Our Lives are Full. Almost.

Moi-meme: Love-filled and bubbly-all-over.

Days like today make me remember why I feel so lucky to be a part of my family.  Things happen, like my little sister calls me to tell me that she's just found out she's having her first son - a new little brother to my niece Ava, a new cousin to my son Roman - and suddenly, my heart, my life, feels so full I could burst.  We have so many good people in our lives, so many happy moments, so much to be thankful for.  Our lives are full.  Almost.

There are a million hopes and dreams that remain to be hoped and dreamed - some more immediately attainable than others - but, in a strange, fortunate way, here lately I've felt like I am truly appreciating and enjoying the life I have rather than focusing on the one I wish I had.   No, life is not perfect, but there's a vision and reality there that feels so right, so attainable that it almost doesn't matter.  And there's so much good coming up in the next six months that, if only for a brief, fleeting moment, it feels like I can do the Ren & Stimpy "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" dance in-the-now, and minus the depressing, nihilistic undertones.

Tomorrow we embark on a beautiful adventure to visit family in the last days of summer warmth and to usher in the beginning of a new era.  Matt's brother (and he's mine too, actually) is getting married.  It will be a "last hoorah" on many levels and for many people.  Besides the obvious nuptials, Matt's sister is also expecting so it will be their last big family event minus a baby, it will also be Roman's last visit with Nana and Grand as the only grandchild (thank goodness!).  My sister and her husband will be joining in the celebration - also their last vacation / event minus baby #2 due in January.  And, for us, well - who knows what life can and will bring in the coming months.  I feel that somehow it is a last for us too. In a good, very, very exciting way.  :)

So to kick off a great week and a half of fun times, and new memories to be made, here are some photos that visually represent the beautiful spirit of my life and family.  I found them today as I was going through my pictures and couldn't help but smile.  There's an irrepressible happiness that shines through them.  And, as they say, from the mouths (and minds) of babes...

All photography and artwork by Romanorum Master Forum.

This post is brought to you by Mr. Blue Sky - the song by the Electric Light Orchestra and the embodiment thereof in my-personal-offspring-form.

Happy 30th Birthday Matt (& a Waffle recipe)!

It's a landmark!  A landmark best celebrated with homemade waffles (on an antique Wagner

Celebrating 30 years of Mat

cast-iron waffle iron), 18 year old Macallan Scotch (hellz yes, Matt loves his wife now!) and your closest friends and family. 

But since the latter are all too far away, I brought them to breakfast through a giant photo and memory scrapbook that I've been working on for the better part of the last month and a half. 

Over 30 of Matt's friends and family contributed by filling out a cheesey but sweet questionnaire of my creation, and sending in pictures and all their best wishes for the Birthday Boy. 

He was duly surprised, nay, struck and moved. :)  Thanks to everyone who contributed!

Roman's contribution

The Marcus Farkus Brotherly page

So yes, this post is mostly-congratulatory in nature, but also part-braggy regarding my latest crafting affair / super online-birthday-find (the amazing waffle iron).  Either way, hope it's a memorable day for my partner in crime, and here's to another couple of 30-year adventures, this time as a couple the entire time :)

Happy 30th Birthday Mizzle-Mazzle!  

* * *

Crisp, fluffy, delicious, birthday waffle-yness

Here's my newly found recipe for the best waffles ever.  Seriously good.  At least 10-times better than any silly "gaufres de lieges" we had in Belgium, which tells you something.

Ingredients

The Wagner in all its glory.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 egg whites

1 bad-ass-mofo-who-don't-take-no-shit-off-nobody-stove-top-Waffle Iron

Method
1. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.

2. In another bowl beat egg yolks slightly. Stir in milk and oil. 

3. Add egg yolk mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (should be lumpy).

4. In a small bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight up).

5. Gently fold egg whites into flour and egg yolk mixture, leaving a few fluffs of egg white, Do not over-mix.

6. Spoon waffle batter into your waffle iron, making sure not to overfill it.

Serve with real maple syrup and copious amounts of butter!

Tips for using a stove-top waffle iron: Make sure it's super hot before making any waffles.  Then spray it copiously with spray-on butter and/or oil.  Leave the waffle for about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes per side, flipping to check doneness (look for browned, crisp edges and the ability to lift off the iron in one pieces without much flimsiness).

Happy Birthday Matt!: Whole Wheat Skillet Cookie Cake

It's All You Want to Be on Your Birthday

Happy 29th Birthday Matt!

* * *

It's that time of year again.  Time to spoil the good old husb because he's one year more mature, one year more well-aged, one year the wiser, one year the better, and one year closer to being able to claim he's "distinguished" because of his premature gray hair. :) 

We celebrated his birthday last weekend with a trip to the beach where Matt learned to Wake Board, then we had hot dogs and cake for lunch, and then I took him to dinner at a steak house called the Rodeo Grill, where he tried Wagyu beef for the first time (a filet of grade 9 marbling which probably had a more pampered life than either of us, for the record).  We ended the night at the bar in the Cedar Lounge at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr: a scenic Lebanese restaurant with an outdoor sheesha bar on the water.  My only complaint is that the belly dancer stayed inside. :)

Anyway, onto the cake!
Remember those shops in the mall where all they sold were giant cookie cakes?  They'd have little plates with cookie samples on them and I always made it a point to stop by and pretend I was going to buy a cookie just so I could steal a sample.  Lame, but worth it.   I am such a shameless chocolate chip cookie addict!  And the wonderful thing is that Matt is too.  So when I saw the recipe for a whole wheat skillet cookie on 101 Cookbooks a couple of weeks ago, I immediately knew that's exactly what I would make him for his birthday.  Not only is it exactly something that Matt would love to devour, it is also less time consuming than a regular sponge cake, and easier to eat.

