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THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2002 link
We've had more trick-or-treaters than we've had since we've lived here. A miniature cowboy and a very young & silent pink unicorn are my favorites so far. I saw a couple of very sweet princesses when I was driving back from the store, but they didn't make it as far as our house.
I made us pumpkin risotto - with a kabocha squash, but doesn't it also go by the name "japanese pumpkin?" - for dinner. Very cheesey and creamy. Instead of wine, I used some leftover sparkling wine from last weekend. Not the use for which Handley Rosé was intended, but delicious.
And thanks to the wonders of a champage-recorking gadget, there were enough bubbles left in the bottle so that we could each have a glass to drink.
Happy Halloween, everyone.
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WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER 2002 link
Have I mentioned that my sister was a beautiful bride? Here's the proof:
My dad walking Jennifer down the aisle.
Jennifer & Aaron (who was a darned handsome groom) with my parents (A.K.A. the caterers).
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MONDAY 28 OCTOBER 2002 link
What a great weekend. Jennifer loved Spa Day. Aaron's family did a great job organizing the rehearsal dinner. His family is very outgoing - they all laugh a lot, they're all easy to talk to, and it seems like they love each other a lot. Jennifer got lucky! Plus, half of them are Filipino, and that's a food bonus, if you ask me. After I know them a little better, I'm inviting myself over for lumpia-making lessons.
The wedding was wonderful. The food was delicious (although I didn't eat nearly enough of it), the cake was gorgeous and yummy, and the decorations were beautiful. Jennifer & Aaron have a very talented group of friends. There were Christmas lights all over the inside and outside of the building. A friend built an art installation for the entry, inspired by their wedding theme (windows open, stars bright). The tables had vases of stargazer lilies and orange tulips, and long the centers of the tables were runners of eucalyptus leaves scattered with pomegranates, persimmons, chestnuts, and miniature eggplants. Very fall, very lovely.
I had tears in my eyes through the entire ceremony, naturally. (They didn't actually fall until after the ceremony.) Jennifer & Aaron are perfect for each other, and I can only imagine that they are going to have a long and happy marriage.
I love you both. Congratulations!
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FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER 2002 link
Sorry about the sparse entries lately. Have I mentioned that my sister is getting married? The wedding is this weekend, and I've been quite busy. I love a wedding. I love a party! It's going to be a lot of fun, starting with today. We're taking my sister to the spa for a very relaxing day - massage, facial, manicure, steaming in the steam room, being bubbled in the jacuzzi.
OTHER READING...
Take a look at The Julie/Julia Project. Julie is spending a year cooking her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking. (Can you imagine a year of eating butter and cream every day?) Her tales of disaster in the kitchen are pretty hilarious. She had me laughing out loud on Wednesday. She started the project at the end of August, so it's not unreasonable to skim through the archives to get all caught up.
Have a great weekend - I'll tell you about the wedding when I'm back on Monday.
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TUESDAY 22 OCTOBER 2002 link
'People who drink wine with meals may protect themselves from food poisoning,' the American Society of Microbiology journal says.
First it's heart disease, now it's food poisoning. I knew there were good reasons for drinking wine! Read all about it, folks.
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MONDAY 21 OCTOBER 2002 link
We had a lovely weekend away, up through Yosemite, over the Tioga Pass to June Lake. The fall colors were amazing - bright, glowing yellow aspen trees and gold cottonwoods. I even got to go to a ghost town that I've wanted to visit - Bodie. It's pretty interesting, looking through the windows at all the stuff people left behind - broken furniture, empty cans and jars, decaying clothes. I was confused by all the electric appliances - apparently my grasp of timelines and technological innovations is a bit thin - but they had a hydroelectric plant in 1879.
We stopped for dinner in Los Banos on the way home. (Does anyone know why there are so many donut shops in Los Banos?) Our friends found a great taco stand, Cutija Taqueria. It's right on 152, just west of the Dairy Queen on the opposite side of the street. There were quite a few flies buzzing around outside, but that was forgiven when we got our carnitas. The carnitas at Tacos Morenos is still the best, but Cutija's runs a close second, and that's saying a lot. Give it a try if you ever pass through town.
