snackreligious

Regrets: Fran's Hamburgers in Austin

2011-11-21T07:11:00.002-05:00

We spent a recent weekend in Austin, Texas, for a family reunion. I'd never been to Austin before, and I was really looking forward to the food there. I wasn't disappointed by much about the trip, but -- golly -- I wish I'd gotten a chance to eat a catfish burger at Fran's Hamburgers. My coworker Paul recommends it very highly, and that's good enough for me. But when our group passed by, it was 9am (we were on our way to the Mexican bakery around the corner) and all our meals that weekend were already planned and mapped out. I just couldn't figure out a way to squeeze it in.

Other recommendations I'm saving for our next trip? The "Flip Happy" crepe trailer off of Lamar Blvd., Woodland on South Congress, Torchy's Tacos on South 1st, and The Ginger Man for drinks.

Next time, Fran's.

Fran's Hamburgers
1822 S Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704
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Chips Notes

2011-09-29T22:39:00.000-04:00

Loaded Chili & Cheese
- Beany!
- Fair amount of spice without being "hot."
- Cumin?
- Cheese undertones.
- Onion.
- Better than "fully loaded"
- Sturdy, thick chips

Molten Hot Wings
- Tangy
- Vinegar
- Hotter
- Sturdy, thick chips

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As the rest of the world already knows

2011-09-29T22:32:00.000-04:00

Yup. Real sugar does taste better. But the can looks ugly when you write "Throwback" all over the vintage packaging.

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Good News!

2011-09-29T22:28:00.000-04:00

Not only does my pediatrician give out delicious lollipops, but her office is located right around the corner from this.

My only issue with this Blue Bottle Coffee s'more was that the "fancy" graham crackers don't really make it better. They do, however, make it more portable. So go ahead, y'all.

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Crispiroll 12-Grain: Bite into the Mystery

2011-09-29T22:15:00.003-04:00

Oh, dear. This is what happens when you fall behind in blogging. The photos pile up and wrappers you've saved get thrown away.

I do not remember how the Crispiroll 12-Grain tasted, exactly. I think...weird? Crispy yet squishy? If I remember correctly, it had, like, a thousand ingredients. Lots of grains. Paul gave it to me. I do remember that.

Here you go. I found the ingredients online: brown rice, husked lotus, pearl barley, buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, pea, small red beans, mung beans, speckled kidney bean, black soybeans, black glutinous rice, corn, egg, palm oil, granulated sugar, soy sauce powder (soybeans, wheat, salt, sugar), sugar.

More Work To Be Done...

2011-09-29T21:55:00.002-04:00

I'm trying my best to eat my way through the vendors at Smorgasburg, the local Saturday "flea market" for food. Here are some highlights of my trips there this summer:

Doughnut holes from Dough

Landhaus maple bacon on a stick

Landhaus BLT

Brooklyn Soda Works blackberry-mint artisanal soda

Nana’s (made by Cecile Dyer of Pies ’n’ Thighs) frozen banana with nuts and sea salt

Okay, so I haven't really made a dent. Smorgasburg closes for the winter on November 20th, so there's still time for me to visit a few more times. Have you been there? What do you recommend I try?

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Would you like bears with that?

2011-09-29T21:15:00.002-04:00

I have a tricky relationship with the Union Square location of pasta/pizza chain Vapiano. I've gotten pasta there a handful of times. It feels too big for the neighborhood and kind of has a strange vibe -- sort of faux Tuscan lounge (for faux Tuscan lounge lizards?). Still, the pasta dishes I've tried are pretty tasty. The noodles are made on-site each day and the sauces are prepared right in front of the customers, to order. A couple of slices of nice chewy bread may or may not be included -- bread only seems to come with the pasta if you luck into the right line cook's queue, but this is a minor quarrel.

The fact that the food is a bit overpriced, but worth it for a splurge, is complicated by their tendency to overcharge me by about $2 (the second time, I was on the lookout and got it corrected). That they use a convoluted "swipe card" ordering and payment system seems to be part of the problem. Be alert as you're paying, friends!

The first couple of times I went there, they included an adorable and tiny cup of gummy bears with my take-out order. I considered this a definite plus. Lately, however, they've just had a self-serve bowl of gummy bears (with scoop and cups) next to the registers. And I thought I caught a glance between two of the employees when another customer took and ate one as she exited while I was paying this last time.

Don't make me admit I want the bears and dig for them myself, Vapiano. Don't call me a gummy bear glutton behind my back. See what you've done now? You've made me paranoid. Just give them to me.

Seriously. Give me the bears.

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Shake and Say Hello

2011-09-29T20:31:00.003-04:00

Momofuku Milk Bar? Hello at last!

Rootbeer float milkshake? Happy to make your acquaintance! I wish you weren't so teeny, but I can deal.

Oh, and decadent birthday cake truffles? [not pictured] Super-nice to eat you!

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Welcome Waffles

2011-09-29T20:24:00.001-04:00

I'd like to post a belated welcome-to-the-neighborhood for a new shop called Waffle and Wolf. We happened in on the first day and tried a waffle folded and filled with feta and honey. Tasty!

There are lots of heartier "specials" if you want to make your folded waffle a meal instead of a snack. I'm into tuna these days, so my eye is was drawn to that one (mercury load; yeah I know).

Waffles and more? Now that's a tastebud-pleasing business model.

Waffle and Wolf
413 Graham Avenue
Brooklyn, NY, 11211
347 889 6240

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It's Not Easy Eating Leafy Greens (CSA Adventures 2011: Weeks 3-9)

2011-09-29T08:33:00.009-04:00

So. The first 9 weeks of this year's CSA season were a bit...leafy. And I totally fell apart, as far as blogging about the season is concerned. I had a new baby; I should have known this would happen.

About the leaves: I don't want to seem whiny in this post because I really value CSAs as a service in communities. This year, I joined a new CSA program in my neighborhood. It's run well, full of lovely people, and shares were sold for a great price. I also know that different farms produce different kinds of produce, and that each growing season is different from the last. I also know that the beginning of a farm's spring growing season often produces many greens. And I remember when I helped run a CSA (now closed) and got a little tired of people complaining about getting too much kale. All this said, my shares this year have felt quite heavy on the greens. Though I could have used some more kale.

Don't get me wrong. I like leaves, and leafy greens, and they're good for me. Dan makes a kick-ass giant salad, so they almost never go to waste. Still, as the weeks went by, I kept expecting them to diminish, in favor of more hearty vegetables that I could use to make exciting recipes. Other vegetables did come, but in small number. Each week's share was only four or five different kinds of produce, instead of seven or eight. And there have been more "side" items like scallions and radishes, which can be hard flavors to build a dish around, rather than heartier elements like squash or tomatoes.

I could have signed up for a full share, instead of a half share, when I joined the CSA. But the variety of items would not have increased -- just the amount of each item, which would have meant even more greens. I did sign up for the second half of the season, another 12 weeks, because I figured that as autumn begins we'll be shedding some leaves. Perhaps I'll even end up with an eggplant or two?! A girl can dream.

If you're keeping track, like I am, to compare to other CSAs and other growing seasons, here's what we've gotten. I won't make you suffer through a thousand photos of salad, but you can guess that's usually what we were eating with these ingredients.

Week 03

1/2 pound of Spinach (leaves)
1 head of Lettuce (leaves)
1 bunch of Scallions
1 bunch of Quelite (leaves)
2 Tomatoes ("tomatoes are not in season yet, but we are able to offer them to you through McEnroe Organic Farm's greenhouse.") = Yay!

The tomatoes were beautiful and delicious. We sliced them, sprinkled them with salt and pepper, and ate them immediately.

Week 04 Produce

1/2 pound of Spinach (leaves)
1/2 pound of Verdolaga (purslane) (leaves)

1 bunch of Kale (leaves)
1 bunch of mint or tarragon (leaves)
1 bunch of Scallions

This week, the purslane, which I quite like, was gone by the time we picked up our share, so we went home with a cabbage instead. Cabbage is my least favorite CSA vegetable ever, but that's no one's fault.

Week 05 Produce

1 Bunch of Kale (leaves)
1 Bunch of Red Amaranth (leaves)
1 Bunch of Radishes
1 Bunch of Basil or Oregano (leaves)
1/2 pound of Heirloom Lettuce (leaves)

The lettuce this week was loose, rather than a head of lettuce, and incredibly bitter. I wish I knew what sort of lettuce it was. I'd avoid it in the future.

Week 06 Produce
1 Bunch of Red Amaranth (leaves)

1 Bunch of Heirloom Radishes
1 Bunch of Scallions
1 Bunch of Beets
1 pound of mini Bok Choy

Hello, stir fry! I love bok choy. This was a great week for non-leaves.

Week 07 Produce

1 Bunch of Red Amaranth (leaves)
1 Bunch of Basil (leaves)
1 Bunch of Beets
1 head of Cabbage (leaves)
1 pound of Summer Squash

Oops. The beets withered and died before we could get to them. Maybe beets are the new cabbage for me. There's just so much stain-y prep with beets.

Week 08 Produce

2 Cucumbers
1 head of Cabbage (leaves)
1 pound of Summer Squash
1/2 pound of Quelites (leaves)

Week 09 Produce

1 Bunch Beets
1 Cucumber
1 Bunch Scallions
1/2 pound Mustard Greens (leaves)
1 pound Green Bell Peppers

The leaves are definitely diminishing. And cucumbers always make me happy, though we seldom do anything with them but eat them raw.

Do you belong to a CSA? Have you eaten a lot of greens this spring and summer?

p.s. I seem to be missing a bunch of photos. I'll add some later, once I've had time to check the other camera for strays...

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Baby Nibbles

2011-09-29T07:42:00.016-04:00

Now, now. Calm down. This is still a food blog, and one that's not morphing into a parenting blog. But a few weeks ago my baby started snacking -- you certainly can't call the tiny amount that gets into his mouth a meal -- so I thought I'd share.

His first exploratory tastes were of: lemon juice, avocado, guacamole, salsa, cheese grits (in Louisville, KY), and plain yogurt.

His first playful bites were of: a lime wedge, pureed carrots with a little Hungarian sweet paprika (turns out he's not so into purees), mashed potato and peas (and then I stopped making purees), pear (quarters with a finger-hold notch cut out of each side), Gala apple (peeled and served like the pear), cinnamon apple oatmeal, pasta, cucumber, sweet pickle, steamed broccoli, CSA grapes (in a mesh feeder), and scrambled eggs.

He's getting better at: bread. I'll end this post with a video of my own Cookie gumming down (though he's got two teeth in there!) unsalted butter on toast fingers. He's also had French toast, waffle, and toasted baguette slices with cream cheese.

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To Have and to Hold

2011-08-05T15:30:00.002-04:00

Ben & Jerry's Clusterfluff is peanut butter ice cream with caramel crunchies, plus peanut butter and marshmallow creme swirls. Speaking as a true peanut butter fiend, it's kind of the living end. I mean, if I were Prince or Jimmy Fallon, this is the ice cream I'd want named after me.

