It was a good weekend, a slow weekend. Cider at Meadhall Friday night, sleeping in Saturday. Saturday afternoon, we saw Wolf of Wall Street, which led to Googling Wolf of Wall Street, which led to watching YouTube videos of Stratton Oakmont parties, which led to downloading the Kindle book. Yup.
Also FYI the song in the trailer is Black Skinhead by Kanye. As T said: "Anything you're doing you can do better if you're listening to that song." The song is completely uncivilized and so is the movie. 180 outrageous, offensive minutes. And that's why it's so good.
Rainy Saturday nights are meant for staying in and staying out of trouble. I Googled Wolf of Wall Street and I made chocolate-coconut "fudge." I call it "fudge" because it's adapted from Sarah Wilson's healthy, sugar-free recipe. It would be a little disingenuous to call it dessert. So I won't. But the fudge tastes pretty rich and the coconut is sweet, so it's satisfying. No photo for you. Fudge doesn't really photograph well. If you can photograph fudge and make it look good, well... let me know. We should hang out.
Sunday? Sunday was for Sunday things and getting Sunday things done: running and working. The sun was out and it was a totally different Boston. I couldn't have asked for a happier or lovelier run.
And that's a weekend.
Chocolate-Coconut "Fudge"
Adapted from Sarah Wilson's Bounty Bars
Coconut layer
1 cup coconut milk (I used So Delicious)
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
Chocolate layer
1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder
2 tablespoons almond butter
Coconut layer: Melt the coconut milk and oil together in a saucepan over low heat until well combined. Stir in the shredded coconut and take the saucepan off the heat. Pour the coconut mixture into a square glass pan, smooth the top, and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until set. While you're making the chocolate layer, put the pan in the freezer so the coconut hardens a bit more.
Chocolate layer: Melt the coconut oil and cocoa powder in a saucepan over low heat until well combined. Then add the almond butter and stir until well combined. Let the chocolate mixture cool slightly, then pour it over the coconut layer.
Chill the bars in the freezer 5-10 minutes or until hard to the touch. Cut into squares. Keep refrigerated.
As you probably know if you live on the East Coast, Boston got slammed with weather last week. We got 14 inches of snow and subzero temperatures and everyone got a snow day. Which is cool and all, but cabin fever is a real thing. So is my caffeine addiction. So I went out... to Starbucks, to Back Bay Yoga, and to Border Cafe for frozen strawberry margaritas with Z and B. Because when Boston is a frozen tundra, it makes sense to drink frozen tequila. Right? Right.
On Saturday, it warmed up so we decided to go about our usual Saturday business.
What Saturday business really means is produce shopping at Haymarket. But Haymarket was closed because of the weather, so we detoured to Russo's in Watertown. Russo's is wonderful. It has every kind of produce you might want. Did I need three kinds of lettuce? Nope. Did I buy three kinds of lettuce? Yep.
Somehow we got out of there without buying a Buddha's Hand. Thank goodness. Because what the hell would I have done with a Buddha's Hand?
What I bought: lettuce, zucchini, avocado, pears, pineapple, escarole, frisee, baby shiitakes, and a $10 wedge of Manchego cheese (Because it's all about balance, guys). Impulse buying, defined.
But it turns out that the frisee, the shiitakes, and the cheese play nice together. They make a quick, warm salad. So I don't feel so bad about my shopping. And having lunch at home (because it is SO cold out there) is looking pretty good.
Frisee Salad with Warm Shiitakes and Manchego
3 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 cup frisee, diced, at room temperature
1 cup baby shiitakes, cleaned
Manchego cheese, sliced thinly Salt and pepper to taste
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute the shiitakes about 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Combine white wine vinegar and the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and toss the frisee with the dressing. Top the frisee with the shiitakes and the Manchego. Serves one.
