31 Monday Jan 2011
Posted in Uncategorized
Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein highlight the comical downside of the local food movement in this hilarious clip from their new show “Portlandia”:
http://www.hulu.com/embed/UhLMzRrBxBmUpmQaRCj1tg
As an owner of a well-cared for and entertained flock of local mostly organic chickens I found this clip hysterical! What do you think?
His name was Bacon!
26 Wednesday Jan 2011
Posted in Growing Up Julia
Me writing my first blog!
Other kids had Saturday cartoons. I had Julia.
Combing my long toddler hair was such an ordeal that my mother went against her better judgment and plopped me down in front of the tube so that I would stop fidgeting. She did, however, exercise strict control over which programs I could watch during these hair-wrangling sessions. Julia was at the top of the list. From then on Julia Child has always been one of my top three idols (the other two being Bonnie Raitt and Miss Piggy). I have been watching her for as long as I can remember; so long that the memories of my maternal grandmother and Julia have melded into one person. Hey, both taught me how to cook! In my head, my grandmother is there teaching me to make chicken pastry but the voice coming out is distinctly Julia’s.
I would sit in front of the TV consumed and inspired. I started to cook as soon as I could, constantly mimicking what I saw on the screen and around me. As I grew older, I continued to watch Julia, learned to bake and discovered Jacques Pepin. My mother, an incredible cook and cookbook collector extraordinaire, began to give me her cookbooks and surrounded me with a growing amount of culinary equipment. Soon I was holding my own in the kitchen, even if I was losing the battle with combing my hair
When it came to college Julia guided me once again. I was a stubborn little bastard when I was looking at schools. It was settled in my mind: I was going to RISD and my parents would just have to deal with it. They insisted (thank the academic gods!) that I go to a liberal arts school. Bah Humbug! How uncool! Then to top it off they wanted me to look at an all women’s college. What on earth? I flat out refused. “Did you know Julia Child went there? And sometimes she comes back to her old ‘house’ and cooks with the students.” Before I knew it I was packed into an auditorium with a hundred other anxious college bound girls and their families listening to Smith College’s pitch. I had seen the Olmsted designed campus. I had seen the houses. I had met the art professors. I was impressed but still not convinced.
During my High School Cake Phase
Suddenly, a woman rushed onto the auditorium stage and whispered something to into the presenter’s ear. The presenter looked out over the audience. “I am sorry to announce that one of our most beloved alumnae has just passed away”. The audience gasped. She didn’t even need to say her name. Julia was gone, along with any hope of my ever getting to meet her. For some strange reason I took it as a sign. I belonged here. On November 15th I applied early decision and have never looked back.
Graduating in 2009, my class and generation found ourselves faced with one of the worst recessions in history. I have moved back in with my parents. I am not the next “IT” artist. I am not creating the next Facebook. I am not working for NPR. I am not an intern with Conde Nast. I am, like most of my friends, back in my hometown praying for work. (In full disclosure I do have a wonderful job with a non-profit arts organization that I adore. It is part time and a grant-funded position so if I were not living with the ‘rents’, I do not know how I would survive.) Once again, Julia showed up to comfort me. Re-reading her biography I was reminded that after Smith, Julia moved back in with her parents and didn’t come into her own until after WWII. If Julia could wait that long then, damnit, so can I! So in the meantime I began to cook.
I am back in my childhood kitchen: a wonderland of mess and encyclopedic amount of equipment and books. Suddenly I have the time and space to cook and explore whatever I want. I am interested in Southeast Asian, Indian, Northern African, Middle Eastern and Greek cuisines, but the standard is always French and the ultimate authority is always Julia.
24 Monday Jan 2011
Posted in Food Porn, Late Night Munchies
There were no leftovers in the fridge. We were too tired to cook. The table was covered in take-out menus and NOTHING was catching our attention. We were exhausted, hungry and couldn’t find or agree upon any food to fulfill our cravings.
My boyfriend, Benjamin, and I had just returned from skiing. I stared blankly at Northampton’s take out offerings. Everything was overpriced or I had eaten there too often. To make matters worse Benjamin flipped on Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations”, a show that is plain evil when you are hungry or filled with wanderlust (both of which described me).
There was Anthony gallivanting about Paris. Ten minutes in I caught both Benjamin and me salivating and on the verge of drooling. That ripe, oozing cheese looked so damn luscious. I wanted to jump through the screen, rip that delicious meat away from Anthony or Eric Ripert and scarf it down like some deprived, crazed wolf. My stomach started screaming. Benjamin jumped to his feet. “This is freaking Food Porn. I want all of it.” Next thing I knew I was in the car and off to Whole Foods Market for our own night of Food Porn. Our mission: Buy ingredients to fulfill our guiltiest food pleasures of the moment.