Now I want to take it with me wherever I go. It might not last long in blazing heat, but I carried it 6 or 7 blocks to a cat-sitting gig without incident...then ate the entire pint.

p.s. These shoes (Payless) only look decent from the top. They're so ugly from the side! Good thing they were cheap.

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CSA Adventures 2011: Week 2

2011-06-21T22:33:00.001-04:00

Week 02 Produce:
1/2 pound Quelite or "Red Root," a sort of Mexican wild spinach - CHALLENGE VEGETABLE
1 head of Lettuce
1 bunch of Scallions
1 bunch of Parsley

1. Sauteed Quelite
Notes: Prepared with mushrooms, olive oil, cumin, garlic, lime, chicken chorizo, and red pepper flakes. Rich flavor.

2. Pretzel Salad
Notes: Pretzel sticks, cheddar cheese, sunflower seeds, homemade croutons, grape tomatoes, scallions, lettuce, parsley.

3. Scrambled Eggs with mushrooms, scallions, parsley, and cheddar cheese.

4. Everything in the Fridge Salad (not pictured)
Notes: Lettuce, scallion, onion, red pepper, mushrooms, lime, tortilla, pepperjack cheese, tomatoes, Caesar salad dressing, Cholula hot sauce, parsley.

There's a little parsley left over, so we'll just continue tossing it in things until it's gone.

Week 3 may feature garlic scapes! Whee!

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Once Upon a Clementine

2011-06-16T20:41:00.001-04:00

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CSA Adventures 2011: Week 1

2011-06-16T19:45:00.011-04:00

Sneak a peek at week two's veggies, above!

Hello! After disappointing myself, and perhaps some of you, with last year's CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) coverage, I'm back for a third season and determined to improve my game. If you've forgotten why my follow-through was so abysmal in 2010, it was because I got pregnant in July and developed an aversion to vegetables that left me uninterested in cooking most of the items in my share during the height of the season.

I had to join a new program, as the one I'd been a member of for the past two years wasn't an option this year. Now, I'm a shareholder in Local Roots, a new CSA in the neighborhood. They've split the season into two halves (12 weeks each), so for now I've paid for the first 12 weeks of produce. If all goes well, I'll buy a share in the second half of the season, too.

Dan and I actually got a half share, as the "whole share" was described as being for larger families. So far, the amount of each type of produce seems good for the two of us (the baby is not eating solid foods yet), though there aren't a lot of different items yet. I'm hoping that the variety of vegetables we receive each week will increase as the growing season gets underway.

The other piece to this blogging-my-CSA-adventures puzzle is taking photos to share with you, and so far I've been trying to put the baby to bed during prime "golden light" hours. Eating in the dark doesn't make for nice pictures, either. But I'll work on getting you some shots of what we're receiving and eating. Can't be worse than last year, right? Right?

Tonight begins Week Two, so I'll share a brief wrap-up of last week and look forward to filling you in on what follows. As in past years, items I mark as "challenge vegetables" are ones we're cooking with for the first time.

Week 01 Produce:
1/2 pound of Nettle - CHALLENGE VEGETABLE
1 pound of Spinach
1 bunch of Radishes
1 bunch of Scallions

Local Roots linked to this helpful video about cooking with nettle. Don't get stung!

Nettle from Local Roots NYC on Vimeo.

With the produce from week one, Dan and I were able to make just two dishes:
1. Stinging Nettle Pesto
Notes: Dan prepared this with pine nuts, walnuts, nettle, oil, garlic and parmesan. We ate it over pasta one night, and also had it on toasted bread. It had a fairly mild flavor, so the garlic was a good addition.
2. Big Salad
Notes: I do like a big salad. We used the spinach, radishes, and scallions for this one and dressed it with left over arepa sauce from Caracas Arepa Bar.

Coming Up in Week 02 Produce:
1/2 pound Quelite or "Red Root," a sort of Mexican wild spinach - CHALLENGE VEGETABLE
1 head of Lettuce
1 bunch of Scallions
1 bunch of Parsley

Did you join a CSA this year? What was in your first week's share?

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Snackscot

2011-06-14T21:46:00.000-04:00

Spotted in a bodega: one tiny, adorable kitten.

I would imagine this must be good for business. I know s/he makes me want to buy at least twice as many Nutter Butters.

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Poetry Tuesday: Barcelona, Eaten

2011-06-14T07:27:00.004-04:00

Barcelona, eaten by the Pope
Familia spires served well to pick his teeth
Pillars there? Why, white asparagus.

No bikini* on the beach is safe, they say
Rovellons for buttons? Gobbled down
Patatas Bravas? Papa, Brava! Way to eat the streets!

Barcelona, eaten up by me
Every paving stone, a pastry
Each ounce of sea to wash a dish.

Paella, small plates, salads -- all are gone
The landscape's stripped, we ate it
The city's tapas? Tapped.

Not Gaudi! The Pope! And me!

* bikini = Spanish grilled cheese with ham sandwich

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No Line? So Fine.

2011-06-13T21:45:00.003-04:00

The problem with the original Shake Shack in Madison Square Park is that the lines are almost always ridiculously long. When it opened in 2004, I was working nearby and managed to get in on the ground floor of the phenomenon. The frozen custard "concretes," which are like Blizzards, and cheese fries were my special loves. But as the lines grew longer, I stopped going. I wasn't going to give up most of an hour-long lunch break waiting to place my order. The food is good, but not good enough to justify the wait.

Now, Shake Shack is expanding across this city and into others. Until today, I had yet to try any of the new locations. I guess I assumed the long line in Madison Square would be replicated at each. But, happily, I see that I was wrong. After an early afternoon at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (closed to the public on Mondays, but I have a hook-up!) seeing, among other things, the Alexander McQueen retrospective, we walked over to the Shake Shack on 86th Street. It was about 4pm, so perhaps the time was a factor, but there was no line at all!

Dan's burger was good, he reported. My fried mushroom burger, filled with gooey melted cheese and topped with crisp onion and tomato and lettuce and pickles, was excellent. The cheese fries were fresh, warm, and swell. Dan's root beer didn't disappoint. My lemonade was perfect. Our Coffee Bean Brownie (coffee-caramel-brownie-vanilla) concrete was sweet and smooth. And, to make things even better, there was outdoor seating in a public plaza adjacent to the restaurant. And the bathroom had a changing station. Golly! What an afternoon of happy flavors and thoughts!

So maybe I won't wait in line for it, but I will take the train.

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Sweet Industry

2011-06-13T18:57:00.003-04:00

My friend Melissa threw her visiting mom a brunch this past Sunday (Yum! Spanakopita!), and Jeannine, Melissa's mother, took the opportunity to talk to us about Xoçai chocolates. Jeannine is a distributor and a believer in the company's claims that the candies deliver antioxidants to and improve the health of those who eat it.

We got to sample four of the products, all solid chocolates, as well as a health shake. I can't speak to the healthiness of any of the items, but they do have a dark chocolate flavor -- and Jeannine said she's seen real benefits, including weight loss, since making them a part of her dietary lifestyle.

I liked the original "nuggets" and the "Mega Squares," which have an orange flavor, best. Chocolate and orange are a favorite of mine. I also found their slightly grainy texture comforting somehow.

If you'd like to try it yourself you can see all of their products and/or order online. I wouldn't advertise for just anyone, and I can't endorse anything about these personally (beyond their flavor), but Jeannine is a real person who wasn't just selling me a line. I'll vouch for her sincerity! She believes in the product, and you might, too.

For further reading on Xoçai, here's a New York Times article from 2009.

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Vital Information

2011-06-13T09:07:00.001-04:00

I like Coconut M&M's better than Pretzel M&M's.

To elaborate, I think Pretzel M&M's were a good concept, but the pretzel inside actually emphasizes the sugary candy shell, rather than the chocolate. It makes the chocolate taste fake and too-sweet. You're better off with actual chocolate-covered pretzels.

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There was this one time?

2011-06-13T08:31:00.000-04:00

This one time? We had a fairly new baby? And Rusty brought us muffins from Variety?

Much appreciated! Especially pumpkin cream cheese.

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Mmmm....composty...

2011-06-13T08:19:00.004-04:00

I haven't yet made it to Smorgasburg, Brooklyn Flea's all-food market in Williamsburg, but I was happy with the food options at the flea market itself, which I visited well before Smorgasburg opened.

Told I had to try one of the Compost Cookies from Momofuku Milk Bar's stand, I obliged. It was tasty, but not as exciting as I was hoping it would be. Perhaps the texture was too homogenized. I'm looking forward to making my own version.

While there, I also enjoyed my favorite Asia Dog -- the Mash (not pictured). Potato chips, spicy ketchup, jalapeno mustard? I have no complaints. I've now had Asia Dog's food at a bar (where they originated), a flea market, a wedding (which they catered!), a pop-up soccer clubhouse (oh, the wasabi potato salad!), and their restaurant in Nolita. I'm a fan.

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Edible Tourism

2011-06-13T07:57:00.003-04:00

Everyone's abuzz about the High Line park's newly opened section. The park is so lovely and unique (it's built along a decommissioned elevated train line). For me, it's a "must-see" in NYC.

A few weeks ago, when Angela was visiting, we walked along section one -- all that was open at the time -- and visited nearby Chelsea Market, another classic New York City destination, for gelato from L'Arte del Gelato. I had my selection (mint chocolate chip) made into a shake. Perfection!

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Afeared

2011-06-13T07:49:00.001-04:00

I was too scared to try these. Or maybe "worried and suspicious" would be more accurate than "scared."

Since when can one buy cheesy fries at Burger King, anyway? If it's not for sale at the "restaurant," why brand it and sell it at the bodega?

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Berry Good!

2011-06-13T07:39:00.004-04:00

Kate first turned me on to Brookside's enrobed goodies by bringing a pouch of dark-chocolate-covered goji berries to a welterweight championship viewing at my house.

Lest you get the wrong impression, I don't particularly enjoy boxing -- but, as it turns out, I DO enjoy chocolate-covered goji berries! I also sought out the brand's pomegranate and açaí with blueberries (not pictured). The pomegranate were slightly disappointing; I wish Brookside had captured the juicy crunch and tart, fresh flavor of pomegranate seeds, but they didn't.

I enjoyed my taste of the açaí/blueberry chocolates (a gift from Angela), but they didn't measure up to the goji, which remain my favorite.

Something about the bright chewiness of that berry meshes best with the dark chocolate they've used.

They're a little more expensive than I like to see, if I can be candid, but officially delicious.

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Did I mention...?

2011-06-13T07:28:00.002-04:00

Spicy cocoa?

I know it's not hot chocolate weather (in NYC, anyway) anymore, but I meant to recommend this fair trade cocoa to y'all. I thought I mentioned it months ago and must have been mistaken.

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Things in Jars

2011-04-23T16:42:00.001-04:00

My friend Nick brings things in jars.

This thing, from his latest visit, was a sort of loose, unsticky, chocolate cereal treat. It had dried fruit in it -- cherries? raisins? It reminded me of the treats discussed in this post, but seemed blessedly less healthy.

