A Simple Sandwich

Isn't it funny how something so small can make your day?  This morning, my father, brother, and I went into town to the farmer's market, and almost immediately my dad grabbed a loaf of Swiss cheese bread (made, appropriately, by The Swiss Bakery).  Cheese and bread are two of my favourite things, and it seems I come by it honestly.  When lunchtime rolled around, I took stock of the fridge and decided that a simple BLT on Swiss cheese bread was just the thing.  Oh, and it was.

(Here's a Cinemagram of my bacon frying, because I love that iron skillet and Cinemagram is a super fun app to play with.)  

My brother added some mayo and avocado to his sandwich, and my dad piled on onions and horseradish sauce in addition to the avocado, too.  But, seriously: simple artisan bread sandwiches are the best.

A single macaron from my carefully rationed stash made for a perfect final touch.  That yellow macaron?  That's Lemon Lavender, and it is AMAZING.  I always save it for last, and spend my time dreaming about eating it.  It's that good.

The People I Saw, the Meals I Ate

I've mentioned here before that one of my very best besties, a lady named Laura, lives and works in New York City.  So, I try to find a weekend once a year or so to drag my carcass up to her and let myself be entertained by the city (not to say that I only see her once a year--her parents still live a half a mile from mine, after all).  This year, I bribed my boss with the promise of the tackiest souvenir I could find him and took the Friday before MLK Day (not to be confused with MILK Day) off to give myself lots and lots of New York time.  Laura requested a blog devoted to our experiences, so I am providing.  She gave up half her bed for the weekend, after all.

In the past, my New York weekends have been about seeing museums and finding photobooths (spending time with Laura goes without saying).  I still love museums and photobooths, but this visit was more about seeing awesome people and eating great things.

Friday: Spent most of it on the bus, in the seat with the broken outlet.  I watched an old animated Tintin movie I rented from iTunes, praying my laptop battery would hold.  I finished with 10 minutes to spare.  Once in the city, Laur and I sped off to Brooklyn to a book release party I was determined to attend (we're in the above photo, sort of behind that other dude).  
People Seen: A Ton, including Yuko, Anath, Conrad, and John.  
Meals Eaten: Carrot Ginger Soup at Alchemy (A)
Bodega Kitty: Yes

Saturday: the theme was walking and photobooths.  Mostly walking.  Searched for a mug, sadly in vain, then hogged the photobooth in the Ace Hotel for awhile.  Were madly impressed by the place.  Walked a million miles to linger over brunch with good friends, then walked a million more for pie and more photostrips.  Happily took the train to Union Square to peek into Books of Wonder, then took in a flick.

People Seen: Peter, Jordan, A Bunch of Kid's Publishing Folks, Simon Pegg

Meals Eaten: Croque Monsieur and Mimosa at Le Parisien  (A+), Michigan Sour Cherry Pie at Bubby's (A)

Photobooths: Two

Souvenir Mugs: :(

Sunday: the theme was books and scones.  Scooted down to Harlem for an early brunch with an awesome Twitter friend, visited with her pups, then accidentally got off at the wrong stop for the Met, so we walked across Central Park (a first for me).  Tried to see several special exhibitions at the Met, couldn't find all but two (lots of galleries were closed, cutting off our routes across the 2nd floor).  Hopped over to Alice's Tea Cup for a Mad Hatter Tea.  Ended the evening at the Strand.

People Seen: Pamela, Chip, Ringo (pups are people, too), somebody's suit-of-armor boyfriend

Meals Eaten: Blackberry Cherry Pancakes at Kitchenette (B+), Curried Chicken Salad & Cucumber Watercress sandwiches (C & A), Tomato-Basil, Mixed Berry, & Buttermilk scones (A+, B+, & A), Lemon Tart (A+), and Trafalgar Square Tea (A) at Alice's Tea Cup

Books: 18 Miles

Scones: So Many

Monday was spent on the bus, with a functioning outlet, watching Jane Eyre and eating leftover Alice's cookies.  Since then, I have apparently been attempting to recreate the weekend, mostly through scones.  My tomato-basil effort turned out weird, my buttermilk (using the Alice's recipe) are better.

