After-Sandy-math

Hi all,

Posting will be light for the next couple of days -- although Sandy seemed to miss my part of DC entirely, my parents on Long Island are still without power, heat, cable, or phones for the next who-knows-how-many days. They're safe, but it's not the most ideal situation for anyone involved. Work has also been affected, so the next few days will probably be busy ones. My thoughts go out to everyone who was affected by the storm, especially those who lost more than just their electricity.


Hope you all stayed safe and dry during the storm!

Everybody Freak Out

Stay safe, everybody!

A Bourbon Experiment

The weekend is coming! Since it's supposed to be drizzly and cold this weekend, plus SK and I will both be traveling for work next week, (and let's face it, it's looking more and more likely that we'll be bracing ourselves for Hurricane Sandy) we've decided that this will be a low-key weekend.

In order to keep ourselves entertained, we've also decided that this will be the weekend of mixing cocktails and watching bad movies. Wild Friday night ahead!

Now, SK loves bourbon. As an almost-native son of Kentucky, he'll drink it straight, on the rocks, in a cocktail,  in a Big Gulp - if you can invent a way for the man to consume bourbon, he'll do it.

I myself am not so crazy about bourbon. However, bourbon is what we have on hand, so in the interest of convenience (and laziness), I've decided to concoct some bourbon cocktails for us to try out in hopes that the bourbon-loving spirit will rub off on me. (And if it's a failure, I've got an emergency bottle of Cab Sauv stashed away for emergencies.)

Right now, my top cocktail contenders are:

The Old-Fashioned

The Devereaux

Let me know in the comments if you have another bourbon recipe for me to try. I'll report back the results on Monday!

P.S. Figuring out how to include this signature is my greatest graphic design accomplishment to date. I cannot tell you how excited it makes me.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Happy happy Wednesday, everybody! Since this week has been pretty quiet, there isn't a whole lot that I've been loving this week. Instead, I thought I'd tell you all about some fun stuff I have coming up that I'm looking forward to:

1. *Ina Garten*

The Barefoot Contessa has always been my favorite Food Network personality.  I love that she learned to cook by camping in the French woods for four months. I love that she used to work for the Ford and Carter administrations as a Budget Analyst. I love that she describes her cooking style as simply cooking to enhance the ingredients, which is a much more elegant way of putting my own cooking philosophy. I love her show and her soothing narration. I love her Hamptons style and her amazing kitchen. And of course, I love her recipes. 

So you can imagine my delight when I found out that she's coming to DC next week for an event with the Washington Post's food editor. The ticket comes with a signed cookbook, and I am so excited to see the Contessa live and up close!

2. *Smitten Kitchen Cookbook Tour*

I'm sure you all know about the Smitten Kitchen, probably my favorite food website. And if you're anything like me, you want Deb, the author, to be your best friend and cook you whatever idea she's got percolating in her head that day. Her long-awaited cookbook comes out next week, and Deb will be coming to DC shortly after that to give a talk at Politics and Prose, an independent bookstore owned by former politicos in DC. I've had this one marked in my calendar for quite some time.

3. *Election Day*

Just two weeks away! What is going to happen? When will the commercials stop?! THE SUSPENSE!!!

What are YOU loving this Wednesday?

xoxo,

b

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

I subscribe to one philosophy when I'm cooking, which is that if you don't put anything bad into the dish, it probably won't taste bad. Likewise, if you only put tasty things into a recipe, odds are it's going to wind up pretty tasty. That's how I cook.

This philosophy proved true last night when I concocted a version of a recipe that I've seen floating its way around the interwebs lately - stuffed spaghetti squash.

My old roommate used to cook spaghetti squash all the time, but I'd never tried it myself until last night. For those of you who aren't familiar, it's a big, hard-skinned squash that you can roast and then scoop out the insides. They look just like spaghetti and have a mild taste.

Many people serve the "spaghetti" as a side dish, but I'd seen these stuffed versions and I was intrigued.

I started by browning some spicy "Italian-style" chicken sausage. (Had I been by myself, I would have omitted the sausage, but SK is mid-western and prefers his meat with a side of meat.)

 While that cooked, I split the squash in half and laid the two halves face down on a baking sheet with a little water on the bottom. I roasted them in a 375-degree oven and got to work cutting my veggies.

Tomato, Zucchini, Red Pepper. There's also Onion, Garlic, Spinach and Mushrooms off to the side.

 As I cooked all the vegetables together in a saute pan, I removed the squash (It was about 30 minutes) and scooped the "guts" into a separate bowl.