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Cracker Intentions; Cracker Reality

2011-04-20T12:22:00.003-04:00

I bought a box of these peanut butter crackers intending them as an easy-to-eat "early labor" snack, but I was in intense labor so quickly (and the whole thing lasted less than 9 hours) that I didn't get to eat anything between breakfast (cherry Nutrigrain bar and orange juice with liquid iron*) and an hour or so after the kid was born.

They're a little dry, but palatable, especially with a glass of milk.

Here are other things I intended to buy before giving birth, based on research I did on some homebirth websites, so that I'd have them for labor and post-birth snacking (for me and for my support team):

applesauce
bananas
bread
juice/Vitamin Water/lemonade
grapes (to freeze)
Greek yogurt
Clif bars
soup
popsicles
brownie mix (2)
cottage cheese
oatmeal
tater tots
Toaster Strudel
pudding (chocolate)
Emergen-C
miso soup
bagels
fruit

Of course, this didn't happen, thanks to my intense contractions and speedily-born son, but I've kept the shopping list in the diaper bag and intend to pick up most of these items later this week. They still sound pretty tasty to me.

*A Lesson Learned: Drinking OJ in labor turned out to be not the greatest idea.

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Poetry Tuesday: The Difference of Its Parts

2011-04-19T17:27:00.004-04:00

Smaller than Snickers, I choke back the laugh
Less than p. buttery, nod to that jar
Not rating a video, accidentally un-still
Underwhelming words, and indeed no muse.

My compliments

2011-04-16T19:25:00.000-04:00

We did nothing to deserve a complimentary Lemon-Brown Butter Mochi Cake with kumquat sauce, black sesame streusel, and Il Laboratorio Buttermilk Ice Cream, but were thrilled when it was brought to us at one of our favorite neighborhood spots, Five Leaves.

Thankfully, our relative unworthiness did not sour its flavor. Delicious!

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Current Favorite Things

2011-04-15T12:13:00.003-04:00

1. Giant salads (pictured: tomato, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, cheese, greens, oil, and vinegar)
2. Three-week-old babies (one in particular)
3. Episodes of Downton Abbey (Watch it instantly on Netflix)

Best of all? Combine all three!

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Oh, yeah. And I drank one of these.

2011-04-15T11:59:00.001-04:00

Yeah, so, I had a Shamrock Shake from McDonald's in March. They can be hard to find in NYC, but I found it at the joint just around the corner from my house.

It wasn't bad, BUT it was clearly just a vanilla shake with some sort of colored flavoring mix stirred into it. I could tell because it hadn't been stirred very well, so it was white and streaky at the bottom. I guess the woman who prepared my shake doesn't consider herself an artisan. Or something.

Also, the whipped cream on top? Complete overkill.

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Not Pictured: The Great Gumball Fakeout!

2011-04-15T11:40:00.001-04:00

A number of weeks ago, I attended the opening for Dan's installation (and the new Andy Warhol exhibit) at the Montclair Art Museum in Montclair, NJ. You may recall I helped "weed" stickers for his piece a while back.

The photos I took of the artwork look great, but the photos I took in the reception hall came out either dark and murky (no flash) or harsh and unflattering (with flash). So I'll just tell you (instead of showing you a crummy picture) that there was a nice selection of flavored puddings in shot glasses and delicious cookies to enjoy, as well as fruit, vegetables, and cheese.

There were also tall glass vases filled with large, round balls. Attractive as decoration, the vases contained serving tongs, so the "balls" were clearly meant to be eaten. And my dad and I both took some assuming they were malted milk balls or chocolates of some sort. But they were gumballs. Giant gumballs.

Gumballs, when one is in the mood for them, can be delightful. BUT gumballs are chewed over time and keep one's mouth occupied. You don't just eat a gumball and then move on to the pudding. And a gumball is seldom found on a buffet at a reception. It made for a surprising moment in my mouth, and (because I stood near the table and watched other guests) in the mouths of many attendees. Most of the adults chewed a few times, looked surprised, and headed for the trash can.

It wasn't bad gum, of course, but there were cookies to be eaten!

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Hoppy Days

2011-04-14T19:48:00.002-04:00

According to the package, Bunny Crisps are "chocolaty," not "chocolate." Hmmm...

Somebunny over here (oh, that's me!) thought they tasted close enough.

Thanks, Rusty!

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Hat Trick

2011-04-14T19:38:00.000-04:00

I was told I selected the "perfect combination" of three snacks to bring along in my bag when my husband and I attended our first Tribeca Parenting Childbirth Education Class (Home Birth), so I thought I'd share this winning combo:

Sugar snap peas (healthy, fresh, crispy)
Reese's Pieces (sweet, chocolate, peanut butter, melt-in-the-mouth)
Snyders of Hanover Honey Mustard and Onion Pretzel Pieces (savory, tangy, crunchy)

What would make up your ultimate trifecta of snacking?

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Photo Essay: Our Baby Shower (February)

2011-04-14T19:17:00.000-04:00

Host: Rachel

Spread: Cheese Fondue with fruit and vegetables, pickles, spice cake. I enjoyed the food so much I didn't get any photos of myself, and very few photos of any of the guests!

Decorations: Tissue paper garland (made by me), flowers and butterflies (made and donated by FEAST organizers). Flowers.

Activity: Draw a picture for our homemade alphabet book!

Thanks, friends!
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Back on the (Baking) Horse

2011-04-14T11:42:00.002-04:00

The breastfeeding demands of a newborn have left me little time to execute recipes these past three weeks. Luckily, my husband is perfectly capable (and willing) in the kitchen. I have not gone hungry.

The other day, though, I really craved homemade cookies, and I managed to eke out enough time to make (and, dare I say, improve upon) this recipe between a couple of Sebastian's naps.

In a radical sort of mood, I found some mini marshmallows, rolled them into the cookie dough, made larger balls than called for, and baked each dozen for about 13-14 minutes.

They were delicious! Dan and I ripped through them in about 3 days, and I'm itching to make more.

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"We'll eat you up, we love you so."

2011-04-14T11:04:00.010-04:00

Here's to the people and restaurants who provided special snacks and meals in the first several weeks after I gave birth to my son (three weeks ago today).

My smarty-pants husband had Thai delivered from Cheers for the two of us, our doula, and the midwife, an hour or two after our home birth.
Moss, Rachel, and Hero brought fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, biscuits, and slices of pie from Pies 'n' Thighs for dinner that first night. Turns out that two pieces of fried chicken was EXACTLY what I wanted after 8 1/2 hours of labor.
Nick came by with dark beer (good for milk production, they say) and ice cream and chips and...numerous other good things. Matthew C. also brought beer (which turned out to be more for my husband than for me).
Tim and Holly made lasagna and fennel salad, and delivered it with chocolate cake (and brought their gorgeous 6-month old daughter).
David and Molly donated homemade chicken pot pies, ready to cook, and chocolate-coconut hand pies (pictured above). Oh, yum!
Carmine's was the first place we "ate out" with the baby. We only purchased two slices of pizza at the counter, but they still let us sit in the back (which is usually reserved for people ordering from the menu), away from the construction noise on the street.

Inedible but Lovely "special mention" goes to Willow and August's cherry blossoms and two bunches of flowers from Matt C. -- not to mention all the other friends who stopped by or mailed cards and gifts of rattles, blankets, onesies, books, lullabies, and more. Sorry I haven't named you all here!

I feel really, truly blessed.

A few notes from the cookie jar...

2011-03-30T12:19:00.001-04:00

5 1/2 days old!

"Cookie" was my grandfather's nickname when he was a little boy (and, as he became an adult, people also called him Cook).

As of Thursday, March 24th at 12:34 pm -- a good time for lunch or anything delicious to come into one's life -- I have my own little boy "Cookie." Cook is his middle name, officially, and I hope my grandfather, who passed away in December and is very missed, would be pleased to know that.

This little boy is tantalizing and sweet, of course, but I'm also working out how to fit blogging into my new routine. I have no intention of quitting the snacks, so fit it in I will. And, I realized, a new vista of snacking has opened up before me once the kid is on solid food. How exciting!

Coincidentally also regarding cookies (and also of the non-edible variety), Rachel's 2 1/2 year old daughter was playing with my phone last night. She and I enjoy the app Cookie Doodle. It's pretty fun. You can (virtually) bake, decorate, and eat a whole cookie jar's worth of treats.

Here's a photo I found in my inbox this morning. I guess my little friend accidentally emailed it to me (she's smart, but not smart enough to have done it on purpose). It features just a few of the cookies we've made using this app.

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Grrr!

2011-03-01T10:00:00.005-05:00

Tiny vanilla cupcake from Whole Foods, courtesy of Susan.

Are you surprised I didn't choose chocolate?

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Early Birthday Presents

2011-02-19T07:57:00.003-05:00

I love the day that Easter candy first makes its appearance in the stores -- or, at least, the day I first notice it. That day was yesterday, and I snagged a couple of my favorites because today's my birthday and I "deserve" a treat.

Though I prefer an original Cadbury egg over the other flavors (the filling is always creamier in the former), orange is nice for a change.

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Not just for kids

2011-02-16T08:39:00.004-05:00

[Seatbelt Carriage Satchel by Harveys; Uniqlo Boyfriend Jeans; We Who See Pleated Canvas Booties from Urban Outfitters.]

We toured a local pediatricians' office last week and made sure to take home a couple of the Yummy Earth organic lollipops from the reception desk. The doctor who spoke to us said that they used to give out sugar-free suckers, but that they'd decided that organic ones with real sugar were a better, healthier idea.

Tastier, too, I'm sure. Mine ("Strawberry Smash") was tart and sweet at the same time. Delicious!

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These are odd.

2011-02-10T09:47:00.001-05:00

Paul showed me these videos the other day. That candy sushi looks pretty fabulous! My instinct is that these must taste gross, but I haven't tried them for myself, so that's not a fair assessment.

I do like miniature things...and assembly...

The pizza freaks me out a little. What's with all the liquid?

Have any of you ever tried this sort of homemade gummy candy?

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"Ginger" should never be an insult.

2011-02-09T21:08:00.005-05:00

I got a tip from Daupo that the ginger cookies he spotted today at Paradis were mighty fine -- sweet, soft, and with a good ginger flavor.

Ginger cookies at Paradis? I've never seen such a thing! Their chocolate chip cookie was the first item featured on this blog (the epic picture came later), so I always give their cookies a chance.

I went right over -- and bought two, of course.

And Daupo was right. No "redheaded stepchildren" in the cookie family, these. Just delicious.

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Poetry Tuesday: The Patient Muffin

2011-02-08T09:05:00.004-05:00

Pepitas don't look like
Pepitas taste nice but
A pumpkin muffin is soft and waits
Solidly on your desk, and waits
Warm flavor pausing, waits
For you to remember.

OR

A Noiseless, Patient Muffin

A NOISELESS, patient muffin,
I mark’d, where, on a little office desk, it stood, isolated;
Mark’d how, to adorn the cluttered, flat surrounding,
It launch’d forth fragrance, fragrance, fragrance, out of itself;
Ever unreeling it—ever tirelessly speeding scent.	5

And you, O my Stomach, where you sit,
Surrounded, surrounded, in measureless oceans of work,
Ceaselessly eating, nibbling, snacking,—seeking the foods, to ingest them;
Till the hunger you still have be fill’d—till your breakfast's anchor holds;
Till the pumpkin-y muffin's strings catch somewhere, O my Soul.

