Foodmomiac

NaBloPoMo Ends, But It's Just the Beginning...

Wow, November 30th. I really enjoyed this posting every day business. It wasn't terribly hard, and I liked having a goal. So much so, that I have spent HOURS and HOURS working on something new that is coming this weekend. Seriously, this is good. I am very excited, and can't wait to share it.

But, now, I'm off to book club. We read Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert. I absolutely loved it. We've all read books that have changed our lives, right? This is one of those. I'm so excited to chat about it with others who experienced it.

Christmas in New Orleans

  New Orleans, 1996 
  Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac.

Michael's family has typically gone batshit insane for Christmas every year. Too many presents. Too much junk. We always end up with a ton of stuff we don't need, and some of the family can't really afford to be doing this, but each year, as is the case with most people, I'm sure, it just keeps escalating.

This year, we decided to stop the madness. Everyone will still buy for the kids (that's too much fun to give up), but no one is buying anything for the adults. Instead, we are taking the money and spending it in New Orleans.

This photo was taken the last time Michael and I visited, in March of 1996. We were so poor that we stayed in this weird little guest house that had tilted walls and no bathroom. Also, as the above photo demonstrates, I clearly had no budget for clothing. Jesus, I look awful.

I'm currently trying to plan our meals. We have one vegetarian, and two very fussy eaters in the group, so it's a bit of a challenge. You'll probably see lots of my research in the daily linkblogs in the days leading up to the trip. Please feel free to send me tips if you have 'em! This trip is going to be WAY different on a variety of levels, so I think I need all the help I can get!

links for 2006-11-28

• The Wednesday Chef: Maggie Barrett's Ribollita di Luana
  This looks awesome. I wonder if Dylie would eat it?
  (tags: recipes soup ribollita)
• Rancho Gordo: Experiments from my mostly New World kitchen and gardens: Video Lesson in Coooking Beans
  Learn how to cook beans with this video by Steven Sando, the owner of Rancho Gordo. I've been meaning to order some of his beans for over a year now. I think the time might have come. This video is VERY cute - the music is so over the top. I love it.
  (tags: beans vblog ranchogordo)
• Dick & Jenny’s » Supper Menu
  Trying to find restaurants in New Orleans. This looks like a good one - they even have a vegetarian option for my sister-in-law. No reservations. Near Tipitina's, so need to check music schedule.
  (tags: NewOrleans restaurants)
• Deanies Seafood Restaurant
  Great option for boiled seafood - two locations.
  (tags: NewOrleans restaurants)
• Jacques-Imo's Cafe - Real Nawlins Food - Creole Soul
  Classic joint. Must call ASAP for reservations.
  (tags: NewOrleans restaurants)
• Cochon Restaurant
  Wow, I love this menu. They accept reservations via Open Table.
  (tags: NewOrleans restaurants)

Ridiculous

Do you remember last week, when I was moblogging, and I said something about my body being too old to recover from overeating? Well, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that it's not my old age. The bad news? i likely need to have my gall bladder removed. I'm getting an ultrasound tomorrow and should know more by Thursday. What's truly bizarre about this is that I'm convinced I caught my gallstones from the Internet. Well, not really, but check this out:

Back in March, Max cut his first tooth the same weekend as Riley from All & Sundry and Noah, from Amalah. You could chalk that up to coincidence, right?

In October, I received an offer on my Toledo house the same day that Stefania from City Mama received an offer on her house in Portland. We closed on the same day as well (one month later).

Last month, Brenda from Secret Agent Josephine started feeling sick and then needed to have her gall bladder removed. And now I have the same problem.

Cue the theme from the Twilight Zone.

Any tips from the gall bladder-less out there?

A Satisfying Dinner - BBQ Ribs, Salad and Quinoa

Ribs, Salad, Quinoa
Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac.

This was great, and very easy. First, a note on the ribs. A couple of weeks ago, when I made the Ribs Adobo, I bought my meat at Whole Foods. I realize that this was probably stupid (they are SO expensive), but I was short on time. The ribs were $9.99 a pound, and Michael was flabbergasted. So, the next time I went to our local meat market, I checked out THEIR ribs. $9.49 a pound. Not much better!

Yesterday, Max and I went to Costco, and I picked up two meaty racks of baby back ribs. $2.99 a pound!!

