WHAT I'M COOKING: This Week's Menu

My parents are coming into town tomorrow morning so my menu reflects that. My parents are actually the trickiest people to create a menu for. Why? Because I want to 1) create something really impressive so they’ll see how awesome I cook and that I’m not picky anymore, 2) create something that won’t take all my time so I can enjoy being with them, and 3) create something that will satisfy my ex-football-player dad’s appetite without breaking the bank. So here’s what I came up with:

FRIDAY: BLTs, herb salad, potato chips (local New York chips). I actually use brioche for my BLTs – I love the play of the sweet bread with the salty bacon. The sandwiches are really big, and my dad can eat lots of chips if he needs more food. I'll do a really simple vinaigrette for the salad because the herbs have all the flavor you would ever need.

SATURDAY: We actually got the sitter and we’re going out to eat. Yay!

SUNDAY: Tuna strips with espelette pepper (that’s the name of the recipe, but I don’t have espelette pepper so I use paprika), butter-warmed corn kernels with fresh cilantro (some friends reading this may recognize this recipe), chips and salsa. Yeah, the tuna is rather spendy, but it’s really good stuff and my parents like it rare. And we have the chips and salsa for my dad to munch on.

MONDAY: Spaghetti alla Carbonara; arugula, pine nut, and parmesan salad. The Carbonara is Tyler Florence’s recipe, and the salad is ridiculously simple. But the flavor is amazing. This is going to be a good dinner before the first day of school – all warm and home-y and comforting.

I don’t have any plans for dessert, which is fine. My dad doesn’t really have a sweet tooth – he’s a fan of all things salty and crunchy. And I know all I need to make my mom happy is good cheese and good chocolate. What a better world it would be if everyone realized that good cheese and good chocolate are what it’s all about!

Review?! What review?

Who was I kidding? Definitely not going to get around to that Gennifer Choldenko book review today. Perhaps tomorrow? In the meantime, though, here are a few morsels:

Courtesy of my American Libraries Direct email, the Australian government spent millions of dollars on internet filtering software and some 16-year-old kid broke through in about 30 minutes. I don’t know who this kid is, but he is one sharp cookie. Not so much because he broke through the filter – lots of 16-year-olds can do that sort of thing – but apparently he has been very vocal in telling the government that they were focusing on the wrong issues. The issue isn’t children seeing inappropriate content on the internet. The primary issue, he says, is cyber bullying and educating children on how to protect themselves and their privacy. Now what are the chances the government will listen?

Again, courtesy of my American Libraries Direct email, I found out that the fabulous Amsterdam Public Library that I blogged about in July was robbed. Now who the heck does that?! It’s a library! Access is free! No need to attack guards – just walk right in during normal operating hours, you schmucks.

Lastly, Horn Book has created a Labor Day booklist. I’ve never seen one before so this is a great unexpected resource. Thanks to Read Roger for the link.

Heirloom Tomato Tartlet update

So I made the darn tartlets. Why "darn"? Because they were less than ideal. I didn't have heirloom tomatoes available to me, for one thing. And I think I really messed up the puff pastry - I didn't curve it up and around the tomato. So they looked kinda funny. Here are the pics (eat your heart out, Gillian and Travel Boy):

So you can see in the first photo that I didn't get them curved up around enough. But then I had too much puff pastry in the second photo and curved up too much.

The important thing, though? They tasted amazing. The tomatoes cooked just enough to make them incredibly sweet, and the pastry was really light and crispy. I served them with Patricia Wells' walnut/goat cheese/parsley salad. It was an ideal summer meal - light and satisfying. (Note: FYI - no one ate the weird, morphed tartlet below- it's like an enormous amoeba was trying to eat that tomato! How weird. Instead, Adam thought we might actually eat it later. So it's actually been sitting in our fridge for 3 days. God. Any of you tomato lovers out there will know exactly how disgusting this is.)