[Pumpkin muffin from Whole Foods, via Kevin. Thanks, Kevin. Sorry, Whitman.]

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I Engage in Some Shameless Name-Dropping.

2011-02-06T12:41:00.003-05:00

I have to say that although I don't care at all about American football or the Super Bowl (or even, honestly, the commercials), I do love both cranberry juice and Henry Strozier, the actor on the left in this Ocean Spray spot. I know Henry from work (and I'm positive he's not our food thief, in case you were wondering). He's even more fun outside the bog.

By the way, if I happen to wander into a Super-Bowl-watching scenario this evening, I'll report back. Because there will be food there, or I won't be.

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Marriage Vows

2011-02-06T11:58:00.002-05:00

"I promise not to finish your chocolate bar while you are off watching a soccer game."

Dan and I received some fancy chocolates for Christmas. I think both of these bars were from Eva and Ben. And since Dan is the coffee-lover in our house, it would be unfair of me to finish off the Seattle Chocolates Pike Place Espresso Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar With Espresso Infusion.

But the B.T. McElrath Chocolatier Salty Dog Chocolate Bar (Butter toffee with sea salt) is fair game.

They're both quite good, BTW. I wish the B.T.M bar had a little more toffee, but the salt level is perfect.

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Not Pictured: 1 Slice of Dean and DeLuca Iced Lemon Bread

2011-02-06T09:05:00.002-05:00

(photo by Dan)

Eaten before and after Infant CPR and Safety class at Birth Day Presence.

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Office Food Theft: Never a Victimless Crime

2011-02-04T16:00:00.011-05:00

Yes, many in my workplace (including me) have been reduced to passive, aggressive, or passive-aggressive notes regarding food theft. There are thieves among us!

We're not richly compensated enough that this becomes "no big deal." And most of us are generous and would (and do) share happily if asked. Stop eating our food in secret, mysterious thieves!

In my office, if it isn't coffee, tea, milk (one specific brand, easily identified), or half-and-half, it's not public property. Sometimes fruit and baked goods are left out on the counter or table for all to share, but those offerings are pretty easy to identify. Yet lunches, leftovers, and more go missing -- again and again.

The worst part is that I am straight-out quite fond of pretty much everyone I work with, which makes it awfully hard to point fingers. But clearly there are a) thoughtless and/or b) mean and/or c) porky and/or d) starving people among us.

Boo, food thieves! Boo!

Does personal food go missing in your workplace?

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My pants are too tight. Oh, hello, Pudding.

2011-02-04T09:09:00.001-05:00

Yes, I'm too lazy to shop for maternity pants. The pair I'm wearing today have to be completely unbuttoned when I sit down. I'm spending my Elevenses eating leftover pudding from The Food Emporium anyway -- tight pants be damned!

FYI, marshmallows left in pudding overnight take on a sort of soft-foam texture. Odd.

Also! While I have mentioned I found Whole Foods' chocolate pudding to be TOO chocolatey and rich, the F.E. pudding is just my speed. The only thing I don't like about this in-store brand is the packaging. Because the pudding cup is "rippled" around its sides, it is impossible to scrape all of the pudding out with any utensil. Wasted pudding is a disgrace.

p.s. Here's a funny picture of my cat wearing my hair as a wig. It is un-staged (i.e. he crawled under my chin and sat down like that):

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My dinner with My Dinner With Andre

2011-02-03T09:00:00.002-05:00

It would be fun to make a "Giant Movie Night" joke about Andre the Giant here, but we didn't invite anyone over or declare it an official "Giant Movie Night" before sitting down to eat dinner and watch My Dinner with Andre.

Dan did, however, make excellent chicken enchiladas, using a Rick Bayless recipe. The adobo rub was a little salty, but avocado slices helped cut that to a manageable degree.

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Shower Power!

2011-01-27T17:13:00.003-05:00

Jeff and Michelle are having a baby (they beat me to it). I felt privileged to attend one of their baby showers last weekend -- and not just because the food served there was excellent.

But it was.

The party was held in the back room of, and catered by, a charming local bar called The Richardson. They laid out a great spread of grilled sandwiches/panini, veggies, pickles, cheese, deviled eggs, pretzels, and meats.

I believe I ate quite a bit.

Seriously intense, moist, and attractive cupcakes (chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, and carrot cake) were provided by another local favorite shop, The Blue Stove.

Congratulations, Jeff and Michelle! And thanks (also to Jeff's mom, who hosted) for the party!

Snowy Sick Day Breakfast

2011-01-27T16:55:00.005-05:00

My sister made homemade orange rolls and posted a photo on Facebook. I wanted some immediately. But she lives in another state, I can't eat a photograph, and I'm home sick after a snowstorm with neither the ingredients nor the energy to produce my own rolls. Alas!

We were, however, inspired to throw some Pillsbury/Cinnabon cinnamon rolls (find them in the refrigerator biscuit section of the grocery store) into the oven this morning. No doubt, Cali's rolls were better (as are my mom's, here), but these were pretty good.

My only quarrel with them, really, is that there are just five in a can. That's an odd number, and there are two people in my household. How can we possibly share fairly without dirtying a knife?

So, I'd love to have had that sixth roll, but I can acknowledge that this product would be perfect for people with five-person families. You just can't please everyone, Pillsbury. You just can't.

Microwave leftover, cooled rolls for 20 seconds before eating.

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Stuck on almonds

2011-01-16T08:30:00.001-05:00

Dan's preparing for an installation at the Montclair Art Museum in Montclair, NJ. I went down to Flavor Paper, his main wallpaper distributor, yesterday to help with the "weeding" (removing the negative space from hundreds (thousands) of sometimes-tiny vinyl stickers.

These salted almonds (sent to us at Christmas by Dan's parents) saved the day. Between them, a clementine, and some red raspberry leaf tea (good for uterine toning, I'm told!), I was able to get through multiple hours of picking away at sheets of vinyl with tweezers and my fingers.

When we were done, we grabbed some Tex-Mex at Lobo. They start out by bringing the table a basket of what I judged to be above-average chips and salsa, in case you were wondering. And I was hungry-but-not-ravenous, so my dinner of chicken enchiladas with verde sauce suited me well.

p.s. How's this for a bathroom?!

[Tiny Fashion Spread: Jeans and cardigan by Uniqlo, Tee from Forever 21, Onitsuka Tigers on the feet]

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Snowy Breakfasts

2011-01-08T16:47:00.002-05:00

(photo by Dan)

We had a blizzard a few weeks ago. I miss it (which I realize is because I could stay inside, safe and warm and dry). Our lazy, snowy, post-holiday mornings made for some excellent breakfast opportunities.

Ruby red grapefruit (no sugar needed) and jalapeno-cheddar bagel with cream cheese. Thanks, Dan, for shoveling and stamping through the snow to the store to get the provisions!

"American Pancakes" from Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess and homemade cranberry curd (loosely based on a recipe in the same book).

Here's a tip: if you make more batter than you need, cook up all the pancakes anyway and freeze or refrigerate them. Throw the leftovers in the toaster to heat and eat when you feel like it. Pancake batter doesn't keep well, but cooked pancakes do.

Let it snow, breakfast-lovers!

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Fast Snack: Tuna Salad on Crackers

2011-01-08T16:36:00.001-05:00

Dan makes a wicked tuna salad. This one, assembled for tuna melts the other night, was heavy on the onions. I added a sprinkling of cheddar left over from breakfast and ate it on crackers this afternoon.

Disclaimer: Yes, pregnant women shouldn't eat too much tuna. There's a debate raging about whether they should eat any at all. The most extreme opinion I've read is that NO woman of "child-bearing age" (!!!) should eat tuna. I'm pretty careful (and choose light tuna when buying it for myself), but decided I was unwilling to give it up completely.

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The Cookbook Challenge: Book One

2011-01-08T16:23:00.004-05:00

For a couple of years, I've been wanting to prove to myself that the many cookbooks I've hoarded (about a quarter of which can be viewed in the photo above) are good for something. I do cook regularly from a number of them, but there are others that just hang out in the kitchen as novelty items. Far too often, I turn the internet when looking for a new recipe to try. I know this is, in part, because it is much easier to search for specific ingredients on my computer, but I love quite a few of the cookbooks I've collected -- even ones I don't use often. They do take up space, though, and I should probably use them or lose (at least a few of) them.

I thought perhaps I would create a challenge in which I attempt to make at least one recipe from each of my cookbooks (and books of "food writing" that include recipes) over the course of a year. This may help me decide which cookbooks to get rid of, but it might also clue me in to some new favorites. As a bonus, this could also create some entertaining blog content (for you!) along the way.

For my first book in the challenge, I chose The New York Times Large Type Cookbook (by Jean Hewitt; illustrations by Maida Silverman. Golden Press, NY, 1968). I don't remember exactly where I picked this up (as will be the case with many of my second-hand sources), but for some reason I was drawn to the format. The recipes are fairly basic in an appealing way (large print makes everything look easier!), and the illustrations are spare but sweet.

This morning, I made up a dish of the cookbook's:

Boone Tavern Spoon Bread
(note: recipe instructions have been paraphrased)

1 1/4 c. white cornmeal
3 c. milk, rapidly boiling
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt (you could ease off the salt a tad, I think)
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
2 T. melted butter, cooled

Once the milk is boiling (be careful, as it can easily boil over in a too-small pot), add the cornmeal and stir constantly until it is well-mixed and thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Preheat oven to 375 F.

When cooled, stir cornmeal mixture into other ingredients. Mix (I used a stand mixer) at high speed for 10-15 minutes, or until smooth. Spread in a pie plate or casserole dish (1-1 1/2 qt capacity). Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Serve with melted butter (or cheese or hot sauce or sour cream, I thought, with bacon on the side). The cookbook specifies that this should be eaten with a fork, which tickled me. It's "spoon" bread, after all!

I hope you appreciated my "large print" homage.

Spoon bread is like a corn bread casserole. I found the recipe plain but filling, which seems true to the aesthetic and contents of this cookbook. I have a hunch, flipping through it, that there are other things in this volume I would enjoy making and eating. The New York Times Large Type Cookbook is staying on the "keep" pile for now.

How many cookbooks do I have, anyway? I'm taking bets.

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I passed!

2011-01-05T12:05:00.001-05:00

...my GD screening, that is. If you're curious, I got a 107, and anything greater than or equal to 140 would have required further testing.

I rewarded myself this morning by spreading honey on my peanut butter toast. I also put the two slices together so I could eat them as a sandwich, which is neither here nor there.

And I may or may not have had a secret number of cornflake cookies yesterday, a few hours after the test.

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TGIGDD

2011-01-04T14:08:00.002-05:00

"Thank God It's Gestational Diabetes Day!"

No, not really.

