Roasted Grapes and Dinosaur Eggs

I don't know about you, but when it's cold, rainy and blustery outside, all I want to do is hunker down inside.  Preferably in the warmest room in the house (unfortunately that would be Henry's bathroom, but you get my point).  That is exactly what I did the other day when the weather looked like this:

Of course I didn't hide in Henry's bathroom all day.  Not even with a book.  Heck no.  I headed to the kitchen.  What else was I supposed to do?  I wasn't about to clean the house (bleh!), I don't watch soaps (or reality shows either unless you count the Food Network and Top Chef - go Kevin, you should have won) and I don't sit around eating bonbons (I wish, but I'm not going to bitch about the diet again).  No, it was the perfect opportunity to create havoc in the kitchen which for me meant figuring out what to do with that g-d dinosaur egg that showed up in our recent CSA delivery.

This is a Jarrahdale squash which is an heirloom variety from Australia.

I photographed it next to a lemon so you could better gauge its size!

I wasn't sure that even my trusty cleaver could beat it into submission,

but it did not fail me.

You should have heard the banging as I kept slamming it down on the counter to try and split it open.  My dogs ran for the hills!  But I did manage to keep all of my fingers intact...

Yup, these are the dogs. 

Saber (the black and white one) is the rescue dog who thinks he is one of the little white "foof" dogs. 

Sweet, but definitely not the alpha!

Can you guess which one is?

I'll tell you the truth.  Before I managed to hack the thing up (not one of the dogs), I thought seriously about saving myself a lot of trouble and just throwing it away. (I know, that's blasphemy, but it's how my mind works sometimes).  I didn't, though.  Even though I had no idea what it tasted like or what to do with it.

I decided to cut it into chunks and roast it along with some olive oil, shallots, salt and pepper.  I figured it would bring out any flavor it might have and leave me with lots of options later.  I still had no idea where I was headed with this.

I roasted it for 30 minutes, stirred it, added parsley, thyme and rosemary

then roasted for another 30 minutes.

As you can see from the photos, there was a LOT of this stuff.  Which meant there was way too much for something like a risotto (one of my favorite things).  Nope, it meant soup was the likely option so I could use it all up at once.  I did NOT want to have to eat it for the next two weeks.

This is my "on the fly" recipe.  I use the word "recipe" lightly, because this really isn't.  It's just a basic guideline that you can use as a base to make any kind of squash soup you like.  It is based on the quantity of squash that I had to work with, but you might want to use a lot less.  I kinda look at squash as a blank canvas.  It doesn't have a lot of definitive taste, but it has a great texture and it soaks up lots of flavors.  Have at it!

"Dinosaur" Squash Soup

10 cups peeled and cubed squash

8 shallots, peeled and quartered

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh herbs of choice:  parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary

10 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)

2 T. orange zest

Ground ginger, sage and poultry seasoning

1 cup half-and-half

4 oz. proscuitto or bacon, diced

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.  Divide squash and shallots between two trays lined with parchment paper.  Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Roast for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and add fresh herbs of choice.  Stir, then return to oven and roast for another 20-30 minutes until squash is caramelized and tender.  Remove from oven, let cool slightly then transfer into a dutch oven or stockpot.  Add stock to cover, then add orange zest and dried herbs to taste.

Transfer soup in batches to a blender and puree well (alternatively you can use an immersion blender and puree it directly in the pot).  Stir in half-and-half and correct seasonings.  Reheat as needed.

In the meantime, place proscuitto in a dry non-stick pan over medium-low heat.  Cook, stirring often, until fat is rendered and proscuitto is crisp.  Remove to paper towels to drain.

Place soup in serving bowls and garnish with the crispy proscuitto pieces (the more, the better, if you ask me).

Yield:  about 1/2 gallon

Remember, you can add just about anything to this - apples, parsnips, sweet potatoes, garlic, leeks - whatever you like.

