It’s the little things. And cheese.

Posted on April 25, 2012

During a week when I could easily bemoan the drudgery of term paper writing, I’m going to instead take a brief respite from the empty half of the glass and spend a few minutes swimming in the full half. Several moments this week have made me realize it’s altogether too easy to forget about life’s good things. So, here are a few of the things making me happy this week. And a few of the shots I’ve captured during my first three months in Boston.

1. Taking a moment to look out the window while performing the ever-monotonous task of putting away groceries. In an instant the beauty of the sliver of a moon caught my breath. I went so far as to turn off the lights so that I could sneak a little moment of quiet and gratitude for the small things in life that can remind us of the beauty we’re surrounded by if we just pause and look close enough.

2. Discovering this recipe for chocolate and black pepper goat cheese truffles shared by one of my favorite cheeseries*. I may or may not have had to wipe drool from my chin while reading about this combination of three of my very favorite things: chocolate, goat cheese, and freshly cracked black pepper. (*No, this is not a word I learned in foodie grad school.)

3. Hearing Darra Goldstein speak about Gastronomica, her brilliant journal on food and culture. She finished her wonderful talk with a story about one of her most favorite food memories: a shared meal of broiled potatoes swimming in butter accompanied by hand-salted mushrooms foraged from the forests of Russia, topped off with a bottle of Vodka chilled by the cool night air. If that story wasn’t a reminder of the power of seemingly insignificant life moments, then I don’t know what is.

4. Turning in the final for one of my classes and savoring a brief moment of pride and relief at having finished my very first class of grad school. That moment called for one seriously full glass. But I’m waiting til my second one’s done to fill ‘er up!

5. Sharing a much-needed happy hour basking in the sun with some new friends, followed by a delicious dinner at a new restaurant in Cambridge. And then realizing that perhaps the best moment of the night happened when the cab driver blared hip hop through his own personal subwoofers. Many, many memories of life in San Francisco flooded back in that moment.

6. Learning a new culinary treat from a friend. Blend (food processor style) unsalted, shelled pistachios with olive oil, salt, and pepper, until seasoned to your liking. Pour the pistachio blend over a beautiful ball of Burrata cheese. I’m noticing a trend with the things I’m learning from this friend…the same one who introduced me to that goats milk Gouda I mentioned earlier, and with whom I also enjoyed some Mascarpone and Italian truffle cheese this week. Notice the theme? Mmm. Cheese. Thank goodness for my daily 1-mile commute.

7, 8, 9, 10. Realizing that as excited as I am for my trip home to California next week, I’m about as equally excited to get back to Boston to enjoy what will hopefully be a beautiful summer full of weekends at the farmer’s market, road trips up and down the coast, and many many moments of laughter and exploring with new friends. Cheers to a full glass!

Pasta, cream, and competing motivations.

Posted on April 22, 2012

I’ve noticed that many of the discussions, or rather, debates in my classes center around the many and often competing elements of food. Culture, politics, justice, taste, economics. You name it. When it comes to food choice, we’re surrounded by competing motivations. Should we choose food for the joy of cooking or the necessity of convenience? Environmental sustainability or community building? Localized food systems or answer to world hunger? Things are often considered in binary terms, and something I’m learning is that this does not make for fruitful conversations. The metaphorical fruit, that is.

While food seems pretty simple, given that it’s a universal human need, it is somehow incredibly complicated. Everyone is concerned with different elements of the food world, to varying degrees, of course. Especially within my program. For example, some people only want to make and eat and taste and talk about food. Others only want to figure out how to allow everyone else the “luxury” of doing those things. It makes for interesting and challenging conversations. These considerations continue to shape my thoughts and opinions, and affect my own food choices. Rightly so.

Take, for example, the consideration of time and convenience. Many a discussion in my food policy class has come back to the fact that we exist in a culture that espouses the value of convenience at the expense of quality. And the reality is, whether we like it or not, our culture forces each of us to rely on some level of convenience. So, how are we to encourage people to buy fresh produce and cook at home, whether in an effort to encourage healthy eating choices or support a local food system, if they simply “don’t have time” to do anything but buy prepackaged, precooked meals? Good question. And better yet, how can I argue for the value of cooking at home if I’m not willing to take the time to do so myself?

I was haunted by this question earlier this week, in the midst of the now familiar end-of-semester stress that’s heavy laden with finals and term papers. I had yet another come-to-Jesus moment and realized I need to do a better job of practicing what I preach. (Well, I certainly hope I don’t preach. I prefer to suggest. With a healthy dose of opinion thrown in the mix.) So I tried desperately to remember what staple items were keeping each other company in my cupboards. This process usually lands me on the very popular pasta shelf. Top right, just above the stove. Pasta. My second favorite food group behind that butter-sugar-flour one.

