I've been meaning to write a post for about a month, but I probably should I have done so during the holiday season. I received several excellent Christmas gifts this year that have really elevated my cooking habit. At the top of the list was a cast iron Dutch oven – and my mom even found an orange one, which is good because it has to permanently occupy one of the empty burners. She also found a great set of knives, which I've used many times along with my folding cutting board – thanks Ryan & Audrey!
One of the best gifts was from my new boss – a Crate & Barrel cookbook stand, which I didn't think I needed until I used it. Goes nicely with the two cookbooks I got. One is entitled “Booze Cakes” and could not have gotten me more excited to bake something. I swear I’m not a lush, but don’t Rum & Coke Whoopie Pies sound just slightly better than regular ones? The other book is a genius move in marketing – The Cooking with Trader Joe’s cookbook.
Now imagine looking at an ingredient list that can be purchased all at one store! Now granted, I can and have cooked plenty of meals by shopping only at Pathmark (over $1000 in savings in three years, thank you) but the cool thing about this cookbook is that all the recipes list the ingredients just as you’ll find them in the store. Need Frozen Pineapple Tidbits? You’ll find just that in the Trader Joe’s freezer case (and they make an awesome smoothie).
My good friend from D.C. came to visit last weekend and, as someone who shops exclusively at Trader Joe’s, she offered some great suggestions of what to buy. I’ve been to the store many, many times, but it’s nice to get a trusted opinion. We did a fair amount of talking about food, but we also actually ate really well. Between a delicious lunch at Le Pan Quotidien and a leisurely Sicilian dinner at Piattini in Bay Ridge, we stepped up our usual warm ups and leftovers for some serious dining out.
The best meal I had last weekend was the Eggs Benedict with home fries and green salad at Moutarde in Park Slope. Part of the movie Julie & Julia was filmed at this restaurant, but I honestly wasn’t even thinking about that. I did think about those eggs all week, though, so I had to give it my best shot this morning. Poaching eggs and whisking hollandaise sauce was a bit of a tall order for a regular old Sunday, but I succeeded. Someone told me I looked like Amy Adams the other day and I’m not sure about that, but I am sure that my eggs looked way better than hers did in the movie!
Boeuf Bourguignon next? Only if I can use TJ's wine and my orange pot!
