rituals

NPR aired an interesting piece on superstitions and end of the year rituals, and I happened to catch it while at work today. Did you know that some people eat pork and sauerkraut and avoid chicken because pigs root forward and chickens scratch backward? Who knew? And, no, she did not have an answer to why sauerkraut. Where are fish in this equation anyway?

So here we are the day of letting go of the old, and ringing in of the new. I'm superstition-less and resolution-less. I’ve tried to embrace the resolution idea from time to time, but for me, it just becomes a recipe for unfulfilled expectations and ensuing self-deprecation. Not that I don’t set goals – I do – I just think I'm less likely to accomplish goals set just because of a point in time. Superstitions? No. (Except for putting my right sock and shinguard on before left when playing soccer. And, perhaps I have a lacing my shoes superstition too. There is also the whole must wear the right...)

So superstition-resolution-less. Anarchy I tell you. But, just in the nick of time, I thought of a few things I could do to save myself from utter chaos, and I implemented two year-end rituals to mark the shedding of 2009.

Ritual One: I do this at random times of the year, but it seems fitting to kick off the year on the right foot and do it really, really well. It’s something I seem to do in fits and starts or in times of a Storage Emergency Situation or Olfactory Relief Crisis; never do I do it as one big cathartic pull-everything-out-at-the-same-time-and-start-over-once-a-year event, but this year I did.

Here’s a process photograph:

2009 Year End Fridge Cleaning! That’s right, what better way to ring in a new year than with a clean, organized fridge? I can think of nothing better. Well, maybe I’d like an organized undie drawer too, but need I remind: this is about cooking and fun, not laundry and fun. Do note that no good food was killed in this process, this stuff had been in there long enough to gather some fuzz, thus was already rendered fully dead.

Ritual Two: Red leaf lettuce, Bermuda onion, honey roasted walnuts, Point Reyes blue cheese, honey crisp apples and a white balsamic dressing. What?

Embrace Something New! is ritual number two. Yes, a vague ritual and just the way I like it. But to be specific, for this New Year’s Eve I decided to embrace something that I so often turn away: fruit in dinner meals. I like fruit but have always felt there is no need for fruit to be IN meals. So I made myself the above salad and slowly (yes slowly) worked through the complexity of all the flavors separately and then together. I should get to this next sentence and say, "Wow, it was AMAZING!!" Sorry to disappoint, but that sentence is not coming next. I did like the apples and blue cheese combo, but hmmmm, perhaps my embracing will take a little time.

So here I am, ritual one and ritual two COMPLETE!

I did some other fun things to ring in the New Year, too. I saw a shooting star on a blue moon, and spent the evening with Surly, my friends’ dog. I didn't capture the shooting star by camera, but did get a few of Surly. I was thoroughly entertained by his tail chasing.

And he was thoroughly entertained by my hat.


Happy New Year to you all, I hope 2010 proves to be a fantastic year with adventure, joy, and many laughs.

a carlson and a zerger, too.

Perhaps it is the fact that light is slowly returning to our days here in Minnesota (thus I feel like my personal productivity must follow suit) or perhaps it is the fact that December 31st fast approaches (and I'm well aware I should be setting January 1, 2010 resolutions) that I find myself back here on Furlough Food. Whatever reason may be, I find myself with renewed interest in the blog-o-sphere. Forgive me, my dear readers, er, family, for such a long hiatus. But, you likely know many of the reasons, er, excuses, I would conjure. Wedding, fantastic but harried change of employment, Devin challenges, and the holidays are the first to come to mind. All these little life details have ensured months of emotions, and though it may seem that I have lost interest in culinary exploration if one were to assess such by my blog posts, nothing could be further from the truth. I've made delicious sauces and soups with vegetables from the garden, Swedish meatballs for Papa san and Melissa, cookies and candies galore for holiday treats and a few delicious experiments in between. I will fill you in on the finer details but surely need good food photos and stories to do so. For now, I leave you with a few iPhone photos...Along with a personal goal of writing more regularly, I also intend to step it up a notch and - pause - photograph things with a *real* camera, so these may be the last few from my iPhone to you.


Ah, blessed summer. Don't these look delicious? They were. The tomatoes were insanely productive this year and the size of the zuchini is a direct result of the August 1st nuptuals (read: week or two of garden neglect). I made a few delicious soups and salads and pasta sauces with the above.


Our lovely Socrates. Yes, those treaty-weaties were delicious, thanks.

Oh, and what of the title? Well, more on that later of course!

a skellenger

I finally connected a few dots of my behavioral eating patterns and can now squarely place all the blame on growing up in the extended Skellenger family.

See, I eat fast. Really fast compared to Todd, and moderately fast compared to most people who do not claim relation to the Skellenger Clan. I cannot place blame at the foot of one person, it is the result of the collective (feet?). We have aunts and uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins, second cousins and cousins significant others, grandmas and grandma-likes. When we do a breakfast or dinner, 15-20 people is a low turnout. Meals are a production, and it is akin to a 'feeding' - we literally count the mouths, the known appetites of various relatives and we do the math to ensure everyone gets one of everything. There is an egg team, a waffle team and a fruit / juice team for breakfasts. There is a similar evening meal teams designation. Ancillary bodies not assigned to a team, but near the kitchen make sure the table is set, and become food runners in the preparatory stages of a meal. It is a model of efficiency, and I believe, at its essence, could be a model for team building or office efficiency. I am digressing here, but the point is this: making food AND eating food is a sight to behold with the Skellenger family. And, I've come to realize my tendency to eat quickly is a direct result of how good the food is and how scarce it becomes about 15 minutes into the feeding. We have voracious appetites, and if you are to be sated with the current meal, you better plate up and do not second guess your impulse to double stack...just do it. If you eat fast enough, you may, just may be able to get seconds on something. Good luck, though, especially when the 20-30somethings gather 'round.

