Haven't you noticed? I talk about green food all the time. If you see me on a regular basis (not at work), you may have noticed that I wear it almost exclusively. If you have seen my closet - it's like a forest in there. Also, I get really sentimental about all of the different shades there are of this color when I am outdoors. This may or may not make you want to hike with me. Anyhow, I say why not the color green? We basically live because of the color green: i.e. trees, vegetables, V-Tech (anyone? I know at least 6 of you who will appreciate this), ect...
This particular post is my half-hearted attempt to honor the color green. SO. One of my favorite songs:
Notes from the start:
1. I know what this looks like. "Ooohhhh - green drinks, green soups - Sara, did you turn into a goat and not tell us?" Answer? No, this stuff is just really tasty.
2.Adapted this recipe from: LOVE SOUPby Anna Thomas
3. As usual, I changed the recipe a bit. Couldn't find chard or kale, so I used spinach and arugula. That's the nice thing about leafy greens - they substitute in and out so easily. Added ginger. More than just a pinch of cayenne (doi). Also, I added less than the called for amount of veg stock (thicker soup - yum).
Green Soup
The Original
mostly from Anna Thomas
Yield: 6 servings
Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
7oz baby spinach
7 oz wild arugula
5 green onions
1/2 c cilantro
2 T fresh ginger
Salt
3 c water
1 medium starchy potato
1 medium yellow onion
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 c vegetable broth
To taste: more salt, black pepper, cayenne, fresh lemon juice (about 1 T)
Wash all of your green things and cut off the stems. Chop up the green onions and ginger. Place spinach, arugula, green onions, cilantro, and ginger in a large soup pot. Add water and start heating.
Now, wash the potato and chop it into small chunks (the potato is here for starch - rice is also a possibility). Add the potato to the pot, bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and let it simmer for about 40 minutes stirring occasionally.
It is time to chop the onions! I cried today. Weak. Anyhow, heat up the olive oil in a pan, add the onions, and caramelize them until they are brown and soft. This can take a long time, so please be patient.
When everything is ready to come together, add the onions to the soup. Add the chopped garlic to the pan and heat up to release the yummy smells. Also add this to the soup and simmer for about 10 more minutes.
Add as much broth as it takes to cover the veg. You can make this soup as thick or thin as you would like, so let your stomach be your guide. And just like last week, ladle the soup to fill up the blender half way. In small batches, start at a low speed to blend the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and bring it back to a simmer.
Now is the time to season. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, and lemon juice little by little to bring out the flavors of the soup. I like mine a little bit on the heated side.
Garnish:
- Naturally, croutons. I used the rest of my bread from last week. Yesssss.
- Crumbled gorgonzola cheese: oh my goodness, makes the soup. Any crumbly cheese will do.
- Ms. Thomas insists upon a drizzle of fruity green olive oil. Maybe I will try later on this week.
Notes at the end:
1. This is an exciting soup. A-WOO-hoo.
2. You will want to double this. It just doesn't yield as much as you will inevitably want to eat.
3. Share, share, share a bowl of soup with someone you love. It's better that way.
In other news:
Occupy Boston is one of the more interesting things I have visited lately.
Made a budget today. Responsible adult? Indeed.
Any grand ideas on how to get a cheap flight home? Currently in the market for just that.
Sunday ritual has turned into something perfect: time with Paula in the morning, walks, food shopping, cooking, laundry, Skype with the fam, time with Esther in the evening (usually more cooking and listening to the S Club 7 Pandora station).
