grits and dressing

Some days ago I was walking past a highly regarded restaurant in my neighborhood and stopped to look at the menu, which is something of a hobby for me. Under the appetizers were Anson Mills grits, which was enough for me to decide to break away from my Al Di La habit for special events at least once.

I didn't understand grits when I first moved to the South to attend college along with all sorts of amazing goodness like fried okra and sweet tea. As with okra the viscous texture had much to do with my aversion, though I can't discount the fact that my introduction to grits was during a late night stop at the IHOP near campus that had its very own security guard posted outside the front door.

Eventually I came around to grits, though I think it was just an act of will that translated into love. Or just the fact that discrimination charges be damned (I know, I know) my friends and I did frequent Cracker Barrel many, many times. But it was there and similar places that I realized that if there is an actually American food it's Southern.

What kind of dressing do you make?

sibling

My brother is usually tapped as the person who will be the financially and professionally successful of the two offspring of our parents despite (or because of?) the fact that I'm the school nerd of the family. He is charming and kind just like his older sister, but has the added gift of being socially adept.

Early into his college career he thought he might like to be a chef so he worked as a line cook at a restaurant in our hometown where he learned how to debone chickens with extraordinary celerity. Though still skilled in the kitchen he's traded his desire to be a chef for the rare chance to actually use his degree in film studies and comp lit to make money. I don't know either.

He also got to star, produce, and narrate a rather charming short film that is online for viewing.

post-holiday

Since I've been away from the Internets the past several days due to the holidays I missed out on some interesting and tasty pre-Thanksgiving food writing. But in hopes of being prepared for next year (or perhaps just Christmas)I'll link them soon enougy.

Last week at a Thanksgiving dinner held the Tuesday before Kate and I were waiting greedily and hungrily around the buffet talking about the food with two of the usual suspects--Jewish, Harvard-educated guys around our age. Holiday food, we all agreed, was excellent. Like Christmas, Kate and I added. One of the guys said it was better than Christmas since it doesn't have the religion. This started several seconds of awkward silence.

I wanted to add that I'm from the West Coast and several close friends of mine from Jewish families had Christmas trees galore during the holidays. But I don't think people from the East Coast understand the whole Christmas-as-secular-holiday thing.

B.A.

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you're lucky enough to work for Google not only do you get stock options, but possibly the best cafeteria ever.

The literate and cultured twentysomethings apparently think that Buenos Aires is the place to be. This is why we have tenative plans to see what the fuss is about.

So a link just in case we ever make it there. The plan is to spend all of our money on food. But the trip is contingent (at least for me) on my passport coming in the mail sometime in the next few weeks.

thanksgiving!

Holiday Macaroni and Cheese

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
4 slices bacon (or pancetta, etc.) cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 onion diced
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 1/2 cups milk
1-14 ounce can of evaporated milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard (or a teaspoon of prepared mustard)
4 1/2 cups grated cheddar
2 cups Gruyere
1-2 large zucchini chopped into 1" pieces
1 onion roughly chopped
1/2 eggplant chopped into 1/2" to 1" pieces
1 tomato sliced
1 pound macaroni

Part One
1. Sprinkle kosher salt on eggplant and set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Let zucchini slices sit on paper towels.

Part Two
1. Cook macaroni for about 7 to 8 minutes.

Part Three
1. Fry up bacon until crisp in a large saucepan. Remove and set aside.
2. Add onion to bacon grease until translucuent. Add garlic and flour to create the roux.
3. Add milk, when is simmers lower the heat and add salt, pepper, mustard, cayenne, 4 cups of cheddar and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere and stir constantly until all the cheese melts.
4. Add macaroni, bacon, and vegetables to cheese and combine.
5. Place mixture in a buttered 9x13 pan, scatter bread crumbs, remaining cheese, and tomatoes on top.
6. Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes.

pumpkin cake

The recipe is only for one 9" round, but it can easily be doubled and frosted for those who want a complete cake experience. But for someone like me who inhaled one (with some help from Amy and AJ) in 24 hours it's best to do this one at a time.

Pumpkin Cake
1 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup bourbon

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup ground pecans (or other nuts)

1. Place raisins and bourbon in a saucepan and bring to a boil for about two minutes. Cover, remove from heat, and let sit for about an hour.
2. Break up eggs, then add sugar, and gradually the oil and pumpkin.
3. Combine dry ingredients and add to the pumpkin mix.
4. Add raisins, bourbon, and pecans and mix until smooth.
5. Pour batter into a greased 9" round pan and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Notes: My sugar proportion is about 75% brown sugar to 25% granulated white sugar. Also since I grew up with a Korean mother I tend to think of dehydrated ground ginger as an oddity best avoided. Also my mom never bothers with peeling ginger, so I've dispensed with that annoying step as well.