There in lies the root of my nature to eat fast. I am trying to slow down, but obviously failed miserably during my Memorial Weekend sojourn in Michigan. I have absolutely not one photo of meals at the Skellengers' despite the fact that I agreed with myself that I'd take the time to take some photos to share. I was on the corn team for dinner, egg team for breakfast and there was no way I was going to pull out the camera and let Elly beat me to the waffles and syrup.

I did, though, manage to take a few photos of the dogs whilst resting my stomach muscles.

This is Jaeger being called to his feeding.


This picture perfectly conveys the black lab personalities. Maisy, the watchful guard of the lake, Jaeger the mischevious digger, and Sadie the eldest, sun bathing on a beautiful May morning. Oh, and Todd, in the kayak, looking for turtles and burning a few breakfast calories.

more grillin'

Inspired by my bro and the epic Minnesota weather of late, I'm at the grill most evenings (except, of course when I run out of gas in the middle of the meal...but that RARELY happens two years in a row, right?). Here's a recent evening's fare:

Bleu Cheese Stuffed Burgers, Yukon Potato Wedges and Spicy Green Beans


Bleu Cheese Stuffed Burgers
3-4 tablespoons grated onion (like a vadalia)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 egg (trust me, it helps keep the burger moist)
1.5 lbs ground beef (I use 90% or leaner ground beef)

Mix above together and roll into four balls. Press thumb into middle of ball - about an inch in. Fill with one tablespoon of a good creamy bleu cheese (my favorite is Pt. Reyes Bleu Cheese). Flatten to 1 inch thick patties. Grill on high heat (don't forget to spray the grill - refer to this post for a good spray bottle photo op), 4-5 minutes on each side. Consider grilling up some of the left over vadalia onion, and while you're at it throw the buns on the grill to toast them.

Yukon Potato Wedges
3-4 small yukon potatoes, sliced however you want to
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Toss wedges in olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on aluminum foil and place right on hot (400 degree) grill. Close lid and grill for a good 20 minutes, or until a little crispy. Given the time these take, I'd suggest putting them on the grill before burgers. P.S. Mine didn't get super crispy, but my this is my brother's recipe and he does them in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes so perhaps the oven situation was better for crispiness.

Spicy Green Beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili paste (more or less depending on your heat-tolerance index)
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon ginger minced (or a tad more if you like)
3 green onions sliced / diced whatever your favorite style of cutting
2-3 handfuls of green beans (perhaps a pound or so?)

Clean green beans and snap ends. Heat olive oil in skillet - medium heat. Add green beans to skillet and heat for 5-7 minutes...good green color and a little puckering...but still crispy. Remove green beans and set aside. Add green onions, ginger and garlic to skillet and heat for just a minute or so. Add chili paste, soy sauce, brown sugar and stir. Add green beans, stir to coat and allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Slice a good tomato, onion, lettuce and get some great buns (these are from Breadsmith). A good tonic with lime refreshment and it's like summer is here or something (though we did sit inside on this evening, it was about 60 degrees).




burgers and onion...nearly done!

kicking forty-one in the ass

The Taurus of the family turned forty-one years old this past Saturday. We have a tradition to ask the other one of those introspective (and oft-vexing) questions requiring the birthday-ed one to say what he / she wants to do with the coming year. This year’s conversation went a bit like this:

Cindy (in energizer bunny form): Todd! It’s your birthday, Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! You’re forty-one, it’s a new year! Are you excited? What do you want to do with forty-one?

Todd (in satori form): Thanks Love! Technically I wasn’t born until the afternoon so I’m still 40, which gives me a few hours to prepare. And prepare, I am.

Cindy: Alright (under breath) crazy man. I'm not sure what that means. For what are you preparing? 'Tis just another day, really, isn't it?

Todd: Nope not just another day, this time. I’m getting ready. Readying my plans for forty-one, I’m not at the Happy Birthday just yet.

Cindy: Hmm. Sounds interesting, what are you doing with forty one, then?

Todd: Kicking it the ass, kickin' it in the ass, Dear. Forty knocked me sideways. Not again, I’m kickin’ this next one in the ass.

Perfect. This is why I love Todd the Taurus. And later that day I read this little snipit about a Taurus man:

Taurus peacefully tends and nurtures Spring's garden, bringing forth harmony from chaos. Like the Bull, Taurus does not move unless there is something worth moving for.

I think Todd is ready to move and bring forth harmony (kick-ass style) from an insanely chaotic year.

We kicked ass - er, off - OFF the year (and Mother's Day) with a picnic in Wabun Park just near the Ford Bridge. Geoff and Tina provided deliciously marinated chicken and veggie kebabs. Mom shared a wonderful green salad and balsamic dressing. And, we capped it off with a small Cafe Latte Triple Chocolate Cake. When I put the little party cake on the table, in true Todd fashion he exclaimed, "Cupcakes! I love cupcakes!"



A frisbee golf outing followed, and we all learned my mom and I should NEVER be on the same team given our triple and quadruple bogies.

