Homemade Granola Bars, but not in my home....

A good friend of mine took up baking a ridiculous amount of yummy goods the past few months, which coincided with my pregnancy--perfect. She occasionally drops off cookies, cinnamon buns, and other treats. She most recently dropped off granola bars. They were so yummy, that,
1. I did not share.
2. I rationed the 4 bars over the matter of weeks in case of an emergency, which turned out to be fortuitous due to the snowpocolypse.

The recipe comes from a website called the Joyful Abode, where the pictures alone are fantastic. I am planning on trying it out in a month or two when I need simple cooking tasks to make me feel accomplished for the day. Oh, and she made hers with almonds instead of peanuts since she has little ones at home.

Here is a link for those who love to bake, Homemade Granola Bar Recipe

Happy Valentines Day

We made some egg toast this morning, but modified for Valentines day. Often, tv chefs use this as a way to make eggs interesting for children, which makes me laugh, because I didn't know children were afraid of eggs (clearly, we are in trouble if this is the case....). I told A. I would have loved this as a kid, just ask my mom about us demanding Mickey Mouse shaped sandwiches. A. looked up, laughed, and said he wasn't so sure that I should be speaking in past tense. True, very true.

Easy Heart Shaped Eggs:
Spray the pan with Pam, Lay a piece of bread in the pan, and let it toast on the stove. Next, flip it once it browned. Cut a hole with a cookie cutter, like our heart shaped one, and feel free to butter and jam the interior heart. Next, crack an egg into the heart shaped hole, and let it cook inside. Once the egg is fried, flip for good measure. Serve with fruit.

SNOW-brunch

When dealing with a pregnant lady, it is important to understand the necessity of a full brunch. We started this pregnancy with weekly visits to the Arlington legend Bob and Edith's-- the only place that would satiate my morning sickness, and where we had our first dates eight years ago. Although I miss getting teased by the waiters for my appetite, as well as reading through baby name books in a booth with A, we now do brunch every weekend at home. The standards have not changed. I don't cook brunch, I have to give A. full credit here. Although it takes a team of people to drag him out of bed, he is the chef, and I am just the line cook in the morning. Today, a Wednesday, we got to have a special brunch because of the third blizzard this winter.


Being snowed in this week, we have handled it beautifully. We did not have a single lazy day. Avoiding cabin fever forced us to do projects around the house that have been put off since we moved in four years ago. We painted a china cabinet, rehung pictures, reupholstered a chair, tore down the laundry room storage cabinets, and re-organized every closet, drawer, and cabinet. The nursery is ready, hospital bag packed, and my grading is well on its way. However, once I finish grading, we might be in trouble...

So the electricity might go out....

Because I sometimes cook as if we were a house of 10, I prepared for the snowstorm as any sane person in a commune would, I made a giant batch of Barley stew. Edible cold, this stuff is packed with all the nutrients you would need if a snowpocolypse comes your way. Plus, it is made of regular pantry ingredients. When cooking this, keep in mind that I make enough to eat, have for lunch, and still store the leftovers in the freezer.

Ingredients

• 2 tb of olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cups of barley
• 3 box containers of veggie broth, low sodium
• 2 cans of garbanzo beans
• 1 package of frozen spinach
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (the larger size)
• 1-2 tb of herbs de provence
• 2 bay leaves

1. Saute the onions in olive oil in your stockpot, until they are translucent.
2. Add the rest of your ingredients
3. Let simmer on low for at least one hour, and stir occasionally.
4. Serve with Romano on top, if you like.

I know. Very complicated. If you want this to be less stew-like and more meal-like, let the mixture continue to simmer until the barley absorbs all the liquid. That is what I did this time, and it will be easy to defrost later. I portion this off into small containers for work because it is a fast, but filling, meal, and teachers don't get lunchtime.

For your Mardi Gras....