All in all, a very successful weekend!  Thanks for the food, art, books, folks, and pretty little flurries, New York!

more kitchen adventures

More adventures in "Kelly is Poor and Can't Cook!"

More photos of food.  These days, all I do is take photos of food.  This was a breakfast last week.  Mmmm, honeydew.  If you don't eat honeydew by squeezing a lime wedge all over it, then you don't really eat honeydew.

I got an itching for sugar last week in the middle of torrential rain and floods, but I wasn't willing to leave the house to fetch ingredients, so I made Snickerdoodles.  I used this Mouth from the South recipe, for the most part.  I ran out of vanilla and refused to even walk across the street to borrow some from a neighbor, so we went without.  I don't think the cookies suffered unduly.

The verdict on these cookies was delicious, but I caution you thusly: you may think the recipe makes snickerdoodles, and you wouldn't be wrong.  However, you should know that what it actually makes is MORE SNICKERDOODLES THAN YOU HAVE EVER SEEN AT ONCE IN YOUR LIFE.  My total came to 71.  71 snickdoodles.  That is...a lot of snickerdoodles.  I stuck with the recommended one-inch ball of dough, and the cookies were a bit crispy.  I prefer my snickerdoodles soft enough to sleep on, so I just snuck them in the microwave for 30 seconds whenever I felt like munching on one or two.  Perfection.

Do you notice how dark these photos are?  I took lots more, but they were just too dark or obviously flash-y.  I baked these cookies in the middle of the day.  During our week of storms, the middle of the day looked like the middle of the night.

And, just for honesty's sake, this is what it looks like when I bake cookies:

I tell myself that everything would be pretty and neat if only I had a stand mixer, but I know that's a lie. Where Kelly and flour intersect, chaos will always follow.

recent snapshots from the kitchen

Another episode of "Kelly is Poor and Can't Cook."

 I've been drinking a fair amount of smoothies.  I use the tried-and-true "dump a bunch of fruit into the blender with some ice" method.  And yes, I prefer to drink them through a bendy straw.

 Making cauliflower florets for this ridiculously delicious cauliflower gratin.  Seriously.  You should make this.  I paired it with pork loin in a simple marinade (mine was a teeny bit different, but I started with this).  Totally bragging here, I kicked this dinner's B-U-T-T.

My take on The Pioneer Woman's Pancetta and Leek Pasta.  I say "my take" like I deliberately thought out ways to make this meal tastier, but as it turns out, I just don't know what a leek looks like.  Or how to read grocery store produce signs.  So I made mine with green onions (a whole bunch--6 or 7 total, I think), used half and half instead of cream (it was on hand), and only a fraction of the amount called for besides.  The recipe did not suffer for my mistakes: this was also a freaking yummy dinner.

I am slowly by surely figuring out how to photograph food.  I think.  Maybe.

(Side note: Are y'all watching the Pioneer Woman's show on Food Network?  I don't generally find cooking shows terribly interesting, but I may be hooked on this one.  The cute kids and handsome cowboys don't hurt, of course.)

Herbed Almost-Egg White Omelet

This is part of a new series I'm calling "Kelly is Poor and Can't Cook."

Historically, I have not been a big eater of breakfast.  Which is sad, as breakfast foods are about my favourite across the board.  However, if there's one thing an early-morning walk does, it's awaken a hunger for breakfast.  At first, I relied on fruit smoothies after each walk, as I discovered that I had conditioned myself to want them after years of rewarding myself with a smoothie after every college workout.  Of late, however, I have been going with the tried-and-true method of digging through the fridge until inspiration strikes.  Yesterday, it struck in the form of a turkey sausage English muffin sandwich.  Today, I noticed the spinach.

