Category Archives: A Thought

OoooF

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I’m in the middle of writing this horribly long paper… It’s due on Friday and the sample we were given is 40 pages long of really well reasoned arguments. I was sick for a week, I procrastinated for 5 days, I napped at the library while researching and now I’m three days for the 6:00pm deadline and wringing my fingers and writing like a nut job. I also found this amazing article related to my research…. oh boy.

Anyway, I did just want to say oh heeyyy and tell you that I will be back with some great recipes this weekend after I’m done with my self-imposed torture. Yes. I know. I could have done more work earlier… but then you wouldn’t know that when I’ m in crunch mode I eat random things. Like rotisserie chicken I originally bought for my dog… but I just can’t be bothered to go find something else to eat. I’m anchored here in my chair until I’m done!!!!

RAWR.

Did I mention I don’t have internet at home, so I’m just gently borrowing someone else’s bandwidth? Oops.

 

Mussels

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Today, I landed in Orlando. The weather was sublime… and after taking an overly long drive to enjoy the weather (in other words: missing all of the beautiful weather because we thought the drive would be shorter) I went to dinner at Timpano. They have several different restaurants in other cities, but this is the first one I have been to. The service was great, the ambiance was just cozy enough, and mussels? Phenomenal.

I don’t normally like mussels or any type of sea food that involves using my fingers (like crab legs and lobster… seriously I just can’t ever get that SMELL out of my fingers and it drives me wild), but everyone around us was feasting on these sizzling pans of mussels. Needless to say, I immediately ordered my own piping hot pan. It was wonderful.

The mussels are drizzled in oil, and tossed with a heavy handful of coarse salt. Then they are thrown on a searing hot cast iron pan and brought to your table as they mussels just cook and sprayed with fresh lemon. The mussels are just the right amount of gooey cooked to melt in your mouth and the flavors of charred shell and crispy salt on the shells is just perfect.

Anyway, after swallowing a good dozen of these delicious mussels, I contemplated the application at home. I think with a solid lodge logic (or other cast iron pan) the same result is possible if you can find mussels that are fresh enough to be eaten just toeing the “cooked” line. The key is a lot of salt, a little moisture (maybe a little white wine infused with garlic olive oil will do the trick) and then high… high heat. I think if I were to do this at home, I would broil my pan on high with just a bit of oil until it smokes before tossing the mussels in. Then back into the oven for 5 minutes before slurping them up with some crusty bread. This is clearly my first project once I get back into my kitchen… and buy one of those cast iron pans I’ve been eyeing!

A fun little note! I am the proud new user of the NEW and very sexy Sony Alpha Nex-5 Camera. As an avid user of my little Sony point-and-shoot that I have had for 5 years (forever and ever!), and a notable disinterested soul of electronics, this might be the first trendy electronic gadget that I am utterly infatuated with… really, it’s out of control.  Can I also mention that it comes in RED?! So cute! (Mine is silver, but I still found myself hugging it to my chest during my flight here).

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A thought on perfection

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Today I dropped off 5 pairs of shoes that I had been hoarding for repairs. I get terribly attached to pretty things and when they are in need of repair, I hesitate to hand them over. The repairs I needed were minor but cost me more than a pair of new Charles David shoes. While I don’t mind spending that kind of money on good repairs, I get irritated when I feel that the job could have been better. The new rubber soles attached to my favorite pair of heels was cut slightly wobbly and the new heel caps on my suede boots are ever so slightly different sized from each other. No one would notice at first glance, but I feel the difference and I know. And… it bothers me. I mean really, does using a ruler to make sure the soles are cut straight a huge problem? And really, those heel caps could have just been sanded ever so slightly to be even. And really… a three minute polish job on the BCBG boots wouldn’t kill would it? I am willing to pay the obscene amount of money to have my favorite ponyhair pumps back on my feet, but I just don’t understand why people don’t strive for perfection. The gentleman that fixed my shoes was nice enough, but his work was less than stellar.

I wonder if perhaps that is the best he can do… or perhaps he just doesn’t notice the glaring mistakes I see. Either way, I’m disturbed by the lack of attention to detail. Perfection is in details.

 

Happy New Year!

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In honor of the new year, my family eats “dduk gook” on the first day of the year. “Dduk gook” is a Korean soup made with rice cake. This year, we decided to add “mandoo” or dumplings to our soup. I am still learning a lot about Korean food and cooking, so those recipes to come later…. however here are some pictures of our homemade “mandoo”