spacekadet

Yesterday I mentioned that I baked some bread. The comments tell me people actually read this thing, which not only makes me feel warm and fuzzy, but also compels me to add a few extra notes from my adventure with the No Knead Bread. Thank you, readers. You muse me.

* Lacking a cast iron pot, I baked mine in a stainless steel pot with no ill effects.

* I replaced 1/3 of the white bread flour with whole wheat bread flour which seemed to work well, but may have contributed to a somewhat flatter than expected loaf.

* The recipe calls for folding the dough in thirds after its first rise. In my (absent) mind, I interpreted "folding in thirds" as "folding in half three times". I only realised later that I was supposed to fold the dough like a business letter. Regardless, nothing terrible happened, so maybe it's no big deal how you fold it, just as long as you do?

* Speaking of folding dough, any step that involved dough handling was pretty messy. The doughball is more of a doughblob. And like any good blob, it wanted to ooze between my fingers everytime I picked it up, giving me that stomach churning feeling that I'd done something wrong. It wasn't soupy or wet or anything, just oozy. The video demonstrates this pretty well, and it's to be expected. Stress: be gone!

* I used cornmeal for the dusting, but any kind of flour or "meal" (i.e. wheat bran) should do the trick.

* While compulsively reading about this recipe on other blogs on the internets, I stumbled across "Real Baking with Rose". Her style's a little too Home & Garden for my tastes (she actually starts one of her paragraphs with "It began with a veal shank from my butcher Pino". I mean, what real human being has a butcher and cooks with veal shanks?). Rose strikes me as the kind of person who has to have every kitchen gadget known to man, and would look down upon any cook who doesn't have a well seasoned cast iron skillet. She brings out the misogynist in me, and yet, she has a recipe for 100% whole wheat walnut bread that I'd like to try. Is this a love-hate relationship or what?

Posted by monica at 02:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I'm sad today because I feel like I don't have any time.1000 words a day.That's how much I'd like to write. But I'm lucky if I manage 10. And that's not counting e-mails, work reports, grocery lists, etc. Life isn't as hard as it feels, I know. And tomorrow's a brand new day.There, that’s 58.

Posted by monica at 04:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

IMG_1625.JPG
Originally uploaded by spacekadet.

So there's this "No Knead Bread" recipe that's, like, all over the blogs. Last weekend, I thought I'd give it a go. Surprise: it really is stupendously simple to make moist fluffy crusty bread.

Read the original NYTimes article.
Or check out the recipe I followed.
Or watch a video.

Posted by monica at 03:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

aren't you glad?

Posted by monica at 07:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I've never had much success with growing cilantro. It always just withers and dies a sad slow death. Any suggestions? At the moment, I've got a window sill to work with, minimal sun, and lots of love to give.

Posted by monica at 01:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The winner
Originally uploaded by mrlerone.

The Great Spitalfields Pancake race is held in the Old Truman Brewery, which isn't a brewery anymore but a shopping arcade just a hop skip and a pancake flip from where I work. So at lunchtime, I met Tim downstairs and we made our way to the races.

We arrived to a small group of onlookers who obstructed most of my view except that of a clown.

I hate clowns.

Not because I'm afraid of them.

But because I detest face painting.

So we abandoned the race for lunch at "Story Deli", also in the Old Truman Brewery, but lacking in clowns, crepes, or crowds. It was as if all of my lunch dreams had come true. Story Deli is a warm cozy oasis from the monolith chain restaurants and cafes that have sadly taken over most of the City of London. At Story, seating is communal, which I would normally find annoying. But here the distressed wooden tables are large enough that the experience feels more cozy than crowded. Brown storage boxes double as chairs (my friend, Charles, would approve), and pizza is served on simple wooden boards.

story deli
Originally uploaded by milkyjoe2.

Story's pizza is phenomenal! I wouldn't call this place "budget" (at £9+ for a pizza) but you definitely get what you pay for, and more. Their pizza is among the best I've had in London, with its crispy, paper thin crust and impeccably fresh ingredients (I went with rocket and mushroom). Tim and I shared a yummy salad, which was adorned with delectable accouterments like pine nuts, avocado, and mixed sprouts. The dessert brownie is delicious if you like your brownie fudgey, rich and amply speckled with walnuts. The only let-down was the latte; it was too hot and too milky. But London's never been great at coffee, so what can you do? Order wine instead I guess?

One last thing: Story Deli is 100% organic so that crunchies like me can feel extra good about eating there. Honestly, who needs pancakes? Crepes, on the other hand, are a different matter entirely. But that's another story.

Posted by monica at 03:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Happy hearts from me and all the pooches at the Westminster Dog Show.

You make me drool.

P.S. I am not really at the dog show.

Posted by monica at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

can you believe it's been 6 months since i moved back to London?

Posted by monica at 02:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Squash soup and a pile o' moleskins
Originally uploaded by spacekadet.

I've started talking to some of the sellers at the Stoke Newington farmer's market about their goods ("how should I cook oyster mushrooms?" "what's a leek?" "nice sprouts, wanna f!ck?"). at the same time i enjoy the chit chat, i feel kind of nauseated because i realize i'm one of those people who brings their own tote bag to the farmer's market, buys a few locally grown organic no-gmo free range parsnips, and thinks they're saving the world.

(i'll tell you who's saving the world: Tim, who is at this very moment is making a chocolate and zucchini cake, the smell of which could be the answer to world peace. now if only we could drop cocoa powder like we do mustard gas.)

Wait a minute, wasn't this supposed to be about squash?

Now that I've prefaced this entry with some cynicism, I can get on with sounding like one of those people I hate...

