tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101631084816837092024-03-05T12:11:45.876-05:00A2eatwriteBecause writing and cooking are better than a little red sports carJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.comBlogger404125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-78096059978022457042010-04-06T20:53:00.003-04:002010-04-06T20:55:28.526-04:00For anyone who wants to know how to write great literature...... especially if you want a movie contract, too:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.cracked.com/funny-4725-nicholas-sparks/">How to Write a Nicholas Sparks movie</a><br /><br /><br />'Nuff said.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-25739543297694885332010-03-24T09:11:00.005-04:002010-03-24T11:40:53.727-04:00What's Cooking Wednesday: Accademia Salad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjQbC9Sw2_qlgGxNDghFkBcbc5uqbGcQIjqw2WFev8qEDpwXo0VBU7CrvWoZsIwLxm3XusmEInsh4W1EpOIVHotv-HBE8IyOt_-RPq0vMgJRiuBe5loJV0TJr1-jCU6ZMT48_8mF-Yg/s1600-h/1499732544_5adb5210aa_m.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjQbC9Sw2_qlgGxNDghFkBcbc5uqbGcQIjqw2WFev8qEDpwXo0VBU7CrvWoZsIwLxm3XusmEInsh4W1EpOIVHotv-HBE8IyOt_-RPq0vMgJRiuBe5loJV0TJr1-jCU6ZMT48_8mF-Yg/s200/1499732544_5adb5210aa_m.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153285795743467442" /></a><br /><br />Please go to <a href="http://shanrev.blogspot.com/search/label/What%27s%20Cooking%20Wednesday">The Fairy Blogmother</a> for more <a href="http://shanrev.blogspot.com/search/label/What%27s%20Cooking%20Wednesday">What's Cooking Wednesday</a> participants.<br /><br />As many of you know, the Eatwrite family just had a marvelous trip to Italy.<br /><br />This trip was sort of an early graduation present for C, who will be graduating from high school in June of 2011, but we figured that next year, he'll probably be doing the college visit thing or we'll just plain be putting everything into saving for college.<br /><br />So there it is.<br /><br />We went to Florence in February, with a brief taste of Venice.<br /><br />From a culinary standpoint, it was also Tuscan, with a brief taste of Venetian.<br /><br />On somewhat the spur of the moment, we signed up for a Tuscany day trip, which included stops in Siena, an organic farm and winery (for a spectacular lunch), San Gimignano and Pisa. It was all spectacular, with the exception of Pisa, which is touristy beyond touristy.<br /><br />C wasn't feeling his best that day, and while he greatly enjoyed the trip, when we got back to Florence, around 6:30 p.m., he was ready to crash. D and I, however, wanted dinner, and the tour guide on our Tuscan trip had suggested one of her favorite restaurants within just a 10 minute walk from our lovely B&B.<br /><br />Perfect.<br /><br />So, we set off for the <a href="http://www.ristoranteaccademia.it/">Ristorante Accademia</a>, on Piazza San Marco, and had just a spectacular dinner there. I have to warn folks, that we also had a far-less-than-spectacular dinner there later - it's a restaurant with a split personality - "foreigners" in the front, and Italians in the back, with commensurate service, quality, etc. The food, however, was universally good, and they had a great, local, by-the-glass wine selection both times.<br /><br />The first dinner we were introduced to the salad below, which was one of our favorite eating experiences in Italy (which is really, really saying something). It's just a great combination of flavors, and while I haven't completely captured the quality of the Accademia salad, I think most of the basics are here, and those who've tried it Stateside have seemed to like it.<br /><br />Happy What's Cooking Wednesday!<br /><br /><b>Accademia Salad</b><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh175nrtc58BooCZb80IbIrnz8sEoITSsrQkMqfcQxIs661PwfeDQh1bdGAHOCinW6s1_Z-ySBtmt338uUsjiptv8fDrS7fcqjfD8Nj7IgbUThh9WhHo0CpTP4FxVaXUjGDPLXX6kQsqg/s1600/P1020981.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh175nrtc58BooCZb80IbIrnz8sEoITSsrQkMqfcQxIs661PwfeDQh1bdGAHOCinW6s1_Z-ySBtmt338uUsjiptv8fDrS7fcqjfD8Nj7IgbUThh9WhHo0CpTP4FxVaXUjGDPLXX6kQsqg/s400/P1020981.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452225596672752274" /></a><br /><br />Dressing:<br /><br />1 TBS good quality olive oil<br />1 tsp good quality honey (if you can get Tuscan honey, so much the better)<br />2 TBS Looza peach nectar, or the equivalent (I've also made this berry juice - even cider might work)<br /><br />Salad:<br /><br />2 large handfuls of watercress (I've been using arugula, since watercress isn't in season. I've also made this with winter spinach, and that worked well, too, but the bite in the arugula is a bit better)<br />1 large pear (preferably bosch), sliced into thin wedges<br />2 TBS toasted pine nuts<br />1 - 2 oz. EITHER pecorino Toscano (if you can find it - this is best, but also price) OR Basque sheep's milk cheese, Parrano or Pecorino Romano all make good substitutes - each has a different feel), shaved thin in strips<br />pepper to taste<br /><br />1. Take a large bowl and put in the dressing ingredients and whisk HARD. The honey is just not going to want to emulsify, but persevere! Once you've gotten everything blended, let it sit while you fashion the salad.<br /><br />2. Wash the greens and dry thoroughly and spread at the bottom of the salad bowl. Slice the pears on top of the bed of greens. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top of the pears. Shave the cheese on top. Sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper to taste, and drizzle the dressing over all.<br /><br />3. Eat and enjoy!<br /><br />Nutrition facts:<br /><br /> * Fat: 8.8g<br /> * Carbohydrates: 12.8g<br /> * Calories: 138.4<br /> * Protein: 3.9g <br /><br />As always, nutrition information supplied by the recipe calculator at <a href="http://sparkrecipes.com">sparkrecipes.com</a>.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-43645830368055104842010-03-21T10:19:00.003-04:002010-03-21T10:25:45.827-04:00WritingThe dishes are clean. The house is getting aired-out and springified.<br /><br />The taxes have been sent off - both ours and my mother's.<br /><br />We are now clearer on goals for our house, for C's future, for our next stage - whatever that is.<br /><br />My writing group is more active than it's been in years, and I've been absent.<br /><br />I have full notes on the trip to Florence sitting in e-folders.<br /><br />I spent from 9 - 1 yesterday playing at a magnificent poetry workshop given by <a href="https://www.spokenwordredux.com/index.php?option=com_poet&task=detail&id=PDB873&Itemid=68">Scott Beal</a>, whom C is also lucky enough to have as his <a href="http://www.neutral-zone.org/programs/22/short-story-workshop">short story workshop</a> leader. Even better, I got to play with <a href="http://annos-place.blogspot.com/">Anno</a> at the workshop. <br /><br />It was the perfect entree to my enforced leave from writing.<br /><br />Happy Spring.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-2053746396522577522009-12-31T10:26:00.004-05:002009-12-31T15:03:22.765-05:002009 Year End MemeI got this meme from Michelle, at <a href="http://bleedingespresso.com/">Bleeding Espresso</a>, who first saw it at <a href="http://www.sundrymourning.com/">Sundry Mourning</a>, who originally copied it from <a href="http://www.gwenworld.com/">Gwen’s Petty, Judgmental, Evil Thoughts</a> back in 2004.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?</span><br />I became a "professional" food blogger and learned that it's not something I enjoy doing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?</span><br />I make goals, rather than resolutions. I'm getting close to meeting some of them and haven't touched some of the others.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />3. Did anyone close to you give birth?</span><br />Yes! Gorgeous Aiden Van Erik Tyler was born!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4. Did anyone close to you die?</span><br />Yes, sadly.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />5. What countries did you visit?</span><br />Bermuda, Canada<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?</span><br />A quiet year with no major family traumas.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?</span><br />January 20th - the Inauguration - what a day!<br />March 26th - the day my mother moved to Michigan.<br />May 26th - the day my mother moved to her new home in Michigan.<br />July 5th - the day Aiden was born.<br />September 22nd/23rd - the days Sarah and Amy turned 25, respectively. YIKES.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?</span><br />Starting a yoga practice, as odd as that might sound.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">9. What was your biggest failure?</span><br />I'm trying not to put things in these terms.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">10. Did you suffer illness or injury?</span><br />Ugh - let's not even go there.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">11. What was the best thing you bought?</span><br />Three books by four friends: Luisa Perkins's <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comfortably-Yum-Food-Body-Spirit/dp/1442145056">Comfortably Yum</a></span>, Karen E. Olson's <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Missing-Ink-Tattoo-Shop-Mystery/dp/0451227468">The Missing Ink</a></span>, and Charity Tahmaseb's and Darcy Vance's <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Geek-Girls-Guide-Cheerleading/dp/1416978348">The Geek Girls Guide to Cheerleading</a></span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">12. Whose behavior merited celebration?</span><br />many ordinary people with their heart in the right place (I'm using <a href="http://goofballsworld.blogspot.com/">Goofball's</a> answer here, because I like it!)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?</span><br />Intolerant people. Those who claim to be one thing, but behave in ways that show they don't stand for what they say they stand for.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">14. Where did most of your money go?</span><br />The basics.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?</span><br />The local food/artisan food movement in Michigan! <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />16. What song will always remind you of 2009?</span><br />"At Last" sung by Beyonce to the new First Couple.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?</span><br />happier, same, same<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">18. What do you wish you’d done more of?</span><br />reading books (ditto <a href="http://goofballsworld.blogspot.com/">Goofball</a> again - it's true!)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">19. What do you wish you’d done less of?</span><br />Food blogging<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />20. How will you be spending New Year?</span><br />with family at home<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />21. Did you fall in love in 2009?</span><br />Um... well, continued to be in love?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />22. How many one-night stands?</span><br />Um....N/A<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />23. What was your favorite TV program?</span><br />Glee<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?</span><br />I don't think hate is a useful emotion.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">25. What was the best book you read?</span><br />Really hard to say - I loved many.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />26. What was your greatest musical discovery?</span><br />Again, hard to say. I like Owl City at the moment, but only in small doses.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />27. What did you want and get?</span><br />Some more free time or permission to myself to take it.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />28. What did you want and not get?</span><br />Enough of that time. Health and life for loved ones of friends who died.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />29. What was your favorite film of this year?</span><br />I can't pin this down, either. Maybe Julie and Julia, just for Meryl Streep/Stanley Tucchi.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?</span><br />For the big 5-0 I sat in a small ship's cabin waiting for maintenance to do something about the black bilge water coming up through our bathroom pipes. Then we had a nice French dinner in the evening. It wasn't my favorite birthday, despite the French dinner.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?</span><br />Fewer crises for family and friends. More political change in the U.S. than what has actually happened. I'm worried our system is irreparably broken.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />32. What political issue stirred you the most?</span><br />Health care.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />33. Who did you miss?</span><br />Not seeing enough of my exchange daughters/son.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />34. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.</span><br />"Eat rhubarb wet from the rain<br />Beautiful fruits all the same<br />Pears, oranges, and grapes from the vine<br />Children it is the earth's time." From "Children Play with Earth" by Arrested Development<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />35. I wish you all a happy satisfying healthy loving 2010. Have a good celebration and a fun start of the new year. All best wishes to you all!!!!!</span>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-30052743297777344362009-12-27T11:37:00.003-05:002009-12-27T11:58:08.455-05:00I Just Have to Write About How Awesome My Husband IsWe're not so big on presents at the Haines house. I think all three of us feel that there's too much emphasis on "things" in general in this country, and that most holidays should be celebrated for their spirit, rather than for getting things.<br /><br />One thing we share with various family members, for example, is sending donations and/or homemade gifts, rather than more traditional presents.<br /><br />SOMEthing from your spouse, however, is always nice. And this is an area in which Dave has had some problems. <br /><br />In any marriage, there are things you find just amazing about your spouse, and there are probably some things you wished were just a little bit different.