New York Monday #82: Flowers Everywhere!

July 29, 2007 | Filed Under New York Monday | 14 Comments

I don’t know their names, but I love the different flowers I find all over the city. Have a great week, all!

Paz

New York Monday #81: A Beautiful Day for a Wedding

July 23, 2007 | Filed Under New York Monday | 20 Comments

I was in the park with my friend and her kids when this wedding entourage came our way to take photos. I had no idea who the bride, groom, or the rest of the party were but I knew that they made a gorgeous picture, so I couldn’t reisist aiming my camera at them.

It was a beautiful day for a wedding. Weather wise, the day was perfect. Not too hot and not too cold — Just a bright, cheery day with a slight breeze and the sun kissing everyone’s face. I like weddings. Everyone is happy, dressed up, and in a festive mood — just like this group.

Have a great week.

Paz

Adventures of an Italian Food Lover

July 22, 2007 | Filed Under Books, Food Blogging Events, Italian Cuisine, Italian Recipes | 20 Comments

Penne with Fish Sauce

Adventures of an Italian Food Lover

Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice and Catherine of A Blithe Palate joined together to host a food blogging event in celebration of the release of cookbook/travelogue, Adventures of an Italian Food Lover by Faith Heller Willinger. The rules for this event were simple: Instead of writing a review, participants were asked to choose and prepare a recipe from the book and share a story about a friend or family member with whom they’d share the dish. Or the participants could share a story about a friend or family member who inspired them to prepare the dish.

Many recipes, from this book with beautiful watercolor illustrations that took me to Italy, caught my eye. I decided to make the Penne with Fish Sauce. Penne is one of my favorite pasta types and I was intrigued with the idea of the fish sauce.

My friend Francine inspired me to make this dish. A wonderful cook, I think it’s something that she’d like. She’s one of my best friends from my college days. I still remember the times when we ~~suffered~~ breezed through our Classical Latin classes together, trying to remember those ~~damned~~ challenging declensions and conjugations. We studied very hard and prayed (very hard) that our translations of the authors and poets’ works, like Virgil, were correct. We prayed that our professors wouldn’t pick on us. *Sigh* Those were the days. Thankfully, we passed our Latin classes with good marks.

For many years when I didn’t cook, my friend would invite me over her place and prepare meals for me. She’d encourage me to cook and give me simple recipes with which to start.

The recipe calls for fish to be cut in small strips. I cut the fish in strips but as it cooked and I stirred the pot, it crumbled. Probably it was because of the type of fish that I used — blue fish (one of my favorites). However that didn’t detract from the taste. The combination of the fish sauce, lemon zest, parsley and penne make the meal delicious.

I think that if Francine tasted this meal I prepared , she’d like it alot and I ~~hope~~ ~~think~~ hope that she’d say I did a good job.

Paz

Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant

July 17, 2007 | Filed Under Books | 18 Comments

Dinner alone is one of life’s pleasures. Certainly cooking for oneself reveals man at his weirdest. People lie when you ask them what they eat when they are alone. A salad, they tell you. But when you persist, they confess to peanut butter and bacon sandwiches deep fried and eaten with hot sauce, or spaghetti with butter and grape jam. ~ Laurie Colwin, Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant

What do you cook for yourself when you’re alone?

I recently read “Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant: Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone.” Edited by Jenni Ferrari-Adler, this book contains fun-to-read essays about cooking for one and eating alone. There are a nice mix authors – 26 in total – who have contributed their stories to this book.

Everything about this book (from the title to the cover to its contents) grabbed my attention. Some of the essays include recipes like Pa amb Tomàquet, Black Beans for One to Il Tost (Grilled Cheese and Ham Sandwich, Italian Style).

While reading the essays, it got me thinking about what I like to cook for myself. It’s normally something that is really, really, really simple. Something comforting. Three things I like to make are: Kelewele (ripe plantain), a bowl of white rice, or a bowl of spaghetti (or any kind of pasta). I add butter, salt, black pepper, and hot sauce to the pasta. And if there’s fresh cilantro or parsley, I top the pasta with it and enjoy my meal.

So, now, I’m curious. What do you make for yourself when you’re alone? Tell me.

In the meantime, after reading “Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant,” I’m going to buy some eggplants, go to the kitchen and make some. Just for myself. I think I’ll start with this Very Herby Roasted Eggplant recipe from Lucullian Delights.

Paz