Things have been wild. There is really nothing else to say. I cannot even pretend that I do much more than work at this point. Although, I feel, and have always felt, that when I am overworking, I am generally more productive in other aspects of my life. As though my body and mind have grown accustomed to being used in excess, so they don't really want to stop. Anyhow, I opened a new truck in the Longwood Medical Area. This is actually the truck I drove to Boston from Ohio a few months back - funny, huh? Here she is:
Best new discovery: weekends. Maybe it is because I am working an exhausting amount of hours during the week and am unable to take care of myself during that time (no cleaning, no cooking, no sleeping), but weekends have been washing me clean lately. They have been transformative. Dramatic? Absolutely. True? Even more absolute in my mind. Each thing I do makes me stop for a moment and say, "Thanks, I really need that, and my life is so beautiful." And I mean everything: cooking, reading, writing, walks, roommate time, drinking, dancing, finding music everywhere, the sun, hair cuts, lone sushi lunches, beer olympics (and obviously anytime I am in the Champagne household), every moment with Esther and Paula, finally unpacking, laundry. Well, those last two might not sound amazing, but I am sure that we can all agree that life is easier in a clutter-free room and clean clothes.
Yesterday I did something crazy that I simply cannot go on without sharing. Locked myself out (classic) of my apartment - without my phone. NO THANKS. After a short time of contemplating which was worse (sitting alone outside vs. death) - I decided to face death. The possible reaper? An old ladder. (Do not use this footage as a means to break into my house. Please and thank you.)
Something I do lately is listen to music CONSTANTLY. On my way to and from work, at work, in the shower, while cooking, falling asleep, obsessed. Thanks,Pandora, for keeping things spicy. I heard this song performed live a couple of years ago and it always comes back to me. Not only is it a song that I want to listen to over and over again, but to share as well. It never fails to make me feel everything - giddy, heartbroken, hopeful.
Starting Notes:
1. What the what is celeriac? Celery root. Looks like an alien head, smells like celery. Did a bit of research on it and found: this article. Last year at work I remember we did a soup with celeriac - and that was the first time I had ever seen it. Paula and I were talked into buying it at the farmer's market this past weekend.
2. I just made this soup up, which I have never done before. I really like following recipes because I feel like they are tried, true, and cannot be messed up. This actually turned out great and now I have soup for the whole week. Yessss.
3. Made my own vegetable broth today, as well. I had all of the peelings and stems from the veggies that I was using in the soup, so I simmered them in water for about 45 minutes and made a light amber broth. Another first.
Creamy Celeriac Soup
Yield: 8 servings
Difficulty: Moderate
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 leek
2 potatoes
5 carrots
1/2 bunch kale
1 head celeriac
1/4 cup chopped parsley
6 cups vegetable stock (or enough to cover veg)
4 cups coconut milk
To taste: salt, black pepper, sugar, nutmeg
Directions:
Wash and roughly chop all veg into chunks (no need to make this pretty, we will blend them later).
In a large pot, heat olive oil on high. Reduce heat and add onions. Cook these onions until they are softened and transparent. Add garlic for about a minute and take a moment to enjoy the best smell that cooking has to offer.
Add the rest of the veg, stock, and fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, ect). Make sure that the stock covers the veg. Now, bring this to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, add milk, and allow it to cook for about 30 minutes or until the celeriac falls apart when pierced.
Set up your blender and ladle your soup in to fill the blender half way up (you don't want hot soup exploding out of the top). Add a bit of salt with each batch. Remember to start pulsing the blender on low each time, working up to a higher speed.
Once the soup is blended and at your desired consistency - salt, pepper, sugar, and nutmeg your way (slowly) to the perfect soup.
Garnish:
Croutons! I used a crusty olive bread, cut it up into chunks, tossed them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and baked them at 400 degrees until browned and crunchy. Completely makes the soup (they soak up the celeriacy goodness).
Finishing Notes:
1. This soup reminds me of a cross between a root vegetable and "cream of" soup. Earthy, thick, warm.
2. I have said this about soup before and I will say it again. It is an amazingly easy meal to make because you can pretty much throw anything into the pot and the soup will still turn out wonderfully! Feel like adding more greens? Or do you hate the idea of onion lurking inside? Add or subtract anything you would like. Freedom.
