New Recipes

Alright, so I have two new recipes to share with you this Independence Day. The first recipe comes straight from Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics (though I have changed a few ingredients to fit my taste/pantry). This is a must try:

Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce 101
I made this to feed two people, but you can definitely stretch it to three.
Ingredients:
6 vine-ripened tomatoes (you know, those tomatoes you see still on the vine at the store)
1 box of spaghetti (will give you leftover plain spaghetti, gauge for amount of people)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 yellow or white onion
crushed red-pepper flakes
1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves, torn to small pieces
Salt

Start boiling water for pasta:
You know how to do that.

Prepare the tomatoes:
You have to skin these. Here is how you do it (by blanching them)
Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Score a small X on the non-stem side of each tomato. Drop them into the boiling water for 20-40 seconds or until you see the skin peeling. Then drop them into bowl of ice water. Remove from cold water; the skin should peel off very very easily. Cut across the equator and squeeze the juicy, seedy center into a bowl (like you would a lemon, only softer). Cut the meat of the tomato into thin strips. Push the seedy, pulpy stuff through a strainer (or improvise, I used a spoon with little holes, or if you must, throw it away, whatever).

Put pasta into boiling water, if the water is indeed boiling:
OK?

Prepare a saute base:
Cut the onion into strips or dice it according to your taste. Finely chop garlic. Warm olive oil in a frypan set over medium heat. Add garlic. Let garlic lightly brown for 30 second to 1 minute. Add salt and red pepper flakes. Continue to brown garlic for 30 second to 1 minute more. Add onion and cook until onion is becoming translucent. Add the tomato strips and pulp. Turn the heat up high to breakdown the tomato meat.

If the pasta is done, remove from heat and strain:
Reserve about a cup or so of the cooking water for later (you'll see).

Mix it all together and what do you get:
Let the tomato meat break down a little bit. Slide the strained pasta into the hot tomato sauce. Toss lightly and let the pasta absorb all the flavor. If the misture gets too dry (the pasta will absorb moisture) add some of the reserved cooking water. Add the basil pieces and cook for a minute or two more.

Plate and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese (fresh, now, yahurd) and sprig of fresh basil.

IT IS SO GOOD. The basil is pungent, and the red pepper flakes leave a tingle in your mouth. It tastes fresh and light. Definitely a repeat recipe.



The second recipe comes from Trisha Yearwood's book Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. It is Warm Feta Dip with Artichokes. Pretty good for a party:

1 14-ounce can of artichoke heart (or like 6-8 hearts, I think), finely chopped.
5-ounce package of feta cheese, crumbled up
3/4 cup of mayo (gross, I know)
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
1 2-ounce jar of pimientos, diced or finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly together. Spread into a shallow baking dish or pie plate or whatever. Bake at 350 for 25ish minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.

Use Melba toast or crackers or pita chips or corn chips to eat the dip.

I think this this is good for a party, but not good if only two people are eating it (trust me; it is strong stuff).

Hope y'all enjoy.

New Blog

It's time to start something new.

It's time get excited.

It's time to blast something out of your car doors.

It's time to have a party.

It's time to GET UP OFFA THAT THING

and blog 'til I feel better.

News Flash: Artichokes Are Disappointing

Artichokes are the most unsatisfying vegetables in the world. I decided to try steaming them today, and it took up all my energy and patience and all without a single satisfying bite.

The recipe called for a homemade lemon mayonnaise, which itself almost caused a breakdown as I had to visit the store a second time to buy more eggs.
*Blend one large egg (at room temperature) with salt and a squeeze of a lemon half in a food processor.
*When the egg is foamy and light, add 1/4 cup of canola oil and 1/2 cup of olive oil one drop at a time and then in thin streams (OH MY GOD!) until stiff.
*Season with salt and add more lemon juice to taste.
NOTE: using just the egg yolk makes a stiffer, more traditional mayo. Add a spoonful of Dijon mustard for real kick.