Here's the skinny on the food:

veggie kebabs
1 vadalia onion quartered
18-20 baby portabello mushrooms
2 red peppers
2 yellow peppers
2 yellow zucchini or summer squash
1 can pineapple chunks (yes, even those who hail from Hawaii sometimes buy pineapple chunks)

chicken kebabs
3-4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cubed

marinade
pineapple juice from chunks
2 cloves of garlic
1 table spoon ginger
salt and pepper to taste

Skewer the veggies and meat. Marinate separately for at least 1 hour. Get the coals ready, oil up your grilling surface and put on the kebabs. Watch. Flip. Watch. Eat.



key ingredient: spray bottle of oil for the grill, it's Geoff's non-stick weapon.



other key ingredient: Geoff the Grilling Master

vegetables and a tree

Two wonderful things come of indefinite furlough. One: time in the garden. Two: fruits (and vegetables) of garden labor. A few years ago we tackled the front yard and created what I call the graduate school experiment, and now we are tackling the back yard. Our lack of attention to this part of the property has been a boon for creeping charlie, wild violet (which I like), dandelions, ostrich ferns, sticker weeds (not the technical term, but my term) and every possible aggressive species there is. It is a disaster, and our Disaster Remediation Project kicked off on May 1. Slowly but surely it will assume semblance of a designed space (Todd to Cindy, "I'm not touching or moving anything until we have a plan"). We're attempting to phase in the design..small chunks at a time, instead of razing it to a dirt dust bowl and then having 'zones' for planted areas but no specific plan like in the grad school experiment. (You see, I had only been through the site analysis part of the studio progression in grad school by the time we addressed the front yard. I was great at creating a big analysis blobby diagram that said 'sun / prairie type plants', 'buffer / shrub area', etc., but not so good at creating a cohesive plant palette - the plants in design class didn't come until my second year - dammit.) Anyway, we learned our lesson, and Todd and I have been working through an awesome Japanese garden-inspired design (read: minimal palette & areas of contemplation), but I did reserve the existing back corner raised beds for a veggie and cutting flower garden. Here's a glimpse (click on image to enlarge):



And, Todd's task today: slaughter the silver maple. Kidding of course, but he did have every sharp engine-powered tool we own out there. I imagine she is a little sad losing such a big limb. But, it was pretty sick so it needed to come down for long-term health reasons. Though she'll initially miss it, I think she'll thank us for helping her lose a little weight as she enters into the latter phases of life. While we'd not select this tree if we were starting from square one, she's got a cool twisting form, so we're glad to have her anchor the back yard. We promise to not give her a hosta ring, but to pay due respect to such an old beauty.

Here's Todd doing the duty.


And here's Todd going, "Holy $#%#!! what did I do?"

mind wander time

Note: The following contains philosophical musings of author. AND, I like to ramble at times. If said topic bores you, I highly suggest you close this tab in your browser now and check back on Monday for the next post about the killer vegetable garden I've started. I won’t be offended – really – it’s okay.

My autobiographical description to the right of this entry – yep right over there –> tells you a little about this (relatively) new endeavor into cooking as a means to enjoy the lighter side of life. This morning, I finally realized why I'm enjoying the cooking time so much these days...it’s my mind wander time that I had lost for a few too many years. When I was coaching, often I had daily moments (or hours) to just let my mind wander wherever thoughts would take it. While in transit to some far off location, in early mornings when the sun would rise over mountain peaks, or in long evening runs in new locations, I had time to ponder the past, present and future. Going back to grad school, I lost that mind wander time but am only just realizing - a mere 4.5 years after grad school began- I lost such an important part of my day. It just wasn’t programmed into my academically-based day or week; for all practical purposes I did NOT regularly run, I didn't see sun rises from the top of the mountains and I surely didn't drive cross-country by myself. I miss those days, but not in a 'I wanna go back' way. More in a, 'why did I feel more in balance?' way. I've slowly started to get back to some daily mind wander time by running and cycling on a more regular basis, AND by cooking. Yes, it requires great concentration at times, especially when I'm trying to get my brain to remember 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda when going from reading the cook book to actively measuring (note to self: work on short term memory). But, for the most part, cooking is allowing me to re-insert some mind wander time on a more regular basis and damn it feels good.

chicken bombed the lime zucchini

Or something like that...the result was some soupy goodness...

Good soupy-ness? Soup Goody? Gooey Soup? Yes, yes and no.

Here are some photos from my recently mentioned exploration with limes in chicken and zucchini bombs.


I made a tortilla soup...but really tortillas are just 1/16th of the recipe so why is it not called chicken soup? Perhaps the "chicken soup" name is politely reserved for grandma's goodness that helps you get better. That said, depending on the amount of adobo sauce you add, this recipe is sure to help with sinuses if, in fact, you need to get better.

the soup ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1-2 zucchinis chopped
28 oz low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can "Mexican-style" tomatoes, I used Kuners' diced tomatoes with chili spices
2 teaspoons adobo sauce (I had some left over from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce so decided to try it in this recipe)
16 ounces chicken breast, cut into thin strips (less than 1/2 inch wide)

accoutrements:
1 lime wedged
1 avocado sliced
1 cup jack cheese (or pepper jack)
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
2 green onions sliced
4 corn tortillas + 2 teaspoons olive oil

making the soup:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stock pot, saute onion and garlic for about 2 minutes (should become a little translucent, but not colored). Add water, chicken broth, bay leaf, tomatoes, cumin and 1 teaspoon adobo sauce. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken and simmer until chicken is cooked thoroughly (10 minutes). Add 1 teaspoon adobo sauce. It is done!

making corn tortillas:
Oven to 375. Brush one side of each tortilla with olive oil. Stack them and cut in half. Stack again and cut into small strips. Place on non-stick baking sheet and bake until golden brown (about 10-15 minutes). Done!

To try something new, I decided to make some warm corn muffins to go with it all. Super easy, and I made them just before my mom came over for dinner...

corn muffins:
oven to 350
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup unbleached flour
3 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
mix.....then add

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup milk
1 egg lightly beaten

Stir until well blended. Grease muffin tin and spoon batter into muffin tin. Bake for 10-12 minutes until firm (may or may not turn golden brown on top...they're ready when firm).

