other than the large gash i have in my right palm, things seem to be just swell.
i cut myself badly on the japanese mandoline i was using to make potato chips. i knew it was sharp, being just a few days old, but i was silly, and got distracted by how behind i was, and looked up and thought about all of the things i needed to get done in the next 35 minutes (peel and chop garlic, finish the potato chips, skin and portion swordfish, find some greens to cook, slice and oil bread for bruschetta, peel and grate horseradish, pick and chop parsley, make a beurre rose', warm up my bollito. all of this because i spent an hour dicing shallots for the rose' butter.), and how i'd never be able to do them all, and next thing i knew, a piece of my hand was missing. thanks to some pronto soccorso attention from a coworker, though, i was taped, gloved, and back at work in under 5 minutes. and somehow, i finished everything.
i wish i could be as good about updating as some of my friends are, but i've just been working so much lately, and so tired when i get back. plus, it's not like i can do it at work, and usually (sadly) the only thing i have to write about is work.
i was hoping to go to the alameda flea market this sunday, but now, it looks like i might not make it. oh well, there's always october.
my most excellent ipod has arrived and is in use. many, many thanks to buddy for the incredible gift.
i hung out with my dear, dear friend MS this evening, and no one knows the biopsy results yet, but it was oh-so-relieving to see that she's still the same person, and in seemingly good health and spirits. she also has the funniest stories IN THE UNIVERSE. i nearly broke my ankle on the dishwasher when i was shaking with laughter at her unbelievable news of one of our friends.
i've been seeing a lot of peeps from the old restaurant lately. thanks to everyone who's stopped by to say hi--you guys rule, and you totally make our day! no thanks to the dixieland band across the street who can only play 4 tunes.
my love for billy collins is stronger than ever before. i heard a rerun of some show on npr last week, where he read one of my favorite poems: "The Country."
the bomboloni i've been making at work have been a raging hit. some of my other sweet creations haven't been so well-received. i'm going to stick with my successes for now.
8.30.2004
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8.19.2004
tumors
i am surrounded by cancer. in my family, in my friends' families, in my blog-friends' families, and now in one of my own friends (hers could be cancer. no one is sure yet.) i don't know what to do. what to say. what to think.
after all of that, it seems silly to write about what sweets i made yesterday, or the baskets i bought today. nothing else seems to matter.
then i wonder, is it better just to live, to live, to celebrate life? what about my friend who is 7 months pregnant? what about the (howeever little) progress we make each day at work, or the inching forward of my book, or my friends who are opening their own places later this year, or my dear friend who just got married? what about the good stuff? is that not supposed to matter anymore?
it's all a blur.
after all of that, it seems silly to write about what sweets i made yesterday, or the baskets i bought today. nothing else seems to matter.
then i wonder, is it better just to live, to live, to celebrate life? what about my friend who is 7 months pregnant? what about the (howeever little) progress we make each day at work, or the inching forward of my book, or my friends who are opening their own places later this year, or my dear friend who just got married? what about the good stuff? is that not supposed to matter anymore?
it's all a blur.
8.13.2004
8.12.2004
so soon?
i found out today that i may be wanted/needed back in italy next month. i don't know if i can handle that.
who complains about a trip (possibly free) to italy in the best month of the year to be there?
apparently, i do.
who complains about a trip (possibly free) to italy in the best month of the year to be there?
apparently, i do.
csa
after a few agonizing weeks of deliberations, i am happy to announce that i have decided to go with riverdog farm in yolo county for my weekly vegetable box.
my finalists were:
full belly farm in the capay valley
riverdog farm in yolo county
and terra firma farm in yolo county
all three are great farms, and they have practically the same stuff. it wasn't at all a question of quality that made me go with riverdog. i think that terra firma has a pretty huge selection, and they have different sizes of boxes to choose from, which is kinda nice. but right now, i have a pretty close relationship with the farmers at riverdog, and they'll deliver to my work for me, which is really convenient. it's not exactly a binding contract, so if i'm not happy, i can always change. but i am going to love never having to buy crappy produce from andronico's for a premium price. i can't wait!
