The opinions that caught my eye and held my interest were addressing an articlef rom the week before.  Verlyn Klinkenborg the lost art of reading aloud the written word.  I must confess this is exactly what I have been trying to stress to my students.  We read through recipes in every class that tell us how we will make each recipe come to life.  The angst of my students, the complaints and discomfort they express are generally met with my firm stance that the reading must be accomplished in order to move forward.

In a world of IPODs, Kindles, books on tape and (yes, I’m sorry, I must) the internet when do any of us in the course of our day read ANYTHING out loud?  If  our children aren’t given the opportunity to hear words read aloud, it makes it difficult to believe they may be able to read them aloud on their own.  In the age of all things electronic, and technology that moves faster each time we blink, this is one tradition that can be preserved with a little extra time and effort.

Think about this the next time you cook- don’t be afraid to read your recipe aloud if only to your Kitchen Aid mixer or your preheating oven.  Listen to the words, the language and let the rhythm carry over into the rhythm of your work.  Take it from me, I grew up with a mother who still reads to me.  It’s not merely the text, the language or subject, but the sound of her voice that I will carry with me no matter where I travel, what I read or how much I cook.  It all starts with words.

I wanted to defy my lack of outdoor space, experiment a little, and most importantly, prove that I can grow something besides debt.  I started an herb garden, and it happened one day when I was clearly not thinking straight.  A while back, we had a basil plant, but it met an untimely demise when I knocked it over one morning in a rush of, ‘I-needed-to-get-out-of-this-house-and-on-a-train-five-minutes-ago.’  My significant other has taken to calling me a murder, declaring that we can never have pets or children until I can learn to take care of the plants.  (Yes, he is a little dramatic.) 

I bought simple all-in-one kits at Home Depot one day for Basil, Parsley and Cilantro.  I followed directions, I planted seeds, and I am proud to say I definitely see growth taking place.  Now comes the tough part: maintenance.  Never my strong point this idea of maintenance, mostly because it does not bode well with my short attention span but I thought I am making the effort.  A girl can dream, right?

Basil in the front, Cilantro and Parsley behind

My guys look pretty good, right?  I’m starting to get concerned about parsley, so I harvested some and we’ll see how that goes.  Cilantro was the first to sprout, and by far, the fastest to grow.  Parsley was like a child- one day it looked all short and awkward and the next day it was full grown.  Basil is always the difficult one, but sprouted after a while and those leaves are getting pretty big.  I must say after the seeds started to grow I got a little cocky and decided that I would work with my class to plant basil that they could take home.  This is my little guy, what do you think?  Pretty cute, right?

The youngest always screams for attention!

I am lucky enough to have some great light in my apartment, with an entire wall facing west.  We are not near any tall buildings so we are guaranteed direct sunlight for a good portion of the day.  Other than place them on a windowsill, I have merely watered them every other day.  (I stick the tip of my finger in the dirt, if it seems dry, I water.)   It’s been hot the past few days so I have been watering everyday. 

It’s been fairly low-maintenance thus far, so I am a little anxious about moving into the next stage with my herbs.  We are taking it one day at a time.  I notice they tend to move towards the sun so I turn them when they start leaning too much to one side.  I’d like to contain them by leaving them in their present pots, but I don’t want them to die.  (we have the room to grow bigger, I just prefer not to.)  Let me know your take on growing herbs indoors- tips, comments or even your own experiences are welcome.  I think I have an inkling of what new parents must feel like…happy eating!

In Manhattan, you could walk for hours and not find something that appeals to you.  This is not helpful to one who is tired and hungry.  The food thing sort of has to happen IMMEDIATELY.  So he said, ‘I know this place- I have seen this and really wanted to eat here!’  Hmmm…really?  I like hummus, but it’s not on the list of things I am insanely happy about eating.  Ok, and I was a little hungover and tired and hungry…a nice bowl of mac and cheese would have made me smile.  Right- back to that whole idea of thinking about what I put into my body.

Here’s a shot of the interior of Hummus Place located at 71 7th Avenue S. (at Bleecker).  I can’t remember the last place I went to that had such a friendly, yet not overbearing, wait staff.  They are genuinely nice in this place.  They will ask you your interests, make suggestions, even tell you where to buy the products if you are interested in making similiar dishes at home. 

We shared a choice of three appetizers for $8.95- falafel, roasted eggplant with tahini and quinoa salad with fresh tomato, parsley, and mint.  This was enough for two to share, and with that price it didn’t hurt the wallet either.  The whole wheat pita that they serve with the hummus is unlike anything that you could purchase at your local grocery store.   I had a bowl of butternut squash soup which was rich, creamy and satisfying.  We even went for dessert- a trio of baklava and malabi.  Malabi is an Israeli dish- it was flan with vanilla and rosewater served with toasted almonds, coconut and cherry sauce. 