I have my GD Screening this afternoon. One of the annoying things about the so-called "One Hour Test" is that doctors/midwives do not have a standardized way of giving this test. Some pregnant women are told to fast for 2-8 hours beforehand. Some are told to eat normally. Some are told to eat only a special diet (usually heavy on the protein). This lack of standardization may be one reason there are numerous false positives resulting from the screening. Most women who don't pass the 1-hr test go on to pass the follow-up "Three Hour Test," but anywhere from 5-10% of pregnant women actually do have GD.

You can probably guess I'm hoping I'm one of the lucky pregnant women who don't become diabetic during pregnancy! I don't want to have to spend these last three months on a restrictive diet (and/or having to give myself insulin shots). So I'm hoping to pass the first screening with flying colors. We shall see.

My midwife's instructions were to not fast before the test, but to stick to proteins and whole grains. She told me to abstain from fruit, sugar, and carbs on the day of the test (today). The best news from her was that I do not have to drink the sugary glucose solution that most pregnant women report being disgusted by. For my test, I was told to drink 10 oz. of purple Welch's grape juice. Dan and I only had to check 3 bodegas to find the right sized bottle, which felt like a victory to me.

Breakfast: Whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter.

Lunch: Turkey burger with cheese (but no bun). Sorry it's not more photogenic, folks.

And there goes the grape juice!

Stay tuned for the results...

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Late lunch? Big snack?

2011-01-02T15:07:00.000-05:00

Leftover noodles + leftover sauce - any sort of layering or baking = one lazy lasagna.

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One last gasp of cookies

2011-01-02T14:55:00.001-05:00

I made the leftover Mrs. Fields dough into cookies (102 of them) and cut up 60 pieces of double-decker fudge to take to church today. And now I think I'm due for a little cookie-making break. Maybe I'll concentrate on eating the leftovers.

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Other stuff I ate last year:

2011-01-01T18:36:00.005-05:00

Grey Dog cookies are huge! Big cookies have to be soft for me to like them, and this chocolate peanut butter one worked for me. Several times.

Molly and David gave me pie!

Ian gave me pie!

I made a plum cake!

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Brunch Bunch

2011-01-01T17:43:00.005-05:00

I digress: A short film with our hosts -- unrelated to today's brunch, but v. nice.

(photo by Dan)

(photo by Dan)

Anna and Mike hosted the most charming all-day New Year's Day "brunch" I've ever attended. Seriously. Well, it was also the only all-day brunch to which I've yet been invited, but it was better than I could have imagined -- and I do tend to get my hopes up when it comes to holiday food.

The day started with fruit and doughnuts and egg dishes (etc.), transitioned to chili around lunchtime, and when we left (late in the afternoon) there were promises of spaghetti and meatballs for evening stragglers.

Oh. My.

(photo by Dan)

Babies, dogs, adults -- everybody seemed to be having a lovely time. I certainly did. The food was plentiful and delicious, and it didn't hurt that their (under renovation construction) apartment is gorgeous, too.

(photo by Dan)

(photo by Dan)

My favorite dish? Mike's Hash Brown Casserole (recipe on Epicurious). I will be making this for myself. It was crunchy outside and creamy inside. I had two enormous helpings, with hot sauce.

These fancifully-flavored doughnuts from "Dough" were also a big hit.

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New Years Resolution

2011-01-01T17:16:00.004-05:00

(photos by Dan)

More of everything!

Happy New Year, y'all.

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Belated/Bereaved Poetry Tuesday: For "Cookie" S.

2010-12-29T08:20:00.003-05:00

I'll follow you
Like food follows funerals:
With relief and to forget...

There's more to this poem, but that's what I remember off the top of my head. Of course, we don't forget, do we?

Chocolate cake with sunflower seeds. Grandpa was a Kansan through-and-through.

My cousin Angie said, "Remember how we all used to put black olives on the ends of our fingers?"

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Photo Essay: Thanksgiving Flashback

2010-12-29T08:00:00.003-05:00

(some photos by Dan)

Did you notice what's missing? Dessert!! For the first time in my life, I was too full to eat any Thanksgiving dessert. I blame the baby.

I had pie for breakfast the next day.

A few of our recipe links:
Bacon-Jalapeno Stuffing
Cranberry Horseradish Dressing
Green Beans with Balsamic-Shallot Butter

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Recipe Box 2010

2010-12-25T20:25:00.003-05:00

Limited Edition Mike Perry Sugar Cookie. Should we sell this on Ebay?

Season's Eatings!

I'm pleased to be able to share our 2010 Cookie Party Menu with some recipe links. The party took place last Sunday evening and seemed pretty successful to me, especially considering my baking time was cut short this year by the several days taken up with traveling to attend my grandfather's funeral.

In a strange twist of coincidence, my grandfather's childhood nickname was "Cookie," so I dedicated this year's party to his memory and asked a few guests to bring a couple dozen cookies to round out my weakened ranks. Still, I managed to make over 1,000 cookies in under three weeks, and there were plenty to go around.

This year, for our 14th Annual Cookie Party, I stuck mostly to tried-and-true recipes that I have made a number of times. I baked just two new kinds of cookies, as you'll see below. Please feel free to compare and contrast this list with what I made in 2008 and 2009.

Next year, I may just have an 8-month-old "Cookie" of my own in tow, and I'm really interested to see what that could do to my cookie party timing and productivity. I've got some time to plot and plan how to incorporate my child (and my friends' children) into the event, and plenty of fudge in the freezer to eat while I think it over.

Now, on to this year's lineup:

Cookies and Other Homemade Items

Artichoke and Spinach Dip with crackers (not pictured) -- Like last year, we made this a day ahead and heated it up about 30 minutes before the party.

Mix together two 8 oz. cream cheese packages, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 small bottles of chopped artichoke hearts (drained), and one 16-oz bag of frozen spinach. Heat until warm, then mix in garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and grated parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Just before baking, top with a mixture of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese (and spices, if you like). Bake until heated through (my oven is usually set at about 350, for other reasons, and that temp. works just fine for this dip). Then serve with bread or crackers and thank my friend Angela for the simple recipe!

Boy Scout Bars (contain peanut butter chips and coconut) -- Rich and decadent, these are an old standby by now. They keep well in the refrigerator or freezer if made ahead.

(recipe here)

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies -- My Aunt Debbie gave my mom this recipe years ago, and my mother always made them for her Open House (on which my Cookie Party is based). I haven't made them in a number of years, but they are delicious and have a soft texture. They're like little, round brownies.

Citrus Sizzlers -- from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion. I started making these cookies two or three years ago. The way the cayenne flavor pops up as one chews is tops!

Cornflake Pecan Honeys -- Once again, I used the recipe Tia found for me several years ago, but substituted honey for half the sugar. They look kind of dull, but pack a great, nutty crunch.

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. honey
1 c. butter
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cup flour
1tsp. vanilla
2 c. cornflakes (do not crush!)
optional-1/2 c. chopped pecans

Cream butter, honey, and sugar until fluffy, add cream of tartar, baking soda, and vanilla. Add flour, mix well. Add cornflakes, folding in by hand, be careful to not crush them too much. Roll into walnut sized balls, press with fork. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Crispix Mix (not pictured) -- Dan makes this as his contribution to the cookie party every year (in addition to plenty of dish-washing and bathroom cleaning). It's always good.

Deluxe Sugar Cookies to decorate -- My mom found this recipe in an old Betty Crocker cookbook, but I think it's pretty similar to this one. Not many people decorated cookies this year, but they're also delicious plain.

Double Decker Peanut Butter Marbled Meltaway Fudge -- It looks a bit messy this year, but that happens sometimes. It's always delicious.

English Toffee (contains almonds) -- Last year I tried making the toffee with peanuts, but I'm glad I went back to almonds. This combination is superior.

Gingerbread Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies - New! -- One of the two new recipes for 2010, Dan found this one and sent me an email suggesting I try it. He also pitched in and helped me make and assemble them when I was feeling overwhelmed by cookie-baking responsibility one evening. Way to go, Dan! These turned out beautifully.

(recipe here)

Hot Buttered Rum (not pictured) -- recipe from Allrecipes. Feel free to play around with spices and the amount of sugar you'd like to include. This lasts for years in the freezer. Just stir it every 6 months or so.

(recipe here)

Hot Cranberry Tea (optional: spiked) -- I make this "tea," or hot punch every year and invite people to drink it as-is (which is how I prefer it) or to spike it with whiskey, rum, vodka, or...whatever they like!

Basically, I simmer a package of cranberries with enough water to cover them until the berries get soft and pop. Then I strain out the berry pulp (set it aside for another purpose) and add a container of frozen orange juice to the berry juice and water. I then add enough water to fill my pasta pot (I can check the exact capacity for you, if you like), and season it with whatever I feel like until it tastes awesome. This year, I used honey, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.

(adapted from a recipe in 365 Foods Kids Love to Eat)

Magnolia Peanut Butterscotch Cookies -- I took the Magnolia Bakery peanut butter cookie recipe and added butterscotch chips (at my sister's suggestion). They're perfect. If you make them ahead of time, throw a slice of bread into the container to keep them soft.

(recipe here, but add butterscotch chips)

Midnight Booze Balls -- These are made with an entire package of Oreos, and ready in a blink of the food processor. Last year I used rum as my liquor (and they were Midnight Rum Balls), but this year I ran out of rum and used Kahlua and Bailey's instead.

(recipe here)

Mrs. Fields Cookies (contain walnuts and pecans) -- You may notice the photo above this entry is of a large wad of dough. This is because I baked these cookies "live" at the Cookie Party and they were all eaten before I could get a photo. However, I have the aforementioned wad of leftover dough in my fridge and I'll be making more soon. Just out of the oven, these are excellent.

(recipe from Mom)

Nutella Mexican Wedding Cookies (contain pecans) -- Okay, so these didn't freeze well. Or maybe they didn't defrost well. I hadn't made them in several years, so I don't remember what I did differently last time. They don't look too attractive in the photo because the powdered sugar coating became gummy as they thawed, but they still tasted just right. By the way, it's worth your time to toast the pecans.

(recipe here)

Salty Oatmeal Cookies -- Here's another recipe from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion. These are a favorite of mine. They are the perfect combination of salty/crunchy and sweet/chewy.

Love. Them.

Savory Turkey Meatballs -- Leftover meatballs are a rare item. They also don't photograph as handsomely as they taste. But it wouldn't be a cookie party without them. I used cayenne instead of chili powder again and it was the spiciest year yet.

(recipe from Mom)

Shortbread Jammies -- This recipe is also from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion. Shortbread is so easy. Use a good jam or preserve on these. You won't be sorry.

Spicy Cheese Puffs -- These were not as spicy as they've been in past years, but they were still good (and best right out of the oven).

(recipe source unknown)

Snickerdoodles -- I make these first every year. They're a zip to make. They freeze like a dream. They taste exquisite. My dad loves 'em, too.

(recipe from Mom)

Spritz cookies -- I believe I raved about these a few posts back. Dan calls them "butter trees" and my dear friend Matthew loves them, too. I make them every year and have no plan to stop.