And for anyone wondering if I actually talk about children's literature anymore (I don't on Wednesdays anyway), I'll post a review of Gennifer Choldenko's If a Tree Fell at Lunch Period tomorrow. Happy?

YAY! WEDNESDAY!

Last week’s so-so NYT dining section has long since been put in the recycling bin and been replaced by this week’s really fantastic one. Here’s the round-up:

• A group called Sustainable Table is promoting local, sustainable agriculture by doing a cross-country road trip in a bio-fueled tour bus; they’ll end the trip in NYC with the Farm Aid concert on Sept. 9th. The article talks a little bit about the changing role of Farm Aid – that it began in the 80’s mainly to help corn and bean farmers from losing their land. Ironically, we now promote moving away from those commodity crops and Farm Aid is working to save the “family farm” where the crops are diversified and sustainable agriculture is practiced. It’s crazy to think about the changes in the past 20 years – we’re so clearly a country in need of some kind of food culture.
  
  
• Wanna hear something weird? Apparently residents in the Lower East Side had issues with Whole Foods opening a wine shop in their neighborhood. So what did Whole Foods do? They opened a beer room where they stock some 300 beers and you can get 64 oz. jugs of the stuff! Am I the only one that sees this as being…odd? Wine, NO! Beer, okay? I see no logic behind this. Anyone have any explanations?
  
  
• There was also a review for a restaurant in Prospect Heights called Franny’s – sounded completely intriguing. Except that it’s in Brooklyn. Worth the trip from Queens? Highly unlikely. But I’ll still keep it in mind…you never know.
  
  
• And lest you think this whole post is about food, on the back page of the dining section, there was a full-page ad for the NYT's “Times Talks” series. And guess who’s doing a talk? Philip Pullman! It’s called “The Golden Compass: A Conversation with Philip Pullman.” And it isn’t sold out. You know which talk is sold out, though? Ben Affleck. Seriously? Sheesh.

Manic Monday

What a fun morning in the blogosphere! Let’s get started!

• There’s an article in the L.A. Times discussing why Stephenie Meyer’s books are so popular. It really hits the nail on the head (even discusses the series’ appeal for adult readers, like me…something about bodice-ripping?)…and it gave me the huge news that the next book will be the last in the series, which I hadn’t read anywhere else. I’m actually excited about that, as you may have guessed from my previous comments about Eclipse. I hardly think she’ll end it with Edward vampirizing Bella, do you? And is there anyone else – like me – that is beginning to sorta-kinda wish Bella would choose Jacob? Thanks to Big A little a for the link.
  
• Penguin UK just won the Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards and, to commemorate the occasion, they’re reissuing 36 current bestsellers in the retro Penguin paperback look. So. Cool. This makes me want to buy a copy, beat it all up (as all books with this kind of cover should be so that we know they’re well-loved), and get it all coffee-stained at some non-chain coffeehouse. Like The Governor’s Cup in Salem, Oregon. Oh, I miss the Governor’s Cup. These books feel like the types that should be read there.
  
• Here’s another take on the whole people-not-reading thing. Which sums up my feelings on the matter as well. Sure, let’s be concerned about the literacy rate. But is all the alarm and Armageddon necessary? Or is that my vacuum-packed worldview getting in the way again? The iPod comment in this article made me snicker.
  
• Everyone is buzzing about KT Horning starting her own blog so I’ll jump on board! In particular, she has a fantastic post about Louise Fitzhugh’s forever lost lesbian novel. Which we’re all dying to read because it’s…well…forever lost. But the best part? Roger Sutton made the hilarious comment that Fitzhugh looks like “James Dean’s love child” in the photo on Horning’s blog post. Why is that so hilarious? Because it’s dead-on right.
  
• Speaking of Roger Sutton, he linked to a site with really inappropriate ads. Try – just try – not to laugh. You'll love it. But you'll feel guilty about it.

Tomato controversy!