I don't know why I feel the need to cook the appropriate meal on a matching holiday, but I do. As you previously read, Bastille day must have mussels and Mardi Gras must have a fried catfish sandwich. Because I was speaking at a conference, we finally went to New Orleans last year and tested out po'boys left and right. The other day, we made my version of a po'boy sandwich with tilapia, and it was even better than my pre-trip stabs at it. The first step is changing from catfish to tilapia, accompanied by allowing myself to be generous with seasoning. Tilapia is a sustainable fish, and like catfish it is very low in mercury. It stays together better than catfish, so it made it ideal for a better sandwich. We often use it for tacos as well.

To save time, I am not going to write this out in a long traditional recipe format, but just explain the basic breading method. Using two plates, dredge the fish through egg-whites, and then next, a breadcrumb mixture. I prefer to add cajun spices into the mixture to give it some flavor, be generous with the spice. Probably the only positive thing a nutty college roommate showed me that added to my cooking life, Tony Chachere's creole spice is a great thing to add to bread crumbs or even french fries. Next, put oil in your pan, probably 2-3 tb of canola, which is not a traditional frying oil, but is healthier. I never measure, but just try and cover the bottom of the pan so the fish won't stick. Place several pieces of tilapia to cover the pan. It will only take a few minutes to cook the fish, and flip once. Do not move around your fishies a bunch of times, or continuously flip. This may make us feel like a better chef, but you are actually ruining the fish.

Serve on a bun with Romaine lettuce and Roma Tomatoes sliced, as these are the best tomatoes at the grocery store in the winter. Now, this particular time, we realized we were out of mayonaise, so I couldn't make the dressing. So, instead, we put a little ranch dressing on top. Although A. thinks I shouldn't tell you about our substitution, it really wasn't that bad...

Dressing a table...

...because a naked table is indecent!

Last summer should be called: The Summer of the Sewing Machine. Although I have known how to sew for ages, and often sew gifts for friends and family, I produced an unprecedented amount of gifts. Last summer, I had many weddings and new babies in my life, so I spent my summer with a one-woman sweatshop in our den. I sewed seven throw-blanket quilts, four tablecloths with matching napkins, cloth party decorations (yay, being green) and assorted baby supplies, such as onesies and burpclothes. Poor A, he would come home and I would be excitedly showing him the random gifts and innovative changes I made with each generation. I became a regular on etsy.com finding unique fabrics and appliques. I scoured blogs for ideas, and spent much of my summer relishing creativity. In all the gift madness, I wanted to make something for us.

Ten years ago, my Great Aunt Julia passed away. I was fortunate enough to get two items of furniture from her home in Worcester, a steamer trunk and a dining set. Due to our relatively new presence in the United States, and because immigrants try not to bring baggage, we don't have heirlooms in my family. I have always cherished my little dining set from Julia, and I love that it fits perfectly in our townhouse. It normally seats two, but has a leaf that rotates up when you pull the table across--old fashion ingenuity, which allows a tight four. Due to the size of the table, we host many cocktail parties, but not many dinners. It is always an experience having four people eat together at the table, but I wouldn't want it any differently. That table is a Salmon table, and it fits our Minard life. However, there aren't many tablecloths that fit it right. So, I realized that this was a super easy project, and would compliment my love of serving good meals. Anyways, I ordered a Florentine fabric and made a reversible tablecloth and matching/contrasting napkins. I found I only needed a yard of fabric, so I made a few more. So, to inspire you to dress up your table, here are some shots of my summer projects...

This is a tablecloth set made for one of my closest friends from Georgetown, notice our cat, Cleo, who also loves the table.

And two more for us,

Brown Butter Sage Ravioli

The meal for the lazy gourmand.

Well, I made this meal awhile ago, so I don't remember the precise recipe. However, a general method would be to take a few tablespoons of butter, a tablespoon of olive oil, and a few leaves of fresh sage and saute. Then add peas and green beans. Saute until they are crispy good. Meanwhile, boil water, add in raviolis. In my opinion, the ravioli at the Italian Store is worth the trip. However, if you are too lazy to have quality Italian handmade raviolis, you can buy the Harris Teeter brand, which I find to be yummy as well. The key is not overcook the ravioli, it is always a beginner mistake. Combine your sauteed sage/butter/veggie mix with the drained ravioli. Sprinkle with Romano cheese, salt and pepper, to taste, but of course.