I had Shutterbean's Sriracha Mac and Cheese recipe open on my iPhone until last weekend. This is kind of what I do. I see a recipe I like and I leave it open on
my iPad or iPhone for months and months and months. Until I finally make the recipe. Last Sunday, I mentioned mac and cheese to S and then S decided we were making it for dinner. Just like that.
Sriracha Mac and Cheese is really serious business. The whole pan must have weighed 10 pounds. It was a massive amount of food. Mac and cheese all around! Mac and cheese for everyone!
What was in it? Cheese, milk, flour, butter, more butter, even more butter, pasta. And Sriracha! The Mac and Cheese had a little kick to it and then I drizzled more Sriracha on top. I mean... why not?
S sauteed some spinach with garlic and dinner was ready.
Today I crossed another recipe off the list: Nanaimo bars.
Neh-nigh-mo. Nuh-nai-mo. Did I say it right? Anyone?
Nanaimo
bars are impossible to pronounce and totally delicious. I don't really
remember when I first heard of Nanaimo bars - maybe sometime last summer
- but I've had a recipe open on my iPad ever since.
The bars have different textures and three layers: a crunchy chocolate base layer full of cookie crumbs and nuts, a thick vanilla buttercream, and a chocolate glaze on top. Full disclosure, I didn't have all of ingredients and I couldn't find vanilla custard powder at the store. I'm sorry. It's like 20 degrees out there. If the corner store doesn't have everything I need... well, too bad. So I had to make a few changes and I also copped out on chopping the nuts finely, but my super lazy version of the bars turned out well anyway. They remind me of Rocky Road ice cream.. there's a whole lot going on.
Make them, won't you? And then holler at me and let me know how to pronounce Nanaimo.
Bottom layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg beaten
1 1/4 cup cookie crumbs (I used Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookies)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Melt butter, sugar, and cocoa powder together in a saucepan over medium heat and combine well. Add the egg, stir well, and cook for five minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the cookie crumbs, walnuts, and coconut. Pour into a 8x8 glass baking pan and smooth the top.
Second layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons heavy cream
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups confectioner's sugar
Using a hand mixer, blend butter, cream, and sugar on low speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and blend well. Smooth the cream mixture over the bottom layer carefully.
Third layer:
4 ounces milk chocolate (I used Hershey's)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and cool. Pour the chocolate over the second layer and smooth carefully. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, preferably two. Cut into squares and keep refrigerated.
Last weekend in Denver, we ate everything. I do not exaggerate. We ate everything.
One of my favorites was our late brunch at Wild Eggs. Guys. Have you been to Wild Eggs? The only way I can describe the menu is that it is brunch's greatest hits. Strawberry pancakes, crepes, huevos rancheros... Everything sounds delicious.
I ordered the Kelsey KY Brown: roasted turkey, bacon, tomato, and a fried egg piled on sourdough bread (Mornay sauce on the side, and I added another egg and spinach).
And oh yeah, we split a cinnamon roll too.
I got back to Boston and I wanted more brunch. I bought Canadian bacon, tomatoes, eggs, and spinach. I liked the idea of a complete little breakfast in a ramekin, so I baked the eggs. Three days and five recipes later, I nailed it.
Guys. Do you have any idea how much Canadian bacon I've eaten in the last three days? It was a big sacrifice. I really took one for the team.
I added spinach at Wild Eggs and it was awesome, but I couldn't get it right here. If you really want spinach, I say saute it and serve it on the side. I just feel weird about baking spinach. I tried several times (with raw spinach, wilted spinach, and lightly wilted spinach) and it doesn't work for me. The bacon though? It works. Oh yeah. It really works for me. I just can't get enough.
Baked Egg with Tomato and Canadian Bacon
1 egg
2 slices tomato
1 slice Canadian bacon
1/4 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for greasing the ramekin
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a ramekin with olive oil (my ramekins are 3.5 inches in diameter).
Heat a pan with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Cook the Canadian bacon about one minute per side or until it's just cooked through. Drain the bacon well on paper towels and pat dry.
