Better Brands Bogus

Yesterday Christopher and I jumped into spring; we sorted all of our clothes. We each decided to rid ourselves of 20% of our wardrobe. It took all day; basically a never ending fashion show of sorts. We were able to accomplish our goal. We found that Chris has accumulated enough button down shirts to send a whole baseball team to their first interviews, and I fortunately have a spring dress problem. (Fortunately because it's almost spring and I will just be able to wear a dress every day for two weeks without doing laundry.)

So after narrowing down our favorites, I separated the better brands from the donation clothes in order to sell some and take the others to the Goodwill. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of stores who will buy those random t-shirts with logos on them that aren't a brand name. We actually came up with two big bags of better brand name clothing in good condition. So this morning I hauled two oversized  reusable bags filled with men's & women's clothes and some accessories and took them out to Plato's Closet.

The last experience that I had there I wasn't too happy with. They rejected a lot of my clothes. But it was the first time that I had sold to them so this time I had the low-down. They took a lot of time to look over my clothes and I took this as a good sign. Meanwhile I scanned the numerous color coded aisles to see if anything was to my liking. I would say the store is pretty tweeny. It made me feel pretty old, it seems like such a long time ago that I had to have a Hollister labeled hoodie. But there are still some good finds that aren't branded with a name and are unique- they are just hidden amongst all of the other names.

When the girl called me up to the counter my bags looked the same as when I brought them in. I was really astonished because I did make sure to pick out all of the damaged clothes, and I only brought what I figured they would want. Turns out they could buy thirteen of my items and offered me $40 for them. I want to know the system. I know that they can sell them for half of the value of their original value and that I only receive 50% of the price they can sell it at. But I don't like the system. They show you the bucket of clothes that they decided to buy and ask you not to mix them up, so you can't really see if you are really getting a good price for the items you are selling. But they win either way, because you want those clothes gone. Your next stop is the Salvation Army to donate the remainder so you will take whatever they give you. It's unfortunate. They let me know that some of the clothes were out dated and they only buy clothes that are in fashion. Who decides what's in fashion? How do they train these trend seeking clothes pickers? It's a little insulting. I know they are the buyer and all but who is to say that someone won't come in to their store and find something they told me was out of fashion really cool? I remember when I first wore Culottes (the shorts that look like a skirt) in high school and no one knew what the heck they were. Now the racks are full of them. Doesn't someone have to bring in the style? Where do people bring those styles back from if they won't buy "unstylish clothes?"

Culottes

Goodwill that's where. I sold my things because money is tight and because every penny counts but does it feel good? No. It feels good to know that when I give my clothes to Goodwill, or Salvation Army, or VOA that someone is going to appreciate the clothes that I find are of value. Someone is going to be surfing through the clothes looking for a good find and they are going to be stoked that they found such a great shirt for such a thrifty price. Or even better, someone is going to be kept warm by my out of style jacket next winter that only cost them a few bucks. My best finds have come from the thrift stores, from the no name brands, from the underdogs. I appreciate appreciation versus rude money.  To hell with better brands!

Serious Suitor?

The word boyfriend is so pedestrian, juvenile almost. The response that comes from the word boyfriend is casual or insignificant. It doesn't matter what age you are, or how many years you have been dating, the word "boyfriend" needs to be edited. In the past, if you went on a date with someone that was different than going steady. So does that mean that we should revisit that phrase going steady?

When does a relationship become serious? When two people commit to one another, and that does not have a set time frame. It could be two years or two months. How can anyone besides the people in the relationship judge when a relationship counts? Some couples get married within a year of knowing each other, some couples never get married! Unfortunately, marriages do not always last forever, so maybe the sincerity of a relationship should not be judged by the ring on your finger.


All of us who are in a relationship look down now or then on a relationship that has been in existence less time than ours. Is that okay? Teens in high school are in relationships for the first time. People who have been through high school and have had that first relationship experience tell the youngsters that "there are many fish in the sea" because in their experience they did not marry their high school sweetheart. I am guilty of this. There are people out there who do spend the rest of their lives with a high school sweetheart, I want to know their outlook on those dating in high school now. What do they tell their teenage kids? "Hey I found your father in high school, it is possible that, Justin Bieber look a like, Nate will in fact be the one for you". It seems like this relationship race never ends.


