I'm thinking that the month of Italian cooking is coming to a close. Let me apologize for what a giant failure it turned out to be. I didn't make any of my deadlines, and when I did manage to cook something, it was far too similar to what came before it. I will have you know, however, that both the gnocchi and BOTH lasagnas were vastly successful and delicious! I have come to the conclusion that Italian cooking is very time consuming. If you're doing everything from scratch, that is, which I did. I started working on the lasagnas at three yesterday afternoon and was cooking all the way up until we sat down to eat at eight. I did make two, and twenty four hours later they're both gone. I think they were a success, yes? Taking that kind of time to work on a project usually drives me insane and I lose interest but not with cooking, for some reason. I don't even really notice the time passing. Maybe part of it is because food isn't something you can really set aside to finish later. Once you start, you have to finish. Otherwise the ingredients will go bad or you'll be without your dinner. But even so, cooking never feels like a chore or an obligation. So spending five hours in the kitchen yesterday was delightful. The gnocchi didn't take quite that long but you do have to allow an hour for freezing it before boiling it. And an hour and a half for the potatoes to bake. I'll post the recipe for the gluten free gnocchi within the next few days. I'm still currently at my parent's house and will be until Tuesday methinks.
Now I just took a minute to reread my last post and thought that I should expand a bit on it. Once I finally got around to leaving my apartment around four, the fog had burned off and it was actually quite sunny. In fact, it turned out to be a perfect and beautiful afternoon. I was superbly happy. I went straight to the Goodwill in Haight and ended up leaving with what can only be described as a gangster furry coat (it's not really fur, but it is really gangster), a classic Gap denim jacket (much softer than anticipated. I was delighted by this discovery), another men's white tee for $4 (so soft, so white, so cheap), and *drum roll please* high waisted, slim cut, tight leather pants. That feel like butter. For $21.99. That's just not something you say no to. It's just not! I'm hoping to get some decent pictures up of my finds pretty soon. I'm already envisioning outfits, most especially ones that include both the furry coat and the tight leather pants. I can't wait to make this happen.
Next was my jaunt into Whole Foods which, let's be honest, is always a delight and a half. It's a treat to shop there because it really is expensive. But if I'm going to be getting more serious about this gluten free business (for REAL this time), I might have to pay more visits to WF. They have a very large selection of gluten free foods and alternatives, and if there is food available to me that doesn't contain gluten and isn't all that inconvenient to get to, then I need to man up and take advantage of it. I've been lazy up until this point. Which isn't hard for me to admit. I've been thinking a lot lately about my laziness and trying to figure out where the hell it comes from. Anyway that's beside the point. The point is, I have tight leather pants and gluten free crackers that actually taste good and I thought you all should know.
-LG
5.29.2011
5.25.2011
Testing Testing.
For those of you who aren't aware, there are tests you can get done to check for gluten intolerance. It's actually a series of three tests, and one of them is a blood test. My big sister is about to embark on Operation Blood Test. What does OBT include, you ask? A week straight of bombarding your small intestine with gluten bombs. She begins tomorrow and has already written up an extensive list of goodies she plans on eating. Top of the list is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread. But the list also includes pastas, pastries, pizza, donuts, bagels, crackers, cereals, etc. I'm going to be going home again this weekend and told her that I wanted to cook for the family. Her response was "LASAGNA!!! PASTA! GLUTEN". You got it! I will be making her a big, cheesy, meaty, gluteny lasagna. I might make two, one gluten free and one gluten filled. And my oldest sister will also be visiting for the weekend so it's going to be a food fest! And the upside to cooking at my parent's house is that they pay for the ingredients. I love it. But until then, I'm going to try my hand at gluten free gnocchi. Here's my current issue, though. Making any kind of of gluten free pasta or dough requires like three different kinds of doughs and gums, none of which I have, and none of which are sold at TJs or any of the other grocery stores in my area. If I want those things, I have to go to Whole Foods to get them. And let me just tell you, Whole Foods is not near by. And it's foggy and cold today and I am feeling superbly lazy. Blah. But I gotta do it. It's killing me.
Edit: I left this for a few hours to eat and get dressed and decided that since the closest/most convenient Whole Foods is in the Haight, I'll stop by Goodwill while I'm over there! I haven't been thrifting since February which is just criminal. I'll do that first, of course, so that I'm not lugging four pounds of potatoes and tomatoes around the aisles. And bags of flour. Cannot wait. Alright I'm officially off!
-LG
Edit: I left this for a few hours to eat and get dressed and decided that since the closest/most convenient Whole Foods is in the Haight, I'll stop by Goodwill while I'm over there! I haven't been thrifting since February which is just criminal. I'll do that first, of course, so that I'm not lugging four pounds of potatoes and tomatoes around the aisles. And bags of flour. Cannot wait. Alright I'm officially off!
-LG
5.23.2011
Eggplant Lasagna.
I did it! I made the Eggplant Lasagna. And might I say, I loved every single second of making it. It was an all day project to be sure. I knew that I wanted to make it gluten free and completely from scratch, which is always the most rewarding way to cook. The day started with me selling back old textbooks and getting a whopping $98 for them! Heck yes! So many things to spend that money on. The mind boggles. From there my friend and sous chef and I went on a food adventure in the Outer Richmond district. The weather was perfect, albeit a tad breezy, and we spent a lot of time walking aimlessly from produce market to produce market. I didn't really plan ahead for what I needed. I just figured I'd figure it out as I went along. Which is exactly what I did. From the first market I bought nothing because everything was Russian or Armenian, but I will say that "ethnic markets" (for lack of a better term, I apologize) are always resplendent with ridiculously tasty looking sweets that are fun to peruse. From the second market I bought an eggplant, a yellow onion, and some mozzarella cheese. From the third market I bought another onion, white garlic, black garlic, tomatoes, and tomato paste (the only canned item I bought). From there we decided to get lunch, even though neither of us were hungry. Sometimes you just wanna eat. We ended up at a BBQ joint on Geary, where I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and good god it was tasty. "Lauren, I thought you were going gluten free?" Get off me, okay?! It's hard! I also got a rootbeer float because it had been way too long and sometimes you just wanna float. From there we headed back to my apartment, but made a quick stop at Trader Joes for the parmesan and gorgonzola cheese, sliced mushrooms, ground turkey, and some of my other weekly necessities. Like baked cheese crunchies. And you all should know that they were purchased on Thursday, today is Sunday, and they still haven't been opened. New record. Anyway, finally we made it back to my apartment and the prep work began. This is a rather lengthy process if you decide to go the homemade-from-scratch route. But like I said, it's an incredibly rewarding process, especially if you've never made it before (which I have not. Herego, rewarding). I will say this at the beginning, though: eggplant has a very high moisture content, so when it cooks at that high of a temperature, it releases a lot of fluid. This caused the sauce to be slightly more watery than I intended. That being said, once the lasagna is out of the oven and has cooled a bit, it sets and most of that moisture is reabsorbed. So this is something that I will definitely be making again. I'll write it out the way I did it, but I'll also write in the shortcuts I can think of. And with that, we're off!
You Will Need:
1. 9x13 glass baking dish
2. Olive oil
3. 1 eggplant
4. 1 yellow onion
5. 1 whole garlic clove
6. 5-7 medium tomatoes
7. Sliced mushrooms (I bought mine pre sliced)
8. 1lb+ ground turkey. I probably could have used more than I did.
9. Mozzarella, gorgonzola, and parmesan cheese. I'm blanking on the amount. I bought a log of mozzarella, a good sized wedge of parmesan, and a 16oz tub of herb gorgonzola. I'm hoping that the shape descriptions are sufficient for you.
10. Salt to taste
11. Complimentary spices and herbs of your choice. I chose basil.
12. Two small cans of tomato paste
13. I think that's it...
1. Peel and dice onion
2. Mince the fresh garlic, you'll only need a few cloves worth*
3. Slice the eggplant lengthwise in thin slices, about 1/4 of an inch
4. In a frying pan, cook ground turkey until no longer pink
*Buy a jar of minced garlic
For The Sauce*:
1. Cut up all of your tomatoes into medium sized pieces and put them all in a large sauce pan to simmer
2. As the tomatoes start to soften, use a spoon or fork to mash them up
3. Add in diced onion and minced garlic to taste and let simmer, and set any leftovers aside
4. Add in one can of tomato paste, stir in well, and let simmer
5. Add in salt and spices to taste, continue to simmer
6. I found that my sauce needed another 3/4 of a can of tomato paste, but this will be up to you
7. Once you get your sauce tasting perfect, you can continue to let it simmer on low, low heat until your ready for it
*Buy a few jars of your favorite sauce! This will save you a considerable amount of time.
