Spring & Easter 2012: Bone Marrow Tacos

Easter Flowers and Marrow Tacos

So I've been MIA.  No big excuse, just life going along with a million things to do.  Roman turns 3 in just a few days!  We've got his party coming up and my mom and stepdad arrive tonight for a week-long visit.  Add to that the impending move to Denver, random scattered family birthdays / my watercoloring and my new addiction to Prison Break and there is precious little time left to blog.  No big deal, though, as the lull in activity has left me with more than enough food for sharing, albeit a little late.

So, Easter (yes, I am that behind). We got to host a few family members at our house for Easter this year, which was really exciting as it's really the first time we've gotten to do that, well, ever.  I decided to plan a full-on Greek Easter Menu and had lots of fun doing it.  I used my Greek cookbook go-to The Foods of Greece by Aglaia Kremezi as well as her Greek menu posted on Epicurious.com from several years ago.  Then I got so into her food that I also ordered her other book The Foods of the Greek Islands.  The menu came out to be perfect for a group of 5 adults and one child.  It also really took me back to my Grecian adventures throughout the years, and I always appreciate revisiting those if only in nostalgic flash-backs.  In the making of said Greek foods I also made some delicious marrow tacos.  I know, most of you non-marrow-eating-freaks probably think I'm a freak for eating it.  Too bad.  Your loss. :)

Here's the menu in list form.

*  *  *

Brenda's Nearly-Ideal Greek-Inspired Easter Menu

because Easter just feels Greek to me 

Starter

Magiritsa: Greek Easter Soup

This soup is not for the faint-hearted.  I love offal and this is particular soup has an "offal" lot of it (boom-boom-crash!). :)  The swirling in of the egg-lemon (avgo-lemono) sauce at the end makes the broth so fresh and delicious, as do the fresh herbs.  Oh and I definitely recommend adding the rice.  Such a great starter.

Main

Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Feta & Dandelion Greens

I've made this stuffed leg of lamb for Easter two or three times now and it has converted several non-lamb-eaters.  It is so freaking good and so fail-safe.  Even Matt's Gramma, who was concerned about her salt and fat intake was so happy with it because of the inclusion of dandelion greens.  Very little prep work to do with it and it's quite impressive looking.

Side

Roasted Potatoes with Garlic, Lemon & Oregano

Actually, I used Cat Cora's recipe and modified with Oregano instead of Thyme (Church-Style Roasted Potatoes), but this recipe is equally good.  I also steamed some green beans and tossed those in with the potatoes at the last minute in a cast-iron skillet.

I used baby russets and peeled them for that extra finesse.  Delicious.

Bread

Easter Bread

This was so much fun to make!  The sweet-dough recipe from Bon Appetit is amazing and can be applied and used in so many ways.  Plus, the bread is a real eye-catcher with the whole eggs in it.  Mine were all very bright color which made it a great centerpiece as well.

My next recipe to try with this dough is this amazing Cherry-Almond Focaccia! I'll have to wait until fresh-cherries are in season.

Dessert

Fresh Cheese & Honey Tart from Santorini served with macerated strawberries and basil

This is a light version of a cheesecake with a really interesting crust made with beer, oil and flour.  Very nice spring-time dessert and it paired perfectly with the basil strawberries. :)

*  *  *

Also in preparation for Easter, Roman and I kept busy making special Easter treats for

everyone.  In the spirit of Mexican confetti eggs, I cut a hole in and blew out a dozen eggs,

little hands filling
little eggs 

dyed them and then filled them with goodies (with Roman's help).  We used nuts, dried

fruits, small chocolates and some jelly beans so that the eggs had a slightly more adult feel.  I then served them as a little after-dinner-but-before-dessert treat.  They were so much fun to crush open - like little mini pinatas. :)

Overall, it was a wonderful celebration, full of good food, laughter and a fair-share of sugar-meltdowns thanks to the Easter Bunny.  We took a walk on the beach at the Eastern Promenade after eating and then came home for dessert - Gramma brought her Italian Ricotta cheesecake, which is one of my favorite desserts so I was very happy.  I was left with a certainty that I'd made the right choice in creating a Greek-inspired menu as it was very different (and yet semi-familiar) for Matt's Italian family, and also provided everyone with a talking point.  Here's my freaky little recipe for you to share in some of the Easter goodness.

 *  *  *

Marrow Tacos

Serves 3-4

One of the things on the menu that took a little more work than anticipated was the Magiritsa - a Greek Easter Soup traditionally served on the Saturday night before Easter.  It is a light stock flavored with the offal of the lamb and Avgo-Lemono Sauce, one of my all-time favorite Greek things.  The original recipe called for Lamb neck, liver, tripe & even head.  Wouldn't you know it, after calling 3 different butchers I was basically laughed at for thinking that anybody would have / keep or even want those pieces of meat.  Whole Foods was able to supply me with lamb leg bones and a lamb neck.  I got beef liver, and couldn't find tripe, so that had to do. 

