The Gnocchi and then some...

So, for a first attempt it wasn't awful. I'm debating getting a gnocchi board because apparently I'm going pro. I've been through this before when I thought the best way to become a better knitter was to own a sheep. I'll try it again now that I know more of what to expect. And maybe the second time I'll feel less panic. There may have been a little bit of cursing with this one. The pumpkin was just much stickier than I expected.

It doesn't look like much, I know

I also made braised leeks. I might have burned them a bit. I found the recipe in Louisa Weiss' My Berlin Kitchen (which I wrote about in my last post) and figured I have leeks leftover from a few nights ago that need to be used. I thoughth they'd go nicely with the gnocchi. They turned out ok except Mark thought they were part of the gnocchi dish and not a side dish so he threw them in to each of our bowls and then put the gnocchi on top. It was so tasty! I think it broke up some of the heaviness of the gnocchi. Which was very heavy. I'd serve it that way everytime.

I was going to use the remaining pumpkin for a magnificent Sunday breakfast of pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes until I realized I was out of chocolate chips (a sin in this house), the recipe called for buttermilk (which almost always refuse to buy), and it was raining out. I almost actually drove to the store in the rain to get everything I needed at 8am but it just hurt to much to go then and know I'd have to go back later that day to do the week's shopping. I can only stand so much Kroger in a weekend.

The rest of the week has been pretty boring. But I've made my weekend menu so starting tomorrow night things should get better. We'll see. I can get a bit inspired on Friday afternoons!

 

Posted with Blogsy

A Book Review: My Berlin Kitchen

I've tried to get back to reading more this year. I used to read a book or two a month when we lived in Connecticut. Commuting by train is helpful for that. Once we moved to Houston and my commute is a fifteen minute drive I stopped reading as much. It frustrated me because I felt myself changing. I didn't feel as smart, I guess. So I got a library card and started reading again and I've felt so much better about myself. So, now I'd like to keep track of what I read and get a few thoughts down here.

My latest read was My Berlin Kitchen: A Love Story (with Recipes) by Luisa Weiss. I loved it! I enjoy reading about lives in other places so that was great. What made it interesting was Luisa being able to share her experiences in a way that was relatable to an American even though she had such a multi-cultural upbringing. It also didn't hurt that she likes to cook. And that she's experienced kitchen failures. There was an incident with a bit of raw cake baked under meringue and as I was reading it I knew what the problem was. It reasured my insticts. The fact that I knew what the problem was befor Luisa made me feel so smart and so capable. It also made me want to try that recipe. And her one for a Christmas cake!

I very much enjoyed this book. It was hard to put it down at the end of lunch everyday. It also inspired to me to enjoy my own cooking and my own writing. I was left feeling a need to express my creativity that I think I had brushed a side recently. I'm very glad that I've read and now I get to enjoy Luisa's blog, The Wednesday Chef, and I don't have to worry about spoilers!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Up and Down and Up Again

This week has felt like a bit of a roller-coaster. I'm not sure if it was because Mark was away for the week or because of the excitement of starting a new role at work but it's been a week.

I had planned out my menu for the week and was so excited about coming and cooking each night, which never happens while Mark's away. I stopped at the store on my way home from work on Monday and grabbed everything I needed for the week. I came home and made this beautiful spinach and tortellini soup.

I haven't had spinach and tortellini soup in years! It used to be the go to dinner on an exhausting day when I was growing up. I hadn't had it with onion or diced tomatoes added and they only improved it. Living in Houston makes me miss the changing seasons so I was desperate to just feel a little be cozy being the end of October and everything. So that was dinner for two nights and breakfast one morning. Things were good.

Then Thursday came around and at the end of the day I just felt tired. I ate ramen. And didn't add anything special to it or anything. It was just a lazy dinner. Friday morning seemed hard. Doyle and I had a fight before work, I had NOTHING to wear. Like seriously. Not being funny. Ok, I had something. But I didn't want to wear it. I made it work. But by then I was late for work and of course hit every red light between home and the office. I was worried that I'd be really grumpy when I got home which I didn't want since Mark was going to be back. I went to Whole Foods at the end of the day and bought some spicy Italian sausages and made another amazing soup. I think it had healing powers.

Tonight I'm going to try my hand at Pumpkin Gnocchi. I'll either get an amazing blog post out of it or I'll be spending the night cursing and drinking wine and we'll never speak of the gnocchi ever again.

 

Posted with Blogsy

One month ago today...

Mark and I got married! Everyone kept telling me that it goes by so fast and I just kept saying ok. It goes by SO FAST. The day felt slow up until I started my walk up the aisle. It was so surreal. I had to tell myself that I was at my wedding and that it was all real.

I had the best time. The wedding felt very "us." It was exactly the way I wanted it to be. It wasn't perfect but it was as perfect as one could expect after planning the whole thing over email from across an ocean. I was quite pleased with the result since in the end I got to marry Mark.

Now we're one month in. Life hasn't stopped. Things are getting more exciting. It's just nice to know we have each other for this whole life ahead of us. Very exciting.

 

Posted with Blogsy