Layer the bacon and tomato in the ramekin. You can cut the bacon and tomato to fit the ramekin, but I just fold them to fit. Crack the egg and pour it on top. You can crack the egg into another bowl and pour it on top or crack it directly into the ramekin, whatever you're comfortable with. Sprinkle salt and pepper according to your taste on top.
Place the ramekin on a baking sheet on the top rack in the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the white of the egg is set and opaque and the yolk is done to your liking. I like the yolk at 16 minutes - it firms up but still has a liquidy center. Eat immediately!
I keep ripping the back of my heel open. Not on purpose. But I split the back of my heel open a few weeks ago and it's super hard to heal, especially since I run so much. This morning, I didn't have band-aids so I taped it before my workout. Yeah. Taped it. I remembered how I used to tape blisters and hot spots with duct tape during multi-day backpacking trips. I didn't have duct tape, so I used athletic tape today. It worked. Sort of. Not really.
The saddest.
You better believe I stopped to buy band-aids on the way home.
And, since the weather is getting colder, I layered up. Bojan of the November Project wrote a great post about layering and "weatherproofing" your run. Staying warm is serious business. This morning, I pulled out my wonderful, wonderful Patagonia capilene long-sleeved shirt that M gave me. (I love you, M. I love you, Patagonia.) I put a hoodie on over it and I was warm en route to my workout. But I failed to honor one basic rule: My base layer was a cotton tank. And you know, the minute I stopped moving, my body temperature plummeted (as it always does) and that cotton was damp and chilly. What was I thinking. Come on. I know better than that. Ugh.
So I'm not great at keeping band-aids around and I'm not great at dressing myself warmly. You know what I am good at?
Food. Specifically, fuel.
I've been eating a lot of eggs for breakfast (eggs are the most perfect protein source!), but I totally wanted carbs this morning. I argued myself out of buying a bagel and I'm so glad that I did. Because this oatmeal filled me up the right way.
America runs on Dunkin'. I run on Dunkin' and home cooked oatmeal.
Good For You Coconut-Almond Oatmeal
1/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup coconut-almond milk (I use Califia Farms)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons almond butter
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Combine oatmeal and milk in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring regularly, until the oatmeal absorbs the milk. Do not let the milk come to a boil or burn. I cook my oatmeal for about 15 minutes or until the oatmeal has thickened.
Stir in the cinnamon, almond butter, and coconut flakes. Eat hot!
I really like organization and planning. I have my Google calendar on my phone and a paper monthly calendar at home. I have Evernote plus multiple apps on my phone just for to-do lists. I really REALLY like Wunderlist because, when you check something off your list, the app makes a fun "whoosh" noise. It's kind of like the Nike of to-do lists. Plus you can email yourself your list and it will have cute little checkboxes! (Guys, I'm completely nuts.)
I could talk about planning all day long. But I won't.
I'll just talk about plans for next week.
I'll be banging out a 10 mile run tomorrow morning. I haven't run a long distance since the Lululemon Seawheeze Half Marathon, so um this is a little ambitious. But nothing says Monday morning like 10 miles... right?
We'll be cooking up a (Paleo-friendly) Mexican feast on Wednesday. My CrossFitter friends eat Paleo, so sometimes I do too. B can eat like two avocadoes in one sitting, so I probably should buy a bushel.
I'll be swapping out treadmill intervals for more lifting. I've been running and doing a lot of yoga, which means I've unintentionally been slacking on lifting. Time to get back to it.
I'll be making another batch of Martha Stewart's Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup. The soup freezes exceptionally well, so I'll stock the freezer.
We'll be celebrating Dia de Los Muertos. You know I'll be taking photos.
And I'll be practicing half crow pose. Everyday. (Right now, my half crow is more like falling down half crow.)
"You get to define success for yourself. It’s whatever personality you
have that will probably affect how you define it. That’s the life you
get to live."