I used some store-bought icing to write him a simple message.  My only advice is to wait until the cookie cools completely before doing any kind of decorating or your letters will turn into fat, blobby messes like mine did.  I kind of like to think of it as the "I'm-29-I-don't-need-precious-cake-letters" motif (right.).  Not sure if I pulled it off. :)

Baking a giant cookie in a cast-iron skillet is the kind of thing that foodie dreams are made of.  Cast-Iron skillets are like the old-tried-and-true kitchen gadget that everyone should have.  You can use them to make anything from biscuits, to gravy, to Spanish tortillas, to, well, skillet cookies.  You can sautee, bake, fry in them.  They are versatile and sturdy.  And best of all, you don't have to use soap to wash them (ok I admit, this part of cast-iron grosses me out but I bear with it).  I used them a lot in my Girl Scout days when we camped.  My leaders taught me to use some dirt and a wadded up piece of aluminum foil to clean them out before rinsing in water.  Pretty amazing how this keeps them "seasoned" and better for using than washing with soap!

The recipe Heidi at 101 Cookbooks used is fantastic.  It calls for 100% Whole Wheat flour, which I was a little bit wary of using for a cookie, but the result is actually amazing.  It gives the cookie a slightly nutty taste that I think we would not have liked to go without.  I also added a generous amount of roughly chopped walnuts to the recipe (next time I might go with pecans), which also gave it a nice touch.  I chopped up and froze about 3/4 of the cookie (I used a 12" cast iron skillet, which is GIGANTIC!), and we ate the rest, gluttonously, as only a 29, 30 and 2 year-old can do.

* * *

Whole Wheat Skillet Cookie Cake

a pictorial journey

RECIPE AVAILABLE HERE

 

 

Lovely Memories & Chocolate Cream Pie: Happy Valentine's Day!

Chocolate Cream Pie: Successful Man-Present

Happy Valentine's Day!

I feel no shame in saying that I am one of the people in the world who celebrates Valentine's Day and expects my significant other to do the same (not that he dislikes it :)).  

I see nothing wrong with a day dedicated to love - preferably Romantic, but platonic, familial, and cosmic are all acceptable on this day too - and happiness.  I love going out for a deliciously romantic dinner, being given flowers, and maybe even chocolates too.  I love having a day to remember why I married my best friend, why I decided to actually promise I'd live the rest of my personal forever dedicated to one other human being, instead of running rampant in a self-centered and probably semi-drunk state.  

Unfortunately for men, I think girls generally tend to get the lion's share during Valentine's Day (blame it on tradition, blame it on the man - it is what it is) which is why I am always at a little bit of a loss as to what I should get / do for Matt.  Is it too weird for me to buy him a box of chocolates?  Last year I solved that problem by buying him a giant pile of Extra Large Cadbury Fruit & Nut Bars (his personal kryptonite, nightly snack, and the only food he never gets sick of eating, or so he claims) which I wrapped in red crepe paper.  I thought was a nice, more-masculine version of a somewhat female-stereotyped traditional V-day favorite.  This year I decided to go the homemade route: I will conquer Matt once more by seducing his taste buds with a home made *brief drum roll* Chocolate Cream Pie.  

This pie is usually a creature of the semi-homemade persuasion.  Whenever I've had it, it's been made with Jell-o chocolate pudding and from a store-bought crust.  Most people consider it a fast, easy cheat-sheet to above-average dessert.  Luckily, the real thing is not much harder to make fully from scratch than the somewhat forgettable semi-homemade one, but with quality ingredients and some preference-tweaks, it is significantly more delicious.

But now for my small-but-loving bone to pick: This top 5 list is going out to all the Valentine's Day Humbugs out there - the ones who call it a "corporate-created-holiday" and refuse to buy Hallmark cards or wear anything red on the 14th.  I think there is a small but definite little corner in my psyche's conception of Hell reserved for you, right there next to the freaks who think somewhere in an underground bunker / sky scraper there's 11 angry white men in suits sitting around a conference table ruling the world via Blackberry.  Weirdos.  Go get some happiness and leave the rest of us alone. :P

* * *

Top 5 Lovely Memories This Year & Beyond

or, things that will make me smile this February 14th

5.The Answering Machine Message.

This is really random.  Matt and I have had the same answering machine message since the first month we moved to London in January 2007 - it even survived the move to Abu Dhabi.  And it's a special message that always makes me laugh and warms my heart each time I hear it, or each time someone laughs when they hear it and consequently leaves a message.  I would be lying if I didn't say I occasionally listen to it for no reason, and sometimes I enjoy not picking up the phone just to hear it.