I enjoyed it so much, we went back the next night for dinner, too.  I had the Shakshuka- a dish with garlicky tomato sauce with two over-easy eggs on top.  Wow-it was worth thinking about all day.  The pitas tasted even better covered in tomato sauce and egg.  The dessert the second time we went was to-die-for.  It is called kadaif.  It is crispy noodles (very thin) topped with vanilla ricotta cheese, halva and silan.  For those of you not familiar with halva it is a confection made from semolina flour and has a somewhat airy, chewy texture.  It differs slightly depending what part of the Middle East you are in, but always has a light sweetness to it’s base.  Silan is a natural date syrup.  This dessert tastes like heaven- seriously, crunchy noodles with the creamy, lightly sweetened ricotta, topped with the airy-ness of the halva and the sweet, sticky date sauce makes you want to lick the plate.  Beware if you are planning to share this dessert, fights may ensue.

This place will get you in and out quickly if that’s what you want or you can linger over several courses.  The decor is minimal, but fresh and the large windows make it a perfect place to watch all of New York watch by.  The large mirrors make it easy to watch regardless of which side of the table you sit on.  I can’t wait to make it back here to try some wines or freshly made beverages. 

Bring a group or go it alone.  For you carnivores out there, this place is hearty- you would be surprised how full you feel when it is all finished.  Be nice to your body today- try Hummus Place!

I completely forgot there was asparagus sitting in my fridge from the weekend so I tried to recreate something that I had at a restaurant recently.  Of course, with a little twist.  Asparagus soup, friends.  Isn’t it gorgeous?

Asparagus Soup with Lobster Ravioli

This was fairly easy, especially considering as I am steaming asparagus, I discover that I don’t have any kind of stock lying around or any way to make any.  (I am a total mad scientist-  I do not cook during normal business hours.)  I made do with what I could, but I do believe next time I would like some vegetable stock or chicken stock.

I started by steaming the asparagus, but ended up boiling them.  I wanted them super soft to puree.  Asparagus can be very woody, and some find the skin so unpleasant that they actually peel it.  I think all that is a little silly, and really- isn’t the skin that healthiest part of the vegetable for you? 

Upon boiling, I turned them into my food processor.  I know not why I own this aparatus.  I so seldom use it.  It is the Cuisinart 11-cup version, purchased less than a year ago.  If someone wanted to give me $100 for it, you would own a virtually new unit.  It’s just too big, and never seems to puree as fine and smooth as I would like.  Anyway, I was making do…I pureed until smooth, adding a little of the cooking liquid, and then turned it back into the sauce pan.  I then whisked in about 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and added about 1/2 cup of milk to give it some body.  I plopped in a pesto cube from my freezer and just let it melt.  Added healthy amounts of salt and pepper and Voila!

Then I started looking at it, and I was bored.  This would not happen if it were not the main course of my dinner, but alas, it was.   So, I started digging in my fridge, and found fresh pasta!  Not just any fresh pasta, upon my morning walk on Tuesday, we stumbled upon a lovely pasta-making place in Morris Park.  (It’s uptown, baby, in the Bronx.)  I was so excited- are you kidding me- fresh pasta? 

It turns out Riviera Ravioli & Pasta Company makes two fresh pastas per day.  Just give them a call in the morning (718.823.0260) and they will let you know what they are making for the day, and even set your order aside for you.  They sell both Wholesale and Retail, so get a little or get a lot.  We ended up with a couple dozen LOBSTER ravioli.  That’s right kids, after stumbling upon ‘fresh pasta’ in the Bronx we actually walked away with a couple of dozen extra large LOBSTER ravioli.  We had to try a few as soon as we got home on Tuesday because we just couldn’t wait for dinner or lunch for that matter. 

I knew after inspecting my soup for a second- what would be better than a giant lobster ravioli floating in the center?  Tops with some seeded and chopped tomato.  Nice.  The weather may be unpredictable, but the climate in my kitchen is always perfect.

If you are need of some fresh pasta, get yourself to Riviera, 641 Morris Park Avenue (near White Plains Road).  Call ahead for the best deals so you can show up prepared (718.823.0260).  They were such sweet, helpful and knowledgeable pasta-makers.  Happy cooking, eating and writing and exploring!

The Brooklyn Kitchen is located just a short block and a half from the Lorimer stop on the L train, just under 10 minutes from Manhattan.  It is definitely worth the trip.  They have a healthy stock popular, quality brands like All Clad, Le Creuset, Shun, Cuisinart, Kitchen Aid, Rosle as well as others.  The unique part of this store is they provide provocative, unique cooking classes. 

Their collection of vintage pieces also gives the store space depth and history not felt in most cooking supply stores in the city.  On the counter next to the register sits a box full of recipes of days gone by, scribbled onto note cards now yellowed with age.  When  I asked the clerk where the recipes had come from, she said they had been in some old recipe boxes which had taken on new purposes in life, but they didn’t want to just toss the recipes out.  I like a store with a conscience. 

Sort of like the CSA posters around-the store is a distribution site on Wednesday evenings.  Increasing the availability of locally grown produce is not a cause taken up by any cookware producers or purveyors in national or multi-national chains.  Not only do they sell you the pan to cook it, but they will show you how to buy the best ingredients to go in the pan, and through a variety of classes, show you a myriad of ways to cook the that you bought to eat after cooking in the pan that you bought to cook it in.  Do you feel me?