Interview with Wharton Professor G. Richard Shell, author of Springboard: Launching Your Personal Search for Success. It's super refreshing to hear a b school professor talk about unconventional definitions of success and it made the goal-setter in me geek out hard.
Remember that time I meant to make ratatouille and made a tagine instead? Um yeah, me too. I may have made up the recipe out of necessity (it was dinnertime and I refused to go grocery shopping), but it's turned out be one of my most favorite and delicious dinners. My recipe, loosely inspired by Moroccan tagines, is also easy: chop, layer, bake. Let's keep it casual. When I say chop, I mean rough chop. And the recipe is forgiving too. Don't have squash? Use zucchini. Or eggplant. It's all good. And it's especially tasty with quinoa or couscous (whatever you've got kicking around). The only rule? When it's in the oven, just remember to give it a good stir once in a while. And play Tegan and Sara super loud.
Ratatouille Turned Tagine
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 small yellow squash, diced 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 1 can garbanzo beans, drained 1 pound small new potatoes, halved 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 1/4 teaspoon cumin 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper 1/2 lemon 2/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Layer the chicken, garlic, and vegetables in a large glass baking pan. Pour the olive oil, sprinkle the spices, and squeeze the lemon evenly over the chicken and vegetables. Stir. Bake for 45 minutes and stir occasionally.
Serves three generously and makes awesome leftovers.
Goddamn it, some things are going to change around here. I am putting my foot down.
Let's be real. I didn't really sleep for a year. I have this disease. It's called workaholism. It's a real disease. There's even a Wikipedia article on it. The bad news? It's chronic. And incurable.
So, some things have got to change around here. I am setting goals, making plans, and living out those goals and plans. I am thinking about the life that I want to lead.
I am pretty sure that I've done more yoga in the last month than I did in the last year. This makes me want to do more yoga. Because, you know what? Yoga feels good. In the last month, I also set a half marathon personal record by eight seconds and I started running the stairs of Harvard Stadium with the November Project. My body hurts without yoga. So I'm Googling things like Scorpion Pose (putting it on my bucket list) and Mermaid Pose (crossing it off my to-do list). I dig Mermaid Pose real hard and, if someone wants to teach me how to do Scorpion Pose safely, I am game. I am just a little bit afraid because I like my spine the way that it is. But the pose is incredibly elegant and it also says "Hey, check it, I am a spiritual gangster." Which makes me want to do it. Like now.
I bought a basil plant. Because, as I told J, basil plants require watering, sun, and attention. So, by buying a basil plant, I'm saying that I am a person who can provide a plant with all of those things on a regular basis. I am taking a goddamn stand with this basil plant. I'm pleased to report that that the basil plant is doing very well so far.
I'm out on the road, y'all. In the last month, there have been three weekend trips. THREE. WEEKEND. TRIPS. This is stupendous! And - get ready to high five me - two of those three trips have been out of the country. (Canada counts. Don't give me any attitude. It counts.) I'm ready for that high five now. I'm also itching to buy plane tickets. I read an article about Valparaiso, Chile last night and now I'm all "Chile, Chile, Chile, when are we going to Chile?" I have this adorable habit of calling up M and saying, "When are we going to Spain/India/other faraway location?" I know. I'm precious.
I am buying ri-goddamn-diculous things like five kinds of bourbon and cowboy boots. A few weeks ago, everyone came over and we drank a lot of bourbon. My friends drank a bottle of Wild Turkey, a bottle of Bulleit, and a bottle of Knob Creek. I have never been prouder to call those people my friends. And, then, folks, I got up the next morning and went to vinyasa yoga with a voice that sounded like I'd been pounding bourbon for days in a room filled with cigar smoke. Namaste, y'aaaaaaaall. Oh, and the cowboy boots? Well, every girl needs a pair of shit-kicking cowboy boots. Duh.
I'm not cooking much. But, with all of this basil (please see aforementioned basil plant), there is about to be a whole lot of caprese salads around here. Caprese salad for you! And you! And you! Caprese salad for everyone!