Then I tossed the cooked sausage, scooped squash, and spinach into the saute pan with the veggies and mixed it together with some bread crumbs and "quatro formaggio" mix from Trader Joes. (Don't be like me. Use an appropriately sized pan.)

Once the mixture is combined - you guessed it -- stuff it back into the squash "shell."

Then, CHEESE! (I used shredded mozzarella.)

I baked them in the oven (which I left on, so it stayed at 375 degrees) for 20 minutes until the cheese melted.

As you can see, this makes a LOT of food. It turned out completely delicious, but those shells are enormous. I could only finish half of one.

Give this one a try - you won't be disappointed! What I like most is that it's infinitely adaptable - I've seen Southwestern versions, pizza versions -- anything you want!

xoxo,

b

Menu Monday and Weekend Recap

 Happy Monday, everybody! This past weekend was a busy one -- unfortunately I didn't get nearly enough 'responsible' tasks done, like laundry, my homework, or my housecleaning. However I definitely got a lot of the "fun" things crossed off my to-do list, such as:

1. Make a Caramel Apple Tart

Mine did not come out nearly as beautifully as Deb's, but it was certainly tasty and I got to take my new, totally-unnecessary-purchase mandolin out for a whirl. Plus, I got to learn firsthand why pastry chefs call hot caramel "edible napalm" due to a hot pan gone awry (as documented in this tweet.)

2. Go hiking in Great Falls National Park

When its a beautiful fall day in DC, it's only natural to head out to the wilderness to enjoy the amazing weather and fall colors.

Unfortunately, everyone else in DC will have that same idea. This is the line to enter the park.

It took us over 2 hours to complete a 30 minute trip to Great Falls Park in McLean, VA. However once we FINALLY arrived we made good use of our remaining daylight hours and saw some beautiful views as a result.

We hiked the River Trail, which follows the Potomac and has some truly spectacular views of the Falls.

We stopped on the way home for some fresh cider, then settled in for some dinner and our favorite TV night - Once Upon a Time, Revenge, and Boardwalk Empire!

Dinner - Chicken Milanese with Roasted Broccoli

In food-related news, here's what I had cooking this past week:

1. *Chili Baked Potato*

This was a great way to use up leftover chili, plus stretch a meal into two! We baked the potatoes until they were crispy, then added the chili and our toppings. It doesn't seem like a lot of food but the potato will fill you up fast. Plus when you use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and low-fat cheese, it's really not too bad for you.

2. * Sausage-Stuffed Zucchini, courtesy of SkinnyTaste*

 These turned out to be a huge hit - they were delicious, a cinch to throw together, and infinitely adaptable.

3. *Jambalaya-like concoction, adapted from Beantown Prepster*

 Please excuse the photo, because this was probably the most delicious meal of the week. I started with MVB's recipe for Spicy Skillet Rice, but when I read over the recipe I thought to myself, "This looks sort of like jambalaya." I subbed chicken stock for the water, threw in chicken andouille sausage from Trader Joes, and added a TON of hot sauce -- the result was a pretty tasty substitute for Cajun cooking!

What have you been cooking lately?

xoxo,

b

Friday Five!

Well, we made it to Friday. It was touch and go there for a while, and in the words of SK this morning, "Today will be the day zero fucks were given." However, the weekend is here and here's what's making me happy:

1. *Sushi-Movie Date Night*


Since SK and I started dating, our 'date nights' have evolved into a little tradition we like to call "sushi-movie date night." We're regulars at our favorite place, Momiji. Both of us have been looking forward to seeing Argo and tonight's the night!

 

2. *My TOMS*

Since work has been quiet the past couple of weeks, I've been able to rock my TOMS as much as I want, which make my feet sing. My current pair is giraffe-print, but I've also got my eye on these November-themed ones...

3. *Autumn-Themed Dessert*

I'm going to a dinner party tomorrow night and I've been charged with bringing dessert. I haven't settled on an idea yet but I'm looking for a fall-themed recipe.

*** While I was writing this and putting up my options of what to make, Smitten Kitchen posted an Apple Mosaic Tart with Salted Caramel that put all my other ideas to shame. Winner winner, chicken dinner.***

4. *Riding the Mount Vernon Trail*

Last weekend I discovered the Mount Vernon Trail while on my afternoon bike ride (yes, I know I'm late to the game.) While i didn't make it all the way down the trail, I'm planning on tackling it again this Sunday (and maybe stopping in Old Town for something delicious for lunch.

