eG Foodblog: Ninetofive - January in New England

[Smithy]

Welcome, from another snowy place and another jammed pantry! I'll be interested to see how you deal with Ol' Man Winter.

I've always loved the King Arthur catalog. I hope we get to see the real place this weekend!

How much are you paying for pomegranates out your way, and what-all do you with them? Are they easy for you to find? Lately I've been fascinated by the cross-section, and I'm admiring the (unusual, in my experience) symmetry of the four-armed star in your photo.

[johnnyd]

her only dislike is fish and seafood.

[ninetofive]

her only dislike is fish and seafood.

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I know, JohnnyD. It's criminal. Our last au pair wasn't crazy about fish or seafood, but by the end of her stay, she was eating plenty of it. (Rubbing hands together) I have plans, lots of plans ....

[ninetofive]

Okay, story filed. Now I can play.

Darn! I forgot to take a picture of my lunch, a delightful tossed green salad topped with these:

and these:

The sardines in tomato sauce are a new addiction. They have a nice mild taste, not too salty, and one can can get me through two lunches. Christiane gets fair warning before I unleash the fish from their tins, because they are just a bit stinky. The tomatoes get me through the winter. I hate buying tomatoes out of season, but these are really quite nice. They're called Campari and I buy them at Costco (another crack den for me).

Today's salad also included 1 ounce of buffalo mozzarella, a tsp. of flaxseed oil, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and a good sprinkling of smoked salt. Very yummy. Don't worry, you'll see plenty more salads this week. They're standard lunch fare for me.

[mizducky]

Yay! Like many who did their college years in Boston, I remained in the area a good decade afterwards, so this is going to be a real nostalgia trip for me. I'm also enjoying looking at a classic New England winter without having to actually drive in it. Happy blogging!

(Plus, as a freelance writer myself, I'm going to be checking out your blog with great interest!)

[ninetofive]

Ditto!  Thanks for the snow shot, Diana.  As a former New Englander myself, I'm really looking forward to this week.

Is Oliver a good eater?  What's his favorite?  And does he like to take part in the cooking?

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Megan, Oliver's a fairly good eater. He used to be much better when he was younger -- around 5 it seems that a lot of kids develop some taste and texture issues, and he's got a few of those right now. He went through a long phase of insisting I cut his crusts off his bread, for example, but I noticed the other night he chowed down on a boule, crust and all.

He's got his Dad's midwestern appreciation for a good steak, for sure. Actually any kind of meat. Chicken, pork, beef, lamb, rabbit, buffalo, ostrich -- he'll put it down. He's struggling with the concept of eating animals, though. We've always been very clear with him about where his food comes from. For example, our CSA raises and slaughters hogs; the kids spend a lot of time visiting and feeding them during the summer. We explain to him that, come fall, the bacon, pork roasts, ribs, etc. we pull from the freezer all came from those pigs.

We've told him that it's okay to be a vegetarian (I was vegetarian for a number of years), but he's not quite ready to make that choice ... the steak is too good to give up.

(Sorry if that offends anyone. I'll explain more about how we buy meat around here.)

As for his favorite foods ... I just asked him and he said, "Bananas, hot cocoa, and milk." Yes, he cooks a lot with me. He's in charge of measuring and stirring. He likes to pretend we're a restaurant kitchen, and he's my sous chef.

Last year his teacher had to talk to him because he was screaming at some of his playmates in the playground. Oliver explained to her, "Oh, I wasn't really yelling at them ... we were playing restaurant and I was Gordon Ramsay." Ooops.

[ninetofive]

Welcome, from another snowy place and another jammed pantry!  I'll be interested to see how you deal with Ol' Man Winter.

I've always loved the King Arthur catalog.  I hope we get to see the real place this weekend!

How much are you paying for pomegranates out your way, and what-all do you with them?  Are they easy for you to find?  Lately I've been fascinated by the cross-section, and I'm admiring the (unusual, in my experience) symmetry of the four-armed star in your photo.

