AN INTERRUPTION FROM OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING (which is apparently nothing, since I’ve been missing from here for months). Just in: Craig Rubens, fellow conspirator in China, father of Albus, love of my life and Scrabble Words With Friends player extraordinaire proposed to me yesterday, by bicycle. I said yes.
Perhaps I should celebrate with food and write about it here, on this blog that I supposedly keep.
To boot, he made a video about it. It is possibly the greatest gift I have ever received. I hope it makes you as happy as it makes me.
Craig, I am so excited about spending a lifetime with you. I promise, I will (probably) never throw dice at your head ever again.
I love you.
UPDATED: I need to make clear that in my post I was re-creating a project originally posted (with video!) by Fern Richardson on her blog, Life on the Balcony. I regret not making that more clear originally.
I am very single-minded (my mom calls it stubbornness…). I am terrible at being told “no” and when I get an idea in my head can’t rest until I’ve gotten it. I fixate on whatever has captured my imagination and doggedly pursue it until it’s mine. Occasionally they are good ideas, often not. Sometimes they involve laborious do-it-yourself projects that I like to rope unwilling accomplices into helping me finish (hi Spencer and Craig).
This happened a few weeks ago when a friend sent me this link. It captured my imagination and I decided I needed one, immediately. I have been obsessed with succulents, of late (come on. cutest plants, ever. no contest), so decided our patio needed a succulent wall garden of its very own. One blog how-to, one obstinate person-who-hates-idle-weekends, and 36-hours later: BAM. Succulent wall garden of my own.
Turns out the process wasn’t actually so laborious and the fruits of the labor are WELL worth it. I am pretty in love with our latest patio addition. The whole project start-to-finish took about four or five hours. Here’s how to make your own. You’ll need:
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- A pallet (I found mine for free at a local garden store — mine measured 25 x 38 inches)
- Roll of landscaping paper
- Staple gun and staples
- Potting soil (I used 2.5 cubic feet for the 25×38 pallet)
- Adorable succulents or other plants of choice
Steps
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1. Sand down any rough spots on your pallet.
2. (Optional) If the back of your pallet doesn’t have much support (mine was basically open on the back), you can find some scrap wood and cut it down to the width of your pallet and add a few extra supports.
3. Double or triple up your landscaping fabric and begin the stapling fun. Staple fabric along the back, bottom and sides of the pallet, taking care at the corners to fold in the fabric so no soil will spill out.
4. Lay the pallet flat and pour potting soil through slats, pressing soil down firmly.
5. Begin planting, starting at the bottom of pallet and ending at the top. Make sure soil is firmly packed in each layer as you move up.
6. Water your wall garden and let remain horizontal for 1-2 weeks to allow plants to take root. You can set it upright at this point. Remember when you water to start at the top and water each subsequent section a little less, as your water will naturally seep through to the bottom-most plants.
A few weeks ago marked the beginning of asparagus season. Don’t tell the other vegetables in the garden, but asparagus might be my favorite. So I get pretty excited seeing asparagus lining the farmers market stands, as is happening now, and wanted to make a dinner in honor of its arrival. This simple pasta with asparagus, pancetta and creme fraiche was the perfect thing, because not only does it involve my (shh!) favorite vegetable, but also did you read the part about the pancetta? And the creme fraiche? Enough said.
It’s been a busy past couple of months, and I have some exciting news in my life. The last week in April (incidentally around the time of my last post in which I heralded my return to blogging. Ha.) Craig and I bought (drumroll…..) a new puppy! His name is Albus, and he is the love of our lives. Here he is at 8 weeks. I think this photo was taken right before we both collapsed on the floor from exhaustion.
