Vive la Révolution Boulanger!

So . . . I think I have ruined two kitchen towels making the aforementioned NY times bread recipe. So I just did a google search for the terms 'cleaning tip how to get flour out of a towell [sic.]' and clicked on the the fifth link that google gave me. It turned out to be a topic on a food message board that was dedicated to this very same bread recipe! Mind you, I didn't include the words 'bread,' 'recipe,' 'new york times,' etc. in the search, and, out of the whole world wide web, google came up with this!

It's insane, there have been 231 postings on it (including mine) since November 10. The recipe is as close to a revolution in the food world as I have ever witnessed in my life. I finally feel like I am part of something again!

Sisyphus Cleans Up

So I cleaned my kitchen today. Hardly spotless, but it is a lot better than it was. My house becomes a hell-hole rediculously fast. I feel like I spend my life cleaning and nagging david to clean and its all thankless. But I thought I would post up pictures of the kitchen to show you where it all happens. David and I spent the better part of the last year getting the kitchen into workable shape. We added the hanging baskets, the hooks by the stove to hold utensiles, the hooks and magnet strip above the counter for the knives and measuring spoons, and the shelves to hold cooking oil, spices, etc. I've put my staples, like dried beans, rice, pasta, oats, in plastic containers on the bottom shelf. It was david's idea to hang the pots and pans on hooks from the top shelf. We've really made the very best of the kitchen's absolute lack of storage and work space. The cast iron griddle is a fantastic investment, by the way. We make pancakes on it very often, but also homemade tortillas, and grilled sandwiches, and we flip it over to grill vegetables or meats. I also love how it just sits directly on the burners and I don't have to get it out and put it away every time I want to use it.

I went to the Japanese store today, so there'll be some meals on here soon enough, don't worry. I bought a few types of noodles, and some frozen molluscks. I think I am going to put my camera in my school bag, so I can document when I randomly do my shopping. And now, to work, unfortunately.

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog, dinner bell. I really don't have time to spend doing this, but I was inspired by my sister's blog, documenting the travails of new motherhood and the life and times of my very sweet nephew domingo. For now, I'll be posting pictures of my daily meals here and you all can keep updated on my life by seeing what I am eating. We'll see how this goes, but potentially in the future you can get recipes, cooking, and shopping tips too. Here was tonight's dinner. Winter vegetable stew with the very awesome bread which had its recipe featured in the new york times. (but hurry and print it out, those bastards will probably restrict it to 'timeselect' subscribers soon enough). The stew was adapted from Debora Madison's excellent cookbook vegetarian cooking for everyone. Though to quote Mrs. Swan, my version had "a leetle beet of bacon."

A Somerville Thanksgiving

The thanksgiving dinner I made for David before leaving for South Bend. Pan-grilled shrimp with safron pasta and tomato sauce. It was really, really good, the seafood, safron, tomato combination made it taste like a reconceptualized paella. I'm glad it turned out too, because I picked up the package of frozen shrimp on an impulse at market basket. They looked really big and nice so I dropped them in the cart. But when they actually got scanned at the check out, the bag was $25.00; it was too late to send them back for the smaller ones, so I decided they would have to be for a special occasion. It worked out, and David gave many thanks.

'Happy Birthday to Me'

David's Birthday cake. I didn't make this one (that's right, david made his own birthday cake), but I did provide the flower garnish.

Old Pictures, Fresh Sushi

Here is some sushi me and david made some time ago. I believe it was swordfish, which has now become but a fond memory. The near collapse of fisheries seriously keeps me up at night. We are headed for a bleak deliciousless world if somethings not done. I can't immagine a world without the fish that have brought me and my belly such joy. So starting this fall I've been really careful about what fish I'll eat. Check out http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_regional.aspx?region_id=2 for a list of safe purchases.

David and I are a great sushi team. I prepare the fish, sushi rice, and the filling ingredients. I also come up with the concepts for the combinations. David provides the crucial technical skills such as rolling, pressing, and presentation, which I am not so good at.