my finalists were:
full belly farm in the capay valley
riverdog farm in yolo county
and terra firma farm in yolo county
all three are great farms, and they have practically the same stuff. it wasn't at all a question of quality that made me go with riverdog. i think that terra firma has a pretty huge selection, and they have different sizes of boxes to choose from, which is kinda nice. but right now, i have a pretty close relationship with the farmers at riverdog, and they'll deliver to my work for me, which is really convenient. it's not exactly a binding contract, so if i'm not happy, i can always change. but i am going to love never having to buy crappy produce from andronico's for a premium price. i can't wait!
parmigiana di melanzane
i made the best eggplant parmesan that i, or anyone who tasted it today, have/has ever had.
and i'm not exaggerating.
here's what i did, if you want to make it at home:
dice some red onions and saute them in extra virgin olive oil. get the onions soft, but avoid browning them.
slice a clove or two of garlic and add it in.
add some chopped up canned san marzano tomatoes, and some fresh tomatoes, too. season with salt.
add a TON of basil.
simmer for 30-45 minutes until the sauce is sweet.
(i milled the sauce, but if i were making this at home, i wouldn't bother.)
slice eggplant (i used some great italian globe eggplant from full belly farm in the capay valley) into 1/2 inch thick slices (lengthwise), and fry it in an inch of extra virgin olive oil until it is cooked all the way through. let the excess oil drain from the eggplant by placing it on a plate line with paper towels. season the eggplant with salt as soon as it comes out of the oil.
line a casserole dish with the eggplant slices. then layer with 1 1/2 inch hunks of fresh mozzarella, torn basil, plenty of grated parmesan cheese, and your tomato sauce. sprinkle with another pinch of salt for luck (i always do).
repeat.
finish with a final layer of eggplant and sauce.
bake at 400 degrees F for about 40 minutes. let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving with plenty more grated parmesan.
oh dear, it was so delicious. i sold out!
and i'm not exaggerating.
here's what i did, if you want to make it at home:
dice some red onions and saute them in extra virgin olive oil. get the onions soft, but avoid browning them.
slice a clove or two of garlic and add it in.
add some chopped up canned san marzano tomatoes, and some fresh tomatoes, too. season with salt.
add a TON of basil.
simmer for 30-45 minutes until the sauce is sweet.
(i milled the sauce, but if i were making this at home, i wouldn't bother.)
slice eggplant (i used some great italian globe eggplant from full belly farm in the capay valley) into 1/2 inch thick slices (lengthwise), and fry it in an inch of extra virgin olive oil until it is cooked all the way through. let the excess oil drain from the eggplant by placing it on a plate line with paper towels. season the eggplant with salt as soon as it comes out of the oil.
line a casserole dish with the eggplant slices. then layer with 1 1/2 inch hunks of fresh mozzarella, torn basil, plenty of grated parmesan cheese, and your tomato sauce. sprinkle with another pinch of salt for luck (i always do).
repeat.
finish with a final layer of eggplant and sauce.
bake at 400 degrees F for about 40 minutes. let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving with plenty more grated parmesan.
oh dear, it was so delicious. i sold out!
8.11.2004
happy box
i found this little tin i used to keep on my nightstand, with the word "happy" written on the top. i'd write thoughts or things or ideas or whatever that made me happy on little scraps of paper and then keep them in there and look at them whenever i got sad. it was kinda great, and now that i found it, i'm going to start keeping it near me again.
all of the things in there were silly, and sweet. things like, "the essay about bill evans in 1963 in reading jazz," or "i got offered a job in the kitchen at chez panisse," or "i got chosen to read with bob hass at lunch poems," or "a day in the city with tj." things that were all such a long time ago, so far away, yet still make me smile.