<br /><br />One things I wish were a little bit different about Dave is that he tries so hard at finding just the "right" present or card that often I've ended up with nothing at all. And yeah, that's created some doghouse moments.<br /><br />This Christmas, when Dave asked what I wanted, I said, "anything simple, but I want a couple of things to open on Christmas morning - I don't really care what - just see what you think will work and don't spend more than $30 altogether."<br /><br />I hoped I was making it easy, but maybe that was too directive. You can weigh in on that.<br /><br />I expected that maybe I'd end up with a couple of paperbacks, and maybe some candy or something.<br /><br />What I got instead was total awesomeness. Dave showed up and then some. The man is OUT of that doghouse!<br /><br />First off, for those that know me, know there are few things I love more (well, other than family and friends) than coffee and my guinea pigs. So what does Dave do? He combines them:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyht_I3qtcgK7A7hmh2asif7WxuVtC1cW-F17iKiUB9UGGmsXj6z9yFY6TUG6F3Es7DB59Ab064wt33Ti-pXX2wLsLHhxESldeQBm5_Hsns3D3BxB7KLi_EJXssC29ZDehwX_4FpUDg/s1600-h/P1020462.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyht_I3qtcgK7A7hmh2asif7WxuVtC1cW-F17iKiUB9UGGmsXj6z9yFY6TUG6F3Es7DB59Ab064wt33Ti-pXX2wLsLHhxESldeQBm5_Hsns3D3BxB7KLi_EJXssC29ZDehwX_4FpUDg/s400/P1020462.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419956758951946290" /></a><br /><br />Can I just say how much I love my new coffee carrier? I can't imagine anything better. And since Dave is a talented photographer, the pictures he chose are simply wonderful. Unfortunately, I am a horrid photographer, so you'll just have to imagine how great this mug looks.<br /><br />My second item was Fellini's Amarcord. This is a favorite of mine from way back. And he remembered. As I said, awesome.<br /><br />The last and maybe best was something he made for both Connor and me, but each was personal. Dave is always coming up with "million dollar ideas". It's a family joke, and every time Dave says he's got another one, Con and I kind of roll our eyes. Most of these ideas are real stinkers. If they were truly million dollar ideas, well, our lives might be different. (Or not).<br /><br />Anyway, each of us received a booklet by a Dr. Silas Pepperpotdottson of our "unique and personal assortment of $1,000,000 ideas." Connor's were ideas for video games, and mine were ideas for restaurants. They were absolutely hysterical.<br /><br />Here was my favorite:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">"MICROVOR<br />Motto: The localist food in the universe<br />Image: A spoon containing grass, ants, leaves and a cute mouse<br />Target niche: People who really care<br /><br />Local is in. Microvor is taking the Locavore revolution to its logical end. This "restaurant service" brings you a meal made entirely from food that's found no more than 100 feet from where you live. Make a reservation and the Microvor chefs will arrive at your doorstep with their aprons, attitudes, and nets. They spread out to make creative and unique meals just for you from the food found in your yard, your home, your basement, your attic, your bedsheets. Anything edible is fair game for their knives and their acute and creative minds. No one will ever eat a meal like yours again!<br /><br />These people are in it for the love of it. If you have a house you get the super-fresh ingredients (grass, spiders, mice, moss) of whatever you have living in or outside of your house. If you live in a leaky, 4th floor walk-up, they'll love the challenge of creating a unique meal from your native flora and fauna before the food inspectors catch up to them.<br /><br />Microvor is pricey but unique. It's so unique that each franchise comes with a film crew, a slot on the Food Network, and a whole set of liability waivers fully tested in court."</span><br /><br />Now, is that a million dollar idea or what?<br /><br />I'm telling you, my husband is made of awesome.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-55410009797662656232009-12-23T21:39:00.002-05:002009-12-23T21:42:44.522-05:00Happiness and Love and...Peace for the New Year.<br /><br />December has been a challenging month. I miss everyone and am sorry I haven't been around reading or writing. I hope to rectify that in early 2010.<br /><br />To all those who celebrate - a very Merry Christmas.<br /><br />Belatedly, Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrated.<br /><br />Happy New Year to ALL.<br /><br />And for those who might have expected cards... I still hope they're coming.<br /><br />I'm so. far. behind.<br /><br />Again, peace, love and happiness to all readers here and for all the Earth's children everywhere.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-84570250583754942122009-11-30T06:09:00.004-05:002009-11-30T06:21:25.962-05:00Music Monday: "Baby Are You Down, Down, Down?"My friend Pat, one of my writing mentors and all around great friends sent me this video clip recently. <br /><br />I loved the "Where the Hell is Matt" project, and if you haven't seen it, you can find it <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY">here</a>.<br /><br />This is a similar project, but focused on bringing awareness of breast cancer. It was also part of an effort to get Medline to donate a huge amount of money to St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, OR. They had to get 1,000,000 hits for this on youtube, and the current tally is 1,599,499, so they made their goal and then some.<br /><br />The folks in this video are Medical Center employees, and as you can see, they were joyous in their participation.<br /><br />To all our sisters fighting this disease and to all of their loved ones (and a special shout-out to my friend, Linda, who is going through a bone marrow transplant on Friday to fight <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/myelofibrosis/DS00886">myelofibrosis</a>):<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OEdVfyt-mLw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OEdVfyt-mLw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />Happy Music Monday. For more participants, go visit <a href="http://denyingsoccermom.blogspot.com/">Soccer Mom in Denial</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZvfkmyyWf0qIekIMnIIDa2L54hEf2v1iiUqyvzfIubrv06ek_Vlz-gTjT95vFjr5fojdNVJxc7U8BRveUQ6sYC2QQY5S3tXEIv3HGwKZDYNn4NbVUA59kFdFJ2w-gfoKDzl8RnjJmg/s1600/musicmonday.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 75px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZvfkmyyWf0qIekIMnIIDa2L54hEf2v1iiUqyvzfIubrv06ek_Vlz-gTjT95vFjr5fojdNVJxc7U8BRveUQ6sYC2QQY5S3tXEIv3HGwKZDYNn4NbVUA59kFdFJ2w-gfoKDzl8RnjJmg/s200/musicmonday.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409854554170351634" /></a>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-65852009393919187452009-11-27T11:27:00.002-05:002009-11-27T11:30:01.031-05:00Could we be slow-slow and not need fatafat?Check out this fascinating op-ed piece on slow food and a return to our founding principles:<br /><br /><a href=" http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/back-to-the-land/">"Back to the Land"</a><br /><br />Thanks to <a href="http://annos-place.blogspot.com/">Anno</a>, who pointed it out to me.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-47353718916327993532009-11-26T07:40:00.006-05:002009-11-26T08:05:06.634-05:00Hey, Good Lookin', What you Got Cookin'?Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating today.<br /><br />I'm up making cranberry sauce and steaming summer squash (no, this won't be a locavore feast, although I am serving a local turkey and local potatoes, and probably other things that I'm too tired to think of at the moment), and I started to think about my menu and wondered what my friends are cooking up today?<br /><br />So, first off, despite my love of cooking and my love of all things locavore, for us Thanksgiving is first and foremost a family holiday, and the menu has been constructed of various family members' favorites over the years. So, yes, it's pedestrian, and somewhat commercial, even, but it's our very, very traditional feast.<br /><br />We're having a very small crowd this year - just me, Dave, Con, my mother and my father-in-law. We're also having an early dinner (probably 1:30 or so), and then we're planning to see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0878804/">THE BLIND SIDE</a>, which is one of the few movies out there which we'd all be happy seeing (my father-in-law basically only likes to see inspirational movies).<br /><br />So here are our family favorites:<br /><br />Turkey - I am trying something new this year - I liked the title of this recipe: <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/worlds-simplest-thanksgiving-turkey-recipe2/index.html">World's Simplest Thanksgiving Turkey</a>.<br /><br />Mashed potatoes - with skins partially on. These are from <a href="http://www.tantrefarm.com/">Tantre</a> and I'll make them with sweet butter and some half and half and salt. That's it. Con likes me to try to imitate the <a href="http://www.zingermansroadhouse.com/">Roadhouse</a> mashed potatoes, which are his favorites. He's the mashed potato king in our brood, so he gets dibs on the type. If it were me and Dave, it would be garlic mashed all the way.<br /><br />Squash pudding. I've talked about this here, before. This is NOT a sweet squash - it's a <a href="http://a2eatwrite.blogspot.com/2007/09/recipe-monday-for-september.html">summer squash pudding</a> that's decadent and savory. My mother started making this in the 60's and it ain't Thanksgiving without the Squash Pudding (this is a bow to me and to Mom and to Dave).<br /><br />Cranberry Maple Sauce - this is a recipe from the Silver Palate New Basics cookbook. Bowing here to Dave, who likes the maple, and Mom, who likes the orange zest. It's fabulous and simple - 1 bag of cranberries, rinsed, 1 cup of maple syrup, 1 cup of raspberry juice (but we don't drink juice so I used a bottle of pomegranate cherry juice instead) and the zest off one orange. Boil, bring down to medium, cook for 10 minutes, cool. Add a cup of toasted walnut pieces, if you choose to. We probably won't - I'll take a poll. I'd prefer the walnuts, but I bet, I'll be outvoted.<br /><br />Katherine's Gravy - this is my sister's recipe that's a bastardization of a Craig Claiborne N. Y. Times vegetarian gravy. I still have the recipe card she gave me, and I commune with her a little every time I take it out. We all love this recipe, although we do a non-vegetarian version (I use chicken stock). <br /><br />Stuffing. Okay... confession time. It. has. to. be. <a href="http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/ProductDetail.aspx?catID=770&prdID=120515">Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing</a>. A la the package recipe. With my homemade chicken broth. Then baked out of the turkey. So, um, yeah. But that's the way it rolls on the Shikes side of the family. Dave prefers cornbread stuffing, but he gets outvoted here. ;-)<br /><br />If there were more people, I'd do Tyler Florence's upscale <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/green-bean-casserole-recipe/index.html">green bean casserole</a> recipe, but we just don't have enough people, and the food we have are the main faves.<br /><br />Dessert: Another confession here: <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/foodwine/2008437456_pies26.html">Costco Pumpkin Pie</a>. It's better than any of the versions I've made over the years. Sigh. At least according to Con, and he's also the Pumpkin Pie king. Mom just wants pumpkin pie. My father-in-law and Dave love Pumpkin Pie, too. If there were more people, I'd also make my mother-in-law's Sour Cream Apple Pie, but there just aren't. Me - I like Mince Pie, but I'm totally outvoted here.<br /><br />And finally, you have a choice of <a href="http://www.calderdairy.com/dairy">Calder</a> vanilla ice cream on that pie or whipped cream.<br /><br />So, what are you all cooking up today? What are special family faves?<br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving and happy eating!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-9602964133308357162009-11-09T08:09:00.008-05:002009-11-09T08:51:03.876-05:00Tony Bourdain, Alice Waters and that whole Local Food Thing...I had a great time Saturday night.<br /><br />I got to hear one of my heroes, <a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Anthony_Bourdain/ci.Meet_Anthony_Bourdain.show?vgnextfmt=show&idLink=28eec51a4fdc7110VgnVCM100000698b3a0a____">Anthony Bourdain</a>. Now, those of you who know me personally, and even those who know me primarily through this blog, might be shocked to hear me call Bourdain a hero. As he said himself, partway through the evening, "I'm no role model".<br /><br />Well, not in the traditional sense, no.<br /><br />If you're offended by language, he's not your man. If the fact that he's made some really poor choices over his lifetime, um, yeah, not a good role model.<br /><br />The thing I love about Anthony Bourdain, though, is that he always, always, always leaves me thinking. And he's honest. Even brutally so, even maybe over the top for effect sometimes, but the honesty is refreshing in today's world, and maybe especially in the kingdom of upper echelon foodies. He also admits when he's screwed up. I admire that.<br /><br />Apparently, he's been having an ongoing conversation with <a href="http://www.chezpanisse.com/about/alice-waters/">Alice Waters</a> in his head. <br /><br />One of the reasons he's been seen as a bad boy in the food world is that he's picked on Alice and many others who are "doing good". Now, on the other hand, he's also clear that he doesn't have problems with everything about Waters or just about anyone else (except maybe <a href="http://www.semihomemade.com/">Sandra Lee</a>).<br /><br />What seems to disturb Bourdain is the "all or nothing" attitude that can exist in the local food movement. He had a conversation with Alice in his head that I've actually had myself: "Easy for you to say everything can be local - you live in Berkeley!"<br /><br />Bourdain took it one step further and asked her, in his head, "And what are the folks on the Upper Peninsula supposed to eat in the winter?" and answered it, humorously, with Alice responding that there are "lovely rutabagas, turnips, carrots," to which Bourdain responds, "So they should eat like Russian peasants?"