I am legally an adult. I have passed some of the major milestones of adulthood: I can drive a car, I am able to vote for representatives of this country, I could enlist in the army if I wanted to, I have graduated college, I live on my own, I am eligible to drink alcohol, I am in a serious relationship. I am still considered a young adult. I can only guess that this is because adult is a span from age eighteen to sixty five, which means that you are considered a young adult until age forty-one and a half, at which point you pass into the old adult category until at age sixty five you graduate into senior citizenship. When I tell people I am serious about my relationship I receive mixed reviews. Some people are very supportive but the majority of people shrug off my sincerity with a "you're young" in sort of a 'we'll see' tone. It's very disheartening, like they are sure of failure. How can they be so sure if I am so sure of the opposite?

When a man gets down on one knee, does that mean that he is committed to his relationship? Again, unfortunately there are infidelities that happen even after this milestone of engagement. Those in the relationship know when they are committed to each other and I don't feel that it has to do with a diamond ring. When one in the relationship, pops the questions to the other- the element of surprise is in when the question was asked and all the excitement that follows it. Now I could be wrong, but I think that seldom does the surprise originate from the fact that the question is being asked.

 I believe that marriage is the legitimization of a relationship before God. I also know it is a legal recognition of a bond. But as priorly mentioned, both of these contracts have been broken before. And some aren't broken, but there are some marriages that are not happy ones. So why does our society continue to believe that they know when our relationships are genuine or not so much? Shouldn't they just stay out of it? It only takes two to tango.

Yesterday I came across a status of a young married woman who was fed up with everyone asking her when she was going to have a baby. She exclaimed that just because she was married did not mean that she wanted to jump right into the next step. I was perturbed. Even after we get married there are still people who are nagging us to further legitimize our relationships? "We're married! Isn't that good enough for now?!" What's the rush?

Don't get me wrong. I am very excited to get married. I often tease my boyfriend about when the time will come. A little pressure never hurt anyone. But I know his commitment level and he knows mine. Who gives anyone else the right to belittle my relationship just because we haven't proceeded from boyfriend/girlfriend to fiancé to husband and wife? Should we be introducing those special someones as boyfriend forever instead of just boyfriend? I don't think any of us should have to.

If you think you have car trouble...

I haven't written about my Volvo, Donna, in a while..luckily. But recent events have made it impossible to not mention her.

So Chris and I recently had the pleasure of visiting my uncle, aunt, and cousins in New Jersey. We drove the 5 hours down without a problem, just to visit for a short weekend. In the restaurant industry it is rare that you are given a Saturday off so we were excited to celebrate it with a road trip. I had not seen my aunt and uncle for a couple of years and it was great to catch up. My cousins Courtney and Ryan had come to visit us a couple of months ago but we always enjoy seeing them because they are only a few years older than us so we have a great friendship. I grew up visiting this side of the family at the Jersey shore and so reuniting brought back a lot of childhood memories. It was the first time that Chris got to meet my aunt and uncle, but it's always such a confirmation when family immediately treats your other half like they are already family.

The weekend went very well. A few hours before we left my cousin Ryan mentioned that his vehicle was probably going to die soon because his check engine light had been blinking. Stupid me, I said "It's blinking? That's never happened to me before.." Well sure enough halfway home, my check engine light started blinking. We made it back to my parents, and refilled the fluids, then trekked on back to Rochester. I called around and asked for the most trustworthy mechanic around- because we all know how difficult is to find a mechanic. After dropping my car off at a place outside of the city I got a call with the damage. The first number I got was $645. Weeeooo. That was to get my tie rods fixed, my radiator replaced, and my spark plug wires replaced. Right off the bat I let the mechanic know that the tie rods had been loose for a year and that had not stopped me from driving it. That brought the price down to $440. I then called my trusty hometown mechanic and he let me know that I should just get the spark plugs replaced and then bring it to him to have him check it out the leakage from the radiator. So finally I had the price of $241 which- compared to the first price was a relief.