One of the beauty of leg bones is the wonderful marrow they have inside.  Growing up it was one of my favorite parts of eating soups and stews like Mole de Olla - having a marrow taco.  You quickly toast a corn tortillas, squirt and spread lime juice all over one side, spread the little delicious nugget of marrow on it and then sprinkle with salt and devour.  So delicious, so simple and so nutritious (although, marrow is a little fatty).  Mmmmmm.  Such a commonly wasted delicacy!

So as I made the stock for the Magiritsa, I took the marrow out to include in the soup itself, but saved a couple of choice bits for myself for some pre-Easter marrow tacos.  So delicious.  Try them out. :)

*  *  *

Ingredients

4 large Lamb or Beef Marrow Bones

6-8 corn tortillas

1 lime, halved

salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. You can roast the marrow but I usually just boil it to get a stock out of the deal at the same time.  Then you can make soup AND tacos :)  Boil until the marrow looks opaque.  Then lift the bones with tongs and using a chopstick or the back side of a fork, pull the marrow out, attempting to keep it in large chunks.

2. Toast your corn tortillas on a comal or directly on the flame of a gas stove.  Don't leave them so long that they turn into tostadas, but I like some charred bits on mine.

3. Take a lime half, squeeze over the tortilla as you cup it in your hand, and spread using the lime.  Add some marrow and spread.  Salt and pepper as needed.  Eat while still hot!

Life is so random.

"Rambling Roman", Baxter Woods, Portland, ME

Life is so random.  Every once in a while I am taken by something surprising or beautiful or strange and re-realize it - that life is so random.  And I am always just so amazed by that and the fact that it all works out so nicely in the end.

Most of the great things that have ever happened to me have been so random: meeting Matt, living abroad (why Italy? why London? WHY Abu Dhabi?!), growing up in Texas, insisting on Notre Dame, teaching in Washington Heights, seeing George McFly ("Hey Biff, get your God-d*mned hands off her...") at the Trump Vodka launch party back in '06...the list goes on. 
My mom is by far the most random person I know but I'm a pretty random person too.  Just look at all the random stuff I write about and like!  It seriously never ends - I'm not kidding!

There are those that would assert that the world is actually entirely organized, even in its randomness (see this highly intellectual and generally beyond me theory).  But to that I say: whatevs!  I think some of the beauty is lost in trying to scientifically create or glean a "TOE" (theory of everything, fyi).  Why create more order than necessary? I always say.

So recently I've been feeling both "good random" and "bad random" at play in my life.  For example, because my life is currently in relocation-limbo, I occasionally feel aimless or restless and start to have random mini-crises about what I'm doing (and not doing) with my life.  Inner monologues include: Why do people think stay at home moms aren't working?  Why haven't I opened my cafe / book shop yet?  Why don't I write my novel?  Why did I choose a stinky cheese this week?  Why do I hate the Jaguar-driving, stiletto-wearing girl across the hall with the tiny dog named Kiki?  On and on the random hating goes and then it just as quickly disappears and I forget it and I move onto the next (yes, random) task on my somewhat-frazzled mental to-do list.

But then there's all the random goodness that has happened of late too.  And that's what this post is about.  I've decided, very randomly, to list the top eleven random things that have happened to me lately, because there's no unifying theme to them really except what I believe to be the serendipitous and good nature of life and its essence.

* * *

Top 11 Good Random Things of Late

in no particular order

11. This past weekend I picked up a flyer for a Strong Arm Bindery Workshop at The Blue Spoon after a glass of delicious Eve Chardonnay (sister of Kung Fu Girl Riesling :)).  I am finally on my way to learning how to make and bind my own books - a longtime interest of mine.

10. A couple of weeks ago I went to a local coffee shop (Bard Coffee); the place was completely not my vibe (and I shirk from using that phrase, believe me).  But I walked by there recently and their sign outside read: "Iced Coffee: Better than Tiger Blood!"

And I just had to smile at that subtle reminder of the gaping hole in my douchebaggery series. :)

9. On our way home from camping at Swans Falls last weekend I stopped at a yard sale where I picked up two cool and aesthetically pleasing books for $1.00: Gyo Fujikawa's Come Follow Me...(to the secret world of elves, and fairies and gnomes and trolls) and Trevor Corson's The Secret Lives of Lobsters.  I am excited to read both.

8. I randomly decided it was high-time Roman was potty-trained.  And he's doing so well!  He even "marked his territory" on two trees in true little-boy fashion at Deering Oaks Park this morning after a romp at the playground and a walk around the farmer's market (awesome local Manchego in my purse).  I have a feeling this development is going to change our lives for the better in a big way!

7. I've recently been on a cheese binge, and discovered 4 new cheeses I absolutely LOVE: Clochette, Comté, St. Angel, and an American goat cheese called Humboldt Fog.  Thankful Yum! (mostly to Vignola).