But what is soup without bread?  And what's better than the smell of bread baking in the oven on a miserable day?  I perused the fridge and came up with a bowl of aging red grapes.  Oops, better use them fast or they will end up in the trash and I will have to feel guilty.  If I didn't throw the squash away, then I better not do it with the grapes!  So I made flatbread with roasted grapes and pecans.  Its sweetness played well off the sweetness of the soup.  It was yummy.  Here's a preview. 

And now you know the subject of the next post.  But for now I am headed out to deliver most of that flatbread to some of my Facebook friends down the street because I can't keep it here or I will eat it.  So you'll just have to wait for the recipe.  Consider it your contribution to keeping me on the diet!

Birthday presents and some pictures from the concert!

You wanted? You've got it! Here you can see some of my birthday's presents; this ones belongs to my boyfriend:

Madclap dress, so Mary Quant!

Vintage bag

And I bought myself this two dresses, both vintage!

 

Yes, it's yellow... I can't believe I bought it (only 15 €!)

So yesterday I spent the day with my boyfriend and friends; I went to the japanese restaurant at night and when I came home with my roomates, they gave me a surprise with ghampagne and a lovely Hello Kitty cake.

 

Martine cutting the cake and Stefani doing faces!!

Everything was really nice. I'm a little sad today because Martine just left the house this morning, she's on her way back to Norway... I miss you, Martine!!

And as you may know, last tuesday I went to an Editors' concert with Laia, we had a great time and I made some pictures...

The Maccabees

More The Maccabees

Tom Smith from Editors

 

 

So, this has been more or less my weekend and some days of this week... Thank you so much for wishing me a happy birthday!!

By the way, now that Christmas is coming, I need your help... I'm thinking about what can I buy for my grandparents... any idea? What's typical in your country for that day?What do you normally buy for your family?

Thanks for reading!!

a long day

eh. i guess 'a short day' would b a better title. grr~ yesterday. i drove to rampai court-wngsa maju and did my most-expensive facial treatment ever. seriously, but it was paid already. they opened a small stall at wangsa walk, and i bought the voucher with RM99++. the exact cost is - RM250 ok. what's so special bout it?

1. 3 hours - i thought it was only an hour, and half, kot? cpt mase habis T__T
2. no-hard-time at all. haha. stupido statements. well, it doesn't hurt. at all.
3. they used a special idk-scissors to PULL away ur blackhead n whitehead.
4. there's a bubble mask (1st time) and, u can feel it's bubbling on ur face
5. the hand and shoulder massage was good.

then, i drove back to setiawngsa, stopped by at the food court, and go home. ate my lunch at almost 3pm, and met dila & salghee 4 a while. dilla masham gave me MCP notes + salghee borrowed my torch light. and then, i met TTM. mengimbas kembali kenangan lama bersama - sama. at first, we laughed. then aku plak ter-Emo lebeyh3 sampai kuar air terjun sg golok an. haha. then, we're good. night, tibai nasi ayam. and, golek2 atas katil. thee. main msg tah ngan bape org sampai penink2 hey. haha.

i realized 1 thing - my driving skill is better. but still, parking cam hape. ala. redah je an. as long as i'm totally good. cheywah. and kma got her 1st car, finally! black myvi, manual ppl! sampai kiamat la kte x akan drive kereta awk kma. haha. so, officially, each of us would be driving our own car. i mean, we're not sharing anymore la kan. alaaa. but still blh tukar2 kereta. kan korang? i mean, us - mama. me. kak sally. kma. kereta kma cacat, the only black car. mostly ours are silver.

btw. i can't wait 4 saturday. oh, tomorrow. my communicative english class. thee. ade mangkin ni! mangkin yg bisa buat aku berdebar - debar. haha. mengong. sudahlah. **blushing** act, i was thinking of doing some crazy stuff. but mama wouldn't allowed me 2 do so. and, i can't. sbb mulut mama masin. if she said NO, then don't. or u might see urself crying 4 ur own stupidity the next day. rase mcm nak gi jln lah. i mean window shopping, tgk movie. but, i don't know, betul2 nak gi or x.

well. next monday, would b my 1st paper. dang dang~ nak mati aihh. wish me luck. thanks 4 those who already did. =]] owh yar, i was thinking of visiting mak cik som @ sg besi n finaz's fmly @ rawang too. but i don't have much time, for now. but i will go. i miss them.