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Huh, I didn't notice the design until you pointed it out, Smithy.

I think I paid a couple dollars for the pomegranate -- it may have been on sale. We were coming back from CT late at night so I wasn't really paying attention.

I don't eat many of them, truth be told, but when I do I like them squeezed over ice cream or yogurt.

[Megan Blocker]

As for his favorite foods ... I just asked him and he said, "Bananas, hot cocoa, and milk." Yes, he cooks a lot with me. He's in charge of measuring and stirring. He likes to pretend we're a restaurant kitchen, and he's my sous chef.

Sounds like a boy after my own heart. Hot cocoa is high on my list as well.

Last year his teacher had to talk to him because he was screaming at some of his playmates in the playground. Oliver explained to her, "Oh, I wasn't really yelling at them ... we were playing restaurant and I was Gordon Ramsay." Ooops.

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That is a FABULOUS story.

[Anna N]

. .

The sardines in tomato sauce are a new addiction. They have a nice mild taste, not too salty, and one can can get me through two lunches.

. . .

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I already feel a kinship! We love these sardines in tomato sauce and frequently make a lunch of them on hot buttered toast! They are the only sardines I can get down but I love these ones.

[ninetofive]

So, imagine this room filled with guns. Lots of guns:

We bought the house from two police officers. This is where they stored their "equipment." The moment I saw this space, I decided that it was the perfect place for my equipment. The room is unheated, and especially when I keep the door closed, it keeps everything around 50 degrees or so in winter. My husband and FIL put the shelves in for me; before, there were just little posts to hang handguns and nunchucks.

I adore pantries. When I lived in Vermont, we had a large one in my grandmother's house. There were built-in drawers, a large counter underneath a window one could look out while kneading bread or rolling pastry, a couple bins you that tipped out and held 50-lb. bags of flour. Swoon. I have many happy memories of baking alongside my grandmother there, and I think there's a part of me always looking to get back to that room.

Edited January 14, 2008 by ninetofive (log)

[Smithy]

Nunchucks? Really? At any rate, that's an enviable pantry. I have yet to live in a house with a walk-in pantry, but I certainly would like to do so.

[ninetofive]

Nunchucks?  Really?    At any rate, that's an enviable pantry.  I have yet to live in a house with a walk-in pantry, but I certainly would like to do so.

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They had a lot of interesting things in there -- they were into the martial arts. There was also a hole punched into our bedroom door.

[ninetofive]

Dinner will be a little late tonight. Off to take a shower then finish things up in the kitchen. Will be back later with photos and more commentary.

Thank you all for welcoming me today. I was very nervous about blogging here -- I think eGulleteers are such a sophisticated bunch, why on earth would they be interested in my strawberry jam, freezer full of pork -- oh, and the snow? Wow, who'da thunk the snow would land me some readers?

[Kouign Aman]

Oliver explained to her, "Oh, I wasn't really yelling at them ... we were playing restaurant and I was Gordon Ramsay."

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You just made my day! That's a terrific story.

[suzilightning]

Thank you all for welcoming me today. I was very nervous about blogging here -- I think eGulleteers are such a sophisticated bunch, why on earth would they be interested in my strawberry jam, freezer full of pork -- oh, and the snow? Wow, who'da thunk the snow would land me some readers? 

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hey, i said the same thing to snowangel about a librarian in new jersey. while some may be more "sophisticated" than others the one thing that binds us all is our love of food - cooking and eating and learning and sharing.

oh, and for that snow - so glad someone got those 5"-7" they were predicting for here. course i have to wait a bit longer to get out on the snowshoes now

[ninetofive]

Ingredients for tonight's dinner:

I purchased several chickens about six weeks ago last time I was at Mayflower Poultry in Cambridge. I may be back there this week, so I'll take a picture of the sign hanging out front.

The Belgian endives got a toss in some browned butter, before they were bathed in lemon juice and salt and sent to a 325 degree oven for a two-hour braise.