It's funny and sweet because it involves me blasting "Don't Stop Me Now" - my favorite song by Queen - while I then record a brief message muffled with maniacal laughter as Matt screams "No!" in the background -also laughing, though incredulously - because he'd just specifically shot down the idea of me recording a Queen-themed answering machine message.  

But he obviously secretly loved it.  And we've never changed it since.

4. Beauty and the Beast
My sister and I grew up watching Disney movies like there was no tomorrow.  My sister's favorite was Beauty and the Beast, and so now that Ava, her daughter, is two, she is also obsessed with it.  When we were visiting them in TX during Christmas this part year Ava could sing the refrain to the theme song: "Tale as old as time, Song as old as rhyme, Beauty and the Beast."

One day, she and Roman were standing in the living room watching Beauty and the Beast for the nth time that day, when she suddenly grabbed Roman in a ball-dancing pose and started forcing him to dance while she sang the theme song, just like Belle and Beast on the tv screen.  Roman was a little taken aback, but after a while, he joined in.  Ava proclaimed herself Belle, leaving the beastly title to the little man who'd won it long before.

When we got home I discovered that my generally somewhat quiet beast child could also sing the theme song, and ask for his cousin "Aywa" with arms stretched out when he did it.  :)  That's love if ever I've seen it.

3. Happy Birthday To Me.

This past boxing day I turned *gasp* 30.  We were in Texas visiting my little sister and her husband and I wasn't quite sure what we'd do to celebrate, if anything much.  Little to my knowledge, Matt had orchestrated a night of debaucherous karaoke at a local dive called Marina's that will not soon be forgotten.  

Somewhere between Matt singing "Happy Birthday" Marilyn -Monroe-style as the opening number, someone slapping down the giant silver blimp balloon in the middle of the dance floor, pretending to spank a top-hatted townie with whom I decided to dance to a Michael Jackson song, taking free kamakazi shots with Marina's half-Mexican, half-Russian American Airlines employee son who also works for the Mexican mafia (he showed us the tat), and getting a free 2011 Waffle House calendar AND pins (which we all wore proudly) from our awkward waitress at 3am, I had one of the best and most unforgettable birthdays in memory.  And it was all kept under wraps by one very thoughtful and hilarious husb.

 

2. He said "I Love You."

This may seem silly because I generally assume Roman loves me, but it was a really big deal when he actually said "I love you" to me for the first time last week.  I've been saying it to him numerous times daily since his birth (usually accompanied by bone-crushing hugs and slobbery-Mama kisses), and even though I knew someday, somehow he'd be able to say it back, nothing could prepare me for the magical, pixy-dust-filled moment when he did say it and gave me a huge hug and kiss back.   Being a mom is the best.

1. Rome.

I know I've gone on somewhat endlessly about our trip to Rome in November of last year, but it really was an emotional big deal for me.  One of my favorite things Matt and I did (spontaneously) throughout the trip was walk back to all the places we used to go as boyfriend and girlfriend in 2002.  And at every single one of those places we'd remember silly little things like what he said to me, or what I was wearing (that white dress) or he was wearing (that Red Sox hat), or how some idiot screwed up a presentation by cursing and I missed it because my eye was swollen to the size of a tennis ball thanks to my insisting that Matt pet the urban-horse-and-carriage horse because he'd never petted a horse before in his life (freak) and I was on the number 44 bus headed back to the centro at the time. *deep breath* Ah, good times.   

But actually, those moments were precious, because they were the moments in which Matt and I first got to know and love each other, and it's always important to remember that. That in particular.  And for the rest of your life.

EXTRA SPECIAL BONUS REASON:  Two and a half months ago we found out that in late September we'll be parents for the second time!  Bring on little creature number two, be it a girly or a boyly one :)

* * *

Chocolate Cream Pie

Serves 6-8

 

I made this pie by adapting this recipe on Epicurious.  The recipe only needed a few tweaks in my opinion: I doubled the amount of whipped cream I put on top (and whipped it until it held stiff peaks instead of soft ones), and I used half bittersweet chocolate and half dark chocolate, and found it rich but delicious.  I also used Oreo cookies (icing removed) for the crust and thought it was more flavorful than just using chocolate Nilla wafers would be.  Matt liked it so much, I'm making it again this week!  Winner.

Of Arabian Nights and Wedding Anniversaries

Qatayef: traditional Ramadan sweets;  basically deep-fried
mini pancakes filled with cream or walnuts.  Yum.

8 years ago in Rome, almost exactly one month from today, I met a goofy guy in a Boston Red Sox hat who claimed to know a little somethin' about Latin and how to make me happy.  4 years ago in Texas, to the day, I told him I'd go ahead and spend the rest of my life with him.  He said he'd be ok with that arrangement and since then we've lived in New York City, London, and now Abu Dhabi.  We've traveled and eaten and laughed and even had a kiddo named Roman along the way.  Life is good.  Life is fun.  Life is full.  

Life has to be, when you spend every day with your best friend.

And so it goes and so it will go, forever I hope. :)  Happy 4 years!

