So, on to dessert! Normally, coconut and I do not get along, but last weekend I made the coconut pecan pound cake (page 322 of Relish). A friend of my sister's is a consultant for the Premier Jewelry company, and we hosted a party for it at my house, so I offered to make the refreshments. I think I made a good choice on that front.
My go-to supermarket at the moment is Wegman's, so when I went there that Friday I headed to the organic baking section and found some shredded coconut. I have some left over and no idea when I'll use it again, but I suppose I'll keep it if I ever decide to make this cake another time. I also got pecans from the store--they seem to be my staple nut of late, other than almonds. I guess Daphne likes them too, since there are several dishes in the book that have them. Nothing wrong with that.
I used the electric mixer for this one. I'm glad I was able to get more experience with that appliance, I have not used it very much. I should bake more often!
So the recipe calls for a bundt pan, of course. Now, I thought I had a large one in the kitchen somewhere, but as it turns out, the bundt pan in my kitchen is actually a pan of six little mini-bundts. (That sounds funny, doesn't it? "Mini-bundts". Teehee!) So, I ended up making six little cakes instead of one big one (technically seven--there was some leftover batter and I put it into a star-shaped cupcake holder sort of thing--my dad ate that one). Nevertheless, they were a huge hit! Everyone who came to the party loved them. And I could hardly taste the coconut, which was great considering our relationship, hehe.
The glaze came out decently too--although because there were several little cakes, some of the glaze leaked onto the serving plate, and the cakes got a little stuck. Topped them with the powdered sugar, and voila! Delicious!
Fathers' Day is this weekend, and I have offered to cook dinner for my dad. Looking forward to the next recipe!
*This image is clearly not my cake. Just FYI.
So a couple of weekends ago, the new "Star Trek" movie premiered in theatres. I've a friend who is a huge Trek fan (as I am myself), so I invited her to come over for the weekend and see it with me (along with another friend of mine who was in town). The three of us enjoyed the movie very much--if I get enough comments on it, I'll write a review in a future post.
So that was Friday night. Saturday morning, for breakfast I made banana pecan buttermilk pancakes (page 3 of Relish--the first recipe in the book). As you can imagine, they were delicious! And because I had a friend over, I had help making them, which was great fun. Cooking is always better with friends. She sliced the bananas and helped me decide when it was time to flip the pancakes over--which I am never good at, since they always end up getting slightly burnt. That was the case here, but only for a few of them.
To spice things up, my friend suggested adding a few drops of vanilla into the batter (not in the recipe). That turned out to be a good decision, and I think the next time I make them I will put more in to add flavor, possibly with some cinnamon (another suggestion from my friend). Though the banana slices were a bit too thick for some of the pancakes and ended up falling out, and some of them came out burnt--and I discovered too late that we had no maple syrup!--it was a very good breakfast. And they were made with wheat flour, so it was a healthy one as well.
(Dinner that Saturday was fish fingers and custard, to accompany the season finale of "Doctor Who"--I shall review that in a future post as well if anyone is interested.)
Tonight for dinner I made mint-ricotta ravioli with snap peas and asparagus (page 254 of Relish). I've only ever eaten asparagus once before, so I was looking forward to having it again. The recipe calls for scallions, which I have never cooked with before, so that was fun to try. Also, I've never used wonton wrappers for anything, but thankfully my mom had a package of them in the freezer. They are quite thin, and can break easily if you handle them too roughly (they can also stick together easily, as I found out the hard way when I was putting them on the plate, hehe). I got a fresh mint plant from the supermarket for that part of the filling, something else I have very little experience using. I think the pieces of leaf in the ravioli were a bit too big, but I don't know the proper technique for finely chopping herbs. Also, I could not find any ricotta cheese, so instead I used some of the parmesan we already had in the refrigerator. I still think it turned out well. My dad liked it, so I call it a success.
I ended up having dinner a bit late however, since the stove decided to be uncooperative and not heat up fast enough to boil the water. Other than that, 'twas a successful meal, and likely one I will make again should the occasion call for it.
For my next trick, maybe a dessert??
I presume many of you have heard of, if not seen/read, the book/movie "Julie and Julia"? If you haven't I'll provide a brief summary. Julie lives in modern day New York and is a bit bored with her life, after having just moved to a new place and not having a very cushy job. At some point she discovers Julia Child and her famous cookbook, and decides to make every recipe in it, and write a blog about her experience. Well, this post shall be the first of many in which I shall attempt a similar feat, but instead of Julia Child, my food inspiration shall be Daphne Oz, chef and daughter of Dr. Oz, from that show called "The Drs."