For The Lasagna:
1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Slice the mozzarella lengthwise, about 1/4 inch thick
3. Grate most, if not all, of the parmesan wedge. No such thing as too much*
*Buy pre-grated parmesan. Just make sure you buy enough
To Assemble:
1. Grease the baking dish with some olive oil
2. Pour some sauce into the base of the pan, not too much but enough to cover
3. Sprinkle in some of the diced onion and minced garlic
4. Lay down your first layer of eggplant slices as if they were lasagna noodles
5. On top of the eggplant lay some of the mushroom slices
6. On top of the mushroom slices, lay down slices of mozzarella, and a generous layer of parmesan and gorgonzola as well
7. On top of the cheese, layer some of the ground turkey
8. Sprinkle on more of the diced onions
9. Repeat steps 2-8 to make the second layer.
10. For the top, lay down the rest of your mozzarella slices, the rest of your grated parmesan, and the rest of your gorgonzola (or however much cheese you want). But remember, the top of a lasagna is supposed to be a magnificent crust of melted cheeses, so don't be shy!
Put the lasagna in the oven for about 40 minutes. Use the top layer of cheese as your reference point. When it looks all melted and nicely browned around the edges, it's ready! Let cool and set before cutting into it. Enjoy!
You Will Need:
1. 9x13 glass baking dish
2. Olive oil
3. 1 eggplant
4. 1 yellow onion
5. 1 whole garlic clove
6. 5-7 medium tomatoes
7. Sliced mushrooms (I bought mine pre sliced)
8. 1lb+ ground turkey. I probably could have used more than I did.
9. Mozzarella, gorgonzola, and parmesan cheese. I'm blanking on the amount. I bought a log of mozzarella, a good sized wedge of parmesan, and a 16oz tub of herb gorgonzola. I'm hoping that the shape descriptions are sufficient for you.
10. Salt to taste
11. Complimentary spices and herbs of your choice. I chose basil.
12. Two small cans of tomato paste
13. I think that's it...
1. Peel and dice onion
2. Mince the fresh garlic, you'll only need a few cloves worth*
3. Slice the eggplant lengthwise in thin slices, about 1/4 of an inch
4. In a frying pan, cook ground turkey until no longer pink
*Buy a jar of minced garlic
For The Sauce*:
1. Cut up all of your tomatoes into medium sized pieces and put them all in a large sauce pan to simmer
2. As the tomatoes start to soften, use a spoon or fork to mash them up
3. Add in diced onion and minced garlic to taste and let simmer, and set any leftovers aside
4. Add in one can of tomato paste, stir in well, and let simmer
5. Add in salt and spices to taste, continue to simmer
6. I found that my sauce needed another 3/4 of a can of tomato paste, but this will be up to you
7. Once you get your sauce tasting perfect, you can continue to let it simmer on low, low heat until your ready for it
*Buy a few jars of your favorite sauce! This will save you a considerable amount of time.
For The Lasagna:
1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Slice the mozzarella lengthwise, about 1/4 inch thick
3. Grate most, if not all, of the parmesan wedge. No such thing as too much*
*Buy pre-grated parmesan. Just make sure you buy enough
To Assemble:
1. Grease the baking dish with some olive oil
2. Pour some sauce into the base of the pan, not too much but enough to cover
3. Sprinkle in some of the diced onion and minced garlic
4. Lay down your first layer of eggplant slices as if they were lasagna noodles
5. On top of the eggplant lay some of the mushroom slices
6. On top of the mushroom slices, lay down slices of mozzarella, and a generous layer of parmesan and gorgonzola as well
7. On top of the cheese, layer some of the ground turkey
8. Sprinkle on more of the diced onions
9. Repeat steps 2-8 to make the second layer.
10. For the top, lay down the rest of your mozzarella slices, the rest of your grated parmesan, and the rest of your gorgonzola (or however much cheese you want). But remember, the top of a lasagna is supposed to be a magnificent crust of melted cheeses, so don't be shy!
Put the lasagna in the oven for about 40 minutes. Use the top layer of cheese as your reference point. When it looks all melted and nicely browned around the edges, it's ready! Let cool and set before cutting into it. Enjoy!
5.17.2011
A Slow And Painful Death.
I have been gone for a few days and for that I apologize. I'm still trying to recover from my weekend and I can't believe it's only Tuesday. I work five days this week, all eight hour shifts, during one of the busiest times of the semester: buyback. It's going to be a long, painful, exhausting week. Which means I picked a terrible weekend to get down with my bad self. I mentioned already that Friday night was one of underaged drinking splendor. It included fist fights, the police, and cocaine. What? Yeah. After the party roomie and I attended, we headed back to our apartment. It's all a little hazy but at some point someone decided that, since we drink, it meant that we were "cool with drugs here, right?", which meant that it was a good time to whip out some cocaine. Um...no. So he got the boot. Saturday roomie and I had a soccer game, and we played like champs considering our hangovers. We lost, but we lost in style. The rest of the day was for recovery and preparation. For what, you ask? Bay to Breakers. For those of you unfamiliar with what BtoB is, I shall explain. It's a seven mile run from the Bay to Ocean Beach by way of Golden Gate Park. "Lauren, I didn't know you were a runner!". I'm not, it's against my religion. But a giant, mostly nude, drunken, halloween-esque parade of hundreds of thousands of people in the early morning hours of May is not against my religion, and so I did partake. Search it on Google images, you'll see what I mean. Anyway, Saturday night roomie and I slept over at her boyfriend's house so that we could wake up bright and early (6:30 am) and meet up with everyone else/pre-game (drinking before you drink). I did not pregame, because I despise the taste of alcohol and it turns out my feelings are no different at dawn. It still tastes like hellfire. In fact, I was hating life on our way there, once we got there, and for about an hour of being there. Being the only sober one in a sea of drunks is obnoxious. Not to mention the fact that the particular drunks I was with suck big time. Not to mention the fact that I've spent my entire life being an observer and usually have a hard time enjoying myself at these types of shindigs due to my inability to participate. But you guys, I discovered the secret. I'm not sure where along the route we were when I decided to suck it up and start drinking, but my god it was a good choice. Avid drinkers call this a "day fade"; drunk in the day time. I dunno who started this trend of drinking while the sun is up but I am a fan. I high fived many fellow day faders. Roomie received a free temporary tattoo somewhere in Golden Gate park. I asked an older naked gentleman about his lifestyle choices. I peed outside for the first time excluding camping! So basically my first outdoor drunk pee! Too much information? I'm sorry, but it needed to be said. And for the record, I outdoor-drunk-pee like a pro. Anyway, we made a lot of beautiful memories that day. It's a shame I can't recall most of them.
What does all this have to do with my title of doom up there? Physical pain. That's what. Saturday's game left me feeling shredded. And not shredded as in "buff" but shredded as in "torn-to-shreds-kill-me-now-put-me-out-of-my-misery-can't-even-sit-down-without-yelping-in-pain". That kind. Add to that a seven mile walk and now 40 hours of standing. Wanna know what else? This world was designed for short people. For buyback at work (when the students sell back their textbooks), we have extra registers set up outside the store. They're set up on tables. Tables that come up to my frickin upper thigh. I'm going to be spending 40 hours this week squatting, bending, cranking my already effed up neck/back (more on that in a bit), and tweaking my wrist on the computer mouse. I can't even describe all the different kinds of pain I'm feeling right now. All I know is that it's only Tuesday and I still have three more days of this. To top it all off, I can't sleep. You'd think that after a weekend like that and workdays like I've been having, I'd be too exhausted to function. Oh wait a minute, I am. But then I lay down and suddenly I'm wired. And now for the complaints about my neck: about a month ago I stretched my neck awkwardly, causing it to get stuck in a sideways position for a few days. I love having to rotate my entire upper body to look a few inches to my left. It eventually relaxed but while it was spasming, my other neck/upper back muscles overcompensated to pick up the slack, and as a result they got strained and out of whack. It continues to get worse and radiate farther down my back. So. The next few days are going to absolutely rock the healing process. Can you say hot mess? Welcome to my slow and painful death. If you haven't already noticed, the shitty SF weather is putting me in a funk. Have I mentioned that I want to get the frick out of here? Okay I'm done, I swear.
-LG
What does all this have to do with my title of doom up there? Physical pain. That's what. Saturday's game left me feeling shredded. And not shredded as in "buff" but shredded as in "torn-to-shreds-kill-me-now-put-me-out-of-my-misery-can't-even-sit-down-without-yelping-in-pain". That kind. Add to that a seven mile walk and now 40 hours of standing. Wanna know what else? This world was designed for short people. For buyback at work (when the students sell back their textbooks), we have extra registers set up outside the store. They're set up on tables. Tables that come up to my frickin upper thigh. I'm going to be spending 40 hours this week squatting, bending, cranking my already effed up neck/back (more on that in a bit), and tweaking my wrist on the computer mouse. I can't even describe all the different kinds of pain I'm feeling right now. All I know is that it's only Tuesday and I still have three more days of this. To top it all off, I can't sleep. You'd think that after a weekend like that and workdays like I've been having, I'd be too exhausted to function. Oh wait a minute, I am. But then I lay down and suddenly I'm wired. And now for the complaints about my neck: about a month ago I stretched my neck awkwardly, causing it to get stuck in a sideways position for a few days. I love having to rotate my entire upper body to look a few inches to my left. It eventually relaxed but while it was spasming, my other neck/upper back muscles overcompensated to pick up the slack, and as a result they got strained and out of whack. It continues to get worse and radiate farther down my back. So. The next few days are going to absolutely rock the healing process. Can you say hot mess? Welcome to my slow and painful death. If you haven't already noticed, the shitty SF weather is putting me in a funk. Have I mentioned that I want to get the frick out of here? Okay I'm done, I swear.
