Thursday, December 3rd, 2009, 10:04 pm
![I accidentally doubled the butter in these, but I can’t say it seems to have caused any harm.
(Same recipe as I posted here [almost a year ago!], but instead of hazelnut liqueur in the frosting there’s a tablespoon of triple sec and some clementine zest.)](http://7.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ku3xv2Ltsb1qztnbso1_500.jpg)
I accidentally doubled the butter in these, but I can’t say it seems to have caused any harm.
(Same recipe as I posted here [almost a year ago!], but instead of hazelnut liqueur in the frosting there’s a tablespoon of triple sec and some clementine zest.)
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009, 9:36 am
"To truly enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in the world that is not what it is merely by contrast. … The height of this deliciousness is to have nothing but the blanket between you and your snugness and the cold of the outer air. Then there you lie like the one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal."Herman Melville, Moby-Dick (via bryanmckay)
Sunday, November 29th, 2009, 8:26 pm
I did some knitting over the long weekend.
Pictured here: my first hats, knit lace, and buttonhole. In the works: cables.
Friday, November 20th, 2009, 2:03 pm
What should you do for dinner tonight? You should do this:
Heat two or three tablespoons of butter or oil in a big pot over medium heat. Slice up the white and light green parts of three leeks, peel and cube three potatoes, and mince a few cloves of garlic. Dump it all in the pot and add salt, pepper, some thyme, and a bay leaf. Stir and cook for a few minutes, then pour in four cups of stock (or water) and simmer for half an hour. Remove from heat, puree with an immersion blender, normal blender, or food processor, return to heat, and stir in some cream (maybe 3/4 cup). Adjust seasonings, garnish with parsley or chives if you’re feeling fancy, and enjoy the warm, satisfied feeling in your tummy.
Thursday, November 19th, 2009, 6:16 pm
My best friend Maddy came to visit this past weekend. Our previous few visits had been fun but exhausting whirlwinds, so this time we stayed in and focused all our energy (of which we had plenty, since our second main activity was sleeping) on making and eating excellent food:
- macaroni & cheese with caramelized onions & goat cheese
- brussels sprouts (perfect when sautéed in butter over high heat)
- homemade peppermint ice cream
- sandwiches from Wan (best sandwiches in Boston!)
- waffles
- french bread smeared with roasted garlic
- homemade ravioli (spinach pasta, cheese filling) in tomato sauce
- salted brown butter crispy treats
- crepes and Nutella milkshakes from the Paris Creperie
Oh, and the drinks!
- apple cider with Southern Comfort
- grown-up eggnog
- gin & tonics with key limes
- champagne with grenadine & pomegranate arils
It was a very good weekend. I would like to do it again soon.
Friday, November 6th, 2009, 3:23 pm
Thanks to some encouragement from Bryan and Lisa, I am now officially the editor of the Blogcritics.org Tastes section.
My first piece there was an ode to macaroni and cheese including three recipes, two of which have been posted here in the past and one of which (pictured above) has not. I hope this will convince you to check out my new territory! (Phillip also wrote a rebuttal to my article, and it’s a lovely piece of writing though completely wrongheaded.)
I’d also like to encourage any of you who also write about food (or drink) to contribute to the site. Tastes currently gets the fewest articles of any section and I’d love to see it grow!
Thursday, November 5th, 2009, 10:59 pm
We’ve owned a slow-cooker for over a year and somehow managed not to use it until today. We’re usually very good about not letting appliances, even more specialized ones, gather dust, so it was really strange and inexcusable! I’m so glad we finally did it, and even gladder that it resulted in this delicious vegetable curry.
I will miss fresh tomatoes, but fall and winter food are really where it’s at.
