Crisp and Clean

Rachel here.

First off, isn't that a pretty salad? We ate it with a baguette the other night, sitting in the yard as the sun sank and Maxine slept and it just felt so good. Spinach and basil and mixed greens, alfalfa sprouts and sweet grape tomatoes, sunflower seeds and scallions and red onions and chick peas, all tossed together and lightly dressed with homemade vinaigrette. Yummm...



In other news, I've been on a kitchen cleaning kick. We've got some ideas for a more general reorganization (it's funny how it takes a while living in a space before you really know how to best use it), but I've been focusing on the smaller details. My first stop was a major pantry clean-up. Everything's in cleaned jars with new labels now and cooking has been streamlined (as has grocery shopping). Plus, I just can't help but smile at how crisp it all looks when I open the cupboards.



We've been entertaining a lot this summer and finally, yesterday, our fridge was relatively empty again. Before loading in the new groceries, I went through each shelf, tossing old food and taking inventory before scrubbing the refrigerator thoroughly for the first time since Maxine was born. This is the kind of project that I find intensely satisfying. I love a good scrub, returning surfaces to a pristine state and putting like with like on the shelves. John and M played while I tackled the refrigerator. When I was done, I wiggled my fingers with satisfaction and announced to the open refrigerator door "Everything will be ok now". Unfortunately, John could see and hear me from the other room and he totally laughed at this moment of unfettered psychic revelation.

Yeah, it speaks volumes about me. Yeah, I don't care.

Anyone else out there a freak like me?

What I Ate: An Irregular Feature of What We Eat When We're Not Cooking

Janet here:

I just got back from an 1800-mile trip taking S back to college. (See sad post here.) In other words, I haven't been in the kitchen much so I can't really hold up my side of the blogging bargain until next weekend when I hope to spend some time there (in particular get very excited and start salivating for a KILLER brownie recipe).

Anyway, I decided I would start a new feature without even consulting Rachel because, you know, I'm the mother and I can do that. (I KNOW Rachel is a mother too but in this blog, I'm top mother dog. When Maxine starts to join us, Rachel can pull mother rank then. I'll probably be senile at that point and won't even know what's going on.) The feature is going to be about stuff we eat when we're not cooking. It could be something at a restaurant or it could just be at someone else's house or who knows? You'll just have to stay tuned.

To some extent, I was the third wheel in the recent road trip back to college. S and his father, Peter, are both, um, map-obsessives. I knew better than to weigh in on what route we might take. I just got in the back seat and knit, played Angry Birds, read and played more games of Words with Friends than is probably healthy. It was totally the way to go.

I'm not sure which one of them had the brilliant idea to head west rather than south but, thanks to Irene — you did hear about the hurricane, right? — it turned out to be a brilliant move. We completely avoided a single raindrop much less the monsoon. It was wonderful.

The first night we spent in Pittsburgh, which, if you haven't been, is a completely ignored city that is really fabulous and worthy of visits. I first discovered it while attending an Association of Alternative Newspapers annual conference and fell in love (from what I remember of my sober moments; these conferences were the stuff of legend, but that's another story). We arrived late and decided to walk over to the original Primanti Brothers' "almost famous" sandwich shop.

This chain was made more famous by Adam Richman of Man vs. Food (which is a fav of three members of our family; I'll let you guess which one is not a fan.). Anyway the claim to fame of these sandwiches is that they make all their sandwiches with the fries and their homemade cole slaw in the sandwiches. It's all one big bite and while it wasn't the most amazing sandwich I've ever had, it was tasty. I definitely recommend heading to one of their many locations if you're ever in Pittsburgh.

The Iron City is also where I discovered Penzey's Spices. There is an irony here: Apparently there is a Penzey's Spice store about 12 miles from me in West Hartford. At any rate, let me just say that going there made me want to throw out ALL of the spices in my spice rack



It's located on The Strip in Pittsburgh, which is basically a street, from what I can tell, completely devoted to fabulous food. Wholey's is there — a Mecca of wonderfulness in food, which also has vendors outside with great food as these photos show — and so is Penzey's and a ton of other great food stores. Just go there, all right?


But I digress....Back to Penzey's, which is known for its fresh, fabulous, creative spices and spice mixes. Maybe you all knew that cinnamon comes in a variety of types (I know as the food blogger here I'm supposed to be the "authority" but I'm going to 'fess up; I did not know this). Or that there is such a thing as Damask chili pepper or Guajillo pepper or Tien Tsin chili peppers...or that shallot salt exists or that there are European peppercorns, as well as Minton white, Tellicherry black, Malabar black, Sarawak white and Szechuan. I felt inadequate.

We also visited the Heinz History Center, which is a treasure trove of fascinating info and definitely will have you looking at Pittsburgh and western PA with a new appreciation. The Heinz Company exhibit alone is worth the visit, including Heinz catsup commercials from around the world featuring, among many other nuggets, one of Joey from Friends before he was famous. It's amazing.

