My First Meme

Today I looked up the definition of a blog meme.

It's pretty much what I thought; as stated on The Daily Meme, "it's some kind of list of questions that you saw somewhere else and you decided to answer those questions." Like the surveys my friends and I emailed each other in high school, with random soul searching questions that helped us know each other better. I liked answering my questions and reading other's responses.

I found one on The Daily Meme site that I'd like to answer, Friday Feast One Hundred Eighty-Nine.

I like the course format, cute. :-)

Appetizer:
What was your favorite cartoon as a child?

Probably 'Gummi Bears,' I can't remember if it was on the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon. Either way I don't think it's on air anymore, such a shame. Don't get me started on the cartoons on TV nowadays, from what I've seen they are not as good as my repertoire as a child.

Soup:
Pretend you are about to get a new pet. Which animal would you pick, and what would you name it?

Mmm, I'd get a kitten to be a baby sister to Padma!
She'd also be from the SPCA, another tabby or one with a completely light brown coat. I would name her 'Elf.'

Salad:
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest, how much do you enjoy getting dressed for a special occasion?

10!!!! I love getting dressed up for special occasions. Even if we're just going out to dinner and not going anywhere after, I'll get a little dressed up. It's a nice feeling to get dolled up and feel pretty.

Main Course:
What kind of music do you listen to when you drive?

Thanks to my 6-CD changer, a variety. Right now there are two homemade mix CDs, Billy Joel's Greatest Hits (Disc 1), Carrie Underwood's newest, Nelly Furtado, and Leona Lewis.

Dessert:
When was the last time you bought a clock? In which room did you put it?

Hmmm, I haven't bought a clock in a while. The last one was a cute red clock from Target which used to sit in our kitchen. But the batteries ran down really fast and it didn't keep good time, so we discarded it.

Tagging Erica for this one: interested in passing along? :-)

This weekend, heading to the second Art and Wine Festival of the season. This one is in Foster City, nice and close to home. This will be our first time at this particular one, but I've heard it's good! I shall try to take pictures to share.

Dinner tonight with NH, I can't wait!

Good morning!

What a nice morning.

Some delicious coffee,



a little napping and people watching out the front window. :-)
























It's Thursday and I'm so glad, nearly the end of the week. I haven't posted any recipes lately; in truth I haven't been doing that much cooking. This week I've been doing more simple meals for NH, and scavenging for myself in the evenings with cups of soup and salads. Not interesting, believe me.

In lieu of recipes, I'd like to share a few pictures. I am becoming more and more interested in photography these days and I try to take as many as I can. No professional by any means, but I'm proud of them. I've never taken a photography class; I'm looking into it for the summer! Here are a few of my recent pictures for your enjoyment.


Oatmeal Bowls


Orchids in the Kitchen


Favors from our Wedding


Colander of Cherries


Porcelain Measuring Spoons


NH on Electric Guitar

My Kitchen Essentials

I LOVE kitchen tools. It's one of my favorite things to shop for, and I started buying them back in college, nice things when my friends still spent all their money on clothes and cocktails.

I'm so lucky to have a well-stocked kitchen, but I do cherish a handful of items the most.
Everyone is different and has their favorite tools, but these are mine. What are yours?

1. The Heavy Cutting Board

This cutting board is pretty heavy and I keep it on top of the island. It was a gift from Donna, my mom's best friend and a fantastic Italian baker and cook. She didn't have the space for it so gave it to me. It's sturdy and has a lip on either side to keep it secure against the counter. I use the other side when rolling out pastry or dough. It's the primary workstation in my kitchen.

2. The Salt Piglet

I love this not-too-common salt dispenser.
I was inspired while watching Nigella Lawson's cooking show. She has a bigger one; I ordered mine from King Arthur Flour, and it keeps salt ready and in reach. Not too mention how cute it is!

3. The Hot Water Kettle

For making tea, or soups that require boiling water.

I also use it to hard-boil eggs. (Put the eggs in the kettle, fill with water, allow to boil and turn off. Let the eggs sit in the kettle for 20 minutes before removing.)