Back in the proverbial day.
May 2004

* * *

Arabian Nights and Arabian Days
Daytime Fasting; Nighttime Feasting

It's officially Ramadan here in Abu Dhabi, the holy month of fasting in the Islamic faith.  It requires that Muslims fast (no food, drink or sexual relations) everyday  from sunrise to sunset.  The change in the pace of daily life seemed subtle at first, until I ventured out of my cave and into society after a two day hiatus needed after 1 month of non-stop "moving madness."  The malls are like ghost-towns.  The food courts are completely shut-off: no lights, no personnel, and not a single hamburger wrapper to be found.  Only a few stores are open for business, but almost nobody is there to shop anyhow, so the feeling is somewhat surreal.  Muslims are allowed reduced work hours (from 11-3, I believe) and so even workplaces are radically changed during this time.  

Ramadan, however, does not only affect Muslims in a Muslim society like Abu Dhabi.  For this month it is not allowed to consume food or drink in public at anytime from sunrise to sunset (desperate foreigners have been known to sneak snacks and drinks into public bathrooms).  Children are exempt, as are others in extreme cases, but it's still tough for a food lover like me.  And I know what you're thinking, and yes, you're right - no more Friday brunches! 

It's culturally eye-opening to see Ramadan in full swing for the first time.  While I have always known Muslims and even had Muslim friends, and could even liken the experience to Catholic Lent (on a much grander scale, it seems), it is an altogether different thing to live it.  While the days are somewhat devoid of pleasure in a suddenly quieter, foodless, sweltering hot Abu Dhabi, the nights of Ramadan are really a treat.

When the sun goes down Muslims all over start their feasting during a meal or breaking of the fast called "Iftar."  They set up tents all over the city where giant buffets and traditional feasts are held.  All Muslims traditionally break their fast by having water and dates, and after that any kind of delicious food goes.  It is a giant family affair where much merrymaking and even networking is done, from what I hear.  After the nighttime feast they stay up all night only to have breakfast at 4am before the sun comes up, after which they go to sleep.  It's like they're living at night for a month - very cool!

This year as my anniversary gift, Matt has booked us a table at the Shangri-La hotel Iftar feast, rumored to be one of the more luxurious and exciting in Abu Dhabi.  Still not being entirely clear on what Emirati cuisine is (see this post for my thoughts on the subject), I am excited to dig-in in true Ramadan-feasting-style.  I'll let you know how it goes.   In the meantime, I am going to go feast on some Qatayef, pre-sunset.  Naughty me. :)

Berlin: The Best and Wurst.

Welcome to...

...Berlin!

I love surprises.

I'm the type of person who will go great lengths to surprise someone. And when there's an occasion for gift-giving, or nice-doing, I will almost always take the path of inevitably more work, trepidation and greater-resistance over just asking for gift-advice or preference. Maybe it's arrogant on my part to assume others will feel the same way, but I'd wager that most people would agree there is little as satisfying as seeing that momentary but thrilling facial expression when someone is genuinely and fortuitously surprised...birthdays, anniversaries, but most of all, random n0-apparent-reason surprises are my favorites.

Matt surprised me last week when he called and, out of the blue, said, "Wanna go to Berlin?"

Sure, he'd be in a conference. And sure, I'd be left to my own devices with the midge. But two days later, I found myself on a plane, sipping champagne, HELLO Magazine in hand, talking to a freakish-serial-traveler while Matt sweated it out in economy with a not-so-midget in his lap. *shameless grin* And that's only the trip there! There was oh-so-much-more to our little surprise trip to the capital of the great Deutsche "vaterland."

And here is that "so-much-more" in list form. : )

* * *

Berlin: The Best and the Wurst
a list of our top 5 doings

5. World's Largest Cylindrical Aquarium - whaaa?!I didn't really know what Matt meant when he said our hotel lobby housed the above mentioned, but man was I blown away when I walked into the lobby. Twenty-five meters high and 11 meters wide, this aquarium is no joke. There are parrot fish, blowfish and bonafide scubadivers in there cleaning the sides with a suction holder (so they don't float off) and a sponge.

The Aquarium and its base in the lobby of the Radisson.

It costs over 11Euros to go up in the elevator that takes you through the aquarium which is technically part of an Aquatic Center next door to the Radisson (screw that!), but as a patron of the hotel you get an almost equal view simply going up the elevator to your room. So I went up the elevator a lot. Roman loved staring at the fish, although I have to admit to being even more obsessed with it than him, having had my fair share of fish-owning adventures.

I mean, if you're going to stay in a big corporate-ish hotel, why not make it an interesting one?


4. Honey, can we go to Bavaria for dinner tonight?
YES, I do like cheesy Bavarian restaurants complete with women dressed in dirndls and men dressed in lederhosen. (And yes, I do know Berlin is not Bavaria.) I have no qualms admitting that. And not that I have anything against eating pig knuckles or ham hocks, but I was not leaving Berlin without getting some good-ass Weisswurst.

So sue me - I get a great thrill from holding a giant stein of German pilsner in my hand while shoving copious amounts of sausage, boiled potatoes and sauerkraut into my dainty but ravenous little pie hole! And speaking of pie - bring on the apfelstreudel mr. accordian-player man!