Results: Happy and full Todd, Marcia and Cindy. The soup is quick to make and you could definitely add other veggies (corn, black beans, summer squash...). The smoky flavor of the adobo sauce is what make it, so don't omit that!

the cliff-hanger resolve

Hmmm...well, not really sure reading the items: limes, chicken, baking powder, zucchini, and bay leaf would piqued my interest enough to return to furlough food, and I'm the one who should be at least mildy amused by my own blog, right? Now if I had suggested "limes IN chicken" or "zucchini bombs" perhaps I would have returned. Hmm...Nope, still not sure.

But it looks like I'm here, and you're here so it must be something that brought you back. Perhaps you are one of the few who have asked for images and recipes of some items I've cooked recently. Perhaps you're just bored at work and looking to pass the time. I have a sneaking suspicion you are one in the same.

The title of my last post was "and I finally *made* muffins"; naturally there is a double meaning to that statement. The obvious: I did make muffins (three batches, in fact). The no so obvious: I am making the most of it (refer to post number one for what 'making the most of it' actually means). Explanation....

The Muffins:
It starts with a rather amusing beginner-cook story. This story is now logged nicely in my mom's book of Silly Cindy Young Cooking Adventures, tucked right next to the chapter she can read to you about the time I brought home 12 loaves of french bread to make one 9x13 pan of bread pudding for Thanksgiving. We had bread in the freezer for, well, YEARS really. And now I've got blueberries...lots of them.

I took on the Cooks Illustrated recipe for blueberry muffins (May/June issue). With a lemon zest sugar topping and a blueberry jam swirled into the muffins, it sounded like a winner. The blueberry jam thing is actually what got me...in more ways than one. (1) The blueberry jam and promise of good blueberry taste hooked me; (2) The preparation for said blueberry jam did a little "gotcha" on my brain and cooking confidence at the grocery store.

ONE: I don't actually like blueberry muffins very much, never have. I see them as the Emperors New Clothes of Food, really. I try one now and again and think to myself, "Do these taste like this to everyone? It this just muffin innards, with blue spurty things devoid of any taste? Where is the rich taste I think of when I think "blueberry"? Why is everyone eating these when clearly there is no taste?!?" Blueberries just near my Grandma's house in Stonington were rich, sweet and there was a little zing in those suckers; I ate them by the handful when I was a kid. So this recipe got me: it was a test to see if I could make a blueberry muffin taste like blueberry, as the author claimed it would.

TWO: I forgot my list of things to get at the grocery store so had to rely on my not-so-trusty-short-term-memory. I remembered the recipe called for "2 ____ of blueberries, picked over". Well that blank is pretty crucial, now isn't it? 2 tablespoons? 2 lbs? 2 cups? 2 what? I went to the frozen fruit area, and found some blueberries from Door County (just a stone's throw from the UP). I still couldn't remember what the 2 _____ was. I thought, "Well, you are going to be making a jam, so maybe it IS two pounds?? It needs to reduce and perhaps this recipe makes a double batch?? Two pounds sounds like an awful lot, but you better get more than have to come back, Cindy." So naturally if I'm looking for pounds, the item is sold in 12 OUNCE bags. I did my math...32 oz so I needed to get three bags....Wow, that's a lot (red flag! red flag! red flag!). What sort of recipe would seriously make you get three bags of frozen blueberries? I assured myself that well of course it will call for a lot of blueberries it is a top notch recipe. I grabbed three bags, the rest of the groceries and headed home to read what the devil filled in the blank. It was....2....(yes, I'm sure you figured it out when I gave you the 2___ options above)...CUPS. Of course, CUPS. The idea of making a jam, having never done so before, shattered my cooking confidence and scattered my clarity all over the floor of the grocery store. What else would explain coming home with two POUNDS of frozen blueberries? At least that is how I explained it to Todd who helped unpack the groceries and revealed bag after bag after bag of blueberries (holy crap, did you buy them out?). Gotcha, says blueberry jam. I will be making muffins for quite some time given the bags taking room in the freezer.

So that is a long prologue into muffin making....I did in fact make the blueberry muffins (jam and then some). The buttermilk batter and sweet, yet tangy, little blueberries made the perfect muffin. I did the lemon zest and sugar for a topping in the first batch, the second batch I tried the strudel topping. Lemon zest sugar is WAY better than the strudel (little heavy and flavorless). While it still wasn't like eating blueberries by the handful, there was a good dose of blueberry flavor throughout the entire muffin. After baking (and eating two warm ones), we put them in a container and I swear they were better the second day. I'm not sure it is legal to post the recipe but here goes:

Topping:
1/3 cup sugar, 3 teaspons lemon zest (it calls for 1.5 but I doubled it)

Muffin Ingredients:
2 CUPS blueberries (fresh or frozen, depending on the season), picked over (duh)
1 1/8 cups sugar (plus 1 teaspoon for jam)
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Making the gotcha jam:
Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to a simmer, mashing berries and stirring often. Reduce to about 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Let cool.

Batter (or "crumb" as those in the muffin biz call it):
Oven to 425, grease 12-muffin tin
Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in large bowl. Whisk 1 1/8 cups sugar and egg together in medium bowl until combined; slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined; whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Fold in egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened (batter will be lumpy...do not over mix!). Using ice cream scoop (this is crucial), and fill muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly). Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter. Using a chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure-eight motion (note: figure-eight will likely not work and will make you feel inept if you try in your itty bitty muffin cups of your tin...just swirl in what ever fashion you can). Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over muffins. Bake until just golden and just firm (17-19 minutes), rotate muffin tin 1/2 way through baking time. Cool for 5 minutes in tin, transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.



The muffins pictured here actually have a strudel topping, but don't do it, stick with the lemon.