We then headed to West Virginia, where we visited the world's largest radio wave telescope (I told you I did not plan this trip) and saw a lot of rural West Virginia. You will not be surprised to learn I do not have any great food moments to share from this part of the trip.

We dropped S off, after eating at Macado's in Radford, VA (and other locations). It was a fun college town sandwich spot. Again nothing amazing, but fun decor as this photo shows.


On the way back, we stopped in New Market, VA, where we did not have time to actually enjoy looking at the Civil War stuff (another visit is in order). We did, however, have an amazing Mexican meal at a place called Jalisco's, which apparently is a popular Mexican restaurant name because when I tried to find the link to the one we ate at, I found about a dozen all over the country. Oh well. I had a shrimp something or other and it was terrific...so was the jumbo margarita.

It was a whirlwind five days and reminded me how much I love traveling in this country. Between the people watching, the history and the food, really what more could you ask for?

The Long and Winding Road

Janet here:

I had meant to write something about cooking for my youngest on the night before he heads back to college, but the reality is I got home late and didn't really make that interesting a meal. Besides, it's not what grabbing me. Instead, I find myself thinking of road trips.

If you read this on Friday, I will be wending my way slowly southward to drop off S for his sophomore year in college. We'll be taking our time on the drive down, making our way first to Pennsylvania and then into West Virginia before eventually, after a few days landing in North Carolina where we will drop him off and begin the loooonnnnggg, definitely not leisurely, drive back to work and our emptying nest.

The trip reminds me a little of the trip S and I took alone the summer he was 14. He was supposed to accompany his father driving his older brother G back to Indiana for college. At the last minute, plans changed, G flew and S, whose family nickname is Rand McNally, was more than a little disappointed. "But now I don't get my road trip!" he complained.

I told him I'd take him on a road trip for a week but I had one criteria: We had to do more than just drive, i.e. we needed some destinations, and we had to make a part of the trip be in Amish country in Pennsylvania. By the time I came home from work that day, S had a 60-page triptik outlining our trip day by day. We would start with lunch in Scranton (We are both The Office fans), spend the night and part of the day in Lancaster, and head to Baltimore where he wanted to see the aquarium. From there, we went to Virginia to Mount Vernon and Monticello and the Blue Ridge Highway, and we ended in Norfolk, VA for a little beach time after an unexpected but fabulous side trip to Antietam because we were both enthralled after visiting a teeny Civil War museum in Baltimore about Maryland's role in the war.

We ate some kind of crab every day and kept a journal where we each wrote something about the day every night. Throughout, I drove and S navigated. I literally did not look at a map once (This was before smart phones and we didn't have a GPS). S just told me where and when to turn.

It was the beginning of the switching of our roles, although I didn't realize it then. I rarely get a chance to tell him where to turn and when I do, he often turns the opposite way. At the time, I just reveled in the fact that this new teenager was willing and indeed interested in spending time with me on the road. He didn't put on his headphones once. It was a trip that absolutely changed our relationship.

This time around, the car will likely be quieter and S will be looking forward to leaving us at the end. The summer was good but now he's eager to get back to his friends and to be the captain of his own destiny and days.

It is the right way to go — we are both more than ready on so many levels — and so I will enjoy this short road trip, knowing that the days of traveling together are coming to a close.

I Thought This Was A Post About Pizza, But Really It's An Homage To Our Grill

Rachel here.

So, we have a grill, right? I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before around these parts. It's kind of been our summer maker. I've been looking for work (still am, if you happen to know anyone in the Bay Area looking for someone like me...ok, plug done. Moving on...) and so we've--like so, so, so many other folks--have been a single income family. And we've been lucky to have that income (so, so, so many other folks don't even have that) and we've known it, but that doesn't mean that we haven't lamented how locally we've been living as of late. Usually we'd get away for at least a couple of days, a trip north or south for a change of scenery and a fresh perspective on our selves, our home, and each other. That wasn't in the budget this summer, though, and so our grill became the center to our little bits of get away.

We've strung lights and gotten chairs and a little table (which, mind you, just might be the ugliest table ever made, but it was free and sturdy, so here we are...and yes, I was going to paint it...and yes, that was nearly 2 months ago...and no, no I haven't yet...YET) and at night, after M has gone to bed, we've retired to sit under the giant and slightly creepy old pine tree out back, sipping wine while coals get hot and snacking on cheese and crackers while our main meal cooks.

And you know what? Not once--NOT ONE NIGHT--have I not absolutely relished every second of it. Vacation is awesome, and I hope our ability to take them returns soon, but there's something really magical about stepping out the back door and finding myself in a space that we've managed to keep exclusively associated with relaxation. My shoulders sink, my mouth slips into a half smile, my worries are checked at the door. I feel really proud of us for making this little summertime oasis for ourselves, for remembering to find a way to step away from the day-to-day so we don't get mired down in it, and for remembering to hold a space for us to come together in.

