The rumors are true, and I am unashamed: I am about to head out to hold seats at a local cinema for a group of ladies who are rabid for the Sex & the City movie. Perhaps we're not all rabid, but we're all excited to hang out together.
Though I'm definitely more of a whiskey lady than a cosmo girl, I thought you might be looking for the perfect SATC drink to celebrate the premiere. And here is a link to several. Please enjoy responsibly and, if you're sneaking something into the theatre, be very careful about it.
On Sunday, Nora and I will head to Washington, DC, for the National Nonprofit Congress. I'm excited to be a part of this gathering of nonprofit folks from around the country, but I'm also thrilled to go to DC.
I can't wait to apply lipstick in front of the old DC post office! image from the Library of Congress flickr site
My mom has worked for the defense industry for almost my whole life. Family vacations were often combined with her business trips, which meant a near-constant stream of trips to DC. It's one of my favorite places to travel, with its museums, stark social contrasts and beautiful parks. Or at least I think it's one of my favorite places to travel - it's been a very long time.
Which brings me to the big question: Do you have any specific restaurant recommendations for our trip? We won't have a ton of time, but I'd like to get some yummy foods while I'm there.
I love stationery. With the National Stationery Show coming to a close, the design blogs are in a joyous uproar about all the lovely paper products that will help you connect with friends and family.
And Yee-Haw Industries (the source, by the way, of Ben's one-year anniversary gift from me) has some really fun food-related cards for sale at their website. Yee-Haw is great little letterpress place in Knoxville, Tennessee that makes beautiful sort of Southern prints, paper goods and apparel. I love their rag-tag seeming name, but I love their work even more. Check out one of the very best cards below, from the "Farmer's Market" series.
Wouldn't this be lovely to send to a friend who had you over for dinner or, even better, anyone who shared their tomato crops with you?
The beet, carrot and sweet pea cards are also more than a little bit awesome.
How do you measure the perfect Memorial Day weekend? For me, the following elements were involved: 16,703 checkered flags to pass while driving around Indianapolis; 2 parties; 3 veggie dogs, 1 shamburger & tons of sides; cornhole for Ben; a water fight & the Game of Life with the nieces for me; a great greasy-spoon brunch with friends; learning that I really like Tecate from a can; laying about; Trivial Pursuit with Ben; kitty time; and finally putting in the veggie garden. And all I really contributed to all this revelry was a platter of rhubarb bars, courtesy of Jeanne Lemlin's Simple Vegetarian Pleasures (I told you that I love this book) and a couple of itty bitty modifications. Maybe you'd like to make some, too? I hope so, because these bars let rhubarb shine, unfettered by its go-to companion, strawberries. Rhubarb can stand on its own, darnit, and these bars let them do that in style.
Ben and I stopped by the Broadripple Farmers' Market in search of rhubarb on Saturday, but came up empty. Locally Grown Gardens had some, which the counter guy said came from Oklahoma. And, well, if the winds swept some rhubarb down to these Indiana plains, who am I to argue with cooking them?
Recipe: Rhubarb Bars Makes 30 bars or squares
Crust 1 1/2 sticks (12 Tablespoons) of super-softened butter, plus extra for greasing the pan 1/3 cup of sugar 1 large egg 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon salt
Rhubard topping 2 large eggs 5 cups of thinly sliced rhubarb (from about 1 1/2 pounds of rhubarb stalks - 3 thick ones in this case) 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon allspice 1/4 teaspoon cardamom 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt
Confectioners sugar for dusting
Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With butter, lightly grease a 9x13 inch glass backing dish (Pyrex is always my favorite!).
In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until very smooth. This may take a while, but be patient, and it will come together. Add the flour and salt and beat until the mixture just comes together. Be careful not to overbeat - adding in the dry ingredients should take about 45 seconds. Push the dough into the baking pan, using the heel of your palm to press it into an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes.
While the crust is baking, prepare the topping. (This is also when I slice the rhubarb - a time-saving measure if you feel comfortable with relatively quick slicing.) Beat the eggs lightly. Add the rest of the topping ingredients and stir lightly until well-mixed.