Daphne wrote a book called Relish: an Adventure in Food, Style, and Everyday Fun. My grandmother sent it to me in the mail because she wants me to be more "comfortable in the kitchen". Well, having perused it, I have found that not only will this book absolutely do that, but it will also hopefully improve my quality of life at an important time in my life. A time that is a transition stage, when most people are out either starting their first job or finding themselves: the early 20's. I'll be 24 in November, and now is as good a time as any to start crawling out of this rut I've been stuck in. Relish doesn't only have food recipes; it also contains tips on taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally (more on that in future posts).
Without a job I have a good deal of free time (which has mainly been filled with trying to find a job, as there are definitely limitations on how much fun I can have with no money). So I think, to keep my mind off of the fact that job hunting is frustrating and exhausting, I have decided to take a page out of Julie Powell's book (pun intended) and start finding my way through food.
Today I made my first recipe from the dinner section of the book: roasted veggie whole wheat mac 'n' cheese (page 244 of Relish). I had to cut the recipe in half, as it is supposed to serve twelve, but it's just me and my dad here for now. With this recipe I got to use a kitchen appliance I have never used before (at least not by myself): the food processor. I know, at 23 you'd think I'd have done this before, but no. Luckily it was easy as pie (which I hope I get to make eventually--love a good pie). I've only ever had whole wheat pasta once before, a long time ago, and didn't care for it. But this time around, it was quite good. And because of all the fiber, I got full faster, and actually had to put some of what was on my plate back into the pan! That was nice.
So, the first recipe was easy (sort of). The next one? Who knows? I'll be jumping around in the book in terms of types of meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) as well as including some of the life tips I intend to try (Exercise routine? Maybe? I'll think about it). I'll try my best to paraphrase Daphne's words as to why these tips matter, although I think it would be more fun for you as the reader to hear my version of things (maybe I'll include both).
So then. Sit back, relax, and Relish the day (pun obviously intended)!
*TO BE CONTINUED*
This may come as a shock, but I never learned how to ride a bike. In my almost 24 years of life, I've only been on a bike twice. The first time, all of my cousins tried to teach me all at once--and with four different people telling you so many things, at only about four or five years old (I think), it can be a bit overwhelming. And then comes the incident a few years later, when you try to ride down a hill and hit your head on a tree because its roots were in the way (and because apparently it's acceptable to go down an uneven grassy hill on a bike having never ridden one). Needless to say, those two memories were major factors in me not bothering to learn.
Recently, though, I've been thinking. I'm almost 24 years old. I'm a lot more coordinated than I was twenty years ago (I should hope), and a lot more balanced. Now is as good a time as any to fill in that hole from my childhood. Plus, I need more exercise, and with spring finally here, it's time to get outside. Going for walks just doesn't seem like enough.
But there is a tiny snag. I don't actually have a bike. The only bike I had I shared with my sister, and the last time it was meant to be ridden, I was ten. I may not be tall, but I am certainly too big for a ten-year-old's bicycle. So, it's time to go bike shopping. Since I don't have a lot of money, I'll have to go to thrift stores, or scan the newspapers looking for yard sale announcements. Hopefully I can get a bike in decent condition for a reasonable price. Then I can teach myself to ride and get some needed exercise, and then I won't have to worry about wasting gas in the car the next time I need to go to 7-Eleven for chocolate (wait a second.......).
"Broadway rhythm, it's got me, everybody daaaaaaaaaaaaanncee!"*
I am freely willing to admit that I love and adore musical theatre, and indeed theatre in general. When I was little every summer I went to theatre camp with the local arts center. Sometimes I was in a musical, sometimes not. But every time, I had so much fun. When i got to high school I had aged out of the children's program, and so I didn't get the chance to do any serious acting again until college.
My freshman year of college I auditioned for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (having gained a love for Shakespeare in seventh grade, when I read "Hamlet" for the first time). I got the part of Snout, who played the wall in the final play-within-the-play scene. Once I had gotten the part and started attending rehearsals, I realized how much I missed acting--I had completely forgotten how much fun it was.
One of the things I loved about my college was the opportunity I got to go to New York and see a Broadway show. My senior year was the first time I had ever camped out overnight in front of a building to buy tickets for something. During the fall, the show was "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" (the revival production, starring Daniel Radcliffe and John Laroquette). During the spring, the show was "The Lion King". I had a fantastic time on both trips, not just because New York is a great city, but because of Broadway.
My first ever Broadway show was "Rent". My grandmother took me on a trip to New York for my Bat Mitzvah (she had done the same for my sister three years earlier), and part of the trip included seeing a show. And I got to pick the show! My sister had been going on about "Rent" for months previously, so I thought I would go see it and tell her about it when I got back. After seeing the show I proceeded to buy the soundtrack immediately--two copies, one of which I gave my sister. It is the only thing I remember about that trip, because it was the most memorable part.
Even though I don't go to the theatre as often as I like, I still take the opportunity to watch the Tony Awards when they're broadcast. I remember the 2010 show, when Neil Patrick Harris was hosting for the tenth time (because he is that awesome). I liked watching the performances from the musicals during the show, even if I hadn't seen the productions being nominated. The only show I remember from that year was the winner of Best Musical: "Memphis". After seeing the cast perform a number, I told myself that I might want to look into this musical, because I liked that song--and because it won. But then I quickly forgot about it.