We've grilled all sorts of things. Chicken and steaks, vegetables and s'mores and whatnot. The other night, with friends who we've enjoyed several evenings out back with, John grilled up a pizza that was absolutely fantastic. He pre-baked the crust in the oven earlier in the day and then covered it with lemon zest, garlic, goat cheese, mozzarella, sliced Early Girl Tomatoes (so, so, so good--go find them and try them before it's full-blown tomato season and they're gone), torn basil, leeks (which we sauteed earlier as well) and crumbled bacon. I mean, really. This pizza was GOOD. So good that my mouth is watering right now as I write this even though I just ate half of M's sandwich and, really, I wasn't hungry when I sat down and began the post.

And tonight? Tonight we've got a date on the patio again. We'll plug in the lights and talk about our days, grabbing sweatshirts as the sun disappears and, for an hour or two, stepping away from it all.

Soda Will Hurt You (No, Really...)

Via: Term Life Insurance

Rachel here.

Have you seen this graphic? It's been popping up all over the interwebs during the last week. Officially offered up by Term Life Insurance, it thoroughly illustrates the intense detriment of soda on our bodies. I mean, really--head to toe, this stuff does us in.

I've always been glad that I grew up in a no-soda household because it instilled the rather healthy habit of drinking water and the like in me. Now I'm feeling extra glad, though.

Thoughts? Do you drink soda? Does this graphic deter you? Make you thumb your nose a bit? Are you bolstered going forward?

Zucchini Anyone?

Janet here: It's August, which means zucchini the size of small blimps are invading many gardens. Yes, you can make zucchini bread — and I have nothing against zucchini bread — but if you want something a little different, something with a little versatility, I heartily endorse this dip/spread. I served it as dip one night to friends and Peter used it as a tasty sandwich spread after that. Two meals in one!

Zucchini Dip/Spread

ingredients
2 medium zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup bread crumbs or panko
1/3 cup ground walnuts
1 tablespoon minced scallion
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic
pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

method

Grate the zucchini and then place it on a double thickness of paper towel and squeeze out all the moisture. This is critical.

In a medium frying pan, warm the olive oil and then add the zucchini and saute lightly, stirring regularly. Basically this is to get out additional moisture. Transfer to a cutting board and chop further. Let cool

In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, cooled zucchini, bread crumbs, walnuts, shallot, lemon juice, salt, garlic and peppers. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately.

Mo (as in Mo Rocca) and Me

Janet here: So yesterday was the Big Day. It was time for my close-up at CBS studios to see whether I can make it on to Mo Rocca's new food show on the cooking channel called My Grandma's Ravioli. (Yes, that would be the Mo Rocca of The Daily Show fame and NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me.)

It all started when my friend Michael sent me an email that started "Don't bop me in the nose but...." and then said, "but you are a grandmother and this is Mo Rocca." Then he included a link to an open casting for grandmothers and grandfathers who are great cooks to come on Mo's new show and teach him how to cook one of their favorite recipes. I thought about entering for about 2.5 seconds and then wrote Michael and said, "Are you kidding? I LOVE Mo Rocca!" We then exchanged a few emails about how he wants to marry Mo and I promised I would invite him to the taping if I get on etc. If that happens, trust me you will hear about it here.

Anyway, I found a photo, answered their questions (What is your favorite recipe? What recipe would you make for the show? Where did you learn to cook?), hit send and waited. Last week, they called me and asked me to come in for a camera interview.

I'm not gonna lie. I was jumping up and down. And then I freaked out and wondered how I could lose ten pounds in four days, prompting some conversations with Rachel about the possible benefits of investing in some Spanx.

I decided to go au naturel — and based on three of the competitors I saw in the waiting room, it was a good call. Let's just say, I was looking good.

The interview began with an assistant who is probably the age of at least two of my kids taking a few photos of me holding my questionnaire — I was number 36. Now those who know and love me know I HATE getting my photo taken. The reason is simple: the photos are rarely any good. In fact, if I didn't have decent self-esteem, I would get depressed over said photos. But I had figured this might be part of the deal and so this morning I actually practiced smiling in front of the mirror. I'm not sure the results were any different — they didn't show me the photos — but I at least felt as if I looked more normal.

But we weren't here for still photos. We were here for the camera interview. I went into the small office and met two other 20-somethings and sat down on the couch. A few more photos later, including one of each side of my head (obviously looking for my good side :)), and we were ready to roll.

One woman took the lead and started asking questions. What family memories do you have about cooking? Who taught you to cook? What's your favorite kind of cooking? Have you had any cooking disasters? What kind of cooking have you not mastered? What are your favorite cookbooks? Why do you want to be on this show? What do you like to do in your free time when you're not cooking?

The time flew by and I had them laughing for a lot of it (at least the two women laughed; the guy was a little harder to read and more aloof.) I left thinking it had gone pretty well.

Time will tell. I know enough to know that this might not be about me at all. They might already have a white woman with a touch of snark in their mix.

I should hear around Labor Day if I'm still in the running, with the taping to happen (in our kitchen!) later in September. Just enough time for me to lose those ten pounds ... or get me some Spanx :)