tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64644425871627281142011-07-08T06:43:29.567-04:00Big flavors in small sizesEri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.comBlogger581100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-14173794914250162562009-10-03T10:58:00.004-04:002009-10-03T11:51:17.630-04:00

Well, it appears that this will be my last post with the Barefoot Bloggers. I was taken off the member list because I didn't participate for two months over the summer, and I respect the decision of the group's mods (though I won't say I'm happy about it). I did make both of September's recipes though, and I think they came out pretty well, so I still wanted to post about them.Both of the

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-14280792591742795722009-09-14T20:36:00.001-04:002009-09-14T20:38:49.861-04:00

J and I are completely devoted and unabashed carnivores - we love our meat (haha) in a wide variety of types and preparations, and at least 4 our of our 7 meals every week include it in some form. But we also love our vegetables and eat what I believe is an unusually high percentage and variety of fresh produce. I like to think that we have a very well-balanced diet and get a lot more vital

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-38834608464738675502009-08-25T21:14:00.010-04:002009-08-26T08:25:04.010-04:00

So, its come to this. I'm making up words now. My college writing professor would either be ashamed or delighted, depending on her mood. But if anything is worth butchering the English language for, its this meal.Jamie Oliver has wormed his adorably-mop-headed British way into my heart as a chef who really knows his way around good, simple, honest food. J bought me "Jamie at Home", the companion

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-44525874296817385612009-08-19T08:15:00.002-04:002009-08-19T09:49:52.204-04:00

I've been out of the loop with the Barefoot Bloggers for far too long, and I think its time I get back on the horse. I'm not sure if I'll get through both recipes this month, but if I was going to choose only one I knew that this had to be the one: Ina's White Pizza with Arugula, chosen by Angela of Nummy Kitchen.I've been wanting to try a salad-topped pizza like this for some time, and this was

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-79822880741814204762009-08-17T21:17:00.005-04:002009-08-17T21:35:35.179-04:00

I've just got a quickie (harhar) for you today, because this particular recipe is certainly nothing challenging or complicated, but it is one of the most surprisingly awesome things I've made in a very long time. I never expected this recipe to work as well as it did, but now that I've tried it I'm kicking myself for not doing so sooner, and I can pretty much guarantee that this will be going

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-53224259794012187762009-08-14T09:53:00.001-04:002009-08-14T10:09:26.592-04:00

It's been awhile hasn't it? Far too long, frankly. Life just got crazy for awhile, as it tends to do, and although cooking never became any less of a passion during all that craziness, the blogging part of it sort of fell by the wayside. I even missed my one year blogiversary, which is just sad.But, well, I'm back, and with a new challenge to keep me occupied - I've joined the Daring Cooks, the

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-71143742755637059812009-04-14T16:00:00.004-04:002009-04-14T16:46:27.020-04:00

So, while I work on getting some new stuff up for you folks, here's something a little fun and funny to fill a few idle moments. Should the desire strike you, feel free to make one of these lists yourself and pass it on!Embarrassing Foodie Confessions1. I don't like runny egg yolks. In fact, I just don't like runny eggs. So all those popular-with-foodie recipes that call for poached or

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-21615946512790813342009-04-11T09:45:00.010-04:002009-04-11T11:40:34.364-04:00

I know, I know - I've sort of abandoned this blog for the past month or so. I've been in something of a funk recently, and despite the fact that we continue to cook really great food on a regular basis, and I've been keeping up with my assignments for Barefoot Bloggers, I just haven't had the motivation to come here and sit down and spend the hours required to get any of it down on virtual paper.

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-19605432915598600452009-03-14T09:09:00.003-04:002009-03-21T09:45:49.904-04:00

Pie for Pi Day, the geekiest holiday I can think of.Cheated on this one a bit by buying Pillsbury pie crusts (the kind you unroll and use however you want, not the pre-formed kind), but made the filling from scratch with a mix of fresh granny smith apples and red anjou pears, some of my homemade applesauce from last fall, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a bit of ginger and clove. Baked according to

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-7374268997732954422009-03-10T12:14:00.002-04:002009-03-10T12:14:00.884-04:00