(recipe from Mom)

Toffee Apple Oatmeal - New! -- I found this recipe in Cooking Light, but actually worked with this blogger's version (but used toffee bits, and made drop cookies by adding some extra flour and oatmeal). They made a very nice cookie, but did not freeze well. I wouldn't make them ahead of time again. I think it was because they contained cooked apple that they got a little soggy after being frozen for a few days.

Triple Ginger Spice Cookies --No vegans came to our party this year, so I didn't adapt this recipe to make the cookies vegan, as I've done in the past. I have to say, though -- they're better this way than with the vegan substitutions. You want me to be honest, right?

Sorry, vegans.

(recipe here)

Special Guest Cookies (not made by me)

Cavnar Cookies -- My friend Matt made these thumbprint cookies with melted chocolate.

Christa's Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies -- These were a favorite, for sure. The raspberry jam used in their centers was made by Christa's mother-in-law.

Jenni's Ginger Cookies -- Jenni made these and a Mexican-spiced version of World Peace Cookies. Both were excellent. The chocolate World Peace Cookies didn't even make it to the end of the party to get photographed.

Melanie's Peppermint Bark -- My friend Melanie brought two versions of homemade peppermint bark. She told me it might be better for me not to eat the coffee ones, but I'm not one of those pregnant ladies who avoids all caffeine, so I may not take her advice.

Michelle's Brownie Cookies -- The plate in this photo is small, but the cookies were big. Soft and sweet!

Rachel T's Caramel Shortbread -- We had to cut these in quarters, due to their impressive size and enormous flavor. Otherwise my guests would have been rolling, groaning on the floor. I loved them.

Thanks, friends! You really helped make this year's party work!

P.S. Miscellaneous Menu Items (not homemade and not pictured)
Beverages: Fair Trade Hot Cocoa and Spicy Cocoa mixes, Milk, Water, Assorted Teas, Wine
Dried Wasabi Peas
Grapes
Hummus with Baby Carrots
Veggie Booty

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Have a Delicious Christmas!

2010-12-25T15:44:00.004-05:00

Illustration by Dan Funderburgh. Used with permission.

Merry Christmas!

One of my favorite presents this year? A new design template for Snackreligious.com, labored over by my favorite artist/designer/husband. I hope to be rolling all of the elements out to you in the next few days or so. I'm getting business cards, too. Fancy!

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The Gas Stations Are Alive With the Taste of Reese's

2010-12-15T23:03:00.005-05:00

Dress by Velvet -- Anthropologie; Tights by We Love Colors; Leg Warmers by MMAN, according to the tag (source forgotten -- Sock Dreams?); Alpaca Scarf (a gift), made in Argentina

Okay, so the title of this post isn't very melodic, but I just returned from a whirlwind trip to the midwest (Kansas, as it were), for my Grandfather's funeral. We often watched The Sound Of Music while visiting him and Grandma for the holidays, so I've had some Julie Andrews tunes from that movie running through my head and it's clearly gotten into my blog titles.

Anyway, we spent some time riding around in cars, which meant several stops to get gas and use rest stop facilities, and I couldn't help but notice all the Reese's Peanut Butter products in the gas station candy displays. Dan picked out two contenders (shown above) for us to sample.

I think I've had a "Whipp" once before. They're like peanut butter Three Musketeers bars, but I like them better than the current permutation of Three Musketeers, which I believe I've mentioned taste less chocolatey to me than they used to.

The "Crispy Crunchy" was quite nice, too -- and sort of of an upscale Nutty Bar. I only ate half of this one (I was trying to share with my car-mates), and I'd like a few more bites before I comment extensively.

I'd go for both of these again.

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Have your nest and eat it, too.

2010-12-14T08:45:00.002-05:00

So. It turns out, I'm nesting. But I refuse to blame this entirely on pregnancy. I've always loved organization, despite what my overstuffed-with-stuff apartment looks like (let's just say these photos of our place are really flattering). Given a blank check and some more time off of work, I'd fill my shelves with boxes and organizers and happily alphabetize files, books, and spices all day.

I took most of a day off work last week so that Nick and Dan and I could go to the Brooklyn (Red Hook) Ikea. There, with some early Christmas money from generous relatives, I bought a large shelving unit and many organizational accoutrements. The shopping endeavor naturally left our party famished, and we stopped for lunch in the Ikea cafeteria before heading home.

Yum! I had potato, broccoli, and cheese croquettes served with macaroni and cheese. The guys had Swedish meatballs with potatoes and lingonberry preserves. Dan threw in a few extra pieces of garlic toast, and we all had lingonberry soda (my favorite part of the meal). I suspect Ikea is at the top of the cafeteria food game. Everything was clean, the food was delicious and comforting, and the prices were dirt cheap (Dan and I spent just over $11 for the two of us). I think I might make eating there -- I mean organizing my apartment -- a more regular habit.

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Food before the food

2010-12-14T08:32:00.001-05:00

My office holiday party was this past Friday. The party started at 5:30 pm (and was held in the office itself), so work pretty much shut down by 4pm or so as last minute arrangements were being made. I took the opportunity to take a Funny Bones break.

I'm a peanut butter fiend, so I thought I'd love them, but it turns out I'm still a Yodels/Swiss Cake Roll sort of person. Funny Bones are a bit dry and the peanut butter filling is somewhat dull.

What's your favorite chocolate snack cake?

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What's Wrong With this Picture?

2010-12-11T10:29:00.003-05:00

These apples were good and sweet, but they're not pears.

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Poetry Tuesday: Fairer than Fair

2010-12-07T22:37:00.002-05:00

Oh!
Fair Trade Cocoa, you
Spicy thing, you
Enticing dring
k:

I will mix you with milk.
I will take a photo of you in my cup.
I will smile at the farmer pictured on your packaging.
I will be there in the morning.

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Yes, they're good for my eyesight, but will they help my camera take better pictures after dark?

2010-12-07T22:23:00.003-05:00

The li'l cookie and I are just sitting here eating carrots after a lightweight evening of holiday cookie party baking. Oh, yeah, and the cat's got his nose in my business, too.

Stripe Elastic Tunic by Topshop Maternity and pants from Uniqlo

Tonight, I ran out of butter, so I only made it through one batch of spritz cookies before we had to wrap.

One of the reasons I make a spritz cookie recipe each year (besides the butter in these babies, of which there is an outrageously delicious amount) is that my mom gave me an antique, aluminum cookie press a number of years ago. It works better than any "newfangled" plastic cookie press I've ever tried, and cleans up easily. I love my cookies and I love my cookie press.

It even came in a box with a mailing label that proclaims it was once mailed to a Mrs. Eddie Locker of Dayton Ohio, shipped as "aluminum articles" from the Weyerhaeuser Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

Cookie Count: 491

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Happy Birthday, Kyle!

2010-12-07T00:26:00.002-05:00

On Kyle's birthday, I was privileged to join the folks celebrating at local beer garden Loreley for sausages, fresh pretzels, and chats.

They had beer; I had Possmann Country Apple German Apple Juice. There's no alcohol in there, but it tasted like a party. And I don't like beer anyway, so I'd drink this any day.

p.s. Technically, it's Poetry Tuesday, but I haven't gone to bed yet (been up making cookies), so it's still Monday for me.

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These days, I'm running on...

2010-12-07T00:20:00.005-05:00

Chocolate Cheerios (also pictured: multi-vitamin, fish oil caplet, and calcium pill)!

[Duck Canvas Tote by Baggu; Canvas Pleated Booties by We Who See - both from Urban Outfitters]

I've been switching up my work breakfasts -- fruit, cheese grits, oatmeal (with brown sugar), smoothies, and cereal are all options -- and I try not to have the same thing two days in a row. So I don't have the cocoa beauties pictured above every day, but some days I come back to the office kitchen for a "second breakfast," and it's nearly always Chocolate Cheerios.

You might recall I first spotted these while stopping at an ATM in a bodega, during Steph's bachelorette party. I didn't buy a box because we were headed to a fancy restaurant, and I thought it might be gauche to walk in carrying my find. But I kept an eye out for them and found them recently at the Union Square Duane Reade.

Not only are they tasty and crunchy (if eaten swiftly), but the leftover milk is perfectly chocolate-y, without tasting phony. I've already gone through two boxes in 3 weeks.

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Cookie Count: 416

2010-12-07T00:07:00.003-05:00

Toffee Apple Oatmeal

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

[Not pictured: Magnolia Peanut Butterscotch]

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And so it begins, with...

2010-12-03T08:16:00.005-05:00

120 Snickerdoodles.

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Not Pictured. < sigh >

2010-11-06T13:09:00.008-04:00

Y'all. I just got back from Barcelona, Spain. My Iberico ham was confiscated by US customs agents, which I half expected (though we bought it from Duty Free in the hopes that would be an approved source). I can handle it.

What I didn't expect? They also confiscated my unopened bag of bacon-flavored sunflower seeds. I had not even taken a photo of the package. Although I suggested that there was possibly no meat product of any sort in this snack (as I have found that many "bacon-flavored" things are artificially flavored), I was shown no mercy. The agent let us keep our brick of Manchego, but I ask you, is that justice?

I have to admit: I teared up a little. The reason I bought it? To share with you, my loyal readers. The brand name? "Bacon and Me." Great, right?

I guess I'll never know. Thanks a lot, America.

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Where'd they all go?

2010-10-12T17:36:00.002-04:00

Happy Herbert's Cruncheezy things look like a healthier alternative to Cheetos. Taste good, too.

Oops. I ate the whole 4.5 oz. bag in one sitting. So much for "healthier."

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Eating Egypt: Day 6 - Touk and Cairo

2010-10-10T19:52:00.008-04:00

(Touk, featuring skinned camel carcasses; photo by Dan)

On Day Six of our Egypt trip, we hooked up with Casual Cairo Detours, a private tour company that had been recommended to me. Proprietor Debbie Senters suggested we try an off-the-beaten-path trip for two (with guide and driver) up the Alexandria Green Road (the Agricultural Road) into a nearby Nile Delta village and orange grove, which sounded unusual and fun. We decided to go for it!

(photo by Dan)

1. The day started with another hotel buffet breakfast, of course, featuring various things, including Dan's masterfully spiced plate of ful.

(Touk; photo by Dan)

In the village of Touk, our driver, Tarek, stopped to buy eggs. We happened to be parked in the butchery district, and were surrounded by carcasses (marked in red ink for some governmental reason) and knives. Dan got out to take some pictures, for which he was eventually chastised. When Tarek got back to the car to translate (Tarek is from Touk), he told us that the man yelling at Dan was upset because things were dirty and he was embarrased that Dan would be taking pictures of dirty things. But our purpose wasn't to embarrass the people of Egypt or Touk, of course. We just thought everything looked cool.

We stopped in Touk to transfer our party of four to sidecar motorcycle taxi. You might be surprised at the number of people who can fit on and in one of these things! The man pictured here is our taxi driver (not Tarek, our tour driver).

I really enjoyed the open-air ride through the orange grove (and local cemetery).