Add the topping to the crust, put the pan back in the oven, and bake for 45 more minutes. Remove the pan and allow to cool completely. Cut the bars into your desired size. I like mine in squares, but you can make more generous rectangles, if you'd like. Before removing the bars, run a sharp knife along the edges of the pan to make removal easier. Lightly dust the bars with confectioners sugar and serve.
My seat in the cello section of the Keystone Middle and Southport High School orchestras ensured that no one had to hear my singing voice. That seat also allowed me to play (primarily) music that I really liked. Given the cheesy music and unfortunate outfits, orchestra folk always felt a little bit sad for the folks in show choir and a capella groups.
Now, if the SHS choirs performed music like this, I would have been more likely to be sad for myself and jealous of them.
While I love the CSS version, this group may have created my favorite non-Grizzly Bear performance of "Knife."
Given the pitch-in mood that often prevails at Memorial Day celebrations, the three salads that I'll share today might just come in handy over the next three days.
Second selection: Lemony Orzo Salad
If you'd like, feel free to substitute other grains or pastas here, but it is ideal to keep the shape small - the better for taking many bites. This is a pretty basic pasta salad, but one that seems to go over well with a crowd. When there's a grill around, it also delicious with roasted cherry tomatoes, halved.
2 cups of orzo 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 lemons, zested and juiced 3-4 Tablespoons olive oil (depending on how juicy your lemons are) Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup chopped cherry or grape tomatoes 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas, cooked and drained 1/4 cup basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade Optional: cubed feta cheese or chunks of goat cheese
Cook the orzo in boiling water, according to directions. Meanwhile, combine the garlic, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to make the dressing. Drain the pasta and add the dressing, stirring. Allow to cool. Once cooled add the tomatoes, peas, and half the basil, and stir. Add remaining basil and cheese to the top of the dish and serve.
Given the pitch-in mood that often prevails at Memorial Day celebrations, the three salads that I'll share today might just come in handy over the next three days.
Up first: Quinoa Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing
Besides the whole complete protein in a seed (it's not technically a grain), quinoa is just a really great food item. Why? Well, it's cute with a great little curly shape, it's nutty and yummy, and it pair beautifully with a wide range of ingredients. If you want to read about the nutritional wonders of quinoa, you can find plenty more here. But I'm just in it for the taste.
Recipe: Quinoa Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing Serves 4 (multiply accordingly)
Quinoa & Veggies: 1 cup quinoa 2 cups water olive oil 1 small onion, cut in a small dice 1 small zucchini, cut in a small dice 1/2 cup corn, fresh or frozen 1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed if canned
Dressing: 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 teaspoons whole cumin seed, chopped with the garlic Juice of 3 limes 1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) honey or agave nectar 2 Tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper to taste
Rinse the quinoa several times, filling a bowl, swishing the quinoa around, and draining it in a fine mesh strainer. I rinse a minimum of 5 times, but you want your water to run clean by the final rinsing. Combine the water and quinoa in a covered pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the quinoa unfurls its little curlicues, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, cook for one minute. Add the zucchini. When the onion is translucent, stir in the corn and beans and remove from the heat.
To prepare the dressing, whisk together all of the ingredients. Taste and adjust flavors to your liking.
Combine the quinoa, vegetables, and half the dressing and toss. You may want more or less dressing, depending on your taste. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
I love a quirky light fixture. My darling husband reserves the right to veto my love. Given his love of all things stable and not "ridiculous" he often exercises this veto. So, I will probably not get to purchase the super-cute Whippy light fixtures below. They're from Mixko, who also make one of my favorite in-case-we-ever-have-to-decorate-a-nursery fixtures, Delight.
But how much fun would it be to eat ice cream, sorbet, fro-yo or any other chilly creamy product under this light? Very fun, that's what I think. And they look awesome with the curly CFLs - making them even better.
Looking for some quick reads? Some great links? Well, I've got a few for you.
Check it:
Need some ideas about what to make for dinner? Jump to this story at Chow, featuring 10 great recipe blogs.
Over at Going Local, Victoria Wesseler wants you to know about Country Mouse City Mouse. Heavens to Betsy, that stuff sounds amazing. I'm so excited that I FINALLY get to go to the Broad Ripple Farmers' Market this weekend, where I hope to sample their products.