And lastly, Making the Most of It:
I have left the ranks of coen+partners as a full time employee. The reasons are many, but largely personal. I love all the people, and see a fantastically talented group. Hopefully the entire lot will be at the Michigan wedding, but it was time for me to try something that suits me. It will be filled with design, to be sure, but as my dad has always said, "It is good to be your own boss." I've decided to heed that advice and am working on aligning personal and professional health (with a slight slant to the personal for the time being), being my own boss as it were. I am scared, overwhelmed and busy these days...but am just beginning to realize the possibilities in this great, big, humorous, enjoyable thing called LIFE.

I promise to resolve the limes in chicken and zucchini bombs in the next post. I needed to revel in a little muffin-ness for today and frankly I imagine you've lost your attention span by this point...if you're still here.

and I finally *made* muffins

After a serious hiatus in posting, I'm back! What's that you say?

Furlough? Well, no, not exactly.

Food? Well, ya, just not documented. Lots of food of the delicious kind. I finally got behind the (iPhone) lens again, and will post them soon.

To entice you to return: limes, chicken, baking powder, zucchini, and bay leaf.

Discuss.

weekend delights

Well, let's just say I did not get that Sunday roast in the oven...yet. I did, though, finish my capstone book and it is with my advisers for review! That feels pretty good. We did have a few delicious treats. Baked ziti from Cooks Illustrated (thanks for the subscription Phyl and Darrel!). It is a fantastic recipe - calls for cottage cheese instead of ricotta and a few other tricks make it tangy and full of flavor. I'll post the recipe later but wanted to get these up given that you all read my posts first thing in the a.m. (it's just as informative as watching the news or reading the paper, I know).
Ziti sauce and pasta in process. Note the cool Le Creuset spatula in the hot simmering sauce...am I nuts using such a utensil?!? No, this one is made of that fancy stuff that can with stand heat, my curses and the next atomic bomb. Thanks Phyl!!

The final product - baked ziti (well, penne really), a delicious green salad with a great balsamic vinaigrette (garlic, dijon, balsamic, olive oil and lots o pepper).

And, this morning, we were quite hungry again (I am sure our stomachs have been stretched over the last two weeks). So I made some delicious whole wheat pancakes (Creme de Colorado) and eggs with aged white cheddar, green onion, canadian bacon, tomatoes and yellow pepper. The pancakes are delicious, but lets be honest, all Skellengers know they are just a vehicle for the 1940 Club Syrup. All hail Uncle John's Sugar Shack!! Eggs were delicious too!

You can barely see it, but the syrup pitcher has been upon many Carlson breakfast tables. My Grandma Carlson would make us breakfast and Geoff and I each had our own "Good Morning!!" rooster pitcher for milk. I have both now...Geoff, come over for breakfast and I'll get it out for you!

So, to work I go...left overs are packed and ready for my first day back! Mom, I didn't layout my clothes, but I did iron.

Ode to the Followers

I see a common theme in photos of furlough food followers.
A wave, a dog, a child, two doggies and a cat,
All following a human food blog, imagine that.

To the followers I say, thanks for your support!
You've left messages and emails and warm friendly smiles,
I never would have guessed you'd follow all the while.

A few more meals to post:
Friday, Saturday and Sunday a roast
To work I go on Monday morn, I am happy and excited
so please don't look forlorn.

My furlough, it's come to an end
but there is another 'right round the bend.
And furlough food will have posts galore
kept alive by two or three good friends.

They'll post and post...and post and post
if I know them at all
they'll post treats and meals
and
funny dog tails

But it is all of you I toast:

Thank you for reading and enjoying my ventures
It has been a fun, exciting and rewarding endeavor.
Through these times we will continue the pleasure
Of making it through many challenges together.

Make muffins, make muffins I say, and make the most of your day no matter what comes your way.

Dining OUT!

Despite the urge to spend every waking minute cooped up in a drafty house in Saint Paul, Todd and I ventured from the cool to the cold, cold world outside our door. Todd suggested we head out for a little bit and it was a welcomed suggestion. He sent me a text (yes, from the upstairs to the downstairs), asking if I wanted to go to a local neighborhood eatery...I was knee deep in recipes (or perhaps I was finishing up the text for my capstone book but I want you to think I'm looking at recipes and plotting meals and kitchen take-overs). I texted back, "You read my mind."

I donned my Tuesday best, Todd did too, and we headed out to the Nook (linked to delicious flickr images). This place is the stuff of legends, as Po would say (he's the panda in Kung Fu Panda). People of legends, meals of legends....You know it is a legendary place when they can get away with tshirts that say, "Have you had your nookie today?"

So off we went to the Nook (link to reviews), I in my sweatpants and smartwool top (my "furlough uniform" as I like to call it). He in his cat hair laden fleece and serious goatee, we were warmly welcomed at the Nook...a 21st Century Cheers, really.


Todd and I have now been here about four times so we're at the point where we don't even look at the menu. I have the delectable Juicy Nookie with fried onions and he goes for the California burger (with cheese please, and no mayo). It is a treat like no other, and I cannot believe we JUST discovered this place (thanks Zach) after living in Saint Paul for 3.5 years. We are about 2.5 miles from the joint and my new requirement is "if we want it we gotta walk it". Of course, I made that promise only AFTER I consumed my juicy. It is pure bliss if you're looking for that 1500+ calorie treat. Given that we had our proverbial coffee and cocoa this a.m. and that's about it, I was ready for some calorie overload.

Todd in anticipation:

Cindy's delight:
and from the inside.....
Zach, you drooling? Bill(y), you too? It was even better than it looks. And in no time flat, the Spartans had beat the Wolverines (expected but darn it) and I had decimated my nookie.


And now I'm about to collapse of sodium overload, and I'm really feeling like I've completely negated Sunday's dairy-less dinner. But it was fun to get out and see how the other half lives!

Post Script: Bill(y) was so tempted by our description of the Nook, he decided to venture all the way from Clarkston, Michigan. This photograph is from January's night out at the Nook. He ordered the Paul Molitor (juicy nookie with pepper jack cheese). How was it Bill(y)?

