I have not dropped off the blog-o-sphere. Here's what's been up in my foodlife:
1) Bartleby has commandeered by laptop. He's proficient at using the touch pad to work games on his fave website, www.pbskids.org. I stopped helping him a week ago, thus forcing him to solve problems on his own. He's doing quite well, thank you.
2) The food muse has just about left the building. As Hildy suggested a few posts ago, I did make a fish offering to lure the muse back. She set a toe in the door, but it seems someone has cast a spell of quasi-vegetarianism on me. I just have no desire to cook or eat red meat. Barely even white meat and none of the "other" meat. Although, the spell lifted long enough for me to eat part of a delicious barbacoa taco at the new upscale Mexican place in what passes for downtown here. Maybe it's a spell of greater discretion and not totally evil. I am not pregnant. In case you were wondering.
3) I had a small serving (about 1 cup) of ice cream that cost $3.50 at Jeni's Ice Cream in Columbus, Ohio. It was the salt caramel flavor. Worth every penny. They ship via Fed Ex. My father said, "It's nice to know that in this economy people can spend $3.50 for ice cream." I didn't tell him about the shipping charges.
4) My babysitter left me to go to pastry school at Johnson and Wales.
5 comments:
I think yer lousy Muse is still in my house. Last weekend, Mr. Sea grilled marinated chicken wings. They were WONDERFUL -- and we don't even like chicken wings!!!!
Ok, so post the recipe, dammit. And send my muse back!
How has Bartleby's progress on pbskids gone? Perhaps he can find the muse there.
Your quasi-vegetariansim could be explained by the change in weather. With it officially summer I think we switch into cutting back on meat and looking forward to eating vegetables and more vegetables. Especially when they are home grown or from actual farmers and not agribusinesses. Beets are finally coming to the market and I cannot wait to get my hands on some. I have tried to grow some myself (along with turnips) but it seems either a cat or a squirrel has decided beets (along with petunias) are fun to destroy and has broken many of the stems at the base of the plant. Sigh.
Nevertheless, I shall pick up some beets at the next farmers market and roast them with a little olive oil. Satueeing the leaves is lovely, too. If you like beets I have an excellent recipe for beets with the greens, walnuts and a smattering of goat cheese in pasta.
I wouldn't worry about your lack of desire to eat meat. If food is medicine, as I believe Hippocratus said, then your body will crave what it needs and it might not need the extra protein at this time. I've been rotating more fish into my diet (in fact had lake trout stuffed with mushroom-rice with asparagus) just this evening.
Ah, the salt caramel - has become so very popular this past year! I like it in small doses least I feel as if it will pull out a filling!
Don't leave us in suspense - post the beet and greens recipe. Lincoln and I shared a beet salad on our first date. Fond memories.
Ok so you have asked for it. This is a great early spring/late fall recipe and good for you.
This recipe will easily serve 2-3 and can be doubled beautifully.
For this recipe you will need:
--whole wheat pasta - preferably a corkscrew or elbow or farfalle - something bite-sized and not long-stranded like fettuccine.
--bunch of baby beets WITH greens attached. Not only does that show the beets are fresh but you will use them
--one to two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or walnut oil
--2 tsp balsamic vinegar
-- 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) of chopped walnuts, toasted
-- scant quarter cup of feta/blue cheese (optional)
Scrub beets. Trim tails and cut beet greens off top. Dice stems, and cut greens into ribbons. Set greens/stems aside. Leave skin on beets.
Set up two pots of boiling water - one for the pasta and one for the beets.
As water boils drop in beets. Depending on size they will cook for about 20 mins. Test with a fork to see if the beets are tender. When they are drain and let cool slightly.
In second pot, cook two servings of whole wheat pasta to package directions. If you have a steamer inset in your pasta pot (i.e. something that would sit atop the pot, not in it) you can cook the pasta and put the reserved greens/stems on top of the boiling pasta. If you do not have such an inset, steam greens/stems in a separate pot. The greens and pasta should both be done in about 10 mins.
As beets cool slightly, slip the skins off under cool running water. Your hands will stain with red at this point. Chop the beets into quarters.
When pasta cooks, toss with chopped beets and greens/stems. Combine the walnut/olive oil and balsamic vingear as a dressing. Top with walnuts and cheese, if using.
Enjoy!
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