Food Blog

[bergerka]

My mom's "stewed" tomatoes: one can pomodori pelati (remind me to tell you the story about the Pelati sisters one time. To this day, all I have to do is call either of my two sisters and say "Pomodori Pelati" and she cracks up laughing),

OK, bergerka, what's the story?

Love your description of your mom advising you on cooking over the phone. If you've ever tried it the other way round (someone asking YOU for advice over the phone), it's even funnier..."it's doing WHAT?...you need an immersion blender...no, that's not an immersion blender, that sounds like a spoon...it smells like WHAT??...I think it's time you found the takeout menus."

Oh dear. Of course, having said that I'd tell the story, I'm now suddenly thinking it is probably one of those things that was only funny at the time and to those involved... but here goes.

My sisters, like me, are big goofballs. On holidays like Christmas, we all gather in my mom's kitchen (mom is also a goofball), start on the wine and cook and talk and get very silly. I don't remember the occasion, but we were about three glasses in. Mom had set a can of peeled tomatoes on the counter, and my oldest sister decided that Pomodori Pelati was a fantastic name for an opera singer, and she was going to call me that from now on.

Of course, we started riffing on "if I'm Pomodori Pelati, then who are YOU?" and here's what we came up with:

Barbara, the oldest, who describes herself as "the short one" (because she's in a wheelchair. She also frequently threatens to run over my toes), decided that she is purely decorative, not useful at all, therefore she should be...Decorati Pelati.

Carol, the middle, blond, zaftig, big chest, decided that her general appearance should be reflected in her name...and she became Fluffy Pelati.

We then tracked down our baby brother, who is 6'5" and EXTREMELY skinny, and because at the time he was doing ballet leaps around the living room to amuse a niece or nephew (you have to imagine how this looked, he has REALLY LONG arms and legs) and trying to look very dignified, we named him Snotty Pelati.

Yes. I think this was probably one of those things for which you had to be there. But it still makes ME laugh.

[bergerka]

Ohhhhh my.

Snack time.

Melton came back with the cake. It's a white cake, with passionfruit filling, and white ganache frosting.

Now...I don't even LIKE white chocolate, and this is just fucking awesome.

I think I'm in love.

K

[ruthcooks]

I love the description of South Beach as "Atkins without any fun" which is my estimation as well. On Weight Watchers, you can save up your points and have something yummy; on low fat, you can have desserts as there are a few good ones naturally without fat; on low carb and Atkins you can have great protein and dairy. But South Beach? No good stuff, no time.

[bergerka]

Dinner!

Got home, let the ferrets out to play (aka "bite each other and roll around on the floor like crazy boys"), did 1/2 hour of Pilates mat work to the accompaniment of the tv (TNT has this lovely habit of showing reruns of "Charmed," "ER," and "Law & Order" just when I like to work out in the afternoon) and 1/2 hour on the Stairmaster (I'm only recently back on the exercise wagon, and am trying to work up to doing 1/2 hour on that thing every time I exercise. It burns significantly more calories...but I also find it significantly more difficult. anyone else?), then showered.

Sam cooked, yay!

He made spaghetti all'amatriciana.

Here you can see the pan containing guanciale, onion, whole garlic cloves and hand-squinched San Marzano tomatoes.

Once off the heat, he added peperoncino, whole parsley leaves and a little raw olive oil.

Here's the finished dish, all ready to eat, in one of the beautiful bowls Sam's mother brought back for us from her last trip to Israel.

It was delicious. We drank caffeine-free Diet Coke with it.

I'm now contemplating an after-dinner drink and perhaps a chase up and down the hall with the ferrets.

It is now time for one of my incredulous comments about our roommate's eating habits. Sam and I had been joking while he was in the shower about the fact that the only things he ever makes seem to be salads of various kinds and occasionally random sauteed greens with scrambled eggs mixed in (not, like, with salt or pepper or any other spices or any...like...olive oil or anything, either, which would be delicious), when he came out and announced that he would be "cooking dinner" for his girlfriend later tonight when she finished rehearsal. He'd bought a nice bottle of white wine, a baguette from the Silver Moon Bakery...kinda romantic-like.

Me: What are you cooking??