I'm not a huge fan of eggs (I tend to get creeped out by their runniness--it's dumb, I know), but egg whites were a whole different kettle of fish  (not really.  There are no fish in this recipe).  I called this an almost egg white omelet because it was the first dish I've made using only egg whites rather than yolks, and some yolky bits made it in.  Anyways, here's my recipe, slightly adapted from the original.  I say "adapted" because it sounds fancy, but what it really means in "I added more cheese.")

Herbed Egg White Omelet

• 3 egg whites 
• 1 tablespoon skim milk 
• 1/2 tsp Penzey's Sunny Paris Seasoning
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh baby spinach 
• 1 tablespoon shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Combine eggs, milk, and herbs in a bowl.  Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray, then put it over low-medium heat.  Add spinach.  Once the spinach starts to wilt (this happens pretty quickly), pour the egg mixture over it.  As the edges set, use a spatula to lift them and tip the pan to allow remaining liquid underneath.  Honestly, I didn't need to do much of that.  My eggs pretty much stayed where I poured them.  When everything's set, sprinkle cheese on top and fold in half (or thirds, as I did).

All in all, I was pleased with my very first omelet.  The recipe called for any type of mixed herbs, but I liked this with the Sunny Paris, which has shallots, chives, green peppercorns, dill weed, basil, tarragon, chervil, and bay leaf in it.  If you have a specialty herb store anywhere near you, you should check and see if they carry Penzey's.  Good stuff.  I wish we'd had green onions in the house, or I would have added them to the omelet, too.  Ah, well.

Overall, it was a light but filling meal.

end note: You might have noticed there are photos in this post, after I whined about not having a camera.  Well that is because I stole my mother's for this.  You might also notice that none of the photos are in color.  That is because my mother's camera produces the worst color I have ever seen.  On the up side, however, while rummaging for the upload cord, I found my camera's charger.  Yay!

this week in awesome, yummy edition

Today's "this week" is a little different. I'm out of town, so I can't list awesome things from around the internet. Rather, here is a list of recipes I've attempted in the past couple of months which I highly recommend.

-Potato and Artichoke Tortilla - I've made this a few times now, and it is SO GOOD.  It might seem a little long, but if you've got all of the ingredients ready in advance, it goes really quickly.  I use a third of an onion rather than a half, and usually throw more artichokes in than the recipe calls for, because I love that taste.
-Penne with Ham, Green Peas, and Oregano - This recipe is out of Robin Miller's Quick Fix Meals, which was a Christmas present.  I had leftover ham and a big box of penne, and this was a great way to use both of them without having to make something huge.
-Fennel, Prosciutto, and Pomegranate Salad - I've waxed on about this before, but I wanted to reiterate: YUM.
-Crock Pot Jambalaya - I made this the day we got 2 feet of snow, it was a great hearty meal to end the day with.  I used a mild Trader Joe's sausage rather than andouille, as neither my mom nor I are eaters of spicy things.
-Jo's Rosemary Bread - I made this on a whim last week, and it was quickly devoured by heathens who didn't even take the time to slice it (I should note that I am the Queen Heathen).  I was on my way out the door, so I just let the bread machine do its thing, but next time I'm going to shape it into a circular loaf and bake it in the oven.  Dip in olive oil mixed with a little of this.
-Gloria's Cake Mix Cookies - These are stupid easy, utterly delicious cookies.  I made a batch on my own, and the next day my mom brought home another box of devil's food cake mix if we needed to make more in a pinch.  I don't know, like if there was crisis that only these cookies could solve.  I believe it.
-Nutella Pinwheel Cookies - These were frustrating for me to make, since I had to shell and roast my own hazelnuts, but the results were delicious.  I took the last of the batch with me to a party, and they got a better response than the cookies I'd actually made for the occasion!

gimme, day 16

cooking classes

photo by clumsy bird

I'm the kind of person who needs step-by-step instructions.  I do not experiment.  I do not deviate.  I'm trying to do more cooking, but feel very limited by my inexperience and fear of the unknown.  Ergo, cooking classes.  I would especially love to learn more about whipping up quick, easy, healthy meals.  I am very bad at eating healthy things (basically because eating non-healthy things is easier, and man do I love easy).  I just know my mom's heart is goin' pitty-pat as she reads this, too.