Roman-Style Chicken

     

    

What to do with chicken?  The eternal question.  There are whole cookbooks devoted to chicken recipes, and I own a few of them.  This recipe, from Giada De Laurentiis, proposes braising browned chicken along with prosciutto and sweet bell peppers. Hard to go wrong there and it is quick and delicious.  Capers added at the end can send this dish in a direction of other traditional chicken preparations such as chicken piccata cooked with lemon and capers.  I switch things around, as should you, depending on how I'm feeling any given night.  For example, last night I did not add the recommended diced tomatoes.  No particular reason, just didn't feel like it.  Similarly, many times I will use just yellow peppers, which are a little sweeter than the red peppers Giada suggests adding.  Adding red with the yellow bell peppers make a nice visual presentation, but the taste will be a little different.  Again, up to you.  I do suggest one switch in the preparation order, which I think improves the dish.  Giada recommends browning the chicken first in just the hot olive oil and then cooking the bacon.  I recommend cooking the bacon and peppers along with the garlic first, and then browning the chicken in that fat combination.  You can imagine how much tastier that will be!  Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

3 ounces prociutto, or 2 slices of bacon

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

1 clove garlic

2 skinless chicken breasts pound to 1/2 flat

salt/pepper

1/4 cup wine

1/2 a 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tsp capers

2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Descriptions:

Heat oil in a large saute pan over low heat and cook bacon, onions, and peppers until onions are softened and bacon is browned.  Add garlic and cook for a further minute.  Remove mixture with a slotted spoon to a plate, raise the heat to medium, season the chicken, add and cook a few minutes on each side until browned.  Remove the chicken to the same plate as the bacon mixture and add the wine to the pan, scraping up the browned bits to deglaze.  Return the chicken and bacon mixture to the pan and add the tomatoes, stock and spices.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes to finish the chicken cooking process.  Before serving, add the capers and parsley, stirring to combine.

Predicting the future

December 10

The results of my marijuana poll are in. There were 27 responses from 20 people, because I let people pick more than one answer.

Nearly half of people responding to my poll asking how they thought legalizing marijuana would affect restaurants said it would have no affect, presumably based on the assumption that people who want to use marijuana already do.
The next biggest group, 40 percent, thought legal pot would increase restaurant revenues due to customers getting the munchies. The rest of the results are below. If you'd like to see respondents' written comments, click here.

How would legalizing marijuana affect restaurants?

increase revenues due to customers getting the munchies: 8 (40%)

increase the number of back-of-the-house injuries: 3 (15%)

result in chronic absenteeism: 1 (5%)

improve job satisfaction: 4 (20%)

benefit the pot-themed Cheba Hut "Toasted" Sub chain: 3 (15%)

hurt Cheba Hut: 0 (0%)

have no effect: 9 (45 %)

For my next poll (above right), I'm going to ask you to predict what the driving factors will be in foodservice trends in 2010.
As always, feel free to comment below.

Slow day...post day...

You know work is slow when it's a double-post kinda day... : )

 Mari asked me a wonderful question about PCOS and what type of diet is best for women suffering from PCOS. Great question, Mari...I hope this is helpful!

Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are at increased risk for heart disease and diabetes. Many women with PCOS have insulin resistance, causing the pancreas to secrete more and more insulin in order to transport glucose (sugar) out of the blood and into muscle, fat, and liver cells where it is converted to energy or stored as fat. Elevated insulin levels can cause polycystic ovaries, weight gain or difficult losing weight, increased risk of heart disease (elevated LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels and decreased HDL-cholesterol levels), and increased clotting factors. The risk of the developing diabetes in women with PCOS can be up to 40% by the age of 40. Most women (50-60%) with PCOS are obese (BMI greater than 30). Weight loss, even as little as 5% can lead to decreased insulin levels which is critical due to the fact that elevated insulin levels promote fat storage [1].