Furlough Midterm

Last night it was like I was back in school again sitting my stormwater final exam...I had two minutes trying to figure out how much runoff a 10 year storm would yield in an 20 acre urban setting with over 75% impervious surface, with disconnected wetlands and a curb and gutter system. EVERY question after this initial question hinged on whether or not my answer was correct....a stormwater pressure cooker (and I still can't answer that question, nor do I even know if it is a valid question).

Anyway, so I had a little anxiety about dinner last night. It marked the middle of my furlough, so I had Mom over for dinner again and put myself to the test cooking for her and Todd. She, by the way, walked from her house to my house (roughly 6 miles of urban pavement in the dark, and lots of winter ice...champ).

I decided to cook the other white meat and the seed of a leafy plant: pork and quinoa. And to throw that trick question in to the exam, I wanted to do so without dairy products (being a little lactose intolerant anywhere I can cut dairy is good...though I love all things dairy it is super hard to restrain myself!). Pork is not my first choice in a meat, but the recipe for adobo rubbed pork loin with pico de gallo sounded super flavorful and I wanted give that other white meat another chance. To complement the pork and pico de gallo flavors, I looked up a tasty quinoa salad. I had a fantastic quinoa dish at Cafe Gratitude this past fall and I wanted to see if I could recreate some of the taste (though not vegan style). And, to add a little extra green to the table I made a delicious guacamole that brought it all together.

Mom had seconds so either she was REALLY hungry from the walk, or it was pretty darn good. Probably a bit of both. Everything hinged on the pork as the main course, or so I thought. I think it ended up that each part of the meal was flavorful and hearty enough to be the main course! Here's a close up of the treats:

The quinoa salad and pork tenderloin. The pico is added to the pork and was unbelievably tasty.


Mom was excited to be in a warm house again and Todd, knife in hand, was just ready to eat already...stop taking pictures Cindy!

We ended the evening with a little cocoa by Todd - here's a process graphic:


All in all it was a pretty darn good meal. Todd loved the pork and my mom was smitten with the quinoa. I have to say, the quinoa was unreal - delicious lime flavor and bursting with cilantro, cherry tomatoes and black beans. I could have made a meal of the quinoa, guac and pico de gallo. The flavors were much needed during this long, cold winter. If I was true to the whole eat local and seasonality of our food - which I am trying to be better about - we would have had a meal of hard snow, fresh cut willow twigs dusted with switch grass awn from our front garden and accented with a little road salt. I needed a little light-hearted food goodness for my for midterm furlough and it was the most fun exam I've ever taken.

Adobo Rubbed Pork Tenderloin Recipe from Epicurious (modified a titch):
Pork

• 5 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp coarse salt
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 pinches cayenne pepper
• 2 lbs pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 3- to 4-oz pieces

Pico de gallo

• 15 oz black beans cooked and rinsed
  
• ~ 40 cherry tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp minced jalapeño pepper
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

To make pico de gallo, mix all ingredients.

For pork, preheat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, mix paprika, black pepper, salt, chili powder, sugar, and cayenne. Rub both sides of each tenderloin piece with spice mixture (I let it sit for a good three hours). Preheat skillet over medium-high heat and pan-sear pieces until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to pre-heated broiler pan in oven until done (6 to 8 minutes for each inch of thickness).

Serve 1/2 cup pico de gallo over tenderloin.

Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa from Epicurious (modified a titch):

• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 (14- to 15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• ~ 40 cherry tomatoes, diced
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  

Whisk together lime zest and juice, oil, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.

Wash quinoa in 3 changes of cold water in a bowl, draining in a sieve each time.

Bring 2 cups salted water to boil (1/2 teaspon for 2 c water). Add quinoa and bring to boil. Cover and turn heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or until tender and water has boiled off. Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.

Guacamole for two (Stephanie's recipe):

• 2 avos
  
• 1/3 red onion diced
• 10-15 cherry tomatoes diced
  
• juice of 1/2 lime (or a little more)
• dash of cumin, sea salt and ground pepper to taste
  

A few other fun photos from the evening...
Making the pico.


Salivating over the guac...hmm..not the best photo here, but Stephanie's recipe is awesome - lots o' lime and a bit of cumin makes all the difference!

Thanks for walking all this way Mom!

Todd's Fiber Wafers

Woa, stop the fan mail kids. It's overwhelming. :) I did sift through the thousands of comments and noticed that someone wanted the recipe for Todd's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip goodness (which he calls fiber wafers)...and here it is!

Pre-heat oven to 350

1 stick salted butter softened (not melted)

¼ cup white suggah

½ cup brown suggah

1 tsp vanilla

Mix all of this goodness together first, then add 1 egg mix just until combined, then add….

Dash of salt

Dash of cinnamon

¾ cup flouah

½ tsp baking sodah

Mix all of this goodness together then fold in

3 fist fulls of chocolate chips (no more, no less)

Then add 1 cup and a smidge more of quick oats (def. quick oats, not the not quick kind)

More flouah or oats you put in the cake-er they are.We tend to like them less cakey and more goooey.

Drop a good amount on cookie sheet for each cookie and press middle with thumb (this technical move makes them cook more evenly and doesn’t leave them under cooked in middle with brown edges).

Fill two glasses full of milk (or three in the case of Kimberly, Billy and Emma-dilemma), put in freezer, then put cookie sheet(s) in oven for roughly 10 minutes.

Consume all, preferably in front of a good movie like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter or The Incredibles.

Smile...like this:

Just one of those days

...to make cookies.

Chocolate is food for the soul. Or so says the entire Zerger family...and I’d say my Dad would agree to that too...only his is in the form of a Babe Ruth.