-LG
Alexa's Oatmeal Chocolate Toffee Cookies.
I have an obsession with cookies. I would choose a warm, gooey, mouth watering cookie over almost any dessert. Any kind of cookie draws me in instantly, but most importantly if there is chocolate involved it’s game over. These cookies I made are my absolute favorite because they have everything you want in a cookie: chocolate, hazelnut, oatmeal, and for the grand finale, toffee. It doesn’t get any better than that. This is Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe so you know it will kick every other cookie out of the water. Giada and I are on the same level when it comes to desserts go big or go home. Give it a try. You will not regret this decision!
P.S.- Might I add that the cookie dough is to die for as well, especially after being in the freezer for an hour or two.
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 ounces English toffee candy, finely chopped (recommended: Heath or Skor)
• 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and chopped
• 1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely chop the oats in a food processor. Transfer the oats to a medium bowl. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in the toffee, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips.
For each cookie, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough onto sheet, spacing 1 inch apart (do not flatten dough). Bake until the cookies are golden (cookies will flatten slightly), about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. (The cookies can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.) Enjoy!
-Alexa
P.S.- Might I add that the cookie dough is to die for as well, especially after being in the freezer for an hour or two.
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 ounces English toffee candy, finely chopped (recommended: Heath or Skor)
• 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and chopped
• 1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely chop the oats in a food processor. Transfer the oats to a medium bowl. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in the toffee, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips.
For each cookie, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough onto sheet, spacing 1 inch apart (do not flatten dough). Bake until the cookies are golden (cookies will flatten slightly), about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. (The cookies can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.) Enjoy!
-Alexa
5.14.2011
Roast Eggplant Mozzarella.
After leaving you last night for my evening of libations and rabble rousing with other drunken strangers, I had an eggplant breakthrough. This recipe acted as a brainstorm session for my real first Italian recipe, which will be *drum roll* gluten free Eggplant lasagna. Instead of noodles, I will use Eggplant. It's going to be a great success. But I'll need to buy more Eggplant and the other necessary ingredients for that so this will have to tide you over until then. And no, I will not apologize for my apparent addiction to roasting food. 425 degrees is where it's at!
As it always seems to go with me, portion sizes are all going to be "to taste" and "however the eff much you want". As far as how much this serves, that depends on how much space you have in your Pyrex dish, how much Eggplant you have, and how much you can put away by yourself. I made enough last night for two people, easy, and I ate it all within 15 minutes. So.
You Will Need:
-1 medium to large Eggplant
-Fresh garlic, whole
-Pasta sauce of your choice. I went with TJ's tomato basil marinara because it's heavenly
-Olive oil
-Mozzarella cheese
-Garlic herb spice mix, or the spice of your choice
1. Preheat the oven to 425.
2. Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish with olive oil, making sure you coat the sides as well.
3. Cut off Eggplant stem.
4. Slice Eggplant lengthwise*, about 1/2 an inch thick. Set aside.
5. Cut Mozzarella into slices about 5/8 of an inch thick. Set aside.
6. Peel garlic and keep cloves whole. You'll want maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the cloves. Set aside.
7. Place slices of Eggplant in greased baking dish and pour some extra olive oil over the top. I used my fingers to rub it in/get an even coat over the whole slice. You don't need a lot! It's just to help prevent drying.
8. Season the Eggplant with the spice of your choice, to taste.
9. Place some of the whole cloves and all of the Mozzarella on top of the Eggplant slices. Make sure you put some of the cloves directly on the Eggplant. When the cheese melts over it, it's a delightful garlic-y surprise when you take a bite.
10. Pour pasta sauce over all of it, to taste. There's no such thing as too much, but there is such a thing as too little.
11. Throw any leftover garlic cloves into the dish. They'll add aroma and flavor, and roasted garlic has a wonderful texture and taste.
12. Place in the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted but not burnt.
13. Eat!
*You can cut the Eggplant into rounds if you'd prefer, it makes no difference in flavor. If you're serving more people, rounds may make it easier to divvy it up.
The only thing I would do differently is season it with a mixture of garlic herb AND garlic salt. The dish itself isn't very salty so I definitely added salt before eating, and cooking it with garlic salt would eliminate the need. That and you can make it with a mix of cheeses. Parmesan would also add that salty flavor. But other than that, it was wonderful. It was warm and gooey and filling and healthy! The perfect meal. And it's an awesome vegetarian option as Eggplant is actually very meaty in texture, much like a beefy mushroom. My Eggplant lasagna, however, will not be vegetarian. No sir. Anyhow, enjoy!
-LG
As it always seems to go with me, portion sizes are all going to be "to taste" and "however the eff much you want". As far as how much this serves, that depends on how much space you have in your Pyrex dish, how much Eggplant you have, and how much you can put away by yourself. I made enough last night for two people, easy, and I ate it all within 15 minutes. So.
You Will Need:
-1 medium to large Eggplant
-Fresh garlic, whole
-Pasta sauce of your choice. I went with TJ's tomato basil marinara because it's heavenly
-Olive oil
-Mozzarella cheese
-Garlic herb spice mix, or the spice of your choice
1. Preheat the oven to 425.
2. Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish with olive oil, making sure you coat the sides as well.
3. Cut off Eggplant stem.
4. Slice Eggplant lengthwise*, about 1/2 an inch thick. Set aside.
5. Cut Mozzarella into slices about 5/8 of an inch thick. Set aside.
6. Peel garlic and keep cloves whole. You'll want maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the cloves. Set aside.
7. Place slices of Eggplant in greased baking dish and pour some extra olive oil over the top. I used my fingers to rub it in/get an even coat over the whole slice. You don't need a lot! It's just to help prevent drying.
8. Season the Eggplant with the spice of your choice, to taste.
9. Place some of the whole cloves and all of the Mozzarella on top of the Eggplant slices. Make sure you put some of the cloves directly on the Eggplant. When the cheese melts over it, it's a delightful garlic-y surprise when you take a bite.
10. Pour pasta sauce over all of it, to taste. There's no such thing as too much, but there is such a thing as too little.
11. Throw any leftover garlic cloves into the dish. They'll add aroma and flavor, and roasted garlic has a wonderful texture and taste.
12. Place in the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted but not burnt.
13. Eat!
*You can cut the Eggplant into rounds if you'd prefer, it makes no difference in flavor. If you're serving more people, rounds may make it easier to divvy it up.
The only thing I would do differently is season it with a mixture of garlic herb AND garlic salt. The dish itself isn't very salty so I definitely added salt before eating, and cooking it with garlic salt would eliminate the need. That and you can make it with a mix of cheeses. Parmesan would also add that salty flavor. But other than that, it was wonderful. It was warm and gooey and filling and healthy! The perfect meal. And it's an awesome vegetarian option as Eggplant is actually very meaty in texture, much like a beefy mushroom. My Eggplant lasagna, however, will not be vegetarian. No sir. Anyhow, enjoy!
-LG
5.13.2011
I Just Met The Mayor.
The Mayor of Tasty Town. That's right, folks. According to Trader Joes, the Eggplant is the Mayor of Tasty Town. And that's not someone you say no to. So I bought one. Wait a minute, you're thinking. You spent money? That's right! Because I got paid today! And I went straight to TJ's. I frickin love grocery shopping on payday. To celebrate, I bought an Eggplant. It is currently roasting away in my oven with fresh garlic cloves, garlic herb seasoning, tomato basil spaghetti sauce, and mozarella cheese. So consider this my first foray into Italian cooking! At least for this month. Over the course of the next 24 hours I'm going to try to come up with a name for it. I was gonna say it's my own version of Eggplant parmesan, but without the parmesan I'm not sure if that name still holds up. And Eggplant mozarella just doesn't have the same ring to it. At this point all you need to know is that it smells amazing, and after 15 minutes of roastage it looks amazing too. I cannot wait! I wish I were hungrier, but due to my destruction of another whole bag of baked cheese crunchies, my appetite is not what it should be. Again, I have very little self control, especially with anything that can be classified as a snack.
...........................................................
I left for a few minutes to enjoy my feast and sweet mother of god I just made magic. It was so good. I would pay for that in a restaurant. I love wingin it! I mean granted, I didn't do anything too crazy or combine flavors that have never met each other before, but still! Success in the kitchen is one of my favorite things ever! I can't wait to use the rest of my Eggplant for something else. I shall be posting the very simple, very delicious recipe tomorrow some time. For now I need to go clean up and put my face on. I'm goin out tonight. And the only thing that will make this evening fun and bearable is to be very drunk. With that, I leave you to be jealous of my natural prowess in the kitchen.
-LG
Cake.
I love it. Well that and all baked goods. Anyhow, I've come across a new favorite food blog! She's a baker and her blog is dripping with cakes, cupcakes, cream puffs, and all other treats classified as "pastry". Check it out: The Scootabaker.