Do I sound punchy to you? Well, I am a little punchy. I am still crazy exhausted and I am still not really sleeping (I may have been born without that gene). But I am happy. So there it is. I am happy. Granted, I am staring down some super-soon, super-intense deadlines that will have a major impact on The Future (From now on, I am capitalizing The Future for dramatic effect). But that's okay. It's more than okay. I'm reading, learning, thinking, taking meetings, getting excited - if I don't make the bed for a few days, it is not uncommon for me to find highlighters and copies of the Harvard Business Review between the sheets. If that isn't a glowing endorsement for the HBR, I don't know what it is.
Andy Warhol once said, "Being good in business is the most fascinating form of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best form of art." Business absolutely is an art form. I can't paint and I sure as hell can't sing and, let's not joke around, my short-lived career playing the flute mercifully ended at the age of 11. But, if I'm an artist, well then business is my medium. Let's get together and talk business, okay? And, while we're at it, let's drink some bourbon. I take mine on the rocks.
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
Black pepper to taste
2 cups shredded parmesan
Extra flour
Combine the flour, yeast, black pepper, and cheese in a bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups and 2 tbsp. water and mix well. The dough will be sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 14 hours at room temperature.
Put the dough on a floured surface, sprinkle the dough with a little flour, and fold it over several times. Cover it again with plastic wrap and let it rise 15 minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball. Coat a clean dish towel with flour, put the dough on top of the towel, and cover the dough with another towel. Let it rise 2 hours.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven (and a baking sheet) to 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Bake the dough on the baking sheet for 30 minutes. The outside will be golden and crunchy; the inside will be slightly moist.
3 pounds butternut squash
1 onion, sliced
1 apple (I used Gala)
3 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp. butter
Salt to taste
Aleppo pepper, if desired
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick the squash all over with a fork, place it directly on the oven rack, and roast for 40 minutes. Then, add the apple to the oven as well. Roast both for an additional 20 minutes and remove both from the oven carefully.
Let the squash and apple cool for about 30 minutes, then pull back the skin, remove seeds, and scoop out the flesh of both.
Cook the onion with the butter over medium-high heat in a saucepan until the onions are translucent and soft (about 10 minutes). Add the stock, squash, and apple. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. Puree the soup in batches (about 3 cups at a time) and re-heat the soup as necessary. I like to sprinkle a little Aleppo pepper on top.
There is something about shopping to cook... planning to cook... cooking. There is something about having wonderful food in the fridge and having the time, ability, and opportunity to feed yourself and others. I can't think of anything else in the world that makes me feel as nourished... in all literal and figurative senses.
I wandered through the grocery store, talking on the phone with D, running a mental inventory of my fridge, tossing food in my shopping basket. Chicken breasts, stuffed grape leaves, a gorgeous eggplant.
I came home, cut a thick wedge of focaccia, and heated up a bowl of homemade butternut squash soup. I watched many (too many?) episodes of Gossip Girl; I read my horoscope; I picked out a recipe for no-knead bread; I tied on an apron.
Gossip Girl is still playing. It's dark and cold outside, but so warm in here. I'm wrapped up in the softest hoodie and striped wool socks. My tummy is full of good food. And there is a glass Pyrex full of grilled chicken and eggplant for tomorrow.
Days like this are good for the soul.
Chicken Souvlaki
Two boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Za'atar spice
1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
Cut the chicken breasts into slices about 4 - 5 inches long by 1 1/2 - 2 inches wide. Rub the chicken breasts with the spices, garlic, and olive oil and let them marinate for 45 minutes. Lightly oil a grill pan and heat it up over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken on both sides, approximately 3 minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through.
I served my Chicken Souvlaki with hummus, stuffed grape leaves, focaccia bread, and grilled eggplant.
