Cabin Fever

I discovered a new side of myself last week.  While home for a full week after a 13 hour ER visit on Monday, I realized that sometimes I lose faith.  

Cooking only aggravated me, stretching and running were totally out of the question, TV left me annoyed, my book was anti climatic, and I couldn't pray if my life depended on it.  Literally crying for no reason, my temper was short and patience took a vacation.  

It wasn't until Saturday morning that I started to feel slightly hopeful again... and then Sunday, a miracle happened.  Joe and I had a fabulous day of church, cooking brunch together (Sunday potatoes and over-easy eggs with a side of fresh grapes and clementines) and watching movies curled up on the couch.  It lit a fire between the two of us that was gone for the week that I was ill, and I am very thankful.  

I'm posting this because I wasn't feeling the Christmas spirit and then out of no where it hit me like a freight train.  Thank God!  While this has nothing to do with the media and only a little to do with comfort food, it has everything to do with recognizing that this is not the end of the world.  Sickness comes and goes and fear is natural, but useless.  

The week is over and Christmas is in a few days. I'm finally excited and looking forward to the 2009.

Culinary Careers

I think there is something in the water or perhaps it's the weather, either way, culinary careers are the hot topics.  

First I listened to Leonard Lopate interview Tom Colicchio and the head master of the French Culinary Institute.  They spoke of many different offerings of a culinary degree and even mentioned where I work, The Food Network.  Go onto WNYC.org to hear the interview - it's fairly interesting especially when they consider the current recession to be Natural Selection for the truly amazing restaurants of New York (only the best will survive).

Second, I just found this article about a personal friend of mine, Kyle Shadix.  He is a dietician, chef and public speaker - he also encouraged me to really start this blog.  A wonderful man and in this article he discusses how careers in nutrition are the smart way to go.  Regardless of our economy, people care about what they eat and how they consume.  Read  Dietician: Recipe for a Healthy Career for more information. 

Happy reading!

So what if I don't have cable?

It is true, I may not be able to catch Top Chef, the Food Network, Discovery or National Geographic.  I may have missed Britney Spears's documentary or the second season of Mad Men. However, I am surrounded by culture and culinary updates right on Public Broadcast, PBS & NYC TV.

Yesterday, Saturday, poor Joe was ill, so we stayed in all day.  I went for my run (completed my first 5 miles, by the way), came home and cleaned up, and then began to cook.  Nothing over the top, but Italian aromas filled the apartment - roasted red pepper, tomato sauce, saute of mushrooms and kale... and then eventually some chicken soup.

Getting restless with reruns of Friends and Will and Grace, I took myself back in the kitchen for some putzing around.  Upon returning to the couch with my beloved glass of Carrascal/Mendoza (45% Malbec, 35% Merlot & 20% Cab Sauv.) we turned to NYC TVs (channel 25 around here) travel hour and then culinary hour!  What a treat!

First we travelled to Western African villages with a photographer, who's name is escaping me but images have been delightfully burned in my mind.  Next were several villages/tribes nestled between Tibet and China - Joe and I loved the elephants and are considering one for our backyard, just think of a really large dog.

And then, my favorite shows: Lidia's Italy & Brindiamo!  Lidia made this beautiful monk fish and artichoke brodetto (which Joe and I are going to replicate tonight for date night) and served it with saute of onions and fennel (my new flavor - fennel).  On Brindiamo! the host (I forget her name but she is fabulous and 100% Italian) travelled to Luzo's Ristorante for some Pizza.  Enough said.  Mid way through the show, Joe was feeling better and I was craving some grandma's pie from Graziella's, our neighborhood pizza place. 

Once the pizza arrived we were back on PBS for a classic Woody Allen film.

I fell asleep with my head on Joe's lap full of good food, inspiring images, and excitement for the snow that was coming down outside.

Happy Weekends!!!

Since when do we answer to them?

I just read the first few lines of this article and it drove me a little insane.  So, since when does the FDA answer to big business?  Since now, apparently.

Read FDA may approve stevia-based sweeteners, and you'll see what I'm talking about.

I guess my confusion stems from the very basic question: what is wrong with sugar in the raw?

Finding your comfort...

...after a long holiday weekend.

Ahhh, Thanksgiving.  Family, friends, more family, more friends, drinks, food, traffic, phone calls, text messages, yadda, yadda, yadda.  Going home is a wonderful thing, but it comes with a price.  

When I was in college it was easy and care free.  Hangovers were expected and easily dealt with; going from one house to the next was fine because, hey, you can always sleep when you are dead! 

Now?  Not so much.