Read one of my favorite sections of the NYT this morning: the Travel section (the Real Estate section makes my heart race too). The front page article, "Spain's Quiet Corner" by Sarah Wildman, has a fabulous quote by the movie-director-winemaker Jose Luis Cuerda:

"Wine is bottled time," he mused at one point. "It is a whole year encapsulated in a bottle. And that has something similar to cinema, which is also a simulation of bottled time."

God, if only we could all be so eloquent! Read the article. It'll make you want to hop a flight immediately to Galicia. Anyone care to join me?

The other thing is...well...I'm having a bit of a dilemma. In my last post I mentioned that I got some plum tomatoes from the little market down the street. Remember? Well, last night I was cutting them up and looking at the clamshell case they came in...And I discovered they were from HOLLAND! Holland!!!! Well, doesn't that just go against all the Farm Bill/local food/sustainable agriculture I've been spewing about since I started this blog! I was shocked! Holland?!?!

So here's the dilemma...

They were about the sweetest, juiciest, most decadent things I've ever eaten. They were like little pieces of candy. Some of the Best I Have Ever Had. On the one hand, I can't possibly boycott the things simply because they're not local and sustainable, can I? I mean, eating them was an experience. But on the other hand, shouldn't I boycott them? It's not responsible, it's not sustainable...why would I eat something that had to be flown in a plane to me? But they're soooooo gooooood. Anyone have thoughts on this? I'm conflicted.

This post is kinda like a bouillabaisse!

All kinds of fun, newsy tidbits are floating around. I'm home from work taking care of a sick kiddo today so I've been able to browse the web while she lies comatose on the couch. And I'm feeling chatty.

• Finished Eclipse yesterday, just in time because today is sunny and 85 degrees. I'm so very happy I waited until I was in the right mood because I just enjoyed every minute of the book. Stephenie Meyer could really be underestimated, as a lot of people could dismiss her books as frothy teen romance. But I would beg to differ. The reason why Stephenie Meyer rocks at what she does is because she captures the teenage voice as only a select few authors can. Think back to your first love in high school with all its angst, desperation, drama, and passion. Remember how deeply you felt every moment? How every single word was ripe with meaning and portent? Well, Meyer will take you right back there. It actually creeps me out a bit when I read her stuff because I'm reliving my own first love all over again. No wonder teenage girls love her books so much - she has put into a story exactly how they feel, given their loves and passions a voice. No small feat, my friends. Don't ever write off Stephenie Meyer's near-genius talent. If only half the YA authors out there could be so lucky as to have her skill.
  
  Note on the epilogue in Eclipse: Ms. Rowling, that is how an epilogue is done. My only wish is that Ms. Meyer would end the entire series right there. It would be such an intriguing, courageous way to end it. Never mind that teenage girls everywhere would FREAK OUT and RIOT if that were the case. In my world, though, that ending would be perfection.
  
  And those magnificent covers that Little, Brown designed? Genius. Nothing short of genius. Twilight was picked up by teens based on the cover alone...luckily, the story inside ended up being pretty darn good.
  
  
  
  

• 27% of Americans didn’t read a single book in the past year. So says CNN.
  
  I wasn’t surprised to read this. What surprised me was that I wasn’t that bothered by it. Isn’t that weird? Shouldn’t I be more bothered? So here’s my theory: I am just so far removed from that section of the population – it’s a whole other world. The world I exist in doesn’t reflect that statistic at all. Everyone I know reads – Isabell’s own library, Adam’s audiobooks, Andrea’s medical journals, the librarians I work with, all the people I see reading on the subway. I’m surrounded by readers. It’s difficult to muster up indignation and shock when, all around me, I see enormous evidence to the contrary. Which is perhaps the point. I’m guessing the 27% of the country not reading are concentrated in specific areas. Because chances are good that where one non-reader exists, lots of them exist. I exist in a vaccuum, apparently.
  