4. The Senseo Coffeepot

A little specific, but I am pretty committed to this pot. I love coffee and this machine makes a single or double with a delicious frothy layer on top. It now comes in red- too bad it didn't when I got mine :(
I buy the coffee pods in bulk from Amazon since it's cheaper than the grocery store. Unfortunately I am the only coffee drinker in the house so NH doesn't appreciate how lovely it is.

5. The Bread Machine

A must have for me, since I love to make bread and pizza and use it a lot.

It's a hand-me-down from Mom- the best kind of kitchen essential; it was given when I graduated and moved into my first post-college apartment.
My first tries with it solo were a little rocky (the infamous 'first pizza dough' evening that ended with delivery), but I have conquered it and my adversary is now my friend.

6. The Wooden Spoon with a Crack in It

Every cook has their quirks; I guess my attachment to this spoon is one of mine.

I have a vase filled with wooden spoons that were wedding presents. I almost never use them because I always choose this one. It's a college relic, and at this point I really can't remember how it got the crack in it. Probably by doing something stupid.
It's an essential because I know that I'll be sad the day I can't use it anymore, despite it's less than perfect state.

7. The Sugar Bowl


This is Nigella Lawson's little sugar bowl, a birthday gift from my brother John a few years ago.

Since I try not to eat real sugar, it is filled with Splenda packets. :-)



8. The green Le Creuset pot


Until recently my biggest pot was a pasta pot with a very thin bottom. Cooking in it was always a problem, there really was no way not to burn ingredients in it. I adore this pot and its big sister behind it (hasn't been used yet but it's meant to be for when I'm feeding more mouths :-).
And when I'm not using them, they make such pretty decoration!

9. The Oatmeal Bowls



Two bowls from Anthropologie, I use them every single day for my breakfast. I love using these pretty bowls to make eating more pleasurable; as I make my way through my oatmeal the flower appears at the bottom. They are also microwave and dishwasher safe! It's hard to find attractive stoneware, so I feel lucky to have these.

I prefer the one with the blue flower :-)

10. The Container of Oatmeal and its Measuring Cup


I prefer McCann's Quick Cooking Oats and this container holds two boxes at once. I keep this pretty 1/2 cup measure in here for the oats. Just little things to make the cooking process more enjoyable. Again, an essential because I use it daily.

Everyone is different and has their favorite tools, but these are mine. WHAT ARE YOUR KITCHEN ESSENTIALS?
If you'd like to join me and write about your favorites, please post them with a link to this blog and let me know in the comments here.
I'll try to post a round-up if I get enough responses.

Cheers!

My Granola Recipe- Version 5.08

I originally posted my granola recipe in January, but after reviewing it I realized that I have tweaked it since. The recipe has gone through many versions, but I've stuck with the version below since March and it really is my favorite.

I shared this recipe with Kath last week, and she posted it with her own modifications. Here is my original.
I hope you like it!



Sarah's Suite Apple Granola

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ingredients:
2 cups oats
1 1/2 cups coconut
1 scant cup sliced almonds (I used Trader Joe's unsalted toasted sliced almonds)

Toss these three ingredients together in a large bowl. Next, add:

2 Tablespoons canola oil
2 Tablespoons Grade B dark maple syrup
about 1 Teaspoon cinnamon (I eyeball this)

Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or spatula. Spread evenly on a large baking sheet, and place in the oven. Set a timer for 90 minutes. Leave the granola alone for almost an hour. After that, toss two or three times for the last 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container.

Cook's Notes:
Allow the granola to bake for longer at this low temperature; it creates a wonderful toastiness which is more difficult to achieve at a higher temperature. It is this toastiness that I love about granola, and this baking method does that with very minimal oil and sugar.

Leaving the granola alone for the first hour helps a few characteristic clusters form, but make sure to toss near the end so it toasts evenly.

I love this granola on my oatmeal in the morning, but it also makes a fabulous topping to ice cream/frozen yogurt, or on yogurt with fruit. It's also great for those moments in between meals when you need a tiny something.

My finished product, along with my container of oatmeal.

Family Lunch and Tea

What a delicious Sunday :-)

NH and I went to my parent's home for the day, which we haven't done in a while. With two brothers and both parents at home, it was nice to be there this weekend for a few hours.

