Hungry Times Two

Holy heck, y'all. Who turned on the faucet of life and stole the nozzle? I'm ready for a slow down. I didn't get to blog last week but I managed to make some pretty nice stuff for an Easter meal with my mom. The main course was this tasty asparagus tart . You could scatter sawdust on puff pastry and it would taste good, right?  I subbed in some grated Gouda and Parm for the super-expensive Gruyere. (Besides, do you think my sad little Food Lion up the street carries fancy cheese? We're lucky it's not all Velveeta and Cheese-in-a-Can!) I ate asparagus every day last weekend (Fri-Sat-Sun) so I racked up on seasonal eats - thankyouverymuch BarbaraKingsolver . Served with the tart was a delicious chickpea & roasted red pepper salad , a green salad with a lovely Green Goddess dressing that made my mother reconsider her distaste for anchovies, a baguette from Your Dekalb Farmers Market , and a homemade pound cake. On Saturday eve, we visited Scott's...

T to the G to the I to the F, y'all. Such a long week and lots of funky vibes & feelings. It's brutal. Kind of like these stabby-looking beauties: We acquired these rustic knives as Scott's dad's side of the family preps for the settling of two family estates. They may have survived Hurricane Hugo in 1989 down at the family's "Goat House" on Sullivan's Island, SC. Rather than tuck the tough old things into a drawer, we thought maybe they could add some interest to our kitchen walls. So, that's something. If you think it's more Fatal Attraction than Shabby Chic, please say the word. We don't want to be those weirdo folks taking a false stab (how puntastic!) at decorating. The only thing saving this deadly week: killer cookbooks borrowed from my local library . - Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi - Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights by Sophie Dahl The first has tons of delicious Mediterranean & Middle Eastern-influenced dish...

It's Friday. Let's make this short, sweet and fantastic. Yesterday I posted about my new-found love of eggs. Then last night I read in Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle (rereading it, as I now have a vaguely deeper understanding of how damn hard it is to grow your own food) about her family's favorite Eggs in a Nest dish. And what's in my email this morning? A friend sharing Eggs in Purgatory , which looks like something we need to cook NOW. I love it. File this under "Well, that was something": Last weekend while visiting good high school friends in the Raleigh area, we stumbled upon this at Harris Teeter: Gjetost, a cube of brown Norwegian cheese. A quick Google search indicated it's commonly called "fudge cheese," something the Norwegians like to fuel up on before they hit the slopes. Somehow I thought I'd be ok with that. My friends liked it; I thought it tasted like caramelized Play-doh. Next up: I need to fin...

I'm tickled about this trio of melamine nesting bowls from Kudzu Antique Market , purchased last weekend during a trip to Decatur, Ga. for a family wedding. They were priced right, have a cute little lip on one side for easy pouring, and are apparently a Danish brand called Rosti Mepal. Though I have friends who won't touch antique, vintage, "retro," or thrift-shopped goods -- they think they're cursed (huh?) or just plain yucky -- I am all about it. Consider the environmental benefits, and the fact that shit was just cooler back in the day. What used or "pre-loved" items are you loving right now? Where do you go to find them? Let us know, and please have a bang-up fabulous weekend. We're having a dinner party of sorts this weekend (with not one but two lasagnas) and may get a larger dining room table just for the occasion -- via Craigslist -- curses be damned!

So I'm being a little dramatic with today's post title, but uh, Scott and I are both ill this week. Between his strep throat and my sinusitis, we're a sniffling, hacking sorry sack of sickness. What kind of tasty treats have we had this week? Unless you count OJ and hot mint tea as cocktails, cough drops as appetizers, or  comfort foods like tomato soup and Mac & Cheese as five-star dinners, it's been pretty lame. However, no less than three local peeps have offered to bring us the ultimate comforting cure of chicken noodle soup. If it wasn't 102 degrees outside folks, we might have a deal. My plans for canning strawberry jam were dashed this week due to illness and I'm not even sure local berries are still available in this sweltering climate now. I did, however, snag a tasty cantaloupe. It's been a healthy, cool treat that's soothing to our aggravated throats. ********************** Boo to sickness. Want to know what didn't suck recen...

Holy Moses, a three day weekend is just a few hours away. I got a little giddy while enjoying my less-crowded-than-usual commute this morning, and then I reminded myself why we have Monday off in the first place. Respect to our military and those who have served. Scott and I hit the road tomorrow for Charlottesville, where we'll rendezvous with two college friends and roam around the Shenandoahs. For food recommendations, I'm relying on this C-ville blogger for some tips. Some places we plan to hit up: Starr Hill Brewery , the Bluegrass Grill , and this yogurt joint that supposedly is crazy good. We hope that whatever your plans are this weekend that you have fun and taste something wonderful!