all of the things in there were silly, and sweet. things like, "the essay about bill evans in 1963 in reading jazz," or "i got offered a job in the kitchen at chez panisse," or "i got chosen to read with bob hass at lunch poems," or "a day in the city with tj." things that were all such a long time ago, so far away, yet still make me smile.
dolphins
the past 24 hours have been pretty full of delfina for me. not that i went to eat there (or could afford to), but a sassy friend did and wrote about it, so i got all jealous of it and decided to make bigne' with espresso gelato and chocolate myself at work today. and i've gotta say, they were pretty great. i used bittersweet chocolate for the sauce, and about 35 shots of espresso for the gelato. after my pate a choux disaster last week, with some crappy recipe from a lame book, i toted my three dollar french chef cookbook to work with me this morning, and i've gotta say, you just can't go wrong with julia.
i've been working on my gelato churning technique, and i think i am getting a hang of it, finally. basically, i think that less is more when it comes to making ice cream--churn it as little as possible to make it as dense and rich as possible. yum. i kinda hate making ice cream, because there is so much involved in it, but i LOVE eating it.
anyway, i came home this afternoon, and DR untangled all of my yarns for me, i think as a hint to start knitting things for her baby. and we shuffled through some photos, and found one of us with delfina herself, as cute as could be, the sun shining brightly above, and the de medici hunting lodge in the background.
i've been working on my gelato churning technique, and i think i am getting a hang of it, finally. basically, i think that less is more when it comes to making ice cream--churn it as little as possible to make it as dense and rich as possible. yum. i kinda hate making ice cream, because there is so much involved in it, but i LOVE eating it.
anyway, i came home this afternoon, and DR untangled all of my yarns for me, i think as a hint to start knitting things for her baby. and we shuffled through some photos, and found one of us with delfina herself, as cute as could be, the sun shining brightly above, and the de medici hunting lodge in the background.
8.10.2004
the bus. and other stuff.
riding the bus to work (even though i'm never on it for long, and there often aren't many people on there) is a high point of my day. the contrast between the type of people on the bus and the type of people at my destination is stark, and not rarely do i feel guilty or weird about it.
on my way to the bus stop, i walk by the alcoholics anonymous meeting place. there's usually a group getting out right when i pass by. it makes me happy, and sad, all at once.
however, i do feel like i am in a cocoon at work, a little bubble of foodiness. it's wonderful, and it's completely detached from reality, in a good way and a bad way. i still have thoughts to develop about this.
i'm still tired, and i feel like i always will be tired. when i used to have to get up at 5 am to be at work at 6, when i was on the bottom of the ladder at cp, i figured the tiredness would stop when i got normal working hours. but here i am, working as close to 9-5 as a cooking job can get, and i am always lagging and sluggish. the thing is, i love work so much that i never really feel so tired there. only when i get home do i want to collapse and never leave.
i need some extracurricular projects. and that is why i've started to knit again. first, i'm making a hat for my friend dr's baby-to-be. then, we'll see. i have to buy some butter, and then i'll start baking. the only thing about baking is that there isn't anyone here to eat anything i might make, and i almost never feel like eating anything when i get home anyway, so it would just all sit there and get stale. but not for long, since my roommate gets here next week.
i doubt i'll be spending much time with her, since she'll be busy doing genius stuff and i'll be busy grilling stuff, but just the idea of having someone around when i get back home, someone to cook for, someone to tell about the ridiculous customers who come in and ask to sit where there is carpet (what?!), makes me happy. i don't really want or need a best friend, but it'll be nice to have her around.
on my way to the bus stop, i walk by the alcoholics anonymous meeting place. there's usually a group getting out right when i pass by. it makes me happy, and sad, all at once.
however, i do feel like i am in a cocoon at work, a little bubble of foodiness. it's wonderful, and it's completely detached from reality, in a good way and a bad way. i still have thoughts to develop about this.