Speaking of baked goods, I attempted the rice crackers, and I'd say all in all they were a success. I want to make them again, though, so that I continue perfecting them into something that I would not only make for myself, but buy from the store.
Speaking of the store, I get paid today! I've managed to make that last $2.88 stretch across a few days. On Wednesday, a coworker of mine asked if I wanted to pick up any hours on Thursday. I quickly agreed but then remembered that while I would have enough to make it to work, I wouldn't be able to get back. Yes this is the second time this has happened to me. So he gave me $5 to cover his shift! Sick! Except now I'm in the pickle all over again because while I have enough to make it to work to pick up my check, I won't have enough to get back. Which means I'll have to do what I did last time: deposit my check in the Bank of America ATM on the USF campus, take it all back out in cash, break one of the 20's for bus money, and then deposit it all in the Patelco ATM on my campus. THEN, and only then, do I get to go grocery shopping. And I'm dreading my check because I'm afraid to see how little it will be for considering how much I've had to call in lately. So you see why I'm still sitting on my couch in my pajamas eating a bag of carrots. That and I got over 12 hours of sleep which only makes me more tired than I was to begin with. I'm a bum. And I'm currently occupying my time by looking over the City College class catalog (again) drooling over all the classes. And I'm throwing myself into another mini panic thinking about all the classes that I want to take and how I'm going to fit them all, plus a job, into the next I don't even know how many semesters and what's after that? I want to finish my degree although what it's in will most likely change after my creative adventure, and I don't think I want to finish it at State. So where else would I like to go? If I'm planing on moving to SoCal eventually, should I be looking at schools down there? Or are California schools a lost cause at this point? Maybe I should consider my out of state options. And all of this depends, of course, on what I decide I want to pursue degree wise, which drops me back at square one. You see, however much I have embraced this new live-for-today mindset/lifestyle, I'm still a planner through and through. I always will be. Yes I have relaxed an astronomical amount, but I still like to know my general direction, even if it ends up changing along the way. Welcome, folks, to my stream of consciousness. It can be rather dizzying when I really get going. Anyway, I was about to list some of the classes I just came across that I hadn't listed before but A) I'm not done looking, and B) It's a really, really, really long list.
-LG
Oh and PS the potential cool news never happened soooo...my b!
Speaking of baked goods, I attempted the rice crackers, and I'd say all in all they were a success. I want to make them again, though, so that I continue perfecting them into something that I would not only make for myself, but buy from the store.
Speaking of the store, I get paid today! I've managed to make that last $2.88 stretch across a few days. On Wednesday, a coworker of mine asked if I wanted to pick up any hours on Thursday. I quickly agreed but then remembered that while I would have enough to make it to work, I wouldn't be able to get back. Yes this is the second time this has happened to me. So he gave me $5 to cover his shift! Sick! Except now I'm in the pickle all over again because while I have enough to make it to work to pick up my check, I won't have enough to get back. Which means I'll have to do what I did last time: deposit my check in the Bank of America ATM on the USF campus, take it all back out in cash, break one of the 20's for bus money, and then deposit it all in the Patelco ATM on my campus. THEN, and only then, do I get to go grocery shopping. And I'm dreading my check because I'm afraid to see how little it will be for considering how much I've had to call in lately. So you see why I'm still sitting on my couch in my pajamas eating a bag of carrots. That and I got over 12 hours of sleep which only makes me more tired than I was to begin with. I'm a bum. And I'm currently occupying my time by looking over the City College class catalog (again) drooling over all the classes. And I'm throwing myself into another mini panic thinking about all the classes that I want to take and how I'm going to fit them all, plus a job, into the next I don't even know how many semesters and what's after that? I want to finish my degree although what it's in will most likely change after my creative adventure, and I don't think I want to finish it at State. So where else would I like to go? If I'm planing on moving to SoCal eventually, should I be looking at schools down there? Or are California schools a lost cause at this point? Maybe I should consider my out of state options. And all of this depends, of course, on what I decide I want to pursue degree wise, which drops me back at square one. You see, however much I have embraced this new live-for-today mindset/lifestyle, I'm still a planner through and through. I always will be. Yes I have relaxed an astronomical amount, but I still like to know my general direction, even if it ends up changing along the way. Welcome, folks, to my stream of consciousness. It can be rather dizzying when I really get going. Anyway, I was about to list some of the classes I just came across that I hadn't listed before but A) I'm not done looking, and B) It's a really, really, really long list.
-LG
Oh and PS the potential cool news never happened soooo...my b!
5.11.2011
Chico Idol.
So remember when I said I wanted to be in a band? I forgot to mention that in Freshman year of high school, Chelsea and I made a very sad attempt to make music together. We had a band name, a few other members, and a myspace page. But no music. We were a backward bunch. THIS time we have music first. Or at least some lyrics and a tune. No instrumentals. This is a definite step up from last time. Step number two is for Chelsea to learn the guitar and for me to become the world's best harmonica-ist...harmonicist...harmonist...mkay the world's best harmonica player! I have a blues harmonica and my grandpa's house is the perfect place to pretend you're awesome at it. So the month of July will be devoted to learning how to drive his truck, pulling up veggies, and playing the harmonica. Which leads me to what this post is about. In August I'm going to try to make a trip to Chico and stay there for a good solid week if possible, because Chelsea and I are going to have a hippy week. What's that you ask? A week of sitting in the sun, listening to classic rock, being lazy (but peaceful), eating (obviously), and making sweet sweet music together. I literally cannot wait. While I wouldn't want to live in Chico full time, I'm excited to pretend I do. It's gonna be a good week. I would like for it to last longer but she'll be working and I'll be needing to look for a job so we shall see. BUT the point is, Vailwood (our old band) will be reunited for one awesome week of attempted music making!
In other news, remember this dress? I'm almost done with it! As in, I could be finished with it in the next few hours. As in, this could be one of my first finished projects in...well, years. As embarrassing as that is to admit. And it's actually looking very nice! If I didn't have to wake up early this morning, I would have stayed up late to finish it. Alas. My bed was calling me. As it is right now. I'm painfully exhausted.
In other other news, you know how I said I might have cool news tonight? Scratch that. I might have cool news tomorrow night. I got the dates mixed up! Anyhow I'm off to go work on my dress and perhaps watch some 30 Rock. I started from the beginning and good lord I love this show. Toodles!
-LG
In other news, remember this dress? I'm almost done with it! As in, I could be finished with it in the next few hours. As in, this could be one of my first finished projects in...well, years. As embarrassing as that is to admit. And it's actually looking very nice! If I didn't have to wake up early this morning, I would have stayed up late to finish it. Alas. My bed was calling me. As it is right now. I'm painfully exhausted.
In other other news, you know how I said I might have cool news tonight? Scratch that. I might have cool news tomorrow night. I got the dates mixed up! Anyhow I'm off to go work on my dress and perhaps watch some 30 Rock. I started from the beginning and good lord I love this show. Toodles!
-LG
5.10.2011
Rice Rice Baby.
I believe it was yesterday, perhaps the day before, that I mentioned a rice cracker recipe I wanted to try. Today just might be the day. But first, some good news! We found roommate number 3! She seems like she'll fit right into our weird little nest of sarcasm and African dancing. We are very very excited. It's crazy to think that in just a few weeks it'll just be Alyssa and I in the apartment. Until the newbies move in, that is. We still need to find number 4, but we want to give number 3 the chance to be a part of the picking process, since it will be her roommate after all. Anyhow we can't wait to switch things up. We're both ready for a change of pace and I think that this will be a very positive experience indeed.
But back to the crackers. I'm drawn to this particular recipe because it's essentially a blank slate. It's a cracker dough to which you can do whatever you want. There are so many flavor options! Each batch makes about three dozen which is pretty good considering how little it calls for, ingredients wise. It's basically flour, cooked rice, oil, and water. If it's a success, I'll probably be making these quite a bit. They're healthy and easy and I love having snacks around. Especially ones that I made. So for my first batch, I'm thinking maybe a garlic salt variety? Perhaps salt and vinegar? There's also the cinnamon sugar option. Or teriyaki. Shit! Do you see what I have to deal with?! The utter and complete stressor that my life has become?!
I just reread that last paragraph and I'm laughing to myself at how I said "I love having snacks around". Biggest understatement of the century. It's at the point where I don't buy them for myself because otherwise I eat them all in an hour. Example: last week when I made the candied citrus peels, I bought a bag of baked cheese crunchies from Trader Joes. I decided to crack them open and have a few while I worked on my lemons and oranges. The bag was empty before I was done with the prep work. To be fair, the bags aren't very large, but I mean jesus christ, woman, where's your self control! At least my addictive personality applies only to food and hoarding, and not drugs and porn. I got lucky there.
Aaaand to wrap this up, I may or may not have some exciting news tomorrow night so stay tuned. Well, it's not really news. It's more like I may or may not be doing something tomorrow night that will end up being worth mentioning. So stay tuned.
