Simon's New Camera

(just a side o' broccoli and mushrooms)

Arancini (3)

Arancini, again. This time, with me learning! In a fry-pan:

dash olive oil

1 c. Arborio (long grain) rice

chicken bouillon

chopped onion

chopped spinach

chopped red & hot peppers

fresh basil

salt & pepper

And add 2 c. water intermittently as the rice dries out.

Stir, sip, stir, and fret, until the rice is done!

To prepare, make golf-ball sized balls, and stick a dice-sized cube of any pungent, delicious cheese into the middle. We used Parrano -- a beautiful parmesan-gouda mix.

Then roll them in:

1. flour

2. beaten egg

3. bread crumbs (we used Panko)

And then you get your boyfriend ("what?!") -

to fry them into a deliciously filling package.

Fish Tacos

Bean's father is retired, and his first love is fishing. Today, he offered us some of his catch.

Striped bass? I think so!

Before grilling, I chopped up some:

broccoli

mushroom

cherry tomato

scallions

While the grill was heating I combined these, and added:

parsley

black pepper

squeezed lemon

I grilled the fish for about 5 minutes per side. It assuredly varies, but when you slice into the middle it should be pure white (no exceptions).

Then, it is done.

Heat some tiny (five inch?) tortillas for 30 seconds in the microwave, and spoon on this mixutre...

And you'll have a dinner, at least!

Striped Bass Sandwich

Bean's Father called to ask if we wanted fresh fish; he'd caught two huge striped bass off of Plum Island that very day.

Bean said (he is not a seafood lover, my man...), "...well, Boodle would love some."

So we picked up a serving-sized fillet just for me!

And so, I proposed to grill it. Topped with parsley and chives and olive oil; flip after 4 minutes and again after 4 minutes, and then remove soon after.

I do not know the exact time -- I waited until the inside, with the tiniest slit, was white instead of pink.

And it came out, somehow, perfect.

Blueberry Cookies?

Sime's friend Talka has quickly made a beloved impression on me, somehow. She came to stay for two days for an interview, and she accidentally left blueberries in our refrigerator.

I wanted to bake for my coworkers....so against my engineering judgment I decided to attempt a blueberry cookie. Many people have posted recipes, but the idea did not seem feasible.

Bean came in and thought the lumps were chocolate; and said he would make me into a chocolate chip cookie.

So I let him pour some in.

And just as I was beginning to think they might, somehow, turn out alright --

let's just say.....these did not bake well.

I have come to the realization that fruit goes wonderfully in cakes, pies, biscuits, and alcoholic drinks. It does not hold up to a cookie's necessary soft-and-crisp texture; the beautiful juiciness that a fresh fruit contains simply forces the cookie to give way to a nameless clump.

Needless to say, I shall not be bringing these into work tomorrow...

Grilled Pizza

We grilled pizza!

1. Make pizza dough

2. Stretch dough, and lay it on oiled, heated grill for about 4 minutes.

3. Remove; add toppings

4. Grill for (maybe) ten more minutes; until bottom is charred slightly.

Such a different taste than oven pizza! And so wondrous. Henceforth, we will have a summer pizza and a winter pizza.

Hee!

French Toast for Dinner!

Burgers, Vegetables, and Fries

We found a free grill on the roadside this weekend, and today bought a propane tank. Tonight we tried it out! Rare burgers accompanied by peaky asparagus and mushrooms and garlic in foil.

I did the grilling, which is most unusual; inside, Bean fried up some potatoes. Things he would like to share:

1. The secret to frying foods is: fry them once....and then fry them again.

2. Frying in olive oil is possible (and delicious).

Lobster Ravioli Soup & a Martini Glass

House Dinner: Olive Bruschetta, French Toast & Eggs, and Various Grazings by Core ---

Beet Greens & Eggs

A Friday.

I took a sick-day and worked-worked-worked until exhaustion set in. Our house is beginning to look lived-in!