(Dan; our guide, Jim; and Tarek)

(photo by Dan)

Eventually, we dismounted from our taxi and walked down one of the orange grove rows. The smell of citrus in the air, even at the end of the busy season, was incredible. Tarek carried a cooler and gave us a guided tour (the grove we were in belongs to his family). He talked to us about the farm life, the village, methods of irrigation, and more.

2. We stopped outside of a guard hut (shown above) and had a picnic snack of fresh-picked fruit, juices and water.

(canal in the grove; not used for irrigation)

Tarek was so nice -- he picked 2-3 different kinds of oranges for us to try, and when I mentioned how much I had enjoyed my taste of Omar's tangerine juice at Arabesque, he even found one of the last tangerines growing nearby for me to eat.

Tarek, Jim, and the taxi driver insisted Dan try driving the motorcycle taxi. I was glad to skip this initiation.

After we left the grove, we drove to a nearby restaurant for lunch, passing several "charcoal factories."

While our food was being prepared at Baraka, a newly opened restaurant owned by Debbie's sister's driver (or something like that!), we sat outside by a river and watched the birds. I had a very strong cup of mint shai. I liked Dan's canned peach drink (with pieces of fruit in it) better.

3. Baraka (location unknown; outside Touk and Cairo) -- Jim, our guide, who is an American (if I remember correctly) who has lived in Egypt for years, is a vegetarian. A vegetarian can eat quite well in Egypt, as the meals all come with many breads, dips, and vegetable dishes, but now that meat is more affordable in Egypt (Jim told us), Egyptians eat a lot of meat and don't understand why people would choose not to. It can be difficult to make an Egyptian host feel he or she has fed you well if you opt out of the meat, apparently. Eventually, though, we were able to get across that Jim would enjoy the mezzes and the rest of us would partake in the mystery meats.

The mixed grill and kofta plate was served garnished with potato chips (cheese? BBQ?). Jim was given his own small plate of chips, once the waiters understood he wouldn't be eating the meat. This is the meal at which I think I might have eaten camel, as I read that it is sometimes served in this fashion. But I asked no questions.

We were seated near the grill on the restaurant's patio, by the way. It was nice to watch the food being prepared, and lovely to smell.

After eating, Tarek drove us back into Cairo.The whole tour was a gorgeous start to a day that was only half over.

4. Later that afternoon, on Adam's recommendation, Dan and I walked a few blocks from our hotel to buy some cheesecake from "Pumpkin," a cake store. It wasn't particularly special. I think it's a chain establishment. But the cakes looked nice.

(photo by Dan)

That night, Adam and Omar took us to Khan el Khalili market, a famous draw for tourists in Cairo. We didn't buy much. It almost felt like cheating to have two native speakers of Egyptian Arabic with us, but I'm glad we couldn't be taken advantage of by the shop owners.

5. Adam and Omar helped us find Naguib Mahfouz Café, named after the famous writer.

They recommended the hibiscus drink. It was amazing - halfway between juice and tea. They also recommended I order a shrimp sandwich (tiny shrimps stuffed in a pita with a tangy sauce), which was out of sight.

6. We ended Day Six on the outskirts of the market, where Adam suggested we try fatir, an Egyptian pancake served savory or sweet. He hadn't been wrong so far. Needing dessert, Dan and I split a large, sweet pancake. It was sort of crepe-like and covered in powdered sugar. Decadent food for a decadent setting. I was pretty happy, as you might well imagine.

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Things to Eat In Brooklyn When You're Pregnant

2010-10-10T19:19:00.000-04:00

[Actually, feel free to eat these things anywhere, pregnant or not.]

Pretty Much Only Want to Eat:
1. String Cheese (if terribly hungry, skip the "stringing" part)
2. Babybel Cheese (save the wax and make a sculpture!)
3. Pickles
4. Clif Bars (my favorite? Peanut Toffee Buzz. Watch the caffeine.)
5. Cottage Cheese (4% fat, minimum)
6. Greek Yogurt (at least 2%; add honey)
7. Brownies
8. Cucumber Slices and Hummus
9. Fruit (especially apples)
10. Cheez-Its (especially Green Tabasco)
11. Triscuits (especially plain; rosemary is good normally, but might weird out your tastebuds some days)
12. Oreos (and why buy any kind other than Double Stuf?!)
13. Annie's Southwest Burritos
14. Peanut Butter on Caramel Rice Cakes
15. Pretzels (especially the kind made with flavor powders)
16. Pudding
17. Mashed potatoes
18. Grilled cheese sandwiches
19. Tomato soups
20. Pasta

Need to Drink Mostly:
1. Lemonade
2. Chocolate Milk
3. Power-C Naked Juice
4. Water
5. Ginger Ale

OMG, Avoid:
1. Eggs
2. Anything that Smells Like Eggs
3. Chicken Fried Rice (because it smells like eggs)
4. Vegetables (for a while)

Eating Egypt: Day 5 - Alexandria

2010-10-10T13:43:00.007-04:00

(photo by Dan)

I still haven't finished my run-down of our Egypt trip this summer. I owe y'all a few more posts. Here's one.

While in Egypt, we took a day trip to Alexandria and visited that city's famous library. Strangely enough, I found myself in the cookbook section while wandering around in there!

1. Hotel Breakfast - savory pastries, juice, grapefruit, mystery dessert.

(photo by Dan)

2. We ate cookies on the train.

(photo by Dan)

I touched the Mediterranean Sea!

Our cabbie spoke just enough English to get us to Abou Ashraf, which Adam had recommended as the best place to get an early dinner of fresh fish.

The tables were in a sort of alley between several buildings.

This (above) is all food we didn't order. It comes with the meal.

(photo by Dan)

(photo by Dan)

3. Abou Ashraf - Oh my. Dan and I ate soft-shell crab, fish, and shrimp (all fresh and picked out by us from the iced displays before being cooked and brought to our table). They were accompanied by many mezzes -- breads, spreads, salads, eggplant, and more.

We had a sort of frightening adventure after this meal, as it turned out not only that there are two train stations -- only one of which features trains going to Cairo -- and not many cab drivers who speak much English in Alexandria, but the trains back to Cairo were completely sold out that night. Luckily, we hooked up with a Chinese-Canadian family (they spoke Chinese and English fluently) who let us tag along as they tenaciously discovered a cab driver who would take all five of us to the bus depot for a bargain price. There, we just managed (1 minute to spare!) to get on a bus to Cairo so that we could return to our hotel for the night. Yikes!!

p.s. One more adventure to recount - I was a leetle confused while in the bathroom in the Alexandria library. I think the hose that sprayed (clean) water all over the wall when I tried to flush the toilet was some sort of hand-held bidet nozzle. I never did figure out how to flush.

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I love you more than I love dessert...

2010-10-10T10:06:00.006-04:00

A good wedding is good for many reasons, but a good wedding with a great dessert spread hits the top! I couldn't get very nice photos because of the (romantically) dim lighting, but I ate my heart out. I almost managed to try everything. Well, not every flavor of everything! There was so much variety.

Highlights for me? The chocolate cake (a bit salty -- in the best way) and the tiny, white-chocolate-covered, carrot cake bites. Also cream puffs (I had two).

Congratulations, Steph and Pete! Sweet, sweet happiness to you!

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I'll keep trying.

2010-10-10T09:56:00.001-04:00

I can't seem to replicate my Perfect Caramel Popcorn Moment from our Chicago trip, and I suspect it has to do with how fresh that caramel popcorn was, but I did try a new flavor of bagged kettle corn this week.

Popcorn, Indiana's Sweet & Tangy BBQ isn't bad at all, but I prefer their Smoked Cheddar flavor (though I wish the Smoked Cheddar were spicy). I hear the company makes Bacon Ranch and Buffalo Cheddar versions, too. I'd like to try those! And their website teases with promises of Wasabi popcorn. Wow.

The only problem I habitually have with this brand is finding lots of little, hard "duds" that threaten to crack my teeth when I bite down on them. But this particular bag was predominantly dud-free.

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Your Final Clue

2010-10-10T09:40:00.004-04:00

Kara and Melissa brought me some congratulatory brownies when they came over to knit the other night. I know I've gone on and on about how boxed brownies win over homemade brownies nearly every time, but these were further proof of that rule. In fact, these were so soft and gooey and perfect, I asked Kara if she remembered which brand mix she used. She did:

Good ol' Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge! Although the recipe calls for 25min cook time, I think I made it like 18 min.

Somebody get me to the brownie mix store! I've still got plenty of that frosting left over (they were kind enough to leave the can).

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I made zucchini bread.

2010-10-10T09:32:00.001-04:00

The number of zucchinis left in my fridge, however, does not seem to have gone down.

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Playing Catch-Up

2010-10-09T12:10:00.005-04:00

I've found a handful of photos that may reveal more about what I've been eating during my days of radio silence. There's nothing that unusual here. For example, I still like chocolate and peanut butter:

I still prefer art openings that feature food:

My friends still know what to serve at parties:

The Egyptians still know their snacks, especially (as it turns out) how to make a nut mix:

I've continued to eat so many baked goods I don't even remember where this cupcake came from:

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CSA Adventures 2010: Weeks 7 through 17! Yikes!

2010-10-09T11:46:00.006-04:00

Hello. I give up.

Not really! BUT it's been a rough couple of months. I don't think I'm flat-out failing at my CSA produce-eating this year, but I hit a point midsummer at which, due to heat, a certain health condition I've begun hinting at (and am about to come clean regarding), rehearsals for a play, and a number of trips out of town, I had to throw out some produce that Dan and I just couldn't use before they went bad. You might have noticed I haven't been blogging much the past few months in general. It's all of a piece.

As for the CSA business, I've had to deal with a lot of guilt, tossing weeks' worth of past-their-best beets, moldy Helda beans (aka flat beans), soggy squash, imploded tomatos, boxes of plums that had no flavor or fermented faster than I could eat them, etc. I'm not proud of this, but it's the truth. Last year, my CSA experience was beautiful and a source of pride. This year, I've had too much going on to keep up with produce every week. I didn't see it coming.

What I can do is tell you what I've gotten in my share, in case you're using this site to compare and contrast (or consider buying into a CSA yourself). And I'll share a few photos and recipes from the past 11 weeks to prove I didn't waste it all.