One of the market's most popular vendors is Ripple Farm Organics, a farm in Kent, wherever that is. I always avoided it because it was never without a horribly long line of wankers waiting to buy their week's supply of chard and celeriac. But when brussel sprout season hit, I couldn't resist their massive basket of the little green gems. While I waited in line, I noticed an impressive array of winter squash, so not being one of those people but being one of those people all the same, I inquired about a tasty, firm, not-too-watery squash that would be good for roasting. I walked away with a wedge of "Crown Prince" winter squash, a sizable beast with pinkish skin and bright orange innards.

The Crown Prince is my new favorite squash. It's firm and creamy and nutty and delicious. But boy is it a beast to peal. That didn't stop me from buying another one that very next week. This time I lopped off the stem and put the whole thing in a 350 F oven for about an hour. Genius! I cut the precious thing in half, scooped out the seeds, peeled off the skin (which practically fell right off) and sent the squash to its new home in a soup pot.

Drawing inspiration from Chocolate and Zucchini's Soup De Courge Musquee Aux Epices (I guess it's a C&Z kinda day), I masterminded a ginger lickin' good squash soup. It goes like this.

- 2 kg of cooked winter squash (royals like me go for the Crown Prince)
- 1 yellow onion, sliced into thin rings
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- thumb-sized knob of ginger, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1 hot pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tbsp oil
- salt and pepper

In a large soup pot, heat up the oil, then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Saute until the onion is cooked, then add the squash, spices and a couple cups of water. Mush up the squash in the water 'til it gets soupy, adding more water 'til its soupy enough for your liking. Keep cooking for a while, tasting it along the way and making sure you add enough salt. If you want, blend up some or all of it to make it smoother. I personally like the odd chunk or two in my soup.

I'm still tweaking with the hot pepper bit. I used a dried guajillo but it didn't impart enough heat for my liking. A few flakes of chipotle solved that problem.

The aforementioned fancy french lady adds creme fraiche to her soup, but eff that noise. I like it my way. Surprise: it's vegan!

Posted by monica at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The people over at Total Organics in Borough Market need to be taught the definitions of "veggie" and "fajita"**.

Their so-called "Veggie Fajita" contained neither veggies nor fajita, but instead a a steaming pile of beans topped with salsa, greek yoghurt, and a wedge of lemon (god knows why). The whole thing was handed over to me in a plastic container, at the bottom of which, a corn tortilla drowned in bean juice.

Death by bean juice - can you imagine?

To be fair, the beans were nicely seasoned with a hint of fire, and the salsa was fresh and tasty, but why oh why would they call this a fajita? What's worse is that the server even seemed to think these beans were "refried" even though were plain ol' whole kidney beans. It's almost embarrassing.

So I walked around the corner with my heavy tub of beans and spied a massive queue of eaters lined up for falafel at a place whose name I can't remember but their sign read "Dolmas" in nice appealing hand-written script. The rest of the sign was devoted to their small menu: Falafel, Falafel with Salad, Falafel with Pickle, Falafel with both. I waited in line and when my turn came I purchased "Falafel with Both" and waited briefly while my meal was prepared. Whole wheat pit, humus, three falafel patties, carrot and cabbage salad, mixed pickle, tatziki, and chilli sauce. After my first couple bites, I wondered what all the fuss was about. The frigid weather warranted the falafel luke warm and the pita cold in comparison. But as I worked my way closer to its core, I began to understand. The textures were marvellous: the hearty salad imparted a distinct crunch, while the falafel, though warm, was still crispy. But it was the pickle that made my day. A unique combination of turnips, olives and onions, the pickle's tartness was pure magic with the tahini of the humus. My only complaint was the chilli sauce: I know it was on there, but I couldn't taste a thing.

So what about that alleged fajita in my backpack? I think the beans are done living a lie, so they're coming home with me. Veggie chilli? Rice and beans? Tacos? Not sure. Time will pave the way towards their true calling.

**In Spanish, fajita is the diminutive form of the word faja which translates to "belt" or "girdle" in English.

Posted by monica at 08:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not only did it snow in London today, but a package of Christmas presents arrived from my parents. How lucky am I, I ask you?

How lucky am I?

London snow is what we Chicagoans call "slush". But it's such a rare thing to see flakes fall from the London sky that it feels like a real snowfall all the same. I cycled to work in all of its gloriousness, and even brought my camera.

I'm loving London these days. The air's been still and crisp and I leave the house early enough to get the roads mostly to myself. It's amazing, the solitude to be found in the most unlikely of places.

Posted by monica at 04:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Monica and I Gripping for Life on a Boat
Originally uploaded by meppies.

happy birthday, stephanie!

Posted by monica at 04:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Stoke Newington Library is a hodge podge of many things, very few of them organized. A few months ago I found William Gibson's "Pattern Recognition" making eyes at "Sex and the Single Sister" while "Secrets of the Sexually Satisfied Woman" looked on like a jilted lover.

Today's gem is "3 DVD's Starring Keanu Reaves". Three classics, if you don't mind! This is essential cinema for the true Keanu aficionado, but a mere freebee for us less cultured Hackney dwellers.

The trio consists of "Johnny Mnemonic", "Chain Reaction", "Point Break", three films I've shamefully never seen... until now!

Tonight I watched "Point Break". Call me a sucker for Patrick Swayze in scuba, but this movie really grabbed me! The action was spot on, even for 1991, and the acting was decent for the most part, with the unfortunate exception of poor Keanu. But what can you do? Devote a box set of DVDs to his three worst movies, I guess?

Posted by monica at 04:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Love
Originally uploaded by spacekadet.

My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to percieve with our frail and feeble mind.
- Albert Einstein

Care of amidabuddha.org

Posted by monica at 04:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)