<br /><br />Well, I've lived in Soviet Russia in winter, and yes, that's pretty much what the grocery stores carried. And yes, everyone put up their own vegetables in the summer, and jams and all those things our grandparents did, and it worked, to a great extent, but then there's the person I talked to Saturday morning.<br /><br />He works in Ann Arbor and commutes to his family farm in Manchester. He's not in the business of farming; he's in the business of feeding his family through this farm. He was very excited to grow many, many tomato plants this year. He had visions of eating his put-up tomatoes throughout the winter. <br /><br />As anyone in our area can guess, however, that didn't happen.<br /><br />This was the summer of the tomato blight.<br /><br />He harvested a whopping 22 tomatoes, all of which his family devoured.<br /><br />We got on this subject because we were talking about two meals we'd prepared that week with almost all local ingredients, but we'd both ended up using a can of San Marzano tomatoes when it came down to it, because no, we didn't have our own.<br /><br />Bourdain also talks about the fact that when he was actually at <a href="http://www.chezpanisse.com/reservations/restaurant/">Chez Panisse</a>, one of the co-chefs was in rapture over some beautiful vegetables from a special farm and wanted Bourdain to return the enthusiasm. Bourdain sort of did a double-take, as these vegetables were from a farm in the San Diego area, six hours by truck. As he put it, "How sustainable is that?"<br /><br />Another of my "local" experiences this week was taking part in a highly-enjoyable and oh-so-delicious cook-off and potluck by <a href="http://slowfoodhuronvalley.com/">Slow Food Huron Valley</a>. Yesterday afternoon about 50 people actually came inside on a gorgeous day to share pasta with toasted pumpkin seeds and butternut squash puree, Three Sisters stew, pumpkin-buttermilk ice cream, <a href="http://millpondbread.com/652/index.html">John Savanna's</a> famous Lithuanian Rye (which you haven't tried, you REALLY should), fabulous borscht, etc., etc. <br /><br />I had decided that I'd enter what are usually my (well, if I do say so myself) pretty darned good <a href="http://a2eatwrite.blogspot.com/2008/10/whats-cooking-wednesday-world-food-day.html">Apple Maple Corn Muffins</a>, but I was going to go ALL local - no vanilla, no cinnamon, no salt (my exception was a little bit of baking soda, because they call for buttermilk and I needed that for the leavening). Well, those omissions, plus some not very good local maple syrup, which shall remain nameless, turned my usual delightful bites of Sunday morning goodness into dull, chewy "good-for-you" lumps of ... well, let's just say I didn't enter them.<br /><br />So Bourdain's point? Food is to be enjoyed. The local movement is good, humane animal care is good, organics are good - why? Because things taste better. Because, yes, it's good for the earth. It's good for local economies. It's good for your body. But really? Things TASTE better.<br /><br />So here's my question for you - are you all or nothing on this? Do you care about local foods/agriculture/sustainable practices? And if so, how do you incorporate these practices in your life?<br /><br />I know for myself, I'm not as consistent as I'd like to be, and that will be the subject of another post, as this one is already way too long.<br /><br />Part 2 will concern the art of being a guest and risk-taking: another subject near and dear to my heart.<br /><br />Also, just cause it's <a href="http://denyingsoccermom.blogspot.com/2009/11/first-train-home.html">Music Monday</a>, here's a little music for your Monday (see <a href="http://denyingsoccermom.blogspot.com/">Soccer Mom in Denial</a> to see who else is playing): <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=Arrested+Development+Children+Play+with+Dirt&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a">Arrested Development's "Children Play with Earth"</a> (press on the Lala button at the top of the page).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNAZA2olUZxtKT71k-hAHDgjzmeWCOKvdEm5TEuDhMlToiSQHgSMb-wJ4x033VTw2q6KMjPdd0AYM3QC0OdLma_IXusio08DTbzyP2tCXrCtNgfZOrjRybJg739SAwUfRwNjjOxPeLA/s1600-h/musicmonday.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 75px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNAZA2olUZxtKT71k-hAHDgjzmeWCOKvdEm5TEuDhMlToiSQHgSMb-wJ4x033VTw2q6KMjPdd0AYM3QC0OdLma_IXusio08DTbzyP2tCXrCtNgfZOrjRybJg739SAwUfRwNjjOxPeLA/s200/musicmonday.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402099178852175954" /></a>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-22762874214886350862009-11-01T15:32:00.007-05:002009-11-04T06:36:32.421-05:00Slow Food Huron Valley's Local Harvest Cook-Off<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCFRPzRss7n-xWOEh7LWfnnr_pK0e8e4Fo4dc83cI0_g38pl8TuQI13FJ9vZXYmgmQObbrnlD9pklVtw9l5F6gDa-cn8t2vdCzAlTvGcZEqxZLKrMzpql8suBzDQHFHHLMZqAdRERcw/s1600-h/P1010343.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCFRPzRss7n-xWOEh7LWfnnr_pK0e8e4Fo4dc83cI0_g38pl8TuQI13FJ9vZXYmgmQObbrnlD9pklVtw9l5F6gDa-cn8t2vdCzAlTvGcZEqxZLKrMzpql8suBzDQHFHHLMZqAdRERcw/s400/P1010343.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399235951049769890" /></a><br />Cook up a soup/stew, main dish, or dessert with <strong>local</strong> ingredients and you could be a ribbon winner at <a href="http://slowfoodhuronvalley.com/">Slow Food Huron Valley's</a> <strong>Local Harvest Cook-Off</strong> on Sunday, November 8th from 3 - 5 p.m. at the <a href="http://www.chelseafair.org/fair/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=31">Chelsea Fairgrounds Community Building</a>.<br /><br />This family event is a wonderful opportunity to share your cooking prowess and support for all things local, as well as enjoy what will assuredly be a delicious potluck.<br /><br /><a href="http://oldpinefarm.biz/">Old Pine Farm</a> and <a href="http://www.tantrefarm.com/">Tantre Farm</a> have helped to organize this potluck, contest and recipe swap, and in addition to the food and judging, there will be music, prizes and great, family fun. <a href="http://www.alberorchard.com/">Alber Orchards</a> is also a sponsor for this event. Chef Alex Young of <a href="http://www.zingermansroadhouse.com/">Zingerman's Roadhouse</a>, Corbett Day, Lenawee County Culinary Arts Dept head/chef, and <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=1&id=100">Natalie Marble</a>, owner of <a href="http://www.annarborcooks.com/">Ann Arbor Cooks</a> cooking school (and fellow <a href="http://www.annarbor.com">annarbor.com</a> contributor) will be the Cook-Off judges, and prizes will include jams and local produce, among other goodies.<br /><br /><strong>You could go home a blue ribbon winner by putting together a dish with as many local ingredients as possible in the following categories:<br /><br />- Soup/stew<br />- Meat main dish<br />- Vegetarian main dish<br />- Vegetable side dish/salad<br />- Dessert/bread</strong><br /><br /><strong>Please bring:</strong> your dish to pass, your place settings, and 30 copies of your recipe to swap. <a href="http://slowfoodhuronvalley.com/">Slow Food Huron Valley</a> is also making this an opportunity to benefit <a href="http://www.foodgatherers.org/">Food Gatherers</a> - so please consider bringing also nutritious non-perishable food or a check for <a href="http://www.foodgatherers.org/">Food Gatherers</a> (which will be eligible for a Michigan Tax Credit).<br /><br /><strong>Deadline for entry in the cook-off judging: 3:15pm.<br /><a href="http://www.chelseafair.org/fair/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=31">Chelsea Fairgrounds</a> location: 20501 Old US 12 (at Old Manchester Rd.)<br />Questions: <a href="mailto:leadership@slowfoodhuronvalley.com">leadership@slowfoodhuronvalley.com</a></strong><br /><br /><em>All photos by Jennifer Shikes Haines</em>.<br /><br /><strong>NOTE: The Slow Food Huron Valley website is having some technical difficulties and, as a result, this event is not listed currently (nor are future events). The information in this article is accurate and comes from the organizing committee. If you have further questions about the event, please contact <a href="mailto:leadership@slowfoodhuronvalley.com">leadership@slowfoodhuronvalley.com</a></strong>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-85319861404692184132009-10-18T08:50:00.008-04:002009-10-18T09:56:19.248-04:00Copy Cat Recipes: Georgia Grits and Bits Pancakes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVo7DTvR9ZM8izKkMN9VvkaEItHX67YJhcMVp3rCrsmqmq6kMOKXffWSW9TmR4ITBrLsgk2RriskKHzfCgwxyFJehuYaLiBh-2KjzvFq98ut4N4rgvpdKBMn5rHrV3gIpDi6xRw2Emw/s1600-h/P1020331.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVo7DTvR9ZM8izKkMN9VvkaEItHX67YJhcMVp3rCrsmqmq6kMOKXffWSW9TmR4ITBrLsgk2RriskKHzfCgwxyFJehuYaLiBh-2KjzvFq98ut4N4rgvpdKBMn5rHrV3gIpDi6xRw2Emw/s400/P1020331.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393938430530260642" /></a><br />In two short years, Dave and I will be empty nesters. In preparation for that time, we've started taking days off together to rediscover our interests as a couple.<br /><br />On our most recent day off, we started our morning with a delightful <a href="http://www.zingermansroadhouse.com/content/pages/menu_breakfast.php">breakfast</a> at the <a href="http://www.zingermansroadhouse.com/">Zingerman's Roadhouse</a>. I'd read Jane and Michael Stern's <a href="http://www.roadfooddigest.com/post/2009/09/14/Breakfast-at-Zingermane28099s.aspx">rave review</a> of their breakfast there, and we were especially dying to taste the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Biscuits with Chocolate Gravy and Bacon</span>.<br /><br />We split that as a starter, and then split the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Georgia Grits and Bits Waffle</span>. The biscuits were absolutely delicious - the chocolate "gravy" wasn't overly sweet, and the salty bite of the bacon was a great counterbalance to the chocolate, but what we really flipped over was the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Georgia Grits and Bits Waffle</span>.<br /><br />If you haven't tasted it, the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Georgia Grits and Bits Waffle</span> is a creamy, rich, cheesy cloud of grits enclosed by a crisp waffle outside, bits of perfect bacon and sharp cheddar cheese, and covered with some of the best maple syrup I've ever tasted. It is one of those meals where each time we take a bite, we say, "Mmmmmm...."<br /><br />Now, while there are many reasons to go to the <a href="http://www.zingermansroadhouse.com/">Roadhouse</a> - the fabulous service, the wide menu, the mellow and lovely vibe on an early weekday morning, supporting a great local business - this is not something we can do as a frequent pleasure (both for work and monetary reasons), and waffles are only a pleasure we eat out, as they tend to call for a lot more oil/butter than pancakes do.<br /><br />But, wow, those waffles were good, and I had a feeling they wouldn't be too hard to copycat.<br /><br />So Saturday I did some research and found <a href="http://www.wutheringbites.com/eat/recipe.asp?recipeID=129">this recipe</a> on <a href="http://www.wutheringbites.com/">Wuthering Bites</a>, which in turn was taken from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060567171/wutheringbite-20">The Rustic Table Cookbook</a>. The recipe itself had a bit too much (okay, way too much) fat, and it also was missing the cheesy and bacony goodness of the Zingerman's <span style="font-weight:bold;">Georgia Grits and Bits Waffles</span>, so here was my final product:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><u>Jen's Copycat Georgia Grits and Bits Pancakes (Waffles)</u></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><br />2 cups water<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1/2 cup quick-cooking (not instant) grits<br />1 cup all-purpose flour<br />1 tablespoon sugar<br />2 teaspoons baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 chunks<br />3/4 cup cold lowfat buttermilk<br />2 large eggs, separated<br />2 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small pieces<br />1 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated<br />4 slices of good bacon (I used Ernst Farms bacon) cooked to taste, chopped into small pieces<br /><br />Maple syrup for serving<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Directions:</span><br /><br />1. Combine the water and the salt in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the grits; reduce the heat as low as possible and cook, stirring occasionally, until the grits are very soft and creamy, 10 minutes<br /><br />2. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.<br /><br />3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cold butter to the hot grits, stirring until it is melted and well incorporated. Stir in the buttermilk, then the egg yolks. Transfer the grits mixture to the well of the dry ingredients and stir lightly, just until incorporated.<br /><br />4. Stir in the chopped cheese and half the chopped bacon.<br /><br />5. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, and then fold the egg whites into the batter until just incorporated. This will help to make the pancakes (or waffles) lighter.<br /><br />6. Preheat a griddle or frying pan to medium/medium high and grease with either neutral oil (such as canola), butter or cooking spray. If you're making waffles, preheat your waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.<br /><br />7. For pancakes, cook about 3 minutes on each side, then top with bacon crumbles and the shredded cheddar. For waffles, cook according to manufacturer's directions, and then top with the bacon crumbles and shredded cheddar.<br /><br />Serve with maple syrup (and butter, if you must). Makes 18, 1/4 cup pancakes or 6 waffles. Serves 6.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Nutrition Info:</span><br /><br /> Servings Per Recipe: 6<br /> Serving Size: 1 serving<br /><br />Amount Per Serving<br /> Calories 320.7<br /> Total Fat 16.4 g<br /> Saturated Fat 9.0 g<br /> Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g<br /> Monounsaturated Fat 5.2 g<br /> Cholesterol 111.0 mg<br /> Sodium 433.0 mg<br /> Potassium 147.5 mg<br /> Total Carbohydrate 30.3 g<br /> Dietary Fiber 0.8 g<br /> Sugars 3.7 g<br /> Protein 12.4 g<br /><br />Nutrition information supplied by the recipe calculator at <a href="http://sparkrecipes.com">sparkrecipes.com</a>.<br /><br /><em>All photos by Jennifer Shikes Haines</em>.