Hiatus

So, fellow blog readers (are you out there? You never comment!)

Well first of all, how do you like the new funkalicious layout?

It is time for me to take a hiatus. I just don't have time to blog, wedding plan, cook, study... you get the gist.

I *might* post something once in awhile, but it probably won't be my home cooking... kind of what I've been doing more recently, as you can tell.

I'll return probably sooner than later, but I just wanted to feel important for a second and give you the heads up.

Oh, and I'm venturing off to Thailand at the end of July and beginning of August. When I return I'll have pictures and tales of my foodie adventures. I'm going to try EVERYTHING (well, maybe not everything), but I plan on trying more seafood, spicy foods, and native veggies and fruit. One that particularly comes to mind is the durian. Just google it:

Not a huge seafood person, but a huge fan of Phish!

Okay, so this isn't a post about cooking... I have done some baking and cooking in the kitchen lately, but haven't been blogging. My camera's out of batteries, and I can't find the charger, and what's a blog without pictures, right?

Aaron and I just got back from seeing Phish at Toyota Park in Chicago. As cliche as this sounds- there truly aren't words to describe it. It was our first Phish show, and it was an amazing experience that will always seem like a "sunshine daydream." :-)

Some people that we met had been to 40 shows. And although it was our first, they were friendly and welcoming and made sure we had an awesome time. It was like being in a huge, hippie family for 7 hours.

We arrived around 5:30ish. Aaron was instantly amazed- I don't think he realized how much he was going to be in his zone! It definitely reminded him of Berkeley. We pulled into a gravel parking lot where tons of people had already arrived, grilling out, drinking beer, reminiscing with fellow Phish heads that they hadn't seen since the last show.

Tons of tents were set up near the front of the parking lot. T-shirts, paraphernalia, tie-dye dresses and bandanas and hats, jewelry, food... it was an amazing sight to see. After walking around a bit bewildered we stopped at 2 girls who were selling "ice cold beer from Michigan!" As we approached to buy beer (2 for $5), the girl selling out of her cooler knocked a plastic cup filled with brew all over my sandals. Everyone was so friendly there, she assumed my reaction would not be a pissed off one. I didn't care at all, actually... it was so hot there that it was refreshing to have something cold on my toes. Instead of apologizing to me, she laughingly said, "Oh, don't worry. I'll get another one." It just proves the carefree attitude that Phish heads are known to have. I'm not a huge fan of beer, but they picked some out for me they swore I would like. And I surprisingly did. Aaron had a hoppy beer of course. And off we were, exploring the various tents.

We passed people selling more beer, unoriginal food such as pizza or hotdogs for a shockingly high price, veggie burgers and burritos, all kinds of food. We browsed until we found something worth the money, and we were amazed when we saw a bratwurst covered in what looked like pineapple and blueberries. Well, the guy informed us it was not a brat with pineapples and blueberries, but an organic duck or elk sausage with organic havarti cheese, honey mustard, and organic blueberries. He gave us a free sample. I was scared I was going to have a hard time keeping it down, but it was surprisingly delicious. We got 2 for $10... how weird and yummy!

At this point, it was nearing 7pm, when the show was *supposed* to start... it started a bit later, but we shockingly had wonderful seats (or standing spots, I should say) on the ground floor. We spread out a blanket and made friends with the people behind us, who just happened to be going to Ohio the next day (as in, today) for Phish's next show.

There were several outbursts of cheer and applause, as the crowd waited in anticipation. And finally, they were there... standing before me... I practically felt the need to tap the glass... was I watching this on my computer? On a large TV screen? But no, they were real, right in front of me.

They played tons of songs that I knew, some that I didn't, but either way, I was amidst a people who swayed, danced, and moved to the music in a way that you knew their hearts could feel the music. I truly believe that soul-moving music can take you to another place. There are certain chords, certain rhythms, lyrics, voices... that can not only make you see the world differently, they can make you feel like you are not of this world.

I was sad when it was over, but at the same time enchanted, looking forward to the next time. I think this is how Phish heads get started. They go to one show, and that's where it all begins.

"Take me to another place, she said
Take me to another time
Run with me across the oceans
Float me on a silver cloud"
-If I could, Phish

Crêpes de Fromage avec la Compote de Fruit

Cheese blintzes!

This took a bit of work, but it is totally worth it. You may not want to eat anything for the rest of the day (or the week!) seeing how there is a lot of oil, carbs, cheese, etc. in this.

For the blintz batter, you'll need:

4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
smidge of vanilla extract
tiny amt. of salt
1 TBsp. oil

1. Whisk the eggs together in a medium sized bowl. Add the other liquids.

2. Now add the dry goods.

3. In a medium frying pan, spread a little oil on the pan. Make sure it's hot, but not too hot- I used the first blintz as a "test."

4. Pour 1/4 cup of the blintz batter into the hot frying pan, and once bubbles emerge from the top, remove it from the pan onto foil. (Don't 'flip' the blintz, like a pancake).

For the filling, you'll need:

1 lb. cottage cheese, strained
2 egg yolks
2 TBsps flour
2 TBsps sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1. On the blintzes, add about a tablespoon of the filling into the blintz and roll it up.

2. Place back in the frying pan and brown on each side, then put back onto the foil and bake at 375* for about 10-15 minutes.

For the Fruit Compote, you'll need:

1 apple
2 bananas
(or any fruit that you'd like)
sugar
water
cornstarch
cinnamon

1. Add the water, and bring to a boil. Add a bunch of sugar (like my measurement? haha) and let it dissolve. Add cornstarch, whisk with a fork so it doesn't clump.