In Memorium...

Since October, it has been difficult for me to sit down and write for this blog, or even cook an inspiring new meal. In my family, there was always a cooking matriarch, my grandmother, Serafina Nankervis. In previous posts, I mentioned that she taught us all we knew about Italian cooking, but she was also an avid reader, if not the only reader, of my blog. She fiercely loved her family. She was relentlessly proud of the cooks in our family, and credited it to our Italian heritage. Last August, she was diagnosed with cancer, which very rapidly took over her vibrant life. We lost her in October.

It is quite unusual to be blessed with having your grandparents so active in your life, especially entering your thirties. A few years ago, I was lucky enough to live near them, while I attended graduate school. I lunched with them every Friday, where Grandma would make the world's best sandwich, which she was not modest about- at all. We sat and talked, sometimes joined by A., about their lives before children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I learned so much about my grandparents, and how they started their lives together. Although Serfina loved her family, and was the first to ensure we were together for all occasions, there was more to her than familial traditionalism. My Grandmother was a working woman, an award winning artist, a talented cook, and a funny story teller. Growing up, we painted with her, attended gallery openings, and spent every Christmas at her house. My last memory of her, well my last memory before the horrible cancer news, was sitting on my parents patio with her. My Grandfather and her best friend joined us, talking about politics, my PhD program, sewing, cooking, and the arts. Having tea with the June sun on our faces, I remember thinking how lucky I was to have grandparents who were so interesting and interested.

I don't have many memories without her, and now I am marking a new stage in my life where she won't be able to participate. We were able to tell her about the new baby, but the new baby will miss knowing her. Lately, I slowly started making things from scratch again, and I am interested in new foods. My new pregnancy diet is cracking up our family, including my Grandfather who watched me eat meat and chocolate at Christmas, a shocking site for people who have known me all my life, and my Grandmother would have found hysterical. I am hoping my cooking lull was just a form of mourning. It is time to nag my mother for my grandmother's recipes, so I can ensure Serafina is always present, while we are making new memories with Mini-Minard.

Suistanable Cooking in the News....

Another plug for Barton Seaver....
This month, Esquire magazine featured Barton Seaver, the famed chef of Blue Ridge and former chef of Hook, as he received chef of the year. A former classmate of A., Barton is a great example of a fantastic chef using sustainable cooking techniques. I might try the broccoli recipe at the bottom of the article. If you do, let me know how it goes!

Click here for the article on Seaver

NPR and the Sustainable Fish Movement.

On Fresh Air, Terry Gross interviewed Daniel Pauly about sustainable fishing. He gives specific advice for responsible purchasing, and explains why certain fish are considered to be more problematic. For example, farmed salmon requires an extremely large amount of chum, whereas wild salmon is much better for you and our resources. I also tend to think wild salmon tastes much better. Additionally, eating fish like catfish and tilapia are much better for the environment, and you.

Click here for the interview with Pauly

Vegetarian Chili....yum

Every Fall, I get in the mood for chili. Since I didn't grow up eating it, I have a very unofficial approach to chili throw a bunch of things together and taste constantly to prevent a crisis. So, the recipe below is a bit of a mess, and ridiculously simple, but people tend to love it.

Vegetarian Chili

• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 tb of olive oil
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 chopped green peppers
• 2 cans of kidney beans
• 2 cans of navy beans
• 2 cans of cannellini beans
• 2 tb of cumin
• 3 tb of chili powder
• 3 tp of hot sauce, or more to taste
• soy crumbles (optional)
  
• salt/pepper
• Garnish with shredded cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream, etc
  

1. Heat olive oil, saute in garlic, in a large sauce pan. Stir in green peppers and saute.
2. Pour in tomatoes, beans, and spices. If you would like soy crumbles, throw them in now.
3. Simmer for 1-2 hours. Stir once in awhile so it doesn't burn too much on the bottom.
4. Add Salt and Pepper, and garnish.

This is very good reheated.