Just a quickie here to tell you all about a revelation that J and I had recently: hummus? AWESOME on pizza.This particular specimen was made with an appropriately Mediterranean spin, beginning with a generous layer of hummus (a very simple basic recipe flavored with lemon, olive and garlic) topped with chopped fresh broccoli, caramelized onions, pine nuts, and a modest finish of shredded sharp

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-23112154457611549192009-03-07T08:34:00.010-05:002009-03-07T09:43:15.776-05:00

In planning this meal, we referred to it as a "dim sum", despite the fact that it didn't really include any standard dim sum fare, and one of the dishes was really more Thai/Vietnamese than Chinese. (As a matter of fact, I've never even HAD dim sum. I love the idea of it, but my food allergies make me wary of any situation where I can't feel sure of what's actually in what I'm eating, and from

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-69612523108740235082009-03-02T08:51:00.006-05:002009-03-07T09:28:52.393-05:00

I'm a couple of days late on February's second challenge for the Barefoot Bloggers, but to tell the truth I think I might have been even more late if this dessert hadn't turned out so spectacularly well - I just couldn't wait to tell you all about it!Ina's Meringues Chantilly, chosen by BMK of Reservations Not Required, are composed of a simple vanilla meringue base topped with orange-scented

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-4162745767928942112009-02-19T08:19:00.010-05:002009-02-28T09:35:35.566-05:00

It seems ironic, in an admittedly Alanis-Morrisette-kind-of-way, that after having spent a week waxing poetic about the glories of non-traditional meatballs and straight-up dissing standard Italian-American spaghetti and meatballs, the first of this month's Barefoot Bloggers challenges would be just that. Touche, fate. You win this time.Really, there is absolutely nothing wrong with basic

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-32831722821790833312009-02-12T21:51:00.002-05:002009-02-28T10:12:09.132-05:00

We originally made this meal last month as an entry for the Barefoot Bloggers' Bonus Recipe Challenge for January - Cheese Platters. However, I never got on the ball enough to post it in time to submit it to the group, so I've just been sitting on the photos ever since. However, I decided to share them with you as an example of one of our favorite types of meals to make on a weeknight. We call

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-55177970976518315742009-02-09T08:47:00.007-05:002009-02-14T09:50:14.069-05:00

Besito is sort of a jewel among jewels in downtown Huntington, NY on Long Island. J and I spent the entire day there on Sunday, and found literally dozens of restaurants, bars, and short-orders shacks that piqued our curiosity, many of which were recently given high ratings in the Long Island Press "Best of L.I." issue.Besito itself was rated the best Mexican restaurant on Long Island, and a

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-79067158219559996102009-01-31T08:13:00.012-05:002009-01-31T11:00:00.928-05:00

I am really not on the ball with my blogging this month, and I'm barely coming in under the wire with this last Barefoot Bloggers challenge. I think that's a pretty good sign that I just wasn't terribly excited for these recipes.This one in particular - Ina's Easy Sticky Buns, chosen by Melissa of Made by Melissa - was nearly a disaster, because yet again I decided to change up the recipe rather

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-25406472679218868022009-01-21T12:22:00.001-05:002009-01-24T13:50:10.948-05:00

One of the reasons I love Japanese food as much as I do is its inherent simplicity. Most of my favorite dishes call for just a handful of ingredients, and achieve their delicious success through the perfect balance of salty, savory, sweet and tangy. Negimaki, the much-loved staple of most Japanese restaurant appetizer menus, certainly falls into this category.We recently decided to try making

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-60711259388865135722009-01-17T10:12:00.022-05:002009-01-24T10:40:02.810-05:00

I know I'm late on this. Like, really late. Shame on me. But better late than never, right?To tell the truth, I didn't even tackle the first of this month's Barefoot Bloggers recipe challenges until after the date it was supposed to be posted. This was partly due to my having nearly forgotten to check this months challenges in the first place, and partly because when I saw what they were, well, I

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-21793432110204133582009-01-04T20:24:00.001-05:002009-01-12T10:56:22.184-05:00

Being home for nearly two weeks straight while J had to work basically everyday but Christmas and New Year's Day, I pretty much took the reigns for dinner almost every evening. This tends to be the arrangement when one of us is home and the other is at work, and is rather a change from our usual well-established kitchen roles: J takes charge of the meat, seasoning, prepping and cooking whatever