It wasn't until I was preparing the actual artichokes that I realized that I must document how horrible artichokes are.
Remove the stiff outer leaves and rub the exposed flesh with a lemon half to reduce browning.With a very sharp knife, cut the top third of the artichoke off. If any sharp points remain, trim them with kitchen shears.Chop off the stem and with a paring knife neatly carve the base of the artichoke flat. Rub with lemon to prevent browning.Carefully spread open the flowerhead (sharp points) to reveal the choke. I was scared that something was going to snap my fingers off at this point, but I think you'll probably be okay. With a melon baller (god, I wish I had a melon baller) scoop out the thistle of the choke. Really dig in there firmly and scoop out everything. This is the most disheartening part of the job because you have basically removed most of what you bought. Seriously dig in there until no fuzzy hair can be seen. Squeeze a lemon into the center all over the heart.Now soak in an acidulated bath of lemon juice and ice water until you are ready to cook.Place artichokes in stem-side up in two inches of boiling water in a big pot. Put crushed cloves of garlic, a pinch of salt, a scattering of peppercorns, a sprig of thyme, the juice of one lemon, and the juiced lemon rind into the pot. Cook for 25 minutes or so. A knife should easily pierce the base when finished. Cool artichokes and serve with homemade mayo. You may notice that I have not included a photo of the finished dish. That is because it sucked and was unimpressive. What was impressive was the waste create by the artichokes. This is for a single artichoke.

Lessons learned today:
1. I don't like mayonnaise enough to make it myself.
2. Artichokes are stupid and far too wasteful for our suddenly waste-conscious society.
3. Split-pea soup (the real dinner I had quietly simmering behind all this artochoke chaos) is really simple to make and tastes good.

April Showers Bring May Showers

May flew right past me. Just a brief summation of April and May:

• Finished my copyediting class


• Finished teaching Kaplan


• The weather has improved a bit!


• I went to Boston for the first time to visit my cousin


• My parents came to visit and spent a wonderful week with us


• Went to Coney Island last weekend and had a wonderful time


• Got a sunburn

At the moment I am gearing up for Summer, trying to plan a trip to Athens, and thinking about what to do next. One thing coming up is my new blog. More details to come.

Hope everyone is doing well. I'll try to give you a call sometime this month. I changed my cell phone numbers, and I don't think that everyone has it yet.

Happy Pasover!!!

I'm still trying to restructure this blog and have come across a few obstacle: 1) I read slowly 2) I don't buy new music every week 3) I'm lazy. I feel that in general my posts are reliant on my consumption of something: a song, a book, a news story, a meat loaf (see below), etc. Only through consumption can I produce a post. Well, here are some ramblings to get me started, anyway:

I made the best meatloaf that I have ever tasted. Here is the recipe:
1. Put three slices of fresh white bread (crusts removed) in the food processor and blend until all is crumbs. Put aside in bowl.
2. Put one carrot (roughly chopped), one celery stalk (strings removed, roughly chopped), one-half yellow onion (roughly chopped), two crushed garlic cloves, and one-half cup fresh chopped parsley. Blend until finely minced. Place in bowl with crumbs.
3. Add to the bowl 1/2 lb of veal, 1/2 lb of beef, 1/2 pork, 1/2 cup ketchup, salt, pepper, 2 eggs, and several teaspoons of dry mustard. Blend with hands for one minute until mixed.
4. Form a free-standing loaf on a cookie sheet (or wire rack, covered with foil or parchment, above cookie sheet).
5. Brush a glaze of brown sugar, dry mustard, and ketchup over the loaf, thinly covering.
6. Saute a sliced red onion in a little olive oil until soft. Drape onion rings on loaf.
7. Bake loaf at 400 F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary twigs, bake for 25 more minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes.
8. Enjoy!

It was so good. Every bite is so full of flavor that you can feel it tingle for minutes afterward. I'm definitely going to make this again when a group comes over for dinner. No photos, unfortunately.

I've started to work out regularly:
I can't wait to finish my classes so that I can go to the gym on a regular basis. I would love to go 3-4 times a week, but I usually end up going 2-3. I bought a heart rate monitor that transmits my heart rate to all the machines at the gym and also to a watch on my wrist. In the past I've always had trouble burning out too quickly while running, but now I can keep myself in a healthy range and run longer. I also love taking a shower after running and emerging onto the streets of New York after a long day of work feeling completely refreshed and pleased with myself. Even now, after I've undone my work with hot dogs for dinner, my body feels better.

