June 2009: The Month That Refused To End

Pepe helps with the move.

Robot times two.

Huzzah! Life has regained meaning! After two weeks sans home internet service, Adam and I once again have a wireless connection and I can wile away hours of daylight, wilting in the sickly pale glow of the computer screen. Best of all, I can do so without shelling out $3.99 per two hours of Starbucks service.

June 2009 was not smooth sailing. There seemed to be an outlandish amount of turbulence for 30 days - my first experience with a home robbery, police rendezvous, landlord shenanigans, financial buffoonery, 10 days without my man, family health scares, quick moves, new lease, new apartment - culminating in one of the single happiest/emotional/amazing/scariest events of my life: Leo's (really) early arrival.

My cube: Tricia bobblehead, Leo's baby pic and that unexplained gold painted rubber glove that came with the desk.

It's been weeks since I've had a chance to sit and write about "normal" life (i.e. obsessively chronicling my Whole Foods purchases or analyzing my cat's behavior) and I'm loathe to admit that I have nothing better to offer than this entirely self-indulgent explanation of why it's been a whole damned month since I've posted. Oh, and a few new photos (Again, I would post many more images, but the douche that broke into my terrible Hollywood home had more use for my phone-to-computer-cord-cable than I.)

Tentative plans for a Steel Chef Redux are in the making. This time, with TWO guest judges and a slightly different approach. That post will be better than this. I promise.

Adam & Tricia's Steel Chef Challenge: The Inaugural Bout

It's no secret that I have an affinity for cooking, dining and food porn, and lately, Adam and I have been hooked on the biggest food porn purveyor of them all; "The Food Network." Perhaps it's because it provides that bit of mindless entertainment without terrible people degrading themselves and one another for a shot at 15 seconds of the creepiest type of fame imaginable.

A few weeks ago, we watched a mini-marathon of "Iron Chef: America," that featured an episode with peppers as the Secret Ingredient (no, not that peppers) and another with Bill Murray in the audience. Also, what the hell was Bill Murray doing in the audience?

The competitive streak that I try to suppress flared up and I suggested to Adam that we should have our own version of "Iron Chef" at home. He immediately bit, and we laid our own ground rules:

• Because of space issues, we would have to cook at different points. We chose successive Sunday nights. Adam would cook May 31 and I would cook June 7.
• Each Steel Chef - as I have now duped it - would choose the ingredient for the other, with the requirement of three dishes, each.
• Naturally, the dishes would have to be meat-free.
  
• Friends would be welcome to act as judges, but outside judges are not necessary, as we have a total of, like, four friends down here, and cannot always guarantee when they will be available.
  
• The bill for ingredients cannot be outrageously expensive. The idea is to challenge our creativity, to experiment with new dishes and enjoy a lightly competitive activity, not to blow whatever meager savings we have on a $45 bottle of truffle oil from Whole Paycheck.

I chose pineapple for Adam. He came through the challenge with flying colors, presenting an amazing meal of:

• Pineapple, mango and papaya salsa with fresh mint and chopped red onion, served with blue corn chips. This was my favorite dish.
  
• Pineapple and cheese enchiladas, which go together much more harmoniously than you might expect.
• Pineapple smoothie, with blended orange juice, pineapple and vanilla ice cream, which paired beautifully with the warm pineapple cobbler.

My dear friend, K.B., served as the guest judge that evening and arrived armed with a pineapple spritzer for Adam and a delicious pineapple rum smoothie for "the ladies." (P.S. Having a bartender as your girl is tots awesome). I believe it's fair to say that Adam's delectable offerings only increased my fondness for the spiky fruit and he was the clear winner of the evening.

The next day, Adam revealed my secret ingredient: almonds. This is a great one to work with, since it transitions wonderfully from sweet to savory dishes.

For my menu, I prepared:

• A beautiful Tuscan almond salad with freshly crumbled feta, diced granny smith apple, dried cranberries, matchstick carrots, toasted slivered almonds and light olive oil and vinegar dressing. Adam said it was among the best salads he's had. The recipe was adapted from one I found online, minus the bacon bits and onion.

• Black bean burritos, with toasted slivered almonds, quick barley, cheese (just a little) and a healthy side of tequila lime salsa and guacamole (and sliced avocado for garnish). These were delicious, with the almonds adding a nutty crunch that was accounted for, but did not overwhelm the dish.
  
• Dessert was an almond, apple cinnamon bread, served warm with vanilla ice cream. This was good, but the wonky cook times on our oven meant it turned out a bit more dry than I think a fruit bread should be.

Sadly, I do not have images of every dish presented for this first round of the challenge. Adam had them stored on his glorious new iMac, which some &*%^ saw fit to waltz into our apartment and "borrow without asking" three days after purchase.

They also took my iPod and related accessories, including the cable that I could use to connect my phone to my computer for easy download of images. Blerg. (Incidentally, I hope whomever winds up with my iPod and workout arm band appreciates my awesome mix skills and develops a horrible skin reaction from all of the cat dander. I also hope the iMac goes all "Hal from 2001" and seeks to destroy its new "owners.")