Once I paid that debt, I tried out my new spark plug wires on the first beautiful day of the year! The Volvo was driving great until a lady pulled out of a driveway, apparently not seeing me and my passenger bumper hit her front fender. Really? REALLY? yeah really. So I spent a good part of the day on the phone with two insurance companies. But, the woman who failed to see me driving on the main road was obviously at fault and her insurance company set me up to have my car inspected and fixed on them, AND a rental car free of charge. So I guess my whole week would be filled with auto shops, but hey at least it wasn't going to cost me any money.

 Before I was to get my light fixed I had to get my radiator looked at by trustworthy Brad my hometown mechanic.  After dropping Donna off my dad shuttled me off to scope out the tire market. For the winter, I was lucky enough to have hefty snow tires but the regular tires were completely bald and so I thought I would get the tires on now that THE SNOW IS GONE. Apparently, there was NOTHING wrong with my radiator. Yeah, um sorry I can't just drop 200 bucks to replace a radiator that is not broken. Long story short, I drove away with four brand spankin new tires and I couldn't have felt better. Until today.

I took my car in for the insurance claim and to get it fixed. They traded in my good old 98 Volvo for a brand new Mini Cooper. I have not been a huge fan of this car until now but Christopher has tried to talk me into this car before. And now, I am thinking about it. Not only do I get to drive in an upgrade for the weekend FOR FREE, but the shop called me with a compromise. They offered to fix the broken headlight and give me a couple of hundred dollars versus fix the headlight and repaint the front fender as well as fix a few scrapes on the front of my car. So obviously I took the money. I guess there is often a silver lining, you just might have to go through a lot of trouble in order to get to it.

Braving the Elements of Funky Foods

I thought I would write about a few situations in my food life where I had to set aside my instincts in order to indulge some culinary delicacies. As I have previously mentioned I am really interested in the art of butchery and this is where some of my icky sticky situations come in. Although I now enjoy  cutting protein, I didn't always. And although I would call myself pretty brave when it comes to trying new foods and working with interesting ingredients, there are plenty of times where I am skeptical. Hopefully these short memoirs will encourage you to stick your neck out in order to further your own culinary adventures.

Something's Fishy

I was immediately fond of cutting fish. It is very satisfying to fillet as close to the bones as possible and yield the most edible product out of a whole fish. The second culinary class I took at school was called Fish Fabrication. We started with a fish fresh from the port, most were already gutted, but primarily the fish looked like a fish- eyes, tongue, tail, scales, and all. The class was not only about taking the fish apart in order to extract the usable pieces, but also about identification and freshness checks. What color is the tongue? picking out the dorsal fin versus the pelvic and anal fins. Are the eyes big and round or kind of droopy? Fish should not smell fishy- fish should smell like the ocean. If it smells fishy it's probably not fresh. All of this knowledge was really neat and I was intrigued. I started filling my spare time by helping fabricate fish after class. What's neat about the CIA is that all of the food is eaten by students and faculty. The fish is cut by students first learning to cut fish and then sent to another classroom full of students who are learning to cook fish and then eaten by students who want fish for lunch. So they need all of the extra help that they can get in order to cut the fish that other classes have ordered. I really mastered the skill. Every day I would spend at least two extra hours cutting fish. So who else you ask was as invested in their education as I was that they were willing to stink up their chefs coat with a few extra hours of fish work? Enter Christopher Buzzelli (who now happens to be my boyfriend).