If you are in the mood for a day-brightening, time-traveling, cooking wonder show, visit the Brooklyn Kitchen at 616 Lorimer Street, between Conselyea Street and Skillman Avenue.  Maybe they can sell you a pot or a pan or whatever you need to conquer your culinary endeavors.

This man, he wasn’t wearing lipstick.  He was wearing a suit.  He removed his jacket when his gallon-sized coffee arrived.  With it’s straw.  Then he proceeded to wrap a napkin around the coffee.  (It’s hot, it has a LID.  Not sure why he needed a straw AND a napkin.)  He then proceeded to tuck a napkin into the collar of his shirt, and another into the top of his pants…WHAT??!?!?!

So, let’s recap: semi-normal looking man in his mid-fifties.  He is dressed in a suit and with a twenty-something, who appears to be his son.  He gets gallon-sized coffee (probably a medium or whatever they call it) with a cover and a straw.  He proceeds to wrap a napkin around said coffee, then napkin number two is tucked into the collar of his shirt, and napkin number three is tucked into the top of his pants.

How many napkins does one really need to DRINK COFFEE?  Talk amongst yourselves….

I still do, everyday. I am constantly reading about food- magazines, books, newspapers and blogs. I teach children most days so that helps me to keep updated on mainstream food discussions. Lesson planning can lead off into interesting tangents, and I am one of those teachers that wants to have all the answers. I never realized children could ask SO much. Alas, I am typically reading obscure food-related topics.

The more I read and learn, the stronger one of my convictions becomes. Throughout school, especially each time on of my arrogant chef instructors was yelling a command at me, I thought, there are some things I will never live without. The more I read, the more I learn, the more those voices echo in my head, and the more I think, no, YOU just don’t get it.

I will never live without American cheese. I don’t care that it is sometimes referred to as ‘processed cheese food.’ I don’t others swear against it. I care that my mother always bought it. I care that it was the only cheese fit for grilled cheese sandwiches made by both my mother and father growing up. I care that when I had to take medication pills (which, by the way, is still quite difficult for me as an adult), my mother wrapped them in American cheese. It is comfort, it is love and I refuse to live without it.

I will never live without applesauce. Now this is a little different, and sadly I guess, a little the same. For a period of time growing up, we lived with an apple tree in our yard. We ate, we canned, we froze, we baked, we cooked- anything to do with apples, we did. I have had homemade applesauce, but honestly, jarred and sold at the grocery store will suffice. I am not picky, although I prefer strictly apples- no other fruit and little to no sugar. I will literally eat it with anything…especially grilled cheese sandwiches!

Those two things aside, my parents also instilled chef-worthy food traits in me. We didn’t eat too much fast food growing up, and as a result, I rarely eat it or even crave it. We grew up with a garden, even in our most garden-difficult living spaces so my appreciation for fresh produce is high. We often cooked at home, and dinner, seated at the table with the family was a requirement. I hold such a high regard for family dinners, and nearly every social occassion in my adult life somehow involves food. So to all those arrogant chef instructors who scoffed at my American cheese and applesauce fixations, I say we must take the good with the not-so-great. I think we can all determine a list of things we will never completely live without…

First of all, I have never been one of those people that had a stomach of ‘steel.’ Not me. Definately not. There are certain things I just have no desire to eat, and I do take the occasional trip to vegetarian land. I lose all interest in meat from time to time. Being on vacation makes me eat like tomorrow is my last day on earth. Can you blame me? It might be, and what if I didn’t eat those last FIVE cookies. Being a tropical location makes me a little nervous so I dieted like a crazy person before leaving so I feel as if I am entitled to eat like it is my last day on earth.

First- never assume you know what is being brought to you in a restaurant. If a menu states the ingredients of a dish, but leaves out how they are prepared, definately ask.

Second, try to eat whole foods. If you see that an entire piece of fruit, seafood, etc. is available, make that your choice and leave dressing filled sandwiches or greasy meats alone. Watch the sandwiches with this trick- I can’t believe how much dressings people can apply to one little sandwich.

Third, no matter how good it looks, smells or tastes, limit your intake of fried foods to no more than one per day. The people this hurts the most? The snackers, the drinkers and the beach-goers. There will always be greasy, deep-fried foods in street vending carts, around bars and to snack on at the beach. Don’t fret, see rule number 2- most places that have greasy food, almost always and equally inexplicably, have pieces of fruit within reach. Grab the piece of fruit!

My fourth, and final rule, watch the liquor intake. I know, I know. I love my drinks, and many vacation spots seem to start happy hour at noon. I have never been an all day drinker. A few here, a few there- never my style, but it seems on vacation, I seem to have forgotten this. Always make sure to ask for a glass of water with drink number two, and drink it before getting to drink number three. Be especially conscious of this if you are spending much time in the sun. Drink lots of H20- the bottled kind if you have any stomach issues…

Each rule is important on it’s own, but combined could leave you in a scary, wish I were home, kind of state. Moderation, moderation, moderation. So have fun, observe the rules, and happy vacation to all!