I forgot about it until my mother mentioned it last month. On a trip to visit her sister, she saw "Memphis" at a small movie theatre (a recorded performance of the show). She called to tell me about it, and that's when I remembered that it had won the Tony three years ago. Well, my mother immediately bought the DVD of the show and we watched it together. Love at first sight. I have my own copy of the show now, and it is going on my list of favorite musicals (which I will put at the end of this post for those who are interested).
I am really glad that my best friend has chosen theatre as a career, because now I have an excuse to go see more shows! I've been looking into some local theatre groups to try and get more involved--I consider acting a hobby, but it is one of my favorite things to do, and one of the things I am happy to have participated in during my life. I hope I can do more in the future.
My list of favorites are as follows (in no particular order):
"Rent"
"Phantom of the Opera"
"Sweeney Todd"
"Les Miserables"
"Memphis"
"The Lion King"
*Title of post and beginning quote from the film "Singing In the Rain"
Yesterday I went to Washington, DC to take a tour of the main campus of George Washington University. Even though the heavy wind made it feel ten times colder than it was, I enjoyed the tour and the entire day.
I began by meeting with two of the administrators in my desired program. That was nice, I got all of my questions answered. After that I got to go on a campus tour. It started in the building that housed the cafeteria (at least the main dining facility--there are several places to eat around the whole area). No one else showed up for the tour, so I basically got a personalized intro to the school. It helped that our tour guide was a student in my desired program, so she was very helpful to me about specific concerns and questions. The University is very nice, I am very glad I applied there.
After the tour my mother and I had lunch, and then we got on the Metro and saw the new exhibit at the Freer/Sackler Gallery called "Roads of Arabia". (It's fortunate that we got to see it when we did--it's apparently set to close sometime this month.) I only know a little about the history of Saudi Arabia from what I learned in college while taking a class on the history of the ancient Near East. There was a little bit about the Persian Empire said in that class, but I would have liked to learn a bit more. Thanks to this exhibit, I got my wish. They had a little bit of everything, such as Neolithic tools and arrowheads, anthropomorphic stelae (tablets or slabs of stone that are made to look like people), bronze sculptures, and inscriptions with Aramaic and other pre-Arabic languages of the region. (I have always been fascinated by languages, so that was one of my favorite parts.)
The Freer/Sackler Gallery is dedicated to Asian art, which I like very much. On the way to the Arabia exhibit, we saw statues of Hindu gods and Buddhas from India and Tibet, and in the center of the whole Gallery, from the ceiling to the lower level, was a sculptural display of monkeys, each one made to look like the word "monkey" in different languages (Russian, Italian, Indonesian, and even Braille, to name a few).
Unfortunately we could not stay at the Gallery very long, as we hoped to make it back home before rush hour (which we got stuck in anyway). But I do hope to go back, as the art museums of the Smithsonian are the ones I do not visit as much as the history museums. I think I need to fix that.
This past weekend was definitely an adventure. My cousin and her husband are moving, and they stopped at my house on their way to their new home. They brought their son with them, who was born back in October. I was so excited to meet my new baby cousin, not just because he's a new addition to the family, but because I have come to the realization that I need more experience interacting with babies.
I love kids. I do. I have babysat for small children before, but not one of them has been younger than five. I've only changed a diaper once, on a two-year-old. So I have never really spent more than five minutes with an infant--until this weekend.
First I had to make myself comfortable holding him. He weighs twelve pounds, which doesn't seem like a lot, but I had to remind myself that this was a person, not a sack of flour. I was really nervous about it, but he didn't cry, so I guess that was a good thing.
I was highly impressed with the baby's ability to sleep through anything. My cousin also brought her puppy, so between the puppy and my own dog, there was a lot of energetic canine running and barking (my dog did most of the barking). Didn't wake up the baby at all. And after he went to bed one night, we were all laughing and playing cards and making a bit of noise while the baby slept soundly downstairs. Nothing woke this kid up. I hope my own kids sleep that well when I have them.
Playing with a baby is more fun than some people make it seem. And it actually feels like it's more fun for the adults than it is for the baby. All they do is sit there while you make all the noises and push the buttons on the toys. But it's really great when the baby smiles at you. Happy babies are the best.
I always get upset when I hear a baby cry, even if it's not related to me. I know that crying is the only way a baby can communicate, but it still makes me sad--especially when you can't figure out why they're crying in the first place. Are they hungry? Tired? Do they need a diaper change? (Though that last one is usually easy to figure out.)
The point is, I should probably have more time interacting with babies--I know it will feel like instinct when I finally become a mom, but luck favors the prepared, as they say.
Do not even get me started on the two dogs in the house.....