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MONDAY 14 OCTOBER 2002 link
My mother was right - I should have been a teacher. I absolutely love it when people ask me questions and I know the answer. I love to help people. My favorite phone calls are people calling with cooking questions. My sister called last night to ask about salsa fresca. And in the grocery store today, someone next to me was buying bulk foods for the first time, and I got to explain about the plastic bags and bin numbers, and tell her how to make tea that doesn't come in premade tea bags.
You know, the other job that would be really fun is a research librarian. Did you know that you can call them on the phone and they will look stuff up for you? I love the librarians that help me on the phone - what fun to be one.
With all that in mind, I'm thinking again about adding a Q&A section to this site. Megan suggested it a year ago, but I never got around to it. Send in your questions everyone, and I'll do my best to answer them.
(Speaking of my mother, I just ran a spell check at her strong suggestion. Sorry about the horrendound amounf of typos that I've been subjecting you to.)
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WEDNESDAY 9 OCTOBER 2002 link
Catherine's back in class this quarter, so I've restarted my once-a-week fish night. This week's turned out very satisfactorily. Snapper, dusted in spiced flour (smoked paprika, regular paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic powder - don't sneer at that last ingredient until you've eaten my fried chicken), and pan-fried in olive oil. Tomato and fresh cranberry bean salad to go underneath - lots of chopped garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. And a little "Malika's Magical Instant Sauce" to go on top of it all.
I came up with my instant sauce when I roasted a chicken one night and brought it to the table to be greeted with, "Isn't there any sauce?" So, I mixed mayonnaise with a little dijon mustard and some lemon juice. Can't make any sauce faster than that.
I'll just say that the combination of fried food (I'm referring to my fish dinner, not the aforementioned chicken) and mayonnaise is a classic. Tomatoes and mayonnaise also go quite happily together as well. Catherine just doesn't know what she's missing.
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MONDAY 7 OCTOBER 2002 link
Cooked for the wedding feast this weekend. It was pretty fun to cook a lot of food in a big kitchen again. I realized how long it's been since I've done that - I got a huge blister on my index finger, from chopping. Now, that's sad. Calluses are things to be proud of - Catherine's got guitar calluses on her fingertips, and I've still got my weight-lifting calluses - and I'm kind of sorry that I've lost my cooking calluses. Changes, I suppose.
That's probably why I dreamed about having a restaurant again last night. I dreamed that it was a breakfast and lunch place, and the first breakfast special was creamy cornmeal cereal with diced dried apricots and fig preserves. Doesn't that sound nice? Like grown-up Cream of Wheat.
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FRIDAY 4 OCTOBER 2002 link
Took a drive up the coast to Pescadero yesterday, for lunch at Duarte's. It's a beautiful drive from Santa Cruz, especially now that it's fall and all the tourists are gone - the roads were deserted, and the weather was perfect. I'm sure I've told you this before, but I'll tell you again what to order: steamed mussels or clams, french fries, and aïoli. (Try to get a little of all three, along with some broth, in one bite.) It's not a combination that they offer on their menu; you have to order the three parts separately. Garlic mayonnaise and french fries were meant for each other.
If you're a dessert person, Duarte's pies are all homemade. I fall for dessert once in a while, but as a usual rule, I'll save my calories for french fries any day, especially their fries.
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WEDNESDAY 2 OCTOBER 2002 link
Anyone who lives in Santa Cruz goes through periods of becoming fed up with the prices, the traffic, the tourists. But go away for a few days or a few years, and Santa Cruz welcomes you home with such open arms that you wonder why you ever left.
It's an amazing day today, sunny and breezy, very autumnal. I was woken up this morning by our windchimes, and went running along East Cliff during the sunrise. It's a day to spend out of doors as much as possible, and even though I'm working, I have every door and window wide open.
Let's hope it's this beautiful on October 26th!
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