I've realized another long-term goal:
I would really love to start and own my own business. I know that this is a romantic idea, and that in reality owning a business is a risky and stressful endeavor that often fails, but I'm so enamored of the image of myself orchestrating a machine that works, that makes something valuable and engages the talents of a staff. It is too bad that publishing isn't quite conducive to the small-business model.

I'll keep thinking it over.

John David just made us dinner and is now washing our clothes in the bathtub (long story). I'm lying in bed, thinking about this weekend and about the day I had.

Here's another review to get this blog kicking:

Title: Identical Strangers
Authors: Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein
Imprint: Random House
Pub Date: Fall 2007
Rating: 5 of 10

Elyse and Paula were adopted separately, grew up in separate loving families, went to separate colleges, and traveled the world on separate trips. Then in their mid 30s they met each other, and "separate" went away. They had the same full, dark hair, the same smile, the same mannerisms, and the same DNA. They were twins.

The book begins at their discovery and follows their paths as they criss-cross, collide, swerve, and steady, trying to make room for each other and their now inseparable baggage. Each woman takes a turn in the narration, presenting an anecdote or key point in the plot and then letting her twin take over. Well done, I felt, and worth a read if you like this sort of human interest story. I also liked that neither strayed too far from the their shared story. There was a balance of voices that worked well, that built a worthwhile story; they maintained an even tone despite their emotional voyage and allowed each other to speak and address their issues with an honored space. In a way, their narrative voices paralleled their developing relationship. At first speaking almost at cross purposes, the two voices later align as the book closes (while still maintaining their distinct character). Though the end isn't set off with fireworks (and thank god), I left the book satisfied and settled. In general, a solid read.

John David has been bugging me to post more regularly, so I have decided to write more reviews and reports. So, here is to new attempts at keeping this blog running.

Today I will be reviewing a new album.

Title: Teraphonic Overdubs
Artist: Chris Joss
Release Date: Sept. 2007
Label: ELS
Rating: 6.5 of 10

Author info (from allmusic.com):
"Frenchman/producer/multi-instrumentalist Chris Joss constructs funky downtempo music that's heavily influenced by the film music of Lalo Schifrin, John Barry, and Quincy Jones. Joss made his debut in 1996 with The Man With a Suitcase. Dr. Rhythm appeared in 2002 and was followed two years later by the soulful You've Been Spiked. That same year, You've Been Spiked was picked-up for an American re-release by the ESL label, home of the like-minded Thievery Corporation."

Review:
Fabulous percussion and unique melodies (a bouncing mix of guitars and loops, light "la-la-la" vocals, and an array of world instruments) make this a wonderful album to hear in the store and on the stereo the first couple of times. Lack of strong, concise song structure makes this a less satisfying listen afterward (but maybe that is my downfall when it comes to instrumental music). In general it reminds me of a really great instrumental remix of Broadcast and Blaxploitation artists. Every song is good, but none hits the mark completely. Some songs come close: "I Want Freedom," "Count the Daisies," "Summer Springs," and "Luna Rides Back." All good, but I wouldn't play them at my wedding or anything.

I suppose I am writing posts on a monthly basis at this point. Not because there is nothing going on in my life--the last few weeks have been quite fun--but because I've been feeling very insular the last couple of months. It is hard to have a group of friends in this city. The whole Seinfeld model of friendship, of people dropping in and out of apartments, of friends meeting up regularly at Tom's Restaurant, seems impossible to me. Perhaps it is just an old model of New York, one in which friends lived in the same neighborhood, went to the same restaurants, and saw one another on the subway. That doesn't happen now. No one in my friend group lives in the same area.

Luckily, in the last few weeks I've had visitors! Edward stayed with John David and I for a few days. A week later Rachael and Erin came up to visit. A week later one of John David's college friends stayed with us. It has been nice to socialize again, and I realize how important steady friendship is. So, I've added a new goal to my 2008 list: Be more proactive about friendship.