Some of the fish we received came iced down like this is boxes

And guess who taught the famous super chef Christopher Buzzelli the right way to cut fish- that's me (he may tell you differently). That was our first interaction. I guess he must have been impressed with me. "Girl, the way you scale that fish makes my heart skip a beat." Anyway the fish we fabricated side by side is Skate which is one of the gooiest kinds of fish. It is from the ray family and therefore emits uric acid through its skin. So when cutting it you may find your hands starting to sting. Skate also have thorn like catches on their skin that easily tear open your hands when trying to get to the flesh. But after braving through the thorn patches and wading through the stinging goop, you will find yourself with one beautiful wing of delicate skate meat. I am telling you not to be afraid. Do not fear any whole fish. If it's whole, it's fresh. Although you might be wary of fish in general you have no reason to be. If you are afraid to touch it don't let that make you afraid of eating it, but if you aren't afraid to eating it, you should not be afraid to touch it. Get out there and try something new, you may end up falling in love. 

Don't be a Chicken

Skip a year or so down the road and you will find me on the cusp of graduation. Ready to finish my culinary degree in a great new restaurant on campus; the Bocuse restaurant. Now old news, but then astonishing that modern food was playing such a big roll in the education of CIA students. Not me. I am not into that modern hullabaloo that so many people, including Christopher, love. So what roll would I fall into in this class? The butcher position. Rightfully so I guess. I had an interest a while back which I kind of forgot about and then all the sudden it fell right back into my lap. I didn't have to work with immersion circulators or foams of any kind, I would just fall back onto the classic fabricating techniques that I loved. 

But the one thing I was uncomfortable with was chicken. I had broken down a chicken before, but the memory had not made it into my muscles. And plus raw chicken is probably one of the ingredients I am least fond of. In my opinion chicken doesn't have a lot of flavor unless you brine it or soak it in buttermilk for five days and then fry it. But I just found myself very hesitant about breaking down the chicken. Raw chicken is a bacteria trap right? Well finally my day came and I had to break down 2 whole cases of chicken. 16 chickens per case. So I started with the first chicken, a little grossed out by the sagging skin and the slimy feel. But by the time I got to the 10th chicken, I had it down and after the 32nd chicken, I had rid myself of the grossed out feeling. Sometimes the only way to get over a fear is to face it head on and see what the outcome is. 

Meat Fabrication class making sausage 

Liver Lover

Foie Gras, not a big fan, not at all really. Not because of where it comes from- I am okay with liver- in fact I love a good chicken liver pate smeared over some warm crostini. But I guess the liver combined with the taste just isn't to my liking. I first faced foie gras in my second year at culinary school in a class called Garde Manger. In this class, you are taught primarily about cold food preparations. Pickles, sausages, salads, pates, crackers, and the like. I was given the great task of cleaning the foie gras. It's a lot of work. You have to pull out a million tiny veins tenderly out of the fragile, milky lobes of foie. It's really a pain in the neck. After cleaning the goose liver, we then packed it into a mold where it sat for a while until it had formed into a brick. Then we were expected to spread a slab of it on toast. Let me tell you what it tasted like- Gamey Crisco. As I mentioned- not a fan. Christopher had urged me to try warm foie gras instead of choking it down chilled. But I stood firm with my anti foie gras motion. That is until a few weeks ago when I ate it without knowing. 

Foie Gras Terrine 

Forcemeat made in Garde Manger 

Very often people talk about the fifth flavor (after bitter, sweet, salty, sour): Umami. What is this mysterious oo-mommy? It's pretty much a synonym for savory. But how is something categorized as savory? My answer would be, not sweet, but that's not necessarily correct. It is most often found naturally in meats and vegetables but chefs have to find a way to put it into their dishes without always adding meat or vegetables- they have to find an alternative way to extract it. If you want something salty, you add salt. If something needs to be sweeter, add a form of sugar. Sour, well a lemon or lime. Bitter brings me to dark chocolate or beer. But savory? Many fermented products contain that flavor, as well as kombu (a form of dried seaweed), and MSG. As a side note- MSG is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. In fact, when used in moderation it can add just what any certain dish may need. But a lot of chefs go to great lengths to extract this umami from other ingredients or put two ingredients together in order to create umami, which is the real challenge. Where I most recently found umami was in foie gras. After popping some kernels over the stove, Christopher presented me with his latest popcorn flavor- in the mystery flavor wrapper. A taste I quite couldn't describe, and therefore it was Umami. Instead of tossing my popcorn in butter, Chris had added some softened foie gras and let me tell you, it was delicious. In order to taste new flavors, you have to be willing to try new things. If not all of you are lucky enough to have a trusty side kick who will force feed you the foods you refuse to eat, then I suggest you expand your horizons and do it on your own. I would, I just have inherited a real stubborn streak. 