I know we’ve all heard the statistics, but there are 11,100,000 people in the United States that are unemployed. That’s roughly three Twin Cities that are unemployed. That is pretty tough to stomach when you know it is an increase of 50% from the previous year.

Here’s an interesting link that graphically depicts the unemployment rate. It’s not the shwoopiest of websites, but scroll down really fast and you get an interesting picture. And scroll slower and you read interesting facts, like when the minimum wage was $0.75. Here's one from NYT and another from MSNBC.

Doom and gloom, eh? Dang this post is bringing you down, isn’t it? Well, just wanted to start out on the lowest point, relay three pretty cool observations for the day…and end with a smile…read on.

I got an email from my cousin, Bill(y):

I will be on multiple furloughs this year ... My voluntary 2% paycut was increased to 5% (now effective for everyone), 401k match was suspended, and we will now have 30 days of 'shutdown' this year, where you can use PTO time to cover, but if you use PTO time for other things, you have to pay for the shutdown days.

Ugly, but I'll take it all day long.

Yep, that’s what he wrote, “Ugly, but I’ll take it all day long.” I glazed over that in my responses to him – focusing on what this meant for his bottom line, trying to figure out if he was getting paid less and working the same or getting paid less and working less…and even I asked if he at least got a free lunch when they broke the news. But, I went back and read his email I saw the last poignant line, “Ugly, but I’ll take it all day long.” It stared me right in the face and said, “Snap out of it! Focus on the positive, not the negative!” Thanks Cuz, I needed that reminder.

Another reminder...music from the upstairs...

Todd is one of those 11,100,000 right now. I think its harder psychologically to be part of that statistic than it is to just not go to a place of employment. He IS working – likely harder than most people who are at work. He’s working on his own website, networking, reading and doing lots of yoga these days….he is smiling and sometimes I hear him singing to his music from the upstairs studio. And, as he said, he will come out on the other side in a better situation with a better understanding of the life-work balance.

And another...warmth of a friend...

On Thursday, Carrie came over for a little lunch, planning for her baby shower and a good hearty MN walk. She came in with a blast of awesome vacation energy. She and her husband, also recently laid off, made a powerful decision to embrace the opportunity in front of them. Carrie was invited to speak at a conference in Florida and they decided to make muffins, er, the most of it. They jumped in the car and headed south…they saw 70+ degrees on the thermometer, enjoyed the company of good friends, played in the ocean, relaxed, and I imagine they smiled a few times knowing Carrie. Three weeks later they came back to MN refreshed and excited to just be here and now. A few potentials on the horizon for both of them, but what I admire most is her perspective on it all….life is here and you just gotta live it.

It is all a matter of perspective isn’t it? Have a chocolate chip cookie today, and just forget about the guilt - enjoy the inner smile it brings you!

Todd made these in honor of his 3 week-a-versary. Chocolate Chip Oatmeal…delicious with an icy cold glass of milk. Ahhhh, food for the soul.

Thank goodness for that gym membership

Woa, time out. It’s gotten out of hand here. Asian turkey burgers, sesame noodles with shredded chicken, lemon loaf all in less than 24 hours….Can I go back to work now? Yes, I’m modifying ingredients to ensure lower refined sugars, fats, etc…but three items and 20,000 calories in one 24 hour span? That’s plain nutty. And all I gotta say is thank goodness for my gym membership and handy Nike+ gadget…I can track my runs, pace, goals and all that good stuff…which makes me feel like I can eat some of the goooooood stuff.

So, what made me do all these crazy things? I’m going to blame it on my mom for raising me in to enjoy kama’aina foods….I will eat anything with ginger and shoyu (or as mainlanders – now including me – call it: soy sauce). I’m probably destined for high blood pressure given the amount of soy sauce I had as a child, but I figure the ginger will magically counteract that by its known properties to boost circulation. Wait…hmmm…that sounds dangerous. Mom, what did you do to us?!?

Tuesday’s dinner: Asian turkey burgers…from the Grill Every Day cookbook. I highly recommend upping the cilantro and ginger – double time it. A delicious kettle chip (low salt variety for perfect potato-ness) was a great addition. Todd said, “Woa, hella good.” I think that means he likes them. (No we didn’t have any veggies, bad us. But we did have lots of them for lunch.)

Wednesday’s lunch: Sesame noodles with shredded chicken from America’s Test Kitchen. It is pretty good, but lacked a little punch. Any suggestions on what to add if I were to add anything? Of course, I already did up the ginger and garlic but it needed a little punch…red pepper flakes?

SESAME NOODLES WITH SHREDDED CHICKEN RECIPE

Featured on America's Test Kitchen and printed in Cooks Illustrated magazine, October 2004 issue.

¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup chunky peanut butter
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 piece (1-inch) fresh ginger, grated or minced (about 1 tablespoon)
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
2 tablespoons lightly packed light brown sugar
Hot water
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1½ pounds), trimmed of excess fat
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound fresh Chinese egg noodles or 12 ounces dried spaghetti
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
4 scallions, sliced thin on diagonal
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated on large holes of box grater (about 2/3 cup)

1. Toast the sesame seeds in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon sesame seeds in a small bowl. In a blender or food processor, puree the remaining 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and sugar until smooth, about 30 seconds. With the machine running, add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce has the consistency of heavy cream, about 5 tablespoons; set the mixture aside (it can be left in the blender jar or food processor workbowl).

2. Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a stockpot over high heat. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to 6 inches from the broiler element; heat the broiler. Spray the broiler pan top with vegetable cooking spray; place the chicken breasts on top and broil the chicken until lightly browned, 4 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken over and continue to broil until the thickest part is no longer pink when cut into and registers about 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and set aside. Add the salt and noodles to the boiling water; boil the noodles until tender, about 4 minutes for fresh and 10 minutes for dried. Drain, then rinse with cold running tap water until cool to the touch; drain again. In a large bowl, toss the noodles with the sesame oil until evenly coated. Add the shredded chicken, scallions, carrot, and sauce; toss to combine. Divide among individual bowls, sprinkle each bowl with a portion of reserved sesame seeds, and serve.