I've been doing pretty well with my other goals. I've been trying to become healthier and fitter. I joined a really nice gym close to my work, and I have been going 3-4 times a week. I've been making better choices about food. Unfortunately, I got sick the last couple of days, so I haven't been able to maintain the momentum I started last week, but I am still hopeful. My copyediting class is going well. My Kaplan class is going well. My knitting is still in progress (I've taken a break from it with all these visitors). So, my hope the next few months is to get well, get healthy, and get more friends.
We shall see.

It has been a fairly temperate winter in New York. Rarely freezing, usually chilly, and very little snow. Imagine my surprise when I looked out of my window this morning and saw a blanket of white:


Fortunately, I was well prepared with snow boots and a thick scarf. It snowed all day, and it was lovely watching the flakes twirl in the air from the 12th floor of my building. Inside my building was not so lovely:


I am now working on two paperback books, both of which will come out some time in June. Seeing the process of making a book has been very exciting, and I can't wait to take on more projects. Yay weekends.

FURNITURE!




Wonderful wonderful furniture!

And cookies:


Pecan linzer cookies with raspberry filling. Yum. Happy Valentine's Day. Happy President's Day.

Howdy. Just about to finish another hat (above). Not a great hat, but I did learn a bit about how patterns work, so I think I am ready to make the big leap and knit a sweater. Something simple but nice. It is a little daunting, since many sweater patterns call for up to 12 balls fo yarn. Quite an expensive endeavor. More info to come on that soon.

John David and I now have furniture! I'll try to post pictures soon.

Yes, after two months of sitting on the floor to eat, watch tv, knit, read, etc., we have a couch. We also have chairs, and a kitchen table, side tables, a tv stand, and a kitchen unit. A home! John David wants to paint all the walls, and I would love to start getting things like lamps, rugs, and curtains.

Alright, I'll must return to work. I've got my first copyediting class tonight, and a concert to go to. Quite a packed evening.

I finally finished these projects: cabled scarf and a sock. I also just got this in the mail:


An interchangeable set of circular knitting needles. Yay projects.

Work is going well. This week my boss assigned me a book to work on! I'm very excited. It is a paperback conversion of a hardcover edition that we printed last year. I get to usher the book into its paperback stage. I took today off work. Got to sleep in. Very nice.

I start teaching my SAT class in the Bronx next weekend. Tomorrow there is an informational meeting for the students, and I'm going to that. I'm a little worried about heading into the Bronx, the only borough I haven't visited before, but it seems like a good school. I'm not sure how I should act. Sidney Poitier in To Sir, with Love? Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Minds? Edward James Olmos in Stand and Deliver? Certainly not Richard Dreyfuss in Mr. Holland's Opus. We shall see.

Next week I also start my copyediting class. I just hope it isn't horribly boring. That is my one wish.

What else? What else is going on?

John David and I got some furniture. Some guy in our building faked his suicide in order to leave his wife. When she found out that he was still alive, she decided to get rid of everything and move. So, we ended up taking some of her furniture, including: a bed stand, a bookshelf, a rolling kitchen unit, and a dresser. John David's friend Trey also brought us a chair and desk to use (very nice). John David also ordered a bunch of furniture online from Ikea. Hopefully, that stuff will arrive sometime next months. Hurray! We couldn't make it out to Georgia this January. I'm not sure when that will happen, but it will happen at some point.

Alright. Enough rambling from me. I'm off to make lunch and think about my next knitting project.

I still haven't gotten my rhythm this year. It is hard to fall asleep, it is hard to get up in the morning, and I am tired most of the day. I think my body is starting to relax and take its revenge for all the abuse I have given it the last few months. An itchy throat developed into something nasty yesterday morning, and now I can't get to sleep this cold Sunday morning. I keep on having confusing dreams about knitting, about me having to follow this knit and purl pattern that I can't keep straight. I'm also sad to see that my subconscious has absorbed all my lame hobbies.