Charlie: oh, you know...salad.

He wasn't kidding, either.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. It was just SUCH a Charlie thing to say.

K

P.S. Ruthcooks--I was absolutely floored the first time I read about the South Beach diet. I felt like saying "Charlie, if you're that desperate to lose, what, five pounds? Eat less and exercise more!

[Pan]

K, one question about the ferrets, if you don't mind: What would happen if you just let them fight it out?

[JennyUptown]

You and Sam work at the same place? How can you stand it? (Although I guess you don't have to see each other during the workday. ) Oh . . . come to think of it, HWOE and I did (that's how we met), although not once we hooked up together.

Hubby and I too!

Add yet another one, as Mrs. JPW and I share an employer.

However, we keep different schedules by about an hour and our offices are about 150 yards and 2 floors apart, so we rarely see each other out side of the occasional lunch.

JPW, you stole just about all of my words about PLM (see blog for translation) except for that none of my story is relevant because I broke up with him yesterday ).

[KatieLoeb]

K:

The pasta looks YUMMY! And the platter is very pretty.

You answered one of my unspoken questions when you said you'd "let the ferrets out" to play. I wasn't sure if you let them have run of the house or not. That'd be great if they were litter trained, but mine always seemed to get mildly retarded when it came to using the litter box consistently. I'd catch them backing up into a corner to poop and they'd look right at me while doing it. It was maddening.

Loved the Pelati Sisters story. It was still funny even though I wasn't there.

[Pan]

JPW, you stole just about all of my words about PLM (see blog for translation) except for that none of my story is relevant because I broke up with him yesterday ).

My heartfelt sympathy to you. Breaking up is hard whether you were the one to break up, he was, or even if it was a mutual decision. With some exceptions, no doubt. (I do know of cases where people were delighted to break up with someone they had decided was a poor excuse for a human being...)

[s'kat]

Loved the Pelati Sisters story.  It was still funny even though I wasn't there.

I couldn't agree more!

Also, your roommate is a bit of a funny freak.

edited to fix pre-coffee spelling error.

Edited March 10, 2004 by s'kat (log)

[bergerka]

Morning, all!

JennyUptown: aw, crap. I'm sorry. It sounds like you need a martini.

Pan: sometimes we do let them fight it out. One of the problems is that the middle boy likes to surprise the big boy by waking him up with a CHOMP and hold on the neck. The big guy, although easily twice the size of the other ferrets, is a bit of a wussy and he would rather scream--LOUDLY (you would NOT believe how loudly a ferret can screech...I can hear it at the other end of the apartment )--than fight back. That's when I break it up.

I am happy to announce that the babies slept ALL NIGHT last night except for one minor turf disagreement around 3 am, and this morning they played together happily. NO big fights or screeching, just wrestling and chasing that is all part of ferret fun and games.

Katie: The ferrets have a three-story penthouse cage that Sam built in our room. During the day, they conk out in the various hammocks, fuzzy cubbies, enclosed cubes and boxes with blankies in there. As soon as we get home, we let them out (RELEASE THE FERTS! We do, of course, leave the cage door open so they can eat & drink!) and they basically play the rest of the evening. Recently, we've been leaving them out all night, which is kind of nice...they alternately roam around and sleep (sometimes the baby licks my feet at 3 am...I mean, can you imagine waking up to that???). They're pretty darned good about the litter box, too, only occasionally do we have an accident (or an "I'm mad at you, mom, so I'm going to poop RIGHT HERE ON THE FLOOR, so there" moment). That also tends to mean that when we go to work they're tired and ready for bed.

Oh and I have to take back, partially, my poking fun at Charlie last night. That salad turned out to be a recipe from epicurious...leaf lettuce, endive, some other stuff, grapefruit, champagne vinegar. It looked good!

Breakfast!

I decided I liked this idea of working out in the evening, so I slept in a little today too, or at least I tried. Zebulun had other ideas. He walked up me at 6:30 am and stared me in the face until I woke up. Breakfast was two cups of coffee and three slices of the fig and pepper baguette that Charlie bought last night, spread with honey (regular clover honey, although I think this weekend I'm going to go buy another one of those baguettes and some of the thyme honey they sell at the West Side Market). Yum.