This plate of mushrooms and fresh mozzarella, broiled (!!) to perfection, sounds like just the right food for this in-between-season weather we've been having. Though of course, since I've gotten used to it, the weather people are now saying that we should gear up for summer sunshine and heat soon.
A good idea from thekitchn about scheduling count-down plans as you approach a dinner party - there's four other guidelines that are good, too. The whole article reminds me that I need to throw a dinner party soon. Like really soon!
I love a good pretzel. One reason for this love is salt! This t-shirt from clothmothclothing sums it up for me.
And, on the topic of these twisty carbohydrate delights, have you been to the Rathskeller this year for a beer and pretzel snack in the Biergarten? The pretzel, with spicy mustard of course, is one of Indianapolis' greatest treats.
If you haven't been there, you really should go soon, if only to check out the awesome Athenaeum building which was built in the late 1800s. The building hosted lots of German-American activities in its early days, including activities for young folk aimed at improving their physical and intellectual abilities. Today, it's a pretty building that has German-esque foods and plenty of good beverages aimed at improving your post-work and weekend socialization.
Be forewarned: Weekends are insane when the weather is nice. I prefer afternoons and post-work times.
Farmer's Markets are a lovely thing. Farmers - or those who work for them - selling some darned good foods, all in a fun, community-focused atmosphere. I love them. I really do. But I do not necessarily love the Tuesday night moment when I realize that, having burned through my farmers' market haul and with an empty fridge, I will have to schlep my way up Keystone or Allisonville and deal with the nonsense that is large-market grocery shopping. But there is a lovely new solution in my neighborhood: Locally Grown Gardens.
Beyond proximity and product, this place is special for a variety of reasons. The owner, Ron Harris, is a chef, whose work brought him from big-time kitchens in New York to lead Indianapolis' old-timey treasure, MCL Cafeteria, or as they like to call it MCL Restaurant and Bakery. More than just designing foods for the home of the clean platers club (a club after my own heart), he worked to emphasize local foods and high-quality ingredients at MCL. That practice led to the produce stand outside the Castleton MCL, one of the few happy and genuine highlights of the area that I refer to as Hassle-ton.
With that love of local and quality foods, Ron opened up Locally Grown Gardens this April in an old gas station building on 54th Street just a quick stroll off the Monon Trail. And the place is great. I stopped by during my lunch hour today, to find tons of plants - veggies and ornamentals - as well as some of the sweetest strawberries I've ever tasted. I picked up some asparagus for later. There were also fresh eggs, local honey and a variety of tomatoes. But what's even more exciting is that the building also houses a little library of food books. As anyone who has been in my kitchen knows, I have a deep and incurable habit of acquiring food writing, so access to both food and food writing in one location may limit my free time in the weeks to come.
Locally Grown Gardens is open seven days a week, to boot! If you haven't stopped by yet, take some time to enjoy this extended spring weather and head on over. That is, if you're in the neighborhood. But if you're not, I'd love to hear about other small shops that offer you good produce locally.
Another perspective on this new little place can be found at Going Local.
So, after the out-of-town guests left and the services and gatherings were done, Ben and I spent a lot of time this weekend just getting back into our lives. Everything feels a little bit more precious, which means that there is so much more to notice and enjoy.
First up: a fun way to jump back into the routine, via Making It Lovely.
My mom loves me & my sister & step-siblings & children-in-law & grandkids & most animals she sees & any stray friends I bring around, but she does not love the following things:
Spicy foods. None, not even non-heaty spicy foods. Too bad for her; more for us.
Sandals that go between your toes. She hates those.
Cherries - she is "allergic" to them. By the way, those quotation marks are meant to indicate that I refuse to accept that anyone cannot eat cherries, as they are wonderful things.
Cotton candy. Once upon a time, she worked at a little amusement park, serving up the cotton candy. Since then, she's sworn it off for good. The picture below is from right around the time that she was twirling the spun sugar. Isn't she cute?
As you can tell from this short list of un-lovable things, my mom embraces life. Mom, if there's anything you'd like to add, anything you decidedly do not love, please share!
