Pretty Pesto

First time making pesto and I used a recipe that I snagged from All Recipes. Kudos!

• 3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (pine nuts are supposed to be superior, but they're also superiorly expensive. The nuts can be substituted with almonds or walnuts)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional and I didn't use parsley in my recipe)

I don't have a heavy duty blender but went out and got a $17 hand blender that seemed to do the trick. I chopped the basil and used the blender on it in batches. Same thing for nuts. Then I combined everything, blended and now have a kick arse batch of pesto. I truly think the trick to pesto (other than having an awesome blender) is fresh, fresh ingredients, stellar olive oil (Thanks Wagoners for my Chilean EVOO!!!) and good cheese. Once the summer hits, the basil will be better and I'd probably get a slightly saltier cheese (I threw in a pinch of salt).

I put blubs of the pesto in zip lock bags and froze them for future use. Easy to take out the morning of the day you'd like to use it for an evening meal - defrosted and ready to go.

Ahhh, comfort food

You can't really mess up a roast chicken unless you overcook it and it dries out. A roast chicken, especially the whole bird, is one of my comfort foods. It's also a piece of cake to make.

• Cook at 450 for first 10 min, then drop heat to 375
• This bird was about 4 pounds so I cooked it for just over an hour (roughly 20-25 min per pound)
• Don't forget to take out the innards before you put it in the oven!
• 1 bird, defrosted
• I coat the skin and under the skin with a bit of olive oil, pepper, adobo and pepper. There's usually enough salt in the adobo.
• When you think your chicken might be done, check it by forking it and see if the juices run clear. If it does, ta da! You've got yourself an edible chicken.

Then onto broth....

After I plucked the bird of its tender meat, I threw the carcass, a few carrots, couple of onions and a few cloves of garlic in a big ol'pot, filled it with water and let it simmer for about 8 hours total. I did it over two days. Then i threw out the gross bits, tossed the veggies and skimmed the broth for fat. I poured the broth in a big tub and will let it sit and separate - one more fat skimming before I use it. I'll end up using it as the base for a bean soup I've got planned but in the meantime, I'll freeze it.

Double whammy.

Poisson du jour

A simple dinner - fresh, wild caught cod, thrown in the over for about 10-12 minutes, sprinkled with a touch of EVOO, adobo and pepper, joined by a bit of baguette, also sprinkled with EVOO and salt and last but not least, a green that I've never had on its own - bok choy. I cleaned it up, chopped off the root, threw it in a frying pan with a little olive oil, salt and water for steam. Five minutes later - a tasty veggie!

Buenos Aires, Argentina

This is a post that deserves more time than I actually have, and I have been feeling guilty for not yet editing all of the pictures taken while in Buenos Aires. I wrote this up for our corporate attorney at work whose fencing coach is going BA soon and is looking for interesting things to do while there.

El Dorado Kayak- most certainly one of the highlights of the trip. Nice to spend a day out of the city. The guys who run it are extremely friendly and generous, the post-kayak asado that they prepare is absolutely delicious, but 10 miles of rowing might be rough for kids. They are a small company so maybe they could tailor a shorter trip for you:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g312762-d1596737-r92329609-El_Dorado_Kayak-Tigre_Province_of_Buenos_Aires_Central_Argentina.html

San Telmo Market- They have nice, cheap jewelry in either silver or Alpaca. Because we had never heard of Alpaca before, I had to do a little research so I knew what I was purchasing. Basically it’s a alloy of Zinc, Iron, Copper and Nickel. It has properties like stainless steel and will not tarnish or rust, so it’s a decent cheaper alternative to silver (plata).  San Telmo on Sunday is quite a busy area, so I would recommend keeping your belongings close. But the artisans are very nice and will be happy to help you.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g312741-d314020-Reviews-San_Telmo_Antique_Market-Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html

La Bicicleta Naranja: Bike Rental in San Telmo- We rented bikes for about 4 hours after browsing the wares at the market. I would recommend avoiding the path along the water, because you can’t see anything but marsh and it’s not very scenic. Instead, ask the guys at the store to recommend a tour, or hire a private guide. If you head off on your own, steer clear of La Boca, which is the least safe areas of BsAs.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g312741-d1823704-Reviews-La_Bicicleta_Naranja_Tours-Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html

MALBA- About the size of one wing of the MoMa, this museum had some really cool exhibits when we were there. Their restaurant serves up some pretty tasty sandwiches as well.  