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-3081692306559079972009-10-08T07:41:00.002-04:002009-10-08T07:42:30.452-04:00Do We Have, Like, Nothing to Say?Well, this says it all:<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3829682&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3829682&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/3829682">Typography</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/ronniebruce">Ronnie Bruce</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-49819234782839098032009-09-26T12:05:00.010-04:002009-09-26T15:10:31.004-04:00"O" Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: TomatO, TomatillO, Onion and Pepper StewMichelle of <a href="http://bleedingespresso.com/">Bleeding Espresso</a> and Sara of <a href="http://msadventuresinitaly.com/blog/">Ms. Adventures in Italy</a> have been getting the word out on this insidious, silent killer. They've put together an <a href="http://bleedingespresso.com/2009/09/2nd-annual-o-foods-contest-for-ovarian-cancer-awareness-month.html">O Foods Contest</a>, and <a href="http://bleedingespresso.com/2009/09/teal-toes-contest-for-ovarian-cancer-awareness-month.html">Michelle</a> is also involved with <a href="http://www.tealtoes.org/">Teal Toes for Ovarian Cancer Awareness</a>.<br /><br />For the "O" Foods Contest, I wanted to provide a recipe that is really healthy and contains several foods that fight cancer. A wonderful blog that highlights foods and nutrition that help in the fight against cancer is <a href="http://www.dianadyer.com/">Diana Dyer, MS RD</a>. <a href="http://www.cancerrd.com/">Diana</a> is a cancer survivor and nutritionist and she has helped many other cancer patients fight their battles through better nutrition. While my recipe does not use her beloved kale (she also has a blog called <a href="http://www.365daysofkale.com/">365 Days of Kale</a>, which she considers the ultimate "super food"), I do have plenty of other cancer-fighting elements in this dish: tomatoes, tomatillos, and four different types of peppers, plus three types of beans. It also has chicken, but that was mostly for taste.<br /><br />From <a href="http://www.cancure.org/cancer_fighting_foods.htm">The Cancer Cure Foundation</a>:<br /><br />"<span style="font-weight:bold;">Chili peppers and jalapenos</span> contain a chemical, capsaicin, which may neutralize certain cancer-causing substances (nitrosamines) and may help prevent cancers such as stomach cancer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tomatoes</span> contain lycopene, an antioxidant that attacks roaming oxygen molecules, known as free radicals, that are suspected of triggering cancer. It appears that the hotter the weather, the more lycopene tomatoes produce. They also have vitamin C, an antioxidant which can prevent cellular damage that leads to cancer. Watermelons, carrots, and <span style="font-weight:bold;">red peppers</span> also contain these substances, but in lesser quantities. It is concentrated by cooking tomatoes. Scientists in Israel have shown that lycopene can kill mouth cancer cells. An increased intake of lycopene has already been linked to a reduced risk of breast, prostate, pancreas and colorectal cancer. (Note: Recent studies indicate that for proper absorption, the body also needs some oil along with lycopene.)"<br /><br />And general information:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Beans</span> are high in folate, which helps against mutations in our DNA.<br /><br />This recipe is very simple and very adaptive. I made it mostly to use up various items from this past week's farm share, so feel free to substitute at will:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><u>TomatO, TomatillO, Onion and Pepper Stew</u></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvp_KY5rmHYIMoprDeHZqSyLGzemUD_kVn6aNlMyPsjrfzKdeVq-ioGKAbpozyY-mjINAeOOxwyT9Osa9q2XFSYRfhzCczGhcwQw7dzx3joxIhJt1MIk6mCIGPYzlk8DzwzpK4kQKHQ/s1600-h/P1020314.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvp_KY5rmHYIMoprDeHZqSyLGzemUD_kVn6aNlMyPsjrfzKdeVq-ioGKAbpozyY-mjINAeOOxwyT9Osa9q2XFSYRfhzCczGhcwQw7dzx3joxIhJt1MIk6mCIGPYzlk8DzwzpK4kQKHQ/s400/P1020314.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385853743431220930" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><br />1/4 - 1/2 onion, chopped <br />any combination of peppers you like - I used 2 chocolate peppers, 1/2 red pepper, 1 poblano pepper, 1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped (except I chopped fine the jalapeno)<br />1 large tomatillo, chopped<br />1 28 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes<br />1 TBS olive oil<br />1 cooked chicken breast, shredded<br />1 can beans of choice, rinsed (I used a black bean, pinto bean and cannellini bean mix)<br />salt to taste<br />chili powder to taste (I probably used 1/2 TBS)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />For serving:</span><br /><br />sour cream<br />shredded cheddar<br />tortilla chips<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Directions:</span><br /><br />1. Heat the olive oil in the stockpot or soup pot over medium/medium high heat.<br /><br />2. Add onions and peppers and cook five minutes or so until the onions start to turn translucent.<br /><br />3. Add tomatillo and can of tomatoes. Heat until bubbling.<br /><br />4. Turn heat to a simmer, and add the chicken and the beans, the chili powder and the salt. Let simmer for 20 minutes.<br /><br />5. Taste for seasoning, add chili and/or salt if you want to, and let simmer until dinner time (hopefully at least 20 more minutes).<br /><br />6. Serve with sour cream (I used reduced fat), shredded cheddar (ditto), and tortilla chips for either crushing into the stew, or to eat as a carb with the stew. Some chopped, fresh cilantro can be a nice addition, too.<br /><br />For more information about Ovarian Cancer and the O Foods Contest:<br /><br />There are <span style="font-weight:bold;">TWO WAYS</span> to take part in the O Foods Contest:<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">ONE:</span> Post a recipe to your blog using <span style="font-weight:bold;">a food that starts or ends with the letter O</span> (<span style="font-style:italic;">e.g., oatmeal, orange, okra, octopus, olive, onion, potato, tomato</span>); <span style="font-weight:bold;">include this entire text box in the post</span>; and <span style="font-weight:bold;">send your post url along with a photo (100 x 100) to ofoods[at]gmail[dot]com by 11:59 pm (Italy time) on Monday, September 28, 2009.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"> PRIZES for recipe posts:</span><br /><br /> * 1st: Signed copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393061000?ie=UTF8&tag=bleedingespre-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0393061000">Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen</a> by <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gina DePalma</span>, Executive Pastry Chef of Babbo Ristorante in NYC, who is currently battling ovarian cancer, inspired this event, and <span style="font-weight:bold;">will be choosing her favorite recipe for this prize</span>;<br /><br /> * 2nd: Signed copy of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060734922?tag=bleedingespre-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0060734922&adid=0Y4VYN3W8J48SG6B8X71&">Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home</a> by Mario Batali (winner chosen by Sara);<br /><br /> * 3rd: Signed copy of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400097746?tag=bleedingespre-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=1400097746&adid=1JWV7E57CEEGE8M5N7X7&">Vino Italiano: The Regional Italian Wines of Italy</a> by Joseph Bastianich (winner chosen by Michelle).<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">OR</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">TWO:</span> If you’re not into the recipe thing, <span style="font-weight:bold;">simply post this entire text box in a post on your blog to help spread the word</span> and <span style="font-weight:bold;">send your post url</span> to <span style="font-weight:bold;">ofoods[at]gmail[dot]com</span> by <span style="font-weight:bold;">11:59 pm (Italy time)</span> on <span style="font-weight:bold;">Monday, September 28, 2009</span>.<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Awareness posts PRIZE</span>:<br /><br /> * One winner chosen at random will receive a <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/tealtoes.265681509">Teal Toes tote bag</a> filled with ovarian cancer awareness goodies that you can spread around amongst your friends and family.<br /><br /> ———<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.ocrf.org/">From the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund</a>:<br /><br /> * Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women; a woman’s lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1 in 67.<br /> * The <a href="http://www.ocrf.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=42&Itemid=294">symptoms</a> of ovarian cancer are often vague and subtle, making it difficult to diagnose, but include bloating, pelvic and/or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly; and urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency).<br /> * There is no effective screening test for ovarian cancer but there are tests which can detect ovarian cancer when patients are at high risk or have early symptoms.<br /> * In spite of this, patients are usually diagnosed in advanced stages and only 45% survive longer than five years. Only 19% of cases are caught before the cancer has spread beyond the ovary to the pelvic region.<br /> * When ovarian cancer is detected and treated early on, the five-year survival rate is greater than 92%.<br /><br /> And remember, you can also always donate to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund at Michelle and Sara's page through <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/ovariancancerawarenessmonth">FirstGiving</a>!<br /> Please help spread the word about ovarian cancer.<br /> Together we can make enough noise to kill this silent killer.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-48918644356992408992009-09-15T19:02:00.006-04:002009-09-16T12:50:07.363-04:00What's Cooking Wednesday: Southern Comfort Supper<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjQbC9Sw2_qlgGxNDghFkBcbc5uqbGcQIjqw2WFev8qEDpwXo0VBU7CrvWoZsIwLxm3XusmEInsh4W1EpOIVHotv-HBE8IyOt_-RPq0vMgJRiuBe5loJV0TJr1-jCU6ZMT48_8mF-Yg/s1600-h/1499732544_5adb5210aa_m.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjQbC9Sw2_qlgGxNDghFkBcbc5uqbGcQIjqw2WFev8qEDpwXo0VBU7CrvWoZsIwLxm3XusmEInsh4W1EpOIVHotv-HBE8IyOt_-RPq0vMgJRiuBe5loJV0TJr1-jCU6ZMT48_8mF-Yg/s200/1499732544_5adb5210aa_m.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153285795743467442" /></a><br /><br />Please go to <a href="http://shanrev.blogspot.com/search/label/What%27s%20Cooking%20Wednesday">The Fairy Blogmother</a> for more <a href="http://shanrev.blogspot.com/search/label/What%27s%20Cooking%20Wednesday">What's Cooking Wednesday</a> participants.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4cW16bYTuS-QRFJSMxywYa623De-yQROvae5ndt0VB7PdoikJWc83lg0Fh01Krp64oQhxpN6LLW9i1T7csrjLT2cSYsHrLV8U0vHSj8Pf-lsi_MVvlvHt9hImdbgGfYeE3grzFX_Zw/s1600-h/P1020303.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4cW16bYTuS-QRFJSMxywYa623De-yQROvae5ndt0VB7PdoikJWc83lg0Fh01Krp64oQhxpN6LLW9i1T7csrjLT2cSYsHrLV8U0vHSj8Pf-lsi_MVvlvHt9hImdbgGfYeE3grzFX_Zw/s320/P1020303.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381834200172085330" /></a>We're having warmer weather at the moment, but last week things were still on the chilly side.<br /><br />Con and I were also still adjusting to the new school year - papers to write, papers to grade, a new theater schedule, homework, homework, homework, lesson planning, etc.<br /><br />It seemed like a good time to pull out another comfort food meal.<br /><br />This summer, I wanted a recipe for corn pudding, and as I perused various sites, I found a highly rated recipe for "<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/corn-casserole-recipe/index.html">Corn Casserole</a>" by <a href="http://www.pauladeen.com/">Paula Deen</a>. I'm not usually a fan of Deen's cooking, due to the copious amounts of butter, etc., but I decided to try this one and then figure out how to make it reasonable.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/corn-casserole-recipe/index.html">Deen's version</a> was extremely rich. Too rich for me on every single level.<br /><br />What I wanted was something that was doable nutritionally and that had a bit of spice to go with Deen's overly-sweet version. The changes below worked beautifully, and a delicious dinner was had by all. I also had some <a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38">kale</a> and <a href="http://www.gardenguides.com/seedcatalog/vegetables/tatsoi.asp">tatsoi</a> from my last farm share that I wanted to use, so I took 2 strips of <a href="http://arborwiki.org/city/Ernst_Farm">Ernst Farm</a> bacon, cut them into small pieces, and sauteed them, adding the greens (chopped) when the bacon rendered. The smoky taste of the bacon was a great complement to the greens, and we had a perfect side in about 7 minutes. This was definitely a supper of Southern-style comfort foods.<br /><br /><u><strong>Jen's Corn Pudding</strong></u><br /><strong><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQ6G3obaLg3iA598l35-j5bZRdnPrL5QvamjEg9pem2vFwFlrev8Wx3sXl0bfB6K6LOXOgcxQsM9CGBYiEEjhoOBu2CpjNJmXt6IzcTuAQduCwySsUinfbRFcdYdPmFtd2KUgqxmrlg/s1600-h/P1020302.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQ6G3obaLg3iA598l35-j5bZRdnPrL5QvamjEg9pem2vFwFlrev8Wx3sXl0bfB6K6LOXOgcxQsM9CGBYiEEjhoOBu2CpjNJmXt6IzcTuAQduCwySsUinfbRFcdYdPmFtd2KUgqxmrlg/s400/P1020302.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381834005705033234" /></a><br /><br />Ingredients</strong><br /><br />Corn kernels from 4 ears of corn, or 4 cups frozen kernels<br />1 package of <a href="http://www.jiffymix.com/">Jiffy Mix corn muffin mix</a><br />1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream<br />1/4 cup butter, melted<br />1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk<br />1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar<br />2 links <a href="http://atkfoods.com/shop/brand/sausages-by-amylu/andouille/">Amy Lu chicken Andouille sausage</a>, sliced in half lengthwise, and then chopped into pieces<br />1/2 tsp <a href="http://www.franksredhot.com/">Frank's Redhot</a> or other hot sauce (<a href="http://www.clancysfancy.com/">Clancy's</a> might be good here)<br />oil or cooking spray for greasing casserole dish.