After closing down my kitchen at 10:15 on a Saturday night, after a full day of cooking--the Chicken Cacciatore turned out amazing--a friend humorously pointed out, if all I do these days is cook for people and work out, how is it that I'm still single? (Especially given the fact that I fully intend on having sex everyday once I'm in a relationship.) Haha, my friend was right--isn't that every man's dream? ;) Ahh, well...
Now, about that Chicken Cacciatore...I started with a jar of Paul Newman's Cabernet Marinara sauce, which is my favorite--some of the others taste a little weird, I think. I let that simmer on the stove for about half an hour, and added some garlic, fresh basil leaves, mushrooms and onions. I peeled the meat off a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, and tossed it into a large pan. Then, I added two chopped onions, 10 oz. chopped mushrooms, a can of diced tomatoes and 3 tbsp. of olive oil. It was looking thick, so after it simmered for awhile, I poured in some chicken broth. It cooked it until the sauce started to burn around the edges of the pot, my favorite, and it was absolutely to die for. This will freeze well, and just get better and better as the week goes on. Can't wait!
So, apart from my cooking, I've been busy making a major life decision! ASAP, I'm going to apply to photography school at Ohio University in Athens, OH. I read awhile back about their School of Visual Communications, which sounds top-notch, and I balked at the fact that it was in Ohio. But, after visiting the website and being totally blown away by some of the student work, I read up on Athens. It's a cute little town, and by little, I mean the nearest Whole Foods, Target, and Ann Taylor Loft (the three stores I can't do without) are a little over an hour away...but that's ok. They have a cute downtown area and lots of outdoorsy things to do...Burlington, VT is echoing through my head. It's very dog-friendly, and they have a vibrant arts scene, lots of local grocery stores, farmers markets, shops and restaurants. Plus, Ohio University was rated by US News and World Report to be one of the top ten most attractive campuses in the nation, which is important if you're going to be taking a lot of pictures. Also, get this, in Ohio, they have four distinct seasons! I've heard of this...but haven't ever actually lived in a place that had them. DC this past year was just really cold...and then really hot. Oh, except for the rainy season. Well, that's actually not been so much a "season" as it has rained almost everyday, but that's not important.
Anyway, it's taken me a long time to realize that I want to do photography, and I know it's going to be a challenge to make a living at it, but that is something that working a desk job for the past six months has made me ready to accept. I don't like sitting around all day--being sentient. It sucks the life out of me. Not to sound depressing, though. I know this track will make me very, very happy and leave me feeling fulfilled everyday. I'm still planning to learn Arabic, as much as I can, and, as a photographer, as far as choosing places where I'd want to travel, my main interest will definitely be the Middle East and North Africa. I just won't be caught up in the racket of the Middle East Studies degree, which may or may not be useful in ten years, whereas photography is forever.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
That Do-Nut is Mocking Me
As I mentioned earlier, I've been doing a lot of cooking lately, and I feel the need to brag about my creations. :) (Keep in mind that, with the exception of a few months after I moved into my first kitchen, I, up until about a month ago, considered sloppy joes on crackers to be a quality, home-cooked meal.)
On Wednesday, I made a chicken salsa verde with a sour cream sauce, sprinkled with feta. I'm not eating carbs right now, so this is an excellent dish because the salsa verde sauce (I used Ortega) is very low in carbs. Heated up, it makes a quick, filling breakfast, if you can stomach chicken in the morning. (I can stomach anything, anyime.) As with most things, I think this would be delicious served on a bed of arugula.
Earlier in the week, I bought a pound of frozen, cooked shrimp from Giant and could hardly choke them down...I didn't think there could be so much of a difference between farm-raise and wild-caught shrimp, but, boy, was I wrong...yesterday, after work, I bought a couple of pounds of frozen, uncooked "pink pearl" shrimp caught in the Florida Keys. They were delicious, and their attractive pink color made handling them so much easier to stomach. They didn't even smell bad!