Week 7 Produce
4 squash
4 cucumber
1.5 lbs beets
1 Nappa cabbage
1 lb carrots
1 1/4 lb green and yellow beans
4 eggplants
1/2 lb purslane
Fruit:
1 box of sugar plums
1 box of red plums
1 box of apricots

Week 8 Produce

1 lb greens
4 cucumbers
1 1/4 lb tomatoes
1 lb Helda beans
1 corn
1 lettuce
4 peppers
1 1/4 lb beets
1 1/4 lb carrots
Fruit:

1 box blueberries
1 box red plums
2 1/4 lb yellow plums

Week 9 Produce

1 cabbage
1/2 lb tomatillos -- CHALLENGE VEGETABLE!
1 melon
3 oz of basil
3 lb tomatoes
1 lb eggplant
2 cucumbers
1/2 lb of Helda beans -- CHALLENGE VEGETABLE!
Fruit:

1 box peaches

1 box plums

1 box nectarines

Week 10 Produce

1/2 lb carrots
4 corn
2 onion
2 garlic
1/2 lb purslane
4 beets
4 cucumbers
1 squash
1 box cherry tomatoes
1 melon
1 3/4 tomatoes
Fruit:
1 box plums
2 boxes peaches

Week 11 Produce

tomato - 5 lbs

cucumber - 4

squash - 4

watermelon - 1

greens (chard) - 1 3/4 lb

mini bell peppers - 1/2 lb - CHALLENGE VEGETABLE

husk cherry: 1/2 lb-- CHALLENGE FRUIT!
Fruit:

6 peaches

4 nectarines

Week 12 Produce
2 lb tomatoes
1 lb pole beans
1/2 cabbage
3 beets
3 oz parsley
1 lb tokyo (I don't think this is the correct name. I tried to look it up online and got no results. It was green and looked like chard)
2 red onions
1 lb carrots
Fruit:
1 1/4 lb plums
4 lb peaches
2.5 lb nectarines

Week 13 Produce
-- I was out of town and missed this week --
dandelion greens
pac choi
tomatoes
mixed greens
red onions
pole beans
Fruit:
prune plums
peaches
apples

Week 14 Produce

3/4 lb beets
1/2 lb tomatillos
2 lb tomatoes
1 lb red kale
4 pieces squash
1 celery
1 fennel
5 radish
Fruit:
2 lb plums
11 apples
3.5 lb peaches

Week 15 Produce (DOUBLE SHARE WEEK)
1 celery
2 corn
2 squash
1 lb carrots
1.5 lb mixed greens
1/2 lb. pole beans
2 garlic
2 winter squash (butternut and acorn)
.5 lbs red onion
1 lb. red potatoes
Fruit:
8 apples
1 qt. grapes
1 qt. pears

Week 16 Produce
NO DISTRIBUTION (Week 15 was a "double" week)

Week 17 Produce

3 beets
3/4 lb Brussels tops
1 Napa cabbage
1 squash
1 fennel
5 radishes
3 1/4 oz parsley
1 lb mixed geens
1 Brussels sprout
Fruit:
10 apples
1 quart of pears
1 quart of plums

Some Recipes Made

Cucumber Salad with Mixed Greens and Purslane
I was thrilled to see lemony purslane again and remembered a Turkish-inspired salad I made last year. See the original entry here.

Notes: Lettuce + mixed greens (mostly collards and kale) + pretty, pretty purslane for a base; pecans + dried cranberries + cucumbers to mix in; and pomegranate molasses + coconut oil + olive oil + salt + pepper + garlic + red pepper made the dressing. Onion would have been nice in this, if I'd had any.

Cheesy Orzo Risotto with Mixed Greens
Yup. I made this recipe again.
Notes: This time I used mixed greens instead of chard, swapped out onions for shallots, and added crimini mushrooms. I took a batch to some friends who needed a home-cooked meal and kept a couple of servings for Dan and myself.

Fruit Salad
My inspiration was this recipe, which I've made before, but this time I left out the lemon curd and just topped it with yogurt and honey.
Notes: 2 kinds of CSA plums, CSA nectarines, blueberries, and bananas came together for this fruit salad.

Fava Beans and Onion in Butter
An email from our CSA farm
Notes: The beans tasted a little tough, or old. They've been hanging out in my fridge too long. I blame only myself. But the onions (and butter) were delicious!

Raw stuff
Lots of fruit, carrots, and cucumber slices (often with hummus). The melons were especially delicious.

Italian-Style Helda Beans with CSA Garlic and Tomatoes
I found this simple recipe on The Washington Post's website.

Baba Ganoush
The recipe Dan chose is in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

Green Beans in Mustard Crema
This recipe was found in Cooking Light magazine.

Squash Gazpacho
I got this recipe (by Barbara Crafton) in an email from another CSA member.

Zucchini Gazpacho

Place in food processor:
1 large zucchini, unpeeled, in chunks
1/2 green pepper, in chunks
2 small tomatoes, quartered
1/4 sweet onion, in chunks
handful of fresh oregano (or mint or parsley, if that's what you have)
2 cloves fresh garlic

Whir together until everything is chopped, 8 pulses or so. Add:
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp lime juice
1 slice bread, torn into chunks
Tabasco to taste
a few grinds of black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Whir together again, another 8 pulses or so. Spoon into bowls. Drizzle each with a little olive oil and garnish with oregano or mint or parsley leaves. Serves 4 and doesn't heat up your kitchen.

Green and Yellow Beans with Garlic and Curry Powder (not pictured)
Notes: This is a standby recipe for me that I mostly made up.

Ratatouille-Style Pasta Sauce
Notes: CSA eggplant, tomatoes, squash, garlic, basil and green pepper went into this dish and cooked together with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Plum and Ginger Ice Cream

David Chang's Brussels Sprouts (not pictured)
Notes: I made this recipe last year, too. It's so good. I skipped the Rice Krispies this time, because I didn't have any on hand, and added the spice to the sauce.

Collard Green Chips
Notes: Not as good as kale chips!

Chicken Tacos with Peach Salsa
Notes: This was all Dan. They were delightful! Recipe here.

Some Thoughts
I've mostly gotten my appetite and time back, and there are 5 weeks left. I'll soldier on and complete the season as best I can. I've been disappointed with the quality of some of the fruit I've been getting (which comes from various farms and is not all organic), but the vegetables have been beautiful this year and I feel like they've been worth the money. I would certainly buy a share again. I don't want to give you the impression that I wouldn't. This summer was my perfect storm of CSA obstacles. I have to hope I could find success again in a future season!

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Do Not Deny Yourself

2010-10-08T19:19:00.005-04:00

If you want chocolate milk, drink chocolate milk. But if you can wait until you get home, make it with "regular" milk and chocolate syrup. It will taste better. Or buy the organic kind. That's good, too.

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Optimize Your Fries

2010-10-07T13:13:00.002-04:00

Forced by circumstance to purchase sub-par take-away lunch counter French fries? Here's how to cut back on the sogginess factor:

Upon receiving your to-go bag, immediately reach in and pop the top of the fry container open (or, if it's aluminum foil, rip a sizable chunk away). By creating a vent, you keep your fresh, hot French fries from steaming, and therefore sogging, further. Also, two different coworkers tell me, if you know that your local diner tends to shy away from "crispy" to an unfortunate degree, ask for the fries to be "well-done," or even slightly burnt.

Sadly, my favorite neighborhood joint for fries closed to become a healthy, "organic" foods diner. Boo.

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Subway Snack

2010-10-06T08:10:00.001-04:00

These animal crackers were a closing-night gift from Averyn, a fellow cast member in Field 309, the play I just wrapped. I ate them while waiting for a train.

Question: How long have these been branded "Barnum's?" I've never thought about that before.

Answer: Since 1902! [source: Wikipedia]

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Emergency Snacks on Hand

2010-10-06T07:53:00.004-04:00

Sometimes, when I'm riding on the subway or in an elevator, I think to myself, "How long could I live on the food I'm carrying with me if I got stuck?"

I cleaned out my bag this morning and discovered a number of snack items (plus a water bottle, Tylenol, and vitamins) -- Clif Bar, peanuts, cheese, and an apple. As hungry as I've been lately, this wouldn't last too long, but I'll ride the elevator without fear this afternoon.

So, what's edible in your bag?

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Drink, Drank, Drunk

2010-10-04T09:00:00.002-04:00

Here are some liquids that I'll be revisiting:

Fizzy Lizzy Cranberry (purchased at Paradis)
Jasmine Green Tea Ginger Ale by Bruce Cost (purchased at The Meat Hook)
Fresh Ginger Ginger Ale by Bruce Cost (purchased at The Meat Hook)

I mean, they really got me through some stuff. That ginger ale is especially special.

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"Give me my usual!"

2010-10-04T08:31:00.001-04:00

Okay, so they don't actually know me at the local Le Pain Quotidien. But if they did, they'd know I want a mint lemonade and a (giant) brownie.

May I also take a moment to name-drop and say that it was (the inspiring) Bob Woodruff's amazing wife, Lee, who introduced me to these brownies?

Thanks, Lee!

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Another new Sun Chips flavor spotted at Subway.

2010-10-04T08:18:00.002-04:00

Has anyone else tried this one? It's not bad, but it hasn't supplanted Garden Salsa's place in my heart.

[p.s. Yes, you are entitled to an explanation of my absence. You'll get one a little later.]

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Peanut Butter Bliss

2010-08-29T10:39:00.002-04:00

R.B. said, "Earwax Cafe in Wicker Park has the BEST breakfast, and you have to have the peanut butter smoothie! Oh yeah!!

We had already had breakfast (at our B&B), but a peanut butter smoothie sounded perfect to me. So I got one.

It was super-simple (there's a chocolate version, too), but quite good. Really, it hit the spot. Oh yeah!!

Thanks, R!

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I'm more into the nibbles than the sips.

2010-08-29T10:24:00.004-04:00

Longman & Eagle has been open less than a year in Chicago (near the Logan Square Blue Line stop). I had the opportunity to have brunch there with one of the owners (a friend of Dan's) and his wife, which was a first for me. It was a singularly decadent experience -- and an awesome meal.

I ordered the Brioche French Toast Stuffed with Housemade Seasonal Preserves, Honey Creme Fraiche, Blis Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup. So yummy. So next level. The preserves were an enormous pile of a squarish blueberries. The creme fraiche carried the faintest tinge of lemon foam. Wow! Dan had biscuits and pork gravy with a side of potato terrine, and I loved my bites of that, too.

The photo above, though, is of Mike's Bloody Mary (I'm told the shot of beer he ordered with it is a midwestern thing, but I never noticed such a tradition in Kansas). I took a snapshot with lust in my heart because the drink came garnished not just with lemon, lime, and spices, but with a cornichon AND a small block of cheese. Be still my beating heart! This is what I like to see.

I wish this place were in my neighborhood. Smashing menu, great decor, sidewalk cafe, beer garden? It's fab. When they do someday turn the rooms upstairs into hotel rooms, I'll be happy to check in.

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B at the B&B

2010-08-27T11:22:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Ray's Bucktown B&B, Chicago!

As far as I'm concerned, this "B&B" can stand for "Breakfast and Breakfast."

The chef (I believe her name was Maureen) made delicious apricot pancakes for me (and a made-to-order omelette for Dan). We shared roasted potatoes with rosemary, which were perfectly crispy.

There had also been a pre-breakfast spread of fruit, juices and pastries.

I hope it's clear I recommend this place.

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To Save the Day

2010-08-27T01:25:00.002-04:00

People on Yelp seem to love to hate Underdogg, but I didn't have a problem with my Chicago-Style turkey dog (onions, mustard, pickle, relish, peppers, tomato) or crispy fries. They really need to give out more ketchup for their fries (we got three packets for two orders of french fries), but other than that -- it hit the spot after an afternoon of wandering Bucktown and Wicker Park.

I've no doubt there are better dogs in Chicago, but I'm no snob.

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