6. By complete chance, the furnished apartment we have rented for this month is in front of one of the prettiest seaside parks I've ever seen.  We are on the Eastern Promenade of Portland, and every single day I get to walk by a view of rolling greenest of hills and bluest of seas dotted with green islands, sailboats, and little whitecaps if it's particularly windy.  I once saw a dark brown sailboat with an entirely royal purple sail casting off from the little dock there.  That was pretty amazing.

5. My mom just got back from a 3-week trip to Italy where she randomly saw "The Situation" of Jersey Shore Fame walking down the street in Florence with his peeps and an entourage of photographers.  More scarily, she actually knew who he was and that his "name" was "The Situation."  I find this cosmically unbelievable and equally absurd / hilarious. :)

4. I finally bought a sewing machine!  I bought one in Abu Dhabi a few months before we left and literally had to sell it before we moved without having ever taken it out of the box.  But now that we're back state-side I know my Viking E20 will be with me for many wonderful crafts and whatnot to come.

3. I randomly saw this amazing little felt activity book posted on my current obsession - PINTEREST - and decided to make a boy-version for Roman.  This was decided pre-sewing-machine so it is all hand-sewn and taking forever, but so far he loves the little dress-up boy I made.  I'll probably write a post on the finished product but thought I'd just mention that I love this project for reminding me that I find hand-stitching extremely relaxing.

2. Inspired by the beauty of Portland I've decided to resolve to take up Sea Kayaking and Cross-country Skiing this year.  I don't know how often I'll do either but I would like to try.  And I would also like to take a foraging class - maybe through the Maine Primitive Skills School or maybe Matt will take me on this Mushroom Foraging and Cooking vacation. :) 

1. I've recently come to admit to myself that my favorite ice cream flavor (a defining tidbit of info, if you ask me) is no longer Mint Chocolate Chip.  I am officially declaring to the world that I am firmly in the Cookies-n-Cream-lover territory (has to be made with Oreos though!), and that I retract my hatred of Ben & Jerry's because I single-handedly finished a pint of freakin' delicious Cherry Garcia last week and think Half-Baked is a legitimately delicious flavor too. There.  Glad that's out there.  All of it. :)

"Capeando" with my Friend Frida K: Chiles Rellenos de Picadillo

Frida Kahlo: Mexican Woman, Artist & Great Cook

"A la nina no le gusta capear."  

"The girl doesn't like to batter things." 

I can almost imagine my grandmother saying that phrase to one of her girlfriends during afternoon coffee in Mexico City, shaking her head hopelessly and shrugging her shoulders, in reference to my mother, her youngest daughter.  It's an odd thing to think of, both because it probably never happened and because it's really such a shockingly unimportant thing to know how to, much less like, batter things.  And by "batter" I mean "battering" in the way that Mexican women know how, to create an endlessly fluffy mix of beaten egg whites and beaten egg yolks to coat various things and then fry them: Chiles Rellenos - stuffed peppers - are the most widely recognized and pertinent example here.

My mother hates battering things.  She hates getting her hands dirty, especially getting things under her nails - I inherited this trait, incidentally - and she also hates laborious, elaborate cooking.  So whenever I brought up making chiles rellenos and how to do it I usually got the same conclusive response after an elaborate explanation on method:

" Es una friega capear."

"It is a pain in the ass to batter things."

Fair enough.  We all have things we hate to do in the kitchen: I hate using double baths to melt chocolate, I hate having to put things in ice baths (seems so pointless when you can just run them under cold water), and I hate pouring powdered sugar into a bowl because it's impossible not to be dusted with a cloud of it.  I am very paranoid about over-beating whipped cream, buttercream icing, and am usually too lazy to refrigerate or wrap things in plastic wrap as often or quickly as I should.  So I don't blame my mother for having her battering issues.

But actually, I don't really think that the "capeando" part of making Chiles Rellenos is the hardest or most "pain in the ass" part of the whole rigmarole.  For me it's the roasting and peeling.  I hate roasting Poblano peppers (or any peppers for that matter), because I truly hate peeling the charred skin off the peppers once I'm done.  It's messy, it's never as easy as the recipes say it will be, and it's the step that always gets skipped on instructional videos.  Sure, wouldn't it be nice if a bowl of roasted, peeled, de-seeded and de-veined Poblano peppers just magically appeared next to your chopping board like in those videos?  Yeah - that's never gonna happen.

For these reasons, among others, we almost never had Chiles Rellenos at home.  In fact, the only times we ever had them was when we went out to eat at Pancho's, and that was almost never (I still maintain Pancho's has the best ever sopapillas and truly applaud the "raise & lower the mini Mexican flag on your table" method as a great way of quickly getting service from waiters).  Plus I always got given a hard time if I wanted to order them because nobody else in my family even really liked them.  It was a hard knock life, what can I tell you?