Just a few days after the addition of this small bundle of joy (who is very fond of eating our carpets), I also heard the exciting news that I got in to graduate school. I will be getting my MBA at Berkeley where I plan to study exciting things like nonprofit management, social innovation and New Methods in Accounting (related: I was just instructed to by this calculator. I am sure I am in for some nonstop fun). Anyway, that is the big news in my life but I digress. I believe I was talking about more important things. Namely, pancetta:
Pancetta is a magical thing, and the pasta was equally magical. I am a huge fan of pappardelle pasta, and got the local pasta shop around the corner cut some lovely thick slices for me. The meal itself is insanely simple and difficult to mess up, but somehow I managed to: sadly I was in a bit of a rush (you know, to get the asparagus and pancetta in my mouth), and I neglected to take the time to really separate the pasta and dust the flour off. I would strongly recommend you be less hasty than myself because it led to some pasta glue situations that I would rather have avoided. Other than that small road bump, the meal was delicious, and simple, and just the thing I was looking for to celebrate the beginning of the summer bounty. Lucky for you the asparagus is still coming strong so head to your local farmers market this weekend and pick some up for a tasty and simple dinner.
Pappardelle with asparagus and pancetta
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pappardelle
1/3 lb. pancetta
1 lb. asparagus
salt
pepper
1/4 cup creme fraiche
Put two pots of water on to boil, a large for the pasta and a small for the asparagus. Slice the asparagus as pictured into small coins. Leave the spear tips. In the small pot of boiling water, blanch the asparagus. Add the spears first, then 1-2 minutes later add the rest of the chopped asparagus, and cook until just tender. Chop the pancetta roughly and brown in a pan with heated oil. When browned, add the creme fraiche and stir. You can add a little more liquid in the form of chicken broth or wine, if needed. Cook the pasta until done and drain. Transfer pasta to the pancetta mixture, add the asparagus and toss. Serve warm with some fresh pepper and shaved parmesan.
Portobello burger with spinach and garlic aioli. (And other things that make me happy)
Oh, hi there. Remember me? I write on this blog, sometimes. I guess it has been awhile, and I’ve missed you.
Living in San Francisco it is easy to be a glutton (I live way too close to Tartine), so some days and weeks I try to be a little more conscious about what I feed my body. This is one of those weeks, and I have been happier for it. A large part of that happiness might have been last night’s dinner. Since I have been working four jobs, applying to grad schools, and taking a calculus course my time in the kitchen has been woefully cut down. As it turns out, this has not made me very happy.
I have been thinking a lot about what makes me happy, because sometimes when you get really busy you forget about doing the important things. Like this blog, for instance. Somehow it became a thing on my to-do list and then got pushed to the bottom of my to-do list where it sat forgotten and lonely and served only to make me feel guilty about my inablity to cross things off a certain to-do list. I forgot that I just like making delicious things and taking too many photos of them and putting them here on this strange internet world for people to see. What a strange hobby. But I quite like it. I got to thinking that maybe there are other things I have been forgetting that I love, so I decided to make a list. There is nothing that I love more than a good list-making session. Here are some other things I like:
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- This boy I like. Let’s call him Kudge (there’s a story there for another time)
- My family, who I love and adore
- Crisp San Francisco days (today, for instance)
- Bikram yoga. And spinning. And very occasionally running.
- Socks that match
- Things that are orange
- Making quilts
- Making anything, really
- Human Planet (I was just introduced to this. You should probably just stop everything and go watch some right now. After you make this recipe, of course)
- My jobs (I know, I probably have too many. But I really love them all. You can see what I do here if you’re curious)
- The Song of Ice and Fire series. Sure, call me a nerd. You’d be right. But they’re AWESOME and I am reading them right now, on public transit and everything, for all the world to see. Man does it make me happier than nothing else to be absorbed into a new literary world (some credit goes to this man, here)
- Calculus. (Who knew? Turns out I love math)
- These portobello burgers. Why don’t you go and make some for yourself and be happy, too.
Portobello Burgers with Spinach and Garlic Aioli
Serves 2
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2 large portobello mushrooms
1 to two handfuls of baby spinach leaves
swiss or gruyere cheese (optional)
For the marinade:
1 1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tbs soy sauces
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp stone ground mustard
1 tsp honey
1 tsp fresh thyme
salt
fresh ground pepper pepper
For the aioli:
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp water
2 cloves garlic
1 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp tarragon vinegar (can use champagne or other vinegar)
salt
About 1 hour before you’re ready to start grilling, prepare the marinade. Whisk together all marinade ingredients. Pour two-thirds of the marinade over the mushrooms, reserving some. Flip the mushrooms over and brush the remaining marinade over the tops of the mushrooms. Let marinate until ready to grill.
