Chickpea, Spinach & Squash Gnocchi

I made Eating Well's Chickpea, Spinach & Squash Gnocchi a few months ago and have been wanting to make it again for a few weeks. (Yes, sometimes I make a meal, take pictures of it and don't tell you right away.  It's crazy, I know.)

Now that everything is settling down (and I've had pot roast for two nights in a row and really need to Not Eat Meat tonight), I think tonight might be the night.  I'm venturing out to the store in the snow this afternoon, and will be getting the ingredients and cooking this as you read about it.  Very meta.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! ....what? it's the 10th!?

Me: Happy New Year, blog.  I haven't been around.

Blog:  Yeah. I noticed.   

Me:  You see, I've been doing other things. Without the Internet. 

Blog [aghast]:  What's that?  Without... The Internet?  How can this be?  

Me: Well, you see, it's because I was on a very large ship sailing around the Caribbean Sea with Famous People.*  

Blog: Ah. Well. That explains it.  

Me: Yes. Here are some pictures.  I'll talk about letting go of things and what I want for the coming year and all that stuff that Every Other Blog In Creation talked about two weeks ago while I was packing my family of four to get on a floating hotel for a week in another post.

Blog: Ok.....

Blog: I missed you.

Me.  I know.  I missed you, too.  Though not enough to take a single picture of food while I was gone.

Blog:  I understand.  You were on vacation.

Me:  Thanks.  I heart you.

Blog: Shut up and make with the pictures.

It's good to be on a boat with old friends.
Peter Sagal and my husband, Bill.

Fruity Rum Drinks in Neon Plasticware!  With FRUIT!

A view of the ms Eurodam from the beach at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

Beautiful!

Happy.

Having stupidly watched Titanic two weeks before the cruise,
I was happy to see these awesome lifeboats that also served as shuttles to the islands.

The Paul F. Tompkins Memorial Mustache Formal.
Paul's not dead or anything, he just couldn't join us on the cruise.
Formal wear was optional, mustaches were mandatory and provided.
I brought monocles for Bill and me.

A theater full of geeks every night.  What's better than that?

This is as close to Jamaica as I got.
I was in the stateroom with my 3 year old who was throwing up from a virus for three days.
My 5 year old went ashore with my parents and came back braid-less,
but bearing color-changing gifts of barrettes, rings and nail polish.
She didn't start throwing up until the next day.

If you squint, you can see the crescent moon just under the  clouds.

Why almost 400 people were sailing on the ms Eurodam last week:
As best I can, from left to right:
John Hodgman, Wil Wheaton, John Roderick, Paul and Storm, Jonathan Coulton, Dammit Liz, David Rees, Molly Lewis, Mike Phirman, Peter Sagal, Bill Corbett (my husband), Stephen Toulouse, Kevin Murphy.

The scarriest of all the towel animals.
Towel Monkey.

I cannot tell you all that happened here.  But I can tell you that I had a wonderful time and am so lucky and so happy to have been a part of it all.  I saw some of the best performing I've ever seen, I hung out with some really amazingly talented people.  I had real conversations with people I've admired for years (one in particular since I was 12 years old), and got to meet their amazing families.  I met new friends and grew real connections.  Thank you so much, Jonathan, Paul and Storm, Liz, the Universe, for putting this all together.  Thank you, Bill  for including me in it.  Even though our poor children were throwing up for days, I still got to have nights most people only dream about.  Thank you to my parents for coming along and making those nights possible by watching the kids and for getting us really sweet chairs on the beach in the Bahamas.  I hope you got a good vacation out of the deal, too.  Thank you Holland America, for making my first cruising experience awesome enough - even with sick kids - to consider and look forward to a second.  With service and food like that, I'm sticking with you kid.

Thanks for being patient with me, Blog.  I'll start taking pictures of food again now.

*may not contain actual famous people.

Lemon Pavlova

The new Eating Well came to my house today.  Did you get yours?  Did I mention I'm their home kitchen Tester?  It's true.  Check the masthead.  I'm totally on it.

Anyway -  I tested the Lemon Pavlova, and I highly suggest you make one.  It takes time to bake, but the time is mostly unattended, and it is SO worth it.  This is probably my favorite non-chocolate dessert out there. You know how I feel about curd.  

The meringue is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  The lemon curd is tart and sweet, and the whipped cream is not-to-sweet perfection.

Thick, delicious, glossy.

A cool little template trick - just flip it over so you don't eat lead.

Just a little wall built up around the edges will keep the curd from running off once it's put together.
I think next time I'll beat it for even longer and see if I can get stiffer peaks to built up.
See Eating Well's picture - now there are some walls!