German food is nothing if not unpretentious. Driven by meat and starch it is sure to please anyone whose up for heartiness on a plate and in a glass. One of my more pleasant moments on this trip was when, having finally given up on finding that "perfect foodie German restaurant" due to a reality check involving a squealing 11-month-old, we caved and hit up a large, comfortable, child-friendly place right smack-dab in the middle of Freidrichstrasse. If you're looking for pretty darn decent food at cheap prices, and a little bit of a cheesy tourist ride with regards to over-the-top Bavarian decorations, Maximilians is your place.

Hey, ain't no shame in doing it every once in a while. : )


3. Seeing the Many Splendid Sights of Berlin
Berlin is impressive. Not just because it's a beautiful city where old seamlessly meets new, and not just because there are numerous - almost countless - historically significant traces and remains that boggle and wow both the historically-minded and the ignorant tourist alike. It is impressive because all these things together valiantly thrust themselves in the face of crummy half-winter weather and sometimes (more often than not, actually) awkwardly-abrupt Germans to make it one of Europe's most fascinating and pleasant places to visit.

Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin wall, Holocaust Memorial

The best and coolest sights we saw were Checkpoint Charlie, The Berliner Mauer (Berlin Wall), the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Reichstag. I highly recommend staying in Mitte (I stayed there 10 years ago on my first visit to Berlin, actually), East Berlin. From there all of these things are within reasonable walking distance - if you don't mind walking. I probably walked a good 6-8 miles on the one day of sightseeing we had, and my feet ached for a couple of days, but it was well worth it.

The Reichstag

2. The Reichstag Dome
The highlight of my and Roman's historical sightseeing day was, without a doubt, The German Reichstag, or parliament building. Not only is it an awesome and imposing example of neoclassical architecture at its best, but it is a seamless combination of old and new, modern and classical, historical and present-day.

When the building and its hallmark glass and steel dome (constructed in 1894) were damaged by a fire and air raids during the World Wars, the Reichstag fell into disuse and disrepair. And it wasn't until 1990 when renowned British Architect Norman Foster (who brought the amazing Millenium Bridge to London) took over the restoration job that the new, super-futuristic glass dome with a 360-degree view over Berlin was built.

The line we never stood in. *grin*

Every day hundreds of people line up at the front to make the ascent to the famed glass dome that now tops the once crumbling Reichstag. But true to German efficiency, those who are handicapped or have a small bratty child in tow can skip the line entirely and head on up to the Dome in minutes' time by using an alternative entrance. SCORE!!!

Roman and I went up once during the day for photo ops (he slept through it all, of course) and then came back with Matt at 9:45pm to witness the view under the stars. It was breathtaking, both times - both because of the view and climb up the dome!

1. CURRYWURST! CURRYWURST! CURRYWURST!
*chanting with pumping fists*
Whenever I travel anywhere I make it my business to find out what is the most typical thing to eat and drink there. In New York it was hot dogs from Gray's Papaya, in Chicago it was deep dish pizza, in Berlin it was Currywurst.

I won't bore you with details about Herta Heuwer and her curry-ketchup concoction during World War II. The bottom line is, somebody came up with the idea to combine two things I love: curry and sausage. And the rest is history - no really, there's a freaking museum!

I asked for recommendations from locals on where to get the best Currywurst in town. The answer from the taxi driver, the waiter and the otherwise annoyingly snooty concierge was exactly the same: if you want to try this unofficial national dish, the only place to do it right is Curry 36.

Don't let the snazzy website and silver storefront fool you: these people know their sausages and curry ketchup and dish it out with Soup-Nazi-esque efficiency. And whether you get it with bread or "pommes" (fries), it is a damn good (and shockingly cheap) way to get a little piece of authentic Berlin grub.

And who knows, you just might be pleasantly surprised. : )

* * *

Oh and not to forget, of course...

Happy Easter Weekend Everyone!

Oh the Things that Spring Will Bring!: Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup)

Sopa de Ajo: a typical Spanish peasant food fit for kings.

Every year mother nature tests my inherent impatience by taking her sweet time with the whole "warming up" part of the end of winter. This year in particular it feels like the weather will never break, but I have seen a couple of blooming trees, budding bulbs, and downright defiant flowers that have flat-out refused not to bloom, laughing in the face of old man winter.

For me, this year Spring brings a lot of wonderful - and unexpected - things along with it. Here are just the top four. :)

* * *

Top 4 Things This Spring Will Bring
bada-bing, bing, bing!

Lovely purple freesia - the first harbinger of Spring in our house

4. A Slew of New Food to Cook With!
I can't wait to see all the spring and summer produce start flooding in. I'm so sick of heavy, hearty soups and stews I can barely stand it. Delightful, light and cooling dishes full of seafood, salad and fresh herbs are just what I need to get the spring (pun intended) back in my step after being downtrodden by the woeful winter weather for just a little too long.

Today I have included a recipe that to me is a perfect transition from winter to spring: Castillian Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup). Having recently been to Spain, I took every opportunity I had to eat this and was inspired to make it for myself as soon as I got home.

It is a broth that warms you wonderfully on a winter day, but showcases a spring and summer ingredient near and dear to my heart: garlic. It's the perfect combination of winter and spring, for this odd intermediary season we are in, the sun shining but the windows still closed!