While marinating, prepare the aioli. Crush the garlic in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt (you can also use the back side of a knife, if you don’t have a mortar and pestle) until garlic becomes a smooth paste. Whisk half of the garlic, 1/2 tsp. water, and the egg yolk until well combined. Now begins the tricky(ish) part: slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mixture. Start by adding a teaspoon at a time and whisking to incorporate well. When done slowly, the egg will absorb the oil and begin to thicken and lighten in color. If done too quickly (like I did, on my first try), the mixture won’t thicken and you will be left with an oily, eggy mess that looks nothing like a mayonaise and everything like a gross, liquidy egg yolk. Never fear! You can always try again. It’s worth it. In total it is probably about 5 to 10 minutes to make, although my forearms would disagree and told you it took longer. When the mixture comes together and is thick you can start to add the oil more quickly until it is all incorporated. If the mixture becomes too thick you can thin by adding 1/2 teaspoon of water at a time. Add the remaining garlic and salt and vinegar to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
At some point during all this, perhaps during your second attempt at making aioli, have a lovely sous-chef start the charcoals for the grill. When hot, place mushrooms on the grill. Cook 3-4 minutes on one side, until the portobello begins to soften and is slightly charred. Then flip over. When flipped, place a handful of spinach leaves on each mushroom and let wilt. If serving with cheese, place cheese on top of the spinach. Serve on toasted buns when done, with a generous dollop of aioli.
Enjoy and be happy.
*Note: Aioli recipe adapted from Alice Waters’ In The Green Kitchen, which is a lovely cookbook that you should check out if you haven’t already
Some photos of the aioli-making process, which was lengthy and soreness-inducing but TOTALLY WORTH IT. I have never made a mayonaise or aioli before and was very pleasantly surprised by the simplicity of ingredients and the deliciousness. It was the perfect thing for a portobello (or really any kind of) burger.
I came across this recipe the other week and was so excited. Finally, something to do with all of the greens! The ones taking over my fridge! I bought the remaining ingredients I needed on Sunday, prepared to make the recipe immediately. And then it became Monday. And Tuesday. And so on. Until finally it got to Friday and no mixed green and white bean stew had been created. This week was just one of those weeks where I’ve been getting home at 8 and the last thing I am thinking of doing is chopping vegetables for an hour. Some nights (or maybe all of them, if you’re me this week) you just have to order pizza.
Finally last night I had the time and energy to actually break into the kitchen and the stew of week-long anticipation was made. It did not disappoint. It was just what I was looking for. Something vegetable-y, with some umami goodness thrown in on top (poached egg, shaved parmesan, and balsamic).
Mixed greens and white bean stew with balsamic and parmesan
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1 pound chard, collard greens, or other greens
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped shallots (3-4 medium)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
2 15-ounce cans (or about 3 3/4 cups) white beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can vegetable or chicken broth
1 28-ounce can tomatoes (whole or crushed)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
Balsamic vinegar
Fresh grated parmesan cheese
Poached eggs
Heat olive oil over medium. Add carrots, celery, shallots and garlic and saute for 15 minutes or until soft.
While vegetables are sauteeing, bring a medium pot of salted water to boil and blanch chard or other greens for one minute. Drain and squeeze out extra water. Coarsely chop and set aside.
Add wine and cook 3-5 minutes until reduced by three-fourths. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, a few pinches of salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chard and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove thyme and bay leaf.
Poach eggs. When serving stew, ladle into bowls and place one poached egg on top. Garnish generously with freshly grated parmesan, a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. And maybe some nice crusty bread to top it all off.
Yesterday I learned that Brian Jacques, author of the loved Redwall series, died this past weekend from a heart attack on February 5th.
Reading the Redwall books are some of my earliest and greatest memories — sitting in a beanbag chair in the Woods Hole Public Library and getting lost in Redwall Abbey sipping on October Ale. The best part of his books was undoubtedly the gluttonous detail on food. His descriptions of the Redwall feasts are, in my mind, some of the greatest food writing out there, and they are some of my earliest and best memories of food.
