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?"