It feels like months ago. These 10-hour days are killing me.
4 tags
Spicy Roasted Beets
Roasting is my favorite way to make beets. Create a foil envelope and enclose the beets with a bit of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a few whole cloves of garlic (skins still intact), and any fresh herbs you may have lying around (thyme complements nicely). The beets can be whole or quartered, with or without skin; cut them as you prefer. The smaller the beets, the quicker the cooking time.
...
6 tags
Orange Scented Poached Pears
I came across Big Girls Small Kitchen’s poached pear recipe during the holidays and filed it away for later use. Last week, thanks to Frank and his love of picking up pears by their stems and flinging them off the counter, the pears I had intended for raw snacking suddenly lost their appeal. Two rounds of thudding on the floor had all but pulverized their plump bottoms.
Rather than...
4 tags
G-MEN
STOKED.
3 tags
One Year
It’s hard to believe that we’ve had the creatures for a full year already. One year ago today we brought home two tiny 2.8 pound kittens, terrified bundles of fur and playfulness. They’ve cost me a fortune, shit on every square inch of the apartment, and developed comical habits that are as endearing as they are entertaining. Best of all, they enjoy a good snuggle.
My...
7 tags
Garlicky Green Pea Pesto Ravioli
A thousand thank-yous to Joy the Baker, who introduced me to the concept of using wonton wrappers to make ravioli. What a phenomenal, time-saving, game-changing idea. Creative, healthful fillings are fun and easy to whip up. Goodbye store-bought ravioli. This semi-homemade version beats the pants off those impostors.
I used Joy’s recipe for the filling, a bright and garlicky pesto...
5 tags
Sweet Potato Squash Soup
Not knowing it was going to be 70 (!!) degrees on February 1st I made more soup. Because, you know. Late January, early February — the calendar calls for soup. Not that I’m complaining about 70 degrees. Unseasonable weather, make yourself right at home.
The soup came together simply. I tossed the acorn squash (halved and seeded) in the oven the previous evening to cut back on...
3 tags
Marvin the Martian
I may be overtired and borderline cranky but I sure know how to rock a camo helmet.