Christmas Eve 2009

Wow, after over a week pretty much unplugged, I figured I'd better get up a quick post about Christmas before I turn into a pumpkin... or it becomes 2010, whichever comes first ;)


We had Christmas Eve at our place, with one set of grandparents. We had a fabulous meal that began with the traditional Barszcz made by Grandma. That was followed by shrimp, salmon, pierogies (recipe here), and roasted veggies.

roasted veggies, salmon, and pierogis

The roasted veggies included carrots, parsnips, delicata squash and acorn squash, roasted at 450 with cinnamon and curry powder. For the fish of the night, I slightly adapted a recipe from Angela. Once I got out all of the bones, it was easy to put together, cooked in no time, and was enjoyed by everyone--included my mom who doesn't like salmon!

Baked Dijon Pecan Salmon

Baked Dijon Pecan Salmon
adapted slightly from Oh She Glows, who adapted it from allrecipes



1.25-1.5lb wild sockeye salmon fillet (Mine had the skin on, I just lifted the salmon off when serving)
1T butter
1/4c dijon mustard
~1T oil to thin
1-2T honey, optional (I can't actually remembered if I used this)
1/4c panko bread crumbs
1/4c chopped pecans
1/4c chopped fresh parsley
1 lemon, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400deg.

In small bowl, melt butter. Add dijon mustard and mix. Add enough oil/honey until the mixture has thinned enough to be spreadable.

In another small bowl, mix together bread crumbs, pecans and parsley.

Place salmon (skin side down) in a large baking dish. Top with dijon and spread to cover the fillet. Top with crumb mixture and press lightly into dijon.

Bake 12-15min, or until flakes easily with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges.

Apple Pie w/Thyme Crust & Gruyere Crumble

For dessert, I made another apple pie, since my parents didn't get to try it the first time I made it :) It was still delicious and from the moans that came from the other side of the table, I'm guessing everyone liked it!


I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!! And don't be afraid to give into temptation and have a snowball fight...


I couldn't resist making more of Katie's Chocolate Macaroon Babies and also tried some of Averie's Gingerbread Balls and Sugar Cookie Balls. A good way to ease your way off of the holiday treats (or was that just me??), getting in some more wholesome sweets! Or you could get wild with Katie ;)

See you next year!

Intrauterine Device

The hour and a half spent thigh-to-thigh with Karen Goodier spun off a number of later problems. [link]

Quick précis: My first sex-education experience occurred in the company of my mother and a girl class-mate by the name of Karen Goodier and her mother. It wasn't so much Sex-Ed as Repro-Ed. It left me with scars for life, to wit:

Red-faced and self-conscious, I forgot to take notice of the content of this Repro-Ed presentation. My awareness was of the proximity of Goodier, the fact that her mother, an adult stranger, was sitting next to her. Normally one of those kids who gulped down information, this particular area - vaginas, penises, "love", tadpoles, eggs, canals and uteruses - failed to excite any interest. Too embarrassed.

Plus I could smell Karen, a most distracting thought.

In subsequent Repro-Ed classes, focus quickly shifted to not reproducing. With clinical coolness that only a dedicated professional can muster, the visiting educator showed us the panoply of counter-preggo tools. Condoms, obviously. The pill, of course. And then there was something called the "Copper 7" an intrauterine device. As she talked, she passed this evil-looking device back and forth from hand to hand, explaining how it worked, percentage success rates and something about retrieval.

This is where my not paying attention earlier came to haunt me. With a flawed understanding of female internals, I couldn't figure out how both my penis and this metal device would fit comfortably inside a girl. Protective of my sensitive-skinned dick, the thought of inserting it into a thusly-equipped female and having the poor little thing (my penis) scraping the IUD horrified me.

Was sex all about finding room up there for that thing and my appendage?

Yeah, forget that. I headed off to kick a footy.



My post about my introduction to sex ed. [link]

A New Year's Eve Cocktail and Appetizer All-in-One

I enjoy spending hours cooking in the kitchen. Doing the prep work soothes my frazzled nerves. Watching a dish slowly come together as the various ingredients combine their flavors calms me down.

Being in the kitchen is a great escape from a contentious world. Pulling together appetizers, a salad, main dish, and a couple of desserts, gives me a lot of pleasure. Good food promotes good conversation and well-prepared dishes tell our friends that we care about them.

I like to have the meal completed before everyone arrives, but sometimes, like this New Year's Eve, I know I'll still be cooking. The best solution is a colorful cocktail that refreshes and entertains while I'm finishing dinner.

Because there are edible pieces of fruit at the bottom, including a spoon means the cocktail is a drink and an appetizer all in one.

Tropical Rum Cocktail

Cocktails, like pets, need to be named. I'd appreciate any and all suggestions.

Yield: 4

Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup white rum
2 Fuyu persimmons, ripe, slightly soft, finely chopped
1 cup fresh orange juice, sweet
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
16 ice cubes

Method

Pour the white rum into a pitcher, add the powdered sugar, and stir well to dissolve. Add the finely chopped persimmons, orange and lime juice, and stir well to combine.