My lame hobbies are going quite well, though, so perhaps a few bad dreams is just recompense. I am still working on that cable scarf that I posted about awhile ago. It is about 4 feet long, and I am anxious to find a stopping point. I have also started a sock, which I am very excited about. Single ribbing at the cuff, stockinette down the leg, I am about to hit the heel, which seems like a real challenge for my inchoate knitting sense.

I'm not sure why knitting has become such a large part of my daily life. I bring it to work in case I want to knit at lunch, I smile thinking about getting more knitting supplies, I knit off-and-on most evenings while half-watching TV, I get excited about the weekend because of the knitting potential. Do I have an obsessive personality? I wonder. I look back on past activities: origami (yes, I know), theatre, music, radio. I've also dropped each of those activities rapidly at some point. Still thinking about this issue. Obsession? Passion?

I'm trying to enjoy January as much as possible. Mainly because in February I'll be adding a few things to the mix. I'm enrolled in a copyediting class at NYU, which starts the same week that I begin teaching at Kaplan. Too much? I hope not. It will get me out of the house and into the city. That is a good thing. I have been staying in way too much while the city spins around me.

Suddenly I've run out of things to say. I hope everyone is well. I'd like to talk to all of you soon. I've been too much in my shell lately, and it is time for me to reconnect.

Perhaps Rachael and I should have sent this out along with the tide of Christmas gifts, cards, and cookies. In our defense, Christmastide is not officially over for several more days, so in celebration of the Twelfth Night and the Epiphany, we have recorded a song for y'all.

Drummer Boiiiiiii :


Vocals: Miles and Rachael
Sleigh bells and triangle: Miles
Fat beats: Rachael


I think a longer post is definitely in order to recap the last month, but here is a list (following Rachael) of things I am grateful for from 2007 and things I am hopeful for in 2008.

Grateful:
- Saw Cirque de Soleil with my wonderful guy.
- Wrote papers not entirely at the last minute with the encouragement of John David, Rachael, Edward, Helen, Haley, and Erin.
- Enjoyed my classes and graduated without a major obstacle.
- Co-hosted the best looking theme party I have ever seen (Great Depression--Great Fun!)
- Went to the lake with friends and family (scary boat ride!).
- Finished job and trained replacement.
- Packed up all my shit, took a plane to New York.
- Went through six weeks of publishing camp and met hip cats.
- Found a good job without a panic attack.
- Survived move from one sublet to another.
- Survived second sublet.
- Learned how to knit.
- John David got job and moved up here.
- Found real place to live.
- Finished training at Kaplan.
- Survived move into real apartment.
- Enjoyed holiday season in New York.
- Spent good time with parents in Tacoma.

Hopeful:
- To get furniture and live in a comfortable place!
- To take a class on copyediting.
- To stop eating candy
- To continue knitting and learn how to make socks, a hat with flaps, mittens, and a sweater.
- To learn how to cook new, healthy meals.
- To visit Philadelphia and Chicago.
- More!!!

John David and I have moved! Yes, we now live in a comfortable apartment in one of the northernmost neighborhoods of Manhattan called Washington Heights. I love it for many reasons:

1. The subway is one block away, and my new commute is 25 minutes.
2. There are two corner grocery stores, a McDonald's, a Burger King, a Dunkin Donuts, two hardware stores, a movie theatre, a Papa John's, a Dominoes, and a Duane Reade within three blocks.
3. Fort Tryon park is four blocks to the north, both overlooking the Hudson and the East Rivers and also containing the Cloisters.

We finally have a real bed (after sleeping on the floor/leaky air mattress for a week) and a TV (though no cable yet).

Also, more exciting news: Rachael and I are brewing some mischievious holiday fun to send to everyone. Don't ask us questions when we demand your holiday mailing addresses soon; just prepare to be amazed.

Some photos of knitting!

Here is the scarf I made for John David. It is long! I don't understand why the scarf is always a first knitting project; so tedious during the last half.

And here is my next project. Cable knitting. Reminds me of when I did origami.


I will post more about reality next week. I have a busy weekend of packing, moving, and unpacking. I will post pictures of our new apartment soon.