i'm still tired, and i feel like i always will be tired. when i used to have to get up at 5 am to be at work at 6, when i was on the bottom of the ladder at cp, i figured the tiredness would stop when i got normal working hours. but here i am, working as close to 9-5 as a cooking job can get, and i am always lagging and sluggish. the thing is, i love work so much that i never really feel so tired there. only when i get home do i want to collapse and never leave.
i need some extracurricular projects. and that is why i've started to knit again. first, i'm making a hat for my friend dr's baby-to-be. then, we'll see. i have to buy some butter, and then i'll start baking. the only thing about baking is that there isn't anyone here to eat anything i might make, and i almost never feel like eating anything when i get home anyway, so it would just all sit there and get stale. but not for long, since my roommate gets here next week.
i doubt i'll be spending much time with her, since she'll be busy doing genius stuff and i'll be busy grilling stuff, but just the idea of having someone around when i get back home, someone to cook for, someone to tell about the ridiculous customers who come in and ask to sit where there is carpet (what?!), makes me happy. i don't really want or need a best friend, but it'll be nice to have her around.
8.03.2004
mini-updates
the wedding was lovely. the banana cake from rosebud was the cutest cake i've ever seen. tj's dress was perfect. everything, quite honestly, was perfect (apart from the tactless confrontation by someone i don't particularly care for immediately after the ceremony). the food was good. all registry wishes came true. life was lovely.
my friend DR's baby shower on sunday was equally lovely. and then, i rushed home to pack up, and my mom and bro (P) are bringing up my stuff tomorrow. i was thinking i should take them to dinner at the restaurant on thursday, but now i am wondering if they shouldn't come have lunch while i am working instead. i don't think that anyone in my family actually believes that i can cook. of course, i'll be doing desserts on thursday, so it might be that nothing about their views will actually change.
other than my bed, the things i am most looking forward to being reunited with are my kitchen goods. oh, how i miss my baking supplies. i went to the bowl yesterday and got a million spices and dry goods and i am ready to bake. i also can't wait for my cookbooks to get here...
basically, i've just been running around too much to get anything very interesting down here. i barely have time to think. i apologize for the drabness of all of this, but i promise that once i get settled, things will get more interesting.
i have been working on something nice, though: the slow guide to the bay area. a friend is the editor, so i've been trying to run around in my spare time and eat at appropriate places and write them up for the guide. it's kinda harrowing, actually. but now that i have a few under my belt, i am feeling a lot better about it all.
kudos to gordito, for taking the CA bar last week. you're my hero, bro. almost hb, la sassy. congrats ismat, on nirali.
and of course, tj and fa, i wish you nothing but happiness. thanks everyone, for everything.
my friend DR's baby shower on sunday was equally lovely. and then, i rushed home to pack up, and my mom and bro (P) are bringing up my stuff tomorrow. i was thinking i should take them to dinner at the restaurant on thursday, but now i am wondering if they shouldn't come have lunch while i am working instead. i don't think that anyone in my family actually believes that i can cook. of course, i'll be doing desserts on thursday, so it might be that nothing about their views will actually change.
other than my bed, the things i am most looking forward to being reunited with are my kitchen goods. oh, how i miss my baking supplies. i went to the bowl yesterday and got a million spices and dry goods and i am ready to bake. i also can't wait for my cookbooks to get here...
basically, i've just been running around too much to get anything very interesting down here. i barely have time to think. i apologize for the drabness of all of this, but i promise that once i get settled, things will get more interesting.
i have been working on something nice, though: the slow guide to the bay area. a friend is the editor, so i've been trying to run around in my spare time and eat at appropriate places and write them up for the guide. it's kinda harrowing, actually. but now that i have a few under my belt, i am feeling a lot better about it all.
kudos to gordito, for taking the CA bar last week. you're my hero, bro. almost hb, la sassy. congrats ismat, on nirali.
and of course, tj and fa, i wish you nothing but happiness. thanks everyone, for everything.
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