So much for going kosher on Friday. Yesterday's post mentioned the grand "opening" of the food truck Sixth & Rye. This afternoon I went across the street to their spot at Sixth & I and well, the line was about 100+ people deep. So I did the next best thing: found a BLT (and added avocado - a BLAT?) from the ol' reliable Cafe Phillips for lunch. It's the anti-kosher thing to do. Oh, the irony. It tasted delicious...crispy, bacony, greasy... so not kosher. In case of rapture this weekend, I'm glad I ate the bacon. Happy Friday, everyone!

So I took a little two-week trip to Italy and came back only slightly jet-lagged and over-carbed last Friday. I have missed blogging, so I aim to bring you a post or two on my Italy escapades soon. In the meantime, how about a little taste of bourbon for this Kentucky Derby weekend? Last night Scott and I enjoyed a preview of the Early Times Julep Mix from our lovely friends down the street. They host an annual shindig for the Derby, and this will be our second appearance at the bourbon-soaked fete. (We brought our mint plant in case we needed to make a minty simple syrup, but luckily, convenience saved the day.) Since too much of a good thing can be wonderful, I plan on making these Bourbon Balls and an appetizer (to be determined, but Blue Cheese Cheesecake is looking like a solid contender, as is Kentucky Greengrass from the excellent Cordon Bluegrass cookbook gifted to us by two dear Adams family members that recently passed away. Scott's Uncle Bruce and gran...

Our good friend Jim Garcia introduced us to Cubano's last weekend, so this post is dedicated to him and his Cuban heritage! This Cuban restaurant is on a side street in downtown Silver Spring, MD - not too far from the Metro station and Georgia Ave. bus lines, so it gets a bonus for transit-accessibility. Once you're there, make sure to try an appetizer of mariquitas , thin-sliced pieces of plantain, fried and then seasoned with a drizzling of olive oil, garlic, salt, and amazing flavor. Here's our plate of them, along with my knockout mojito. Next, we moved onto entrees. Erin had ropa vieja ("old clothes"), which is pulled beef stewed with tomatoes, onions, garlic and spices. I tried Masitas de Puerco Cuba Libre Crispy fried marinated morsels, properly dressed with gently sauteed onions (laziness = taken straight from menu!). As Jim advised, the pork chunks were fried, but surprisingly light and tasty - not typical fried-fried greasiness. Jim had ...

It's a sign the Four Horsemen are clip-clopping our way: Breast Milk Ice Cream. I have no words for this. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

TGIF, my friends, TGIF. What a long-ass week this feels like. Anyone else agree with me? I didn't accomplish very much in the culinary arena this week, as you may have determined from my earlier post on the evils of bad food. We were busy, we were tired, and I am more than just a little bit lazy due to the winter blues, so I need to work on my motivation. However, I did achieve one of my goals for 2011 , which was not super lofty, nor sexy, but it is what it is: roasting a chicken. (Crappy photos to come!)

(Five big ol' brownie points to the person who first identifies the musical theatre reference in this blog post title.) Exciting news for the HTT team -- we're headed to New York City! We've decided to forgo the scrimp and save method and treat ourselves to a weekend next month, exploring all that the Big Apple and the Five Boroughs have to offer.

Confession time: I'm having a love affair. It just can't be denied any longer. Sorry, Scott. Oatmeal is usually my breakfast of choice but sometimes I want immediate gratification in the mornings, thus I have turned to you, my sweet:

Sometimes, when Scott leaves dirty dishes in the sink, or I forget to sweep the bathroom where my hair tends to shed, the HTT partnership undergoes a little difficulty. You know, we bitch each other out for a moment. And then go back to being the cheery lovebirds we're meant to be. One reason we're so compatible? We both love pig. Exhibit A: Scott picking through Tennessee-raised pork Exhibit B: Me sporting my fine new Piggy Wiggly t-shirt It's the little things in life that can bring people together...or it's the big, fat, tasty hogs, too. They're not so little. Hope everyone has a wonderful, peaceful MLK Jr. holiday .

We're not dead yet, to borrow from mighty Monty Python. Just kind of sick, tired, and overwhelmed to get back into the swing of things post-holidays. Anyone else feel like a total slug getting back to work after ringing in the New Year? So. damn. painful. Well, I'll stop my griping and promise you this: we turned it OUT this holiday season, taking lots of photos and making and eating our share of tasty holiday yum- yums . And by that I mean we stuffed our face with: - Shrimp & Grits (made by Sir Scott, coming soon to a blog near you!) - Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust (made by yours truly madly deeply...I rocked it - post coming soon.) - Southern goodies like pimento cheese (pronounced " puh - menna " if you can get your Southern drawl going) and boiled peanuts - A new thing I credit my mother dear for showing me: Pickled Okra! Holy cow, they are good with cocktails. Or just eating them straight out of the jar at 2am , barefoot, as you try your hardest not to ...