3. A Whole Bunch of Flowers!
Though in this globalized world flower shops and stands never really have to close, they are never nearly as verdant or fragrant as in the Spring. It is at this time of year that I feel compulsively compelled to buy something every time I pass, which means practicing a whole lot of restraint. But to be honest, I'd rather be tempted by the beautiful peonies and roses than not. It's like a special chance to showcase and acknowledge mother nature's wonder in an unhurried way. In the Spring I always try to make sure there are fresh flowers in the house, filling it with color and scent and reminding us to go outside or at least open the windows every chance we get.

Matt got me a bunch of beautiful blueish-purple freesia a week ago, the first harbingers of spring in our house this year.


2. A Visit from Maaaling!
It's been far too long since I got to gossip and laugh with my mom in person, and as luck would have it, she'll most likely be making the cross-Atlantic treck over to visit me and Matt and, mostly, Roman sometime in early April. That means Grandma-filled trips to the zoo, walks through blooming gardens, and teatime warmed by afternoon sunshine outside the Orangerie. If we're lucky she'll bring the Texas sunshine with her and we'll skip the April showers this year.


1. A Very Special Birthday!
Roman turns 1 on May 1st! (His champagne / golden birthday came a little early, so I may throw him a bone and allow him to reclaim it on his 21st.) It seems completely mind-boggling to me that a year has already passed, but yet it has and here we are with a halfway talking, nearly-walking little person who participates in our lives more and more each day. Everyone says it, but it is indeed pretty difficult to remember and imagine that he once did not exist.

Either way, of all the wondrous life and life-giving that is celebrated at this vernal time of year, this is the one thing I most anticipate with a big old, proud-mama smile on my face.

* * *

Sopa de Ajo
(Garlic Soup)

Serves 4

Garlic soup: not for the fainthearted.

Garlic is a late spring or summer vegetable, but I can't help but associate it with springtime dishes. Garlic always makes a big appearance in my Easter meal as I generally put a Greek twist on my cooking for the holiday and the Greeks do love their garlic! But this recipe has more to do with Spain than Greece. This traditionally Castillian soup is one of the simplest things you'll ever eat, and can also be one of the most delicious and satisfying. Each time I eat it and remember the recipe I am shocked at how simple it is. It's a great dish because you can easily make just one serving in a pan without having to worry about getting too much dirty or going out to buy a bunch of fiddly ingredients.

While the soup is a broth, it offers substance in its heavy use of olive oil and bread, and - if you're daring - the lightly poached egg that goes into it at the very last minute. It's not for the fainthearted, that's for sure. I have added the chile to fine tune it to my Mexican palate, but it can be seasoned further with grated Manchego or Parmesan. That said, I do prefer to keep it simple as the taste of garlic, when done right, is sweet and deliciously pervasive. Why mess with a good thing?

Ingredients
1 head of garlic, peeled and crushed ( including 3 cloves minced, set aside)
1/3 cup olive oil + 1/4 cup separate
1 bay leaf
1 chile de arbol
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 1/2 tbsp paprika (hot, sweet or a combo) + 1 tsp
2 shallots or 1 small onion, minced
8-10 cups water or chicken broth
1 dash of sherry vinegar (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
2 cups stale french bread, torn or chopped into large croutons
4 eggs, room temperature

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Method

1. Make the garlic broth: Heat the olive oil on low heat in a medium pot. Add crushed and peeled garlic to it and cook for 20 minutes not allowing the garlic to brown, until the garlic is soft and translucent. Raise heat to medium and add the shallots and cook until well-sweated, then add chile, bay leaf and paprika and cook for another minute or so. Add the water or stock and bring to a boil.

2. Allow the broth to simmer for 30 minutes uncovered, until the flavor is concentrated and the garlic is extremely tender.

3. In a separate pan, combine the minced garlic, crushed red pepper and extra olive oil over low heat until fragrant. Then toss in the bread and mix to cover in the oil mixture seasoning with salt and pepper to taste as you do so. Sprinkle the croutons with 1 tsp paprika. Turn heat to medium-high or so and allow bread to toast into croutons. The bread should turn golden, not burn. When well-toasted, remove from heat and set aside.

4. Just before serving, remove the bay leaf from the broth and add the dash of sherry vinegar (optional). Bring the soup back to a boil and then ladle into bowls. Crack the eggs into the hot soup and allow to poach with residual heat, then add croutons on top.

Note: If you are squeamish about undercooked eggs, there are a couple of options.
1. Poach the eggs in the soup pot one at a time (this is more time consuming when people are waiting for their food!).
2. Poach the eggs ahead of time and add to the soup bowl (doesn't have the same flavor or affect).
3. Crack the eggs into each bowl of hot soup, then pop the bowls into the microwave for 1-2 minutes or into a hot oven until the eggs are hard.

¡ Buen Provecho !

Short & Sweet Post: Scrummy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Cake

Short & Sweet...that's me. And that's about all that is "short" about this cake and post. But not to worry - there is much sweetness to be had!

Sweet Thing #1: A Trip to Spain
We've just returned from a short & sweet long weekend trip to Granada and Las Alpujarras in Andalucia and the Spanish Sierra Nevada mountains. The trip was meant to be a celebratory sojourn of relaxation and peace, with clean mountain air to boot. In reality, it turned into non-stop babysitting of extremely active and painfully mobile Roman, with bouts of my newly-discovered mountain car-sickness. There wasn't much party or birthday-like about Matt's special day, March 1st, besides our amazing trip to La Alhambra.


