It feels so good to get this off my chest.

I’ve been reading a lot about blogs lately (not reading blogs, mind you. Reading about them.) It reminds me of a quote from a writing class in college. “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” Reading about blogs is like writing about music. You need to put down the paper and pen and just experience it. One of the things I love most about the internet is its ability to suck you in and take you in any direction, like a Choose Your Own Adventure. I could be reading about a certain TV show, check out Wikipedia to see what it’s about, then go to IMDB.com to see who’s in it and where I may have seen them before. I could ultimately find the best scone recipe on the planet, whether it’s from Serious Eats, Epicurious, or a trusted food blogger who has tried several recipes and figured out what works the best.

Lately at work, I’m confronted with an unexpected challenge. I have to teach people who are decades older than me how to use something that feels like second nature to me. I had my first blog when I studied abroad in 2005. I had my first email address at age 13. Upload and download are two completely different actions, as hardware and software have different jobs. Acronyms are specific and not interchangeable. PDF, jpg, URL, etc. Tech support now only requires an English BA and lots of patience.

Six months ago when I wrote my “About Me” section, I promised to keep the work gripes to a minimum. I’m sorry. I don’t like being other people’s tech support. And my work computer is also slow. <end of gripes>

I won tickets from the Current for an exclusive in-studio performance. Who said compulsive redialing while at work doesn’t pay off??

Rox and I were lucky (or ballsy?) enough to snag front row seats!! We’re not hard to spot. (also see Rox’s photos here)

Since my life is slowly becoming more and more immersed in books (especially children’s), I think this quote from Dr. Suess is very fitting for a time like this.

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind, don’t matter and those who matter, don’t mind.

On a sort-of related note, I’ll be traveling to Iowa City next week to see the Hold Steady and visit some of our old haunts. What a great start to the birthday week!

The coming of spring is about new life. Snow is melting, puddles are forming, bulbs are sprouting (as Jake S. identified as we walked the streets of Chicago this past weekend). This season ties with fall for my favorite. I love me some jeans and t-shirts, cool breezes, and sunsets I can stand outside long enough to appreciate.

The new life of spring also relates to food, as you could have guessed. Now is the time for baby lettuces, baby vegetables, asparagus, artichokes, peas, strawberries, and most other produce that can be described as “adorable.” Though my CSA box won’t come until June, I’m looking forward to getting my fill of seasonal goodies until they’re gone, then moving on to the next batch. Expect some episodes from my personal version of Iron Chef, in which I experiment with various vegetables I’ve never cooked with or even tasted before.

Until those new vegetables arrive, I invite you to consider the egg. It’s one of my favorite foods, as it can be fried, scrambled, souffled, omeletted, quiched, hard boiled, poached, and most importantly, benedicted. Eggs are cheap (recession!) and can feed one or many. And what’s more literally a symbol of new life?

Are you like me and think of your mother when you cook eggs? Not for thatreason, but I think of her scrambled eggs with salsa or this wacky container she used to poach her eggs in the microwave (blech). On a whim, I poached my own eggs on the stovetop and it worked splendidly. I followed Smitten Kitchen’s instructions and am no longer intimidated by the delicate orb that is a poached egg.

I’ll also share my favorite recipe for egg salad, which reminds me of college. I was studying abroad in Florence, the motherland of cuisine, and I remember eating my roommate Sarah’s simple egg salad with mayo and oregano. It was so simple, easy, and familiar in a city where food shopping was overwhelming. Our Aldi-like supermarket had a decent selection, but the language barrier prevented us from being 100% sure of what we were buying. You could come home with what you thought was yogurt, but was actually some other gloppy possibly-dairy product.

When I came home from Italy, I briefly worked at a catering company/deli which ended up closing (long story) but it served this delicious egg salad. The owner said she made up the recipe, but it was pretty much a carbon copy of Sara Moulton’s recipe on Food Network. It’s a flavor combination that works unexpectedly well. It can be made into fancy finger sandwiches or served over salad, or eaten right out of the plastic bowl you made it in.

Fancypants Egg Salad
Adapted from the Food Network, not the crazy lady I worked for

6 hard-boiled large eggs, peeled
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons drained capers, rinsed and finely chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Mash eggs coarsely with a fork, then stir in shallot, tarragon, capers, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 3 heaping servings.

Other egg salad variations: mayo and curry powder, mayo and mustard, chopped celery or pickles, pretty much whatever catches your fancy.