Wow, so much to blog about: John David arrived on Thanksgiving day, we signed a lease on our new apartment on Saturday, and now we are spending the weekend together: walking, eating, drinking, sleeping in, watching movies, trying to catch up for the last few months of separation. I'll just dig in.

Thursday:
I went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. At first I went to Columbus Circle, which is the southwestern corner of Central Park. Huge mistake. I really cannot remember the last time I have been in the midst of such a crowd. I soon decided to move uptown, walking along the edge of Central Park glimpsing the balloons. Here is Ronald McDonald (please tilt head 90 degrees) looming through the trees over the crowd huddled along Central Park West Ave:

After the parade finished, I watched the crowd scatter through the streets and across the Great Lawn of the park. Then I read and waited for JD's flight to come in. I waited on some benches, watching artists draw the faces of tourists. Then I took the train and bus to the airport and waited in the airport.
Then he arrived!! yay
We took a taxi back to Brooklyn and collapsed on my air mattress for a long nap. At night we headed back to Manhattan to eat at Ellen's Stardust Cafe, the only place for singing waiters in Times Square. A little annoying and overpriced, but the novelty was a bit entertaining. We finished the night looking at the Christmas windows at Macy's and then walking around the Empire State building.

Friday:
We got up. Ate. Made the long trek across town to sign the lease on our apartment. Complicated and frustrating, but we've made another step and that feels good. Later that night we watched the movie Willow on youtube and ate Chinese food. We played this game on the internet: www.freerice.com. Go to it. Vocab and solving world hunger together at last.

Today:
Slept in very late. Hung about and finally made it outside. We took the subway to Coney Island. We walked along the boardwalk, looked at the closed rides and games, and crossed through Brighton Beach before heading home. Brighton Beach (aka "Little Odessa") is the Russian center of Brooklyn. All the signs are in Russian, you can order borsch if you can read cyrillic, and the pastries look wonderful. Sergey recommended I try the Napoleon cake, and I bought a brick of it from the cutest pastry shop I've seen in a while. John David reluctantly had a slice, describing it as bacterial sludge made from the chewed remains of something that once tasted good. Through my perspective: Layers of graham cracker crumbs are separated with a sweet cream cheese filling. It is a little mushy--true, John David--but I think it tastes good. We ate at the Mexican restaurant across the street, and now we are cruising the internet, chatting with friends, looking at Ikea goods, blogging, and posting photos.

These next few weeks will be difficult--I'm sure--but it is nice to have someone here. A pair of hands to help carry a heavy load. A reassuring hug. Soft sleep breathing at night. Company for the ride. I'm feeling a little better each time I think of the coming days.

HATS ARE SO EASY TO MAKE!

Things have taken a turn for the better here, though I don't wish to tempt fate and say that everything is working out. John David is spending his final weekend in Atlanta enjoying friends and getting ready for his big journey up here on Thanksgiving Day. I just hope that on Thursday the world is right and we have a nice time.

We have an apartment tentatively lined up. We sign the lease next weekend and hopefully all will go smoothly. It is a pretty little one-bedroom apartment, and if we are friends on flickr, you can see photos there.


Speaking of photos, look how my knitting project is coming along:

I have finished the second skein of yarn, and now I realize that I have to get a third if this is to be a true scarf. I also realize that I have until Thursday (yikes!) to finish it. We shall see.

Work is going well. Even though I haven't struck up any real friendships with my coworkers, I enjoy them all and usually have pretty good days.

I have finished classes for Kaplan, and I am almost certified to teach. Only a few more small requirements, and I will be set.

Today I cleaned my room a little bit and then knitted for hours. Nothing else. Tonight I have a small birthday dinner to go to for Betsy. Should be fun.

Last night I walked around Herald Square with some friends. We saw the Christmas menageries at Lord and Taylor, and we giggled with wide-eyed delight. Tomorrow Macy's will reveal their windows at 5:30 (we tried to peak in, but I couldn't only make out a few santa-related silhouettes (that is the first time that I have ever typed the word silhouette, strange).

Next time I see something filled with holiday spirit, I'll take a picture. I promise.