Let's talk about bad habits. Mine are espresso, high heels, and being excessively proud of myself
when I invent something good for dinner. The last 24 hours have involved all three.
I bought mozzarella, tomatoes, and eggplants with the intention of roasting vegetables and making pasta. But this girl likes her protein. Hence baked chicken breasts stuffed with mozzarella and all that gorgeous produce. The tomato and eggplant slices roast, the mozzarella melts, and it's all ready in about 45 minutes.
Excuse me while I go brag a little.
Baked Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Mozzarella, Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, and Eggplant
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 mozzarella ciliegines (about "cherry tomato" sized balls of mozzarella), each sliced in half
1 medium vine-ripened tomato, cored and sliced thinly
1/2 of a medium eggplant, sliced thinly, each slice cut in half (ideally thin wedges)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper (according to your taste)
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Make a cut in the middle of each chicken breast. The cut should run the length of the chicken breast, but do not cut all the way through the breast. Place the breasts in a Pyrex pan. Stuff each breast with a row of overlapping tomato slices, a row of overlapping eggplant wedges, and the mozzarella ciliegines. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper over the breasts.
Bake for 40 minutes and serve immediately. Serves two as a main course. Sauteed spinach makes a nice side.
I'm on a group run, my first run since the Run to Remember. Another runner and I fall in line together. We don't introduce ourselves and we don't exchange a word, but we pace each other for the five miles. He picks up speed; so do I. I pick up speed; so does he. It's humid and the sky is heavy with clouds. But it's a beautiful run. It's one of those runs when I tell my legs to go faster and they do.
I finish the run, stretch, and shake out my legs. I turn around and run home. It's only when I'm home that I realize that my sneakers have been rubbing against the backs of my heels. My socks are soaked in blood.
*****
I'm at the Capitol Coffee House, seated at the high bar that wraps around the coffee shop. I look out the windows and down Bowdoin Street, down the sloping street that runs past blocks of Beacon Hill townhouses, down to Cambridge Street. The windows over my left shoulder frame the side of the Statehouse -- all green shrubs and birds chirping. But I like my perch in this window. I like my view and my $1.60 iced coffee.
The restaurant-grade refrigerators hum behind me; there's a little conversation, coins clinking, something sizzling in a saucepan. The fry cook beats eggs in a plastic bowl. I sneeze -- once, twice, three times -- and a chorus of "Bless you!" comes up from every corner of the coffee shop.
*****
I pull the lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and flank steak out of the fridge. I heat my grill pan and get a nice sear on both sides of the steak, while the water comes to a boil in a saucepan and the new potatoes begin to cook. The steak goes in the oven at 300 degrees to finish.
I move around my kitchen, without even thinking. My knives are here; my plates are stacked here. I methodically slice the cherry tomatoes and the tender new potatoes. I layer the lettuce, tomatoes, and steak on a plate. But the potatoes need a final touch. I grill the sliced potatoes; they go on top of the salad; I squeeze half a lemon and drizzle olive oil over the whole thing.
Thursday night at Trade: Pomegranate glazed eggplant with capers, olives and pine nuts. I didn't really pick up on the pomegranate flavor, but I loved the balance of the rich eggplant, the tomato, and the tangy yogurt drizzled on top. This small plate and one of Trade's flatbreads made for a perfect dinner. I will definitely be going back. Definitely.
Friday night in B's kitchen: Eggplant medallions with feta, mint, and tomato salad... roasted eggplant rounds, topped with a tangy, summery salad. These medallions would be awesome paired with sangria... on a rooftop... at sunset. I'll be adding them to my summer to-do list.
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium eggplants, cut into 3/4 inch slices
1/2 cup crumbled feta
2 tablespoons chopped green olives (pitted)
1/3 cup finely diced purple onion
2 cups seeded, chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Have the feta, olives, onion, tomatoes, and mint in separate bowls, ready to be combined.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and lay the eggplant rounds on the sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the underside of each piece is puckered/puffy and darkened. Flip the rounds and sprinkle them all with a bit more salt and pepper. Roast for another 10 minutes, or until the rounds are evenly cooked on both sides.