On the bright side (because there is always a bright side), Valentine’s weekend was quite the love-fest. Yes, Jake did get me flowers and we went out to brunch at the Red Stag, but also we went out with some friends and saw an amazing show at the Entry. The highlight was Lucy Michelle (and one of her Velvet Lapelles backing her up.) I’d never seen her before, but she is the current sweetheart of the Twin Cities’ music scene. And the girl can out-whistle Andrew Bird AND she sang a version of “Not in Nottingham” from the animated Robin Hood (with foxes!) In addition to the wonderful set by Lucy, Big Trouble kept her up on stage for their set of all. cover. songs. All about love! It was so much fun and a great way to spend Valentine’s eve. (Chris Koza played after Big Trouble, but I wasn’t really feeling it. I mean, how can you top a cover of “I Will Always Love You” on Valentine’s Day?)

The next day, Jake and I discovered this unusual stew recipe. I’ll call it Reuben Stew, since it’s enhanced by sauerkraut and resembles a pale orange thousand island dressing. If you or someone you love loves reubens, then you should definitely try this.

I’ve decided to do one new thing each weekend (not necessarily cooking), mainly to better myself and my life, make Spring arrive a little faster, and also to curb the addiction to Civilization IV. I’m not ashamed to admit that thing can do some major time-suckage. Earlier this month, the new thing was baking scones. I don’t know where the craving came from, since I prefer savory to sweet in the morning, but these were the perfect amount of sweet and buttery. Almost as perfect as the scones Margee and I enjoyed at the British Museum at tea time. I’ve never been able to find clotted cream since, and I doubt it would taste as perfect as it did then.

All of my scone research emphasized the delicacy of the dough. Over-mixing was a huge no-no, so I literally counted out how many turns the spatula made. Five. Then how many seconds to knead the barely-mixed dough. Ten. I was making the scones for a potluck brunch, so I couldn’t take any chances of messing up, especially given my baking track record. I’m happy to say that these turned out wonderfully. Unlike any scone found at a coffeeshop (cough bricks cough). Slightly sweet, with the perfect amount of crumble and flake. And really easy. Easy enough that I want to keep heavy cream on-hand more often (as long as I share the scones, of course…)

Berry Cream Scones
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it from America’s Test Kitchen

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder (different than baking soda, mind you)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of cinnamon
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup dried berries (I used mixed berries and chopped them a bit)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.

Place flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl and whisk together until just blended (about six times).

Use your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in berries.

Stir in heavy cream and vanilla with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, at the most, 30 seconds. I stirred just 5 times and it turned out beautifully.

Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Form scones by cutting the dough into 8 wedges with either a knife or bench scraper.

Place wedges on ungreased baking sheet, dust with sugar if you would like, and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

A comfort food recipe that’s always been in the back of my mind was pasta alla vodka. I remember having it at our family friend Lynn’s apartment in Chicago. I was still in my picky eater stage, but Lynn let me “help” cook the sauce and served it with her delicious garlic bread. Years later, I read a similar recipe on Smitten Kitchen, borrowed from Rachael Ray. I generally wouldn’t trust RR to help me recreate homey nostalgic dishes, but this time, SK’s endorsement convinced me. The sauce turned out richer than I remembered, almost like tomato basil soup. Heavy cream is amazing like that. The vodka adds a unique layer of flavor to the sauce that I can’t quite put my finger on. We ate it with long spaghetti, but it’s one of those sauces that would work better with a short noodle like penne or rotini.

RR named this dish “You Won’t Be Single For Long” Vodka Cream Pasta, but let’s not start any rumors. I made it for Jake and he liked it. That’s the only thing to report about that.

Pasta alla Vodka
serves 6

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
about half a yellow onion, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
16 ounces pasta, such as penne
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 T chopped fresh basil
grated parmesan

Boil water in a large pot. Add pasta when boiling.

Heat a large, high-sided skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and onions. Gently saute onions for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan and reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Serve hot and top with parmesan. And of course, it makes excellent leftovers.

Lately, I’ve been astounded at how many blogs exist. Especially food blogs. I check them like most people check the stock market or sports stats. And so many of these blogs make me think, I should have thought of that! I mean, Ezra Pound Cake?? I stole my blog title from a freakin’ TV show! Other new blogs in my Google reader include The White House Blog (so informative!) and Design*Sponge (so pretty!).

