Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The Oscar Party



The other half of Homespun Urban is currently changing diapers and debating the pros and cons of some type of nipple (don't ask), so I will help out by giving you readers the scoop on her annual Oscar Party.
Sometimes she throws the party herself, but usually goes to a friend's house. One option she's had in the past is to dress as a character from that year's batch (my Frieda Kahlo costume horrified me enough to become very, VERY vigilant about plucking my brows). The highlight of either her or her friend's party is the food competition. Much like the Super Bowl party, prizes are given for the best movie inspired food. If you'd like to see pictures of last year's winners, scroll down to the Feb. 27th, 2007 post for "Notes on a Sandal" and "...and I am telling you I'm not Chicken".
This year's contender was "Asconement"- a plate of scones with a note saying 'I'm Sorry'. I had suggested a roasted chicken platter entitled "No Country for Old Hens", but there wasn't enough time.

Hopefully Kate will post some pictures of the winner when she's done washing the burp off her shirt.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Winter Blues



I love to cook more than most people I know, but I am rapidly entering into the time of year when I'm done. Done with the routine. It's cold, your pasty skin hasn't seen the sun in months, and the thought of trying to push a shopping cart through a slushy parking lot is too much to bear. It's the dangerous season of Too Much Take-Out.

I'm not anti-take-out; in fact, it's one of the things that I loved when I moved to the big city. It's the time of year though, when you get into the habit of just ordering from the Vietnamese joint down the street one cold night, and one night becomes two, and two becomes four....

Full disclosure: There was a period last winter when the bar down the street had $13.95 prime rib on Wednesday, which was also the day I had my most hated late grad school class. We probably went there 5 Wednesdays in a row for Mahattans and rib. By the end, I was feeling like I might get the gout, but then Spring sprung and we recovered.

So how to fight the take-out-all-the-time habit that's no good for your wallet or waistline? That's a tough one. One option would be to try and make that Pad Thai or Beef and Broccoli yourself. (The recipe I use for Pad Thai is from the Boston Globe. I'll reprint in the post underneath). The other would be to try and change habits. Eat less meat for a week. Use only recipes from a favorite magazine. Try "breakfast for dinner". Recreate your Mom's staples.

Or book yourself a fabulous Spring break and let it motivate you to save your pennies for the swim up bar.

Boston Globe Pad Thai Recipe

This is a good one. Leave out anything you don't have (although the fish sauce makes it taste just like take-out).

1 tablespoon dried shrimp (optional)
1/2 pound fresh shrimp, chicken, or pork
10 to 12 ounces 1/4-inch wide dry rice noodles (banh pho, sen jann, or rice sticks)
2 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 medium shallots, sliced in thin rings
1/4 pound firm tofu, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Asian chili paste, or to taste
3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
1/3 cup chopped dry-roasted unsalted peanuts
1 cup bean sprouts
1 egg, beaten, fried, and finely sliced
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 extra lime, cut into wedges (for serving)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded fresh mint


1. Soak the dried shrimp, if using, in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain them and chop them finely. If using fresh shrimp, shell and devein them; or cut the chicken or pork along the grain into small strips. Soak the rice noodles in warm water for at least 15 minutes.

2. In a wok, cast-iron skillet, or large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot (but not smoking) add the garlic, shallots, and dried shrimp all at once. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is just golden-brown and shallots are beginning to caramelize.

3. Push garlic mixture to one side of the pan. Raise the heat to high and add the tofu. Cook it until it is lightly browned.

4. Push the tofu to one side of the pan. Add the fresh shrimp, chicken, or pork. Stir-fry, mixing everything in the pan together, just until the meat is opaque.

5. Drain the noodles.

6. Push everything in the pan to one side (if the pan seems dry, add another teaspoon of oil). Add the noodles and stir-fry, gradually working in the other ingredients in the pan.

7. Clear a small space in the center of the noodles and add the tomato and chili pastes. Gradually incorporate them into noodles until evenly distributed; the noodles should be tinted red.

8. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Clear a small space in the pan and add the sugar. Toss the noodles briefly.