-LG
But back to the crackers. I'm drawn to this particular recipe because it's essentially a blank slate. It's a cracker dough to which you can do whatever you want. There are so many flavor options! Each batch makes about three dozen which is pretty good considering how little it calls for, ingredients wise. It's basically flour, cooked rice, oil, and water. If it's a success, I'll probably be making these quite a bit. They're healthy and easy and I love having snacks around. Especially ones that I made. So for my first batch, I'm thinking maybe a garlic salt variety? Perhaps salt and vinegar? There's also the cinnamon sugar option. Or teriyaki. Shit! Do you see what I have to deal with?! The utter and complete stressor that my life has become?!
I just reread that last paragraph and I'm laughing to myself at how I said "I love having snacks around". Biggest understatement of the century. It's at the point where I don't buy them for myself because otherwise I eat them all in an hour. Example: last week when I made the candied citrus peels, I bought a bag of baked cheese crunchies from Trader Joes. I decided to crack them open and have a few while I worked on my lemons and oranges. The bag was empty before I was done with the prep work. To be fair, the bags aren't very large, but I mean jesus christ, woman, where's your self control! At least my addictive personality applies only to food and hoarding, and not drugs and porn. I got lucky there.
Aaaand to wrap this up, I may or may not have some exciting news tomorrow night so stay tuned. Well, it's not really news. It's more like I may or may not be doing something tomorrow night that will end up being worth mentioning. So stay tuned.
-LG
5.08.2011
Alexa's Spring Salad.
I go to school in Oregon so the weather is rarely hot out, but today was warm and beautiful so I automatically wanted something healthy and fresh. I decided to whip up this delicious salad. My mom makes this salad for me everytime I’m home and I needed a homey meal to get me through these next five weeks. All the ingredients mend together so nicely and the eggs add that protein you need to get you through the day. The dressing is a very creamy mustard mixture that works wonderfully with the eggs and vegtables. It’s a fast and easy salad to make so I highly recommend trying it.
Ingredients:
-Half a bag of lettuce
-½ of a cucumber
-½ of a red onion
-2 eggs
Dressing:
-1 garlic clove minced
-Dash of salt and pepper
-2 tablespoons of olive oil
-1 tablespoon of honey mustard
-1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
Directions:
Fill up a pot half way with water and let boil for the eggs. Once water is ready put in both eggs and let cook for ten minutes*. While waiting for the eggs you can prep the other ingredients. Chop up half a cucumber and half an onion. Once both are chopped to your preference set aside and make dressing. Blend the olive oil, both mustards, minced garlic, salt and pepper together with a whisk and set aside. Once eggs are cooked, peel the eggs and chop them up. Put all of the ingredients on the lettuce of your choice and then add dressing. Mix all together and taste to see if it needs more salt or pepper. Then bon appetit!
*Note: Eggs coming out of the fridge are cold, and putting them directly into hot water can cause them to crack. I suggest letting them sit for a few minutes in a bowl of warm water while you wait for the other water to boil. This way there's an easier temperature transition for the eggs. I also suggest putting them in a bowl of cold water once you've removed them from the boiling water. This will stop them from cooking (they continue to cook once removed from the boiling water) and it will also make them cooler to the touch/easier to handle.
May Mishaps and Mother's Day.
Happy Mother'a Day, all! I love this day. I love seeing all the sons and husbands on their way somewhere with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. There's something about seeing a man with flowers that gets me to grinning. I don't mean when they're for me. I just mean in general. It's one of my secret pleasures in life to observe people when they don't know they're being watched. And believe me, I've tried to come up with less creepy ways to say that and there just aren't any, okay? Anyway, I've always loved people watching. But it's more than just sitting on a park bench watching the passers by. It's the split second, the moment that turns my eye into a camera. It's one image, or a series of images. The man standing on the train platform holding a bouquet of peonies, dressed up because it's a special day. Mother's day is perfect for just such an image. I could write for days about the joys of people watching but that will be for another post.
Anyhow, I made the trek home this morning with a giant duffel bag full of laundry and a mind full of financial stress. But I suppose I'll start from the beginning. May has been an interesting month thus far. It's only been a week and already it's proven to be quite tricky. As I mentioned before, I'm broke. Hence my lack of new recipes considering I can't buy the necessary ingredients. Or I can, but one week at a time. For instance, I found a recipe for rice crackers that I really want to try. In general I hate the taste of rice crackers but for a gluten free eater, they're a decent snack. So on Friday after work I went to the store and left with brown rice flour and deoderant. Because when you're on as tight a budget as I am right now, you buy 1/5 of a cracker recipe and scented powder for your pits. You have to be very choosy. While food would be nice, not smelling like onions is nicer. At this rate I will have the crackers made by mid-August. I also really want to make gnocchi for my first Italian recipe, but it also requires brown rice flour. Gluten free flour/baking mixes come in small quantities for a large price so for now I'll have to choose between gnocchi and rice crackers. I hate that Alexa and I have already lost some momentum, but this isn't a permanent issue, I promise. She's smack in the middle of midterms and I'm smack in the middle of poor financial management. But we're not quitting! This is just a speed bump. Moving on to more mishappage, I'm sick. I have a sore throat, I'm back and forth with fevers, and I have a cough that makes me feel like I'm choking on my own lungs. You know what this means? I'm calling in to work again tomorrow. There's $80 that I could really use. On top of that, I ran out of all my necessities within a few days of each other. Facewash, moisturizer, toothpaste, and laundry detergent. So here I am. At my parent's house after a BART trip that I really couldn't afford with a laundry bag full of laundry that would have otherwise stayed dirty. I'm basically paying $10 to do a load of laundry. FML. And on top of all of this loveliness, I got asked out today by a guy far too many years my senior. Again. What the EFF is the deal? Do I mind getting asked out? Not particularly. But do I mind when the only males asking me out are in their late 20's or early 30's? Um, yes. I mind. Actually, this was probably the youngest one I've encountered. Generally speaking, these guys are in their 40's and clearly out of their minds. I don't think I've ever told this gem of a story, so here goes: about a month ago I stopped by Trader Joes on my way home from an eight hour day at work. I'm perusing the apples when out of the corner of my eye I see this 40 something year old man who, despite his receding hairline has hair to his shoulders. He's staring at me. I look at him and raise my eyebrows, hoping that the embarrassment of being caught will force him to look away. False. Apparently what I gave him was my "come hither" face. Not looking away, he manages to navigate his way around the apple bin and sidle up to me with what has got to be the creepiest smile ever. I'm expecting him to greet me, drop a cheesy line, introduce himself at least. But no. He opens up with "I heard a really inspiring song today". *Crickets*. My first thought is "oh shit, he's trying to convert me in the middle of the produce section". My second thought is "what the fuck?!" What does one even say to that? I'm pretty sure I said "oh yeah?" So he tells me he heard it just before getting to TJ's, it was really good. Then he proceeds to whip out his iPhone, ask if I want to hear it, and before I can say "what the hell is wrong with you?" he has Youtube opened and the video playing. So now I'm standing in the middle of the fruit section with a 40 year old no higher than my chin watching Joe Cocker sing "I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends" live from Germany on a frickin iPhone. All the while I'm still trying to pick out apples. "Yes," I agree, "that's a good one". As I start pushing my cart away, anywhere away I don't care where just get me the FRICK out of here, he says "can I send you the link?". I'm sorry, what? Are you frickin kidding me with this? I mean does this work for him? Was I a guinnea pig or has he tried this on other women and been met with great success? And do I look that stupid? Sure, perfect stranger, here's my email address. I can't wait to see how creepy you can be in writing since your live performance is spellbinding. "No thanks," I say, "I can just look it up on Youtube". He then proceeds to act like it's a super hard video to find and he's not sure what it's called and he wouldn't even know where to find it and no, he'd better send me the link. He then proceeds to start asking me about my life. The fact that I'm clearly a college student doesn't seem to deter him. I don't even remember how this debacle ended. But I do know that a week later, at the same time, I was at TJ's doing my weekly shopping and guess who else was there! Yep. He had a beanie on this time but I would recognize those skinny little legs and that red windbreaker anywhere. I then spent the next 30 minutes playing hide and seek, peeking around corners, and looking over my shoulder. Moral of the story: if you're older than 23, I'm not interested! Please do not stare at me, approach me, or tell me that I have piercing eyes (yes, that happened too).
Anywaaaaay, other than all of that, May has been kind to me. And despite the fact that I'm living paycheck to paycheck, I can't stay down for too long. The sun is shining, school is over in a week (not that that should change anything, considering I no longer attend my classes), and summer is just around the corner. Next up is Alexa's most recent recipe! Happy Mother's Day, folks!