As you know, it’s now officially awards season. The internet is a-buzz about the Oscars, the Newbery and Caldecott Medals (for children’s books), and several other awards that come around at the end of a calendar year. The Well-Fed Network (basically a network of food blogs) announced the winners of the 2008 Food Blog Awards. I’m really happy that Smitten Kitchen won in the writing category. I thoroughly enjoy Deb’s recipes and photos, and she has a natural way of writing like she’s actually talking to me. This is especially useful when it comes to cooking and you need some reassurance or some flat-out encouragement. Another one of my faves, the Kitchn, won for Best Group blog, which is no surprise since Apartment Therapy has a great network of blog contributors. Their postings are concise, cover a wide range of topics, and have introduced a lot of new concepts to me.

There’s still time to vote for the 2009 Bloggies, which honors blogs in a variety of categories. I voted for the blogs I honestly read, and also found a lot of blogs I want to check out. I encourage you to browse through the categories and see what’s out there.

And JAG, er, I mean, all you readers in Chicago should check out The Printed Blog, a controversial new endeavor bringing printed articles from blogs to commuters, kind of like a newspaper. I’m torn, it’s rather wasteful compared to actual blogs, but it gets information to those who might not otherwise come across a blog. It’s probably intended to comfort the few who are used to reading an actual paper. Let me know what you think.

Look at that, I’m informing the masses! Could there be a Bloggie in my future? Not with headings like that. Oh well.

We have a new President.

I was lucky enough to take a break from working and watch the Inauguration ceremony with my co-workers in a conference room.

And for those of you curious as to what everyone ate at the Inaugural Lunch, both the NYT and Epicurious were kind enough to post details on the menu (which included mac and cheese for the kids! That’s what I had!!)

The Menu

Appetizer
Seafood stew in puff pastry including scallops, shrimp and lobster
(Abe loved seafood)

Main course
“Brace of American Birds (pheasant and duck)” served with sour-cherry chutney and molasses sweet potatoes
(Abe ate root vegetables and wild game as a child in Indiana)

Dessert
Apple cinnamon sponge cake and sweet cream glacé
(Abe liked apples)

Recipes are available.

Photo credit to this ragazzo via a Google search.

Hats off to Rox for posting this quote on her blog a couple of weeks ago. Sometimes, I feel so uncreative, I don’t even know where to start. I’m surrounded by creative people every day and I marvel at their ability to generate ideas, create beautiful works of art, or make useful objects. Hell, even pick out interesting outfits. How can I be more creative? What is my art?

Duh. Cooking. And this blog. How I have forgotten thee. I have been busy cooking since the new year began, especially thanks to my new immersion blender that Jake gave me. Now I can fearlessly blend soups right in the pot! And a big batch of soup makes for excellent lunches. I made the Balthazar mushroom soup from SK, which would have been impossible without the new appliance. A word to the wise, blending hot liquids in a blender is dangerous and quite the hassle. An immersion blender pretty much replaces a regular blender. It’s less to clean and can be used right in pots and dishes. None of that “puree-in-batches” crap. I’ll never eat chunky soup again.

Brown bag this

Today, feeling a little more willing to work, I wanted to take on a bigger project than just saute, heat, and blend. I awoke with a bit of a headache and felt like escaping from everyday responsibilities, like laundry. After stealing a box of elbow macaroni from Jake’s house, I decided baked mac and cheese would be perfect. And ooooh was I right.

Pretty much every celebrity chef has their own recipe for M&C, but I went to the Holy Grail of Martha since I’m new at this. Plus her recipe calls for things you’re more likely to have at home. I cut a few corners, like using medium cheddar, parmesan, and wheat bread, but overall the dish was great. Next time, I’ll plan ahead and use a more pungent cheese and maybe bread crumbs instead of cubes.

Warning: this makes A LOT. I halved the recipe, fed myself, Jake, and Roxie, and have enough for three generous lunches.

Martha’s Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 12. You’ve been warned.

6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.

4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer’s directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

ENJOY! You have just created a masterpiece.

Now go for a walk or run a few flights of stairs. Which reminds me, I should get to that laundry.

The recipe of the moment is for caramelized onions. It’s more of a method than a recipe, since you can take this and run with it. (“Teach someone to fish…”) I like to add CO to grilled cheese, pasta, brussels sprouts, or eggs. The possibilities are endless. Add garlic, or thyme, or sugar, or balsamic vinegar, and probably a whole lot of other things I haven’t even thought of. I decided to emulate the Pioneer Woman, so here is how to make CO in photographic steps.

Start with onions and butter.

Dice into medium to small…dices.

Melt a tablespoon or two in a pan.

Coat the onions in butter.

Set the heat to medium-low and cover the pan.

Set a timer for 20 mins. Slow and low is essential.

Stir occasionally.

After about 20 mins, they should be evenly brown.

Here’s the finished grilled cheese with Vermont white cheddar, CO, and a simple french bread. Perfection.