I was so spoiled with Mom's food as a kid and I really miss it. I just have to eat something she cooked to feel nostalgic for being a little girl. She makes the BEST veggie burgers which I ate with homemade fresh pita bread and talatouri. I'm going to have to attempt these at home soon, it was such a wonderful treat.

Then at tea time (4:00 pm always), we had this fig tart.



The tart had a almond cookie crust and a frangipane layer beneath the black mission figs. It really shows me how much I have to learn and how lucky to have my Mom to teach me just a little. She made this amazing tart by using parts of two recipes and some improvisation.

How fresh figs in May? She froze them from her tree last August. How smart! This tart was so amazing, we all loved it. Here is a cross section, the part that was left.



















*sigh*
Thanks Mom, for such a treat. I hope you make it again sometime.
I am so full and happy this evening. A light snack before bed is all I need to tide me over until the morning.

Tagged!

For the first time!

I've been tagged by my new friend Erica of Itzy's Kitchen. I love things like this, it's a survey and here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules
2. Share 5 facts about yourself.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names, linking to them.
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are my 5:

1. As much as I love to eat, I get even more pleasure from feeding others.

2. First date with NH: grocery shopping at Safeway on a Sunday night.

3. My favorite wine is called Lambrusco, a sparkling red wine made in Italy.

4. For birthdays when I was little, I always brought Black-Bottom Cupcakes to school; the other kids didn't like them which I never understood. I guess I've always had slightly sophisticated tastes.

5. For the past week, I've had a huge craving for sushi.

..... I now tag Mary, Kath, Shawnda, Patricia, and Amy.

:-)
~

It's almost Memorial Day weekend and I'm very excited. This means 3 days with NH at home, and a few fun activities planned.
A trip to the Ferry Building in SF is planned for tomorrow, followed by a romantic date somewhere in the evening.
Sunday is lunch and tea at my parents' house; we haven't been to visit in a while and I'm looking forward to it. Mom is making veggie burgers and apple pie (!!).
Monday isn't scheduled yet but hopefully it will stay that way.

Tonight is most likely a casual dinner at home, I'm thinking miso soup and some delicious dumplings from one of the Japanese markets here in San Mateo.

What's In My Fridge?

I've read several "What's In My Fridge?" blogposts lately. This is such an interesting notion to me, who first thought of this? Despite the slightly bizarre concept, the more I think about it the more I realize that it's no different from other personal things we write about.

And this is quite personal. Looking inside a fridge can be like looking into the owner's soul. These are the things you keep around and consume. What leftovers are you holding on to? What condiments are kept- which containers and empty and which are still full? How much alcohol do you keep chilled and ready?

I resolved to participate in this common blog post. I promise you that I'm showing it to you as is; I swear I've removed nothing and have tried to name every item.



Here is our fridge- the first I've ever had with a non-magnetic surface, hence the lack of colorful artwork and magnets. It's big and pretty well stocked so get ready. Let's go inside....



Ok, the bottom shelf. Where all the big stuff lives.

NH's cranberry juice and 2% milk, our Brita water pitcher, some Diet Sunkist, and the remains of a bottle of Safeway Clear Sparkling Cranberry Raspberry.

The plastic bag contains the remains of a pumpkin loaf I made earlier this week; the tupperware beneath it has leftover shepherd's pie filling, what was left when I made the dish for NH on Monday. That should probably just get thrown away.

Next to that is low-fat peach yogurt and the last of our cherries in the green colander. Behind that is some extra-firm tofu, and my 8th Continent soy milk.

What's in the coffee mug? It's actually leftover homemade tomato sauce. I'm not sure why I put it in there- it seemed like it would fit and it did!


Next Shelf: Dip NH purchased from NapaStyle (he says it's not as good as when he originally sampled it), some chunks of bread, leftover gravy in the tupperware.

Behind that, his Country Crock butter and some parmesan, one banana yogurt and one strawberry yogurt, Rainbow Chip frosting for Ray's graham crackers.

Way in the back is the wheat germ I use when making bread.


Top Left: Hot Salsa for NH, an apple from which I chop pieces for my oatmeal. The green cup holds about a tablespoon of pumpkin puree, and behind that is some I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light.


Top Right: Cherries for oatmeal, whipped cream cheese, pear cinnamon caramel sauce bought in Napa, homemade cilantro pesto in the tupperware.