Tongue Tied

Most recently I have had dealings with a very large beef tongue. The worst part about the tongue is that it looks like a tongue. It really is an oversized human tongue, and it feels like one too only a little bit tougher. I remembered all of those fairs that I traveled to where the calf's tongue felt so smooth sucking on my finger, well apparently not when they grow up. Tough and thick and incredibly textured. So the tongue came into our possession because Chris' parents were so generous as to give us a freezer full of meat to get us through the winter. And of course they figured if anyone knew what to do with a tongue it would be us. So here we are near the end of winter (hopefully) and our freezer has been picked through with only a few things remaining, one of those being the frightening tongue. So I found a recipe and I started the process- first brine the tongue for 5 days. Disgusted I cut the tongue out of the packaged and plopped it into the cooled brining liquid. After the brining period I had to remove the tongue and store it in a plastic bag. It had the feel of that scratchy cat tongue. Again- the only way to describe a tongue is that it looks and feels like a tongue, I know it's a poor description but it's all I've got.

The tongue after cooking and peeling off the outer layer

We found  quite a recipe for tongue sandwiches and while improvising a little here and there we started to cook the tongue in a water bath filled with fresh vegetables. You are able to tell when the tongue is cooked through when you can peel the outer layer off of the meat entirely. That was quite the challenge. It was a struggle of trying not to touch the tongue while attempting to peel the thick skin off at the same time. After braving the tongue debacle, we were able to make the sandwiches with some melted cheese and pickled banana peppers. It was good. I bet if we made it again it would be better the second time because we would know what we were doing, but it really wasn't bad. And although I had to swallow my tongue (so to speak), in order to eat the tongue meat without thinking of it as a tongue, I was really glad that I went out of my comfort zone in order to try something new. Try it, what's the worst that can happen- you don't like it and you never eat it again. But you never know unless you try.

Tongue Sandwiches

Equinox Talks

I have officially decided that I cannot wait for spring. So I am bringing Spring in.

Today I started working on my bikini body. I know I know probably should've not packed on those winter warmth pounds at all, but I will not get back in a bikini until I feel fit. You will have to settle for the dreaded tankini... I went for a run. Wha whattt? Ok maybe a jog. I bundled up, hat, gloves, loads of layers and was off. You know that feeling in your lungs when the cold air just completely takes over. Yeah I got that. The way I see it, doing something is better than nothing. So I am on the right track.

I rid my drawers of bulky winter sweaters. I am going to wear spring clothes, maybe all Mother Nature needs is a little encouragement. She probably won't tell the difference between my sheet white legs and the slightly tanned stockings I wear under that skirt right?

I am currently obsessed with nail polish. Let me tell you as a chef, you can't wear nail polish. No one wants a bright red flake of polish in their mushroom risotto! So I have lived a life where my toes have been spoiled. Pedicures all around...you don't cook with your feet. So might as well take advantage of the days I am not spending in the kitchen by brushing my nails with spring pastel colors! First I tried 'mint sorbet' oolala then I moved onto 'lacey lilac' and today I am getting into some 'mellow yellow'. It brings a bit of spring which doesn't seem to be out there naturally today.