Anyway, dammit, today I was feeling homesick and determined to have some Chiles Rellenos if it killed me.  I decided that in my mother's absence (despite not liking to make them, she does know how) I would pull out the next best thing in culinary terms - a cookbook Matt bought me several years ago and which is still one of my favorite, for both its amazing recipes and its nightly aesthetically pleasing layout, pictures, and content: Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminisces of Life with Frida Kahlo

This book follows Frida's style through party menus which in turn follow special occasions and holidays in the Mexican culture and the charmed but tragic life of Frida Kahlo.  It's filled with interesting biographical tidbits, original photos from La Casa Azul, and artwork by Frida, of course.  It's simply amazing.  

The book transports you to a different time, a different place, and a different way of living: a time and place where cooking for your family all day was a feminine duty and pleasure, a time of avant-garde art and revolution, and a time and place of unabashed nationalism and love of country.  It makes my heart hurt for Mexico, a Mexico that was and is no more.  But heartache aside, at least it allows me to savor some of those sorely-missed flavors, even if it does mean roasting and peeling Poblano peppers all by myself, and then battering them without my mom around to complain with. :)

* * *

Chiles Rellenos de Picadillo

adapted from Frida's Fiestas

Serves 2-3

Chile Relleno de Picadillo con Salsa de Tomate

Not to put you off, but this is not an "easy" dish to make.  Not that it's incredibly hard either, it just takes time, patience and perseverance.  My mom sure isn't kidding about "capeando" being difficult - as batters go, egg is not the easiest or least messy to work with, but it is delicious, which makes the trouble well worth it.

Picadillo is a ground beef based dish made with chopped vegetables and tomato.  It is eaten on its own or used to stuff things with in Mexico.  I think it pairs perfectly with these peppers but if you're vegetarian or simply looking for an alternative, chiles rellenos can be stuffed with cheese (probably the most famous iteration of this recipe).  Use queso blanco if you can find it, if not throw in some cheddar or mozzarella.

* * *

Ingredients
4 Poblano Chiles, roasted, peeled, de-seeded & left intact
(Substitute: Anaheim chiles or bell peppers in a pinch)

Oregano Mexicano

4 eggs, separated into whites and yolks in two bowls
4 tbsp flour
salt and pepper

For the Picadillo Stuffing:

2 tbsp vegetable oil or shortening
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2lb ground beef (~250g)
1 medium potato, peeled, cooked and cubed
1-2 carrots, cooked and chopped into squares
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)
thyme, marjoram, oregano (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)

*Note: This is my picadillo recipe: Frida puts shredded cabbage in hers, which sounds great, but I don't generally do that, nor did I have any on hand.

For the Salsa:

2 tbsps olive oil

Zanahorias & Cebolla

4 large tomatoes, roasted, peeled, de-seeded
& roughly chopped  (substitute: 1 can chopped / whole tomatoes & juice)
1 medium carrot, sliced finely
1 medium onion, sliced finely
1/4 cup vinegar (white)
1 pinch sugar
salt &pepper (to taste)
1 tsp Mexican Oregano


Method:

1. Make the picadillo by sauteeing and mixing the ingredients in order above in the hot oil or shortening.  Do not add other ingredients until after the onion and garlic are fragrant and translucent.  Add seasoning while the meat is still raw.  Allow to simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.  Set aside.

2. For the salsa: In another small pot, heat the oil then add the onion and cook until translucent.  Add the carrot and saute for a few minutes.  Then add the chopped tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the oregano.  Simmer until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce is, well, a sauce. :)  Set aside.

3. For the chiles: the best way to roast them if you have a gas stove is to hold them over the flame directly using kitchen tongs.  I simply set them down on the flame and turn them occasionally, then use the tongs to make sure I get every little area of the pepper completely charred.

4. Immediately put the hot, black-charred peppers into a sealed plastic bag and leave until they are cold enough to handle (10 minutes).  Using a butter knife, gently scrape all the charred skin off, leaving the pepper in tact.

Chiles Poblanos: Roasted, Peeled and de-seeded

5.  When you are ready to stuff and fry the peppers: Heat 1/2 to 1 cup vegetable oil in a pan or small pot (the oil should go about 1/2 to 2/3 of an inch up the side of the pan).  Make a vertical slit down 2/3 of the length of the pepper and remove the seeds, taking care not to rip the pepper.  Using a spoon, place 1 -2 heaping spoonfuls of picadillo into the cavity of the pepper.  Then dredge in the flour mixture (flour, salt and pepper).

6. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until they form medium-hard peaks.  Then beat the yolks until slightly foamy.  Combine the two gently into one bowl - use immediately.

7.  Using a slotted spoon, gently place one pepper into the egg mixture and cover it in the "capeada" or "batter."  Gently remove from the batter with a slotted spoon and place immediately in the hot oil.  Fry until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes, and batter is cooked through.

