Over the weekend my 3 year old cell phone died while I was texting in the rain, taking with it all my stored contacts.
As if this was not bad enough, today I opened this box that I thought contained my new phone. Lo and behold, it's empty!
Verizon sent me a receipt along with instructions on how to activate my new phone.
Thanks, Verizon. You made my day.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
I Love Lisbon!
We've been in Portugal for a few days and I am struck by how warm the people are here. It's beautiful. Every man we see is fawning over his woman; public displays of affection are the norm. How wonderful and liberating it must be to exist in a culture that is so open with affection and holds women in such esteem.In my observation the people here go out of their way to connect with you, no matter what language you speak or from where you come. It's possible to get by with hand gestures and facial expressions. There is such depth in the eyes I have seen here. It's pain and warmth and passion.
As usual, we sought out advice on where to eat from the locals. We were not disappointed. And my lips are sealed!
See more pics of our trip here: http://flickr.com/photos/21569696@N07/2879951293/in/set-72157607436858738/
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Ziti with Shrimp and Roasted Eggplant Sauce
Summer is winding down. How do I know this? Aside from the crisp air and changing angle of the sun, the bags of produce given to me by friends is a dead giveaway.
Since we are going to Portugal next week, using and/or preserving all these beautiful fruits and veggies has been a priority. Yesterday the mood struck and I started roasting peppers and eggplants.
As the smells permeated the air, I was reminded of a roasted eggplant pasta sauce I used to make. Somehow, this versatile recipe fell from my rotation. I think the last time I had made it was back in 2000, when I last grew my own eggplant. Well, suffice it to say it's back!
This sauce is very easy and makes your whole house smell intoxicatingly delicious. The recipe makes plenty - you could easily give a quart away or stash the rest in the freezer.
Last night I served this with some shrimp I simply broiled with lemon zest, garlic and parsley. The sauce would go just as well with chicken or even some goat cheese instead of the shrimp.
Roasted Eggplant Sauce
3 medium eggplants
-Stab each eggplant several times with a knife; drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, and roast at 400 on a foil-lined sheet pan for about 45 minutes or until tender. When cool enough to touch, scoop flesh from eggplants with a spoon and set aside. Discard skin.
olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 head garlic, minced (or to taste)
1 large tomato, blanched, peeled, and chunked
1 medium zucchini, grated
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1/2 to 3/4 c. dry white wine
water - approx. 1 c.
fresh flat leaf parsley
Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large pot. Add onion and zucchini, saute over medium-high heat until somewhat softened but not browned. Add garlic, saute a couple minutes more. Add red pepper flakes, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Add reserved eggplant and cook for a couple minutes. You will notice the mixture beginning to stick to the pan and brown. As soon as this happens, deglaze the pan with the wine. Cook for several minutes until you no longer smell alcohol. Add the water and cook for another 20 minutes or so. Toward the end of cooking, add chunked tomato and a generous amout of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley. You should be able to tell when the sauce is ready because it will just smell so good. Adjust seasonings, and serve with pasta.
I added a squeeze of lemon juice at the end as well. I also mixed about a pound of broiled shrimp with the 1.5 lbs. of pasta I had cooked. It would be great with grilled chicken, and also some form of cheese if you are not serving with seafood.
I hope this recipe is clear enough; feel free to ask questions if some step is not. It's hard to quantify something that I usually improvise!
I'd love to hear stories from you if you try any variation of this basic recipe.
Since we are going to Portugal next week, using and/or preserving all these beautiful fruits and veggies has been a priority. Yesterday the mood struck and I started roasting peppers and eggplants.
As the smells permeated the air, I was reminded of a roasted eggplant pasta sauce I used to make. Somehow, this versatile recipe fell from my rotation. I think the last time I had made it was back in 2000, when I last grew my own eggplant. Well, suffice it to say it's back!
This sauce is very easy and makes your whole house smell intoxicatingly delicious. The recipe makes plenty - you could easily give a quart away or stash the rest in the freezer.
Last night I served this with some shrimp I simply broiled with lemon zest, garlic and parsley. The sauce would go just as well with chicken or even some goat cheese instead of the shrimp.
Roasted Eggplant Sauce
3 medium eggplants
-Stab each eggplant several times with a knife; drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, and roast at 400 on a foil-lined sheet pan for about 45 minutes or until tender. When cool enough to touch, scoop flesh from eggplants with a spoon and set aside. Discard skin.
olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 head garlic, minced (or to taste)
1 large tomato, blanched, peeled, and chunked
1 medium zucchini, grated
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1/2 to 3/4 c. dry white wine
water - approx. 1 c.
fresh flat leaf parsley
Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large pot. Add onion and zucchini, saute over medium-high heat until somewhat softened but not browned. Add garlic, saute a couple minutes more. Add red pepper flakes, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Add reserved eggplant and cook for a couple minutes. You will notice the mixture beginning to stick to the pan and brown. As soon as this happens, deglaze the pan with the wine. Cook for several minutes until you no longer smell alcohol. Add the water and cook for another 20 minutes or so. Toward the end of cooking, add chunked tomato and a generous amout of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley. You should be able to tell when the sauce is ready because it will just smell so good. Adjust seasonings, and serve with pasta.
I added a squeeze of lemon juice at the end as well. I also mixed about a pound of broiled shrimp with the 1.5 lbs. of pasta I had cooked. It would be great with grilled chicken, and also some form of cheese if you are not serving with seafood.
I hope this recipe is clear enough; feel free to ask questions if some step is not. It's hard to quantify something that I usually improvise!
I'd love to hear stories from you if you try any variation of this basic recipe.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
You Talkin' to Me?