  
• The Guardian reports that being a writer is the one job Brits want more than any other job. Again, I’m not surprised by this. First, there’s the need to be creative – or to wish you were more creative. Second, there’s the romanticized view of what a writer is and what a writer does. Sure, I’ve absolutely envisioned myself as a writer. Do you remember those Corona beer commercials? With the person lying on the tropical beach doing idle things? That’s my life as a writer! I’m sitting on that white sand beach on a lounge chair, wine in hand, and a laptop open with my latest and greatest novel on it. And I’m sure all you aspiring writers out there can confirm that this dream of mine is completely bogus. Third – and I think J.K. Rowling has something to do with this – there’s a little bit of a Lottery Ticket Syndrome that’s involved with writing. Out of all the people in all the world writing, your book is going to be the multi-million copy book. Reference ShelfTalker’s post on this topic. As The Guardian points out, “don’t give up your day job.”
  
  
• And I was inspired by Fuse 8’s comment about being an American-based publisher of international children’s books. Yeah, that job would be pretty damn great. My recent favorites are listed below – wouldn’t it be marvelous to find treasures like these as your job? And at the very least, I’ve heard the Bologna book fair is a complete hoot. I would love to go to that as my job, too.
  
  Cute
  Short and Happy Life of Riley
  Cherry Tree
  Mini Mia and her Darling Uncle
  Bridget and the Gray Wolves
  The Zoo
  J.A. Teddy
  My Cat Copies Me
  
  
• I read a really wonderful article on bouillabaisse in Saveur. I swooned. It was one of those articles that shook up my worldview - it made me realize that all the bouillabaisse I've had in this country is just a pale imitation of the real thing, completely lacking in authenticity. But I say that with affection - as a statement of fact rather than a criticism - because America's food culture is so diverse and young. We're never going to get all those Mediterranean fish because...well...we don't live there. Even if I could get all those ingredients, I wouldn't - I'd still be cooking it in my crappy apartment kitchen with fish completely lacking in freshness. I'd still be creating an imitation. So in the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy what I can get here, live vicariously through Saveur magazine, and hope that one day I can get to the Mediterranean and taste the real thing for myself.
  
  
• I tried to find heirloom tomatoes to make that tartlet thing in my previous post but all they had at the little market by my house were red tomatoes on the vine, cherry tomatoes, and some spiffy plum tomatoes (Naturally, I bought the plum tomatoes to have with some buffalo mozzarella and basil tonight. It won't be much longer that I can enjoy the fruits of summer!). Hopefully I'll make the tartlets soon - stay tuned!

Happy weekend to all!

YAY! IT'S WEDNESDAY!

Actually, nothing too terribly interesting in the NYT Dining Section this week, except for this:

Multicolored Tomato Tartlets

2 to 3 small firm heirloom tomatoes, preferably in different colors

Flour for dusting

1 14-ounce package puff pastry, defrosted but cold

1/4 cup mascarpone, optional

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Coarse sea salt, to taste (fleur de sel is a good choice)

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Slice stem and bottom ends from tomatoes. Slice remaining tomato crosswise into rounds 1/2 inch thick. You will need 6 or more nice rounds (see Step 2). If you like, you can cut rounds from 6 different-colored tomatoes. (Use leftover tomato for another recipe.)
2. Dust a flat surface with flour, and unfold pastry onto the surface. Cut pastry into circles about 1 inch wider than tomato slices. You will need at least 6 circles. (If your tomato slices are small and you can cut more than 6 circles out of the puff pastry, cut more rounds of both tomato and pastry. The important thing is that the pastry circles be close to an inch larger than the tomato slices.)
3. Transfer pastry to baking sheet. Spread some mascarpone, if using, over each pastry circle. Sprinkle pastry with basil; top with a tomato slice. Pinch edges of pastry up around edges of tomato. Season tomato rounds with salt and pepper. Scatter Parmesan over rounds. Bake until pastry is puffed and golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm.
Yield: 6 or more tartlets.

How divine does this look?! Guess what I'm making this weekend!