Put 4 ice cubes and a spoon into each glass, pour in the drink, making certain that the persimmon pieces are divided equally and serve.

Variations

Top with a fresh sprig of mint

Adjust the proportion of orange and lime juice, to taste

Substitute finely chopped mango, strawberries, kiwi, or fresh passion fruit for persimmons

That's me in the corner. With Elin.

You might have seen me standing there, away from the crowd, on my own. I am there because they're not my crowd, and I'm not their person.

Everyone in the world understands the details of or knows about or has experience with Makeup Sex except me. I don't think I ever had Makeup Sex, although I might have unwittingly had MS and mis-labelled it. It is possible that a session of Sunday Morning sex should have been scored as Makeup Sex, but I'm not certain.

When people talk about it, I stop talking to listen closely. When I find an article or blog post about it, I pay particular attention. And still I don't get it.

The problem is with me. My skew is that Makeup Sex follows a contretemps between a couple. More than a contretemps, does not Makeup Sex require an actual argument? I always thought that the trigger - or the cocking of the hammer - is a good ol' barney, with shouting and preferably something chucked at the other. But I could be wrong.

My deal is that I dislike argument, and will avoid it if at all possible. Argument to me is disagreement with heat. Argument is more about playing the man than the ball. And that's the big thing I want to avoid: moving from communicating contrary ideas to attacking a contrary person makes me nauseous.

Ergo, if Makeup Sex requires an argument, I've missed out, but it's possible that might be a good thing. In any case, I'm a minority of one, because apparently everyone else is getting their fair share. Except maybe Tiger.





Photo of Elin Woods from all over the internet.

Disparate desires

What to do with a mind full of disparate desires? Every day we need to decide for one thing and against another. Some days we'll make lots of choices; on others, very few. A lot of the time we don't even know we're making a decision.

When the big forks in the road arrive, I find myself more aware of the one door opening/one door closing metaphor. Confusion is not the right word, because I understand that this is a universe built to favour Boolean logic - if this happens, then that cannot happen (at least not right then.) It's more like I am eternally quizzical at the fractional dimensions of our minds. And yet despite that logical detachment I never get any closer to an answer.

Inclusion, exclusion; success, failure; 1 or zero. I get it. But that doesn't make the process easier.


I want:

To travel, and stay at home.

To be attached, but independent.

To be true to myself, and still not offend everybody.

To climb mountains and swim at the beach.

To say what I think, but not create foes.

To be alone, and to be with.

To keep it real dude, and make it big.

To avoid ego, and still be the man.



You see the dilemma.

Pierogi Extravaganza 2009

This post is a bit late, as the event occurred a month ago, but I figure since we'll be eating what we made for Christmas, it's almost appropriate to post it now, too ;) The saturday after thanksgiving, aunts, cousins, grandma, and nephew came over to do some serious pierogi making. We're talking 3 batches of dough with 4 different fillings. My uncle is an amazing photographer (check out his site, gorgeous shots like this make a great gift!!) and documented the process. I'll point you to last years' post for the recipe. Enjoy the "show"!

Making the dough

Rolling out and cutting

little helper!

Potato & Onion (my favorite)

forming the pierogi

Crimping!
(much better with these than my hair ;))

Sauerkraut filling

(sauerkraut, drained and cooked with onions and butter, seasoned w/salt and pepper)

the sauerkraut ones get forked

lined up and ready for action!

Cooked, ready for cooling and freezing.

I should note, that they can be frozen without cooking, you just don't want to defrost them before cooking them (i.e. add them still frozen to boiling, salted water). With the amount of people we had in the kitchen, it wasn't too much work to cook them a few minutes, cooled, and then frozen. This makes it a little easier on the eating end :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!! I'm (hopefully) on a bus home right now, looking forward to spending some time with the family!

Check her out.

Do women understand the actions over which men have no control? I am thinking here in particular of one thing, although you might have experienced others.

No?

Here's the one I have in mind:

Walking down the street, if an attractive woman passes me going in the opposite direction, I must turn and look at her after we cross. It is physically and mentally Im-Possible for me to not do so. An irresistible force compels my muscles to slow, turn, and check her out from behind as she sails on down the sidewalk.

Pervy, perhaps. But it doesn't feel like that. I sense that the instinct resides deep in my autonomic programming, living happily beside the modules for breathing, heartbeat and blogging. No wonder I prefer cities to the country, and walking to cars.

How can I put this more clearly? I know. Passing a woman on a city street is like a gift, a beautifully packaged shortbread cookie that won't make you fat. It's a treat, a bouquet, a surprise, a puff of perfume with no downside.

A simple daily wonder.




Picture from here. [link]

Later edit: Photo REALLY from here. [link]

Cookies, Cabbage, & Pears

It's been quite a busy time around here, between baking, lab work, and holiday events. I can't say I haven't indulged a bit too much, but at least I have been eating more than cookies ;) Speaking of cookies, I have a few more for you before we get to the main course.