3. All I had was parsley laying around - I would have added thyme as well. Maybe some sage.
Particularly have been missing a lot of you these past few days. In the kitchen, I feel quite peaceful, safe, and at home. Eating this soup and writing to all of you almost makes me feel as though we are sharing a meal. If you are reading this, then I think that we should share a meal sometime soon. You would be doing me a great favor, in fact. I pretty much just want to out-pour some love right now, in case you hadn't noticed already.
Outtakes:
Does this really need much of an explanation? I didn't properly attach the blender. I burnt myself and made a gigantic mess. Who thought that it was a good idea to leave me alone in the kitchen?
Please, wipe your tears away. I know, I know, it's not easy to watch someone you love grow up. But this is what happens: time passes, we are influenced, we evolve, and best case scenario....we get better. And such is the case with two things in my life right now - my move and rice cripsy treats.
No longer do I live in Dorchester, I have moved across town to darling Somerville. This move occurred this past week and is still happening. It will probably take about a month for us to be TRULY living comfortably here. We must clean, repairs must be made, unpacking, the purchase of necessary households items, but I believe we are ready for the challenge. Meghan, Lisa, and Sam are the new roommates - the most lovely girls I could have hoped to find via Craigslist (or anywhere, really). Updates to come on the living quarters, but the best part of this move is my almost non-existent commute to work. It has been cut into 1/4 of what I have been doing for the past year. And what a positive change this is! For now, I am exhausted from the move and am searching for the motivation to get going again.
So, naturally, I will procrastinate with a blog post.
Opening Notes:
1. If rice crispy treats are something you love, these will knock your off-season holiday socks right off.
2. This recipe is from a cookbook named Flour. This bakery is in Boston. I love this book, everything I have tried from it has been perfectly delightful.
3. Vanilla beans can be expensive, try to shop at a spice market for these guys (vanilla extract simply won't do the job here, sorry).
4. Listening to this song makes me feel light and bubbly - also like I should be on drugs...pretty sure the people in this video were.
Add butter to a large sauce pot (mine is huge and non-stick, works really well) and turn on low heat. Cut the vanilla bean in half and, using a spoon, scrap out the beans into the butter. The mixture will start to bubble and make crackly noises (Chang says it sounds like applause). Once it browns up and smells nutty (about 5 minutes, be patient), add the marshmallows and salt. Stir until completely melted and turn off the heat.
Add the crispy rice cereal and mix until it is fully incorporated. Pour into your already greased pan and let cool before cutting and serving.
Nom, nom, melt-in-your-mouth, nom!
Closing Notes:
1. Be a little bit careful with the browned butter, it can easily go from delicious to burnt. Once it stops foaming and making noises, it is probably done.
2. I like to think of these as the ultimate adult version of a childhood comfort food.
See? Growing up isn't so scary after all. And it can be delicious!
Yes, the last time I wrote - there was snow on the ground. And after surviving my first New England winter, I went on the conquer some changes a bit bigger than the seasons. I realize that I have completely disregarded spring and summer, but this was nothing like hibernating I assure you. Here is your 10 point explanation of what happened:
Goodbye Le Cordon Bleu! Thanks for teaching me Pommes Anna and other such wonders.
Andrew & Ashley got hitched!
I drove a truck from Ohio to Massachusetts. 14.5 hours, overnight, alone = CHAMPION.
Mom, Aunt Loris Ann, Rita, & Brenda came to visit Boston and it was brilliant!
Kate came just a week later. We went to visit Sammy and Jaime in NY. She worked a 9 hour day with me on the truck. We played with Esther and Paula. Winning.
SURPRISE!!! One of the best visits home I have EVER had. 10 days, beach, CAT semi-reunion, Phil Shane, grunion hunting, 4th of July parade/fireworks, HUGE amounts of family time, Shayna's beautiful baby bump. So much love.
Bestest girls I know almost anywhere.