-LG
Anyhow, I made the trek home this morning with a giant duffel bag full of laundry and a mind full of financial stress. But I suppose I'll start from the beginning. May has been an interesting month thus far. It's only been a week and already it's proven to be quite tricky. As I mentioned before, I'm broke. Hence my lack of new recipes considering I can't buy the necessary ingredients. Or I can, but one week at a time. For instance, I found a recipe for rice crackers that I really want to try. In general I hate the taste of rice crackers but for a gluten free eater, they're a decent snack. So on Friday after work I went to the store and left with brown rice flour and deoderant. Because when you're on as tight a budget as I am right now, you buy 1/5 of a cracker recipe and scented powder for your pits. You have to be very choosy. While food would be nice, not smelling like onions is nicer. At this rate I will have the crackers made by mid-August. I also really want to make gnocchi for my first Italian recipe, but it also requires brown rice flour. Gluten free flour/baking mixes come in small quantities for a large price so for now I'll have to choose between gnocchi and rice crackers. I hate that Alexa and I have already lost some momentum, but this isn't a permanent issue, I promise. She's smack in the middle of midterms and I'm smack in the middle of poor financial management. But we're not quitting! This is just a speed bump. Moving on to more mishappage, I'm sick. I have a sore throat, I'm back and forth with fevers, and I have a cough that makes me feel like I'm choking on my own lungs. You know what this means? I'm calling in to work again tomorrow. There's $80 that I could really use. On top of that, I ran out of all my necessities within a few days of each other. Facewash, moisturizer, toothpaste, and laundry detergent. So here I am. At my parent's house after a BART trip that I really couldn't afford with a laundry bag full of laundry that would have otherwise stayed dirty. I'm basically paying $10 to do a load of laundry. FML. And on top of all of this loveliness, I got asked out today by a guy far too many years my senior. Again. What the EFF is the deal? Do I mind getting asked out? Not particularly. But do I mind when the only males asking me out are in their late 20's or early 30's? Um, yes. I mind. Actually, this was probably the youngest one I've encountered. Generally speaking, these guys are in their 40's and clearly out of their minds. I don't think I've ever told this gem of a story, so here goes: about a month ago I stopped by Trader Joes on my way home from an eight hour day at work. I'm perusing the apples when out of the corner of my eye I see this 40 something year old man who, despite his receding hairline has hair to his shoulders. He's staring at me. I look at him and raise my eyebrows, hoping that the embarrassment of being caught will force him to look away. False. Apparently what I gave him was my "come hither" face. Not looking away, he manages to navigate his way around the apple bin and sidle up to me with what has got to be the creepiest smile ever. I'm expecting him to greet me, drop a cheesy line, introduce himself at least. But no. He opens up with "I heard a really inspiring song today". *Crickets*. My first thought is "oh shit, he's trying to convert me in the middle of the produce section". My second thought is "what the fuck?!" What does one even say to that? I'm pretty sure I said "oh yeah?" So he tells me he heard it just before getting to TJ's, it was really good. Then he proceeds to whip out his iPhone, ask if I want to hear it, and before I can say "what the hell is wrong with you?" he has Youtube opened and the video playing. So now I'm standing in the middle of the fruit section with a 40 year old no higher than my chin watching Joe Cocker sing "I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends" live from Germany on a frickin iPhone. All the while I'm still trying to pick out apples. "Yes," I agree, "that's a good one". As I start pushing my cart away, anywhere away I don't care where just get me the FRICK out of here, he says "can I send you the link?". I'm sorry, what? Are you frickin kidding me with this? I mean does this work for him? Was I a guinnea pig or has he tried this on other women and been met with great success? And do I look that stupid? Sure, perfect stranger, here's my email address. I can't wait to see how creepy you can be in writing since your live performance is spellbinding. "No thanks," I say, "I can just look it up on Youtube". He then proceeds to act like it's a super hard video to find and he's not sure what it's called and he wouldn't even know where to find it and no, he'd better send me the link. He then proceeds to start asking me about my life. The fact that I'm clearly a college student doesn't seem to deter him. I don't even remember how this debacle ended. But I do know that a week later, at the same time, I was at TJ's doing my weekly shopping and guess who else was there! Yep. He had a beanie on this time but I would recognize those skinny little legs and that red windbreaker anywhere. I then spent the next 30 minutes playing hide and seek, peeking around corners, and looking over my shoulder. Moral of the story: if you're older than 23, I'm not interested! Please do not stare at me, approach me, or tell me that I have piercing eyes (yes, that happened too).
Anywaaaaay, other than all of that, May has been kind to me. And despite the fact that I'm living paycheck to paycheck, I can't stay down for too long. The sun is shining, school is over in a week (not that that should change anything, considering I no longer attend my classes), and summer is just around the corner. Next up is Alexa's most recent recipe! Happy Mother's Day, folks!
-LG
5.06.2011
Holy Crepe!
Ha! See what I did there? Anyway, I just thought I'd share some details of my day. I didn't do much of anything but at one point I got hungry, went into my kitchen, and thought "I'm gonna bake something!" So dammit, I did. It took all of 5 minutes to whip it together and 20 minutes to bake. Such a good choice. Now I have something to snack on this week. I made another "muffin cake" but this time I added some of the orange compote to it, along with some vanilla extract and it's quite good! In fact I could have gotten away with adding more of the compote since the flavor is almost too subtle. But with some butter and honey on it, my goodness it's delightful! Then around 3 I decided that maybe I should shower and brush my teeth. Better late than never. I spent a good deal of time dancing in my bathroom while getting ready for my night out. One of my biffles managed to score two free tickets to an early showing of Bridesmaids and oh my sweet Jesus I laughed through the entire thing. It is frickin hilarious. I definitely need to go back with my sisters in honor of the upcoming wedding. And I highly recommend that you all go see it when it comes out (you know, when the peasantry see movies. Not like us special folk, who see things a week early). It was playing at the Marina theater over on Chestnut, which is one of my favorite neighborhoods. I love the whole Marina district, but Chestnut is so pretty with all of it's shops and restaurants and there's always good people watching. Tonight especially, since it's Cinco de Mayo (congratulations, Mexico!) and the streets were pleasantly crowded with revelers in sombreros. After the movie got out we decided to walk around a bit and take in the sights. Then we started talking about Squat and Gobble (since there was one right down the street) and how neither of us had ever had a crepe! *Gasp!* It was 9:15 at this point so there was no way they were still open, right? WRONG! Not only were they open, but they were still serving! It was such a beautiful serendipity. I tell you, folks, the simple pleasures. One of my new years resolutions was to be more impulsive and so far it has not led me astray. It's mostly just led me to good food. I got the chicken pesto crepe and she got the "whole thing", which is a dessert crepe with nutella, bananas, cinnamon, walnuts, and I don't know what else but they were to die for. I didn't even realize until halfway through that I had effed up my gluten free diet. Shit! But it was tasty so I'm having a hard time feeling bad about it. I'll get back on the wagon tomorrow. Anyhow, I have to wake up in approximately 5 hours so I should really be getting to bed. And hopefully one of these days I'll actually have something exciting to share with you! Perhaps even a picture or two if you're lucky! Happy Friday and happy sunshine!
-LG
-LG
Candied Citrus Peels.
I may be half a week late on this bad boy but here 'tis! I found this on Allrecipes.com, so this is the recipe plus my added tips and failures. I will say that this particular recipe takes a lot of prep time. The cooking itself is easy, since you pretty much just let the peels do their thing. But the cutting and peeling is quite the process so make sure you have a large chunk of time set aside if you want to take these on. Also, go ahead and figure out what candied citrus peel is used for and how you would go about storing them. Then get back to me with what you find. Here we go!
For the lemon peels, you will need:
-3 whole lemons
-2 cups of water
-2 cups granulated sugar, or as needed
1. Slice the lemons into wedges.
2. With a spoon or knife, remove the pulp.
3. Now you should be left with the peel and a significant amount of white rind. The goal is to remove as much of the rind as possible. You basically want to be left with a thin sheet of yellow with no white rind at all if possible. The rind is what makes it especially bitter. So with a knife, cut away the rind.
4. If your lemon peels aren't already in thin strips, cut them so that they're about 1/2 inch wide.
5. In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil.
6. Once boiling, add your lemon peels and boil for about 5 minutes or until "tender", whatever the hell that means. I'm not gonna reach my hand into a pot of boiling water to test their tenderness.
7. With tongs, remove peels and set aside. Add sugar to water and bring back to a boil.
8. Place peels back in the boiling sugar-water and let boil until "transparent". The recipe didn't specify whether it meant once the liquid was transparent or once the peels were transparent. But I decided it meant once the peels were transparent. They won't go completely clear, obviously, but let them boil for a fair amount of time until they're thin and coated with a good amount of the syrup.
9. Once finished, remove peels from syrup and set aside to dry. The syrup can now be used as a simple lemon syrup.
For the oranges, it's the same process. I used 3 large navel oranges and that was too many, so 1 or 2 should be just fine. Removing the rind is just as important with the oranges. I found that the orange peels were tastier to eat plain than the lemon peels were. I also found that the orange sugar-water solution seemed to evaporate faster or more significantly than the lemon sugar-water did. This left me with much less, but much thicker, orange syrup than lemon syrup. In fact the orange syrup was thicker than honey and could have been made into orange suckers. I may have inadvertently used less water with the oranges, but I'm not sure.
Not wanting to waste the actual fruit, I made lemon compote and orange compote. The lemon compote has definite potential, but unfortunately this particular batch turned out much more sour than I realized. The orange compote was a straight up mistake and unless I can bake it into a batch of muffins or bread, I'll have to toss it. Or maybe I'll use it as a marinade. So many options, friends!