They turned out delicious, and, after thawing, I cooked them in olive oil with sea salt and ground pepper. Last night, I made a black bean sauce, with avocado, lime juice, cumin and chipotle seasoning. I served this warm, and made a cold avocado, onion and orange salsa to go with it. I sprinkled feta and fresh tomatoes on top, and served on a bed of arugula. This has been my most delicious creation, and I would absolutely serve it at a dinner party.
I'm planning to spend the weekend cooking...between a friend's visit, a few too many trips to Ann Taylor Loft, buying a bed, and the impulse purchase of a fabulous mirrored side table, I have about $250 to last me until the 15th of September! That means no nomming out...which is sad, and will be quite a feat if I can pull it off, since nomming out is my absolute favorite! However, I'm feeling equally excited about the meals I'm planning to cook. I've spent the week purusing Epicurious and Williams Sonoma for recipes. I'm planning to cook 3-4 low fat meat dishes that will freeze well, so I can easily bring my lunch to work. If I can start curing the tagine tonight, (you have to soak new tagines in water for twenty-four hours before using them, or else they will crack) then I will make tagine kefta, or Moroccan Meatballs. Additionally, I'm planning to make Chicken Cacciatore with Roasted Garlic Sauce, Chicken in Carmelized Onion and Merlot Sauce, and 6 Hour Chili. It's supposed to rain all weekend, so I can't wait to curl up on the couch with a book and waft in that delicious chili smell.
And...while we're on the subject of cooking, let's just take a few moments to make fun of ourselves. ;)
On Wednesday, I made a chicken salsa verde with a sour cream sauce, sprinkled with feta. I'm not eating carbs right now, so this is an excellent dish because the salsa verde sauce (I used Ortega) is very low in carbs. Heated up, it makes a quick, filling breakfast, if you can stomach chicken in the morning. (I can stomach anything, anyime.) As with most things, I think this would be delicious served on a bed of arugula.
Earlier in the week, I bought a pound of frozen, cooked shrimp from Giant and could hardly choke them down...I didn't think there could be so much of a difference between farm-raise and wild-caught shrimp, but, boy, was I wrong...yesterday, after work, I bought a couple of pounds of frozen, uncooked "pink pearl" shrimp caught in the Florida Keys. They were delicious, and their attractive pink color made handling them so much easier to stomach. They didn't even smell bad!
They turned out delicious, and, after thawing, I cooked them in olive oil with sea salt and ground pepper. Last night, I made a black bean sauce, with avocado, lime juice, cumin and chipotle seasoning. I served this warm, and made a cold avocado, onion and orange salsa to go with it. I sprinkled feta and fresh tomatoes on top, and served on a bed of arugula. This has been my most delicious creation, and I would absolutely serve it at a dinner party.
I'm planning to spend the weekend cooking...between a friend's visit, a few too many trips to Ann Taylor Loft, buying a bed, and the impulse purchase of a fabulous mirrored side table, I have about $250 to last me until the 15th of September! That means no nomming out...which is sad, and will be quite a feat if I can pull it off, since nomming out is my absolute favorite! However, I'm feeling equally excited about the meals I'm planning to cook. I've spent the week purusing Epicurious and Williams Sonoma for recipes. I'm planning to cook 3-4 low fat meat dishes that will freeze well, so I can easily bring my lunch to work. If I can start curing the tagine tonight, (you have to soak new tagines in water for twenty-four hours before using them, or else they will crack) then I will make tagine kefta, or Moroccan Meatballs. Additionally, I'm planning to make Chicken Cacciatore with Roasted Garlic Sauce, Chicken in Carmelized Onion and Merlot Sauce, and 6 Hour Chili. It's supposed to rain all weekend, so I can't wait to curl up on the couch with a book and waft in that delicious chili smell.
And...while we're on the subject of cooking, let's just take a few moments to make fun of ourselves. ;)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
And, oh yeah, I'm not a slut.
