tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48712543232055800972024-03-12T23:16:09.409-04:00Kitchen of Serendip“They were always making discoveries, by accident and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of.” - Horace WalpoleUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-26528907393419566402008-10-28T22:27:00.000-04:002008-10-29T02:12:39.916-04:00For when I'm lazyFor the past week, all of my meals have come out of one of two boxes in the pantry (pasta, cereal), the freezer (full-on frozen meals, not just vegetables), a wrapper (since when do I eat 3 Muskateers?) or a plastic take-away bag (sushi, curry, salad, fries). All I can say is: Ugh. My insides just plain hurt. And, thank goodness for roast squash. You see, it's my newfound cure-all, perfect for Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-17230550610517874432008-10-21T02:35:00.005-04:002008-10-21T15:39:03.347-04:00TWD: Pumpkin MuffinsThings that make me happy: 1. Breaking out my green, suede, flat, knee-high boots. 2. Sleeping with a second blanket without waking up thinking I'm drowning in my own sweat. 3. A working oven - finally!4. Pumpkins as far as the eye can see.5. Sweet, nutty pumpkin muffins to munch on while inching through three hours of traffic trying to get to the pumpkins as far as the eye can see.6. Fall. I Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-57335803793887957322008-10-15T21:43:00.005-04:002008-10-16T01:57:04.387-04:00An ode to greenA couple of weeks ago, my farmer's market began to take on a rugged visage. The bright, smooth-skinned fruits and delicate vegetables I'd been munching hand-to-mouth all summer were still around. But next to them the lumpy, bumpy, thick-leafed and just plain ugly had set up shop. My heart was aflutter; finally, it's time to cook again. I wasn't always so welcoming of less than pretty produce. As Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-6692351280684870402008-10-13T02:30:00.009-04:002008-10-13T02:53:16.084-04:00Where have I been?I really don't know what happened. I'd been on a roll. Then my oven broke, school picked up, the world started to go to hell and poof! - suddenly it's October, the sun is setting at 6pm and my farmer's market is filled to the brim with goodies like bumpy pumpkins and crisp winter greens.Have I mentioned how much I love winter greens? I haven't? Well, it's about time I did something about that. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-11862058925027437312008-09-23T01:41:00.004-04:002008-09-23T02:30:13.662-04:00TWD Dimply Plum CakeletsSweet plums. Spicy batter. At once summer's last hurrah and an ode to the cooler temperatures already - OMG - setting in, I can't think of a better way to ring in autumn. Even if I am a little sad to see summer go. Oh wait - a better way to say hello to fall would be if my oven were capable of baking these all the way through. Thankfully, while par-baked cake batter looks a little funky, it Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-9687943725854878172008-09-09T00:00:00.001-04:002008-09-09T00:37:36.801-04:00TWD Chocolate Whopper Malted DropsMy oven and I are not on speaking terms. Granted, since I moved in with him in July, our conversations have been rather one-sided. A lot of me calmly explaining (yelling) that when I set the temperature to, let's say, 350, he's supposed to heat up to 350, or thereabouts. The grouchy oven, who I have taken to calling Oscar, generally responds in groans and grumbles, mumbling things I can't Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-76472462628434877762008-09-05T23:01:00.003-04:002008-09-06T02:08:42.351-04:00There will be baconAnyone who knows me now will find it hard to believe, but when I was little girl I was a terrible eater. From my Iranian aunts to pre-school teachers, I was ready to pick a fight with anyone waiting to "airplane" a spoon full of mush into my mouth. I'd kick, scream, cry; my mom says I was just picky, but, really, I was a menace to the culinary world. Sure, I liked things like really crispy bacon Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-72268354495197773982008-09-02T01:52:00.002-04:002008-09-02T01:55:51.639-04:00Tuesdays With Dorie...If it really came down to it, I'd say that the two guiding principles in my life are: a) Don't be afraid to try new things, and b) Find solace in baked goods.