Here are some of the reasons that I can't wait for spring:
1. SUNLIGHT. Shoot I need some Vitamin D. I have become an early to bed girl for the winter months, but now there is reason to stay outdoors longer because of the light!2. Sun dresses. I have way more spring clothes than winter clothes.
3. COLOR. no, I can't say I get a lot of 'tanned' skin. I am talking about color in my wardrobe.
4. Freckles. Maybe I don't get that warm brown skin, but I am looking forward to some freckles peeking out.
5. Sun roof. 'Nuff said
6. Work! When May 1st hits, I will have a steady full time job like a normal person! And I can't tell you how ready I am to be working every single day! Let the busy season commence (I may regret this later)
7. Flower shoots. I just today saw a few green shoots breaking their way through the ice cold ground. I want to witness that change from brown to green!
8. The Public Market. If you haven't been informed- Rochester NY has a wonderful farmers market with WONDERFUL prices and farm fresh ingredients. I have spent too much time in the grocery store and I can't wait to shop outside again!
9. Farm Days! I am sick of root vegetables, bring on spring! The farm will not start until June, but spring means the vegetables have a chance to grow.
10. Yard sales. I mean come on.
11. Outdoor. Everyone needs a lot more fresh air then we get in the winter time. So I am psyched.
12. A change. Chris and I will be moving mid May, and I can't wait for a change. As much as we love our first place together. We are ready downsize and start a new adventure.
13. No more bulky coats! Goodness.
14. Food trucks.
15. Free concerts in the park. Sitting on the lawn. Enjoying the grass between your toes and the breeze in your hair.

Ok Spring, Here is your encouragement. Whenever you are ready.

Fussing Over Food

Let's talk about foods you don't like.

For Me:

hot dogs 

olives

peanut butter

caesar salad

yellow mustard

anise

root beer

dr. pepper

fennel 

licorice

pimento cheese

sesame oil

pickles

tarragon 

anchovies 

beer

bonito 

American cheese singles

coconut 

foie gras 

frisee 

lavender 

lychee

malt balls

raw onions

pheasant 

sun dried tomatoes

A lot of items are grouped together, for instance if you don't enjoy licorice that includes anise, fennel, and tarragon. Why don't we like certain foods? And when is the appropriate time to try new things?

I stick to my list, but this doesn't mean that I don't eat a salad if it has frisee in it, in fact I recently had a pretty good salad with frisee in it. I also enjoy some things that include coconut I just don't like something that focuses on coconut- like coconut cream pie. Another example of a food on my list that  is an exception is foie gras. Probably 7/10 people would agree that they dislike foie. How many of those 10 people have tried foie gras more than five times? I will not order a menu selection focused on foie gras, but that doesn't mean that when Chris secretly puts some foie in with my popcorn that I refuse to eat it. I actually enjoy it. Some items I will only eat some ways: I don't like yellow mustard but especially when people put it on sandwiches! Yellow mustard is a condiment for hot dogs and hamburgers, not smeared on white bread to compliment a turkey sandwich. That's what dijon is for. I also enjoy olives when mixed in my salad. I will not eat the olives but I like the flavor that they add to the salad.

Your tastebuds are constantly changing. The life span of a taste bud is anywhere from one to two weeks before they are replaced with new buds. Hopefully this not only encourages you to test out new flavors but to inspire your children to as well. A lot of the reason we like certain foods and dislike others has to do with our surroundings. Our parents, friends, and those we admire play a role in the flavors we lean towards and away from. If a family member makes a face when eating a pickle, we might shy away from it because of the memory. If your mother brings you up on tuna noodle casserole you might enjoy it into your adult years because you ate it once a week. The opposite could be true as well. I don't favor cranberry juice because when I was small all I drank was cranberry juice, non stop.

I think that people get wrapped up in the foods that they don't like and they allow that to dictate what they try and more often what they don't. I will admit that my list is pretty long, and I am not proud of it. As a food lover, I am obligated and willing to try all new foods whenever they are presented to me. And most often I find that I can thankfully cross a dislike off of my list. Sure, there will be items that might be on my list forever, but that can be attributed to my profound stubbornness. The list of foods I like is a lot longer than the list of foods that I don't like, thankfully. Restaurants might be the best place to give your tastebuds a chance. Instead of asking for the chefs to omit a certain ingredient you disapprove of, trust them and you may be surprised!