The other day someone told me that they thought getting into a relationship meant "losing options." Now, I don't know if this person meant "options" as in the ability to date a bunch of people at one time or if they meant "options" as life choices. I took it as the latter, but I often misinterpret things, so I guess I'll assume they meant both.
Question--aren't we supposed to have relationships? Isn't that kind of what it's all based on? Also, maybe I live in a fucked up city, or maybe it's just a fucked up time, but it seems like the majority of people I come across are very anti-relationship. They say they want it "at some point," but, over the past couple of years, I've watched people actively turn down opportunities for relationships. I try not to judge, but this really, really saddens me. I was raised to value commitment more than anything, and I often find myself wondering what the point of dating is if you're not seeking a relationship and marriage. As I relay my dating experiences to my mother, she is constantly astounded by the amount of "emotional baggage" people carry around that keeps them from having functional relationships. She tells me that it didn't "used" to be this way. I can't help but wonder (yeah, the Bradshaw reference) if she's right, or if her experiences and those of her friends were simply more pleasant than mine--perhaps it's only me that attracts the emotional fuckwits!
I've always known, since I was about 14, that I wanted a relationship, that I wanted to marry young. I just never said so. I think, back then, and even more so now, that there is a stigma attached to wanting those traditions. People tend to think you're weird. As I get older, though, the amount that I care about other people's opinions decreases more and more.
On my profile on a dating website I belong to, I've asked people not to message me if their heart isn't open to a relationship. "If I had a dollar for every time I've heard the phrase 'I'm not ready for a relationship,' then I would probably be able to buy myself a sweet pair of Manolos!" Guess how many messages I've gotten since I included that caveat in my profile? ;) (A grand total of zero.)
During the first few months I lived in DC, I had a date just about every week. I feel like I've matured about ten years since then. I've defined what I'm looking for and figured out what characteristics I want in a significant other. It's kind of like the Google "advanced search" feature. And, innocent dating is fun, I totally agree. It gives you an excuse to buy cute outfits and make-up! However, after the few months that it took me to "refine my search," I realized that I just don't have the patience to sit through another mediocre date. I'm ready for someone to sweep me off my feet, not invite me to sit on a park bench and watch Family Guy on their iPod in the freezing rain. For me, falling in love doesn't equate lost options, it opens a world of new ones!
Question--aren't we supposed to have relationships? Isn't that kind of what it's all based on? Also, maybe I live in a fucked up city, or maybe it's just a fucked up time, but it seems like the majority of people I come across are very anti-relationship. They say they want it "at some point," but, over the past couple of years, I've watched people actively turn down opportunities for relationships. I try not to judge, but this really, really saddens me. I was raised to value commitment more than anything, and I often find myself wondering what the point of dating is if you're not seeking a relationship and marriage. As I relay my dating experiences to my mother, she is constantly astounded by the amount of "emotional baggage" people carry around that keeps them from having functional relationships. She tells me that it didn't "used" to be this way. I can't help but wonder (yeah, the Bradshaw reference) if she's right, or if her experiences and those of her friends were simply more pleasant than mine--perhaps it's only me that attracts the emotional fuckwits!
I've always known, since I was about 14, that I wanted a relationship, that I wanted to marry young. I just never said so. I think, back then, and even more so now, that there is a stigma attached to wanting those traditions. People tend to think you're weird. As I get older, though, the amount that I care about other people's opinions decreases more and more.
On my profile on a dating website I belong to, I've asked people not to message me if their heart isn't open to a relationship. "If I had a dollar for every time I've heard the phrase 'I'm not ready for a relationship,' then I would probably be able to buy myself a sweet pair of Manolos!" Guess how many messages I've gotten since I included that caveat in my profile? ;) (A grand total of zero.)