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-53259363970932234762009-01-02T10:05:00.002-05:002009-01-10T11:04:32.762-05:00

I know this is really late enough to be embarrassing, but I really wanted to share our Christmas Eve dinner with all of you, mostly because I pulled this one out of my hat all by myself and with basically no advanced preparation. Believe it or not, it is entirely possible to make a delicious and impressive holiday meal more or less on the fly.See, when we did our meal planning for Christmas week,

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-22199903312650125872008-12-31T15:30:00.006-05:002009-01-10T09:56:58.450-05:00

I have to admit to being mildly skeptical about this recipe, which is part of the reason that we didn't make it in the same week that we made all of our other meatball-centric meals. I'm a little wishy-washy when it comes to game meats; I like a little gaminess, but I've even had lamb that's been too strong for my tastes, and venison that has been hunted in the wild is much stronger than any

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-346019138871330912008-12-30T15:34:00.000-05:002008-12-31T13:17:29.783-05:00

Well folks, here it is. The last Barefoot Bloggers recipe challenge for 2008. I've only been a member for 4 months, but I've had a great time trying out all of these new dishes and I can't wait to see what the new year holds for our little group. Happily, we're closing the year on a good note, as this was one of the best tomato soups I've ever made.2008's final challenge, Pappa al Pomidoro, was

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-24003330556613915942008-12-18T11:11:00.001-05:002008-12-31T12:22:30.407-05:00

I love membrillo (quince paste) and have seen other bloggers make their own, but assumed I'd never have access to the fresh fruits to try it myself. As such, I'm not sure I can adequately communicate my excitement when I discovered fresh quinces at Iavarone on our last shopping trip. I think I considered it for all of 5 seconds before picking out three firm, unblemished fruits and dropping them

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-69959750388943848892008-12-15T08:41:00.000-05:002008-12-31T12:20:28.163-05:00

Sorry. I couldn't resist.The meatball is, I think, a vastly underrated thing. Most people think of meatballs as only those things you have with spaghetti and red sauce to make a meal more substantial, or perhaps as the little bite-sized morsels served with sweet-and-sour sauce at new year's eve, or in gloopy brown gravy over egg noodles that somehow get away with calling themselves "swedish".

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-56943921289738870192008-12-11T08:44:00.013-05:002008-12-31T13:18:06.009-05:00

I've been gone for awhile. I know. I'm terribly sorry. Did you miss me? Because I've certainly missed this little blog of mine.We returned from our trip out west almost two weeks ago now, and since then I just haven't had much worth talking about in here. I failed you utterly by neglecting to take pictures of the small Thanksgiving feast that J and I made on the eve of our departure, and then

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-6370322344446908412008-11-27T20:00:00.002-05:002008-12-31T13:18:42.259-05:00

Hi folks! We're away on vacation, visiting J's parents in the wilds of Wyoming for the Thanksgiving holiday. I actually wrote this post almost two weeks ago, because I knew we'd be gone when it was supposed to go up, and I didn't really want to think about it in the days leading up to our departure.Wyoming isn't exactly known for great cuisine, but I know we'll be making one hell of a

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-83095017740267501102008-11-15T16:35:00.005-05:002008-11-15T21:35:09.397-05:00

Consider, for a moment, the plight of the peanut-allergic American. If you don't have to worry about dying from accidental contact with this particular legume, you probably don't even realize how much it's used in everyday foods. Cereals, snacks, candies, and convenience foods often contain things like peanut flour or peanut oil when you'd least expect it. Even those which do not intentionally

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-88948761461356729562008-11-13T17:17:00.013-05:002008-12-31T13:19:21.126-05:00

Its that time again! Time for all the Barefoot Bloggers to roll up their sleeves, grab a wooden spoon, and dive into a new recipe from our muse, Ina Garten. This week's recipe is Herb-Roasted Onions, chosen by Kelly of Baking with the Boys.I knew as soon as I saw the recipe selection that I'd want to have these onions with roasted chicken. We've never balked at roasting whole birds for just

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-69363485252696414042008-11-08T18:27:00.005-05:002008-11-08T22:28:53.325-05:00