Serve immediately with the tomato salsa spooned over the top.

Wild Thing.

Max, like Roman and me, is always up for a good bit of 'rumpus-ing."

We are far overdue for a cuteness interlude. Halloween this year also conveniently coincides with Roman turning 6 months old and is therefore the perfect opportunity for his proud and puffy mama-beast to fluff up her feathers and show him off a little more. :)

* * *

One of our all-time favorite children's books (and no, not just because the totally awesome movie is coming out soon!) is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. It's one of the only books that I made absolutely sure to buy a hardback in, and since Roman was born we've probably read it more times than any other.

This books is near and dear to our hearts not only because it's been around since we were kids, but because Matt has jokingly called me one of Max's "Wild Things" since the first time he visited my house while we were dating and my mom showed him some of my baby pictures (see below). He even sent my mom a "Where the Wild Things Are" thank you note after that. :)

In the words of Max: "I'll Eat You Up!"

Where the Wild Things Are is a celebration of fiendishly childish imagination, wildly innocent caprice, and simple, unconditional love. It always makes me laugh and by the end it always makes me want to cry. It involves dressing up, wild jungles and voyages, wild rumpus-ing, much gnashing of teeth and mischief galore. All that in what amounts to about four sentences of text and simple, yet ingeniously evocative illustrations.

It is a great book because it does what all great literature should do: it makes you imagine. Right now Roman just tries to eat the pages when I read it to him, but I can't wait for the day that he starts to wonder about Max, tells me which Wild Thing is his favorite of all, and maybe even runs around the house in his very own wolf suit making mischief of one kind...or another. :)

* * *

Naturally, my first impulse was to dress Roman as something of a Wild Thing for his first Halloween. The closest thing I could find was a little red devil outfit complete with black cape and pointy tail. I then took it upon myself to further humiliate my child by hand-drawing a curly mustache and goatee on him. (I figure I have to get the harassment in now while he still can't talk.) To virtually commemorate this occasion, here are some pictures of Roman's first Halloween as well as other favorites from my Wild Thing's first six months of life.

"And now," cried Max, "let the wild rumpus start!"

* * *



Mi Diablito



First Halloween - 6 Months



Sitting up so well - 5 months



The Roman Doll hits Texas Stores - 4 months



Going to a part-ay! - 3 months



Really smiling (and charming us to bits)! - 2 months



Already an enfant terrible at less than 1 month.

Bibliophilia and Its Merits

Dickens' David Copperfield:
aesthetically pleasing for more reasons than one.

* * *

"Books are like a mirror.
If an ass looks in,
you can't expect an angel to look out."

Arthur Schopenhauer

* * *

I can almost always remember where and why I bought a book I love.

In the case of H.G. Wells' The History of Mr. Polly, for example, I was at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital in London for an antenatal appointment last November. I can't remember what charity organization it was, but they had set up a used book sale in the middle of the hospital's atrium, and while I waited I perused the titles, hoping to find something exciting to give Matt as a Christmas gift. I left that day with several good books - many of them old, worn copies of European Classics. I knew Matt would enjoy them for their aesthetic value just as much as their content, a bibliophile to the end.

The books I purchased included:

1. The History of Mr. Polly by H.G. Wells; hardcover, green canvas binding with the original light blue dust cover in perfect condition. Published: 1940

2. Old Goriot by Honore de Balzac (English translation); hardcover, navy blue canvas binding with the original ocean blue dust cover and a plastic sleeve over that. Published: 1963.

3. Death in Venice & Other Stories by Thomas Mann (English translation); soft cover, Penguin Modern Classics edition with attractive browning of pages. Published: 1971

4. David Copperfield (our 2nd copy; I couldn't resist the color) by Charles Dickens; hardcover, lime green canvas binding with no dust cover but a hand-written dedication from a headmaster to a school boy in 1948 on the inside cover. Published: No date indicated.

* * *

"The pleasure of reading is doubled when
one lives with another who shares the same books."

Katherine Mansfield

* * *

Matt and I love to read. Granted, Matt takes it to a whole new level. He spends almost every single available non-working, waking moment with his nose stuck in a book: on the tube, on vacation, on the weekend, after dinner, before dinner, when I'm asleep, while I'm distracted doing laundry. As a child, he was the kid whose parents threatened to "take his books away" because he wouldn't go to sleep. I am an occasion-binge reader. I read very randomly and for very random reasons. I find the oddest of books in piles at the Salvation Army and make them my own. My choices are based on whim rather than planned, academic order (like Matt's), and sometimes I go for weeks without picking up a book. Yes, I like to read - no, actually, I love to read - but Matt and his books have a relationship even I can only admire from afar.