Round two of Steel Chef will likely commence in August, as June and July will be filled with flights home to see the folks in Michigan and the quest to move into an apartment that doesn't make me contemplate a new lifepath.


Ideally, we'll have a larger working space in the new kitchen. AND I've got two rad people (a work colleague and her husband) chomping at the bit to be judges. Should be a wonderful second round.

Big, bold art in West Palm Beach

A room/gallery space at Showtel in April at Hotel Biba


Last weekend, we went to see Trump in the Dark in Palm Beach. It was very cool and I am pleased that I was able to convince Adam to enter Palm Beach County after last time's Dark Incident (of which we do not speak).

We continue to be impressed by the art in PBC. Showtel at Hotel Biba last month was unlike any art show I've attended and Trump was equally engaging. Lots of performance art, huge installations, interactive pieces, the use of non-traditional exhibition spaces and video art. No boring paintings or pieces of string tacked to the wall with a $1500 price tag*.

*I realize that lots of "art" that doesn't look like art is actually very meaningful Art, but I still want to be entertained on a Saturday night.

A human fly at Showtel

Another fun thing about attending art openings and gallery shows in PBC, is that the scene is much more chill than in Miami. Because, despite enjoying Wynnwood art walks immensely, it can be an intense microcosm of cool. I'm constantly wondering if I should be wearing a romper.

Palm Beach is - shockingly - more laid-back. There are still hipsters, to be sure. But it's an "Urban Outfitters in East Lansing" level of Hipster, as opposed to the "American Apparel showroom in Brooklyn" magnitude of MiMo.

I did get an intense kick out of the band that played at Trump. They had something to do with zombies. Gold lame leggings. Star-shaped guitar. Lyrics about eating brains. Purposely ugly glasses. The irony was palpable. I haven't seen any other bands like this since moving to Florida.

Weeknight Quick Meal: Everything but the Kitchen Sink Salad

If every day was Sunday, every meal would be a glorious feast of carefully thought-out and lovingly constructed Sunday Supper proportions. But since I still haven't found a Boca sugar daddy to support my lavish boxed wine and avocado fetishes, there are far more evenings spent hunched over the computer with an especially heinous frozen dinner (ewww, Lean Cuisine Vegetable Eggroll) and looming work deadlines, then are spent roaming the aisles of Whole Paycheck, purchasing ingredients for the Next Great Meal.

Many nights when I feel pressed for time, but can't stomach another high-preservative nuked dinner, I make a big salad. With lots of stuff in it.

The salad always changes, depending on what's on-hand, but on the best nights, it combines different textures and flavors into a harmonious creation. A perfect salad should satisfy the appetite and stick to the ribs. It should have a lean protein, fresh vegetables and a source of good fat. The salad below has all of the above, and is so quick to assemble, you'll have plenty of time left over to obsessively Facebook while you should be working on a deadline project.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Salad (Current Version)
Chopped Romaine lettuce
1 Tbs. pine nuts
1/2 diced ripe avocado
6 Morningstar Farms Chik'n strips, grilled on the stove-top for five minutes and diced
2 Tbs. reduced fat feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped sugar snap pea pods
Small handful of sliced carrot pieces
5-6 sprays Ken's Steakhouse Lite Accents Mixed Berry

(Grape tomatoes and sliced red bell pepper also go well with this blend.)

Hipster Paradise

Last weekend, we entertained a guest from Michigan. Saturday night, we took him to the art walk in the Wynnwood District of Miami, ostensibly to look at art, but mostly, to look at the f***ing hipsters.

It did not disappoint.

"Your outfit is so 'Saved By the Bell.' That's a thing, right?"
"Yeah, totally. It's this really shitty show that I watch ironically every morning before my conceptual pottery class."
"Hmmm."
"What?"
"It's just, I thought sincerity was the new irony."
"It was. But it switched back. Which is perfect, cause that means your Kanye glasses are back in style. I think. Maybe. You should take them off your head and put them on your face, so that the square redhead lurking behind you can more easily take a picture of them. "

"Why, yes. This leotard is from American Apparel. How did you know?"


I am a terrible person.

Sunday Supper: Asparagus and Potato Tart

Potato and asparagus tart.

In the spirit of thrift - and these days, that's the name of the game - today's offering, Asparagus and Potato Tart, combines leftover supplies from two previous Sunday Supper offerings; potatoes (From the Indian Stew) and phyllo (filo) dough (from the Veggie Quiche). Thank you to Adam's sister-in-law, Madelen, for reading the blog and passing along this Foodnetwork recipe. It was a huge hit, and I've been eating the leftovers for days.