When I was 10 I got to see Brian Jacques speak at a local bookstore down the street from where I lived. It is probably indicative of my personality as a child (and my love of his books) that seeing him speak at a bookstore was one of my all time childhood highs. Dozens and dozens of children sat at his feet, in awe of the man that created the Redwall world for us to live in. Though I don’t remember the whole talk, one question will forever be vividly etched in my mind. A little boy sitting behind me timidly raised his hand and, in a voice fearful of the answer, asked Mr. Jacques if he was going to stop writing the Redwall books. I remember gasping with horror at this point at the realization that this man could conceivably stop writing at any moment, could throw down his pen and decree an end to the world he had made for us. The horror was palpable. But Mr. Jacques only smiled and said, “I’ll make you a promise. I will keep writing books, as long as you keep reading them.” The whole room heaved a sigh of relief.
Two years ago I was living in China. It was on a lark, really. I decided I needed a change in my life and wanted to learn a new culture, a new language, a new food. So I moved to Beijing for six months with this awesome boy I like. While I was there, traveling to far flung provinces and climbing Great Walls and studying Mandarin, I was forever on a quest to find authentic food and cooking experiences. The country did not disappoint. In no particular order, some top favorite culinary experiences included: exploring Beijing’s street food; eating Peking duck; learning to make kung pao chicken; eating kebabs on the streets of Kashgar; exploring Beijing’s ancient tea district.
My personal favorite, however, likely owing to my long-standing love affair with the food, was learning to make dumplings.
With the Chinese New Year coming up this week, I thought it would be a perfect time to celebrate the time we had in China with friends and dumpling-making.
The Dining section of the New York Times today features an article on the fine art of Chinese noodle-making. It brought me back to the days I spent with Craig in China, so I thought I would do a little trip-down-memory-lane to commemorate one of my favorite China experiences from two years ago.
One of the many things that we did on our six-month China adventure was take the train from Beijing to Xi’an, where there are the amazing terracotta warriors and, perhaps most importantly, a treasure trove of culinary delights in the lesser-known Muslim quarter.
Best of all in Xi’an, though — better than 8,000 terracotta warriors and better than insanely delicious street food in the Muslim quarter — was the noodle-making. We came across the noodle-maker in the video above on the avenue just outside of the famous terracotta warriors and I was instantly amazed. Watch the video. I dare you to not be amazed.
Ok. Trip down memory lane complete. Back more soon with actual recipes I dare to try (I’ve tried the hand-pulled noodles. Not as effortless as the video makes it seem, I assure you).
SO, I know I talked a big talk about the apple-cheddar scones. They really were that amazing. I hope I’m not burying myself into a hole by overhyping too many recipes on here, but off I go to dig:
Stop what you’re doing. And go make some of these. Maybe you are still on vacation, and you are, like me, spending the days playing board games and sitting by a fire and generally being pretty happy about life. You know what your afternoon needs? These cookies. Perfect with some afternoon tea and a book. Or maybe just by themselves, in your mouth.
Mikey, many thanks for making me aware of these delicacies. They are the perfect sweet-savory combination and I have talked enough about them. I am off to make them again.
Blogging is the epitome of our ever virtualizing lives in which we spend an often overbearing amount of time looking at screens. But sometimes it has the power to connect people in a real way that would never have happened without the virtual. Case in point: these apple cheddar scones.
Over a year ago I read a tweet from a close college friend (hi Linda!) that led me to her high school friend, who has a food blog that I of course started reading regularly, because it is awesome. Last week I went to the Foodbuzz Blogging Festival and I noticed that Da was going to be speaking on one of the panels about her KitchenCorners blog, so I of course had to go and introduce myself and it made me oh so happy to meet Da in person, because she is lovely and a friend of Linda’s and an all around pleasure to be around.
I just learned that Da and KitchenCorners does a monthly cook-off, with prizes awarded to the winner! What an awesome idea. So I am interrupting the CSA Challenge to bring you these, the most extraordinary and delicious thing I have made in a LONG TIME. I kid you not. These are pure gold. Go and make them right now and thank me later. In fact, perhaps you can thank me by bringing me some of the scones you made, because mine are all gone.
