Wake and Bake 2009

Last Sunday I decided that I was going to bake on Monday. Yes I did. I decided this as I strolled through the Baking Needs aisle at C-Town. I sneered at the boxes of mixes and deliberately and loudly in my head said: I AM GOING TO BAKE! TOMORROW!

I placed my baking needs in that shopping cart with a degree of confidence that's usually reserved for Olympians. I swaggered home with twenty pounds of ingredients and set them on the counter. No. I DISPLAYED my ingredients on the counter. Much like one would proudly display an Oscar. If I could, I would have back lit them.

AnonyMouse woke from his slumber, walked into the kitchen, took one look at the bounty in front of him and said: "That's a lot of sugar."

"Yes! It is!" I roared. "I am going to bake! Tomorrow!"
He said: "Cool." And then went to take a nap.

He needed one. Taking in that much sugar, flour and baking powder was overwhelming for a mere non-baking mortal.

I was heady with baking thoughts all day. I had a pantry of dry goods waiting to be sifted and mixed! I consulted my library of cookbooks, I went online to seek out the most worthy recipe. I noticed that not one recipe had baking powder as an ingredient, but it didn't matter. I would be baking in 24 hours!

Well, at some point the lights fade. The accolades die down, and the reality sets in that there is absolutely no need for baking powder. I needed baking soda. This realization knocked the wind out of me. My display of ingredients didn't look so award winning anymore. That yellow and red tin of Davis Baking Powder sat on the counter mocking me. Double Acting! Yeah, it was acting alright! Acting like I knew what I was doing! I became a tiny bit despondent.

I slept badly on Sunday night. Terrifying images of bleached four choking me with dust...Betty Crocker laughing maniacally...and the most disturbing image of a disembodied arm and hammer...WHOA.

I woke up on Monday morning, put on my boots and coat, flew out the door and headed back to C-Town. No coffee. I had needs of a baking variety to attend to. Coffee was not an option.

The next few hours were a blur. I sifted-through a colander-I forgot to take the butter out, I used peanut butter AND chocolate chips! AnonyMouse awoke to Nat King Cole singing Christmas music and me covered in flour. He cracked up. Then turned serious when he saw what I had done. The display that had previously mocked me was now a pile of baked goodness.

I brought my little morsels of happy to a holiday party that night. My friend told me as I was leaving that everyone loved my cookies.

Some decisions are worth the wait.

Three Great Baking Achievements Paired With Three Great Baked Goods:

Pastry cook becomes a respected profession in 300 B.C. and Janice's Apricot squares

The Easy-Bake Oven was introduced in 1963 by Kenner Products and Eli's Onion rolls

Adding lit candles to the top of a birthday cake originates in 18th century Germany and fresh croissants

Come along for the ride!

Maybe it's the approaching end of the decade, the end of the year, the possible end of an era work-wise...I'm just feeling good about it all. Yes. I'm talking about endings. Endings, to me, can be a real positive.

Most obviously, the look of this very blog came to an end. Every time I came to the page it felt like I was wearing a scratchy sweater or had damp socks on. It didn't feel right. I hope you like it. I do.

When AnonyMouse and I moved last May, it was the perfect ending to our former living situations. We now have a home.

Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise. Hilarious. The. End.



Change always makes me feel kinda funky. I just try to remember that fun is a big part of that word.


Three Great Endings Paired With Three Great Beginnings

Janice's Chocolate Roll and The opening guitar riff of Pretty Persuasion

Series Finale of Six Feet Under and The theme song to Ally McBeal

Coffee and Coffee

A Buffet To Remember

Most weddings follow the formula: drink, dinner, dance. Repeat.
The Bride? Beautiful. The Groom? Adorable. The Food? Edible.
But last night's affair was different.

Need to know where the The Knights of Columbus or White Plains Elks Lodges are? I'm your go-to girl.
Like getting dressed up and walking over a major highway on a wood plank bridge? Look no further...



Let's just say that AnonyMouse and I got to know North White Plains, NY REALLY well.
Did I mention that the wedding was in White Plains? NOT North White Plains?

After a teeny breakdown on the very blustery North Broadway, the magic of Anonymouse's blackberry and a lovely cab driver who found our adventure very funny... we did end up in White Plains at the reception.

The Bride and Groom? Beautiful. Excited. Happy. Our table was a perfect mix of present and former co workers,and boyfriends and spouses. And the food? Fantastic.

A cocktail hour that has offerings of smoked fish, chopped liver, and fried cheese can only be described as brilliant. What followed was dancing, steak, more dancing, champagne, key lime mousse cake, and yes, Donna Summer was the last dance.

Precarious walk in heels + steak + love = a very good night

Three Great Married Couples Paired With Three Really Bad Wedding Entree Ideas:

My parents and Mutton
Mo and Stanny! and Broth
John and Abigail Adams and Tripe

Meatcake! And Leftovers

Main Entry: left·over
Pronunciation: \ˈleft-ˌō-vər\
Function: noun
Date: 1891
1 : something that remains unused or unconsumed; especially : leftover food served at a later meal —usually used in plural

What I see:



I get defensive when confronted with food that has been in the refrigerator for more than a day. It always makes me feel like I somehow failed in preparing it right the first time.

Cold Chinese or cold Italian are exempt. They are perfect at any temperature.
Chili needs a day to rest and relax. Orzo salad is great for lunch the next day.

