'Big Food'

Visiting family prompted a weekend of "big food," as we like to say. No complaints here!

Friday
My bison ribeye almost made up for the slow service at DC's Cashion's Eat Place (though other members of the party were not as impressed with their supposed veal, which tasted more like bland chicken). Oh well! The occasion was still joyous and the company couldn't be beat.

Saturday
Breakfast at Whitlow's on Wilson in Arlington...I had a decent lox and bagels platter, but I should have gotten one of the egg dishes because these come with yummy garlicky homefries. Next time.

Sausage cheese balls (yes, the Bisquick recipe) because we didn't have them on Christmas, as is customary...We mixed it up, however, by using gluten-free biscuit mix, hormone-free shredded cheese, and organic sausage, proving it's ok to mess with a good thing.

Spaghetti--well, actually fusilli--dinner with homemade meat ragu (my best one yet, if I do say so myself) and a salad with mandolined fennel and radishes followed by lemon poundcake topped with blueberry sauce...Wine may have made an appearance, too ;-)


Coming up: Latin chicken and rice soup tonight, baked tabbouleh-stuffed tomatoes (greenhouse-grown, of course) tomorrow, and Friday evening's potentially most incredible meal ever (hint: 38 seats)

How Could I Forget Lemon Cucumbers?

Temporarily insane, I guess.

Balcony Gardens Of Bygone

Believe it or not we’re moving again. Not to a new city (the second in less than six months--I couldn’t deal with that) but to a new apartment just blocks away.

While we’re not thrilled at the idea, it does have its ups--namely two balconies both gloriously sunny. I’m ecstatic! After no sun in Philly and no outdoor space (not to mention missing the growing season) at our current place, it’s finally time for a garden. I don’t care if it’s only January, I’m thinking ahead and planning it now.

Nothing’s set in stone yet, but I’m looking at having basil, cilantro, mint, Greek oregano, Italian parsley, rosemary, and lemon thyme; arugula and spinach; a few different tomatoes (I'm leaning towards container-friendly varieties like Silvery Fir Tree); and peppers both hot and sweet.

I’ve really been enjoying browsing (and drooling over) the following websites:

Heirloom Seeds
Herb Society of America
Native Seeds
Plants for a Future
Seeds of Change
Seed Savers Exchange
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners

I’m fascinated by heirloom seeds and thereby heirloom products. I like the idea of growing something ancient or, if not ancient, at least from a time before, ancestral if you will. (I’m an archaeologist after all.) Additionally, I love the idea of preserving these crops, perpetuating them. I can't wait to get started. Maybe I won't have the balcony gardens of Babylon, but they'll at least be...well...bygone.

Recent Thoughts

More than usual I've had food on the brain recently. I guess it's because of the holidays. Being with the people who inspire me. And eating a lot, A LOT. So here's some of my thoughts:

• O, olives...I love them, but I usually stick to three kinds: picholine, Kalamata, and oil-cured black. This year I want to branch out. And I also want to make my own marinades for store-bought ones. I've been thinking about a citrus marinade, an herby one made predominately with Greek oregano, a spicy one maybe involving sriracha or harissa, and a smoky one with a vinaigrette that includes bacon fat.
• Fresh, local, natural, organic, seasonal, sustainable... They're not just buzz words. They're words to live by. I'm trying my best, and when I fall down, I get back up and try even harder. Why? Because I want to know where my food comes from and the people who provide it.  And I want my children to know, too. This includes eggs, milk, and meat. I want to eat the way my grandparents ate. Hopefully my kids won't have to look that far back.
• I thought it prudent to note that even though a number of the recipes on this site serve two people, this is not hard and fast. I tend to cook for two, but I think the recipes are pretty fluid so definitely experiment with increasing quantities to feed a family or a crowd.
• I was going to sign us up for a CSA this year, but I decided that with all of the local farm markets, I'd hold off. After all, I've only been here a few months so I haven't experienced all the seasons at our markets. I doubt I'll find them lacking. Though maybe one day when I have less time to browse, and want the convenience of a weekly CSA basket, I'll sign the dotted line.
• I realize I haven't ever discussed techniques or kitchen tools/utensils, so that's coming up this year. (KFW just celebrated its first anniversary last week so...yay!)
• In case you haven't noticed, desserts are not my thing--cooking them, I mean. Eating them's a different story. I prefer to leave the hard science of baking to someone else. Though maybe this year I'll whip up a few recipes--easy ones.
• There aren't many things I won't eat. In fact, the only one I can think of is Jell-O. Just thought I'd share.
• I'll end with a quote I fell in love with recently: "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." --J.R.R. Tolkien