I'm already thinking about lunch. Does anyone else find that breakfast makes you hungrier?

Also, can anyone explain why, although I haven't lost any weight at all, the pants that were too tight a week ago are suddenly comfortable again???? *cue Bridget Jones-esque obsessing*

K

[ophelie]

With regard to the pants. I am sure you have considered this, but did you dry clean/wash them or are you re-wearing (I re-wear "dry clean only" clothes a couple of times often (I know...ewww...oh well). Perhaps the pants stretched some. Or, maybe all of this Pilates and stairmaster is toning and firming. I need some inspiration to work out...in the morning, evening, or ever, really. So, you're kicking my ass into gear (or making me think at least).

-Ophelie

[Lady T]

And, also at the intersection of Food, Life, and Singing: I just noticed the Anthony Tommasini article in today's NYT. Run, do not walk, to get a copy, and read all about Deborah Voigt getting the boot from the Covent Garden production of Ariadne auf Naxos because the director considers her to be too fat to wear a slinky black evening dress which is apparently central to his concept of the Prima Donna.

Talk to me, colleagues...I'm having a serious "WTF!?!?!" moment here in Chicago.

Edited March 10, 2004 by Lady T (log)

[Suzanne F]

Yeah, isn't that Deborah Voigt business the pits? I mean, I could see it with that ballerina, but a SOPRANO? Who made her reputation on that role? Fire that director, is what I say.

Kathleen, YOU have nothing to worry about in that department.

Looking at that spaghetti, I can see why you let Sam hang around. YUM!

[bloviatrix]

And, also at the intersection of Food, Life, and Singing: I just noticed the Anthony Tommasini article in today's NYT. Run, do not walk, to get a copy, and read all about Deborah Voigt getting the boot from the Covent Garden production of Ariadne auf Naxos because the director considers her to be too fat to wear a slinky black evening dress which is apparently central to his concept of the Prima Donna.

Talk to me, colleagues...I'm having a serious "WTF!?!?!" moment here in Chicago.

The editorial board also weighed in on this, if you're reading the Times extensively.

[lamb]

Also, can anyone explain why, although I haven't lost any weight at all, the pants that were too tight a week ago are suddenly comfortable again????  *cue Bridget Jones-esque obsessing*

K

I have had the same experience of late. I started about 2 months ago working out about 3 times a week. I Life Cycle about 30 miles weekly, along with adductor and abductor toning (inner and outer thigh). Although I haven't lost any weight, my pants are loose!

Although I'd like to drop about 10 lbs, I'll take the reshaping!

BTW, love the blog. My hubby cooks for me, but not nearly as gourmet as Sam.

It's still better than me having to cook when I arrive home from work.

[Lady T]

Saw that, Blovie, and thank you kindly. I'm still boggling about any house that would sacrifice quality singing for visual concept -- which, to be sure, is to say that there are a lot of houses that boggle me, and particularly in Europe. It's not every day, though, that an international-level presenter pulls something quite so publicly, blatantly actionable, even in the name of trying to attract the younger set.

Life in the arts is always amazing, I guess...Sam, Kathleen: have you seen a lot of casting decisions like these where you sing?

[bergerka]

And, also at the intersection of Food, Life, and Singing: I just noticed the Anthony Tommasini article in today's NYT.  Run, do not walk, to get a copy, and read all about Deborah Voigt getting the boot from the Covent Garden production of Ariadne auf Naxos because the director considers her to be too fat to wear a slinky black evening dress which is apparently central to his concept of the Prima Donna.

Talk to me, colleagues...I'm having a serious "WTF!?!?!" moment here in Chicago.

 

I did read this and was shocked.

First of all, I'm a HUGE fan of Deborah Voigt, and I find her Ariadne to be the best currently out there. It's fantastic. She's funny as hell and she sings the living shit out of the piece, and I think it's INEXCUSABLE to buy her out of her contract because of her weight (especially considering they contracted her for this FIVE YEARS AGO, before they HIRED the director). In fact, I ran it by one of my favorite directors, and his response was that because directors usually have little to no influence over casting, they absolutely MUST be flexible in their "concepts" so that they can work with what they have...end of story. Covent Garden, IMHO, sacrificed the art form to "Hollywooditis" here. It's a sure thing that Voigt will turn them down next time they offer her a role (and, solidarity in the upper echelons of the biz being what it can be, other singers may turn down contracts there as well)...and their audience will be deprived of one of the best Straussians currently out there. Shame on them! At the very least, they owe her a public and profuse apology. If they had any class, they'd fire that director and honor her contract.