Ok, so its not really a trademarked name. At least, I don't think it is. But believe me, it should be, because a steak dinner just doesn't get any more tasty, classic, or all around RIGHT than this. And once you've tried this, I can almost guarantee you'll agree with me.The SSD is the only original meal that we've come up with in our almost 4 years of cooking together that we've consistently gone

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-83735852050313664322008-11-08T13:54:00.004-05:002008-11-08T18:23:36.059-05:00

I shouldn't be so hard on myself about the Greek-food thing - truthfully, we haven't made anything remotely Greek in weeks, so I guess I'm not THAT obsessed. And if I've gotta be addicted to a particular cuisine, at least this one is pretty healthy. It could be worse - at least I don't have an insatiable hunger for bad Americanized Chinese food. Right? Right.Anyway, this was the last of a long

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-52689059984621959532008-11-02T10:32:00.011-05:002008-11-08T13:26:01.755-05:00

So I have to apologize for disappearing a bit recently - I felt like I was sort of on a roll with posting regularly and all, but things sort of got off track for awhile.There are good reasons for this. To begin with, I was sick with some as-yet-undefined infection somewhere in my head for about two weeks, which left me dizzy and light-headed and wanting to do nothing but perform my best imitation

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-62429072565410363612008-10-25T16:33:00.000-04:002008-10-25T16:33:41.151-04:00

...is to make multiple pies in miniature!One of the biggest challenges of cooking for two, for me anyway, has been finding ways to experiment with desserts and baked goods. Most people I know would just bake a cake if they felt so inclined, then just keep it around and gradually eat it over the course of a few days or a week. But, truth be told, neither J nor I have ever had a particularly strong

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-29920284562127358252008-10-22T10:59:00.005-04:002008-10-23T08:40:27.634-04:00

Hey, lookit me posting a Barefoot Bloggers recipe EARLY! I hope my fellow BBs are proud of me, despite the fact that it will probably never happen again. I only managed it this time because I knew this recipe was going to be time-consuming, and since we're getting into crunch time for our annual Halloween party, I didn't want to leave it till next weekend. So, here we are.The second recipe for

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-80082121354620392012008-10-22T08:51:00.003-04:002008-10-22T17:03:56.739-04:00

I think I'm in love.Not necessarily with the Halloween ones (that's a little too fiddly for me) but the basic ones... they're like truffles for n00bs! I think even I could manage these! And they're so cute!(You can tell I'm excited by my apparent inability to resist using exclamation points.)I'm going to be home alone again on Friday.... I think I know what I'll be doing ;)Also, I've been

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-91499194614315030892008-10-16T21:21:00.003-04:002008-10-22T17:03:46.195-04:00

Hey folks, the Ile de France recipe contest entries have been posted, and its time to vote! If you liked my panini recipe, please go to the blog and cast a vote for me!My entryFull entry list

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-82984006723261777672008-10-10T23:39:00.020-04:002008-10-12T09:28:34.280-04:00

Well, it seems fall is officially here, if this month's selections for the Barefoot Bloggers are any indication. I have to say I was thrilled to see that this Butternut Squash Risotto was on the list for October - I've been wanting to make something like this ever since I first discovered that I liked butternut squash (perhaps 3 years ago) but we make risotto maybe once a year, and J's really not

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-33796983640307081322008-10-08T19:32:00.013-04:002008-10-11T23:24:21.472-04:00

Its not often that we make sandwiches here at Table for Two. Mostly because we try to keep our carb intake at a pretty low-level, and sandwiches are arguably defined by the bread they're made with. Don't get me wrong - I love bread. I love it in a way that is not entirely healthy or chaste. But if I ate it all the time I'd be a whale.That being said, part of the appeal of receiving that free

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-53265318941286155242008-10-07T08:37:00.004-04:002008-10-07T09:19:27.612-04:00

Last month I received an email from Alex at Ile de France cheese, asking if I would be interested in getting a sample of one of their cheeses in exchange for a review here on Table for Two and the opportunity to participate in a recipe contest they were sponsoring. Hardly being one to turn down free cheese, and intrigued by the contest, of course I accepted.Given the choice between their

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-79219231616523124012008-10-03T22:26:00.003-04:002008-10-06T23:12:55.740-04:00