*It is in that spirit that I present - dum-da-da-duuuum - my very first Tuesdays With Dorie post (new thing!), which is all about Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters (sweet baked goodness!) from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-16803365458450258052008-08-27T08:56:00.000-04:002008-08-27T08:56:00.537-04:00A different kind of tastingLast Saturday, tucked amidst stalls inviting patrons of Berkeley's Farmer's Market to taste watermelons! cantaloupes! peaches, plums and nectarines!!! stood an intriguing, if not completely disgusting, invitation. I tried to ignore it, to stay focused on Arctic Queens and Dapple Dandies, but, perhaps inspired by my Travel Channel Super Hero and my self-imposed obligation on this site, my Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-91769660832951344922008-08-24T19:33:00.023-04:002008-08-25T00:30:42.829-04:00Shouting it from the rooftopsWhat can I say about cauliflower that's worth saying? To most, it's an afterthought, broccoli's bland brother, something moms use to fill the plates of their misbehaved children. It's beige and usually steamed with no seasonings and all too often really, grossly mushy like paste (that, ironically, so many kids that hate cauliflower like to eat) and, well, none of this is news. What can I say? Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-34309026962429853482008-08-23T18:18:00.000-04:002008-08-23T20:56:46.240-04:00The Omnivore's HundredI like to think of myself as an adventurous person, one might say a brave soul; at the very least brave in consideration, if not in action. I very seriously considered, for example, a "bungee" jump recently and did not back down when, only three days ago, a very aggressive squirrel tried to get a bite at my feet. (He had me kind of cornered, and I flailed a bit, but it was powerful flailing that Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-73881156663567643312008-08-22T21:26:00.016-04:002008-08-23T20:09:54.244-04:00In a ripe torrentGiggling uncontrollably at inappropriate moments. Attracting elderly male fans who regale me with gifts like expired cookies. Doggedly blocking cars that take my reserved parking spot. Writing skills aside, there are a number of things about me that my former co-workers will have a tough time forgetting. But my greatest legacy, perhaps, is Ice Cream Friday. Ice Cream Friday was born on a hot day Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-44710220261646847062008-08-20T14:39:00.018-04:002008-08-22T14:21:24.981-04:00A fine lineWhat with it being Wednesday and my having missed last week after making such a big deal about my new initiative and all, I really, truly should have a wonderfully weird food to share today. Unfortunately, the only thing I have to say is that my eating for the next few days is going to take a turn for the dull: I'm going on a diet. Roll your eyes if you will, but trust me, it's time for a detox. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-40397597693926526892008-08-09T23:10:00.000-04:002008-08-10T02:13:04.016-04:00Back to earthI don't know what's wrong with me. For the past three days, I've been a positive mess. On Thursday it started with weepiness, followed by the feeling of having been hit by a truck-ness on Friday. And today, finally, I found myself standing at the edge of a full-blown panic attack. Possible explanations include: a) exhaustion over entertaining "guests" (my mom and sister hardly qualify as far as Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-81656262868342655882008-08-07T23:27:00.004-04:002008-08-13T23:58:06.442-04:00Lemon CucumberWelcome to Weird Food Wednesday! It's not Wednesday, so I suppose it's a bit odd to introduce what I hope will become a weekly Wednesdays-only post about some weird foodie find or other (in an attempt to make myself write more and try new things) but I swear I have a perfectly good reason. Three reasons, actually. Yesterday (a real Wednesday), I was at an amusement park letting the thrill rides Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-26889233572652530082008-07-31T09:52:00.001-04:002008-07-31T15:49:19.903-04:00The extra perfect morning, and a "whiriligiggle" festI love mornings in Berkeley. This may be a little presumptuous considering I've only been in the area 12 days, but really, mornings are simply blissful here. Even in the middle of the summer, they're gray and chilly and crisp and perfect for cuddling up in a pillowy bed. I have yet to wake up frozen from air conditioning cranked up too high, or sweaty from one of those misleadingly "cool" nights Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-23221634193816791832008-07-30T15:28:00.000-04:002008-07-30T18:28:29.248-04:00A new face at the dinner tableSo last week, at my now beloved Ferry Building Farmer's Market, I happened upon a little something that I'd heard a lot about, but had never actually seen/touched/tasted/etc. I