During the first few months I lived in DC, I had a date just about every week. I feel like I've matured about ten years since then. I've defined what I'm looking for and figured out what characteristics I want in a significant other. It's kind of like the Google "advanced search" feature. And, innocent dating is fun, I totally agree. It gives you an excuse to buy cute outfits and make-up! However, after the few months that it took me to "refine my search," I realized that I just don't have the patience to sit through another mediocre date. I'm ready for someone to sweep me off my feet, not invite me to sit on a park bench and watch Family Guy on their iPod in the freezing rain. For me, falling in love doesn't equate lost options, it opens a world of new ones!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Mastering the Art of...?
So, I'm pretty much the worst blogger ever, but several books I've read recently have inspired me to pick this back up again.
I'm like the last person on earth to read Julie & Julia, by Julie Powell, who, for a year, cooked every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking...I always prided myself on being pretty fearless in the kitchen, (i.e., I'm not afraid to touch raw meat...although I screamed just a little bit recently, after unwrapping raw salmon and seeing that it was covered with SCALES on the other side, and is only that pretty, healthy pink color on the top) but, my god...I read on the Metro this morning about cooking the feet of young calves...I'm from Texas, and will never be a vegetarian, but, even I have to say, that almost turned ME! However, I'm excited to discover that this lovely book is being turned into a movie for release next year.
I've been doing quite a bit of cooking myself lately, and recently ordered a Moroccan tagine, in which I'm planning to make tagine kefta, or Moroccan Meatballs, which I ate, very authentically, straight out of the tagine under the starry sky in a rural village in the Rif Mountains. I don't expect to master Moroccan bread making anytime soon, mainly because I'm not planning to even make an attempt! My kefta will taste just as delicious on a baguette from Whole Foods!
A major theme in Julie & Julia is the "healing" quality of cooking. She takes on this project in order to distract herself from her dead-end job, looming thirtieth birthday, and the fact that she might not be able to have a baby. Basically, her story is a reminder that having a successful relationship is not always the key to happiness, which is something I feel I've been forgetting just recently. The best advice I've ever taken is in Elizabeth Wurtzel's The Secret of Life, which talks about the importance of having hobbies and interests, no. matter. what. I've recently discovered that work, dating, shopping and going drinking with friends (although absolutely fabulous) are NOT hobbies! There needs to be "more," and I'm absolutely devastated over the fact that I've hardly touched my camera since I moved out here...which is sort of why this is going to become a blog of all things, rather than just food and nomming!
I'm like the last person on earth to read Julie & Julia, by Julie Powell, who, for a year, cooked every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking...I always prided myself on being pretty fearless in the kitchen, (i.e., I'm not afraid to touch raw meat...although I screamed just a little bit recently, after unwrapping raw salmon and seeing that it was covered with SCALES on the other side, and is only that pretty, healthy pink color on the top) but, my god...I read on the Metro this morning about cooking the feet of young calves...I'm from Texas, and will never be a vegetarian, but, even I have to say, that almost turned ME! However, I'm excited to discover that this lovely book is being turned into a movie for release next year.
I've been doing quite a bit of cooking myself lately, and recently ordered a Moroccan tagine, in which I'm planning to make tagine kefta, or Moroccan Meatballs, which I ate, very authentically, straight out of the tagine under the starry sky in a rural village in the Rif Mountains. I don't expect to master Moroccan bread making anytime soon, mainly because I'm not planning to even make an attempt! My kefta will taste just as delicious on a baguette from Whole Foods!
A major theme in Julie & Julia is the "healing" quality of cooking. She takes on this project in order to distract herself from her dead-end job, looming thirtieth birthday, and the fact that she might not be able to have a baby. Basically, her story is a reminder that having a successful relationship is not always the key to happiness, which is something I feel I've been forgetting just recently. The best advice I've ever taken is in Elizabeth Wurtzel's The Secret of Life, which talks about the importance of having hobbies and interests, no. matter. what. I've recently discovered that work, dating, shopping and going drinking with friends (although absolutely fabulous) are NOT hobbies! There needs to be "more," and I'm absolutely devastated over the fact that I've hardly touched my camera since I moved out here...which is sort of why this is going to become a blog of all things, rather than just food and nomming!
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