I'm starting a new semi-regular feature here at Table for Two, in which I will try to offer some tips and tricks on eating well without breaking the bank, especially when cooking for a small number of people.A Lot From A Little Series 1, Post 1: How to Smoke a ChickenA Lot From A Little Series 1, Post 2: Grilled BBQ Smoked Chicken PizzaA Lot From A Little Series 1, Post 3: Smoked Chicken Salad

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-24208276013919109082008-10-01T10:46:00.009-04:002008-10-06T23:10:45.845-04:00

I'm starting a new semi-regular feature here at Table for Two, in which I will try to offer some tips and tricks on eating well without breaking the bank, especially when cooking for a small number of people.A Lot From A Little Series 1, Post 1: How to Smoke a ChickenA Lot From A Little Series 1, Post 2: Grilled BBQ Smoked Chicken PizzaNow, I'm going to admit something right off the bat here:

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-78097068841914052552008-09-28T09:29:00.006-04:002008-10-06T23:13:18.270-04:00

I'm starting a new semi-regular feature here at Table for Two, in which I will try to offer some tips and tricks on eating well without breaking the bank, especially when cooking for a small number of people.A Lot From A Little Series 1, Post 1: How to Smoke a ChickenNow that you've smoked your chicken and broken it down, you've got this big pile of delicious, moist, smoky chicken meat staring

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-15764549380686182082008-09-26T12:23:00.005-04:002008-10-06T23:07:47.342-04:00

I'm starting a new semi-regular feature here at Table for Two, in which I will try to offer some tips and tricks on eating well without breaking the bank, especially when cooking for a small number of people.J and I are hardly poor. We both make decent salaries and we don't have a lot of the expenses that other people our age do, since we don't have children and live in an apartment where all of

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-15100857414513633142008-09-26T08:40:00.009-04:002008-09-28T08:42:23.940-04:00

I wonder sometimes what all the other food bloggers do for a living, whether or not they have non-blogging hobbies, how long they actually spend on their blog posts... because I just can't figure out how to keep up! I have a four-part series of posts planned on how to make and use a whole smoked chicken, several nightly meals and lessons-learned types of posts to write, and we're still cooking

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-71241983189604683882008-09-24T08:51:00.003-04:002008-09-27T09:05:42.075-04:00

Working in a university, you start to measure your life in semester-length increments. You learn that the from summer into early fall, the time of year when most people are busy relaxing and doing nothing, you'll be tearing your hair out trying to keep dozens of meetings straight and finishing all your big projects before The Day The Kids Come Back.Summer at a university is not the time for

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-81111136438183776402008-09-20T08:53:00.001-04:002008-09-24T09:24:04.789-04:00

I don't know what things are like in your neck of the woods, but around here summer has been quietly fading away into the amber chill of autumn, and its all I can do not to jump and cheer out loud because MAN have I had enough of heat and humidity. I'd nearly forgotten what its like to actually sleep comfortably at night. And with a blanket! Truly, my friends, a delicious luxury.But despite being

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-13674791173561479632008-09-11T20:53:00.016-04:002008-09-12T15:12:40.267-04:00

This is my first month as a member of the Barefoot Bloggers, and the first recipe this month was Ina's Grown-Up Mac and Cheese, chosen by Heather of Randomosity and the Girl. I love love LOVE mac and cheese, and grew up eating the homemade baked variety rather than the ever popular blue box, so I must admit a bias toward this sort of recipe. I made a few adjustments to the original recipe to make

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-16900172249920178352008-09-09T21:45:00.004-04:002008-09-10T22:31:21.027-04:00

Iavarone Bros., the specialty Italian grocery store where we do the bulk of our weekly shopping, has been carrying some absolutely gorgeous sushi-grade tuna steaks every week for the past couple months, and every single time we're there I gaze longingly at them, consider buying one, then glance at the price tag before shaking my head mournfully and walking away. But this week I vowed that we

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-72563233869984858702008-08-31T20:10:00.005-04:002008-09-10T22:30:48.477-04:00

...ok, if that title didn't send you running for the hills in disgust, you have my thanks. Really, I'm not a totally cold-hearted b*tch. Honestly, I'm not. But there are very few animals that I wouldn't ever consider eating, and rabbits are not one of them. (Cats and dogs, though, are another story.)The story goes like this - over a year ago, I discovered that our butcher at the time carried