Behind that is the pear and plum chutney I made for the housewarming party, and some spicy Arrabiata tomato sauce that we love on our pizza.


Our (very healthy) cheese drawer- partly due to the housewarming: full wedges of D'Affinois Brie and Gorgonzola Dolce, a tiny bit of mozzarella in the bag, Saenkanter Gouda, Laura Chevel goat cheese, sharp cheddar slices, and feta crumbles.

Also some vegetable shortening left from making sugar cookies at Christmas.
















Left Crisper: Romaine and butter lettuce, cucumber, red onion, red cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and some scallions I should throw away.

Right Crisper: carrots, SAF yeast, gluten, and Barley flour.


On to the fridge door. Here's the bottom shelf, left to right:
sesame oil, fish sauce, St. Louis barbecue sauce, oyster sauce, strawberry syrup, yellow mustard, dijon mustard, truffle oil, hot sauce, soy sauce, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, hazelnut sugar-free Coffeemate


Next, we have some walnut oil, a bottle of fizzy water, maple syrup, sriracha and homemade boysenberry jam behind it, emergency bottle of Coffeemate, low-fat mayo, and ketchup; spicy mustard, apricot jam, honey mustard, barbecue sauce, kalamata olives, capers, homemade strawberry jam.


Finally, in the top of the door we have some eggs (the loose one is hard-boiled), whipped cream, one Hefeweizen, peach Fresca, and a carton of low-fat buttermilk.
That's our fridge! And in our fruit "bowl,"


A yellow onion, some shallots, and a head of garlic; a lovely pineapple; two oranges, a lemon, and the last two tomatoes.

There you have it, the inside of my fridge. You now know us better than many people we see daily. Strange and comforting at the same time.

~

This morning NH asked me to take a picture of his breakfast, saying that I could share it with you on my blog.
As you may have noticed I slipped above and referred to him by name: Ray. I noticed after but decided to leave it. I've been writing long enough that the pseudonym doesn't seem completely necessary. I'll continue to refer to him as NH, or "New Husband" most often but now you know his true identity. :-)
NH is wonderfully self-sufficient with breakfast on the weekdays; although I wouldn't be interested in some of his combinations, his creativity is not lost on me.
So here it is, NH's breakfast on Thursday, May 22, 2008:


A glass of milk, strawberry Uncrustable sandwich, some cherries and crumbled Gouda cheese.

~

For me?

My favorite oatmeal as usual, except a new combination with cherries and almond granola. I've talked about it before but I've never shown it here on the blog. I think of it as I begin making it, but my hunger takes over and I'm halfway through the bowl before I realize that I forgot to document it!
I hope to remember tomorrow, the cherry almond oatmeal was wonderful! Stay tuned.

Why It's Hard to Get Work Done Sometimes

You can't be angry when someone just wants to be close to you.

I often have a little visitor on afternoons when I'm at home doing work on my laptop. Usually Padma will lay on my shins, leaving me free to continue.

Today she parked herself on my chest before I knew what was happening. My computer just out of reach but fortunately my camera was in my grasp. She was so content and limp that I let her be for a while. How could you reject such affection?

Sunday Parfait

It's been a lovely Sunday so far.

The heatwave that has baked our house since Wednesday has subsided. San Mateo doesn't usually get too hot; being close to San Francisco, the Bay, and the Pacific Ocean keeps us relatively cool. Air conditioning isn't common, and we have a low tolerance for temperatures above 85. It has been pretty uncomfortable, and we are glad things are back to normal. It's warm, sunny and pleasant.

The day began as usual- workout, feed Padma, shower. We headed out for breakfast as a treat. The last time we visited our favorite place, Alana's Cafe in Burlingame, was probably early March. We took the Sunday paper and enjoyed our Swedish oatmeal pancakes while discussing possible summer vacations (looks like a Mexican cruise in August!). Next we strolled through the Farmer's Market and downtown. At home, a game of Foodie Fight on the sunny porch (think Trivial Pursuit for foodies!) What a difference 15 degrees makes!

Normally I'm not hungry until afternoon after breakfast out, but today I thought our pancakes were smaller than usual. So by 12:30 I was feeling peckish again.