Orechiette, it is! Those perfectly sized mini dishes of pasta, waiting to be filled with the perfect sauce. I was in the mood for something creamy. Shocking. So a little half & half, plus peas and spicy chicken sausage, and voila. Dinner. Admittedly, it took a bit longer than if I had purchased something frozen from Trader Joe’s or picked up pasta to-go from my favorite corner trattoria. But this night was about choosing time and quality over convenience. Choosing to know exactly what is in the food I’m eating. Choosing to use some of the food I already have in my kitchen in order to reduce some of my food waste. And choosing to practice what I preach.

The secret ingredient in this recipe is a goat’s milk Gouda cheese. My friend, Joyce recently introduced me to it and It. Is. Heavenly. (Have I mentioned how wonderful it’s been to be surrounded by people who love food as much as I do?!) This cheese offers the subtle and smooth sweetness that a good Gouda should. Literally melts in your mouth, no matter how much you shove in there. Not that I would know.

(Pssst! Tracy…I created this with you and Matt in mind. Pasta, cream, sausage. You said you missed my cooking so this should be right up your ally!)

Creamy Orechiette with Peas and Sausage

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

8 oz orechiette pasta

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 small sweet onion, finely chopped

1 cup peas, fresh or frozen (Freshly shelled peas at the peak of their season do offer an incredible sweetness and are worth the effort!)

2 chicken spicy Italian sausage links, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced into 1/4″ half moon pieces (Ground Italian sausage would work very well here, too.)

1 cup half & half

1 cup goats milk Gouda

Freshly ground pepper and salt, to taste

Freshly grated parmesan, to taste (Optional. But who doesn’t love a good pasta parm topper?!)

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While you’re waiting for the pasta water to boil, heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the oil and allow it a minute or two to heat.

Add the onions and garlic. Cook for several minutes, stirring constantly, being sure they don’t burn but begin to soften.

Add the sausage. Cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the sausage to begin to cook and brown.

Add the peas. Cook for several more minutes until the sausage is sufficiently cooked and browned.

Turn the heat to low and add the half & half and the Gouda. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you use a spicy sausage it will impart a good kick. The Gouda will add a sweetness to the sauce. I ended up seasoning with quite a bit of freshly cracked pepper since this was the main seasoning I used. I believe in the power of freshly cracked pepper and sometimes it’s all you need!

Once the sauce is seasoned to your liking, add the cooked pasta and stir to combine.

This pasta is best served immediately as the creamy sauce can begin to thicken and dry up quickly.

So, dish up and enjoy!

Cowgirls and cupcakes.

Posted on April 19, 2012

I don’t remember the exact moment when I realized that my true love in food is the sweet combination of butter, sugar, and flour. The fact that my first word was “cookie” may have been telling. My equally opinionated left brain and right brain truly enjoy the scientifically based artistry of baking. I find it therapeutic.

So when my other surrogate family in Boston, L and C, told me they were planning a cowgirl themed birthday party for their soon-to-be two-year old, G, I knew that I had to bake something. Cowboy hat cake! Horseshoe cupcakes! Oh my. These things make me absurdly excited.

And then real life kicked me in the pants and I had to put my creative energies aside to deal with an unwelcome health issue. Thankfully it wasn’t that big of a deal. It killed the all-day-ordeal cowboy hat cake idea but inspired these vanilla bean cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting. I needed something that would be easy enough for me to make while on ice and Advil, but that would also give me a canvas to make something beautiful and special for G’s birthday.

G helped, too. She helped me cook, and she helped me remember that mess is okay. I hate mess. Except when it’s in the form of powdered sugar on an adorable toddler.

The cupcakes were a hit. The vanilla bean in the cake added a really delicious element, but the texture of the cake wasn’t my favorite. I’ll save you the trouble and keep that recipe to myself. But the buttercream was Uh. Mazing. I mean, seriously. I took a spoon to the bowl for multiple tastes. You know, just to be sure it was good enough for G. Obviously. I borrowed the recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, Brown Eyed Baker. She’s created an amazing frosting that I will definitely be keeping on file. But beware, it’s not for the faint of heart. You must have a serious love of butter and sugar.

So, happy birthday little G! And good luck with those two’s, L and C. Let me know when you need the delicious comfort of something ~~spiked~~ baked.

It’s the little things. And cheese.

Posted on April 25, 2012

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Pasta, cream, and competing motivations.

Posted on April 22, 2012

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Cowgirls and cupcakes.

Posted on April 19, 2012

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