Unfortunately, the following quote from La Voigt made me cringe and think she needs to get out in the fresh air more:

>When asked about this last year by Andante's online classical music magazine, Ms. Voigt said: "I'm determined to lose more with my personal trainer, with a combination of nutrition and workouts. I'm actually lifting weights." She added: "You know, I believe this attitude toward heavy people is the last bastion of open discrimination in our society."<

Um. EXCUSE ME? No one, for example, is saying that Ms. Voigt, oh, can't get married because she is overweight. To take an extreme example, no one ever crucified someone on a barbed-wire fence (Matthew Shepard) or dragged someone to death behind a truck (the racial incident in Texas) because of their weight.

I understand her outrage, truly, especially when she has absolutely busted her ass to try to keep her weight down (and she has, she has). But let's get a little perspective here.

Rant over. Back to your regularly scheduled blog.

K

[JennyUptown]

JennyUptown: aw, crap. I'm sorry. It sounds like you need a martini.

Gracias for the well wishes begerka and Pan. It has killed my appetite (well, that has been gone for more than two months due to The Troubles), but I know my love of food will return and the ten or so pounds I have lost will return. If nothing else good came of the relationship, it was PLM who encouraged me to conquer my fear of the kitchen and try to cook.

b - that pasta Sam made looked incredible! I'll be having martinis with Mom at Indique (DC) this weekend after our spa day.

[slbunge]

I'm already thinking about lunch. Does anyone else find that breakfast makes you hungrier?

Yep. I usually avoid breakfast or I'd be famished by 10am.

[Toasted]

I don't know which is more facinating, the ferrets or the food! When will we see pictures of the adorable ones?

[sequim]

Sam cooked, yay!

He made spaghetti all'amatriciana.

bergerka,

That pasta dinner had me drooling (sorry to be so late in posting about it) but I have a couple questions.

1. Since this dish is Italian, I have to ask, how can you possibly not drink wine with this dish? I find Italian food and wine are inseparable, even when I go out to lunch in a workday!

2. What is guanciale?

3. What is raw olive oil? Is this virgin?

Thanks and sorry for the not-serious hard time I gave you...

[Toliver]

I'm already thinking about lunch.  Does anyone else find that breakfast makes you hungrier?

Yep. I usually avoid breakfast or I'd be famished by 10am.

I know the effect. I call it "priming the pump".

On Saturdays, I usually don't get around to eating breakfast and it doesn't bother me a bit to go without eating.

But during the week when I eat breakfast before heading off to work, I find I am watching the clock waiting for lunchtime!

Maybe it's a carb thing since I usually eat cereal for breakfast.

[slkinsey]

I don't know which is more facinating, the ferrets or the food!  When will we see pictures of the adorable ones?

Pictures from September, 2003. They are a good bit larger now, and their markings (masks, etc.) have evolved as they matured.

[herbacidal]

Also, can anyone explain why, although I haven't lost any weight at all, the pants that were too tight a week ago are suddenly comfortable again????  *cue Bridget Jones-esque obsessing*

K

I have had the same experience of late. I started about 2 months ago working out about 3 times a week. I Life Cycle about 30 miles weekly, along with adductor and abductor toning (inner and outer thigh). Although I haven't lost any weight, my pants are loose!

Although I'd like to drop about 10 lbs, I'll take the reshaping!

BTW, love the blog. My hubby cooks for me, but not nearly as gourmet as Sam.

It's still better than me having to cook when I arrive home from work.

If I'm not mistaken, muscle weighs more than fat.

So losing fat, and its inches on the waistline and elsewhere,

while simultaneously toning and further developing your muscles,

it is entirely possible to stay the same weight and lose inches.

[SethG]

...she sings the living shit out of the piece...

This description really made me laugh.

Is it common opera-speak?