Yesterday, the world lost a special, talented, unique, complicated spirit, and many of us lost a friend.
LonPaul will be greatly missed. If you knew LP and have a nice memory or thought that helps capture who he was, we're collecting writings, drawings, and little musings about him, with the ultimate goal of sharing those pieces of his life with his son. Please send those along to me, via electronic or postal mail, if you have them. If you're on Musical Family Tree, there's also a page for LonPaul memories that will feed into Rupert's collection.
Addendum: If you'd like to contribute to Rupert's future education, please visit Musical Family Tree. All paypal donations will go to a fund for Rupert, from now until further notice.
What is the appeal of Crystal Light? I'd really like to know the answer. Seriously, this question occurs to me almost every day. Isn't water, in its refreshing, simple glory, good enough?Do you understand? Help me understand.
Have you seen the To-Do List book? The picture below is from the accompanying blog. Inspired by that book/blog and by Abby Try Again who was inspired by hula seventy, I feel compelled to make some sort of list - a list of things that I want to do, but just haven't. Since my birthday happened way back in January, there's not much point in coming up with a "29 things to do before I turn 30" (oh my goodness, I am close to being 30 - how did I get to be such a grown up chronologically, but not developmentally?). Still, there are many things that I would like to do sometime in the near future. Many relate to food, many do not.
This list is just the start:
Get the vegetable garden in shape.
Pickle some veggies. Or did I buy that "Joy of Pickling" book for no reason?
Have one dinner party a month.
Clean out and reorganize all our kitchen cupboards.
Make my own granola.
Cook and store several batches of beans.
Host "masa and a movie" night, featuring tamale-making and some sort of decent movie.
Attempt wheat gluten ribs, in honor of our wedding dinner and our lovely chef, Becky.
If you are living in my town, in my state, then you know that today is a very important primary. The national media thinks that our primary is important because of Obama-Clinton stuff. And they're right. But it's also pretty important for local and state issues, too. I'm not going to share my own voting plans. But I am going to share that I will be voting and that it will be meaningful for me.
I love to vote. I hope you do, too. Get to it, if you haven't already. If you have cast your ballot, then feel free to check out any of the links below that relate politics, of the local, state, national, and international variety, to food. Also feel free to head over to buyolympia.com to check out Nikki McClure's modification-ready "Vote" poster, above. But if you haven't voted, go do that first. Please!
Reading about food, politics, and justice:
First up: be sure to check out indieats.com, where Susan Gillie has written a lot about the local dining choices of the Democratic contenders for the Presidential nomination. She also has plenty to say about food security.
A social justice perspective on food sources, access to high-quality food, and community development from Portland.
The International Food Policy Research Institute has a number of interesting resources, including articles about the coming impact of rising food prices on the world's most vulnerable populations. We often thin about issues from a domestic perspective, but international relief policy is a critical component when I select national-level candidates. It might matter to you, too, right?
Last night, the brand-spanking new Mo's Irish Pub invited "friends and family" to sample their dishes and help break in the kitchen and service staff. Mo's Irish Pub is in a new mall development, way far up in Noblesville. I had no idea that subdivisions, malls, and development, development, development had expanded to fill the area around Deer Creek. The third location of this burgeoning chain, brought to Noblesville's from the same folks who bring Indy - and Milwaukee - Mo's... A Place for Steaks, offers a "part-Gaelic, part-Garlic" menu that tries to harmonize Irish, Asian, Italian, and traditional American fare. It was fun to preview a new place, and we had a pretty good experience.
If you'd like to try it out, I'd suggest you call them up about tonight's pre-opening benefit party, which benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters, an amazing organization!
(A quick disclaimer, before I go on, I was invited to attend the sneak peek as a local food blogger, but my husband Ben also works for a company that provides some marketing services for the business.)
With my proud Irish-Scottish heritage, I tend to be pretty skeptical of most "Irish" pubs. Heavy-handed application of dark wood panels and, well, blarney tend to be the theme at most places, especially chains. But Mo's Irish Pub does a pretty good job of avoiding the cliches and decorating pitfalls. There was plenty of paneling, but the interior was also highlighted by a charming and lively shade of green. The bustling atmosphere lent a homey and welcoming feel to the restaurant. Their use of Irish language was playful and engaging. Mo's Irish Pub isn't trying to replicate a pub in Dublin, which is good. Instead, they offer a nice blend of traditional Irish imagery and a modern take on a mid-price dining experience.