I'm talking about that ball of foil from last night's dinner. It's cold. It has developed a gelatinous, alien-like coating. It's unapproachable.

I had a situation earlier this week when I made our favorite gingered pork loin. It's kind of a blur, but I had two loins. AnonyMouse used the word LEFTOVERS, and there I was wrapping one up in foil to be placed in the refrigerator. I didn't feel good about it.

COLDPORKLOINCOLDPORKLOIN echoed through my head all the next day. It was awful. I wanted to create something new with it so it didn't resemble the previous dinner in any way. You know, trick myself into thinking it was a brand new meal.

In the end I realized: RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. I had to let go.

I did. Some things just deserve a second chance.
And Meatcake is still the funniest word in the english language.

Three Favorite Words Paired With Three Delicious Cold Meals

Cozy and dumplings
Cake and the other half of an eggplant parmigiana hero
Home and a big plate of meats and cheeses

Please Bear With Me

Sometimes you're at a kick-ass, Friday night rooftop BBQ and you find yourself eating bear while listening to an in-depth play by play of how that bear came to be in the shape of a sausage. Yes. Sometimes that does happen.

In some circles, bear is a perfectly acceptable hors d'oeuvres. Discussion of how that bear was captured and prepared is required. Since I don't roll with a hunting crowd, you could say that I was horrified and intrigued by the prospect of eating...BooBoo. So it's no surprise to say that that slice of Yogi was one of the most bizarre and unpleasant tastes I've ever experienced. The display of grace while spitting into a napkin was a thing of beauty. I've never moved that fast in my life.

We've all met that person whose favorite mode of conversing is via monologue. I happen to be a good listener, so it's usually interesting for a while. I prefer give and take in a conversation, but sometimes you're held hostage by someone who brings bear to a party, and will not take no for an answer.

Cooking has an element of self-indulgence that could potentially lead to a one way conversation. I'm definitely someone who aims to please when foisting food upon friends and loved ones. I would hope that somewhere in the back of everyone's cooking mind is the teeniest glimmer of the people being served.

Sorry, BooBoo.

Since AnonyMouse and I are going to the US Open tomorrow, I share with you:

Three Game Meats I Will Never Try Paired With Three Great Games:

Kangaroo and Nadal v Federer Men's Wimbledon 2008 Final
Goat and Giants-Patriots Super Bowl 2008
Ostrich and Balderdash

Vacation!

Vacation food has a special set of rules and regulations and requirements. Depending on how you were raised, you were:
A. Allowed to eat with abandon at every meal..."We're on vacation! Of course you can have a hot fudge sundae after breakfast! "
B. Allowed a special treat..."We have a lot to see, you may have a hot fudge sundae on the last night. Now stop hitting your sister."
Or
C. Completely disinterested because your family took vacations involving something athletic..."After we hit these rapids,trail mix break!"

My adult vacations are a mix of A & B. The C usually involves a brisk walk to find food.

AnonyMouse and I just spent a perfectly glorious week at the Jersey Shore followed by a road trip through the mountains of Western PA. I love car trips. I love planning the route, driving on backroads, and rest stops. Rest stops are my A. When I see REST AREA 1/2 MILE I forget that the words healthy, guilt, and salad exist. Fortunately, the stops are brief, and not much damage is done.

This vacation in particular had an unprecedented mix of food highs and lows. The lows are not what you really want to remember. But when a meal is that bad, you savor it. A bad meal today = a good story tomorrow.

The highs, however, are what really matter. Steamers, clams, and tuna on the grill. Dark and Stormy's overlooking the bay. Ice cream cones at midnight by the ocean.

A little abandon, a little restraint...now that's the perfect vacation.

Three Dream Vacation Meals Paired With Three Actual Vacation Meals
Tasting menu at the French Laundry in Napa and Wings and beer at Nardi's Jersey
Bellinis and carpaccio at Harry's Bar in Venice and A short stack at IHOP Unionville, PA
Pan Con Tomate in Barcelona and Spinach artichoke dip with tortilla chips at Summit Inn Farmington, PA

Sundays

Sunday wins the award for best day of the week. In the fall and winter it means cooking. In the spring and summer it means cooking.
Many people like to read or exercise on Sundays. Running seems to be the most popular. I don't run. Ever.
Well, actually... I do run on Sundays. I run errands. The errand running usually involves food shopping, which brings me back to cooking on Sundays.
Sunday seems to get a bad rap for just being the day before Monday. Weekend is over. Work starts to creep in to the relaxation. I don't think that's fair. Cooking on Sunday is energizing, thoughtful, and creative. When was the last time you were any of those things on a Monday?

I'm not the girl who whips up a sauce or stew for the week. That would be wise and frugal. I don't have that kind of brain. My brain likes the instant gratification of planning, shopping, cooking, and eating all in one day. Today alone, I have already done three out of these four. At one point AnonyMouse looked up from his prone position on the couch and commented that he hasn't seen me have this much fun cooking in quite a while. I'm happy, he's happy. He's happy because he will be the recipient of much culinary goodness in a few hours.

I'm very happy being right where I want to be. In the kitchen, making Sunday magic.


Three Sunday Dinners Paired With Three Great Sunday Night Shows

Roasted chicken with potatoes and True Blood
Eggplant parmigiana and Iron Chef America
Ginger Pork Loin and Family Guy