Responsibilities abound and expectations are high.  Needless to say, I'm exhausted and think I need more time off, however, this is not an option.  Tonight, I needed comfort - and that is what I made:  Putanesca Sauce with Porccini Ravioli.

Putanesca Sauce

5 anchovies, 1/2 red onion, 2 cloves garlic, 6 sm. portabella mushrooms, small hand full of kalmata olives, 1 can whole tomatoes, red pepper, parsley.  Sautee everything in olive oil except the can of tomatoes... after 10 minutes, add the can.  Include 1/2 a can of water and let condense.

Serve over pasta or... whatever.  It's delicious and brings me back to the reality I was absent from for 4 days.

Welcome home!

Happy Holidays - a few articles

In between feasting on pies, potatoes, roasted beasts and savory drinks, indulge in a few of these thought provoking articles.

1. 50 percent more US children went hungry in 2007 by Michael J. Sniffen. The statistics are frightening and feel as though they may be hitting closer to home. Makes you want to help out in anyway that you can (ie: donate food, work in a soup kitchen, make a meal to share).

2. There was this great little article in the Trenton Times today, Blitzed with toy ads, cash-strapped parents push back, by David Crary. I can't seem to find it online, but check out the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood website. The gist is that parents are asking toy makers to ease up on marketing to their children because they aren't able to buy everything their children see and then want on TV or in video games, etc. The toy execs, in turn, are saying that they have to market so that children are able to stay up to date with the "latest and greatest". Interesting and disturbing.

3. Thoreau's observation in the beginning of this article says it all - I feel I have my life goal laid out in front of me. Read and flip through the pictures of England’s Culinary Wild West by Henry Shukman for the NY Times, and you'll know what I mean. It is yet another story about sustainable agriculture, local harvest and community. To be quite honest, I can't get enough of it. Every time I read one of these it makes me feel all warm with purpose.

Happy reading and munching!

Land of Opportunity...

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind for me (hence the lack of writing).  Every once in a while I think it necessary to observe and get involved.  While work has picked back up, my social life has found itself bouncing from events to lectures to tastings to runs.  In one word: exciting.  I consider myself very fortunate to live in a city where one night you're joining a marathon and the next evening you are at a book launch for a new comic about Isadora Duncan.  Only in New York.

So please allow me to take a quick moment to put everything together - because that is what I do, I find the through line. 

I had been feeling lazy, as if I'd completely abandoned my inner athlete.  In order to get her back, I started running.  Just a little bit each day; but getting my butt out there, more or less.  To keep myself motivated, I joined The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training.  Now, I will run a marathon (26.2 miles) on May 3rd and raise $2,600 for a wonderful cause.  The night I signed up I was speechless - the energy of hundreds of people gathered for the same reason.  Talk about finding a new community - not to mention being part of it.

Here is a link to the donations page!  If you can give, please consider. It is a great cause and we've all been effected by cancer in one way or another. 

Wednesday, was the Isadora Duncan book launch.  An incredibly illustrated comic book about the Mother of Modern Dance, with the forward by Lori Bellilove (whom I've had the opportunity to work with on several levels).  The author, Sabrina Jones, read an excerpt, Lori danced and we drank champagne.  I am still in awe and inspired by what I had witnessed front row.  What a truly artistic evening. 

Thursday evening I attended a Food & Pop Culture class at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE).  Fascinating conversation, people, and topic.  It was primarily geared toward the power of marketing food & food personalities to society, and was a nice refresher of my college marketing classes.  I thought the most interesting dynamic, however, aside from the lecture, was the audience: all women (various ages and backgrounds).  The lecturer, Fabio, is a professor of Pop Culture & Food at NYU and is the correspondent to an Italian Food Network.  

Friday night?  I drank wine.  Lots and LOTS of wonderful, beautiful, round, sparkling, dark, light, full bodied wine.  Wine from Italy, France, California, Spain, & South America.  Wine for every meal, wine for every time of year or time of day.  We danced with the owners until 1am to lively Spanish music, dj'ed by Pandora.com.  My favorite was this South American red, with braille on the label, and the bottle was from the 1800's (not the wine inside, but the actual bottle).  Do I remember the name?  Nope, not a chance.  But I do know that they saved me several bottles.  I also fell in love with Gigondas, which is a Granache blend from France.  If ever the essence of relaxation had been bottled, Gigondas is it. 

You may be asking yourself: but, Kendra, how does this all fit together?  It's easy.  It's taking advantage of opportunity; living for today.  We all say that we want to do this and experience that - frankly, I'm tired of saying it.

While this hasn't been the Media-Harvest you are used to, it is better (in my opinion).  Directly from the source.  Seeing things, feeling them, tasting them, interacting with them, etc.  

Happy Thanksgiving, darlings!