A Glimpse of Spring

Spring is really trying hard. Today it's a wonderful 52 degrees: no need for a coat. It's incredible how much everyones mood changes just because of the sun's rays. When normally people are so cranky and inconsiderate, today at the gas station someone asked if I was the next car in line- they were able to do this because there window was down and so was mine!  At the grocery store, I took a pull through spot only to find another car waiting to go  into the spot from the other side. Instead of cursing me out, he waved me through and took a spot a little farther from the front entrance, probably because he didn't mind walking in the sunshine! The weather effects and affects people more than they realize.

Chris brought home these daffodils yesterday and they had not opened yet. The tag said to just add water and they will guarantee a smile and a hint of springtime.

 I seriously do not ever remember a winter this bad, but a few factors may attribute to this. I think in this day in age where 58% of people have a smart phone; people are more aware of the temperature than they have been in the past. People would complain about the cold, but unless they wanted to freeze their buns off to go and look at the thermometer outside, they just stuck with the word cold instead of subzero, freezing, or record low. When I was young, I would have to go outside in order to determine what would be appropriate to wear that day. Now, the first thing I do in the morning is look at the temperature. "Oh I guess today I will wear three layers" or "I hope my wool socks are clean" not very often do you hear, "Short sleeves!" What are short sleeves? I don't even remember.

My cousin parading her practically new snow suit. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder is really sad (but really, it's acronym is SAD). It has been estimated to affect about 10 million Americans and a mild case of seasonal depression is estimated to affect 10-20% of other Americans. This year, I don't know anyone who wasn't affected. Winter brought out the worst in people this year. I found myself hibernating some days, waiting for the sun to prevail with no such luck. I had no way to release my energy, and so like most children whose parents wouldn't let them face the frigid temperatures- I became antsy and found myself thinking way too much. I visited my aunt and cousins a week ago and she expressed her grief of the toll the weather has taken on herself and two young girls. "Why did we buy new snow suits, if they only had a chance to wear them twice!? The new boots we bought this year won't fit next season."  I am all for playing in the snow, but not when the temperatures are 5 degrees- real feel -11. It's actually insane. My landlord who lives upstairs has two dogs that drive me nuts! They are meant to roam and run around in the outdoors, not sound like they are coming through the ceiling. But they will freeze! One morning I had to call animal control because the dog next door had been barking for a solid hour in negative temperatures.

And we can't catch a break. Tomorrow there is a "SEVERE WEATHER ALERT: 100% chance of precipitation. Winter Storm Warning in effect tomorrow. Hazards- heavy snow and blowing snow. Storm total accumulations of 12 to 20 inches." Seriously?  Good thing I filled up my tan today in the sunshine versus tomorrow in a snow storm. I am sure that everyone is hoping that the temperature won't drop low enough to accumulate that much snow, but I wouldn't put it passed Mother Nature, she seems to be on quite the tirade this year. I guess we can just dream of summer. I hope this weather won't affect the vegetation too badly. I hate when the trees don't change colors in the fall because it gets too cold, too fast. But what about the vegetables? Will the spring growing season be prolonged?

Usually I am wearing dresses at this time of year, but alas my legs seem to have permanent goose bumps. I am ready to throw out all of my winter clothes and replace them with some lighter apparel, but I guess spring cleaning cannot commence until spring actually comes to stay.

Last year this time I was soaking up the sun.

FarmFresh

Recently Chris and I have been watching a documentary series on PBS called "A Chef's Life". This series is about a woman and her husband and how they open their own restaurant called 'Chef and the Farmer'. It's a really neat story of how just after opening their restaurant it burns to the ground and they need to start over. I can guess that it would be pretty tough, but it could also be quite a miracle. If you think about it, just after opening a restaurant there would be a long list of what went wrong. You could right what you didn't get the first time around. And it reinforce what you already had in place, overall creating a twice as strong restaurant.

Chef Vivian from 'Chef and the Farmer' on a corn excursion! 

We really enjoy the show, not only because it is a spouse team that is building their dream restaurant together but because each program they feature a different farm to table ingredient. Whether the focus be on tomatoes, oysters, corn, or pigs, the program takes us to the farm, we get to  meet the farmer and see the stages of growth. Then Chef Vivian shows how she processes the ingredients and then features them in their restaurant. 