Snapshot of my every. single. day:
Meditate, cleanse, love, repeat. Thanks to Kris Carr, I pulled off my first seriously, amazingly, healingly, wonderful cleanse.
One year ago I moved to Boston on a whim. I remember the extremely uncomfortable first night (let's actually make that, first 2 months). And again, I am staring at a completely packed up and empty room, just as on that first night. An apartment turned into a home, turned now into yet another place I have to leave. With this week comes a new apartment, new roommates, a new neighborhood, a new year. Is there anything to fear in this? My first instinct is yes, but I know that the true answer is: never. With the unbelievable changes which have accompanied this past year (no really, I cannot BELIEVE them), I have chosen not to fear the new. I can finally embrace change? Yikes, I just might be growing.
Notes to begin:
1. I have actually been meaning to write this post since BEFORE the drinking chocolate post. It's funny that the relevance of it in my life has increased so much since that time.
2. This recipe is one of the most flexible in the world - you can basically throw anything into that blender. No joke.
3. FRESH PRODUCE.
4. This is my summer anthem. I dance around like a fool when I hear it. Makes me happy every time:
Green Smoothie
Yield: 3-ish cups
Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
3 fatty kale leaves
1 generous handful spinach
1 cucumber
1 pear
1 granny smith apple
1/2 inch piece ginger
Water
Directions:
Wash all fruit and veg.
Peel anything that needs a-peelin' (i.e. cucs).
Cut up fruit and veg into chunks.
Throw into the blender with some water (add as much as needed). Blend on HIGH until completely smooth.
Chill. Or not! Drink up that sunshine!
Notes to end:
1. Make this taste yummy for yourself. You want more sweet? Add another piece of fruit or some juice in place of water. If you want it creamy or with some fat? Avocado. Mm! Or some kind of milk - coconut milk is oh-so-amazing in these things.
2. Okay, so it is green and thick. Don't freak out. These actually taste quite good. Why, Sara? Why would you even suggest such a thing? I drink mine in the morning and this is what I get: a meal that fills me for HOURS, energy like I haven't found anywhere else, a place to get all of the nutrients from leafy green things that I just cannot handle eating in many other ways (yet).
3. Save the rest in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
4. Research green smoothie recipes because there are some people out there with a knack for making these things taste like candy and rainbows :)
Well, that felt good. And I am back. And I love ya'll.
It never ceases to amaze me how life can change so drastically in just a couple of weeks (or days or hours or minutes). In particular, I will write about how this relates to my current school/work situation. My first block of courses at Le Cordon Bleu are now finished. It all went very well, I left all of my classes feeling confident in my skills and knowledge level. Also, I felt validated by the chef instructors who I have become very fond of. This second block of classes only includes one: Culinary Foundations II. This runs Monday-Friday, 7am-10:30am. A typical day looks a bit like this: present converted recipes to our chefs, listen and take notes on lecture, watch a demo, get into groups and replicate the demo (last week: SAUCES), clean the kitchen, and get instructions for homework. It is non-stop and there is a lot of (negative) pressure from the chefs. I am truly exhausted (probably more emotionally than mentally) at the end of every class. That said, today was our practical on sauces and I can confidently say that I did well (at least, I am pleased with my work). We made Buerre Blanc, Robert, Bechamel, Mornay, and Hollandaise. One thing that is most difficult for me (but, also the thing I am excited to finally be understanding) is how to properly season a sauce. "Season slowly and taste often" says Chef Lentini. I always taste my sauce before seasoning, and then probably about ten times before I get it right. BUT - I can really taste the change once the sauce finally gets THERE ("there" being that elusive perfect taste of a properly seasoned sauce). This week: SOUPS.
There may be some of you who know this and many others who do not, but I have a somewhat addictive personality. I find something that I love - and then I proceed to love it with all of my being. It tends to overcome my thoughts. This blog is one of the things I love right now and have what I would consider a small obsession. It gives me an outlet for some other things I am addicted to (i.e. cooking and writing). I thought it would be fun to give an update of my life simply by telling you what I am loving excessively at this point in my life. Here goes!