9. Add the fish sauce and lime juice. Stir-fry, mixing thoroughly and scraping the pan with a spatula. You may need to cut through noodles with the spatula. Taste the mixture. It should be evenly balanced with salt, sweet, and sour tastes. Fish sauce helps cut through a heavy lime taste. But if you have added plenty of lime and fish sauce and the flavors still don't come alive, try adding more sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time.

10. Add the peanuts and bean sprouts, toss briefly, and remove from heat.

11. Scatter the egg and scallions over the noodles. Garnish with wedges of lime, cilantro, and mint. Serve at once.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Urban slobs



I hate cleaning. I really hate it. But in an inverse relationship to my hatred of cleaning is my love of going out to dinner. In order to finance this habit, I have decided to let go of the dream I had when I imagined my big city life- the cleaning person. I know that my Mom and her best friend both have daughters that have had cleaning people and recently let them go. I know it blows their mind that their daughters, who "learned at the knee of masters", as Mom says, don't take pleasure and pride in cleaning. But I don't. I still hate it. And the person we had was great. It was nice. So nice. So so nice.

Still having trouble letting this go.

But, I love me my dinners out. So, in an effort to make my Mom proud and truly EMBRACE the clean house, I reread a book my sis gave me when I lived in a tiny studio apartment- "Organizing From the Inside Out" by Julie Morgenstern.
It's a simple concept, but one that doesn't seem to happen naturally: Don't fight your habits and try to have the system that you THINK you should have. For example, if you sort all your mail at the dining room table, don't build a mail system that's two rooms away- make it near that spot. I did this in the house over MLK weekend, and I'm here to report that the solid and top to bottom closet reorganization, the mail center, and laundry room re-org are STILL WORKING weeks later. And our city apartment with not much closet space seems to have plenty of space. Kind of liberating, actually. I guess Mom was right- cleaning can make you happy.

Or a nice steak dinner after that cleaning can make you happier.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

MYO, part deux

I mentioned before that "MYO" was our mother's shorthand for "Make it yourself", or more often than not, code for "I'm sick of cooking for you kids". To continue our semi-regular MYO feature, I present to you: Croutons.

A family friend refers to these as "dead bread", and although he uses it as a derogative, it's pretty accurate. Easy, a good way to use up something you would normally throw away, and so easy a monkey could do it.

Take those hunks of bread you never ate, throw them in a bag, and when you have enough and feel like having soup or a salad, toss them with some melted butter or oil, depending on your taste. Mix in any spices you like (blends like Italian are good- might want to stay away from the sweet ones, like cinnamon), spread on a baking sheet and toast at 300 for about 30 min., or until they look like croutons. Store them in that same bag and applaud your Depression era/Green/use it up thriftiness. Go make some soup out of a ham bone and enjoy.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Best Ever Baby Shower Booty

I have to admit I dreaded of attending and buying gifts for this particular occasion for years. Either pick something on the registry that you don't really understand unless you have spawn yourself (wipe warmer? 'Brest' friend? WTF?) or do what everyone else does and buy some midget-sized outfits. Awww, cute. Until you've seen them open 20 different packages with similar stuff.

Want to be the most appreciated gifter? I used to think personalized onesies were the ultimate, but here are three better ideas gleaned from my new hands-on experience with birthing and caring for a wee one.

1) Meal delivery service. Outsource it or do it yourself , make it freezable (Ethel has some some good recipes. ) You could team up with some friends and cover a whole month. Heck, your new mom could use this much help for at least a season.

2) Spa gift certificate with a definite expiration date-so Mama has to get out of the house to use it.

3) Gift certificate for diapers.com, which will deliver all kinds of kiddie needs to your door and can be easily ordered with one hand at 2 a.m.

P.S. By the way, the Brest friend is not a semi-literate joke but a specialty pillow that absolutely rocks and is a great choice for anyone attempting to feed their young'un the old school way.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Presenting....the Philadephia Clam Pie

The best that 1942 has to offer. The next year in my Cook Gourmet Magazine Anniversary Issue Project (I need a shorter way to say that. CGMAIP?) is the probably not-so-appetizing sounding Philadelphia Clam Pie. It's sort of clam chowder in a puff pastry shell, except it's not milk or cream based. Surprisingly, the thickener is clam juice with cornstarch rather than dairy, but it still has a nice, creamy taste to it. If you're inviting your lactose-intolerant friend over, have no fear with the Philadelphia Clam Pie!