A friend of mine recently had her gall bladder out, and to help her recovery amidst the holiday treats, I sent along some that she could enjoy. This meant no butter, chocolate or nuts to name the usual suspects. I found a few recipes to try including Gingersnaps, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and Carrot Cake Cookies (these were her favorite of the bunch). Olive oil took the place of butter, and I used the white whole wheat flour already in my fridge.

(l to r) Gingersnaps, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and Carrot Cake Cookies

In the midst of the sugar coma that's been the past few weeks, I've tried a few great recipes, and some others that won't be repeated. If you notice a common ingredient, it's because I got a little over-zealous when I saw cabbage for 50cents a head. I'd recommend not trying to buy the biggest head you can find, unless you're prepared to eat it every day for over a week ;)

I am a sucker for good salads with layers of flavor, and this Sugar-Crusted Fennel & Pear Salad was a certainly a winner. I have probably mentioned I don't like raw fennel before, but caramelize it and I just adore it! I used gorgonzola instead of fennel, and since I was eating it at work, dressed it with a Balsamic Vinaigrette already in the fridge. Delicious!

Sugar-Crusted Fennel & Pear Salad

It's snowy and blustery here, perfect for some soup! I've come to enjoy parsnips when their sweetness is brought out by roasting, or when paired with a fruit as in Ricki's Pear & Parsnip Soup. To accompany this soup, a ripe avocado came to the rescue in some Avocado Corn Muffins.



I tried out two cabbage salads-- a Cabbage, Pear & Pistachio Salad and Cabbage, Apple & Walnut Salad (not pictured, sorry!). In the former salad, I didn't have any salted pistachios, so I used pecans. In the latter recipe, I used greek yogurt instead of creme fraiche and gorgonzola instead of blue cheese. Both were tasty, and I was happy to mix it up :)

Cabbage, Pear & Pecan Salad

The last remarkable cabbage dish was this Kielbasa & Cabbage Skillet, made with a grainy dijon and turkey keilbasa. Although I grew up eating my kielbasa with ketchup, much to the chagrin of my grandfather, mustard is a more traditional pairing, and a combination I enjoy now :) I added more cabbage to the recipe, but I would easily double or triple the written out next time.

Kielbasa & Cabbage Skillet

I was also excited to (finally) try a couple of Molly's recipes on the heels of finishing A Homemade Life. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and was delighted by the recipe for Butternut Squash Soup with Pear, Cider & Vanilla Bean (not pictured, oops!). Another winner, which I've seen pop up various places is her Warm Butternut & Chickpea Salad w/Tahini Dressing. It combines two foods I can't get enough of- butternut squash and chickpeas, and made for a wonderful lunch! I'd recommend the book and these recipes :)

Butternut & Chickpea Salad w/Tahini Dressing

Friday Fluffer - The Chickipedia

The Chickipedia is another fine internet app. [link]

In true wiki style, it caters for every taste. [link]

Even women with blue hair. [link]





Previously on K&B. [link]
Liz Taylor's photo from here. [link]

A Travel Gallery of Rhode Island

Ever been to Rhode Island? Know where it is? You've probably heard it's the smallest state in the union and that a lot of rich people built fancy mansions in Newport.

I lived there many years ago, so I know that Rhode Island is in Southern New England, a couple of hours north of New York on I-95. Wedged between Connecticut and Massachusetts, it's easily reachable by car, Amtrak, ferry, or bus.

Called the Ocean State because it has hundreds of miles of coastline, Providence is the largest city and state capital, home to Trinity Repertory Theater, Brown University, and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

All that I knew, but what I learned on a recent trip is that the state has become an amazing place to eat.

There's great fast-food, Providence-style--cabinets, New York style hot dogs, pizza strips, spinach pies, coffee milk--and fun summer shore food--stuffies, steamers, chowda, lobster rolls, raw oysters & clams--and there's a remarkable community of talented chefs turning out sophisticated fine dining, the likes of which you'd expect in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

In the summer, roadside stands are everywhere, filled with fresh corn, tomatoes, squash, peaches, and plums. In the fall, the stands have pyramids of pumpkins, baskets of local apples, and jugs of freshly squeezed apple cider.

When I lived in Rhode Island, I stayed close to Providence. On this trip, I wandered around the state, spending time in Newport, Block Island, Little Compton, Bristol, and South County.

I discovered what the locals know. There are hundreds of bike paths, walking trails, public parks, and nature preserves that make the state a paradise for those who enjoy connecting with nature. Block Island, a few miles off the southern tip of the state, is a refuge from city life, a place to ride around on your bike, stop for a lobster roll at a waterside restaurant, take a nap, read a book, and walk on the grass topped beaches.

I put together a travel gallery of Rhode Island for the New York Daily News web site. Later this month the profiles of the restaurants I visited on the trip will post on Peter Greenberg's web site.

For more about Rhode Island, please go to:

How Rhode Island Has Changed
Fine Dining Southern Rhode Island Style

Rhode Island Travel Gallery, New York Daily News

Rhode Island Renaissance: The Restaurants of Providence

Rhode Island Renaissance: Spotlight on Providence's Locavore Chefs

I had a great trip and expect to be back. In the meantime, I have a lot of photographs to help me remember what a great time I had.