I'm in a hotel in Barcelona that supplies you with an ipod alarm clock, a DVD player, nice smelling shower supplies, window shades that go up and down with a button, and (yet) insufficient light. It's very modern - but since when does modern mean 'spooky dark in here'?
I just ran a half hour on the treadmill while watching (on television) two ladies of Eastern European origin whack tennis balls furiously at each other. I believe soon I shall step outside and continue my small tour of the city that started this morning with a food market (ham, ham, everywhere, and not a drop to dr- hm. Is it legal to bring back ham if it vacuum sealed??) and a famous gothic cathedral.
Also, the contents of the mini bar are free, so I feel compelled to eat the one itty bitty (yet sooo deelicious!) chocolate bar and drink the beer (cervesa! see, Carlos, I am learning).
Ok, you can hate me a little bit.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
So Nice
To go check my google home page, and have a new headline every couple hours about rolling back all the wackadoodle Bush policies, like the Global Gag Rule, and stem cell research. It's like change has come to America or something!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Inaugural moments
I was very comfy on the couch, thanks. Lowery impressed me most; "to turn to each other and not on each other", my favorite rhetorical device of the day. I was looking for some real winners in Obama's speech, but nothing jumped out, except his castigation of Bush (woo!).
What a looooong day for everyone in Washington, though, and especially for the Obamas....but am having fun imagining Malia and Sasha running through the White House this morning, checking everything out.
What a looooong day for everyone in Washington, though, and especially for the Obamas....but am having fun imagining Malia and Sasha running through the White House this morning, checking everything out.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Cheese
I made mozzarella last weekend with the right kind of thermometer and the right kind of milk, and it worked great. We put it into a lasagna.
With the whey you can just boil it to 200 F and then strain it and it turns into ricotta. You need a really really fine cheesecloth (butter muslin, or a pillowcase) otherwise you end up with a teensy tiny amount of ricotta. Like so. This was four layers of regular cheesecloth.
makes
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| From Food |
With the whey you can just boil it to 200 F and then strain it and it turns into ricotta. You need a really really fine cheesecloth (butter muslin, or a pillowcase) otherwise you end up with a teensy tiny amount of ricotta. Like so. This was four layers of regular cheesecloth.
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| From Food |
makes
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| From Food |
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Barcelona
Inordinately happy that I will get to take the train to Newark for a flight in late January, rather than going via Reagan airport.
Need to find Barcelona guidebook, stat.
Need to find Barcelona guidebook, stat.
Dakar
Going to Dakar next week. I am soooo not taking any luggage. I will have the smallest bag imaginable. It will be awesome.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Fresh Pasta
Get a big work surface. Dump two cups of North Dakota (or you know, whatever you can find) semolina in the middle of it.
Mush your measuring cup in the middle of it to create a well, so that the wood is showing.
Dump another half cup in that well and mush it around a little.
Break four egg yolks and two whole eggs into a bowl thingie.
Add a tablespoon of milk, if you think Thomas Keller knows what he's talking about. If not, skip it.
Add a glug/half tablespoon of olive oil.
Pour this in the hole.
Super pretty if you don't break the egg yolks!
Beat everything a little just in the well part.
Once everything is beaten pretty good, run the fork around the edge of the semolina wall to let some of it fall in the center. Do this a couple times.
Widen out your circle of semolina gradually, not breaching the wall.
It'll get more solid and then you can start just scooping the remaining semolina into it without worrying it'll run out and drip all over the floor.
Take your table scraper, or use your hands if you're not afraid of getting messy, and start kind of kneading the soft mass together.
Or just use your hands.
Add more semolina to keep the dough from being sticky.
Knead for about three minutes, working the dough to mix everything well.
Wrap it in a towel and let it sit for 20 minutes.
Knead it some more, about five minutes. Push down hard! Your handbones should hurt.
Cut it into six evenly sized pieces and roll it in your machine. Dust with semolina if it seems too sticky/wet.
At the 3 setting they are thin enough to be square when cut into spaghetti size. Lay them out on towels for five minutes or up to an hour...If they are stiff when you cut them, however, you'll be screwed.
Cut the pasta.
Lay the cut pasta on one towel. Cut long strips in half or they'll be hard to eat.
A large pot of boiling water is essential so that the water stays hot when you add the pasta.
Transfer the pasta from the towel into the water.
When the water starts to come back to a boil at the edges of the pot, about 2-3 minutes, take out the pasta and serve.
Here, we make carbonara.
Frown frown frown.
Bon appetit!
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| From Christmas 08 |
Mush your measuring cup in the middle of it to create a well, so that the wood is showing.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Dump another half cup in that well and mush it around a little.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
Break four egg yolks and two whole eggs into a bowl thingie.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
Add a tablespoon of milk, if you think Thomas Keller knows what he's talking about. If not, skip it.
|
| From Christmas 08 |
Add a glug/half tablespoon of olive oil.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
Pour this in the hole.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
Super pretty if you don't break the egg yolks!
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
Beat everything a little just in the well part.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
Once everything is beaten pretty good, run the fork around the edge of the semolina wall to let some of it fall in the center. Do this a couple times.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
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| From Christmas 08 |
Widen out your circle of semolina gradually, not breaching the wall.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
It'll get more solid and then you can start just scooping the remaining semolina into it without worrying it'll run out and drip all over the floor.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
Take your table scraper, or use your hands if you're not afraid of getting messy, and start kind of kneading the soft mass together.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
Or just use your hands.
|
| From Christmas 08 |
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| From Christmas 08 |
Add more semolina to keep the dough from being sticky.
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| From Christmas 08 |
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| From Christmas 08 |
Knead for about three minutes, working the dough to mix everything well.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Wrap it in a towel and let it sit for 20 minutes.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
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| From Christmas 08 |
Knead it some more, about five minutes. Push down hard! Your handbones should hurt.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
Cut it into six evenly sized pieces and roll it in your machine. Dust with semolina if it seems too sticky/wet.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
At the 3 setting they are thin enough to be square when cut into spaghetti size. Lay them out on towels for five minutes or up to an hour...If they are stiff when you cut them, however, you'll be screwed.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
Cut the pasta.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Lay the cut pasta on one towel. Cut long strips in half or they'll be hard to eat.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
A large pot of boiling water is essential so that the water stays hot when you add the pasta.
 |
| From Christmas 08 |
Transfer the pasta from the towel into the water.
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| From Christmas 08 |
When the water starts to come back to a boil at the edges of the pot, about 2-3 minutes, take out the pasta and serve.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Here, we make carbonara.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Frown frown frown.
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| From Christmas 08 |
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| From Christmas 08 |
Bon appetit!
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| From Christmas 08 |
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Cutting up a roast chicken
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| From Christmas 08 |
Grab a knife and a fork. Cut the thigh away, close to the breast.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Follow the muscle.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Have your dad help.
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| From Christmas 08 |
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| From Christmas 08 |
Take the wing off, bending it to pop out the joint.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Repeat on the other side.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Again, cutting close to the breast.
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| From Christmas 08 |
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| From Christmas 08 |
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| From Christmas 08 |
Second wing off.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Snip with kitchen shears down along the ribs to separate the breast from the back.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Dad said to follow the skin but I didn't really see this.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Cut under the leg joint at the end.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Whole breast of chicken.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Cut the breastbone.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Cut your breast pieces in half. As with breastbone you'll need to just press the heel of your hand on the knife near the end to cut through the bone.
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| From Christmas 08 |
Good job! Eat some cake.
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| From Christmas 08 |
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