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The recipe for these magnificent brownies came from an old children's cookbook we used to have lying around as kids. Although, apparently, while I was tending to my Easy Bake, my sister Sophie was developing her baking skills with this work of art - and now she's the designated brownie maker at home. She made them again, during a spontaneous family get-together this weekend, and we ate them warm with fresh vanilla ice cream. Perfection.
I've started taking an architectural painting class and we actually got into the painting a tiny bit last week. I love the concept of this class, because it allows me to focus my energies on all of the rich architecture I've been lucky enough to see over the past year. I've taken lots of travel photographs of buildings, but I've actually spent very little time painting them. This particular view is taken from a photo I snapped in Prague over a year ago. The experience of painting it brought it all back, and it was fun to remember the winding streets and the cozy, sequential columns of the city.
Everyone remembers this winning combination from elementary school, right? Heck, when it's tomato soup day at work, Lawrence, who makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches in town, tells me he can't catch a break between requests. My co-worker has a whole theory that you can fairly evaluate a grilled cheese sandwich by certain characteristics: the crunchiness of both the inside/outside, the still-gooey consistency of the melt, the depth of char marks on the toast... it's funny because it's true.
Ever made pasta in a cake pan? Here's your chance! Actually, Timballo has visited my blog before... a little over a year ago, but I made it again this fall in celebration of the engagement of Christine and Will, currently two of the giddiest sweethearts I know. Search Timballo for the recipe... It's the perfect dish to get you back to cooking just as it's getting cool enough to use the oven again.
Well, I've finally learned how to keep plants alive (regular watering - who knew?), which relates to how I caused this rather unseemly watermark on our brand-new butcher block counter top. However, I did look up a trick for lifting it, and it worked! This was news to me, but apparently, placing a white cloth over a watermark on wood and holding a hot iron on the cloth for several seconds, for several rounds, slowly picks up the mark by gradually drying it out. We rubbed in a coat of oil and you couldn't even tell the difference! Now I just need to learn how to get out red wine.
My friend Nitasha is a genius. In fact, for more genius recipes and life lessons, you should go to http://bloomersandbuns.blogspot.com to understand a little bit more about this tremendously creative and endlessly skilled woman and her hobbies. On Friday, she treated us to a marvelous shrimp and corn dish - she'll have to comment on whether you'd categorize it as curry, stew, or... dare I say... medley? Whatever it's called, it was delicious and although I have never cooked with shellfish, she's tempted me to try. And hey, Dionne, that's what friends are for.
I got a new Nikon lens for my birthday this year - a 50mm known for being particularly good with food photography! I haven't had too much time to fool around with it yet, but I'm already discovering some cool distortion effects, and the difference in light is incredible. Stay tuned for other close-ups and yummy food snaps.
Well, how could we not pick this up off the shelf for only 69 cents? Jason, sparked by untempered curiosity and a life-long penchant for toilet humor, had to try it out. We had a few laughs, but I can't say that I recommend this gem from the Super 88. Call me high standards, but I just can't drink cold coffee from a can.
I love this cookie cutter. It's been in my family for years and I recently found it among my cooking tools, hanging out in shameful disuse. Like other discovered items that have been stolen away to my apartment, it brought upon me a quick pang of guilt followed by an impassioned urge to make use of it before it was discovered missing! So I made gingerbread cookies. Two success tips for these that made them better than previous batches: 1) Don't roll them too thin and don't overcook - just enough so poking them (Pillsbury dough style) leaves a slight indent but bounces back a bit, and 2) cool them between layers of foil so that they retain some of their initial moisture, then store in an airtight container when cool.
Okay, so they may not have been lined up outside to get in, but they were definitely lined up inside! Here's a shot showcasing not only the art, but those wonderful hallway ledges. I actually think all the home improvements were more of a showcase than the works covering their surfaces!
I never thought I'd get all the paintings on the wall. But thanks to the great ledges Jason built all over the apartment, we put everything up, including a few house plants! I think maybe the wall of color was a little overwhelming, even at an art show, but when you're up against a wall... or lack of them...
I read about the idea of making Calzones in one of the dozens of magazines we now subscribe to, thanks to Jason's successful attempt to get rid of expiring frequent flier points in a hurry! I can generally hardly get through the paper, but somehow I came across an idea for home-made broccoli and cheese calzones - an easy recipe if you use the pre-made pizza dough from the supermarket. Yes, I know it's cheating, but I ran out of time. And yes, that tomato sauce in the background (tellingly blurred) is Ragu.
Knocked out with a cold for the majority of the long weekend, I lost all energy and got reaquainted with my couch. After doing virtually nothing for four days, I finally got a burst of energy and started cooking again like a fiend. And what's better after incessant orange juice, soup, and vitamins? Good, old-fashioned, comfort food. This is a standby recipe of my dad's - spaghetti bolognaise, prepared with whatever's in the fridge and a lot of love. Lacking too many exciting ingredients handy, I added some garam masala - for a spicy kick. That's the way to get back in gear!