Some say I make a damn good biscuit, despite that I was born far north of the Mason/Dixon line. Not trying to start another war, here -- just telling you what I've been told. Here you'll see the butter cut in in nice big chunks.

My favorite pastry blender. It has sturdy tines that don't bend against the cold butter.

Yankee ingenuity in action. The biscuits chill while the chicken bakes.

Your basic roasted chicken, a staple meal around here in the winter. This one I rubbed with butter and rosemary, then drizzled with half a lemon. The rest of the lemon got stuck in the chicken cavity with a handful of parsley. A good dose of salt and pepper to finish. Roasted at 450 for 15 minutes, then turned oven to 375 and gave it another 45 minutes. (I braised the endives on the stovetop so the oven was free for the chix.)

The finished biscuits. Nice loft, but I forgot the timer and they got an extra minute in the oven. Oh well, nothing a little glaze of melted butter can't fix.

Lazy woman's gravy. I basically whisked the drippings together, gave them a quick strain, and we were good to go. This was quite tasty, slightly lemony but with plenty of chicken flavor.

The braised endives were soft and buttery -- but very bitter. I didn't bother serving any to Oliver or my hubby. Christiane took one small bite and passed. Even for me they were too bitter, but I ate them anyway.

Then I went to the gym and worked my fanny off for awhile. Then I came home to this, my reward:

Cold vanilla pudding. Can you see the flecks of vanilla bean in there? I made it with vanilla sugar, plus I steeped a vanilla bean in hot milk for awhile. It's not much to look at in the picture, but the pudding was delicious, straight, no adornment.

So I'm heading off to bed soon. I normally rise at 5:00a.m. and go to the gym. Today I slept in because of the storm, so tomorrow it's back to business.

[Monica Bhide]

Hey Di, that dinner looks so delicious.. I wish I lived closer (but only for the food, I dont miss that Boston snow!)

Looking forward to reading more as you blog!

[Smithy]

I don't think I've ever had Belgian endive before. Do you think you just had "bad" ones, or was it the treatment they got? If I were to buy some to try them, what should I look for?

That chicken looked wonderful.

[snowangel]

Diana, leftover chicken -- was there any? If so, what will you do with it?

Oh, and do talk about bread baking. I swear that I'm bread impaired...

[Abra]

Hi from France, where we have no King Arthur (alas!) and eat lots of endive. Try splitting them lengthwise and removing the little "cone" you'll see inside at the center. That removes most of the bitterness, although a little bitter flavor is a prized feature.

And lots of KA photos, please. I was a loyal catalogue customer for many years but I've never seen the store.

[ninetofive]

Good morning!

I was up at 5:05 a.m. and by 5:20, was backing out of the driveway.

By the time I arrived home 45 minutes later, the sun was starting to come up. Here's a view of our side yard. Where the lawn meets the treeline is where you'll find my elderflower bushes and rhubarb patch in the spring. I also grow tomatoes down there, and it's a great place to find edible mushrooms.

Here's the view from our dining room. Such a lovely sunrise!

I have to admit: I woke up feeling pretty crappy this a.m. It took monumental effort to get my shoes on and go to the gym, although almost every day is like that, which is why I actually wear my gym clothes to bed. If I don't, I can talk myself out of going when the alarm goes off: "Oh, I don't want to put cold clothes on," yada yada yada. My lizard brain is a mighty opponent, let me tell you. Exercise is a lot like writing for me: it always feels best after it's done.

But today, I was drained, which makes me wonder if I'm coming down with something. I even felt too tired to eat breakfast, so I camped on the couch and snoozed through some PBS cooking shows:

Andreas Viestad is so cute. Today he was cooking something with potatoes, cream, and butter. Isn't that one of the holy trinities? My maternal grandfather was Norwegian/Danish and my husband and I spent two weeks in Norway 10 years ago -- I do like a great many Scandinavian foods! (More on my family background TK!)