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-88708514335152831922008-08-28T10:31:00.001-04:002008-09-10T22:30:09.304-04:00

Well, there's no going back now - I'm committed to this blog, for better or worse. Know why? Because I've just joined my first blogging group! I've been accepted for membership in the Barefoot Bloggers, a group that is working its way through all of Ina Garten's recipes, two recipes per month. I've always been a huge fan of Ina and classify her as one of my heroes of the cooking world, so I'm

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-49779337111154152282008-08-21T20:16:00.000-04:002008-08-30T10:25:40.231-04:00

I am completely incapable of following the rules when it comes to food. I almost never actually follow a recipe, even when I'm baking, because I'm always tweaking flavor components and finishing methods, and I can't remember the last time I made any sort of traditional ethnic dish the way it is traditionally made. I've always gotta get my little hands right down into the heart of a recipe and

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-48236806498390281782008-08-16T18:21:00.000-04:002008-08-16T21:37:08.848-04:00

I've been a little absent from the blogosphere this week. I'm sorry. Its way too early in the game here at "Table for Two?" for me to disappear for 6 days straight, and I apologize. I'll try not to let it happen again but, well, you know how it is. Life gets in the way sometimes.That being said, there are a couple of legitimate reasons for my neglect. The first is that the Olympics started last

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-54142311102478323142008-08-10T08:59:00.001-04:002008-10-06T23:13:49.700-04:00

For the second time in two weeks, we're eating Greek here at "Table for Two?". Well, sort of.I won't pretend for a millisecond that there is anything traditional or authentic about this meal. Its got a little bit of an identity crisis going on. "Gazpacho... isn't that a Mexican soup?" Well, yes, but this one isn't. "Sesame chicken? Sounds like Chinese takeout." It does, doesn't it? But its not. "

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-50625532637691636712008-08-10T08:44:00.001-04:002008-08-10T10:13:45.479-04:00

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-55948346410739477942008-08-07T23:06:00.001-04:002008-08-10T10:26:43.631-04:00

I don't say this often enough, but my parents are really cool. I mean, REALLY cool. You hear that, Mom and Dad? I'm talking about you!Why do I mention this now, you ask? Well, here's why:What you're looking at right there is quite possibly the coolest birthday gift EVER. (Well, maybe next to J's gift, which was Rock Band, and one of coworker buddy's gift of a Roger Dean print, signed by the

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-33244767799717134922008-08-05T16:05:00.000-04:002008-08-08T08:41:49.569-04:00

I think the classic surf and turf dinner consists of filet mignon and lobster tail - delicious, I'm sure, but a little rich for us right now. Besides, with my food allergies, its entirely possible that I can't eat lobster at all. I don't actually know, I've been too scared to find out. I know, I know, I'm a wuss. Shut up.Anyway, this is our significantly-cheaper version of the classic, because

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-85512379263539130242008-08-04T21:02:00.000-04:002008-08-08T08:41:38.631-04:00

Wine is something that I've sort of learned to love over the course of the last few years, almost entirely as a direct result of dating J. Before he and I started spending a lot of time together, my wine-drinking habits were basically limited to a lot of cheap rose (bad white zinfandel, basically, that was more sweet than anything else) and the occasional glass of fruity white. But J was a wine

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-86859685606306281632008-07-30T21:04:00.001-04:002008-08-08T08:41:28.075-04:00

I don't know where it come from or why it won't leave, but for the last 6 months or so I have had an all-consuming obsession with Greek and Mediterranean foods. It seems like all I ever want to eat is grilled meats with lots of lemon, olive oil and herbs, or salads topped with fresh salty feta and garlic-stuffed olives, or soft, warm flatbread wrapped around heavily-seasoned falafel patties

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6464442587162728114.post-33258037864547632772008-07-29T14:11:00.001-04:002008-12-08T21:42:55.419-05:00

We all know the way the quote ends, and we all know the lesson to be learned - that sometimes the hardest part of starting something new is exactly that: starting.I've tried to get this food-blog-thingamajig started quite a few times by now, experimenting with themes and regular features and clever titles... and never got more than a post or two in before losing interest or giving up because it

Eri-chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332140744714896276noreply@blogger.com0