Serves 4 to 6 (or an army, depending on your portion size – seriously we have enough for the next week).

And of course, I needed to make a pound cake of some sort – a little zing to the ginger’s zang. This is an old trusty recipe; Mom and I have made them as holiday mini-loafs for friends and family. From the Crème de Colorado.

And after a day of yet again shirking my capstone book, I capped it off with a good workout at the St. Paul YMCA….Krista came too and we had a blast. Thanks KMS!

This is my "mini" from the Nike+ website. :)

Kitchen Voyeur….or perhaps Kitchen Lurker (if you’re Erica)

**First things first...I have no idea what is going on with the html of this blog - why it is in one type and then another...various sizes, etc...My apologies for the disastrous formatting...I may be switching to WordPress tomorrow...back to story...**

Ever want to secretly peek in someone’s kitchen? Just want to see what they think are essentials? Being that I’m an aspiring cook, not really a cook, I need a peek inside all kitchens to take a gander at gadgets, cool tools and essentials. I have a lot of fun things I’ve acquired over the years (and yes, Mom, I do know how to use them...most of them), but at this point in my cooking adventure, I can point to three essentials. And, go figure, they don’t actually contribute to the cooking of things but they are essential to my, ahem, process.

Item Number One: My dear, dear Chemex coffee carafe
With a little experimentation, research and watching Darrel over the years, I’ve learned how to brew an exceptional cuppa coffee in my Chemex, if I do say so myself. Darrel (nearly father-in-law and the best deal finder in the WORLD), found this beauty at the SPCA thrift store…for probably somewhere around $5.00. As many of you know, I’m a sucker for a quad espresso over ice with a touch of vanilla, and I’ll still enjoy one from time to time, but a beautiful faux-lait at home is my new favorite thing. What’s a faux-lait you ask? It’s a Phyllis creation – coffee with warmed milk that is foamed with a swizzler (yes, that’s the name of the tool…which come to think of it is another essential). P.S. When you say faux-lait, say it with oomph, like you’re saying, “Olé!” and holding a sombrero….faux-LAIT!!




Item Number Two: Todd's dear, dear Chantal tea kettle
This has a bit of a back story; have a cuppa coffee, relax and let me tell you. Todd’s Aunt Barb passed away twelve years ago, and before she left this earthly place, she asked Todd what of hers he would like to keep. Without hesitation, he asked for her tea kettle. It has seen many a family event and is rich with memories; the sound of the whistle brings him back to her house in Berkeley in an instant. That kettle had been sitting upon our stove for the last five years and we used her frequently for tea and coffee, but she was a bit worse for wear. Darrel, my coffee coach, found an almost spanking new Chantal – in the SAME cobalt blue color that I hear was Barbs favorite color. Darrel did in fact pay exactly $5.00 for it this fall. It made the journey to MN after a lovely Thanksgiving in California. We've retired Barb's, as we would like to keep that one forever. I never knew Barb, but I think of her every morning when I hear the beautiful whistle of the cobalt Chantal, and I send my thoughts to her, wherever she may be.

Chemex and Chantal go hand in hand.

Item Number Three: The happy, happy gnome apron

Yes, Mom, it is the third essential. You’ve given me a few over the years: one with a pansy, one with an apple pie on it, a Hawaiian themed one, and a gnome one. What on Earth made you think I’d want one with snowman making gnomes on it, I’ll never know, but it rocks. It is the perfect size, perfect weight, perfect pockets and perfect tie ‘round the waste. I suppose there is a cook or two out there tisking at my apron wearing, but novice Cindy needs one or I’m going to be writing about laundry, not cooking. The gnomes and their snow antics remind me to enjoy this *%$#(@&!! winter, at the very least from the warmth of my kitchen.
See the gnome? I'll give you a hint...he's wearing orange shoes.

So back to kitchen peeking. While she’s still creating her list of essentials and figuring out what to share and what remains secret, I did get Stephanie to spill the beans on a beautiful, delicious looking soup she made on Monday night. She’s not technically on furlough yet, but in anticipation, she’s honing her cooking skills with a Cabbage and Sausage Soup. She claims she started with this recipe on Epicurious but as far as I can tell from the ingredients lists, she thought that recipe was crap about a quarter of the way into it and totally improvised. The result looks amazing and I just want a small little taste, please.

Stephanie's recipe:

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
12 ounces fully cooked Wellshire Farms Kielbasa Pork Sausage (65% less fat version), sliced in half and cut into 1/2" chunks
1/2 head large cabbage, chopped
3 cups sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 cups baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise, then halved crosswise
3 tablespoons Sierra Nevada Spicy brown mustard, or other spicy brown mustard
1 giant sprig fresh thyme, chopped
3 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp cumin
3 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 cups water
1 cup beer (I used an I.P.A.)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or other white vinegar
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained
Salt and pepper to taste

Dumplings
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
1 cup milk (more if needed for proper consistency)

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage slices and sauté until brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Add cabbage and mustard; sauté 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to same pot and heat over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, thyme, rosemary, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; sauté until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes (I keep the lid on in this step to trap the moisture). Add broth, water, beer, vinegar, sausage-cabbage mixture, and beans and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. While soup is simmering prepare the dumplings by mixing the dry ingredients together and then stir in the milk. Keep adding milk until the dumpling mixture just barely falls off the end of a large spoon. When the soup is close to ready, drop large spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture into the simmering broth. Let dumplings simmer for approximately five to eight minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and eat! Makes about 8 servings. Yum..

Thanks Stephanie!