*Note: I wrote this on Wednesday and forgot to post it! I am so very sorry!*
For the lemon peels, you will need:
-3 whole lemons
-2 cups of water
-2 cups granulated sugar, or as needed
1. Slice the lemons into wedges.
2. With a spoon or knife, remove the pulp.
3. Now you should be left with the peel and a significant amount of white rind. The goal is to remove as much of the rind as possible. You basically want to be left with a thin sheet of yellow with no white rind at all if possible. The rind is what makes it especially bitter. So with a knife, cut away the rind.
4. If your lemon peels aren't already in thin strips, cut them so that they're about 1/2 inch wide.
5. In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil.
6. Once boiling, add your lemon peels and boil for about 5 minutes or until "tender", whatever the hell that means. I'm not gonna reach my hand into a pot of boiling water to test their tenderness.
7. With tongs, remove peels and set aside. Add sugar to water and bring back to a boil.
8. Place peels back in the boiling sugar-water and let boil until "transparent". The recipe didn't specify whether it meant once the liquid was transparent or once the peels were transparent. But I decided it meant once the peels were transparent. They won't go completely clear, obviously, but let them boil for a fair amount of time until they're thin and coated with a good amount of the syrup.
9. Once finished, remove peels from syrup and set aside to dry. The syrup can now be used as a simple lemon syrup.
For the oranges, it's the same process. I used 3 large navel oranges and that was too many, so 1 or 2 should be just fine. Removing the rind is just as important with the oranges. I found that the orange peels were tastier to eat plain than the lemon peels were. I also found that the orange sugar-water solution seemed to evaporate faster or more significantly than the lemon sugar-water did. This left me with much less, but much thicker, orange syrup than lemon syrup. In fact the orange syrup was thicker than honey and could have been made into orange suckers. I may have inadvertently used less water with the oranges, but I'm not sure.
Not wanting to waste the actual fruit, I made lemon compote and orange compote. The lemon compote has definite potential, but unfortunately this particular batch turned out much more sour than I realized. The orange compote was a straight up mistake and unless I can bake it into a batch of muffins or bread, I'll have to toss it. Or maybe I'll use it as a marinade. So many options, friends!
*Note: I wrote this on Wednesday and forgot to post it! I am so very sorry!*
5.03.2011
Once Again...
...let me apologize for not having the recipes posted in a timely manner! Between Alexa's midterms and my empty bank account, it has been difficult to stay perfectly on schedule. Why should being broke affect my cooking? Because until today, I hadn't grocery shopped in about two weeks. That's why. I can say that I did try a new recipe today (candied lemon and orange peels) and that I'm thinking I'll use that for last week's recipe. But I'll have to do that tomorrow because while it's a simple recipe, they do take me quite some time to write out. Plus I don't know what to do with them. Or how to store them. Or if they even need to be stored. I didn't get that far. So as of right now I have two plates of candied citrus peel kickin' it on my kitchen counter.
Today I spent the day sleeping in until 11 (which, sadly, isn't as satisfying as it was when I was in highschool), making a trip to Trader Joes, buying more weight than I can realistically carry, walking back to my apartment while trying to keep my produce and almond cookies from falling out of my ridiculously large canvas bag, candying peels, and discovering an overwhelming amount of beautiful music. It was a slow day, but it felt somewhat productive. I love being in the kitchen, and the more I'm in there, the more I love it. I should clarify. I love cooking in the kitchen. Cleaning the kitchen is not quite as meditative as cooking. But after spending $60 on groceries today, which is quite a bit more than I usually spend, I decided that if I'm going to spend money I'm going to spend it on food. If cooking makes me happy, and since I need to eat, then my money is better spent on food than it is on a pair of heels I'll only wear a few times. I suddenly just remembered that I need to do laundry. My clean underwear is at a critically low level...I digress. As I was saying, as long as I eat all the food I buy and waste as little as possible AND only buy food that I have a specific plan for, then I am okay with this new budget of mine.
In other news, the roommate search is going off without a hitch! Like gangbusters! I was about to list a third lil' cliche but none came to mind. Anyway, we posted the ad today and already got like 15 responses so shit just got real. It's kind of nerve wracking looking for new roommates. Living with someone is completely different from being their friend or acquaintance. But it's exciting, too, and I think we may have already found at least one person who fits the bill. I'll keep you updated! And with that I need to go get ready for bed. It's hump day tomorrow, hooray!
-LG
Today I spent the day sleeping in until 11 (which, sadly, isn't as satisfying as it was when I was in highschool), making a trip to Trader Joes, buying more weight than I can realistically carry, walking back to my apartment while trying to keep my produce and almond cookies from falling out of my ridiculously large canvas bag, candying peels, and discovering an overwhelming amount of beautiful music. It was a slow day, but it felt somewhat productive. I love being in the kitchen, and the more I'm in there, the more I love it. I should clarify. I love cooking in the kitchen. Cleaning the kitchen is not quite as meditative as cooking. But after spending $60 on groceries today, which is quite a bit more than I usually spend, I decided that if I'm going to spend money I'm going to spend it on food. If cooking makes me happy, and since I need to eat, then my money is better spent on food than it is on a pair of heels I'll only wear a few times. I suddenly just remembered that I need to do laundry. My clean underwear is at a critically low level...I digress. As I was saying, as long as I eat all the food I buy and waste as little as possible AND only buy food that I have a specific plan for, then I am okay with this new budget of mine.
In other news, the roommate search is going off without a hitch! Like gangbusters! I was about to list a third lil' cliche but none came to mind. Anyway, we posted the ad today and already got like 15 responses so shit just got real. It's kind of nerve wracking looking for new roommates. Living with someone is completely different from being their friend or acquaintance. But it's exciting, too, and I think we may have already found at least one person who fits the bill. I'll keep you updated! And with that I need to go get ready for bed. It's hump day tomorrow, hooray!
-LG
How To Be A Good Blogger...
...and why I suck at it.
It takes pictures, people. A lot of them. And good ones. You have to be the kind of person who carries their camera everywhere with them and takes pictures of every single detail that makes up your day. You also need a friend or boyfriend/girlfriend or sibling who happens to be available all the time to come with you on your various adventures and snap photos of you walking/eating/browsing/standing. This sounds like I'm being critical or sarcastic, and I swear I'm not. That's just the reality of the situation. And I am/have none of those things. There are times when I think "man I wish I had a camera right now", especially for beautiful views and architecture. But even when I do have a camera with me, I'm too busy enjoying the view to remember to take a picture of it. I like to just absorb my surroundings, experience my food, walk around the city, without having to interrupt my flow of activity and thought to capture it on camera. So for that I apologize. I can imagine that this little blog can feel pretty mundane, and seem like a place for me to ramble incessantly about god knows what. But I'm not going to lie, I enjoy the transition it's made from what it was in the beginning. It feels much more like me now, and less like the person that I was trying to be. It's a pretty accurate portrayal of the ways in which I've been changing over the past few months and it's been interesting for me to both watch and experience. I hope it's been interesting for you too.
As far as the next few months go, big changes are ahead! School is ending in two weeks, I'm done at my job at the end of May, preparations for my sister's wedding are getting much more serious and I'm thinking about possible sewing projects for things to wear while I frolic on the beach, my month with my grandpa gets closer and closer, and chances are that I'll be spending a great deal of time at my parent's place during the month of June. Why, you ask? Because chances are I'll have no money and therefore staying in my apartment full time would be...well, hungry. Either way, I cannot wait for this summer to officially begin! I had a little taste of it this past weekend hiking the Las Trampas hills with a friend and sitting out on the back porch with my parents and my sister eating chips and oranges. It was perfect and such a tease!
Anyhow, I need to go be productive and take advantage of the beautiful weather outside so off I go!
-LG
It takes pictures, people. A lot of them. And good ones. You have to be the kind of person who carries their camera everywhere with them and takes pictures of every single detail that makes up your day. You also need a friend or boyfriend/girlfriend or sibling who happens to be available all the time to come with you on your various adventures and snap photos of you walking/eating/browsing/standing. This sounds like I'm being critical or sarcastic, and I swear I'm not. That's just the reality of the situation. And I am/have none of those things. There are times when I think "man I wish I had a camera right now", especially for beautiful views and architecture. But even when I do have a camera with me, I'm too busy enjoying the view to remember to take a picture of it. I like to just absorb my surroundings, experience my food, walk around the city, without having to interrupt my flow of activity and thought to capture it on camera. So for that I apologize. I can imagine that this little blog can feel pretty mundane, and seem like a place for me to ramble incessantly about god knows what. But I'm not going to lie, I enjoy the transition it's made from what it was in the beginning. It feels much more like me now, and less like the person that I was trying to be. It's a pretty accurate portrayal of the ways in which I've been changing over the past few months and it's been interesting for me to both watch and experience. I hope it's been interesting for you too.
As far as the next few months go, big changes are ahead! School is ending in two weeks, I'm done at my job at the end of May, preparations for my sister's wedding are getting much more serious and I'm thinking about possible sewing projects for things to wear while I frolic on the beach, my month with my grandpa gets closer and closer, and chances are that I'll be spending a great deal of time at my parent's place during the month of June. Why, you ask? Because chances are I'll have no money and therefore staying in my apartment full time would be...well, hungry. Either way, I cannot wait for this summer to officially begin! I had a little taste of it this past weekend hiking the Las Trampas hills with a friend and sitting out on the back porch with my parents and my sister eating chips and oranges. It was perfect and such a tease!