My adaptation and notes for this very easy and wonderfully filling dish:

Ingredients
-3-4 nice sized Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes. I left the skins on for fiber.
-Sea salt
-1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
-20 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
-Sesame seeds, to taste
-1/2 cup melted soy margarine
-1/2 cup shredded cheddar
-1/2 cup mozzarella (NOTE: I subbed this in for Lancashire cheese. See notes below for more detail)
-3 eggs
-8 oz. soy milk
-1/2 Tbs. nutmeg
-Freshly ground pepper
-Two sliced Roma tomatoes

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add potatoes. Cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, blanch asparagus in a separate pan for four minutes and drain in a colander.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly grease a glass pan. I used a lasagna size, but a round pan also would work. Layer the sheets of phyllo pastry, lightly covering with melted butter and sprinkling with sesame seeds as you go. Allow about one inch to hang over the edge. Create a crust that is 5-6 sheets thick. Set aside.

When potatoes are tender enough to poke easily with a fork, drain them and put into a large mixing bowl. Smash with the cheeses. In a second dish, mix together eggs and milk and stir into potato blend. Sprinkle with nutmeg and pepper, and mix well. Pour the mix into the phyllo shell and bring the sides up to form a rim.

Line the top of the pie with the asparagus and tomato slices. Spread the remaining butter across the top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until crisp. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips:

Use the right cheeses! I used mozzarella instead of Lancashire, and I have no doubt this impacted the flavor. Unfortunately, the not-as-great Publix closest to my home has a mediocre cheese selection, and Lancashire is most certainly not in their arsenal. I thought about Emmenthaler, but at $7.89 for the smallest chunk, it defeated the whole "budget" concept that I was going for. I should have chosen Swiss, or a sharp cheddar, at the very least. A strong cheese makes the difference in this pie, and mozzarella certainly is not strong.

Despite a disappointing showing from the cheeses - which, actually is OK, seeing as I don't dig on cheese too much these days - this pie was nothing, if not delicious. The nutmeg and crispy sesame crust are key. The addition of tomatoes to the recipe also was a good call (pat on back).

We served this with a nice salad (avocado, pine nuts, feta, romaine, carrot) and later, key lime frozen yogurt.

Sunday Supper: Potato and Spinach Indian Stew

Potato and spinach Indian stew with toasted Naan.

For today's offering, we turn once again to the April issue of Vegetarian Times (speaking of which, where in the hell is the May issue?) for a recipe that absolutely begged my attention: Yukon Gold and Baby Spinach Masala.
"Fun" fact about Florida (unrelated to driving): It is really hard to find Indian cuisine in this region. There are more Thai-Sushi (score!) and Greek (score again!) eateries than I've seen in my life, but only a very small handful of Indian restaurants. By handful, I mean one (1). I think there are more Indian restaurants in Grand Rapids, Michigan, than in the greater Miami area. What's a girl who's craving freshly baked Naan and savory stews to do? Make it herself.

Indian potato stew (adapted from a V.T. recipe)
Ingredients:
-1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 cubes (four cups)
-2 Tbs. canola oil
-1 large white onion, diced
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-2 Tbs. fresh ginger, minced
-1 tsp. ground coriander
-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
-1/2 tsp. turmeric
-1 can of coconut milk (13.5 oz)
-1 six-ounce bag of fresh spinach, de-stemmed
-1 Tbs. lime juice

Directions:
-Steam potatoes above simmering water for 15-20 minutes, or just until tender. The directions say to use a steamer basket*, so I used my (metal) colander set atop a pot of boiling water. Seemed to work just fine.
-Heat oil in a large skillet (I used a large frying pan and cursed myself for being too lazy to have still not seasoned my wok) over medium heat. Add onion and saute 10 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant. Stir in coriander, cumin and turmeric. Add potatoes and saute 1-2 minutes. Add coconut milk (NOTE: Shake the can before you open it!) and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 10 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
-Add spinach and 1/4 cup water and cook until spinach is wilted. Stir in lime juice and serve atop rice.

Tips:
*A minor complaint about Vegetarian Times, a publication I love dearly. The recipes are not the most budget-friendly. Often, they call for too many (exotic) ingredients and kitchen contraptions not found in the average home. I often find myself passing over V.T. recipes because they have more than 15 ingredients and/or require cheesecloth or some other random thing that costs $5-$20. The good news; most of them easily can be adapted to a thrifty budget and still taste fairly hoity-toity.
The original recipe called for a jalapeno chile pepper (Nah, thanks). As the recipe name would suggest, it also called for garam masala. But seeing as South Florida does not like Indian food, I could not find the garam masala. After 10 minutes in the spice aisle at Publix (on top of 40 minutes spent in the rest of the store), I decided that garam masala was stupid and unnecessary. On a related note, if anyone from the north wants to mail some garam masala to my home, I would be most appreciative.
The other spices seemed to provide sufficient flavor. Oh, and turmeric is really yellow and will stain white countertops, FYI. The recipe also calls for fresh cilantro, which I like, but Adam hates. It's an acquired taste, so if someone in your dinner party loathes it, go ahead and leave it out. The dish won't suffer terribly.
Serve with jasmine rice and toasted Naan (prepared in a lightly greased pan on the stovetop). There will be leftovers for days - and days.