2. Add fruit that is cut up to the mixture, reduce to a simmer. Add cinnamon and any other desired spices.

Takes about 45 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes to cook, so about an hour total (it took me a little longer; this was the first time I've made them).

Turkey Stuffed Peppers w. Hoisin Sauce, Creamy Mint Pea Soup, Summer Salad

I've been trying to be thrifty and creative lately w. the food that I have in the kitchen. Since I'm getting married this Summer, we're trying to save every penny, so I'm trying to plan out every meal and not waste anything. This turned out really well!

FOR THE STUFFED PEPPERS

You'll need:

Green or multi-colored peppers (sweet peppers are the best!)
Ground turkey
1 Egg
Breadcrumbs
Hoisin Sauce
Garlic Salt
Garlic Powder
Pepper
Hot Sauce
Fresh Basil

1. Preheat oven to about 375*. Add ground turkey to a large bowl and add 1 egg, and all of the ingredients listed above, except for the fresh basil. Ground/mash together.

2. Cut the peppers in half, scoop out the seeds and pulp, and place some of the grounded turkey mixture into the pepper. Mold it so it fits inside.

3. Drizzle hoisin sauce on top of the peppers, and top with fresh chopped basil.

4. Cook for about 15ish minutes at 375*, then lower to 325* until peppers are brown around the edges.

FOR THE CREAMY MINT PEA SOUP

You'll need:

3-4 cups Fresh or frozen peas
3 cups Milk
Fresh mint
Paprika
Cinnamon
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder

1. Defrost the peas (if frozen). Place in a blender with milk and above ingredients, and puree until creamy.

2. Warm soup on stove- or serve chilled.

FOR THE SUMMER SALAD

You'll need:

Tangerines
Bananas
Strawberries

1. Obviously this is super easy. But so colorful and summer-like! And yummy! I just sprinkled a little sugar and stirred it together.

Voila! Yummy rainy night dinner. Now I'm going to surprise Amy and Aaron with this dinner... (Mazel Tov, Aaron on your confirmation- and Amy, I hope this helps in the kitchen while Aaron's arm is healing).

Guacamole for Dinner, Rice Krispie Treats at Midnight

It's Finals week, and that said, it leaves little time for cooking or experimenting in the kitchen (not like I've had a ton of time anyway this semester to cook/bake). Maybe it's the intense studying- you know the kind- where you've been reading so much that English finally has lost its form, and you're forced to look up a simple English word on dictionary.com. Or maybe the tiredness of the brain leads us to crave bizarre things, such as guacamole and rice krispies. (And no, I'm not striving to make this a blog about snacks deemed delicious and trendy in the 1950's).



I bet though, now you are craving said food.

P.S. Aaron makes the best guacamole; I'll post his famous recipe on here later... but for now, I *should* be reviewing (or learning, in some cases) the material for my finals, and finish munching on these rice krispie treats.

Marinated Chicken w. Roasted Asparagus, Potato/Onion/Asiago Kugel, and Sweet Potato Apple Crisp

Yum, this was a good dinner! Though it was awhile ago, I think I remember how I whipped this together...

For the chicken, I was lazy- I simply cooked the chicken on the stove in a frying pan with General Tso's Sauce that I had bought at TJ Maax (Oh, and if you haven't been there, you should go).

For The Roasted Asparagus, You'll Need:

Fresh asparagus
Butter/Olive oil (I like to do half butter and half olive oil)
Parmesan Cheese
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper

1. For the roasted asparagus, preheat the oven to 375*, and cut the ends off of the asparagus. They *should* easily snap off, if not, you can use scissors.

2. Melt some butter and olive oil either in a frying pan or microwave. Now spread melted butter over the asparagus, so they are all coated evenly.

3. Now you can place the asparagus on a cookie sheet, and sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese over them.

4. They should be done in about 10 minutes. Don't let them burn!

For The Potato/Onion/Asiago Kugel, You'll Need:

Potatoes
Onion
Asiago cheese
Eggs
Salt
Pepper
Lots of butter.

For this, follow my other recipe for kugel (See the Potato and Leek Kugel recipe), but this time, add more butter and asiago cheese. :-)

For The Sweet Potato Apple Crisp, You'll Need:

About 4 sweet potatoes
Apples of your choice (2-3)
Cinnamon
Sugar
Citrus Juice
Butter

1. I start by boiling the sweet potatoes in a pot; this makes the skin come off much easier. Also, cutting them into slices goes pretty quickly.

2. Cut up the apples and place them in a frying pan that has melted butter in it. Coat them with sugar and cinnamon, to your liking.

3. Once they start getting bubbly, add citrus juice of your choice (I used a Sprite-like soda, but you could use apple juice, lemon juice, etc.)

4. After the sweet potatoes are still somewhat firm (not too mushy), remove them from the boiling water. Once they're cooled off, peel the skin off and cut into slices. Place several slices in a pan (I used a banana bread type pan), and place apples directly over the sweet potatoes, and continue layers until the ingredients are gone. Sprinkle brown sugar on top and bake at 400* until the top is bubbly and the potatoes are cooked through.

With Spring here, what has everyone been eating lately?

Balcony Garden

Aaron and I started our balcony garden! Here is Week 1 of our plants. We planted multiple kinds of flowers (which I'll specify in the later months when they start blooming more visibly), herbs (mint, apple mint, basil, oregano, chives), peppers (multi-colored), strawberries (!) and tomato plants. I can't wait to have semi-garden food to eat and cook with. In feng shui, they say that your plants/garden is representative of one's health. Hopefully I'll take good care of these plants! :-)