In researching how much carbohydrate a woman with PCOS should consume, I found varying recommendations. Before prescribing a standard 50-55% carbohydrate diet or a low (40% or less) carbohydrate diet, I would want to know a PCOS patient’s fasting blood sugar and HbA1c – a lab value indicating an average blood glucose reading representing 6-8 weeks. Agreeably, women with a higher BMI are statistically more likely to have insulin resistance, in which case a lower (less than 50-55%) carbohydrate diet is probably advisable.

I am of the opinion that to prevent diabetes, one should eat like a diabetic. For most women of normal to overweight size, this would include 30-45 grams of carbohydrates at meal times and 15-30 grams of carbohydrate + 1-2 ounces of protein before bedtime. Emphasis should be placed on complex, low-glycemic index carbohydrates, as well as a diet low in saturated (13 grams or less per day) and trans fat (none, preferably). For women with a BMI greater than 30, carbohydrate and energy needs go up – consult a Registered Dietitian for recommendations.

For example, a 180-pound (81.8 kilograms) female requires roughly 1230-1640 calories a day to lose weight (15-20 calories per kilogram of body weight. In order to find your weight in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2). At minimum (30 grams of carbohydrate per meal with a 15-gram carbohydrate evening snack), carbohydrate comprises 26-34% of the daily intake. At maximum (45 grams of carbohydrate per meal with a 30-gram carbohydrate evening snack), carbohydrate comprises 40-54% of the daily energy intake. 

(Note: one gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories – this is needed for calculations).

Other diet-related suggestions for women suffering from PCOS [1]:

-         Pair carbohydrate-rich foods and snacks with a lean protein or fat high in mono and/or polyunsaturated fatty acids.

-         Consume foods with a lower glycemic index – these foods are typically high in fiber

-         Space carbohydrates out throughout the day. Consuming consistent, moderate carbohydrate levels is best for blood sugar control

-         Consume plenty of decaffeinated, sugar-free beverages, especially water

-         Exercise on a regular basis -- aerobic and anerobic

-         Take a multi-vitamin mineral supplement daily

[1]. McKittrick, Martha. PCOS and Diet. OBGYN.net Publications.

The above information was provided by the above source. The author, Martha McKittrick is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. In other words, she is a wonderful resource!

Cookie Taste-Test Results!

The preferred cookie in yesterday's cookie taste testing was the Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies. Hands down. There were only 2 votes NOT for the Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies and they were for the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies and the Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies.

P.S. I had 2 late-comers who wanted in so the total participation was 18 employees!

Last night I made deer meat tacos for dinner!

My father-in-law is a bow hunter and provides us with deer meat. Yum!

I had 1 deer meat taco, a dollop of fat-free refried beans, and a bed of shredded lettuce with deer meat, salsa, corn, and homemade guacamole. Mmmm!

 Nutritional comparison of deer/venison vs. ground beef

(values represent a 1 ounce, raw portion)

- deer meat is 40 calories versus the 72 in ground beef*

- deer meat contains 0.8 grams of fat compared to 5.7 grams in ground beef*

- deer meat contains 7.6 grams of protein compared to 4.9 grams in ground beef

*this is standard 70-80% lean (does not specify)

Question: Have you tried deer meat? Did you like it? Did it taste "game-y" to you?

Elevation Burger a step closer to opening in New York

December 10

I mentioned awhile back that Elevation Burger, a chain serving grass-fed beef and olive oil fries, had plans for opening in New York City.
Well, they finally signed a lease, at 103 W. 14th St., next to 7-Eleven's new flagship location in the city.
They hope to open in May.
The 1,900-square-foot restaurant is expected to seat 50-60 people inside and it also will have an outdoor seating area.

Albums of the Decade

Not just that time of the year but that time of the century. An arbitrary but nonetheless worthy block of time has passed. Cue lists. Top tens, top twentys, top hundreds. The best of the times, the worst of the times.

It may be lazy journalism but it is mind candy of the highest regard. So with that – and slightly off topic – here are the best records of the noughties. According to me. Huzzah!


10. Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective



The trippy optical illusory cover of Animal Collective’s eighth offering provides perhaps the best visual illustration of what lies beneath. Concentrate on any aspect of the artwork and the rest of the picture swirls and shifts and pulsates agonizingly much like the aural delights within. Trying to describe the sound of AC is like trying to nail jelly to a wall – they transcend traditional genre-boundaries, sampling from the musical soundscape buffet until they have created something completely original. Beats pulsate to a seemingly brand new tempo. Synthesizers swirl sonically through the record like a confused swarm and lyrics are littered indiscernibly over the whole musical meal like wantonly applied seasoning. And yet, perhaps in spite of this approach to music making rather than because of it, it all works.


9. Silent Alarm by Bloc Party



One of many records that can be directly attributed to the influence of The Rapture, Bloc Party’s debut is a drum driven, high-octane, pulsating, breathless album. Disappointing follow-ups merely served to illustrate how good Silent Alarm actually is, as does the fact that it still sounds fresh five years down the line. Okereke’s vocals are as sublimely delivered over cleanly distorted guitars, full frontal bass and tidal drums as they on quieter offerings, the almost balladic ‘Blue Light’ and ‘So Here We Are’.

8. Aha Shake Heartbreak by Kings of Leon



Their aptly titled debut ‘Youth and Young Manhood’ promised greatness and the Kings from the deep south truly delivered with the follow up. Their knowing smiles and upfront euphemism remained along with the tumescent energy but the boys Followill had also matured as songwriters, musicians and as adults without straying too far from what made them great in the first place. Subsequent offerings, whilst being increasingly populist, are still excellent albums but Aha Shake Heartbreak is a zenith that will be difficult to top.

7. Antics by Interpol



‘Turn on the Bright Lights’ may not be optimistic in its outlook but this, it’s younger brother, is richly cynical, darkly melodic, anthemic and altogether wiser than Interpol’s debut. It may be less eulogistic but that doesn’t make it any sunnier. The darkest recesses of late-era punk wash over the album like thick smog but listen beyond the grey and you’ll hear some outstanding song-writing not to mention top-notch tunes.

6. Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds



Ever prolific, Cave has released four albums since the turning of the millennium. Whilst not always a sign of quality (and some have been verging on the below average. Nocturama anyone?), two fully deserve all the praise that was lavished upon them. While 2001’s No More Shall We Part may be a ‘nicer’ record, sharing much in common with his masterpiece The Boatman’s Call, the truly epic AB/TLOO perhaps better illustrates the two sides of Cave: the heartbroken introspective depressive and the raging, angry antipodean hell bent on causing a ruckus. The heavy pinch of gospel could easily have bloated the record but tempered against the clever arrangements of the Bad Seeds, it is a perfectly seasoned symphony of Cave at his remarkable best.

5. Want One by Rufus Wainwright



Originally intended as a single album, Wainwright’s ‘Want’ project remains his magnum opus (despite dabbling in opera and recreating Judy Garland concerts) with the first part, ‘Want One’ being the superior work (although ‘Want Two’ certainly has its moments). Here, in almost symphonic style, Rufus finally found his voice as a songwriter, musician and composer. The album ebbs and flows masterfully, rising and falling, the faultless production slightly reigning in the lip gloss and pearls ambitions of its creator and allowing the brilliance of the work to shine without becoming overblown, a trap he fell into with the follow-up ‘Release the Stars’. Of course, there are moments of camp theatrics and orchestral swells (the opener and its sampling of Ravel’s Bolero is probably the most diva-esque moment), and it wouldn’t be a Rufus album without them, but they co-exist with some seriously pared down and haunting productions, perhaps the best being ‘Dinner at Eight’, a sucker punch in song at his oft-absent father. A beautiful, complete work from an artist at the very top of his game.