Sweet Thing #2: A Chocolate Cake
And so to make up for the lame birthday, I got some recipes together and decided to give his chocolate cake yet ANOTHER try (here's my first try, and my second try). This time I got it right, after consulting a professional baker and an actual cookbook rather than random recipes on the iternet. *sheepish grin* Oh, I also took no shortcuts on the recipe procedure. Big step in the right direction for me!

So now the cake is baked, all that's left for me to do is shout it from the rooftops (albeit a couple of days late):

Happy 78th Birthday Matt!

(ok, ok, he's 50 years younger than that :) )

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Scrummy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Cake

Serves 10

Here is my attempt at a cake that approximates an adult version of Cadbury's Fruit & Nut Chocolate Bars, Matt's absolute favorite. It is a dark chocolate sponge from the Primrose Bakery Cookbook enhanced with a rum syrup, and filled with an almond and rum-soaked raisin ganache. It is iced with traditional, dark chocolate buttercream icing. For my money, and time, it doesn't get any better than this.

The sponge recipe is a little time consuming and the method a little bit annoying, but the results are well worth the effort if you like moist dark sponges that don't taste like they've been baked out of a box. But to get the recipe, you'll have to go out and buy the book. :)

Ingredients:
-1 chocolate layer cake (2 cakes) from Cupcakes From the Primrose Bakery Book (see below).
- 1 batch of dark chocolate icing from Cupcakes From the Primrose Bakery Book (see below)
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup dark rum
1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup of almonds, roughly chopped, plus several more for decorating the top of the cake.
- 1 cup raisins, soaked in as much rum as necessary to cover them, for at least 1 hour

Method:

1. Bake the cake and allow to cool completely.

2. Make a simple syrup by heating water and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved. Once cooled slightly, add rum and almond extract. Allow to cool completely.

3. Once cake and syrup are cooled, using a skewer poke holes all over the tops of the cakes. Then pour syrup over them using a spoon or pastry brush until it has soaked in. Allow to sit for an hour or two.

4. Make the icing and separate 1/3 into a smaller bowl, then mix the raisins and almonds into this small portion of icing. Ice the top of the first layer of cake with this icing, then sandwich the second layer on top.

5. Use remaining icing to ice the top of the cake with the remaining icing and use almonds and raisins to decorate the top as desired.

6. Leave the cake covered for one night - it tastes even better the next day because the syrup has fully soaked in!

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Shameless Plug: Cupcakes From the Primrose Bakery

You probably thought you'd heard enough about that wonderful little cupcake bakery I used to manage? Well, think again. They've semi-recently come out with a book that the two owners co-wrote including almost all the delicious recipes you'll find at their two bakeries on a daily basis.
My personal favorites are the lemon cupcakes, but the chocolate cake is also quite a treat. My dear friend and pastry chef / baker extraordinaire heavily collaborated with the shop owners to develop recipes, and the result is a charming little book full of goodies that aim to please both the American and British sweet teeth.

Check it out!

Little Lovely #5: A Grown-Up Night Out.

image credit


Happy One-Day-Late-Valentine's Day!

These days spare time and alone time are both equally scarce and precious. I take whatever I can get and love to indulge in a nice nap on the couch below our mini olive tree, a quick read of 10 pages or so of the latest novel I'm getting through sentence by sentence in between Roman's demands, or writing snippets of future blog posts when midget-beast isn't looking.

But real-deal grown-up alone time, where midget is nowhere to be found and I get a short and much-needed respite from growing multiple arms, eyes and ears to be omniscient in my house, is all but non-existent for two ex-pats such as Matt and me. With no family nearby, babysitters are a serious issue that we have not fully ventured into for fear and knowledge of the unknown and Jean Benet Ramsey.

Luckily, in the flat downstairs we have a very sweet Malaysian neighbor with a quick wit, a penchant for delicious southeast Asian food, and a love for my manly child, things all of which I appreciate and share (maybe except the first in the latter regard).

Our neighbor has agreed to babysit Roman and tonight Matt and I will be going on our second alone-date since Roman was born. A lovely little French / English restaurant called Emile's awaits.

If that isn't a small miracle to be thankful for, then I don't know what is.


PS: Happy Year of the Tiger!


This post is brought to you by an almost nauseatingly French song called "Je Cherche Un Homme" by Eartha Kitt. I may not be searching anymore, but I love it anyway. :)

Little Lovely #1: Hallelujah Already - He's 9 Months Old!

It doesn't take much for lovely to happen.

In the words of a wise man (aka Tom Jones), "Love is in the air!" And like last year, it is time for me to pay homage to Valentine's Day by providing the blogosphere with a brief and random list of things I consider rather lovely.

This year's theme is "little lovelies" as I have a far less expansive amount of time to consider and deal with these posts. But the quality won't suffer - after all, good things come in small packages. Like me. :)

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Little Lovely #1: Roman, the 9-month Old

I love the first day of the month. It starts off a new and clean slate, full of possibilities and potential happiness and excitement. It is also now a harbinger of Roman's next coming-of-age. He turns another month old on the first of each month, which makes it both convenient and pleasant for us.