<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a casserole dish (I used an 8X12 dish that was just the right size - 13X9 makes things a bit thin and 9X9 is too thick, and the pudding won't set as easily).<br /><br />2. In a large bowl, stir together the corn, the corn muffin mix, sour cream, buttermilk, melted butter, sausage pieces and hot sauce.<br /><br />4. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and springy to the touch. Take out of the oven and top with the shredded cheddar cheese.<br /><br />5. Bake for another 5 - 10 minutes until cheese is just melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.<br /><br />Serves 6.<br /><br /><strong>Variations:</strong><br /><br /><strong>Sweet version</strong> - leave out the hot sauce and use <a href="http://atkfoods.com/shop/brand/sausages-by-amylu/apple-maple-chicken-sausage-minis/">Amy Lu's Apple Maple Sausage</a>.<br /><strong><br />Vegetarian</strong> - leave out the sausage - it still tastes great. You could also put in some sauteed, chopped summer squash for added nutritional boost.<br /><br /><strong>Note:</strong> The reason I'm promoting the <a href="http://atkfoods.com/shop/brand/sausages-by-amylu/">Amy Lu sausages</a> is only because their fat and calorie counts are much lower than other chicken sausages. That's only important in terms of the nutrition info here. <br /><br /><strong>Nutrition Facts</strong><br /><br /> Servings Per Recipe: 6<br /> Serving Size: 1 serving<br /><br />Amount Per Serving:<br /><br /> Calories 364.9<br /> Total Fat 18.9 g<br /> Saturated Fat 10.3 g<br /> Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g<br /> Monounsaturated Fat 2.2 g<br /> Cholesterol 55.1 mg<br /> Sodium 639.7 mg<br /> Potassium 223.1 mg<br /> Total Carbohydrate 40.4 g<br /> Dietary Fiber 1.6 g<br /> Sugars 10.7 g<br /> Protein 11.9 g<br /><br />As always, nutrition information supplied by the recipe calculator at <a href="http://sparkrecipes.com">sparkrecipes.com</a>.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-56602721341063480882009-09-15T15:27:00.004-04:002009-09-15T15:50:17.202-04:00PSA Tuesday: Ovarian Cancer Awareness MonthNotice my new look?<br /><br />I'm teal for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.<br /><br />Michelle of <a href="http://bleedingespresso.com/">Bleeding Espresso</a> and Sara of <a href="http://msadventuresinitaly.com/blog/">Ms. Adventures in Italy</a> have been getting the word out on this insidious, silent killer. They've put together an <a href="http://bleedingespresso.com/2009/09/2nd-annual-o-foods-contest-for-ovarian-cancer-awareness-month.html">O Foods Contest</a>, and <a href="http://bleedingespresso.com/2009/09/teal-toes-contest-for-ovarian-cancer-awareness-month.html">Michelle</a> is also involved with <a href="http://www.tealtoes.org/">Teal Toes for Ovarian Cancer Awareness</a>.<br /><br />Ovarian cancer is a silent killer. It's often diagnosed when the disease is advanced. There is no simple test that can be used for screening. If you have any of the following symptoms - bloating, pelvic and/or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly; or urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency) - please get checked out right away. When ovarian cancer is caught early, it's generally very treatable.<br /><br />Here is the info for the O Foods Contest:<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">CONTEST RULES</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">O Foods Contest for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month</span><br /><br /> September is <span style="font-weight:bold;">Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month</span>, and for the second year in a row, Sara of <a href="http://msadventuresinitaly.com/blog/">Ms. Adventures in Italy</a> and Michelle of <a href="http://bleedingespresso.com/">Bleeding Espresso</a> are hosting the O Foods Contest to raise awareness of this important health issue.<br /><br /> There are <span style="font-weight:bold;">TWO WAYS</span> to take part in the O Foods Contest:<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">ONE:</span> Post a recipe to your blog using <span style="font-weight:bold;">a food that starts or ends with the letter O</span> (<span style="font-style:italic;">e.g., oatmeal, orange, okra, octopus, olive, onion, potato, tomato</span>); <span style="font-weight:bold;">include this entire text box in the post</span>; and <span style="font-weight:bold;">send your post url along with a photo (100 x 100) to ofoods[at]gmail[dot]com by 11:59 pm (Italy time) on Monday, September 28, 2009.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"> PRIZES for recipe posts:</span><br /><br /> * 1st: Signed copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393061000?ie=UTF8&tag=bleedingespre-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0393061000">Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen</a> by <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gina DePalma</span>, Executive Pastry Chef of Babbo Ristorante in NYC, who is currently battling ovarian cancer, inspired this event, and <span style="font-weight:bold;">will be choosing her favorite recipe for this prize</span>;<br /><br /> * 2nd: Signed copy of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060734922?tag=bleedingespre-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0060734922&adid=0Y4VYN3W8J48SG6B8X71&">Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home</a> by Mario Batali (winner chosen by Sara);<br /><br /> * 3rd: Signed copy of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400097746?tag=bleedingespre-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=1400097746&adid=1JWV7E57CEEGE8M5N7X7&">Vino Italiano: The Regional Italian Wines of Italy</a> by Joseph Bastianich (winner chosen by Michelle).<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">OR</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">TWO:</span> If you’re not into the recipe thing, <span style="font-weight:bold;">simply post this entire text box in a post on your blog to help spread the word</span> and <span style="font-weight:bold;">send your post url</span> to <span style="font-weight:bold;">ofoods[at]gmail[dot]com</span> by <span style="font-weight:bold;">11:59 pm (Italy time)</span> on <span style="font-weight:bold;">Monday, September 28, 2009</span>.<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Awareness posts PRIZE</span>:<br /><br /> * One winner chosen at random will receive a <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/tealtoes.265681509">Teal Toes tote bag</a> filled with ovarian cancer awareness goodies that you can spread around amongst your friends and family.<br /><br /> ———<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.ocrf.org/">From the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund</a>:<br /><br /> * Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women; a woman’s lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1 in 67.<br /> * The <a href="http://www.ocrf.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=42&Itemid=294">symptoms</a> of ovarian cancer are often vague and subtle, making it difficult to diagnose, but include bloating, pelvic and/or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly; and urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency).<br /> * There is no effective screening test for ovarian cancer but there are tests which can detect ovarian cancer when patients are at high risk or have early symptoms.<br /> * In spite of this, patients are usually diagnosed in advanced stages and only 45% survive longer than five years. Only 19% of cases are caught before the cancer has spread beyond the ovary to the pelvic region.<br /> * When ovarian cancer is detected and treated early on, the five-year survival rate is greater than 92%.<br /><br /> And remember, you can also always donate to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund at our page through <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/ovariancancerawarenessmonth">FirstGiving</a>!<br /> Please help spread the word about ovarian cancer.<br /> Together we can make enough noise to kill this silent killer.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-33915267926006354312009-09-12T13:06:00.004-04:002009-09-12T13:47:16.715-04:00What I Learned on my Summer Vacation, pt. 1Monday school starts.<br /><br />It already started for C; he's part of the local public school system, and he started the day after Labor Day. In fact, he's in the middle of his first bout of Junior homework as I write this - a large chunk of math, historical analysis, English essay, science reading and project, studying for his first Spanish test of the year.<br /><br />My first day papers are all printed out and ready to go. My copies of <span style="font-style:italic;">Beowulf</span> and <span style="font-style:italic;">Romeo and Juliet</span> and Bill Bryson's <span style="font-style:italic;">Shakespeare: The World as Stage</span> are stacked in my wheeled crate. The lunch box has been cleaned and aired. Tomorrow I go to pick out folders and a new water bottle (mine started inexplicably leaking which is not good when you're carrying student essays in the same crate with said water bottle).<br /><br />The fact that school was about to start hit me hard about two weeks ago. It didn't hit me hard because I didn't want to go back to teaching - I love teaching and I'm always excited, rather than distressed.<br /><br />What hit me hard was how much time I was spending on the annarbor.com job. How many hours I was putting in each week making sure I had the right number of food posts, what I would write about, how to fit in interviews and photo sessions with businesses, making sure I read the other food articles on the site. Making sure I commented. Making sure I commented here, and there, and that I read many, many other food blogs every. single. day.<br /><br />I always wanted to be a food writer. Much of my freelance work has been in the education field or special projects for the University or the U. of M. Hospital, and I've always wanted to write about food instead.<br /><br />But here's what I learned on my summer vacation: I really don't.<br /><br />I really don't want to be a food writer.<br /><br />But don't get me wrong: I love writing about food.<br /><br />So, now it's time to go, "Huh? But I thought she just said..."<br /><br />Yeah, I did. But what I really mean is that I don't *just* want to be a food writer. I want to keep being a teacher. I need and want to be the best mom and daughter (and wife, although hopefully D is less in need of caretaking than C and my mom) I can be, and take the proper time for those whom I love and who need my care. I want time to volunteer for the causes I believe in. And oh, yeah, I want my word count to go up on my WIP.<br /><br />I don't want to keep posting my food posts on Facebook or tweeting my own posts. <br /><br />I'm happy to post yours - I love connecting friends to the writing of other friends, but tooting my own horn? Not so much.<br /><br />It's just not in my comfort zone.<br /><br />So, Friday, I tendered my e-mail of resignation. I can still post there; I'll just go to being one of the unpaid bloggers. Now, before you get all in my face about writing for no pay, I'll cover that in another post soon.<br /><br />But for now, here's what I plan to do:<br /><br />Talk about the need for healthcare reform.<br /><br />Write about more than food businesses for Local Love Fridays.<br /><br />Write about ovarian cancer awareness and other upcoming events.<br /><br />Write about sustainability issues.<br /><br />Oh... and lest I get too serious, post some funny videos and keep posting recipes.<br /><br />I'm baaaaaaccccckkkkkkk.<br /><br />And there's nowhere you need to leave comments other than right here. On a2eatwrite.<br /><br />It's good to be home.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-53857046834567329182009-09-08T19:25:00.009-04:002009-09-09T06:01:55.754-04:00What's Cooking Wednesday: Corn Potato Chowder with Sausage<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjQbC9Sw2_qlgGxNDghFkBcbc5uqbGcQIjqw2WFev8qEDpwXo0VBU7CrvWoZsIwLxm3XusmEInsh4W1EpOIVHotv-HBE8IyOt_-RPq0vMgJRiuBe5loJV0TJr1-jCU6ZMT48_8mF-Yg/s1600-h/1499732544_5adb5210aa_m.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjQbC9Sw2_qlgGxNDghFkBcbc5uqbGcQIjqw2WFev8qEDpwXo0VBU7CrvWoZsIwLxm3XusmEInsh4W1EpOIVHotv-HBE8IyOt_-RPq0vMgJRiuBe5loJV0TJr1-jCU6ZMT48_8mF-Yg/s200/1499732544_5adb5210aa_m.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153285795743467442" /></a><br /><br />Please go to <a href="http://shanrev.blogspot.com/search/label/What%27s%20Cooking%20Wednesday">The Fairy Blogmother</a> for more <a href="http://shanrev.blogspot.com/search/label/What%27s%20Cooking%20Wednesday">What's Cooking Wednesday</a> participants.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqUc4iMCqWwEc74URV72eiwy0JPGtlQXwELFYjEFRHAL_LyV17si-Zaf5ZWZpW0PPuMqyRZwBB1e3aIUXOs6purf06T_G9PDqd1XWE8Tj3wKZMyM-dIdNUqbwBF3vdQOcQhLGuWfq1A/s1600-h/P1020225.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqUc4iMCqWwEc74URV72eiwy0JPGtlQXwELFYjEFRHAL_LyV17si-Zaf5ZWZpW0PPuMqyRZwBB1e3aIUXOs6purf06T_G9PDqd1XWE8Tj3wKZMyM-dIdNUqbwBF3vdQOcQhLGuWfq1A/s400/P1020225.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379242955855528466" /></a>As many of us are only too aware, yesterday was the first day of school in Michigan. And like many other moms, I wanted the dinner after the first day to be something I knew my son would enjoy, as well as something that would be healthy and filling.<br /><br />Being a teacher, I know just how exhausting that first day can be, and comfort food at the end of it can be a blessing.<br /><br />C is a carb boy, and when I saw <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1918508">this recipe</a> in this month's <a href="http://www.cookinglight.com/">Cooking Light</a>, I knew it had his name on it.<br /><br />The recipe, however, had some issues that don't work quite as well for my family. One, I knew C would like it much better if it had meat. The rest of the recipe seemed to be a great match for sausage, and C loves the <a href="http://atkfoods.com/shop/brand/sausages-by-amylu/apple-gouda-cheese/">chicken apple-gouda sausages by AmyLu</a>. At only 110 calories and 5 grams of fat per link, it's a luxury I can afford (calorie-wise) as well, but I wanted to bring the calories down a bit to both add the sausages and suit my own needs.