The cherries and strawberries we bought at the farmer's market were too tempting to leave on the counter; I also had a ripe mango to cut. I decided that a little fruit and yogurt would make a great light lunch. And since I'm trying to be more creative with presentation, I decided to make a parfait.

I cut up my mango and reserved a little. I then chopped up 2 strawberries and a handle of cherries, layering the fruit, a strawberry-banana yogurt, with a little of my homemade granola.
The wine glass is my favorite, from Anthropologie. We only have two because NH doesn't like them. I suppose it is a bit girly. But oh so fun to drink and eat from!



Isn't my basil plant pretty? Now that the heatwave is over I'm going to plant it in our yard.

Here's me digging into my lunch. Mmmm! I think Padma is a little jealous.

My Top 10 of All Time

Last night, NH asked me what I'd choose for my last meal and I didn't have an answer.
How is this possible for someone as food obsessed as I?

In the first place, NH does not typically ask food-related questions so I was caught off guard.
Secondly, he'd only let me choose one food or dish; I might be able to do that for each meal category but how can you choose one ultimate, favorite, last food?
"Is it oatmeal?" he asked. I love my oats but would it be my last chosen meal? Probably not.
Lastly, it was 10PM and my head was definitely fuzzy. We've been experiencing a heatwave the past two days and we have no air conditioning. Lethargic and slightly sweaty, I was in no position to consider this most difficult question.

The Amateur Gourmet is among the food blogs I have bookmarked to read regularly. Adam's latest post is a Top 10 Dishes- how appropriate! I love his posts, they are often inspiring.
Today I've decided to compile my own Top 10- much more feasible than a Top Uno.

My list includes both home-cooked and restaurant dishes, as well as notes on why each is worthy of the top.

2008 Top 10 Dishes
in no particular order

1. Apple Pie- (made only by Mom, aka MBM)
You'll never convince me there is a better pie. You just won't. Don't even try. I don't want to hear it.
I can't tell you when Mom started baking pies regularly and when my family became obsessed with them; one day I realized we stopped requesting homemade cakes for our birthdays and switched to pies. Any pie is great but it's the apple that gets me every time.
Now that I'm a married woman and no longer privy to Mom's pie as often, this is the one I will request when visiting.

2. Giada's Veggie Meatloaf with Checca Sauce
Another 'MBM' recipe, although this year I'll have to make it myself. Discovered while watching Everyday Italian on the Food Network, it's probably the newest dish to my list. It may not sound good if you've never had it but it's actually very flavorful and hearty- the lentils, mozzarella cheese, and spices marry so well, and the Checca Sauce completes it (an Italian tomato salsa that's good on other things too). The recipe has many steps and requires some time but no intricate skill......OK that's it, I have to make Veggie Meatloaf next week.

3. Frutti di Mare
I love going out and trying new dishes at restaurants, but if frutti di mare is on an Italian menu I'll most likely order it.
Frutti di Mare is a dish of linguine or fettucine with a medley of shellfish- most often prawns, clams, mussels, and scallops. I adore shellfish and since NH is allergic I can only order it out. It can be a bit of a gamble whether the seafood is cooked properly but I guess I've had extremely good luck.
One caveat- if the dish has a cream sauce I'll pass- too heavy and it takes away from the seafood. Usually it made with a light tomato sauce.

4. Oatmeal- my recipe
My obsession with oatmeal is quite deeply rooted and I don't see it ending anytime soon (insert photo of 90-year-old Sarah eating her breakfast oatmeal). But it's such a yummy and healthy food! Tons of fiber and low in calories, I can dress it in so many different ways and eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner- often do!! These days my pick is McCann's Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats, but I'll be happy with any oat you give me.

5. seared Day Boat Scallops
I've mentioned my love of shellfish already; scallops are my number one favorite. My preferred preparation is seared- caramelized on the outside and creamy on the inside. Sauces and accompaniments could be almost anything, although I do like them with a little citrus juice. My preference is for the large Day Boat variety; the tiny ones will do in a pinch.