4. Gold by Ryan Adams




Heartache and longing have proved a rich vein for many a musician but none more so than Ryan Adams who must have been on the receiving end of a weighty rejection given the nature and profligacy of his output during the first half of the decade. By far the most accomplished of Adams’ efforts though is ‘Gold’ from 2001. The secret of its charm is the chameleonic nature of the album– one can almost hear the hourly shifts in its creator’s mood as the record moves from seemingly bright and breezy to quiet contemplation to all out anger and rage at the world. Resolutely and unashamedly American in nature from a time before Americana was trendy, Gold, thanks to it being recorded in the weeks prior to 9/11 could be viewed as the last great record of the 20th century, perhaps only temporally belonging in the 21st but that doesn’t alter the fact that from start to finish it is an exquisite record.

3. Everything All The Time by Band of Horses



Ryan Adams may have been something of a one-man band in 2001 but by the close of the decade, everything folksy and American was hot property be it beardy paeans to heartbreak (Bon Iver) or sultry West coastal harmonies of the like Fleet Foxes do so well. Blazing a trail under this radar though was Seattle based Band of Horses who managed to find their own sound that despite being firmly rooted in the iconography of the States – straw carpeted barns, pick up trucks and plaid. Lots and lots of plaid – spoke of something new. Everything All The Time is the soundtrack of the Platonic road trip, a voyage of discovery on empty roads across flat plains being kissed permanently by the setting sun. It conjours up images of the American Dream as realized by a cynic raised on a diet of road movies and British humour. This is the album that makes everyone who hears it want to pack it all in, grow a beard, read Kerouac and drive. Just drive. Oh, and wear plaid. Lots and lots of plaid.

2. Boxer by The National



Boxer is a great album. It really is as simple as that. Singer Matt Berninger drawls almost in homage to Tom Waits providing rich, deep and resonant vocals that are both immersive and distant. The apparent indifference of delivery belies acutely observational and downright clever lyrics layed over sublime melodies creating songs that are sometimes sneeringly dismissive – ‘you don’t mind seeing yourself in a picture as long as you look far away’ – and other times heartrendingly beautiful. ‘You know I dreamed about you for twenty nine years before I saw you’ runs the refrain in the stand-out track ‘Slow Show’. Boxer is the sound of the decade of decadence, the decade of consumption, the decade of celebrity – and it offers its withering judgment with the sort of delicate intelligence that usually only distance and retrospect can provide.

1. Funeral by Arcade Fire



Is there anything left to be said about the album that defied and defined the noughties? One could harp on about the freshness, the originality, the two fingers held rousingly up to conformity, the complexity, the near multi-sensory experience that Funeral provides not just the first time you hear it but each time there after. Indeed, it is so immersive one can almost taste it, feel it, smell it as well as hear and see it. It is synesthesia made rock and roll and real. It is youthful exuberance and cynicism at once. Both wide eyed and world weary. Finely tuned and wildly out of control. And I guarantee it will still be fucking awesome in fifty years time.

"You know you could kill someone, right?"

That is what my husband said to me over the dinner table last night.

At my job (wish I gushingly adore, yes!), dietitians can change insulin dosing. This our policy and a great one, if I do say so myself! As most of you know, I work with diabetics the vast majority of my days and I am working towards obtaining my Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) credential (as of yesterday I have 25% of the hours I need!).

Over dinner last night, husband was asking me about my job and my span of care -- i.e. can I change insulin regimens. When I explained our policy he said, "You know you could kill someone, right?". Awesome, husband...thanks for your vote of confidence! (Side note: this is a very, very, very slim possibility at the rate at which insulin dosing is increased).

My co-worker, very much so unlike myself, would rather leave all dosing changes to the provider. Whaaaa? Aren't dietitians working towards autonomy in the medical world? We are important! We are well-educated! We are RESOURCES that ought not to be underutilized! 

Disclaimer: The above in red sounds narcissistic, but for those out there who are RD's or know the history of the battle for Medical Nutrition Therapy reimbursement, it hits very close to home. 

Don't get me wrong, I very much so know my place on the totem pole and would never abuse or over-use the "power" I have in my role. However, I think that our policy is a huge pat on the back and vote of confidence in the corner of RD's!

For those of you who are familiar with prescriptions and span of practice policies -- how do you feel about this? You can be honest, it won't hurt my feelings : )