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g312741-d312325-Reviews-Museum_of_Latin_American_Art_of_Buenos_Aires_MALBA-Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html

I would be here for ages talking about the restaurants, but all of the meat is delicious. If you like your meat rare, be sure to ask for your steak “muy jugoso”. All of the salads and veggies in general were fresh and flavorful, which was a nice surprise.

LIVEBLOG: Double Hop IPA

Today my brewing partner, Seth and I are brewing a double IPA. I will be liveblogging our efforts!
The grains.

 The directions.

 The malt.

Pouring in the liquid malt extract.

 The wort.

 Hot wort tastes like an oatmeal-y sweet tea.

 The grains have been steeped.

 Adding the crescent hops.

 Adding the cascade hops.

 Hoppity hop hop!

  The wort chiller worked amazingly well. Cooled down the wort from 212F to 80F in about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, we re-hydrated the yeast.

  80F!

Aerating the wort so the yeast can grow and reproduce.

 We then poured the wort into a mesh sieve and into a bucket so as to capture the sediment. We filled the airlock with vodka and put it into the closet for a week.

...To be continued in seven days!

Outlier: Tailored Performance

While I have yet to actually purchase any items from Outlier, I think their mens clothing, accessories and overall mission is totally cool and solves a major problem for city cyclists: comfort without sacrificing fashion. My only criticism is that I wish they would increase their line of womans clothing; give us some more tailored options like blazers, blouses, trousers. Stretchy jeans and tank tops can be bought anywhere. Looking forward to seeing this line expand to help out the sporty ladies of NYC in the near future.

Quinoa-king On Sunshine

Ultimate Beef Chili: jalapeno, kidney beans, sundried tomato, lean beef, cilantro, onions, green bell peppers. I decided to add a secret ingredient: Samuel Smith Tadcaster Bitter. To die for.

Carrot Salad: shredded carrots, dill, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon, salt and pepper to taste. I felt like the recipe needed something, so I shredded up two pieces of ginger, each piece about the size of my thumb.

Whole Wheat Bread: My husband has been on a bread making kick for the last couple of weeks, and it's amazing the extent to which it's enhanced our quality of life. No preservatives! I can't wait to pair this with the chili for tomorrow's lunch.  Recipe from The Joy of Cooking.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad: Another extremely simple salad that can literally be thrown together in 15 minutes. Quinoa, black beans, scallions, diced red pepper, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

I Found Out About This New Thing.

Up until relatively recently, my cooking repertoire consisted of a few main meals: Shake n' Bake chicken, canned soup, spaghetti and English muffin pizzas. As certain people in my life can attest to, I virtually subsisted on English muffin pizzas during those dark days of post-college and pre-employment. I think I made meatballs once. Which prompts me to ask this question: how am I alive? How did I survive to the ripe old age of 32 on a steady diet of  canned sauce, boxed seasonings, meat and refined starches? Where were my vegetables? Why do I not have the gout?

They Make it Look So Easy.

Any New Yorker who has ridden a bike in this city knows that there's got to be a better way. I'm all for Janet Sakik-Kahn's new ideas on cycling infrastructure, but we have a long way to go until we can even come close to rivaling the Dutch.  This is the way it's supposed to be.

My First Treehouse

I was eight years old and on a massive Calvin and Hobbes bender. Calvin had a Radio Flyer; I wanted a Radio Flyer. Calvin had an old-timey wooden sled; I wanted an old-timey wooden sled. Calvin had a treehouse; and I HAD to have a treehouse. A treehouse!