Forty dollars and an hour later, we were back in the kitchen with a veritable array of ingredients. The wine was open, the food was coming in waves and my hunger woos were cured. Benjamin and I were laughing and smiling like crazed fools. I have always known that cooking makes me happy but something hit me that night. Benjamin noticed too:
The cook in action
“I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time! Why don’t you just cook all the time? You enjoy it. Those around you enjoy it. It is a win-win scenario. Whatever happened to that food, travel and agriculture blog you were going to start? ”
“There are way to many food blogs. Every bored woman or hipster with a keyboard and the munchies has one. Damn whiny Julie Powell already laid claim to writing about Julia.”
“Who cares?! Write it for yourself!” With that Benjamin shoved some caramelized onions
(Ben’s absolute guilty food pleasure) in my mouth and effectively muted my other arguments.
So here I am…
I do not know exactly where I am going with this blog but I have thought about creating it often. I will post an explanation of the blog name next. Growing Up Julia is a phrase that has been in my head for a while. Julia Child has been one of my greatest idols and mentors forever. I have grown up with Julia, as though she were by my side, guiding me with her words of wisdom through her books, shows and other materials.
Just to clarify, the name is simply to pay homage to my culinary heroine. I will post some of my favorite recipes and tidbits about Julia, but the blog is not meant to be solely about her. Instead I see Julia Child as the starting point. In fact I think of the following quote of hers as a mission statement of sorts for this blog:
“Learn to cook–try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”
— Julia Child (My Life in France)
So without further ado here is my night of fearless, culinary fun: BEHOLD THE NIGHT OF FOOD PORN:
D'Affinois Cheese with Medjool Dates
First: We had a divine appetizer of D’Affinois Cheese with sliced Medjool dates and toasted bread. Now I have my own luscious cheese, Bourdain! D’Affinois is one of those completely sensual, rich, smooth and incredible cheeses. The dates worked perfectly with the cheese despite my initial doubts.
Second: We picked two of Ben’s favorite comfort foods: Caramelized Onions and Beef. We seasoned some ground Sirloin beef with just salt and pepper and then added in diced onions and chunks of Cheddar Cheese. Once they were cooked, we topped them off with some caramelized onions and more cheese and served them on grilled
Mini Sirloin Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Cheddar
sourdough with Tierenteyn mustard.
Third: Time for pasta, which is easily in my top 5 favorite foods. I love making it. I love eating it. Simply put, it is God to me. No low-carb diets for this girl! A great sauce is a must for fresh pasta. We created our own take on a Primavera theme. We made the sauce with garlic, asparagus, Chanterelle mushrooms, tomatoes, butter, cream and plenty of Parmesan cheese. The Chanterelle mushrooms added a delightful smoky aroma to the tomato based cream sauce. It added an extra depth and dimesnsion that is normally absent in many versions of this dish. The kick from the red pepper made sure that there was just the right amount of heat to balance out the cream and cheese.
Asparagus waiting to be chopped
Late-Night Primavera
Ingredients:
Instructions:
. 1. Bring water to boil in large stockpot for pasta; add 2 Tbl salt. Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside.
. 2. Add cut asparagus to boiling water in pot; cook 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon drain out the asparagus pieces and immediately transfer them into ice water bath to stop cooking; let sit until chilled, about 3 minutes. Drain well and set aside. Reserve the boiling water for the pasta.
. 3. Heat 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat until foamy in a saucepan. Add Chanterelle mushrooms and sauté until the flavor begins to fill your kitchen, 5 – 7 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and red pepper flakes, reduce heat to low, and simmer until tomatoes begin to lose their shape. Add cream and simmer until slightly thickened. Transfer to a bowl, set aside and cover.
. 4. Add fresh pasta to boiling water until pasta is al dente (it will float to the surface and should be done in about 3 minutes. ALWAYS test to make sure it is cooked the way you like before draining).
. 5. While the pasta is cooking add the remaining butter in the saucepan and heat until foamy. Add the garlic and sauté until the neighbors are banging at your door because of the amazing aroma about 1 minute. Next add the asparagus and cook until heated through and riddled with garlic flavor about 2 – 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Then add the tomato, mushroom and cream sauce to the pan and bring it back to temperature.
. 6. When the pasta is done, drain and add back to now-empty stockpot. Pour the sauce into the pot with pasta and toss well to coat over low heat. Serve portions into bowls and immediately cover with a decadent coating of Parmesan cheese.
Bon Appetit!
Late-Night Primavera