At 8:00 it was time to drag my butt off the couch and get Oliver ready for school. I was still feeling rather unwell, but this helped:

Oliver has the rest of the week off from school (student conferences/teacher training), so you'll be seeing more of him later this week. He permitted a photograph on the way to school, though, so I could show you all what he looks like:

That's his school. We're the next town over from Lowell, an old mill town. Many of these mills now house offices, stores, and yes, even schools. He's in a Montessori program, which he's been in since age 2 1/2. This school goes up to third grade; after that, we'll have to move him to a Montessori school in nearby Littleton, which goes up to eighth grade.

After dropping him off, I went for an appointment, then stopped here:

Last night I realized I had one EFA pill left. Of course, I walked out of the store with much more than a container of fish oil pills:

The strawberries are for the ice cream I'll be making this afternoon. The multi-grain pilaf looked like an interesting starch for Oliver and Christiane's dinner. And then the rest was for the pantry.

I snacked on this on the drive home. It wasn't very good:

I'm still feeling a bit droopy -- I hope I'll perk up later today. In the meantime, I've got some work to do. Later this spring, I'm heading to India for two weeks, and my travel companion and I are working to get our tickets booked and final details settled. Plus, I need to start pitching some stories to make this trip work financially.

[ninetofive]

Hi from France, where we have no King Arthur (alas!) and eat lots of endive.  Try splitting them lengthwise and removing the little "cone" you'll see inside at the center.  That removes most of the bitterness, although a little bitter flavor is a prized feature.

And lots of KA photos, please.  I was a loyal catalogue customer for many years but I've never seen the store.

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Ah, thanks Abra! Next time I'll give that a try.

I'm really hoping I can get lots of photos at the Baking Center. Sometimes these places can get fussy about cameras, but on the other hand, Vermonters are a laid back bunch. Plus, I seem to recall my aunt knowing people who work there ... fingers crossed.

[MarketStEl]

Just a question about your eG posting handle:

I'd hardly consider what you do a 9-to-5 job unless you block off that time for your paid pursuit. (By this I most certainly don't mean it's not a full-time job: as I've learned from my own fitful freelancing efforts, freelance writing full time can easily eat up way more than 40 hours a week.) Why did you choose this as your handle?

(If you've read my foodblogs, my own posting handle should be painfully obvious.)

Question for any trivia buffs playing along: Is this the first time in eG Foodblog history that two professional writers have blogged in succession?

[Shelby]

Diana, your son is a cutie!

[ninetofive]

It is never too cold for ice cream:

This was my favorite cookbook in 2007. I love everything about it: the recipes rock, the writing's great, mouthwatering photos, and measurements in weights, as well as volume. As my son would say, A thousand billion thumbs-up.

Ingredients for tonight's dessert, strawberry sour cream ice cream. (Just a tablespoon of the vodka, so no need to call CPS. That's Christiane in the background, quizzing Oliver on his German articles. Oy, one huge reason why I'll never learn German!)

This is where weight measurements come in handy. You see, I'm using a superfine vanilla sugar with this ice cream. The crystals are much smaller than those in a bag of cane sugar, so by using volume measurements, I might end up with an ice cream that's sweeter than intended.

Produce aisle berries look frightful this time of year, so I took liberties by using frozen ones. Here they're thawed and macerating in sugar and the vodka. They'll sit for an hour, then I'll pulse them in a food processor with sour cream, lemon juice, and cream. Later this afternoon, Oliver will give the mixture a whirl in the ice cream maker. I like this ice cream, not only because it's delicious, but we don't have to make a traditional custard base, which usually needs a few hours to cool. Here you can pull stuff out of the pantry and freezer and in an hour or two have ice cream.

When I made vanilla pudding on Sunday night, I was left with a split vanilla bean with plenty of flavor. I rinsed it off, let it dry, and now I'll top off my vanilla sugar stash:

I just cut the bean up, throw it in the food processor with a cup of granulated sugar, then give it a whirl for five minutes. The sugar gets sifted so only the tiny bits of vanilla are left. This sugar is wonderful in creme brulees, pudding, shortbread, cakes, etc. It's one of those subtle things that makes something ordinary into WOW.