In which I decide to write a book

A small sampling of research materials for The Book

I am in the middle of writing the proposal and honestly, haven't spent nearly as much time on it as I should. Life, work, and this blog have been getting in the way, but now the time has come to hunker down and finish this sucker. I don't want to say too much about it, except that it involves food (obviously). So, until it's done (probably within the next month) I'm not going to be posting as much. At least that's the plan. For now...

Coats, Glorious Coats

The Holy Triumvirate

Hi, I'm Emily and I have an addiction to buying coats.

For some people it's shoes, for others it's bags, but for me it's coats, jackets, and the like. Now that the weather is finally warming up, I don't have to wear my fully-functional but kind of ugly sleeping bag coat. Coincidentally, over the past month modcloth has had two amazing sales, during which I purchased the beauties pictured above. Why bother putting together a whole outfit when I can just wear a cool jacket and some pants? WHY?

Roast Chicken, Ina Style

My love of Ina Garten aka The Barefoot Contessa started a couple of summers ago when I was staying at my man friend James' condo for a month while on break from school. I didn't have too much to do and he has a giant big screen so, naturally, I started watching a lot of TV. I immediately got hooked on Food TV's late afternoon/early evening block of programming when they'd play Everyday Italian, The Barefoot Contessa, and Paula Deen's Home Cooking. Though I enjoy watching Paula and Giada I tried making Ina's recipes the most. There's a sense of simple elegance about them that made them seem accessible. Plus, Paula puts a stick or two of butter in everything.

Additionally, Ina's life seems awesome, but she doesn't rub it in or have a false sense of superiority about it, like Martha. Beyond that, her and her husband Jeffery are just so darn cute! They've been married for 40 years and still seem to like each other! This may also be due to the fact that Jeffery lives in New Haven during the week (where he teaches at Yale) and comes home to The Hamptons on the weekends. Talk about a marriage made in heaven.

Anyways, back to the food. Since I've found myself unemployed and staying at my man friend's condo yet again, I've decided to try making some basics a la Ina's Back To Basics season of The Barefoot Contessa. I watched her make a delicious roast chicken last week and realized that I have never made a roast chicken. This must be remedied! After searching through Ina's online recipe catologue I found this one, Engagement Chicken, that sounded delicious and required ingredients that I mostly already had. Also, I don't know what the deal is with the name but don't get any crazy ideas. I am not planning on becoming Mrs. Man Friend just yet.

Before...

For the chicken, I purchased a nearly four pound 'Naked' one (no antibiotics, etc) from Stew Leonard's that was quite good. I followed the recipe to a T but would use just one large spanish onion next time, since the ratio of sauce to onion was a little unbalanced. Also, be sure to move the onions around once in a while during the roasting process so they don't burn. Like many of the comments on this recipe, you HAVE to make the sauce with this. It is soooo good. Even James, who isn't a big eater, agreed.

After!

Travel Leftovers: DC & NYC

I've been back in CT from my travels down south for about a week now, but I still wanted to write about a few things. While in D.C. I visited the Folger Shakespeare Library, which I would recommend solely because of it's gift shop (but, it has other cool stuff too). I picked up these awesome postcards (see above) that were copied from flyers made during the Bard's time. They had one for every play, so I chose a few of my favorites. All in all, it's a great place to pick up a unique gift for the unemployed English major in your life.

While I was in NYC there were three things I wanted to do (apart from hanging out with people in my age group) : get my hair cut, get it colored, and try crack pie. I got the first two done, but crack pie will have to wait for another visit. Crack pie is, of course, a dessert made at milk bar, which is a part of momofuku, a very important NYC restaurant group. However. I first heard about crack pie from Anderson Cooper. Granted, he was co-hosting Regis and Kelly at the time, but still. He was talking to me. Anyways, Anderson said it was so deliciously addictive--hence the name. I suppose it's just as well since it's got a boatload of calories and, at $5 a slice, a habit I can't really support right now.

I still needed by sweet fix though. As fate would have it, my aunt and uncle live across the street from La Bergamote, which is in their words the best French bakery/cafe in the city. And, since they both lived in Paris, they would know.

I'll take one of each, please

Clearly, I had a wicked hard time deciding, but after a brief flirtation with the mousse noisette flavored with hazelnut, I chose the pascaline, a hazelnut AND pistachio mousse cake--because why settle for one nut mousse when you can have two?


It may not have been crack pie, but it was definitely addictive.

Rant: In Defence of Healthy Eating

I read a really interesting article on Slate today that floated the idea that healthy eating has become tied to elitism and, even more alarmingly, that we don't eat better because we don't think we're worth it. After eating mostly organic during my two-week stay with my aunt and cousin, I can see this. In fact, even as I wrote that sentence I was tempted to add the disclaimer that my aunt is breast-feeding, hence the all-organic diet. But, why should that even matter?

In most cases, eating food that is fresh, locally-produced, and organic is better for you. Is it also more expensive? Usually, yes. Is it more expensive than the dollar menu? Absolutely. But, it's food. I know times are tough for everyone right now, but even I (a person without a job) have chosen to spend money on things rather than on making better food choices.

I'm not saying that eating healthy is easy--lord knows I don't eat well for every meal. But the thought that it's become an elitest/self-worth issue is just sad to me. We all deserve to eat wholesome food that tastes good. If that isn't always an option, that's one thing. But no one should feel ashamed or discouraged for trying to do so.

I'm reminded of the whole idea of making "small changes" to lose weight. What about making small changes to eat better? If you can't afford to buy all organic, just buy organic eggs or meat or whatever. LearnVest posted this handy sheet that outlines eating organic on a budget. And, of course, organic isn't the only way to eat better. Whole grains over white flour, seasonal fruit and veg over shit flown in from thousands of miles away, fresh over processed food--whatever your into, there's a way to make it work for you. Does it mean you can never eat another 20 piece mcnugget meal by yourself at 3 am? Of course not. It just means you're trying to do something good for you. Because you ARE worth it.

I take a trip to the Sicilian Coast...in my mouth

As I mentioned in my last post I made butternut squash risotto as a part of my Valentine's Day dinner. I adapted it from this lovely recipe and added some Trader Joe's grilled asparagus. I purposefully made a boatload so I could finally make arancini, or deep-fried risotto balls, a popular Sicilian snack. Because, like so many things, stuffing it with cheese and deep frying it only makes it better.

I've been dying to do so after seeing Giada De Laurentiis make them on her show. I was a little unsure of how the chunks of butternut squash and asparagus would fare, but other than being a little on the large side, they tasted great. Sure, the kitchen still smells like a Long John Silvers and I have to swear off diary for the next week, but it was totally worth it.

I essentially followed this recipe, since I liked the idea of using panko instead of Italian breadcrumbs, but stuffed them with fontinella cheese instead of smoked mozz. But feel free to use another semi-soft cheese of your choosing.


A nice, big hunk of squash surrounded by melted fontinella. Put it in my mouth.

What are YOU doing for Valentine's Day?

Man. There's nothing like waking up to roses, chocolate, and heart-shaped donuts

Tonight's menu:
Rouzaire Brie de Nangris
Roasted Salmon with Butternut Squash Risotto
English Lemon Pudding with Raspberry Sauce

Tonight's Soundtrack: American Standards

Tonight's Film: Winter's Bone

Yeah, I'm using a couple short cuts--the dessert is (mostly) pre-made and brie is probably the easiest appetizer to serve, but that just means I can spend more time actually hanging out with my date, as well as primping before hand.

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