We will start with music. Probably the thing that keeps me MOST sane throughout my day. Now, I have loved The Decemberists before. Their new album though, The King Is Dead, is something I want to listen to constantly. Greatest reason? The harmonica of course! I am such a sucker for the harmonica.
This is where I work. Above is a picture of our seasonal sandwich, the Sweet Potato (with jicama slaw). It's an awesome little company. When I got to Boston I read about Clover in a magazine and said, "I want to work there." The company is growing, it has a great mission, the food is fresh and delicious - read their blog. Funny story, the first 6 week block of school included about 4 hrs of work per week at Clover. About 2 weeks ago I got the call: Monday-Friday 1-7pm. Hello FULL-TIME! What? I can actually afford my life now? What? I leave my apartment when it's dark and get back when it's dark? Yes, I am exhausted, but it is a welcome and productive exhaustion. Oh, and I now work on the truck. It is very cold, but totally worth it. I am far more fortunate than words can describe here.
Oh goodness, I love everything about this book. Mostly, I have been making gigantic pots of delicious soup. Plus, these so-much-fun trail-mix cookies. A blog to follow, dedicated to some recipes from this book.
It has been a bit on and off since getting to Boston (right now, OFF because of this crazy schedule I am juggling), but swing dancing has been such a joyous addition to my life! Every night of the week you can find swing dancing in Boston (which still has an active Lindy Hop scene). I prefer to do the FREE lessons and dance at MIT on Wednesday nights when I can. Also, on Friday nights there is a live band at Boston Swing Central. They have twinkly lights and a room crowded with dancers. Dancing is so freeing and social; just a wonderful time all around.
This girl taught me how to meditate. Meditation has changed me. I have never seen life - its situations, my relationships - with so much love and peace; until now. I found her lectures on a podcast by mistake at what was a difficult time for me. I recommend this book with my whole heart not because it picked up my spirits one day, but because the tools I have learned and applied to my life (meditating, journaling daily, releasing negativity) are lasting.
Esther and Paula
My bestest friends in Boston. I also happened upon them as a fluke. Let's not call it a fluke, it's more like fate. Truth be told, I wouldn't still be in Boston if it wasn't for these two beautiful ladies. You know when you meet a person and you instantly know them? I love that feeling :)
A recommendation that I am glad to pass on. The language is so beautiful that I want to read it out loud (and don't think that I didn't). Its flow is enough to cause an emotional connection to the book (not to mention the story). Most of you know that I am not a fan of inspirational movies (for example: Remember the Titans or Seabiscuit.) At first, I thought this book was headed in that direction, but it wasn't so. The energy of hope that the book expresses was so simple and lovely. Please read.
Were you wondering when I would get to the FOOD? Yeah, okay. This one you will all love. Some people love coffee, some people love tea. I am not into coffee, I am mildly into tea, but I adore hot chocolate. In the beginning of the winter I was ordering hot chocolate from coffee shops. Then, I was buying the little packets at the store. A little later I was making the packets with coconut milk, whole milk, and adding chocolate syrup. FINALLY - I decided to stop messing around. Below is the recipe I have softly nestled into. You can't call this stuff hot chocolate. It is so thick that you actually feel like you are DRINKING. CHOCOLATE. (Oh, and HAPPY (belated) VALENTINE'S day to you all! Sending you lots and lots of love via chocolate!)
Short and sweet notes:
1. Sooooooo chocolate-y.
2. As always, use the BEST ingredients that you can afford. For me, best right now means the Ghirardelli brand chocolate chips (bittersweet and milk).
2. Remember: it's all to your taste. (And don't get carried away with the cayenne.)
Drinking Chocolate with a KICK!