I absolutely adore late summer. It's my favorite time of year, the time when everything comes to fruition.
This is the time of year when more than ever, so much is in season, coming forth from the fertile soil.
The students all come back to town, infusing the city with a new breath of life. The smell from area restaurants fills the air. Fairs and feasts celebrate the end of summertime, the fruits of the soil, and the beginning of a new time of toil and industry.
But the ocean still retains its warmth, soaked up over the summer's heat bearing down. The weather is still gorgeous-sunny-clear skies-perfect (well, ok, not every day is sunny, as I peer outside to the pouring rain). And the vegetables are more plentiful than ever.
Late August and September are times of harvest and homecoming.
Kenny, in his infinite generosity, has given me bags and bags of produce this past week!
One day there were tomatoes at my door; the next day there were carrots and peppers.
Some of the tomatoes got eaten fresh with just a drizzle of olive oil, some got stewed and subsequently frozen.
The carrots! Some were steamed and eaten for breakfast (we do that, deal with it). Some were grated and dressed very simply with olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper, and herbs a la David Lebovitz.
The Italian sweet peppers! Well, those were braised, with hot Italian sausages, potatoes, garlic, onions, and beer.
Cruelly, I treated them to the hot pot because one of them was giving me the business, as you can see. I've documented it photographically; I am thereby justified.
This is the time of year when more than ever, so much is in season, coming forth from the fertile soil.
The students all come back to town, infusing the city with a new breath of life. The smell from area restaurants fills the air. Fairs and feasts celebrate the end of summertime, the fruits of the soil, and the beginning of a new time of toil and industry.
But the ocean still retains its warmth, soaked up over the summer's heat bearing down. The weather is still gorgeous-sunny-clear skies-perfect (well, ok, not every day is sunny, as I peer outside to the pouring rain). And the vegetables are more plentiful than ever.
Late August and September are times of harvest and homecoming.
Kenny, in his infinite generosity, has given me bags and bags of produce this past week!
One day there were tomatoes at my door; the next day there were carrots and peppers.
Some of the tomatoes got eaten fresh with just a drizzle of olive oil, some got stewed and subsequently frozen.
The carrots! Some were steamed and eaten for breakfast (we do that, deal with it). Some were grated and dressed very simply with olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper, and herbs a la David Lebovitz.
The Italian sweet peppers! Well, those were braised, with hot Italian sausages, potatoes, garlic, onions, and beer.
Cruelly, I treated them to the hot pot because one of them was giving me the business, as you can see. I've documented it photographically; I am thereby justified.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Please Excuse Stephanie's Absence...
Taking off for a while, to parts so remote I will be without the internet.
Keep yourselves full of good things!
Keep yourselves full of good things!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Very Local Striped Bass
A thank you to my neighbor, Ricardo Diaz, for catching this gorgeous striped bass and sending it our way like manna from heaven. Thanks also to his lovely wife, whose bass-aversion is a boon to the Dinnerman and me.
These babies were a bit hit around here Friday night, very simply crusted in cornmeal and pan-fried. The Dinnerman rarely raves about fish; he is still talking about this bass 2 days later.
Thanks Ricardo! Keep the bass flowing!
I suppose I should talk a bit about how I prepared this, for the minions who come by for the "recipes". It was simple, really. I salted and peppered the fillets, then dredged them in beaten egg and rolled them around in cornmeal. Into a pan filled about 3/4 inch high with olive oil until they browned on both sides, into the oven to finish cooking. They were really good slathered with hot sauce.
These babies were a bit hit around here Friday night, very simply crusted in cornmeal and pan-fried. The Dinnerman rarely raves about fish; he is still talking about this bass 2 days later.
Thanks Ricardo! Keep the bass flowing!
I suppose I should talk a bit about how I prepared this, for the minions who come by for the "recipes". It was simple, really. I salted and peppered the fillets, then dredged them in beaten egg and rolled them around in cornmeal. Into a pan filled about 3/4 inch high with olive oil until they browned on both sides, into the oven to finish cooking. They were really good slathered with hot sauce.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Everything's Better With Bacon
Last night I just didn't know what to do. I had thawed out some boneless breasts, but seriously didn't feel like grilling.
In the fridge, I had an abundance of the zucchini and yellow squash that's omnipresent here this time of year, plus bacon, garlic, basil, onions, and a hunk of Narragansett Creamery's fresh mozzarella.
On the counter, I had some German striped tomatoes from White Barn Farm that I got at last week's Wickenden Street Farmer's Market.
I rubbed each chicken breast with kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne, olive oil, and minced garlic. I then topped each with a slice of zucchini, a slice of yellow squash and some fresh basil leaves and wrapped the whole she-bang in bacon. Into the over at 400 for about 20-25 minutes (I think), or until the chicken is cooked and the bacon is crisp.
I served this with an insalata caprese.
Quick, easy, and a little out of the ordinary routine. Plus, bacon!
In the fridge, I had an abundance of the zucchini and yellow squash that's omnipresent here this time of year, plus bacon, garlic, basil, onions, and a hunk of Narragansett Creamery's fresh mozzarella.
On the counter, I had some German striped tomatoes from White Barn Farm that I got at last week's Wickenden Street Farmer's Market.
I rubbed each chicken breast with kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne, olive oil, and minced garlic. I then topped each with a slice of zucchini, a slice of yellow squash and some fresh basil leaves and wrapped the whole she-bang in bacon. Into the over at 400 for about 20-25 minutes (I think), or until the chicken is cooked and the bacon is crisp.
I served this with an insalata caprese.
Quick, easy, and a little out of the ordinary routine. Plus, bacon!
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