These are heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds that have been around for 100 years. There are so many varieties of heirloom tomatoes some of which may not look the most appealing but most often the ugly tomatoes are the best! Those that look overgrown or cracked are packed with flavor. Try new varieties of tomatoes and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Of course everyone has recognized that the farm to table movement is entirely in vogue, but I think the more chefs advocate for it, the faster it will trickle down to the general population, as it should. My newest favorite book is one that I bought for Christopher by John Besh- "My New Orleans". In the same manner, it dissects the local ingredients used in his restaurants. He not only emphasizes the difference in taste for example between Creole tomatoes and refrigerator tomatoes, but he attributes it to terroir. Terroir is the notion that a certain region, soil, and growing conditions are the reason a certain ingredient tastes the way it does. In Europe they have something that is called a Protected Designation of Origin which protects the products grown or produced in a certain area so that no other producer can claim that their product is of the same high quality as that of the Protected Designation of Origin. John Besh goes to great lengths explaining that some of the farmers who provide his vegetables should have these protection because that's how good they are. He also works with the local farmers so that they are producing primarily for the flavors he is looking to highlight.

John Besh dissects each ingredient and promotes buying not only locally and supporting New Orleans. He mentions that   sometimes the best product is right outside your back door! 

Chris and I decided to be part of a CSA this year. A CSA is a local farm that sells it's produce directly to members who buy a share of their product; it stands for Community Sharing Agriculture. Last year, I traveled to the farm with the caterer I work for in order to gather her share, and also take advantage of the U-pick program. The U-pick allows you to go into the fields yourself and harvest some of the excess vegetables that are not included in each weeks share. Chris and I really had fun when we visited the farm last year and so we decided to buy half a share for ourselves. Buying half of a share means that instead of going every week to pick up a basket of vegetables, we travel to the farm every other week to pick up our basket. It's not only farm fresh but more value for the price. Our half share will cost 340$ for 10 "baskets"of vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers...plus all you can pick! I encourage you to find a CSA near you. It's quite a great feeling to know that the food has only been touched by two or three hands before it meets your mouth. And with the U-pick section, maybe even one person- me pick! me wash! me cook! me eat!

 

These are both sample shares from our CSA! 

If chefs introduce us to these wonderful local flavors through the dishes they prepare in restaurants, maybe more people will support their local farms and make their own dinners with the freshest ingredients possible. Join the movement! Bring the farm to your table.

Here I am walking amongst the stalks of the CSA, picking the finest cobs! 

The Housewife

I perceive the housewife figure;

A slender woman in an apron

A baby on her hip

The sweet scent of fresh berry pie wafting through the air
A strict crease in the folded shirts in the dresser
The slight shine of oil on the dining room table

The reality:

A pile of hair, a falling mess from her head
Shirts, Shorts, spilling from the hamper
Loud pangs from the fire alarm as a batch of Cookies burn
Children running through the sprinkler stark naked

And yet, I love both. I want to be both.  Maybe the second even more than the first. But I think the actuality is that the two perceptions are intermingled. 

Four little hands stuck in a bowl of dough laced with chocolate chips

Laughter wringing through house

Loud barks of a dog who wants attention

An apron hanging around her glistening neck

Disarray from the laundry room, this is why we have doors

Toys strewn through the yard 

The sprinkler left on after a muddy afternoon

A tired, messy, happy family gorging over a summer feast

Okay, so can you tell I am dreaming of summer? I want the mess I want the happy family. I often struggle with the fact that everything is not perfect. There are dishes in the sink, there are clean clothes that haven't been put away, I should vacuum. But at what cost will everything be perfect? Time and Energy. Happy or perfect? Well I think that even though it's incredibly difficult to realize that nothing will ever be perfect no matter how hard you try, that's the only way to be happy. So it's unfortunate when the perfectionist in us takes over the potential for a stress free life. We only have one life to live, let's enjoy it instead of worry through it.