I'm still unsure of the Philadelphia reference on this one. I don't recall Philly being known for its seafood, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, this guy was also delicious, especially on a cold night. It was also Ash Wednesday, which I don't really celebrate any more, but it made me feel accidentally virtuous to go meat free. The score card:

1942: Philadelphia Clam Pie (Click for recipe)

Guests: The Commune
Votes: 5 for, 0 against. "A keeper" says Kurt. "Better than I thought" says I.

Final Score: Gourmet 2, Hunger 0.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

My own Private Casserole


Cooking for one is an art form that is under appreciated. It seems as though society skipped from stay-at-home moms cooking for the family unit right to the gigantic take out and frozen dinners industry. But why not take the time to make yourself a nice meal? You can buy pretty much anything in small portions, it doesn't have to be fancy, and you can't eat from Trader Joe's every night (well, you can, but...all that salt is not good for you, dammit!)

When I lived in my 450sq.ft. apartment in the beginning of the Homespun Urban days, I cooked most nights. I'll admit that I didn't have TV, so some of my motivation was that it was sort of my entertainment, but it's always possible to do, even in a galley kitchen. It got to the point that friends that lived in the neighborhood always happened to "stop by" just around dinner time, so I ended up cooking for two instead of one.

I was reminded of this having the house to myself recently due to a "Man Weekend". The man in question is allergic to shellfish, so when ever the cat's away, the shrimp do play, so to speak.
I bought some little fresh Maine shrimp, and baked them for 10 min. at 450 in a casserole mixed with butter, scallions, garlic, a chopped up mushroom, and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with a little white wine, and you're done. Glass of white wine, a salad, TV all to yourself......

Monday, February 4, 2008

Too sad to blog

Too hard. Too embarrassing. Too heartbreaking.


All I can give you is the food results of Burp Bowl V:

1. Tastiest: A tie between "Hail Mary Pass the Potato Skins ", a nice dish complimented by a cilantro sour cream dip and "Flaxico Burgers", little sliders made with Flax seed rolls and grilled onions.

2. Best Football Reference: Another tie: "Hail Mary Pass the Potato Skins" again, and the one gloriously and now crushingly named "19-0", a bucket of nachos made with 19, yes, 19 ingredients. Not 18. 19.

3. Most Likely to Cause Gas: 'Unnecessary Meatness", a combo of wonton-wraped chedder hot dog slices and Philly cheese steak egg rolls. All deep fried.

4. MVP: This was a cake that's sort of an inside joke, but it was red velvet and shaped like something you saw a lot of whenever there was a shot of the cheerleaders. I'll leave it at that.

Now I'm going to go cry over the leftover Wes Welker cake.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Burp Bowl V



Every year we have a Super Bowl party called "The Burp Bowl". It features, among other things, the Patriots winning and a food contest. The categories are:

1. Tastiest. Past winners include 2007's Tortiere (French Canadian Pork Pie).
2. Best Football reference: Past winners are the "Peyton Manning blows his knee out" sheet cake, 2007, and some type of cheese log shaped into a football, 2005.
3. Most likely to cause gas. There is always fierce competition for this one. 2007's winner was Cincinnati Chili. The first winner of this one, back at Burp Bowl I, was a creation called "The Ted Washington", named for a 400 lb. nose tackle on the Patriots at the time. It was a casserole that featured 3 kinds of ground beef, three cheeses, fritos, tater tots, french fried onions and canned gravy. Yikes!

Last year we added a new category: The MVP, or most valuable plate. There were just too many quality entries going unheralded. 2007's winner was the Chicago Dog (check way back in the blog- there's an entry on the Chicago dog).

So who will win 2008? Well, the Patriots, but what about the food? Stay tuned, sports fans....