<br /><br />I removed the red pepper (which C only likes raw), cut back a bit on the onions (again, for C's tastes), cut back a bit on the butter and switched to 1% milk (which didn't hurt the consistency in the least). I also changed the proportions of the corn in terms of plain kernels to pureed kernels, and I added a bit of shredded cheddar to C's portion, since he's a huge fan of shredded cheddar. I also dispensed with the grilling and earlier <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1918508">Cooking Light recipe</a> steps because a. I'm sure the taste is wonderful, but it was kind of fussy, and b. I wanted to get dinner on the table in a reasonable amount of time. The final product was rich and delicious, and we've all decided this one is a "keeper". <br /><br />Serve it with a fresh salad and some bread, if you feel the need (D and C felt the need). <br /><br /><strong>To make this vegetarian</strong>, just remove the sausage or use something like <a href="http://morningstarfarms.com/product_detail.aspx?family=367&id=15711">this</a> - I don't think the recipe would suffer - the sausage just adds a nice, smokey flavor.<br /><u><strong><br />Corn Potato Chowder with Sausage</strong></u><br /><strong><br />Ingredients</strong><br /><br /> 6 medium russet or 12 small (red or new or purple) potatoes (a variety of types works best here), cut into 2" - 3" inch chunks (roughly cut - size is just to get them to cook a bit more quickly)<br /> 1TBS butter<br /> kernels from 4 large ears of corn<br /> 4 chicken sausages, halved and sliced (I used apple-gouda sausages by Amy Lu)<br /> 1 medium onion, chopped fine<br /> 1 cup half and half<br /> 3 cups 1% milk<br /> sprigs of thyme (optional) or 1 tsp dried thyme<br /> salt and pepper to taste<br /> chopped chives (optional)<br /> shredded cheddar cheese (optional)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZqY2NxVF4BCkkJ5FszmrGBh9sE0rHqRQjzpPtmh-GrtOKO_0AhdemPv70ycKDvTOdd3kiAKTHYpfKRzXzsBGqe2gwgq7lvIZ4aCbsx-1X1waCTvTvGZKwbUah87ZzfYlmFLfAwW3SA/s1600-h/P1020232.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZqY2NxVF4BCkkJ5FszmrGBh9sE0rHqRQjzpPtmh-GrtOKO_0AhdemPv70ycKDvTOdd3kiAKTHYpfKRzXzsBGqe2gwgq7lvIZ4aCbsx-1X1waCTvTvGZKwbUah87ZzfYlmFLfAwW3SA/s200/P1020232.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379243184106961922" /></a><strong>Directions</strong><br />1. Cook the potatoes in salted, boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool them.<br />2. While potatoes are cooking, strip the kernels off the corn, process 2 cups of the kernels in a food processor until they are completely pureed. Chop onions and cut up the sausages.<br />3. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Saute the onions for a minute or so, and add the sausages. Cook another two minutes. Add the corn kernels. Add the 1/2 and 1/2, milk, corn puree, salt to taste and the thyme. Bring to a simmer.<br />4. While the soup is coming to a simmer, cut the potatoes into small pieces. Add them to the soup.<br />5. Simmer the soup for 20 minutes stirring from time to time so that it doesn't skim over. Remove the thyme sprigs when the chowder is finished.<br />6. Serve with lots of freshly ground pepper, and either the chopped chives, shredded cheddar, or both.<br /><br />Serves 6 generously.<br /><br /><strong>Nutrition Facts:</strong><br /><br />Amount Per Serving<br /><br /> Calories 370.0<br /> Total Fat 14.3 g<br /> Saturated Fat 7.6 g<br /> Polyunsaturated Fat 0.9 g<br /> Monounsaturated Fat 3.0 g<br /> Cholesterol 61.2 mg<br /> Sodium 478.2 mg<br /> Potassium 969.9 mg<br /> Total Carbohydrate 45.0 g<br /> Dietary Fiber 5.2 g<br /> Sugars 11.1 g<br /> Protein 19.1 g<br /><br />As always, nutrition information supplied by the recipe calculator at <a href="http://sparkrecipes.com">sparkrecipes.com</a>.<br /><br /><em>Photos: Corn Potato Chowder with Sausage. All photos by Jennifer Shikes Haines</em>.<br /><br />If you don't mind leaving your comments/votes for this piece at <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/a2eatwrite-whats-cooking-wednesday---corn-potato-chowder-with-sausage/">my other gig</a>, it would be greatly appreciated!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-89563359887922034752009-09-07T07:30:00.005-04:002009-09-07T07:38:17.588-04:00A Vegetarian Labor Day or Harvest Dinner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_oQLZ0gyAgRXGqpLrz9V1FGdstJMjHdiBVt9pbmSP4wEia7UmJ2VtxaILl8CMAXX-ulTjayiAoUdJiQQrpNIUj7DUxxRiaflafKZFeNaDGbgylCOD2yPSKKFCmFhxN7RTgaKj8PKIA/s1600-h/P1020191.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_oQLZ0gyAgRXGqpLrz9V1FGdstJMjHdiBVt9pbmSP4wEia7UmJ2VtxaILl8CMAXX-ulTjayiAoUdJiQQrpNIUj7DUxxRiaflafKZFeNaDGbgylCOD2yPSKKFCmFhxN7RTgaKj8PKIA/s400/P1020191.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378687217097946002" /></a><br />Labor Day can be a very social time or not so much.<br /><br />We have a mix this weekend - we had a dinner with friends last night, I had friends over for breakfast this morning, but the rest of the weekend will be spent at <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/dancing-in-the-streets-comes-downtown-on-sunday/">Dancing in the Streets</a>, <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/radio-free-bacon/">Radio Free Bacon</a> and with some good books.<br /><br />Last night’s guests included a vegetarian, and since all of us love vegetarian cooking, I decided to go that route.<br /><br />We had a truly great, if non-traditional, “Labor Day” dinner, that didn’t involve a grill in any way, shape or form.<br /><br /><u><strong>Pasta with Basil-Pistachio Pesto, Roasted Tomatoes and Kale</strong></u><br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />For the slow roasted tomatoes and kale:<br /><br />1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed and dried<br />1 1/2 cups washed, torn kale<br />1/2 TBS kosher salt<br />1 TBS olive oil<br /><br />For the pasta and pesto:<br /><br />4 cups fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried<br />1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano (domestic or other parmesan can be substituted, but it's best with the real thing)<br />3 cloves garlic<br />1/2 cup roasted, salted pistachios, shelled<br />1/3 cup olive oil minus 1 TBS<br /><br />6 oz. of whole wheat fettucine<br />1 cup pasta water<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPdLex7W_ooi8Zl1ZK9rlCzxhVpgOjdrZIVfol69JVhW02B9zVqCPqb2YLa_XRC4ksDMrbXX57KZZUogMgd48zolof57SFLUyhHHMDMJuTO9f6gbNGGSZIX-nLHZaNiskPfAG1L6lAg/s1600-h/P1020169.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPdLex7W_ooi8Zl1ZK9rlCzxhVpgOjdrZIVfol69JVhW02B9zVqCPqb2YLa_XRC4ksDMrbXX57KZZUogMgd48zolof57SFLUyhHHMDMJuTO9f6gbNGGSZIX-nLHZaNiskPfAG1L6lAg/s200/P1020169.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378687442592148066" /></a>1. About 4 1/2 - 5 hours prior to serving, preheat the oven to 225. Toss the kale and tomatoes with 1 TBS olive oil and 1/2 TBS kosher salt. Spread in roasting pan. Stick in oven and roast for 4 - 5 hours, stirring every hour and a half or so.<br />2. Bring pasta pot to a boil. Cook fettucine according to instructions.<br />3. While pasta is cooking, process pesto ingredients in a food processor or blender. Start with the garlic, cheese and nuts until ground fine, then process/blend basil, and finally process in the olive oil. There are recipes which will tell you to use the feed tube for the olive oil, but I go ahead and process the whole thing together and it's worked just fine.<br />4. When pasta is done, reserve a cup of the pasta water and drain and rinse the pasta with cold water to stop it from cooking and to remove some of the starch. Get a big bowl and toss the pasta with the pesto and pasta water until the pasta is well coated and the texture is how you like it. (You don't need to use all the pasta water - I usually use between 1/2 a cup and 2/3). Lastly, toss with the roasted tomatoes and crush and sprinkle the kale over all (when kale slow roasts, it becomes crisp).<br /><br />Serve with lots of freshly ground pepper and grated parmesan to taste.<br /><br />Serves 6.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG59Cic95KYMAicfBq2SaDpodRYmk-gxPExL1CmIA7IzEsRpLUNLWdP_c5fFsSVzOAcvdQMH-Ot6sqGePNGK4YHvrtAfhyphenhyphenF9ZFuosfrV9LfOo9EPP-dUgPnCfD8lj-06A1xFwBW8VijQ/s1600-h/P1020186.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG59Cic95KYMAicfBq2SaDpodRYmk-gxPExL1CmIA7IzEsRpLUNLWdP_c5fFsSVzOAcvdQMH-Ot6sqGePNGK4YHvrtAfhyphenhyphenF9ZFuosfrV9LfOo9EPP-dUgPnCfD8lj-06A1xFwBW8VijQ/s400/P1020186.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378687677265483554" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Nutrition Facts</strong><br /><br /> Servings Per Recipe: 6<br /> Serving Size: 1 serving<br /><br />Amount Per Serving<br /> Calories 403.1<br /> Total Fat 20.2 g<br /> Saturated Fat 3.9 g<br /> Polyunsaturated Fat 3.0 g<br /> Monounsaturated Fat 12.1 g<br /> Cholesterol 6.6 mg<br /> Sodium 172.8 mg<br /> Potassium 500.8 mg<br /> Total Carbohydrate 46.2 g<br /> Dietary Fiber 9.7 g<br /> Sugars 1.3 g<br /> Protein 14.9 g<br /><br />Note: While this is not a low calorie or low fat dish, keep in mind that saturated fats are very low and monosaturated (the good fats) are high. This also has a whopping 9.7 grams of fiber and 14.9 grams of protein.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXfAo05Z3GLZ2um4dSEm_JE7JWYxFbyFDWqqJvymMep52BSdUfuISZBE-kU-cc3S9Po01OtciFMyVo4OfDA9NvDbL1t2gC5TIDE7C-ACiR-bmYo0cmCzUUpSXsoDj_9zqpiRDnTn_AQ/s1600-h/P1020205.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXfAo05Z3GLZ2um4dSEm_JE7JWYxFbyFDWqqJvymMep52BSdUfuISZBE-kU-cc3S9Po01OtciFMyVo4OfDA9NvDbL1t2gC5TIDE7C-ACiR-bmYo0cmCzUUpSXsoDj_9zqpiRDnTn_AQ/s320/P1020205.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378687869739568338" /></a>We served this with <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/a2eatwrite-scaletta-green-bean-salad/">Scaletta Green Bean Salad</a>, <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/farmers-market-pick-of-the-week-mill-pond-bread-kalamata-olive-breadsticks/">Kalamata Olive Twists</a> from <a href="http://millpondbread.com/652/index.html">Mill Pond Bread</a> and <a href="http://www.calderdairy.com/">Calder</a> vanilla ice cream with this <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Peaches-in-Brown-Sugar-with-Rum-Sauce-and-Ice-Cream-108466">Peach Rum Sauce</a>.<br /><br />All the vegetables are at perfect ripeness and the dinner was a snap to prepare, even if I had to be home due to the slow roasted tomatoes and kale.<br /><br />Enjoy your Labor Day festivities!<br /><br /><em>Photos: Vegetarian Labor Day dinner: Basil-Pistachio Pesto with Roasted Tomatoes and Kale, Scaletta Green Bean Salad and Olive Kalamata Twists; pan of tomatoes and kale ready to go into the oven; close-up of Basil-Pistachio Pesto with Roasted Tomatoes and Kale, vanilla ice cream with Peach Rum Sauce. All photos by Jennifer Shikes Haines.</em><br /><br /><br />If you don't mind leaving your comments/votes for this piece at <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/vegetarian-labor-day-or-harvest-dinner/">my other gig</a>, it would be greatly appreciated!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-17641595421305119002009-09-04T10:39:00.012-04:002009-09-04T10:52:44.306-04:00Local Love Fridays: A Splendid Feast at Sparrow Market<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy47V88-AnDiG26TMDP3k3NDFty2o3fmfNfA6aVPReTXjVD4bGeHaa_i8HDUE8htd5A9ucbgqDzm6-7zpPRbcNfq-wexaN0SJWmz62ONBJclVyCnwDzOoZU9zCFCvALyyLnHE3-meUqg/s1600-h/button_4.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 269px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy47V88-AnDiG26TMDP3k3NDFty2o3fmfNfA6aVPReTXjVD4bGeHaa_i8HDUE8htd5A9ucbgqDzm6-7zpPRbcNfq-wexaN0SJWmz62ONBJclVyCnwDzOoZU9zCFCvALyyLnHE3-meUqg/s320/button_4.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377622449260289682" /></a><br /><br />For over a year, Dave and I have been intrigued by the flyers that went up around the fourth week of the month at <a href="http://sparrowmeat.getwebnet.com/">Sparrow Market</a> - various "feasts" were to be had on third Sundays. Often they were Italian; always, they reflected the season.<br /><br />As so often happens in this busy-ness that can be Ann Arbor life, we never made it. When our <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/a2eatwrite-what-we-did-on-our-summer-staycation/">staycation</a> came up, we were delighted to see that it corresponded with the August "feast" and that the menu was one that made our mouths water in anticipation.<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPL0nGx1DB0loSssIZgGwGD2fjMmLXi1IybBTK23Sd_sGlIzAZwT6MIS_7YwSy77m_cjPHWUUhzHxEMFYOyeN-aZXWKaOCpfVrGGRzomYh6cmGkRDGc45PJwYscy7GIqgoE499YHYB9A/s1600-h/P1020111.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPL0nGx1DB0loSssIZgGwGD2fjMmLXi1IybBTK23Sd_sGlIzAZwT6MIS_7YwSy77m_cjPHWUUhzHxEMFYOyeN-aZXWKaOCpfVrGGRzomYh6cmGkRDGc45PJwYscy7GIqgoE499YHYB9A/s320/P1020111.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377622745083774850" /></a><br />So Dave and I attended the August 23rd South American Market Feast. We walked in to a transformation of the market space performed by head server Sydney Liepshutz and her crew; tables were set up where the vegetable and cheese cases usually are, and <a href="http://www.sweetwaterscafe.com/cafes/index.php">Sweetwaters</a> had also been taken over with tablecloths and lovely settings. A variety of eclectic favorites was being rocked by the father/son duo of Douglas and Andrew Brown, and while the music was a bit loud, it just added to the festive atmosphere. We settled in at a table four six, joining another couple and later having a third couple join our group. There are some four-seat tables in the <a href="http://www.sweetwaterscafe.com/cafes/index.php">Sweetwaters</a> area, but most of the seating is family-style. We quickly found common ground with our table mates and shared a wonderful <a href="http://www.enjoyingviognier.com/">Voignier</a> made by John Schafer, one of our tablemates. (All Sparrow Feasts are strictly BYOB affairs).<br /><br />Soon the food began flowing, and I use that term because the plates seemed to magically appear and disappear as the courses wore on. This is a five-course meal, and while the portions are perfect - large enough to be satisfying but small enough so that you don't feel you have to stagger out at the evening's end, the dinner has to have a certain rhythm or we would have been there for hours. The friendly servers were efficient and helpful - and most were familiar faces from the Kerrytown market businesses. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWiIIyuYkIlQpJQTFDmNOnnb7q-oChxK6suRtVFdkLIUYGfxQSxpgxQrQiH3B8lmZv0EPPa-5XRLHwVxd3OJTTRKooRuC3QG7S45ib6W1O7ilopCuSKpAxUJPh3wRHurtiv3T4ciToJA/s1600-h/P1020116.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWiIIyuYkIlQpJQTFDmNOnnb7q-oChxK6suRtVFdkLIUYGfxQSxpgxQrQiH3B8lmZv0EPPa-5XRLHwVxd3OJTTRKooRuC3QG7S45ib6W1O7ilopCuSKpAxUJPh3wRHurtiv3T4ciToJA/s320/P1020116.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377623328860046386" /></a>Chef Ricco Decola and his sous chef Casey Pennisi put together a simply fabulous menu. Our first course was a "baby greens salad with hearts of palm, mango, and a citrus vinaigrette". The salad was light and refreshing - a perfect palate teaser for the rest of the meal. I loved the balance of the mangoes and the hearts of palm.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPNf55Z1QR-VzCo4rVGXM4mAFbVZZ6XbrNLL2FmifHzzyoU_YhbbYiu5ZeNFHKE-NZNQAIk-mz-YsSrW-V8P9bOwyzdYOGV7cIwSGH0aJLOXwO7cEJP2kGuBZifVMXFAvHS9Dnb3LRQ/s1600-h/P1020125.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPNf55Z1QR-VzCo4rVGXM4mAFbVZZ6XbrNLL2FmifHzzyoU_YhbbYiu5ZeNFHKE-NZNQAIk-mz-YsSrW-V8P9bOwyzdYOGV7cIwSGH0aJLOXwO7cEJP2kGuBZifVMXFAvHS9Dnb3LRQ/s320/P1020125.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377623548767336898" /></a>The second course was one of my favorites - "a selection of fresh, cured and smoked <a href="http://spanishfood.about.com/od/spanishfoodfaqs/f/faqchorizo.htm">chorizos</a> accompanied by fresh pears and berries". Again, the balance was what made this work - each chorizo had a very different mouth feel and flavor, and the berries and pear were perfect counterparts. I especially loved the fresh chorizo, it was subtle and had a simply fabulous texture.<br /><br />The third course tied as my favorite - a "lime marinaded Chilean shrimp over <a href="http://www.tienda.com/food/products/rc-02.html">calasparra</a> rice". The shrimp was succulent and flavorful, no easy feat when served simultaneously to a large group. The rice was perfect - a saffron-infused dish that was reminiscent of paella rice. My tablemate, Liz Salley, who wasn't a newbie, left some of her rice, knowing that more good things were to come. I didn't leave any, because it was so delicious, but I regretted it later, just because... she was right. While I said the portions were perfect, they were, but five courses is five courses. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2kBRZBCk_PY6_lavBCSDTdRBEZlm1jM-ASrhiSUovYXI2ft6__udeRnvQXJFZdkzgehA0ca_2-YtPu_oy6zgQIPz8ZQqfD_5BUxede-QrsR7b_Cs6fskdjWGRQS_ZB8LtPM4q9YDqg/s1600-h/P1020128.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2kBRZBCk_PY6_lavBCSDTdRBEZlm1jM-ASrhiSUovYXI2ft6__udeRnvQXJFZdkzgehA0ca_2-YtPu_oy6zgQIPz8ZQqfD_5BUxede-QrsR7b_Cs6fskdjWGRQS_ZB8LtPM4q9YDqg/s400/P1020128.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377623958157283698" /></a>The fourth course was an "Argentinean chimichurri beef over spiced squash puree," slices of superb Sparrow Market beef, cooked medium, with a really bright, flavorful chimichurri sauce and a sweet counterpart of spiced squash. I wondered how this would fare when I read the description, but again, Chef Decola struck just the right note. My only quibble with the entire dinner is that I would have preferred the beef to be served more authentically rare, but again, for this kind of family-style setting and delivery, a compromise (as well as consideration of food safety issues) was probably necessary.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYD9yBAFkIuh_cyfRC23dzhxETJOEtTzjZtCUsD2f06mN5-RhJwRAOxt9yTz41HqmmbQ7ZoFjXPEQXCicFRCkO_s5K4W_CxEyIirAD2F6UBalv-3AufQ-4BAYrPujH5xZyJvYPbfAiQ/s1600-h/P1020142.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYD9yBAFkIuh_cyfRC23dzhxETJOEtTzjZtCUsD2f06mN5-RhJwRAOxt9yTz41HqmmbQ7ZoFjXPEQXCicFRCkO_s5K4W_CxEyIirAD2F6UBalv-3AufQ-4BAYrPujH5xZyJvYPbfAiQ/s320/P1020142.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377624341984269458" /></a>The dinner was topped off by "fresh (sic) prepared rice pudding and plantains with hot rum sauce." Again, this was superbly delicious - the rice pudding was creamy and light (a necessity after all of the earlier courses) and the plantains seemed to be caramelized and were rich and sweet. The rum sauce was amazing - I was in serious danger of wanting to lick the plate.<br /><br />One of the couples at our table were <a href="http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/g/Pescatarian.htm">pescatarian</a>; they'd let this be known ahead of time, and they had fish sausage for the chorizo course and vegetarian options for the beef. They were also supremely happy with their choices.<br /><br />Dave and I are saving our restaurant budget for another trip to Sparrow's on Sunday, September 20th, where we'll enjoy a <strong>Summer's End Italian Feast consisting of an asparagus, sweet peppers and baby greens salad with lemon vinaigrette; a selection of Italian salamis; penne with tuna, capers and basil in marinara; rosemary chicken over a wild mushroom risotto and fresh cannolis</strong>. We can't wait!<br /><strong><br />For reservations and information, please call 761-8175.</strong><br /><em><br />Photos: Chimichurri beef with spiced squash puree, diners anticipating the start of the feast, baby greens salad with mangoes and hearts of palm, chorizos with berries and pears, rice pudding with plantains and rum sauce. All photos by Jennifer Shikes Haines</em><br /><br />If you don't mind leaving your comments/votes for this piece at <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/a-splendid-feast-at-sparrow-market/">my other gig</a>, it would be greatly appreciated!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-29958798261406505822009-09-01T20:26:00.012-04:002009-09-02T06:47:55.947-04:00What's Cooking Wednesday: Mushroom-Onion Strudel with Two Paprikas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjQbC9Sw2_qlgGxNDghFkBcbc5uqbGcQIjqw2WFev8qEDpwXo0VBU7CrvWoZsIwLxm3XusmEInsh4W1EpOIVHotv-HBE8IyOt_-RPq0vMgJRiuBe5loJV0TJr1-jCU6ZMT48_8mF-Yg/s1600-h/1499732544_5adb5210aa_m.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjQbC9Sw2_qlgGxNDghFkBcbc5uqbGcQIjqw2WFev8qEDpwXo0VBU7CrvWoZsIwLxm3XusmEInsh4W1EpOIVHotv-HBE8IyOt_-RPq0vMgJRiuBe5loJV0TJr1-jCU6ZMT48_8mF-Yg/s200/1499732544_5adb5210aa_m.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153285795743467442" /></a><br /><br />Please go to <a href="http://shanrev.blogspot.com/search/label/What%27s%20Cooking%20Wednesday">The Fairy Blogmother</a> for more <a href="http://shanrev.blogspot.com/search/label/What%27s%20Cooking%20Wednesday">What's Cooking Wednesday</a> participants. <br /><br />Whether we like it or not, fall is in the air.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwKYpY5NpgFKSx4Qea-yiCu5PFUnu0wjDYZx2BqfFWzM55kRyb4UzSS2MnFpwjAdV0RMqIxCcNbYC8kgDLwOK0FO6AseX5-csr1Uupy-NExoCrBXUk3I-x20cCaDuVNKAJG0q45UN-Q/s1600-h/P1020163.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwKYpY5NpgFKSx4Qea-yiCu5PFUnu0wjDYZx2BqfFWzM55kRyb4UzSS2MnFpwjAdV0RMqIxCcNbYC8kgDLwOK0FO6AseX5-csr1Uupy-NExoCrBXUk3I-x20cCaDuVNKAJG0q45UN-Q/s320/P1020163.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376661098638281682" /></a>From a culinary standpoint, that's not a bad thing; while we'll miss the blueberries and peaches, the temptations of apples and squash are just ahead. The first apples, in fact, have begun to appear at the Farmers Market over the past couple of weeks.<br /><br />The last day of our <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/a2eatwrite-what-we-did-on-our-summer-staycation/">staycation</a> I made a blueberry-cream cheese strudel, and had a few phyllo sheets leftover. This was the last of our indulgences; it was time for a return to healthy foods. <br /><br />Now, it may seem like Mushroom-Onion Strudel wouldn't be that healthy, but with a few shortcuts, it really can be.<br /><br />What I want from this strudel is a rich, Hungarian mushroom soup quality, but without all the cream and calories. To make this healthier, I cooked the vegetables slowly in a bit of olive oil, used whole wheat phyllo dough (<a href="http://www.fillofactory.com/retailproducts.cfm">Fillo Factory</a> brand makes organic, whole wheat phyllo dough), and used 3 TBS of reduced fat sour cream, rather than a mixture of full fat sour cream and cream. To get a complex, smokey flavor, I used two types of paprika and some <a href="http://www.artisanalcheese.com/prodinfo.asp?number=10262">Gruyere</a>. Our family loved this start to the fall. Enjoy!<br /><br /><u><strong><br />Mushroom-Onion Strudel with Two Paprikas</strong></u><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj574bYyWbQPmuovrB3fwM-S0YlNhMjacPtgATwfdlzYDYIdmSGCSiKhxwGYlNZ0bdFA8qZEJcR4KI4bN_84yjsuSgxsrhezZmgMOA2HeREbzDutWgAeV31WLHfobwRZkmHlBRyR43fOw/s1600-h/P1020159.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj574bYyWbQPmuovrB3fwM-S0YlNhMjacPtgATwfdlzYDYIdmSGCSiKhxwGYlNZ0bdFA8qZEJcR4KI4bN_84yjsuSgxsrhezZmgMOA2HeREbzDutWgAeV31WLHfobwRZkmHlBRyR43fOw/s400/P1020159.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376661486416794338" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />5 sheets of whole wheat phyllo dough, thawed (regular phyllo dough will work fine, too)<br />olive oil cooking spray or olive oil atomizer<br />1 TBS olive oil<br />1/2 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and chopped<br />1 large onion chopped<br />1/2 tsp sea salt<br />1/4 tsp ground black pepper<br />1/2 tsp sweet paprika<br />1/4 tsp smoked paprika<br />3 TBS reduced fat sour cream<br />4 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated (if you have a grater with small holes, or a microplane, so much the better as you can spread the cheese more - a light coating on the phyllo is fine)<br />1 tsp olive oil<br /><br />Note: If you have only smoked paprika, 3/4 tsp can be used. If you only have sweet paprika, use the 1/2 tsp and add a pinch of cayenne pepper. This will be tastier with the two paprikas, however. <br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 375.<br /><br />2. Saute onions in 1 TBS olive oil over medium heat, until onions start to become translucent. Add mushrooms, and continue to cook until they are golden brown - cook slowly. The sauteing should take about 30 minutes. Add salt, pepper, paprika and sour cream. Mix together. Set aside.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FMpkkOvHDJnitdBuGNHuCs-9_jYCr4VQVq1IT8QJrN6lQya63U48tIIRrUXy4tGCvn9mFL8EkKJ2nAWd4LtnPug18gGH0DZDxHensUWLxzHJmqEw6NdFYFdIYBgheMki1IJ7Ht4OvA/s1600-h/P1020147.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FMpkkOvHDJnitdBuGNHuCs-9_jYCr4VQVq1IT8QJrN6lQya63U48tIIRrUXy4tGCvn9mFL8EkKJ2nAWd4LtnPug18gGH0DZDxHensUWLxzHJmqEw6NdFYFdIYBgheMki1IJ7Ht4OvA/s200/P1020147.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376661848632237234" /></a>3. Spread a clean kitchen towel on a table. Working quickly so the phyllo won't dry out, place a sheet of phyllo dough on the towel. Spray with cooking spray or atomizer. Repeat until all five sheets have been used.<br /><br />4. Sprinkle Gruyere across surface of the phyllo sheets, reserving 1 TBS. Along one edge, place the mushroom/onion mixture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsVvr9iEjlFHV3RVehAbV_zL60_SN7NEXfRS1KIhCEnkvJuLC8cq9wlZOesTNJ4cSkczKz3LUkhJ5mLHY_iHU_bTxFepPd_D4iQT8BnrHzhDqyIby_DbKfq3wGNQicNZg8y2IZbABww/s1600-h/P1020153.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsVvr9iEjlFHV3RVehAbV_zL60_SN7NEXfRS1KIhCEnkvJuLC8cq9wlZOesTNJ4cSkczKz3LUkhJ5mLHY_iHU_bTxFepPd_D4iQT8BnrHzhDqyIby_DbKfq3wGNQicNZg8y2IZbABww/s200/P1020153.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376662095433875266" /></a>5. Using the towel, roll the strudel, jelly-roll style. When the strudel is rolled, brush the remaining tsp of olive oil along the seam and sprinkle with the remaining gruyere.<br /><br />6. Carefully transfer strudel to baking sheet that is either greased or has a silicone mat or parchment paper covering it. (I'd recommend the latter two choices, if possible).<br /><br />7. Bake for 25 minutes until strudel is golden brown. Let cool for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.<br /><br />Serves 6<br /><br /><strong>Nutritional Info</strong><br /><br /> * Servings Per Recipe: 6<br /> <br />Amount per serving:<br /> <br /> * Calories: 191.1 <br /> * Total Fat: 11.2 g<br /> * Cholesterol: 24.7 mg<br /> * Sodium: 147.6 mg<br /> * Total Carbs: 14.5 g<br /> * Dietary Fiber: 1.7 g<br /> * Protein: 8.9 g <br /><br />As always, nutrition information supplied by the recipe calculator at <a href="http://sparkrecipes.com">sparkrecipes.com</a>.<br /><br /><em>Photos: Plate of Mushroom-Onion Strudel with Two Paprikas and heirloom tomatoes, close-up of Mushroom-Onions Strudel with Two Paprikas, phyllo dough and mushroom mixture ready to be rolled, rolled strudel ready for the oven. All photos by Jennifer Shikes Haines</em>.<br /><br />If you don't mind leaving your comments/votes for this piece at <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/a2eatwrite-whats-cooking-wednesday---mushroom-onion-strudel-with-two-paprikas/">my other gig</a>, it would be greatly appreciated!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-31662804608291493632009-08-31T09:13:00.002-04:002009-08-31T09:15:36.994-04:00What We Did on Our Summer StaycationDespite the fact that rain derailed some of our initial plans, the <a href="http://a2eatwrite.blogspot.com">a2eatwrite</a> family had a good <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=staycation">staycation</a> last week.<br /><br />There were a variety of culinary things we wanted to do, but honestly, after fitting in just a few of them, we decided to save others for later, just because we’re not really used to that much rich food.<br /><br />We always see staycations as a chance to “splurge” in our hometown. <br /><br />What do we do on staycations that we don’t usually do?<br /><br />Well, one thing we don’t do frequently is eat out. We had a list of places we wanted to try: <a href="http://www.neehees.com">Neehee’s</a> in Canton, courtesy of a great <a href="http://www.kitchenchick.com/2009/08/neehees-south-indian-street-snack-foods-in-canton.html">post</a> by <a href="http://www.kitchenchick.com/">Kitchen Chick</a>, burgers at <a href="http://www.sidetrackbarandgrill.com/">The Sidetrack</a> in Ypsi, one of <a href="http://sparrowmeat.getwebnet.com/">Sparrow Market’s</a> “Feast” dinners, <a href="http://grangekitchenandbar.com/">The Grange Kitchen and Bar</a> (see the great post on <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/grange-kitchen-and-bar-old-meets-new/">The Grange Kitchen and Bar</a> by <a href="http://thefarmersmarketer.com/">The Farmer's Marketer</a>), and the last <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/all-the-brews-fit-to-pint-1/index.php">German Park Picnic</a> of the season.