Anyhow, I need to go be productive and take advantage of the beautiful weather outside so off I go!
-LG
Roommates Needed!
Roomie and I are officially on the hunt for two new roommates. We should have been a few weeks ago but we are slackers. Anyway, the craigslist ad has been posted, so we are in business. I'm gonna re post the ad here because you never know, future roomies 1 and 2 could be readers of this here blogular!
"Hi! We are two 20 year old female SFSU students living in a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment in Parkmerced and are currently looking for one or two female roommates, preferably in our age range, to take the second bedroom. Our monthly rent with 4 people is $450 plus utilities, Comcast, and PG&E. It never exceeds $500 total. For financial reasons, we prefer having two roommates as it makes the cost of rent more manageable. However, if one person wanted their own room and bathroom and didn’t mind covering the other half of the rent, we’re open to that too. The new tenant/s would start paying rent in June, since our current roommates will be moving out at the end of this month. We’re looking for a tenant/s to stay for the duration of the 2011/2012 school year.
We’re fun and laidback but keep a clean apartment. We’ve been trying to make our place more like home and like to treat it that way.
We want to meet with any prospective roommates in person and see if it would be a good fit and show you the apartment, so if this sounds like a place you’d be interested in, let us know!
-Lauren and Alyssa"
If anybody knows anyone in the San Francisco bay area looking for a place to live that's right off campus and the M line, let them know! You know how awesome I am, and Alyssa is just as cool. So seriously, spread the word!
-LG
"Hi! We are two 20 year old female SFSU students living in a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment in Parkmerced and are currently looking for one or two female roommates, preferably in our age range, to take the second bedroom. Our monthly rent with 4 people is $450 plus utilities, Comcast, and PG&E. It never exceeds $500 total. For financial reasons, we prefer having two roommates as it makes the cost of rent more manageable. However, if one person wanted their own room and bathroom and didn’t mind covering the other half of the rent, we’re open to that too. The new tenant/s would start paying rent in June, since our current roommates will be moving out at the end of this month. We’re looking for a tenant/s to stay for the duration of the 2011/2012 school year.
We’re fun and laidback but keep a clean apartment. We’ve been trying to make our place more like home and like to treat it that way.
We want to meet with any prospective roommates in person and see if it would be a good fit and show you the apartment, so if this sounds like a place you’d be interested in, let us know!
-Lauren and Alyssa"
If anybody knows anyone in the San Francisco bay area looking for a place to live that's right off campus and the M line, let them know! You know how awesome I am, and Alyssa is just as cool. So seriously, spread the word!
-LG
5.01.2011
Went To See The Gypsy...
...and she told me I was destined to work in retail.
Just kidding, there is no gypsy. But I'm telling you, folks, I am way too good at customer service and it's freaking me out. Normally my job in the bookstore consists of standing for hours while reading magazines and folding shirts, and occasionally ringing up a customer (when people actually decide to come in the store, which isn't that often). When I do interact with customers, I love it. For the most part. A lot of them are my age, don't know how to make eye contact, and apparently never learned that when a cashier's hand is extended to them with palm raised, it means "put your money here". Not "toss your money on the counter while grunting". But do I get ornery with those little bastards? No I do not. I smile. I take their currency. I handle their purchases with care and ask if they're familiar with our return policy. No? I explain it in detail, but with few words. Because that's what customers like. I would know. I've been one before. But I digress. The point is, an average day at the bookstore doesn't provide me with too many opportunities to flex my customer service muscles. But Friday and yesterday were not your average day. Graduation is just around the corner, so USF holds a Grad Fair. They shouldn't call it this, as the word "Fair" connotes rides, games, bounce houses, and alcohol. This Grad Fair is more of a "free coffee and mini muffins in a multipurpose room that has tables for you to sign up for the Alumni Association, get your graduation tickets, pick up your cap and gown, and purchase landfill teddy bears and license plate borders from the bookstore table". But I'm okay with this ridiculous tradition because it means that I get to sell diploma frames to the proud and excited graduates. First of all, the Grad Fair is awesome because it includes free food and drink all day. Second of all, it means sitting around with my coworkers (way more employees working this thing than necessary, my manager's MO) talking nonsense for seven hours. Third of all, it means I get to kick some customer service ass. I don't know what it is, but I get a high from this crap. I love explaining why the Windsor finish frame with the medallion costs $25 more than the Classic finish frame with the embossed stamp. I love reminding them that the frames for the Master diplomas are going to be considerably larger than the Bachelor frames, and that yes PhD and Master are the same size. I love informing them that if they order today, shipping is free. And normally it's $35 dollars so it really is a deal. But of course, frames are always available in the bookstore if they're not quite ready to purchase today. I sicken myself. But damn I'm good. I sold the shit out of those frames. I'm not trying to sound cocky, I'm just telling it like it is.
In all honesty, though, I need a new job. I intend to get a new one in August when I'm back in the city, preferably one closer to where I live or closer to City College in order to lessen my weekly commute. But it has got to be a job where I'm working with people. Not in theory. Actual face-to-face, assisting the customer, working with people. Did I mention that I have fantastic phone presence? Because I do. That's an aside. I want a job that keeps me busy enough to keep my eyes off the clock. I want a job where I get to work with an awesome bunch of people. I want a job that will keep me thinking and engaged. I want a job that has windows so that I can actually see the sun and not just imagine that it's there. No more basements or back rooms for me. Put it out into the universe for me, readers. I'm counting on you.
-LG
Just kidding, there is no gypsy. But I'm telling you, folks, I am way too good at customer service and it's freaking me out. Normally my job in the bookstore consists of standing for hours while reading magazines and folding shirts, and occasionally ringing up a customer (when people actually decide to come in the store, which isn't that often). When I do interact with customers, I love it. For the most part. A lot of them are my age, don't know how to make eye contact, and apparently never learned that when a cashier's hand is extended to them with palm raised, it means "put your money here". Not "toss your money on the counter while grunting". But do I get ornery with those little bastards? No I do not. I smile. I take their currency. I handle their purchases with care and ask if they're familiar with our return policy. No? I explain it in detail, but with few words. Because that's what customers like. I would know. I've been one before. But I digress. The point is, an average day at the bookstore doesn't provide me with too many opportunities to flex my customer service muscles. But Friday and yesterday were not your average day. Graduation is just around the corner, so USF holds a Grad Fair. They shouldn't call it this, as the word "Fair" connotes rides, games, bounce houses, and alcohol. This Grad Fair is more of a "free coffee and mini muffins in a multipurpose room that has tables for you to sign up for the Alumni Association, get your graduation tickets, pick up your cap and gown, and purchase landfill teddy bears and license plate borders from the bookstore table". But I'm okay with this ridiculous tradition because it means that I get to sell diploma frames to the proud and excited graduates. First of all, the Grad Fair is awesome because it includes free food and drink all day. Second of all, it means sitting around with my coworkers (way more employees working this thing than necessary, my manager's MO) talking nonsense for seven hours. Third of all, it means I get to kick some customer service ass. I don't know what it is, but I get a high from this crap. I love explaining why the Windsor finish frame with the medallion costs $25 more than the Classic finish frame with the embossed stamp. I love reminding them that the frames for the Master diplomas are going to be considerably larger than the Bachelor frames, and that yes PhD and Master are the same size. I love informing them that if they order today, shipping is free. And normally it's $35 dollars so it really is a deal. But of course, frames are always available in the bookstore if they're not quite ready to purchase today. I sicken myself. But damn I'm good. I sold the shit out of those frames. I'm not trying to sound cocky, I'm just telling it like it is.
In all honesty, though, I need a new job. I intend to get a new one in August when I'm back in the city, preferably one closer to where I live or closer to City College in order to lessen my weekly commute. But it has got to be a job where I'm working with people. Not in theory. Actual face-to-face, assisting the customer, working with people. Did I mention that I have fantastic phone presence? Because I do. That's an aside. I want a job that keeps me busy enough to keep my eyes off the clock. I want a job where I get to work with an awesome bunch of people. I want a job that will keep me thinking and engaged. I want a job that has windows so that I can actually see the sun and not just imagine that it's there. No more basements or back rooms for me. Put it out into the universe for me, readers. I'm counting on you.
-LG
Out Like A Lamb.
I know that it's March, and not April, that's "In like a lion, out like a lamb". But the last day of April was as soft and sweet as any day in March could hope to be. I stepped outside on my way to work and was immediately overcome with feelings of gratitude. The sun was warm, the breeze was mild, and everything smelled like Jasmine. Which happens to be one of my favorite scents. I'm very aware of the fact that I will never forget this Spring. The past few months have been pivotal for me; so many things have changed in a short period of time. I keep trying to think of ways to verbalize it. I want to make a list of all the things that have changed, and of all the good that's come with waking up from a 20 year long Winter. But it's a long list. And it's 1:07 AM. This was supposed to be a waaay cooler post. Much more informative. And much more poetic. It's the thought that counts, right?
-LG
-LG
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