Scene from Sunday's ride

Also from Sunday - Hey Abe!

5. *The Sadness of Pain au Chocolat*

Well, this is hilarious.

Source

Happy weekend everybody!

xoxo,

b

Something Kind of Loco

It's always been a goal of mine to become conversant in Spanish. When I was growing up, I took Latin. (No, I didn't go to Catholic school, and no, my parents were not aiming to prepare their 10 year old for the SATs. I just actually chose to learn Latin because I thought it would be cool. Yep. I was That Kid.)

Anyway, Latin was really not that cool, or fun, or useful. But Spanish was (and is) everywhere,and I wanted to be able to use it.

I've tried on and off for years, including two semesters of college, but it never stuck. Eventually I put the goal aside for a while, figuring that one day I would be a retiree with loads of time (and hopefully some extra cash) and could devote my golden days to the quest.

Until Rosh Hashanah, when my step-grandmother brought her 85 year old Puerto Rican mother to dinner. With my sister shouting, "DO YOU WANT SOMETHING TO DRINK?!" in her ear, I realized that I could at least offer the woman some "agua para beber."

So I started speaking with her, and she seemed to appreciate my jumbled, grammatically incorrect version of Spanish. When I got back to DC, I wanted to pick Spanish back up again, so I did what any millennial would do: I found an app for that.

This is snapshot of a game from the MindSnacks program (they offer apps in other languages as well) that I've had the most fun with over the past few weeks. It uses various games to teach grammar and vocabulary. However, I've finished the whole game. It was time for me to move on to conversation with an actual human.

(This is where the crazy part comes in.)

I'm too shy to try speaking with a stranger in a restaurant or on the street in Spanish. Odds are I'll either be a) incomprehensible or b) insulting.

So once again, I took to the internet. After some Craigslist perusal, I found someone who wants to practice his English in exchange for Spanish lessons. We have a Skype date set up for tonight for the first time.

SK is pretty sure that this guy is a freak who will show me his privates. I am apt to see the good in people and believe that he just wants to improve his English. After all, if he wanted to kill me, would he have asked for a Skype date? (Plus, if the worst thing that happens is I see a little brain, well, at least I won't be murdered by a Craigslist killer. Silver lining!)

So that's my crazy move for today. I'll be Skyping with an El Salvadorean stranger tonight. I'll be sure to report back tomorrow morning, just to let you all know that I've survived the encounter.

Hasta Luego!

xoxo,

b

I'm a Masochist

Sometimes, when I need to take a little break from work, I do things that I really shouldn't do, for my own emotional stability.

Sometimes, I look at J Crew's website and pretend like I have lots of money and add all the things I want to my shopping bag without ever hitting "submit." (I also pretend I'm 6 inches taller and have the willowy shape needed for J Crew clothes.)

Sometimes, I go to food sites and imagine making the most decadent, sinful dessert I can find. (Oh, hello there.)

But sometimes, I do something really sick. Something twisted. Something that is just simply punishing myself.  Indulging my emotional masochism, if you will.

What is this sick, twisted, depraved habit, you may be wondering?

Sometimes I go to the Washington DC Humane Society's website and look at dogs waiting to be adopted.

This is Snow. She is obviously a princess. We were meant to be.

No, my apartment does not allow dogs. Yes, I work all day and can't take care of a dog at the moment. Yes, she is a pit bull and may have been in a fighting ring in her past life.

But, in the words of my grandmother, "LOOK AT THAT PUNIM*."

So, there you go. One day I hope to adopt a dog. Until then, is anybody interested in a pit bull who doubles as a pretty pretty princess?

xoxo,

b
*"Punim" is Yiddish for face. Try to use it in a sentence today!

Friday Five: Lady Weekend

I'm a single lady this weekend since SK is going out of town, so I've planned a relaxing ladies weekend for myself. It will include:

Sauv Blanc

Delicious melty brie

Take-out Sushi

Extra spin classes at my beloved Bikerbarre

Laying on my couch like this seal while watching Homeland and Nashville.

I don't know about you, but this seems like a glorious weekend to me.

What are your weekend plans?

xoxo,

b

BHB asked. I answered.

Today I've been tagged by the lovely Ms. BlairsHeadband to answer 11 of her most burning questions. (It's as if she knew that I had no idea what to write about today.) Here are my answers!

1. 1. If you were forced to spend the rest of your life in a library, a museum, or a zoo, which would you choose and why?

I would have to say library, since it would provide the most intellectual stimulation and I'd probably have a tough time getting through all the books over the course of the rest of my entire life.