Nine months, apart from sounding really old in baby-terms, has really done it for me for a couple of reasons, all of which you will find - no doubt - as significant and thrilling as I did. :)

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Top 5 Reasons "9 Months" is Lovely.
little as it may be

5. Little Green Giant...or should I say Hulk?
Roman is freaking strong. But never has it been more apparent than in the last week or so, with his abilities to cruise, move things, and lift himself in surprising ways. His crawling has really blossomed into a full-on method of transportation now. It takes far less than a remote control to motivate him to sprint across the room and fling himself at whatever piques his interest. And once he has it in is kung-fu grip, good luck getting whatever it is away, especially if it's a blackberry, which he is particularly fond of chewing and sucking.

Yesterday morning he impressed his dad by doing a near pull-up on the bathroom counter. He can JUST reach it while on tippy-toes, and I just know he'll end up falling and hitting his head if he continues down this route, but he's determined to reach the mouthwash, and who am I to take that away from my little muscle-midge? :)


4. Time for REAL Food.
Apart from the fact that special baby food items are ridiculously expensive, and generally not that delicious, with Roman they were actually somewhat unnecessary from the start. Given the way he liked to eat, he was probably babbling "where's my damn roast dinner?" in baby talk when he was 3 months old for all I know. Yes, he did indeed love to eat from day one, and in fact the only times he's ever refused food are when he's been obviously teething or really sick. He's not finicky about texture, quantity, sweet or savoury. He rocks out on the broccoli as much as his fromage frais or beef stew.

I started giving him table food a little before Christmas. In that time he ate ham sandwiches, tried menudo, had cake, brownies, mole de olla, shrimp and even the tiniest sip of champers. :) Now that he's 9 months old, I see no point in holding back anymore. He's on full oatmeal, toast and fruit for breakfast (with the odd scrambled egg thrown in), he eats pb&j with Matt and me on the weekends for lunch, and the other night even indulged in the wok-fried bok choy with garlic and Matt's chicken Lo Mein at our local Chinese takeout. (That's ma' boy!) Let the games begin.


3. "I Don't Know Why You Say Goodbye. I Say Hello."
In the words of The Beatles, Roman has learned to wave. And it's a silly, lovely fat-baby-handed wave that I could never get sick of. He did it, really did it (there had been some questionable halfish attempts for the past month) this morning as Daaaa (as he calls Matt) was saying goodbye before leaving for work.

It's amazing when babies do something for the first time because it's like a magical tinkerbell goes off somewhere unidentifiable in the universe (a kitten is born, an angel gets its wings, someone eats an excellent brownie, etc. etc.). You think, "wait? did he--?" and then you realize that every time you ask yourself that question the answer is yes. Yes, he did wave! Yes, our baby can "say" hello and goodbye now!


2. Hemingway, here we come!
I think it'll still be a while before I'm reading Hemingway to Roman, or he's reading it on his own, but I have been reading to him a lot lately. And whereas before he would just look around or stare blankly at the pages, now, he turns the pages, touches the pictures, plays with the flaps or textures or whatever doodad is in the book, and actually gets excited.

I'd found his books scattered around his toy area a couple of times over the past weeks but thought nothing of it until yesterday I caught Roman flipping through his Pat the Bunny book. Pat the Bunny is a book that involves texture, smelling, mirrors, peek-a-boo and holes. He was going through each page and doing the activities, one after the other, with a focus on the peek-a-boo. It is his favorite, after all. I couldn't help but stop, hold my breath and think: When did that happen? Where did the time go?


1. Was it Ferber? Or was it just ABOUT FREAKIN' TIME?
Four days ago I embarked on what I considered to be the most epic of epics: the attempt to get Roman to sleep through the night, without feeds, without rocking and soothing, without my bed. The psychological toll it was having on me just knowing that I had literally not slept an ENTIRE night without waking in almost 9 months was more than I could bear any longer.

A friend recommended "ferberizing" - that sounds a lot more clinical than it actually is. It simply involves putting the baby down for bed and letting him cry for small periods of time with you checking in on him (but not picking him up) at regular intervals until he falls asleep on his own.
I was dead-set against this for the first nine months of his life. And then fatigue REALLY hit. Crazy-this-is-no-longer-doable-cuz-I'm-turning-into-a-monster kind of fatigue. The kind I can only imagine a Mom feels. And so Matt and I tried it out.

Only four days later, on his 9-month birthday Roman slept through the night in his own crib, not waking up once, and crying a total of 20 seconds, for the first time in his life. Seriously, I could kill myself wondering how much sooner I could have done this and how much sleep deprivation I would have saved myself, but the truth is, I just wasn't ready until now...and apparently neither was he.

So, was it Ferber or was it just about freakin' time? I don't care.

All I can say is: HALLELUJAH ALREADY!

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Stealing Hopi's Bed.

Mama and her guard dog: little, lovely and ferocious.

This little lovely was brought to you today by one of my favorite songs to kitchen-sing-and-dance to with Roman: Michael Jackson's (RIP) unforgettable, eternally danceable P.Y.T.