Yield: 2 cups
Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: Under 10 minutes (seriously, it's that fast)
Ingredients:
2 cups half and half or whole milk (or 2% milk or soy milk or coconut milk - go WILD)
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz milk chocolate, chopped
Salt, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat about 1/3 of the milk with the chocolate and salt, on low heat, until melted.
Whisk in the remaining milk until the mixture is nice and hot.
Season with cinnamon and cayenne.
Serve warm with homemade whipped cream (remember, Santa is watching for naughty - from the can - and nice - whipped by you, for you).
Afterthoughts:
1. Try not to burn your whole, entire mouth. I have been there and it isn't pretty.
2. Oh man, save this stuff and heat it up later on the stove. It is so good the second and third time around!
3. Nutrition disclaimer: kids (and adults who cannot control themselves when chocolate is around), you can't drink this every morning, like coffee or evening, like tea. Whole milk and melted chocolate? It's tempting. You know who you are :)
It has now been two weeks of full-time school and work. I have always wondered what it would be like to do this, and now I know. Finally I am standing back on my feet after a little insanity. This morning I even packed a lunch and I exercised between school and work. This past weekend Aunt Liz came to visit and it was fabulous. We explored cold, cold Boston, ate yummy food, saw some sweet live music, and had lots of visiting time. Speaking of things that I love to obsession...it's my favorite thing - to share my life with my loved ones, which I am attempting to do here. Thanks for reading, I hope you did so with some drinking chocolate in hand!
And here we are at the end of my first 6-week term. This whole "accelerated" schooling program is really different from the traditional way you would earn a degree. It feels like only yesterday I stepped into Le Cordon Bleu in Boston to take a tour. Yes, that was months ago, but it is hard to believe that I have already completed three courses (and already learned so much). This week is "finals" week - and boy do they know how to do this! I have a test every day in my Culinary Foundations I course. Today was the written exam on Les Cuissons. Tomorrow we will do herb, spice, and knife kit identification....and, mayonnaise!
Notes to start: 1. I could have sworn that I had half of a lemon sitting on my counter, just waiting to be used. Alas, it was not there today when I went to make my mayo. Had to settle for the lemon juice out of the cute little lemon shaped bottle, humph! 2. Caution: your wrist will get sore. 3. Was feeling a bit mellow/mellow-dramatic (couldn't really tell which one) today when I woke up from my much needed nap. John Mayer it is!
One-Yolk Mayo
Yield: 1 cup
Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 Egg yolk
1 cup oil
Mustard
Lemon juice
Salt
White pepper
Water (optional, if needed)
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together a squeeze of lemon juice, a small spoonful of mustard, and the egg yolk. season with some salt and pepper.
Begin incorporating the oil by gradually dripping and whisking it into the egg yolk mixture. Make sure to pour directly into the area where you are whisking. Once the oil begins to emulsify with the egg yolk, you may begin to pour it in a slow and steady stream until the mayonnaise is thick and yellow in color. Season to taste. (I even added a bit more mustard. Some people add a splash of hot sauce - the popular choice is Tabasco.)
Tips:
If you accidentally pour too much oil in at once, stop pouring and keep whisking until it is combined.
If you just cannot get the yolk and oil to come together, taste and try adding a bit of lemon juice or water.
Afterthoughts:
1. There are no real measurements for the lemon juice or mustard in this recipe. It's fun to experiment! I would guesstimate about 2 tsp of each went into my mayo.
2. I had to add about 1/4 cup more of oil to get the thickness I desired in the mayo. The general rule is 1 cup oil to 1 egg yolk, but depending on the amount of lemon juice or what you are using the mayo for - you may need more.
And there you have it! So much mayonnaise! It tastes a bit different, I would say, tangier than the store-bought kind. I really enjoy getting so up close and personal with my food; it makes me appreciate my relationship with it a bit more. Plus, whisking is a workout! Any ideas on what to do with it? My roommate, Alex, suggested potato salad. I thought spinach and artichoke dip, but that will only make me miss Jenn! Oy! The possibilities are endless!