Recently two boxes of Giant-brand (generic) organic Mac & Cheese made it into our pantry somehow - methinks I know who squeezed them into a fully loaded shopping cart not too long ago. And then this week my grocery store trip went awry and I somehow figured we'd get by on random produce, rice, a cut or two of meat, and....magic? Let's just say the cupboard was pretty bare and we did the dreaded yet handy "Breakfast for Dinner" approach one night this week. Yep, grits, egg and veggie scramble, and a commendable approach at potato pancakes from one Scott Adams. So...those two boxes of mac and cheese - one Wisconsin cheddar and another white cheddar - came in pretty freakin' handy. Problem is, they fully brought the mac, yet not so much the cheese. Both boxes were dry, dry, dry. I had to poke around my bowl just to find any semblance of sauce. Here's my stance: if you're going to go the boxed mac and cheese route, do yourself a favor and forget "orga...

If your Google Reader looks anything like mine lately, all you see is post after post after post on Thanksgiving recipes - what's hot, what's not, and what's just ridiculous - yes, I'm talking about you, Thanksgiving Turkey Cake ! Sick. So, while such a delight will NOT make it to my wee little kitchen/dining room table this year, or any year for that matter (though it is a time saver , you know, when you just can't be bothered with all the courses and the dirty dishes), I do have a plan. It involves a turkey breast, not the whole freakin ' bird, as I will cook for four, not an Army. It includes a pumpkin pie - with a twist - a recipe from way down in Caldwell County, NC - a congregation member of one of my dad's first churches who had a way with pies. Also making an appearance - homemade gravy, cornbread stuffing per Scott's request, some green things like roasted veggies, green beans, and maybe a salad (can't get too healthy now, can we?), and som...

This one's for my Grandmother Carrie, who died last Friday at age 93. My grandmother wasn't flashy or overly free with her affections, but she was a woman of strong faith and well, she baked one hell of a pound cake. It's not just any ol' pound cake - it's a Cold Oven cake, made by putting the cake pan in a non-preheated oven to bake. I'm in the process of tracking her recipe down from one of my cousins, so for now, here's a similar one that you might find enjoyable. It makes for one of the most moist cakes I know of and results in a nice crust on top, too. She didn't add flavorings like almond or chocolate, but I am sure you could if you wanted that little something extra. I find that would be like gilding the lily, however. Sometimes a simple pound cake can do so much - it brought our family a lot of joy and pleasure to rave over during holidays and special occasions, and now, it's a legacy - a token of a woman who's left us, but is still in o...

Last night while dining at the Korean place and Washingtonian "Cheap Eats" pick Lighthouse Tofu in Rockville, a discussion came up over cooking rice. (Sidebar: I had bad Korean food once in San Francisco - beef tasted "off" and the hot tea was like licking shoe leather. Not good. Long story short, Lighthouse Tofu redeemed Korean food for me - beef bulgogi is now the jam. YUM. Get some.) I can't seem to figure it out, but ever since I tossed out my non-stick cookware and switched to my All-Clad pot (the awesome one we found in the backyard of our first rental house in Nashville, but that's another story), rice at our house continues to be a rocky deal. I've tried lowering the heat on our gas range or upping it just a tad. I've played with the water to rice ratio, now working with a one and a half cup of water to one cup rice situation. I've washed the rice in a strainer, even. Sadly, sometimes the result is too sticky/gluey. Often the rice drie...

T to the G to the I to the F. It's not only Friday, but the cusp of Halloween weekend! I just can't stand it, I'm so excited (but not in a bad Saved By The Bell kind of way). My workplace has a big cauldron of candy - I chose a big Lemonhead ball and a Fireball that I'm presently enjoying - and it's making me wonder - what's the best Halloween treat? Candy Corn? Er, no. Smarties? Those are always the cheap and popular option. How about Fun size Snickers? Now I can dig those. Personally, I was always a fan of the big red wax lips that occasionally some cool person might dole out to the kiddies now and then. Man, I wish I could find some. They are too fun! Whatever you wind up nibbling on - be it high fructose-laden or fair trade/organic or even boxes of Nature's Candy , I hope everyone has a wonderful Halloween weekend. We're headed back to Nashville to visit friends, see an Avett Brothers show at the Ryman tomorrow night, and tonight - the party is...