For this particular reason, I debated purchasing these four books for Matt that November day at Chelsea & Westminster. Not because I doubted he'd read or like them, but because we came to this country with about 10 books we couldn't live without or hadn't yet read (the other several hundred being holed up in boxes in a Connecticut barn with the rest of our adult possessions) and now, two years later, have nearly 100. Matt and his insatiable habit coupled with my love for old books and random book sales are going to make moving back to the US a pretty interesting and expensive prospect.

Non-book people don't get it. I had a friend come over the other day and say: "Wow you have so many books. I just go to the library so we don't have to keep them around the house." Somehow, I think she missed the point behind why we have books we have. They are not a burden, but rather a physical manifestation of the experiences and self-taught lessons we've shared over the past two years. It always shocks me when people don't share or understand that passion. Then again, sometimes I think Matt would rather give up a vital organ than get rid of his book collection, which is a little extreme.

But, I have to admit, when it comes to certain books, I'm right there with him. :)

* * *

Bibliophilia and its Merits
thoughts on collecting and admiring books


one of our bookshelves in London

4. The Aesthetics of Book Collecting
We love to keep books around the house for many reasons - some practical, some emotional, and some purely aesthetic. I see nothing wrong in feeling that having a book collection gives a room or even a home a certain je ne sais quoi (ok fine, an air of "refined intellectualism" - but I say that in the least pretentious way possible!).

When Matt and I first began sharing an apartment in NYC, one of the things I loved the most was his book shelf and the way he'd organized it. It's not done alphabetically or by color, as some would prefer, but rather by subject and genre, depending on what we have more of. For example, back in NYC we had an entire section devoted to my Greek Philosophy and Architecture books and Matt's Latin Classics from our college days. Here in London, Matt has a section just for his collection of books on Political Theory and dictators and I have my section for romantically-ratty used but classic British novels.

I love to look at the way they are organized - different heights, widths and sizes mish-mashed together. Some upright, some stacked horizontally to break up the monotony. Plus you can usually tell what we've been reading based on the dust covers hovering at the tops of book piles or the occasional empty space.

On the whole, I would dare say our bookshelves are some of the most aesthetically pleasing sections of our apartment. And that's a lot to say for someone obsessed with aesthetics.


3. They All Tell a Story. Pun Intended.
In addition to being nice to look at, smelling good, and offering a wide variety of interesting textures based on binding, books we keep at home all tell a story. Not the one they have inside, but the one about where they were bought, for whom, by whom and for what purpose. Some books remind me of my time in Italy, of my days at University, of a random train ride or a cloudy day at home when I was sick. Some books are gifts I treasure dearly and some I actually even consider pieces of crap I'd rather never touch again (but I keep them anyway because what's life without a little crap to appreciate the good times by?).

Some books take me back to wonderful, enlightening lectures, to intellectual or emotional epiphanies, to rites of passages and days spent reading outloud for no other reason than wanting to be together. Some books have voices, faces, even hands that I can remember vividly. And some are simply books with lives and stories waiting to unfold in a future filled with continued curiosity and new experiences. Promises waiting to be made and days waiting to be lived. I find it delicious to be able to see and feel all this simply by walking into the living room.


2. Wooing with Books: Unorthodox but Effective.
Wooing with books is something Matt and I openly indulge in. Or maybe it's something I indulge in with Matt. Whenever I need to buy him a gift I can't help but feel compelled to buy a book that imparts a thought, a philosophy or a funny passage I know he would like or I'd like to share with him. There has been many a time that I have vicariously lived through my favorite characters and their stories as Matt read a book I gave him. I can think of nothing more romantic (well, maybe not nothing) than sitting down and having a really good, interesting, in depth discussion about a book with my husband. It's one of the reasons I found him attractive when we met, and I find that even now, past our school days, it's one of the more intense glues that holds our relationship together.

We read very different books, but through our distinct tastes and interests, we educate each other. I don't think I'd ever want to spend my time (much less my life) with someone who wasn't interested in constantly learning new things and thinking new thoughts.

It's an unorthodox but highly effective way to woo, IMHO.


1. A Good Book really is like an Old Friend.
One of the final reasons we love books is that they unconditionally and unconfinedly (is that a word?!) offer an entrance or an exit. Whether it's reading the content of the book itself or simply flipping through inner-covers to read heartfelt dedications, books are a way to transport without transporting.

Whenever I buy a book for someone, I make it a point to write when, where and why I've bought it in my dedication. If the book is for myself, I write my name the date and where I read and bought it. It always shocks and delights me to look through these tidbits of information and recall where I was and with whom when I read the gory details of American Psycho or fell in love with Rilke's prose-poetry.

And the best part is, opening a good old book is like coming home. All dog-ears, underlined passages and random bookmarks (business cards, restaurant receipts, flower petals and even bits of packaging) bring an old friendship back to life. That's something I never get tired of. And it makes me happy to dream of the pretty library we'll have one day (when our possessions aren't littered around the globe) where I can sit and meander through a crowd of familiar authors, characters, and locales - my life's journey all in one room.