Service was surprisingly good, especially for a pre-opening night. Our server, Meghan, took orders over time, brought out drinks happily, and recommended her favorite dishes, all with an easy-going and friendly approach that fit the pub atmosphere. When the fresh napkins left a trail of lint on one of the diners at my table, she offered and delivered a lint roller. That's good service.
Our food reflected the economic and cultural realities of chain dining, while maintaining an interest in Irish flavors and today's palate. Our table sampled three appetizers - garlic-cheese fries, spinach tapenade (really an spinach-artichoke dip), and the Reuben Shalaylee. A real shillelagh is a combination of walking stick and club, often associated with negative stereotypes of Irish people (drunk, fight-seeking, etc.), but the term is also associated with a part of the male anatomy. At Mo's Irish Pub, shalaylees are basically big egg rolls, filled with American sandwich fair.
The entrees were a bit uneven. The barbeque boxty was interesting. Boxty is an Irish potato pancake, and at Mo's the boxty is thin, crepe-like and can come with a variety of fillings. I tasted a bite of just the boxty (the fillings were all meaty) and missed the crisp edges of traditional boxty, perhaps a result of the overly ample serving of BBQ sauce on top. The fish and chips were good, though I wanted more Harp flavor from the Harp-based batter. The slaw accompanying the fish was, unlike most restaurant slaws, light on mayo and with perfectly crunchy cabbage. The lowlight was Ben's corned beef and cabbage. Caraway and cabbage are great friends, but the caraway overpowered the slab of cabbage. Basically, the cabbage overall didn't get the loving preparation it deserved. The soups were good, especially the roasted tomato, which can be ordered in a bowl or as part of the grilled cheese and tomato soup entree.
The dessert menu is limited to three choices, and we got to try each - a Mo's cookie, a slice of Bailey's cheesecake, and an apple crisp. The big, soft and gooey cookie reminded me of my favorite under-cooked chocolate chip cookie from the Southport High cafeteria back in the 90s, which is a good thing. The cheesecake offered a nice contrast with the rich, creamy Bailey's and the tangy cheese. I'm a complete snob about apple crisp, but theirs was pretty good for a restaurant, though the apples could have been more tart and the "granola" topping more crisp.
The bar is exactly what one would expect from an Irish pub. Smithwicks, Guinness, Irish creme, Jameson's (!), and a whole lot more. They offer traditional Guinness-based drinks, though the Lady Guinness, which is a pint with a shot of Chambord, sounds completely terrifying.
Overall, it's a very well-executed chain. Their flavors, atmosphere, and service will all work very well for their super-far-north clientele. I was surprised to see that there are no real vegetarian options on the menu. (The grilled cheese comes with smoked bacon, though of course you could modify it.) A vegetable-filled boxty could be delicious, especially with some of that garlic-cheese sauce. I'm sure there's a market for it, given the number of people that experiment with different diet choices, nevermind the number of folks that just enjoy the occasional meat-free meal.
An aside: the highlight of the evening was meeting Terry Kirts. I've admired his writing and his love for off-the-beaten path restaurants for some time, and in person he did not disappoint!
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I can't wait to apply lipstick in front of the old DC post office!
Add the topping to the crust, put the pan back in the oven, and bake for 45 more minutes. Remove the pan and allow to cool completely. Cut the bars into your desired size. I like mine in squares, but you can make more generous rectangles, if you'd like. Before removing the bars, run a sharp knife along the edges of the pan to make removal easier. Lightly dust the bars with confectioners sugar and serve.
Recipe: Lemony Orzo Salad
Recipe: Quinoa Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing
Do you understand? Help me understand.
shillelagh is a combination of walking stick and club, often associated with negative stereotypes of Irish people (drunk, fight-seeking, etc.), but the term is also associated with a part of the male anatomy. At Mo's Irish Pub, shalaylees are basically big egg rolls, filled with American sandwich fair.