gimme, day 13

jamie oliver's food revolution

In my recent forays into cooking, I've used Jamie Oliver recipes a few times.  I've fumbled a lot (and made horrible messes), but the end results are always delicious.  I was wandering around in a bookstore when this caught my eye, and the next thing I knew I was sitting cross-legged on the ground, lost in the salad chapter.  Yum!

winter salad

Today I decided to make this salad.  I came across the recipe at Smitten Kitchen a few days ago, and it mainly caught my eye because of the prosciutto.  I love it when a recipe calls for prosciutto, because then I have an excuse to buy it and have it in the house.  But this is so much more than prosciutto.  It is the perfect winter salad.

Fennel, Prosciutto and Pomegranate Salad
Adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2008

Serves 4 to 6

2 cups very thinly sliced fennel bulb
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
6 cups arugula (about 4 ounces)
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into strips
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Toss fennel and 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Combine arugula, green onions, mint, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in large bowl; toss. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide greens among plates. Top with fennel, then drape with prosciutto. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over.

I basically halved the recipe and ended up with about two servings (both of which I ate, oh yum). I also went light on the fennel, primarily because I'd never eaten it before and it frightened me. The most time consuming part of the process by far was the pomegranate (I used instructions found here), so if you plan to whip this up for a party, I would definitely do that part way in advance. The fennel can also be done in advance.  I also used an aged balsamic vinegar because I like a strong vinegary taste, and I really loved how it worked with all the other elements here.

This afternoon, I also decided to make a batch of Nutella Pinwhell Cookies. On the down side, the recipe was wrought with misfortune and took me about a million years from start to finish. On the up side, the cookies are delicious and I now know how to shell and roast hazelnuts! Yay.

gimme, day 3

macarons from michel patisserie

I dream about sampling these lovelies.  No joke.  Boxes of Michel's macarons can be ordered online for delivery or pick-up at Artisans Confections in Arlington, VA.  They're also available at The Wine Cabinet in Reston.  I believe I would like to try lemon, raspberry, pistachio, and mint.  Oh, and chocolate.  You gotta have chocolate.  Are you writing all this down?

happy thanksgiving, y'all

sweet potato cheese cake, originally uploaded by t-squared.

So our gathering is very small this year, just the four of us and my aunt.  We've got a pretty kickass meal lined up, though.  Check it:

-Bird

-Sweet Potatoes with marshmallows on top (my mom's fav)

-Regular stuffing

-Oyster stuffing (my brother's creation)

-Squash and tomato dish

-Salad with craisins, goat cheese, and walnuts

-Mashed potatoes (my dish, recipe from here)

-Coconut custard pie (at my father's request)

-Orange chess pie (my grandma's recipe)

After the initial prep, we headed out on a walk while things baked.  When we returned, we were shocked to discover that the turkey was nearly ready!  So, the meal will be around 12:30 rather than 2:00 and we'll have our planned h'ors devours (olives and cheese) tonight while we watch Up.  Seems to me like a pretty awesome day.

Today, I am thankful for my family, as weird as they are, and our dumb little dog who just managed to get a small rawhide chew bone stuck around her tooth.  Also: pie.  I am very thankful for pie.  What about you?

photo of sweet potato cheese cake from here

red days

I have never been in a relationship when V-Day rolled around (except for freshman year in high school...but that's best left forgotten), so it usually passes pretty uneventfully for me. I am not the bitter Valentine's Day-hating type of persistently single person, in fact I rather like the day. My mother gifts me with heart-smattered socks, PJs, and on one memorable day, a crown, and so it goes by, perhaps with slightly more chocolate than usual. All that said, I have actual plans for tomorrow. I am going to make myself some of these.
Mine will not be nearly so pretty, and I will most likely go with store bought icing rather than make my own, but here's hoping they'll be tasty! Happy Valentine's Day, y'all. Eat a cupcake, spread some love.

via Jo