The nerdy but awesome Classical /
Medieval book labels I got for Matt

* * *

"Until I feared I would lose it,
I never loved to read.
One does not love breathing."

Harper Lee

Life Coaching and Mindless Eating.

Thanks to my dear friend and bride-to-be (not mine!) Krista at Bohemian Ghoulash for the inspiration for today's post. While strolling the streets of Chicago she was kind enough to spare a thought for me and take this picture, which she then sent via cyberspace in order to encourage my random but apparently obvious-enough preoccupation with Life Coaches and their sheer hilarity. (Yes, someone is bound to be offended by that - whattayagonnado?)

Anyway, here's the picture:

For only $10.00 you too can learn your future, be healed AND get a coach for all things life-related!

Thanks for that Dori.

Am I officially a jerk? :)

* * *

The other thing Krista threw my way was a cool little quiz in the New York Times.

Go here to take the quiz (just write your answers on a piece of paper) and then read the follow-up article that explains your cooking personality here. (What else do you really have to do on a Wednesday afternoon?)

Krista seems to be particularly apt at finding interesting quizzes on one's kitchen-personality. I'm all about this kind of quiz for a couple of reasons:

Why I'm "All About" Random Food Personality Food Quizzes

and taking quizzes in magazines in general

3. Seventeen (or approximately so) Again
These quizzes take me back to the days of "What is your dating style?" or "What chocolate truffle best describes your love language?" in Seventeeen magazine. As adolescents my friends and I poured over those silly quizzes, swearing they held the answer to our future love-lifes in their clutches. That and M.A.S.H. (and I don't mean the Vietnam war show for all you old fogies). Yes, there is an electronic version of it now. Where was that 15 years ago?!


2. Super-fancy Nutritional Jargon
These types of quizzes arm us kitchen-pro-wannabes with just enough legitimate sounding but fun kitchen terms to make us (or at least me) feel highly scientific discussing our place in the family as kitchen-wench. I plan entirely to enthrall Matt and my chef brother-in-law with terms like "Nutritional Gate-keeper" and "Innovative Cook" vs. "Giving Cook." Both Krista and I were "Innovative," in case you're curious. *enthusiastic high five to self*


1. Food for Thought. Or Thought for Food. Whatever.

Plus, this quiz reminded me of a really cool discussion regarding food and the sociological / gender-related place it has in our lives that my friend over at Tangled Noodle recently did a three-part feature on. Interestingly, both the quiz and her discussion come from the book Mindless Eating by Dr. Brian Wansink (apparently quite the hot ticket!). They are sure to give you some super-food for thought if you're a nerd like me in this regard. :) Check it out.

* * *

End of Winter Indulgence #4: Savory British Beef Pie

"You shall have some Pip."; a Dickensian end-of-winter treat.

Besides memories of little microwaveable beef pot pies I ate many a weekend as a young child, the first time I really understood the existence of savory pies was when I read one of my favorite books: Charles Dickens' Great Expectations.

(Photo credit: Daylesford Organic Pork Pie)

Pip is such a delightful character - complex and endearing and unfortunate. And while he doesn't seem to care much about food himself, Dickens certainly took the trouble (as many British authors do, I've found) to recount in great detail the usually meager but often tempting repasts Pip and the other characters shared. One of these, involving a stolen cold Pork Pie at a socially horrific Christmas Dinner, is particularly memorable to me:

"We were to have a superb [Christmas] dinner, consisting of a leg of pickled pork and greens, and a pair of roast stuffed fowls. A handsome mince-pie had been made yesterday morning (which accounted for the mincemeat not being missed), and the pudding was already on the boil...

...Among this good company I should have felt myself, even if I hadn't robbed the pantry, in a false position. Not because I was squeezed in at an acute angle of the tablecloth, with the table in my chest, and the Pumblechookian elbow in my eye, nor because I was not allowed to speak (I didn't want to speak), nor because I was regaled with the scaly tips of the drumsticks of the fowls, and with those obscure corners of pork which the pig, when living, had the least reason to be vain...

...I began to think I should get over the day, when my sister said to Joe, 'Clean plates ---
cold.'
I clutched the table leg of the table again immediately, and pressed it to my bosom as if it had been the companion of my youth and friend of my soul. I foresaw what was coming, and I felt that this time I was really gone.
'You must taste,' said my sister, addressing the guests with her best grace, 'you must taste, to finish with, such a delightful and delicious present of Uncle Pumblechook's!'
Must they! Let them not hope to taste it!
'You must know,' said my sister, rising 'it's a pie; a savoury pork pie.'

The company murmured their compliments. Uncle Pumblechook, sensible of having deserved well of his fellow-creatures, said quite vivaciously, all things considered, 'Well, Mrs. Joe, we'll do our best endeavours; let us have a cut at this same pie.'

