Lighter fare

I'm forever having difficulty picking out the perfect gift for people, but Outblush has been helping me immensely as of late. It's got unique fashion, beauty, and home gift ideas, and even has a companion website for guys. Big fan. 

Wishin', and Hopin', and Thinkin', and Prayin'

Decidely not in the kitchen for a while, but were I able to cook and eat countless calories without them going straight to my thighs, here are some things I would make:

• Zucchini Garlic Soup from The Kitchn
  



• Deb's Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges
  



• Ken Hom's Peking Duck Stir-Fry



• Clotilde's Yogurt Cake and Lemon Curd from the Joy of Baking



• Ina's Strawberry Scones



• Dorie Greenspan's Hot Chocolate via Orangette
  

Le sigh.

Wok On: The Seasoning

So fresh and so clean, clean.

I bought a wok today! It is a testament to my nerdiness that I am this excited about it. I don't know, I just kind of love that you have to season it before you use it, and that over time it builds up more oils and flavors your food and generally just gets better with age. You can't really say that about blenders. Or muffin tins.

In any case, a crucial moment in a wok's life is its seasoning. * Cue Neil Diamond singing, "Wok, you'll be a cookin' soon..." *

Seriously, I'll take the nerd hat off now. As previously predicted, I bought the $16.99 Typhoon model at Target, my beloved wonderland of reasonably-priced merchandise. But don't knock my frugality - the wok is made of carbon steel, which I read (yes, I did research) is the best kind (cast iron are good, too) because they are lightweight and get very hot very quickly. Which, if a wok ever needs to take out a personals ad, would be helpful.

Shit's heatin' up.

My wok isn't on Target's website, but here is a similar one by Chefmate, and a really nifty wok set by the makers of my own. (Didn't have that at the store!) The Wok Shop is also a great resource, and very reasonably priced.

So, let's talk seasoning. The folks over at The Kitchn posted recently about how to season a wok. I used the instructions that came with mine, which are as follows:

Rinse wok well and place on the stove on medium heat. Continue heating the wok until a few drops of water placed in the pan dance on the surface. With wok still hot, wipe approx. 1 tablespoon cooking oil on the entire surface with a paper towel. (Note: I used peanut oil.) Using additional towels as needed, continue wiping until little or no color lifts off. Reduce the heat to low and allow the remaining oil to absorb into the pan for about 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the pan to cool. Do not try to speed up the process by immersing the wok in cold water (you dummy!). Reheat the pan over medium heat and repeat the oiling, wiping, heating and cooling process one more time. If you don't use the wok directly after, apply a thin coating to the inside surface before storing.

Seasoned like a geriatric hooker.

You should also keep this on during the entire process for your listening pleasure.

Finally, don't use metal utensils (use bamboo, preferably) or abrasive cleansers on your wok, and rub it down with a coat of oil each time you store it.

Wok 'n' Roll

The Brit loves to cook. Which is partly why I'm crazy about the Brit. His latest obsession is a $120 wok that he bought and refuses to wash with dish soap because someone once told him it would make the wok gods angry and result in perpetually burnt stir fry. (He's also endearingly nerdy, did I mention that? But in the closet nerd sort of way, where he's all Guys' Guy but then secretly subscribes to New Scientist magazine because he's into neurobiology. Love that.)

In any case, the result is that I get fed quite well and often, with which I am totally content. Most of the recipes have been coming from Ken Hom's Top 100 Stir Fry Recipes, and man, does this guy know what he's talking about. I don't know who Ken Hom is, but something tells me he's a baller in the world of stir fry. The recipes are quite simple for the most part, but we haven't had a bad one yet. Lunch today was spicy pork with mushrooms which we put on toasted bits of French bread, and I'm pretty sure the wok gods smiled down on us because it was scrumptious.

When I get un-poor, I'm going to go out and buy a wok of my own (although probably the $17.99 variety) and this book to accompany it.

Hookd on foniks werkd fer mee!

The beautiful thing about the end of school is that I now have time to READ! For pleasure! The mind reels. Really, were I a professor, I would institute a reading break in the middle of class. Seriously, just, everyone take 15 minutes and read something that you actually care about, not Foundations of Marxist Thought or Tools for Translation. And smoke if you got 'em.

People would love me.

First on my list is Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I always know it's a good sign if I start reading a book and immediately want to be Best Friends with the author. You know, the kind of friends who each wear one half of a heart necklace from one of those quarter machines, that comes in a plastic egg - one is BE FRIE, the other, ST NDS.

Just realized that I wore a necklace for all of fourth grade that was one letter away from saying "STDs." Neat.

I digress.

I'm only on chapter 13 (very short chapters), but the writing is witty and fresh, and she's already hooked me into her journey traveling to three different countries in pursuit of spirituality and pleasure. This book may just appeal to me because I can think of no better job than traveling the world and writing about my experiences, but I'm pretty sure it's a wonderful story regardless, and I'm excited to read on and see what Gilbert has in store.

Hey kid! Check this out...

I’m an avid reader of the blog Chocolate & Zucchini (it’s about food! and France!), so I’ve been dying to get my hands on Clotilde Dusoulier’s cookbook of the same name. I finally picked it up, and it is absolutely adorable! (An odd description of a cookbook, I know, but it’s so petite and the photography is beautiful and each recipe comes with a little back-story, which I love…gaaah, if I ever reproduce I hope my kid is as cute as this cookbook.)

The book is a nice mix of simple and more complex dishes and desserts. Some may seem a bit exotic, and many seem to feature sardines (ew), but I’m looking forward to trying them out when I’m feeling adventurous. My only complaint is that the book doesn’t really seem to have any clear organizational pattern – no clear-cut appetizer/main-dish/dessert sections – but I suppose that’s part of its charm.

However, I’ve made three recipes so far – the gougères (cheese puffs), the gateau au yaourt (yogurt cake – so moist and delicious and EASY!), and the sablés au citron (lemon butter cookies), and each one has turned out fantastically.

In short, Clotilde’s enthusiasm for delicious food is absolutely infectious, and her recipes are spot-on and incredibly appetizing. I highly recommend it!

My cookies is so purty.

Of Meat and Men

I love this article, although, honestly, I don't really need anyone to validate my decision to order a steak on a date. Also, I think it would be wise to point out that steak-ordering doesn't always have an ulterior motive - sometimes I just want a big hunk of animal flesh, 'kay?