For some reason I think that cream chees frosting would detract from the flavor a bit, so I would be inclined to do a vanilla buttercream with some pecans on top. I mentioned this to Amy who thought that the result might be a little too rich. After last night's version of the cake came out the oven I remembered that I have a package of cranberries sitting in the freezer that probably would have done well with the raisins and bourbon. Next time.

The current job is to cleaning up images while watching Ugly Betty.

For Thanksgiving I'm going to make a Derby Pie, which got a mention in NYT this week. It turns out that the company that holds the trademark for the pie is a little enthusiastic with the Cease and Desist.

But this is the Times' recipe from about two years ago (I think I'm going to add Bourbon):
Fannie Lou's Thoroughbred
(Almost Derby) Pie
[serves 6]

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup semisweet-chocolate chips.


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the crust in a pie plate and prick the bottom with a fork. Cover lightly with a sheet of foil, pressing it gently into the crust and making sure the edges are covered. Place weights (metal pie weights or dried beans) on the foil to weigh down the bottom and hold up the sides of the crust. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove foil. Continue baking until the crust is firm and has lost its sheen but is not browned, about 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the butter, eggs and vanilla extract. Add the brown sugar and flour and mix until thoroughly blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips.

3. Pour the batter into the crust. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and place on a rack to cool. Serve warm.

Also I'm making macaroni and cheese with bacon, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes. I'll post the recipe when I work out some issues with it.

Also I think the folks at TNR know I hate them because for the life of me no full-text database will give me the article I need on Scogin Elam.

distractions.

Jim Webb, you are my favorite former Republican.

As expected Tom Vilsack is in it for 2008. Now we wait for others.

Tonight is supposed to be the night to work on extra-curricular activities, but the two main topics of interest in my life are the increasing disappointment with my chocolate-chip cookie recipe and the fact that I might not like the Beatles.

Regarding the first issue I have no problems with the taste, just the texture in that it's just too chewy and cake-like for a cookie. The next time around I'll change the white-to-brown sugar proportion (currently 3 TS to 1/2 cup) to make it more equal. On the second I have nothing to say except I'll probably be excoriated for holding such an opinion, but there it is.

A small firm I like has the cover to one of the final issues (or maybe the final) of Architecture.

I'll end with a friend's observations from an architecture party even though I believe the architect stereotype is simply lame. I mean, that Fountainhead book totally sucks.

[T]he finance and real estate people embodied their stereotypes to a staggering degree. I suppose we did too, but our stereotype is undeniably cooler. One weird thing: the place was packed with Canadians.

though ...

I made black beans and chocolate chip cookies last night. I think I put in a bit too much cinnamon in the beans making for some cognative dissonance between the olfactory and gustation. The cookies, though, were better than ever with the addition of coconut and a larger proportion of Grand Marnier.

P.S. Blog Partner Who Hasn't Yet Blogged: I need my 9x13 pan back before Thanksgiving.

politics (and not food)

During my morning coffee yesterday I sat next to genial artsy guy and nondescript artsy Japanese girl. They had this conversation:

Guy: I mean, like, Ralph Nader.

Girl: [Silence]

Guy: Like, I've never voted before, but I totally voted for Nader. I hated everyone else and I agreed with like everything Nader said. I hate Kerry and I hate Gore.

Girl: [Silence continued]

At this point I physically restrained myself from walking over and ripping out the guy's throat. Certainly the guy has a right to 1. not give a shit and not vote and 2. be mindless and vote for the candidate of his choosing and 3. still be an fucking obnoxious, intransigent asshole about his vote, but someone should take him out back and clue him in on the fact that he's not fucking voting for president of his own navel.

But after watching election returns over fish and chips at Telephone Bar I'm feeling a bit more charitable. At least until I cross the next defiant Nader-voting moron.

My beloved home state did well with the exception of, as usual, my district.

Re: People We Don't Know. So Spencer Ackerman's propensity for referencing Gorilla Biscuits and Avail on The American Prospect's blog and the fact that he got fired from The New Republic already makes him way cooler than me. Then I find that he also cooks. Truly Too Hot for TNR.

And now I'm staring at a grant application that decided not to save itself after I did exactly that last night. For shame.