They were great. I cut them into individual ribs and boiled them in water seasoned with bay leaves, Old Bay Seasoning and peppercorns, and made sure to skim off the scum that rose to the surface. After these cooked for a while (40 minutes?), I preheated the oven to 300 degrees. I grabbed a 13x9 Pyrex and coated the bottom with barbecue sauce. I then used tongs to place the boiled ribs into the pan (in one layer). Then, I put some more sauce on top. These cooked for about an hour. There are no exact times for this recipe. It's very loosy goosy, so just go with it.

In the back of the picture, you can see a little pile of quinoa. I made it with vegetable broth because I knew neither kid would eat much salad, and that was our vegetable tonight.

I was craving a salad, and I've been digging the fruit/nut thing, so I made a quick salad of boston bibb, sliced pear, sliced baby cucumber and marcona almonds. I tossed this with ranch dressing. Awesome.

A couple of you asked me for details on the salad I ate in Toledo on Saturday. Megen and I made that ourselves. It was very easy, and something anyone could do, really. In terms of a great salad in Toledo, I'm fond of the salad bar at PJ's Deli downtown. If you get a small salad to go, it's just $4.89, and is probably the best deal in town. You can fit a TON of salad in their small container. If anyone wants my secret list of PJ's Deli salad ingredients, drop me an email, and I'll be happy to share.

Also, regarding salads, is there any interest out there in a little video tutorial on how to make the perfect salad? I've been toying with the idea of vlog cooking classes, but would first like to know what you all think of the idea. Do you like video on blogs? If so, what else would you like to see me demonstrate?

links for 2006-11-27

• New Zealand Lamb Canada - Loin Chop Recipes
  We tried the Barba Yianni lamb chop recipe (scroll down to the very bottom), and it was amazing. Serve it with fresh feta.
  (tags: lamb recipes)

Home Sweet Home

My dinner plate
Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac.

Wow, it is so nice to be sitting in my own living room. I loved being with family all weekend, but I missed my own place. I missed my laptop. I missed my bed. I missed my bathroom. I missed my new city.

Thanksgiving was delicious. If you click this photo, you will see a larger version of my plate, with notes indicated what each item is. My favorite? Probably the green beans. Everything else is just so heavy. I told Megen (my sister-in-law) that they were an oasis of lightness on the plate. And, truly, they were. Next year we are thinking of omitting the sweet potatoes. I know they are expected, but they are our least favorite item. Maybe they belong on the dessert menu, instead. Sweet potato pie?

So, our turkey was delicious, but as I mentioned, it was the ugliest bird ever cooked. You think I exaggerate? BEHOLD! This was a classic case of too many cooks in the kitchen. We usually barbecue our turkey. It brines overnight, and then Michael cooks it outside. This year, his mom wanted to make it, but Megen and I couldn't leave well enough alone. My mother-in-law wanted to stuff it, and we wouldn't let her. She cooked it in a giant roaster, which is fine, but she was worried that it would burn, so she kept adding stock. And, she kept lifting the lid. And, we kept chiming in with tips and advice. In the end, the bird ended up boiling in an abundance of stock. The wings stuck to the sides of the roaster because the turkey was too big. When we tried to lift the bird out of the oven, it completely fell apart. Michael's mom thinks it's because we wouldn't let her stuff it. I don't buy that, but I know that next year I'm back to the barbecue. Oh, well. C'est la vie. We were happy to all be together, and as I said, it was still tasty. Just ugly. Any disasters at your houses this year? Any huge successes? What were your favorite dishes? Least favorites?

The last moblog post of the weekend.

Its our last night in Toledo, and we are on our way out to dinner with old friends. It sure is nice to have family available to babysit. I cant believe how poorly my body has reacted to my overeating. I must be getting old or something. Today, my sister-in-law and I had a giant salad for lunch in an effort to recover a bit. Dont know if it worked, but the salad was amazing. Romaine, boston bibb, baby spinach, radish, apple, pistachios and roquefort in a Dijon vinaigrette.

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Twinkies!!

We visited Michaels Aunt Pat tonight. She offered Max a twinkie. He actually danced for it. So cute. I think.

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So full

happy Thanksgiving! Are you all as full as I am? I am eager to share the details of our meal. Despite the ugliest, most deformed turkey ever (though it tasted great), everything was awesome. I am enjoying the computer-free relaxation. I got lots of pictures. Stay tuned!

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