After round one in the oven.

Out of the oven.
(Please ignore where my finger went through it in the back where I was testing the consistency.)

Curd!

Whipped cream.

It cracks when you cut it, so make sure to show it to everyone beforehand.

Enjoy!!

It's Christmas Eve and I don't think I can get it together to make it for tomorrow, but I think I may have to make this for New Year's Eve.  Have a great holiday, everyone!




The Dying Swan / Anna Pavlova from Atavisme on Vimeo.

Hello again, hello.

Oh, my poor neglected blog.  I'm so sorry to have been away for so long.  My family has been passing around a stomach flu and I have been unable to think about food for days. Very sad.  We are all in the clear now, and I look forward to eating regularly again and sharing with you all the delights of the rest of the season.

In the meantime:

My children are home from school on Winter Break for two weeks (OMG), and then we will be going on a cruise for a week.  I'm looking for things to entertain them while were all home. Together.  Bound in by snow and ice.  For two weeks.  *ahem*  Sorry. -and will probably do this awesome kitchen science project again. All you need is cornstarch and water (and food coloring if you want to be fancy like me).

When you work it (create friction), it's a solid.

When you let it relax, it's a liquid!

My daughter made hers pink.

My son made his green.

You should totally do this - even if you don't have kids - do it for "cheap date at home with a bottle of wine night".  Seriously.  It's quick to make, entertaining for a really long time, and super easy to clean up (the best part).

Check out the rest of Liz's site, Kitchen Pantry Scientist, for more great experiments!

I Heart NY

Last week, Bill and I went to see a reading of his play HATE MAIL at a benefit for Opening Act in New York City. 

Thanks, Sun Country! Glad these instructions are so specific.
I wore my tutu that day and was a little concerned.

Cranberry crumble with clotted cream at Angus McIndoe.
YUM!!

View from the Hilton Times Square, 43rd floor.

Lunch: Antipasi at Mario Batali's OTTO.

Calamari with potaotes
Eggplant (something)
Broccoli & Peccorino
Roasted Beets and Saba
Parsnips, Parsley & Parmigiano - you WILL see me attempt this - it was incredible.

The spaghetti Alla Carbonara was too al dente for my taste, and so salty I couldn't eat more than two bites.  My Fussili Con Stracotto was also very salty, but the pork shoulder was delicious.

The gelato disappered so quickly, I didn't get a chance to take a picture.  Three scoops.  Dark chocolate, Olive Oil and Gorgonzola.  I endevour to learn to make awesome savory ice creams now and follow in the footsteps of my Great-Grandfather and open an ice cream parlor.  Though mine will probably not be in the Bronx.

$5 sparkling water was worth the bottle and the relief from my hangover.

I love this.  I don't care if I look like a tourist.

The set of the show.

The benefit was at  New World Stage - a really cool venue where you have to walk DOWN two flights of stairs to get to the theater.

The Cast, Playwright and Director:
John Slattery, Cynthia Nixon, my husband Bill Corbett, and Michael Mastro

John and Bill

Bill, John and Me.

 Let me just say the cast, director, crew and members of Opening Act were wonderful, lovely people.  John Slattery and Cynthia Nixon were very nice, and really great in these roles.  I thank them so much for donating their time and tremendous talent to help this organization.

Among other things, we ate coconut omelets at Ponsri Thai after the show.

Good night, New York.
That's The Ball in Times Square in the middle, there.  Good thing we had light-blocking curtains.

I walked around saying, "I love New York" the whole 40 hours I was there.  Because I do.

Snowmageddon

If you live in or around Minnesota, know someone who lives in
Minnesota, or are following someone from Minnesota on Twitter or
Facebook, you know it's snowing. A lot.

Celebration!

Last night I made sushi at home for the first time.  I recently saw Marie Porter post about This on Twitter. (Follow her, she's funny, smart and makes amazing food - what else can you ask for?)

Here's how mine came out.  I used salmon, because that's what I like best and that's what they had at the store that hadn't been frozen.

Nori, Mango, Avocado, Rice

Smush rice on Nori, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds

flip

Add ingredients

My first-ever roll.  It smooshed out the sides.

But look how pretty inside!

Brought this to Bill for a snack

Then made another for dinner

pretty!

Cooked some salmon and made salmon, mango and avocado nigiri for the kids.

Totally worth the $7 I shelled out for all that nori and the bamboo mat - though I'm glad I put parchment on top - so less messy.

Try it! You'll be glad you did.