And so beauteous, and.....oh, I cannot even describe how joyous I am about the entire thing.

There is a small (and friendly!) farmstand on my drive home from work, and I often feel inclined to stop there and get something. So tonight: steamed beet greens with eggs (sourdough bread and gouda cheese and relaxing beverages not shown).

New House (and Lobster)!!

Bean had a deadline to meet for work, so I spent the night alone in the new (but old, and so beautiful) house. I made myself a martini and cleaned and sipped and had a delicious lobster roll from the local grocer down the street. It was a perfect picnic supper in a vast expanse of creaking, intricate, beloved building.

I love this house.

Asian Pizza

We are moving this weekend.

Away from Ma'am (as much as I love her) and Nii and Morgue, and into a gloriously big, old, rotting and beautiful house. It is the house Bean grew up in, and we spend tomorrow waiting (im)patiently for a call that tells us the current tenants have gone.

And so, I spent the night trying to cook dinner, but being inevitably drawn into packing all of the things we had acquired over the various years of our relationship. There are plates and cups and utensils, and there are things that have sat in the house but are used by no one but us. What to take?!

So dinner was late.

It was an Asian-inspired (I loathe that word) pizza. I made a lil' bit of dough, and spread it with:

sesame oil

seaweed sheets

fermented cabbage & carrots

(Ma'am has been experimenting with fermented vegetables, and these were perfect.)

When it was done baking I added some of Morgue's frozen fish eggs.

And after cleaning the entire kitchen (likely to be messied by various boys in our absence), it was scrumptious.

Goat Cheese Burger

Tuesday grilling!

Burger with a goat cheese & pesto spread, specially mixed by Bean. On the side; grilled mushrooms and spinach, with olive oil and garlic and salt, and a dill pickle from Panera that Dear Morg did not desire.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Hiking in the Spring

Today we went on a glorious hike through the White Mountains. It took:

9 miles

8 hours

three mountain peaks

lots of whining (and water)

and to me it was simply a glorious time. I was with some of my favorite people (Bean, Meeds, Grab, and Kras), and the scenic views abounded seemingly without end. And though it became apparent on the descent that my right knee has become semi-permanently damaged from so much running, it was wondrous. A perfectly sunny and cloudy day, and wind wind wind, and conditions so perfect I hardly think I broke a sweat all day, though the climbs were certainly present.

Bean, unaccustomed to such prolonged physical trials, was inclined to let me cook dinner (a very rare occurrence). I made a big pot of basmati rice, with some:

spinach

onions

shiitake mushrooms

thai curry spices

And for Bean, it was topped with a fried egg. Mine was wrapped in grape leaves and baked with the remainder of the mushrooms (and some pretty lil' pea sprouts).

And I rediscovered, as I always do, how a little bit of time in the kitchen allows me to revel in (and be, in a way, cured of) my wonderful weariness.

Baked Mac & Cheese

While still only halfway through the work day, Simon announced that he had bought this cheese at a local gourmet food shop (snobs, snobs, snobs). It was called Tintern, and is an aged cheddar cheese made by Welsh monks that is stuck all over with chives and shallots.

While 1/2 pound of pasta (we used gemelli) is cooking, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. When it's smooth, whisk in:

3 tbsp flour

1 tbsp mustard powder

and move around for a few minutes. Then add:

3 c. milk

1/2 c. onion, diced

some paprika

Simmer for 10 minutes.

Then, have your beloved boyfriend

dice up tons of cheese (the chive-filled, and some sharp cheddar); 12 oz. total:

(and do not forget to sample it)

And add 8 ounces to the milk mixture. Mix in the cooked pasta, throw it in a dish, and top it with the rest of the cheese.

And bake at 350 degrees for half an hour; add bread crumbs. We thought it would be more solid, and afterwards I felt as if I were being dragged down by an inordinate amount of mass, but....it was pretty good.