My sister went out to get it. I heard her steps proceed to the pantry. I saw Mr. Pumblechook balance his knife. I saw reawakening appetite in the Roman nostrils of Mr. Wopsle. I heard Mr. Hubble remark that 'a bit of savoury pork pie would lay atop of anything you could mention, and do no harm,' and I heard Joe say, 'You shall have some Pip.' I have never been absolutely certain whether I uttered a shrill yell of terror, merely in spirit, or in the bodily hearing of the company. I felt that I could bear no more, and that I must run away. I released the leg of the table, and ran for my life."

In fact, that pork pie haunted Matt and me for months (we read the book almost simultaneously upon our arrival into the UK), until one day I walked into Tesco and saw some bonafide British Pork Pies staring me in the face, and looking rather delicious, if I may be so bold. They prompted a proper Great Expectations weekend lunch in Pip's honor, and opened up the world of savory pies to me forever.

Our Dickensian pork pie lunch one soggy afternoon in Earl's Court.

End of Winter Indulgence #4 is Savory Birtish Beef Pie. Not quite Pip's guilt-ridden yuletide meal, but I'm sure Dickens would have approved all the same.

* * *

For the past few months Olive Magazine has been offering up a series of "Meat Masterclass" articles patronized by Masterchef's John Torode. I love to read these articles, being a huge fan of "non-premium" cuts of meat and offal (which is not so awful!) in general.

This month's cut of meat was Beef shin, something we probably eat more often than we think in the ambiguously named "stewing beef" packets we buy at supermarkets. Having one packet just like that defrosted from the freezer and some puff pastry just aching to be used, I ventured to make a Savory British Beef Pie, using the featured John's Big Beef Pie as my inspiration.

Boneless Beef Shin: A Savory Pie's best friend.

Having had my share of "dodgy" pies at less than memorable pubs in the UK I was somewhat weary of what could very well end up being a rubbery-meated, bland-sauced, burnt-crusted misery of a meal. Now fully in Lent, I am determined to enjoy every non-Friday meal with gusto in all its meaty allowance! A masterchef I am not, but I would actually venture to say that this Savory Beef Pie recipe has brought my cooking-ego to a new level. Call it therapy of the tastebuds, call it madness,call it flat-out meaty overload, but don't call it a day until you've tried this recipe.

The verdict? Thank GOD for John Torode and beef shins.

His recipe (altered slightly by mushroom-loving me) was simple and unbelievably delicious - not to mention extremely cheap to make! I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a delicious, stewy end of winter meal that is not only relatively uncomplicated, but gets extra points on the "vaguely associated with a good book" scale (which now, apparently, officially exists).

We should always endeavour to "eat intelligently" no? :)

* * *

Brenda's Big Beef Pie
(inspired by John Torode's John's Big Beef Pie)
Serves 6

I am and always have been a big proponent of the belief that beef and hearty meals in moderate amounts can do you nothing but good. Pair good, tastily-fatty beef with mushrooms (among my top 3 veggies ever) and you've got a match made in heaven (for this little piglet anyway).

This pie, to me, exemplifies everything good (and often underestimated) about British cuisine: it is simple, inexpensive, and full of the flavor that only good ingredients can bring. Now if only I could convince the pubs to start using this recipe...


Ingredients

4 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, diced finely
1 1/2 lbs beef shin (stewing beef), diced
1 cup plain flour
2 cups beef stock
2 1/2 cups chestnut mushrooms, quartered
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried Thyme
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
flat-leaf parsely, a handful chopped
nutmeg, an eye-balled grating
500g block of puff pastry, defrosted and ready to roll
1 egg, beaten


Procedure

1. Melt the butter in a large casserole or pan with a lid. Add the onions and cook over medium heat until soft and caramelized (10-15 minutes). About halfway through, add the mushrooms until well sauteed. Remove onions and mushrooms to another bowl.

2. In the same pan, over medium-high / high heat, cook and brown the beef in batches so as not to steam it. You want it to look nice and caramelized (see picture). Remove to bowl with onions until the last batch of meat is complete at which point you should put everything (onions, mushrooms, beef) back into the pan.

3. Sprinkle the flour over the beef and veg mixture, stirring and cooking for another 2 minutes. Do not let the flour burn and adjust the heat as necessary.

4.Gradually add the beef stock stirring constantly until the mixture boils and thickens. Then add all the remaining ingredients (except egg and pastry of course). Cover the pan and allow to simmer over low heat for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, checking and mixing periodically so that the sauce does not burn to the bottom of the pan.

5. Heat oven to 400F / 200C. Spoon the filling into a large pie dish. Roll out the defrosted puff pastry and lay over the top. Press down and trim the edges, then lightly brush with the beaten egg. Prick a few small holes in the top to let out steam and then cook for about 30-45 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp, but not overdone.

the filling and the crust, pre-baking

Serve with boiled peas and carrots and enjoy!