found them at a tiny corner stall, little yellow blooms in plastic containers pushed out of the way, all the attention going to the enormous strawberries to their side. But I noticed them. Oh boy, did I notice them. And Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-35064378968581698162008-07-29T23:56:00.004-04:002008-07-30T00:36:46.577-04:00The sweetest summer treatAll summer, I've been craving cherries. One could say it all started with bon appetit's June issue, whose cover featured a slice of what could presumably be this pie. But, while bon appetit didn't hurt, cherry cravings have marked my summers since childhood, as if the fruit, like edible good luck rubies, are somehow mythical balls without which the season can't start. Or, umm, maybe I just reallyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-25493817989145807082008-07-28T23:57:00.009-04:002008-07-29T23:56:26.411-04:00In a weird placeI'm aching to write a vacation roundup right now; have been for days. Except, I'm not on vacation.At some point, between then and now, I came to the conclusion that moving to California was right for me. There was big excitement and a whole lotta hubbub, but in all honesty, I didn't think it would happen. Sure I had a plane ticket to Oakland and an apartment in Berkeley and a Cali-appropriate Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-62847382958531415252008-07-17T15:06:00.005-04:002008-07-17T16:16:00.561-04:00... three ... two ...I'm staring down the barrel of the last day and a half of my pre-Berkeley life, and this might be goodbye, well, for a while. Or not. Being out of work for the past week has left me dazed and confused, and a little poorer (summer sales be damned) and chubbier (inspirational midday Food Network broadcasts... buttermilk fried onion rings a la Guy Fieri, anyone?). I don't really have any sweet Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-32009911889741140942008-07-15T20:15:00.005-04:002008-07-15T22:10:13.403-04:00... Four ...Oh my god, I can't believe it either - not only is posting two days in a row unheard of around these parts, this is the second non-sweet, non-baked good post ... ever? Oh, the shame. So, Persian food is known for two things: it tastes amazing, but it's also way ugly. (Yea, I'm kind of not even trying with the segues anymore, but look on the bright side, my laziness gets us to the main attraction Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-27323903765373313812008-07-14T23:01:00.006-04:002008-07-15T09:06:04.533-04:00Five...Be very, very quiet... I'm supposed to be packing. I have 102 hours to give some semblance of order to the piles of clothes and books that have claimed my room as their own for the past 14 years. But before I get started, I wanted to share a recipe that just screams of East Coast summers. It's a simple salad of cold crisp lettuce, explosive little red tomatoes, and warm, caramel-y peaches that Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-18715116514208895372008-07-10T07:56:00.003-04:002008-07-10T08:22:58.828-04:00Last days are sadI woke up this morning to find the sun shining, the humidity gone, and myself feeling incredibly lost. Yesterday was my last day of work. I cleaned out my desk, ate delicious "goodbye" lemon meringue pie, listened to a poem about myself, finished my last article and even got the kick ass-est going away party ever! And still, today I'm kind of sad. So kind of sad that I woke up early because I Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-5581614380854459462008-07-07T22:35:00.010-04:002008-07-07T23:31:54.199-04:00Coming to terms with the FourthMy reconciliation with the Fourth of July has been a long time coming. Childish as it may sound, most of my childhood memories of the nation's birthday involve the Fourth stealing my thunder. The "cool girl" in third grade couldn't come to my somewhat belated birthday party because her actual birthday was on July 4. Fireworks always upstaged even the sparkliest, un-blow-out-able candles. My mom Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871254323205580097.post-77336859801847997162008-07-01T18:15:00.006-04:002008-07-01T18:27:32.840-04:00For my birthday...... all I wanted was a cupcake. I didn't know when, or from where, or what kind, and, as expected, my cupcake found me unexpectedly. In Philadelphia. Two days early.It was delicious, filled with lemon curd, and adorable, capped off with the first of many flowers that would come my birthday's way.And best of all, it was perfect for sharing. Just like birthdays.***Sour Cream Lemon CupcakeBrown Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1