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.neehees.com">Neehee’s</a> was a total delight, but <a href="http://www.kitchenchick.com/">Kitchen Chick</a> gave a fairly comprehensive <a href="http://www.kitchenchick.com/2009/08/neehees-south-indian-street-snack-foods-in-canton.html">overview</a> of <a href="http://www.neehees.com">Neehee’s</a> so I’ll let her speak to that. I will say that our favorites were Papdi Chaat (crunchy puffed rice with potatoes, chilis, yogurt and chutneys) and the cheese Uttapam (a rice pancake with fresh mozzarella cheese, dipped in chutneys. We’d also second Kitchen Chick’s appraisal of the saffron-pistachio (kesar pistachio) ice cream - it was simply out of this world. I’ve included the <a href="http://www.neehees.com">Neehee’s</a> link here, but while it was working fine a couple of days ago, it’s having problems today - just keep trying.<br /><br />I still can’t believe that <a href="http://www.sidetrackbarandgrill.com/">The Sidetrack</a> has been on our radar all these years, and yet we’d never been there. If you love burgers, this is the place to go. Well, actually, we are rich in great burgers in Washtenaw county - I can’t slight <a href="http://www.blimpyburger.com/">Blimpy Burgers</a> on one end of the spectrum nor those at <a href="http://www.zingermansroadhouse.com/content/pages/menu_dinner.php#Roadhouse%20Burgers">Zingerman's Roadhouse</a> (especially as the Monday night special with a fabulous tossed salad). If you like thick, cooked-to-order burgers, <a href="http://www.sidetrackbarandgrill.com/">The Sidetrack</a> brings back memories of burgers gone by. I loved my toppings of grilled onions and swiss, my husband loved his sliders with goat cheese and roasted red peppers, my mom followed my lead, but had cheddar instead of swiss, and my son was equally happy with bacon and cheddar. Not only were these burgers voted one of the top twenty in the country by GQ magazine, but there is an insane of topping combinations that can be derived from the menu. We also enjoyed a basket of fried dill pickles, which we thought were loads better than the fries.<br /><br />German Park was great fun, if a little cold. The lines were apparently longer than they’d ever been, perhaps thanks to notice by <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/all-the-brews-fit-to-pint-1/index.php">German Park Picnic</a> and a <a href="http://arborweb.com/articles/the_german_park_picnic.html">review</a> in August's <a href="http://arborweb.com/">Ann Arbor Observer</a>. Part of my varied ethnic background is Bavarian, and that part of me was delighted with the <a href="http://www.bratwurstpages.com/brats.html">bratwurst</a>, <a href="http://www.kitchenproject.com/kpboard/recipes/Spatzen.htm">spatzen</a> and sauerkraut. Music, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWU53hkf0tQ&feature=related">schuhplatter</a> dances and parades helped the evening, as did the good company of friends and some mean games of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jax-8002-Sequence-Game/dp/B00000IVAK">Sequence</a>. <br /><br />After <a href="http://www.sidetrackbarandgrill.com/">The Sidetrack</a>, we decided to hold off on the <a href="http://grangekitchenandbar.com/">Grange Kitchen and Bar</a> for another time, as we’d already decided that the <a href="http://grangekitchenandbar.com/bar_menu.php">bar menu</a> was more friendly for our sixteen-year-old and our wallets, and we felt like we were done with the rich foods (um… except for that <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/all-the-brews-fit-to-pint-1/index.php">German Park Picnic</a>) by the time late week rolled around.<br /><br />As for the <a href="http://sparrowmeat.getwebnet.com/">Sparrow South American Market Feast</a>, it was incredible. In fact, it was so incredible that it merits its own post, which will be up later this week. <br /><br />Our other culinary experiences were our traditional, staycation cheese and chocolate dinner, courtesy of “cheese ends” from <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/">Whole Foods Market</a> (there is a basket of small cheese pieces where you can gain maximum choice for minimal buck right near the “cracker” section in the Washtenaw Whole Foods), daily tomato sandwiches with farmers market tomatoes, and a family sushi-making night.<br /><br />Our other activities included <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/">geocaching</a>, park walks, lots of reading, exploration of the new <a href="http://www.umma.umich.edu/">U. of M. Museum of Art</a>, several rounds of <a href="http://www.cheapass.com/products/boardgames/cag001.html">Kill Dr. Lucky</a>, and a viewing of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361411/">Bride and Prejudice</a> (to accompany our feast from <a href="http://www.neehees.com">Neehee's</a>), too many episodes of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162065/">“Angel”</a>.<br /><br />If you had a staycation this summer, how did you spend it?Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-15823437239755812852009-08-21T19:15:00.002-04:002009-08-21T19:16:07.056-04:00Vacation!We're off on staycation for the next week, so I won't be hopping over to your places, and I won't be posting anything at mine.<br /><br />Hope everyone has a lovely, happy, healthy week!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-60277519177777434112009-08-18T14:36:00.012-04:002009-08-19T06:52:38.262-04:00What's Cooking Wednesday: Farmers Market Niçoise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjQbC9Sw2_qlgGxNDghFkBcbc5uqbGcQIjqw2WFev8qEDpwXo0VBU7CrvWoZsIwLxm3XusmEInsh4W1EpOIVHotv-HBE8IyOt_-RPq0vMgJRiuBe5loJV0TJr1-jCU6ZMT48_8mF-Yg/s1600-h/1499732544_5adb5210aa_m.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjQbC9Sw2_qlgGxNDghFkBcbc5uqbGcQIjqw2WFev8qEDpwXo0VBU7CrvWoZsIwLxm3XusmEInsh4W1EpOIVHotv-HBE8IyOt_-RPq0vMgJRiuBe5loJV0TJr1-jCU6ZMT48_8mF-Yg/s200/1499732544_5adb5210aa_m.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153285795743467442" /></a><br /><br />Please go to <a href="http://shanrev.blogspot.com/search/label/What%27s%20Cooking%20Wednesday">The Fairy Blogmother</a> for more <a href="http://shanrev.blogspot.com/search/label/What%27s%20Cooking%20Wednesday">What's Cooking Wednesday</a> participants. <br /><br />I had the <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/csa/">farm share</a> of all <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/csa/">farm shares</a> last week, as our share partners were out of town, and it is most definitely peak season. Our <a href="http://www.tantrefarm.com/index.htm">Tantre</a> box was filled to the brim with corn and lettuce, beets and eggplant, basil, parsley, summer squash, carrots, both green beans and purple beans, tomatoes, potatoes and an orange-fleshed honeydew that tasted deliciously sweet and had a hint of rosewater.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvq2bqNRcRvI2eBQjvcbxIwUAhV3GKmKKSgEVvd5Rnplqq2OcuqCvuXXV91egi-gA_hyERQ2_dc52VSUlb1XJ4UIsUCb8JP_W31L7bD29RwjfqV08KBT8d-sndAlxe2XiZH3sIhZikw/s1600-h/P1020049.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvq2bqNRcRvI2eBQjvcbxIwUAhV3GKmKKSgEVvd5Rnplqq2OcuqCvuXXV91egi-gA_hyERQ2_dc52VSUlb1XJ4UIsUCb8JP_W31L7bD29RwjfqV08KBT8d-sndAlxe2XiZH3sIhZikw/s400/P1020049.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371384745904180402" /></a>We cooked up the corn the first night, because you just have to eat corn as fresh as can be, and we used much of the other bounty quickly. By the weekend, however, we still had all of the wonderful makings of a Salade Niçoise, plus some corn kernels that had to be used up. With the addition of some hard-boiled eggs, a can of tuna packed in oil (which is what I really need for Niçoise), some olives from <a href="http://www.plummarket.com/retailer/store_templates/am_custom_page.asp?pageID=1263&storeID=C67B0906CE3242538C43D3F4992CDA33">Plum Market's</a> olive bar and a loaf of home made bread via <a href="http://www.nicolasbooks.com/NASApp/store/Search;jsessionid=bacTeDH0sTzyO9szb5Ums">Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day</a>, it was a delicious, and relatively easy, summer dinner. The ingredients that are starred are all veggies that you can find fresh and local at the <a href="http://www.a2gov.org/government/communityservices/ParksandRecreation/FarmersMarket/Pages/Farmers%27%20Market.aspx">Farmers Market</a> (or other area markets) right now.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><u>A2eatwrite's Farmers Market Niçoise</u></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ingredients</span><br /><br />*4 small red-skinned potatoes, quartered, steamed or boiled to fork tender, and cooled<br />*4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered (better and fresher if you get them from a local farmer)<br />1 can of tuna packed in olive oil<br />*2 cups of rinsed, washed lettuce leaves<br />*2 cups of green beans, steamed briefly (1 minute or less) and chilled ahead of time (OR... 1 cup of green beans, steamed as above and 1 cup of purple beans, raw, so they retain their color)<br />*fresh corn kernels off of two small cobs (or one large one)<br />*2 tomatoes, cut into 1/8ths<br />1/2 cup of <a href="http://www.foodsubs.com/Olivpick.html">niçoise</a> or other small, black olives<br /><br />For the dressing:<br /><br />*1 large garlic clove, minced<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1 TBS red wine vinegar<br />1 1/2 TBS olive oil<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Directions</span><br /><br />1. Mash the garlic together with the salt (I find a mortar and pestle works best for this) - scrap mixture into a small bowl and whisk in vinegar. Finally, whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Set aside.<br />2. Place rinsed lettuce leaves on the bottom of a platter. <br />3. Place tomatoes and beans around the platter and make sure coverage is complete, ie. you will get beans and tomatoes with each serving. <br />4. Do the same with the cooled potatoes and egg quarters. <br />5. Scatter the corn, olives and tuna on top of the salad. <br />6. Drizzle dressing over the salad. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.<br /><br />Serves four.<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QChZq_fJ5VSfuQ9VWQR3ElBlicUXdHTKj1ON3biwgXhsRuZNvfRdfnKeTIciuPGELku2WLuuWBckTaRFQa8ML4M9h5tNR0WFHOJ7Od8CBqvMVqNveEljkJBPmHyh8j2qV4Bc9C9wsw/s1600-h/P1020052.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QChZq_fJ5VSfuQ9VWQR3ElBlicUXdHTKj1ON3biwgXhsRuZNvfRdfnKeTIciuPGELku2WLuuWBckTaRFQa8ML4M9h5tNR0WFHOJ7Od8CBqvMVqNveEljkJBPmHyh8j2qV4Bc9C9wsw/s320/P1020052.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371384514486598674" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Nutrition Facts</span><br /><br />4 Servings<br /><br />Amount Per Serving<br /> Calories 398.3<br /> Total Fat 17.8 g<br /> Saturated Fat 3.1 g<br /> Polyunsaturated Fat 2.8 g<br /> Monounsaturated Fat 7.2 g<br /> Cholesterol 219.7 mg<br /> Sodium 609.7 mg<br /> Potassium 1,217.8 mg<br /> Total Carbohydrate 37.3 g<br /> Dietary Fiber 5.9 g<br /> Sugars 2.2 g<br /> Protein 24.8 g<br /><br />As always, nutrition info supplied by the recipe calculator function at <a href="http://sparkrecipes.com/"><b>Sparkrecipes.com</b></a>.<br /><br />If you'd be so kind, please leave your comments and/or votes <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/a2eatwrite-whats-cooking-wednesday---farmers-market-nicoise/">here</a>.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-810163108481683709.post-66241175523054112832009-08-18T10:10:00.002-04:002009-08-18T10:30:31.831-04:00GiftsOn Saturday I had hoped to be at the wedding of a friend's just-turned-21-year-old <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/news/wedding-bellsand-sirens/">daughter</a>.<br /><br />Instead, I was at the memorial for a just-turned-14-year-old gem of a girl who lost her battle with leukemia.<br /><br />Emma was the daughter of C's simply amazing math teacher. This teacher gives of herself in a way that few teachers are able to. When C, D and I went for the first information night about C's school, there were several students there who were talking about their favorite experiences at the school. This teacher's name came up again and again. I can personally vouch for this woman's extraordinary care and commitment - despite her daughter's illness, she took a special interest in C and tried with everything in her power to help him overcome some real struggles which he had with Algebra 2 last year. It was also evident that she is a superb, dedicated and loving mom. No surprises there.<br /><br />From what I can tell, the entire family is extraordinary. The young woman who died was someone who grabbed life with both hands - she was always optimistic, never had a bad word to say to anyone, faced her illness and treatments bravely, had straight A+'s in school, many extra-curricular interests, a special fondness for animals, respect and love for all people. Her dad and younger sister are obviously equally loved (I've already spoken of her wonderful mother) - I think the sister's entire class and their parents showed up to lend her support. Her father gave the most touching eulogy I've ever heard, and shared so many details of Emma's life it was clear that this is a family who really listens to each other, who learns the details that makes each person in the family unique.<br /><br />Then you have to ask yourself, why? <br /><br />It's the old question of why do bad things happen to good people? Why is another friend of mine losing her 54-year-old husband to brain cancer? Why was this girl, who by all accounts was a true angel on earth, taken so young?<br /><br />Obviously, none of us have answers to the hard questions. Some of us find solace in various religions; some of us do not.<br /><br />What I can take from this is that each day is a gift. Each time I can hold a loved one close, it's a gift. Each time I can read an involving book, bite into a sun-warmed tomato, plunge into the ocean, smile across a table at a favorite friend, visit with you all via your blogs and e-mails, it is a gift.<br /><br />Gifts are unpredictable. Make the most of yours.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362687820368214420noreply@blogger.com16