My Ritual

Best pre-wine-class pick me up in the hood.

Lotus Garden

Some quality vietnamese in the 707.

Rare beef phở. Crisp and fresh vegetables and herbs, soup not glistening and gloating with orbs of  ominous liquid yellow fat. 

Char siu (bbq pork) banh mi

spring rolls and jasmine tea; two items that are usually mediocre. They were surprisingly excellent here.

An English Delicacy?

Well this must be the day for random disgusting food. This was in the grocery store next to the can of treacle tart filling, with which I am only familiar via Harry Potter food references.

Narsty.

Glutinous Pickles

An item like this truly tests your culinary adventurousness ... would you or wouldn't you?

Fresh Chanterelles

Harvested in the foothills of Napa county, only about 5 miles from my house.

Here's a closeup. Look at those ridges! What a beaut.

Black as death

For all you rameniacs out there, don't be afraid, it's just black ramen! Also known as garlic ramen, this style boasts a super roasted garlic oil on top of the normal broth and noodles. It's not for everyone, as it has a very pungent smell and taste, maybe even bitter. But it's worth a try, I think. Plus it looks badass.

Amen!

As you can see in the background, I was at a wine tasting class when I tried this beauty for the first time. And let me tell you, this Australian Shiraz rocks. That's all there really is to say. I could go into a litany of descriptors like blackberry, dried plum, and clove, but I'm trying not to bore you here. This is the epitome of a sexy wine. And with 95 points from both Wine Enthusiast and Robert Parker, at a going rate of $85, it better be.

Shakshuka

Sorry for the grainy cell phone photo, but I had to post documentation of last night's dinner party. I'm happy to say it was a success! I found that it really helped to keep things simple. Two dishes that require an oven is enough to test one's organizational skills. If I may offer some basic advice to those who have never hosted a dinner party:

1) organize and mis en place like crazy

2) have a time line (know when you will preheat the oven, when you need to run out to buy some napkins and wine, when to make dressings and sauces, etc)

3) don't be afraid to serve one pre-made item. My appetizers (minus the kofta) were from Mimi's Hummus. I also bought the madeleines from the Park Slope Food Co-op.

4) temperatures are very important. Things that are best served at room temperature sometimes take a while to get there after being pulled out of the fridge, so plan accordingly. Salads with lettuce need a 15 minute ice bath and a thorough spin to achieve ultra crispness. When making ice cream don't forget to thoroughly chill the custard/cream mixture in the fridge before putting it in the ice cream maker (my one mistake last night!).

5) back when I was a waitress, I often forgot to turn on the sound system. Diners came in at 7am not able to place why the restaurant felt so dead. Make sure to have your music on before the first guest arrives, the lights dimmed, and candles lit and your party will have the right ambiance from outset.

Oatmeal?

So this entry is a bit late, as it is no longer fall squash season, but I thought I'd post anyway. Risotto is a great cold weather dish, and although it does take a bit of time to prepare (45min-1hour), it is very simple to make. And you can riff on it as you please, adding any myriad of ingredients to adapt to the seasonality of your produce: asparagus, mushrooms, ramps, even strawberries in the summer!). I had leftover roasted butternut squash from a soup I had made, so I plopped the already seasoned chunks into the soffritto (see below). Presto, change-o, a beautifully colored, but more importantly, tasty rice dish. I used chicken stock for a bit more flavor, but you can certainly use vegetable stock to make it a fully vegetarian meal. In the picture, the risotto may seem a tad watery to American eyes (hence the oatmeal comment made by a friend of mine), but that's the way it should be! A bit soupy, to be eaten with a spoon. Buon appetito!

Harissa, Honey, and Hyssop

The exhibit is at the Jewish center of San Francisco. Go check it out, it's free! Here's the link: http://www.jewishfed.org/event/harissa-honey-hyssop-food-north-africa-0

A very interesting photography exhibit from one of Israel's best know artists, Nelli Sheffer. He highlights the multifaceted cuisine of the Magreb. It basically makes your mouth water: couscous, a variety of grilled meats, yogurt, honey, dates, spices, hummus, za'atar, et ainsi de suite.

Bubbly

Billecart Saumon Champagne, the perfect pre-dinner stimulant. I enjoyed this aperitivo preceding a bangin meal of roast chicken and garlic smashed potatoes at the iconic Rutherford Grill.

Tom Yummmy

I love me some thai food. This is tom yum soup: tofu, mushrooms, lemongrass, what's there not to love?? Tom yum gai is with chicken, tom yum is with just tofu. I didn't feel like a particularly heavy meal, so this light and spicy broth soup appealed to my palate. Accompanied by some spicy chicken satay it was the perfect lunch to share.

New Year's Resolution

While enduring my first semester as a doctoral student, I experienced firsthand the effects of all work and no play. Thoughts that occasionally went through my head include:

OMG Is this a new grey hair?!

Hmm what would make my life easier. . . .oh I know! I could just quit this doctoral program! That's a great idea!

One more minute of learning German/post-tonal theory or reading academic texts and I will surely have a f@*king brain aneurysm.

To avoid self-destructive thoughts this semester despite numerous obstacles (a degree recital in April, four additional major performances, still not being able to translate a lick of German, etc), I have decided that my New Year's Resolution is to "get a life." I have thought of dozens of ways to interpret this, and I have decided that the most important thing is to pick something social rather than solitary. I already spend enough time alone studying and practicing. While I would love to make a fool out of myself in a beginning dance class or become more active in Slow Food NYC, those things get expensive and time-consuming pretty quickly. So what is my activity of choice you ask?

Entertaining.

I am not naturally one to demonstrate initiative when it comes to socializing. By forcing myself to reach out to friends and inviting them into my home, I will experience the bliss of cooking for someone other than myself (and occasionally my boyfriend). For my first event, I decided on a small dinner party with the members of my flute, clarinet, and piano trio.

My goal is to create a casual, comfortable atmosphere that allows conversation to flow easily without my guests secretly plotting their escape (you know you've been there). I've decided on an easy four course menu with a middle eastern theme:

Aperitif

Rosabel

Cinzano Rosso Vermouth, creme de cassis, Prosecco

Appetizers

Platter of Kofta, Eggplant Caviar, Pita Bread, Pickles

First Course

Salad of Romain hearts, Cherry Tomatoes, and Cucumber with a Yogurt-Parsley Dressing

Main Course:

Shashuka with Fragrant Basmati

Eggs baked in a Spicy Tomato Sauce and served in a cast-iron skillet

Dessert

Date Ice Cream and Madeleines

Coffee or Mint Tea

Hopefully this isn't too ambitious. I plan on buying the eggplant caviar at Mimi's Hummus down the street (which comes with the pita bread and pickles) to save time and free up my oven for the kofta and Shashuka. Madeleines I can probably pick up from the Co-op.

I will try to post pictures from the dinner!

YES!

Thai iced tea

How to I.D. Genetically Modified Food at the Supermarket

http://www.kipnews.org/2011/07/14/how-to-i-d-genetically-modified-food-at-the-supermarket/