HOWEVER.

If the zoo were some sort of elephants-only zoo, the choice would be much more difficult.

I. LOVE. ELEPHANTS. Since the Smithsonian Zoo is free, sometimes I just head over on weekends to visit the elephants. I can never tear myself away.

This one was taken on the Barnum and Bailey Circus Parade - perhaps my favorite day of the year.

My dream in life is to meet an elephant. One time at the zoo I discovered their exercise trail (behind the flamingo house) and have a DC bucket list goal to wake up early and meet them on their daily walk.

And in case you missed it the last time I posted it, here is a baby elephant running and farting at the same time. You're welcome.

2. What is the best piece of advice you've received from a parent/your parents?

My parents were always very big on "just do your best." Growing up, that was the number one piece of advice that I got from them, whether it was a recital, school, what have you.

But one day when I went to college I had a bad day and I wasn't feeling particularly energetic, positive, or feeling like trying my best, or even my fair-to-middling. So when I spoke to my mom on the phone that night, I confessed, "I didn't do my best today."

She replied, "Well, you're only human. You can't do your best every day."

I think that's the best advice they've ever given me -- you should always strive to do your best, but if you can't one day, that's okay too. After all, it may be tough to remember sometimes, but we aren't robots:we're all only human.

3. If you could get a guest role on any TV show (NOT reality show), what would it be?

Since I'm on my Homeland kick I am tempted to suggest that I could play a really bad-ass spy. However, I think that I probably couldn't convey the serious nature of dealing with international terrorism, so I chose Parks and Recreation instead so I could hang out with my girl crushes, Amy Poehler and Retta.

Small-town bureaucracy? Idealistic government employees? Jokes about Food & Stuff? IN.

I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face, but I'd have a hell of a fun time trying.

4. What are the three things you would grab from your home during an emergency (fire, tornado, other tragic event)?

a.  I wear a tiny Star of David Necklace every day that my grandparents gave to my mother when she was a baby. It obviously has a lot of sentimental value to both my mother and me.

Real-Time Photo!

b.Old photos of my grandparents - we found a bunch of original photos when my grandmother died and seeing that piece of her life was incredible for me.

c.Mementos, cards, travel items and love notes -- I keep a shoebox in my closet with important cards, sentimental letters, notes from SK, and mementos of travels. I've got postcards from my time studying abroad, rocks from Israel, the first birthday card SK ever gave me, and a collection of Valentines from my dad.

* This has no emotional importance, but can I say my glasses? Because I'm imagining myself trying to piece my life back together after this vague disaster and not being able to see, and it's pretty disconcerting.*

5. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

No question.

6. Would you rather get a facial or a massage at a spa?

I've only ever gotten one facial in my life and my skin reacted terribly to it. On top of that, it wasn't the most relaxing experience overall. Meanwhile every single massage I've ever had has been like a little slice of heaven.

7. What is the #1 item on your holiday wish list this year?

I'm currently torn between this Lo and Sons bag (I go from the gym to class to Steve's house with what feels like a million bags every day):

And this stamped initial necklace (with a 'b', naturally.)

8. Imagine you have your own fashion line - which supermodel would you pick to represent your brand?

I don't think we have anything in common fashion-wise, but I'd have to go with Heidi Klum, so I could hear her Project Runway-inspired criticisms.

9. If you could afford and purchase one famous piece of art, what would it be?

Picasso's Woman in Blue

I saw this in the Picasso Museum in Barcelona while I was studying abroad and it's always stayed with me. I love how much emotion it conveys from just a simple sketch.


10. If you could choose any name for yourself other than yours, what would it be?

Fun fact: I've never liked my given name. Truthfully told, it wasn't supposed to be my name at all. When my parents were debating baby names, my dad really pushed to name me after his grandmother Libby (so I would have been an Elizabeth.) However, Judaism frowns upon naming babies after still-living relatives ( further explanation here, if you're interested) so they ultimately decided to name me after my dad's grandfather Ben instead. However I've always loved the name Elizabeth and how classic it is.


11. If you could be on the cover of any magazine, which publication would it be and why?       

I figure if I make it onto the cover of People Magazine, given my lack of celebrity status, I'm probably either a national hero (landing a plane on the Hudson, saving a baby from a burning building, etc.) or I am somehow connected to the Sexiest Man Alive. Neither is a terrible option.

Let me know your answers in the comments - I'd love to hear your responses to BHB's questions!

xoxo,

b