6. Grandma Irene's Thanksgiving Stuffing
This is the stuffing Mom makes, and it's her mother's recipe. It's fairly simple, I don't go for those crazy stuffings with lots of things in them. It's a slow cooked combination of stale bread cubes, onions, celery, and herbs. It's one of those dishes I didn't love as a child; now it's the only leftover I care about the next day.

7. Swedish Oatmeal Pancakes at Alana's
I love pancakes; I'm a pancake girl, no eggs or waffles please. I make them from scratch at home and they are fantastic and easy. A posting on them is needed in the future.
The Swedish oatmeal pancakes at Alana's Cafe in Burlingame are a whole different thing.
The real maple syrup is key, number one- so many breakfast places serve fake syrup and it's disappointing. At Alana's the real stuff is flowing. Number two, these pancakes have flavor and texture. And hello, note the connection to my oatmeal obsession.....
I am incapable of leaving any of these pancakes behind on my plate. I usually don't need lunch that day.

8. nonfat Frozen Yogurt
So the link takes you to a specific place: Yumi Yogurt in San Mateo. That's because my love of this food was born here... or should I say my feeling that fro-yo should be it's own food group. I've tried many nonfat frozen yogurts at other shops and I like them too, but given a choice I'll go to Yumi please. Favorite flavors? vanilla bean cheesecake (oh yea), boysenberry, key lime pie, tart plain (like Greek yogurt), pistachio...there are more but that's good enough.

9. Salmon Sashimi (Sake)
I love sushi and we have it out to dinner more than anything else. It seems almost dishonest to pick one favorite, but it should be fresh sake. There is nothing like a high quality, thickly-cut piece of salmon sashimi- buttery, smooth, and luscious- straight, dipped in a little soy sauce, or with a little lemon.
Often I'm not in the mood for sashimi but I always try to seek out a roll containing fresh salmon. Actually, my second favorite sushi item would be Unagi (barbecued eel) and for some reason rolls containing both are few and far between- can anyone tell me why?

10. Roasted Vegetables
Quite a broad final dish, but I can't narrow it down. When I think about what I crave and eat most often, veggies comes to mind and this is my favorite preparation. Depending on mood, season, and availability, they could be carrots, sweet potatoes, eggplant, onions, zucchini, bell peppers, or sunchokes.
Under this broad umbrella, my top 2 combos:
Sweet Potato Fries with Cinnamon
Roasted Eggplant with Tomato sauce and Parmesan.


P.S. Do you see I figured out adding links today on Blogger? Yes yes I know it took a little while, but I'm only a semi-decent internet whiz.

Party to Warm the House

What a busy weekend!

NH and I have been planning a party in our new house for the past month and it finally took place this weekend. Not too fond of the term 'housewarming,' but that's what it was. We sent invitations by mail to our family, friends, and neighbors, and planned a menu for cocktails in the afternoon from 4:00-6:30. Our first try as hosts in our new home was a success, good practice for the New Years Eve party we hope to have every year.

I did a lot of prep in the days before so that I wouldn't be stressed out on Saturday. The day was busy but never scrambling, so it turned out nicely. NH was in charge of the drinks and he set up a beautiful table in my workout room. I wish I had a picture but we didn't snap one.
Here are a few pictures making the goat cheese and onion tartlets on Saturday morning.






























I won't post any recipes today, but here is a list of the foods I made along with a few photos.

Goat Cheese and Onion Tartlets
Spiced Walnuts, Hazelnuts, and Almonds
Pain de Mie bread
Roasted baby carrots
Pear and Plum Chutney
Mini Mascarpone Cupcakes with Nutella frosting

Besides the homemade foods we had some delicious storebought hors d'ouerves. Here's what we had, along with some beautiful pictures of the table laid out and ready.





Prosciutto, Lox, and Salami
Greek olives, hearts of palm, Artichoke hearts
Trader Joe's Mini-toasts
cheeses: D'Affinois Brie, Gorgonzola Dolce, Saenkanter Gouda
Red and Muscat grapes, Apples
Cherry Tomatoes

These mini-cupcakes were popular, I've made this recipe once before and had great reviews. I decided on a simple frosting of Nutella to save myself some time and they were delicious. I love bite-sized desserts.






















My Favorite Bite at the Party:
Gorgonzola Dolce with Pear and Plum Chutney on a chunk of Pain de Mie