Meanwhile, pour the red wine vinegar over the onion and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
When the eggplant rounds are done, let them cool until they are only slightly warm. While they are cooling, combine the feta, olives, onion, tomatoes, mint, and remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil and toss. Top each eggplant round with a large spoonful of the salad and serve immediately.
I'm really excellent at finding excuses to cook... Because I love to cook, and I love to bake, and I love to feed people.
And in the last few days? An 86-proof chocolate birthday cake, pasta with roasted squash and tomatoes for two, lemon squares for an Oscars party, margaritas and tacos for six.
Then cookies. Chocolate chip cookies. No excuses needed.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Adapted from Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter, softened to the consistency of toothpaste
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine flour and baking soda in a bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl with a hand mixer until creamy. Beat in the egg. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Bake for 11 minutes, or until the middles are golden brown and the edges are darker. Cool the cookies for one minute on the baking sheet, then move them to wire racks with a spatula. Makes approximately 20 large cookies... if you don't eat all the batter first...
"Whatever satisfies the soul is truth" - Walt Whitman
This is my truth.
Roasting chicken breasts with olive oil and lemon juice and inadvertently falling asleep, only to wake up to the smell of roast chicken. Waking up before the sun rises to go to the gym because the evening is so back-to-back busy that bicep curls and pushups can only happen at 6am. Planning a week in advance to make pecan pies -- one basic, one with coconut flakes and chocolate -- for L's Thanksgiving dinner. Finally learning to cook the perfect steak. Hauling myself out of bed after only a few hours of sleep to run ten miles.. because I couldn't imagine not running. Calling M at 7am to discuss the merits of medium versus dark coffee roasts.
At 11am, the eggs are in the pan. I turn off the hip hop -- playing at full volume -- and put on the Big Chill soundtrack.
Wait. Let me back up.
I was out of bed at 7:45am, stumbling to the kitchen to pour muffin batter into tins before I turned the lights on or brushed my teeth.
The next three hours and fifteen minutes were busy. The kitchen -- walls covered in notes and to do lists just like a war room -- turned into the nerve center of all activity. I baked oatmeal muffins, topping them with a little cinnamon sugar. I showered, made a coffee run (for myself and for a cardboard carrier of hot coffee), and arranged flowers. Apron tied on tight, I piled apple slices and grapes on a platter, side by side with homemade granola and containers of yogurt. I pulled out Maida Heatter's spectacular recipe for blueberry crumble and I layered blueberries, brown sugar, butter, and oats in a glass dish. I lay strips of bacon and breakfast sausage in my grill plan and poured eggs in the skillet.
At 11:15, the first guest arrived. And for the next four hours, we ate. And chatted. And drank coffee. And ate.
Sorry, there are no photos. We ate it all.
The menu:
Scrambled eggs, bacon, and Formaggio Kitchen breakfast sausage Oatmeal Raisin Muffins
Cranberry-Almond Granola [recipe coming soon!] and yogurt
Maida Heatter's Blueberry Crumble
Fruit platter, coffee, orange juice
Hustling home from work and then out the door for a run, running as far as I could in 15 minutes then turning around.... Baking oatmeal raisin cookies, dried cranberries added on request, with the apron strings wrapped tightly around my waist and tied in the front.... Rolling out pie dough and looking outside at the golden-red leaves... Walking down Newbury Street with a coffee in hand.... Making dinner for E and roasting sweet potatoes with plenty of olive oil and just enough salt and pepper... Putting on my absolute tallest high heels for salsa dancing... Working my way through sets of bicep curls and tricep dips then holding the plank position... Taking an old friend and a new friend around Boston, walking past Quincy Market towards the North End, and pushing my sunglasses up as dusk falls.... and, just because I can, baking chocolate chip cookie bars.
